Let’s Write a Picture-inspired Poem
August 27, 2008 by Sherma E. Benosa filed under Workshops | 1,506 viewsThey say practice makes perfect. This is so true in many aspects of our life. It’s when we practice that we discover some flaws we need to correct and learn new tricks which we can use to better our craft. Before we know it, we have become much better.
Writing is an ongoing practice. There is not a single point where you could say you’ve come. After you have reached the point you’ve set for yourself, you will again find new inspirations; and soon, you’ll find yourself swarmed with new ideas that beg to be put on paper. The process goes on and on.
Bilingual Pen fully supports this process. Our site was primarily conceptualized to become a venue for learning and interaction — a place where we can exchange ideas and knowledge while having fun.
This section of the portal (and soon the forum as well when it’s finally launched) will become a place for us to interact. We will be cooking up activities from time to time that will challenge us to write and to share what we have written.
Our very first activity is a tagging game called Photo-inspire Me.
Good pictures evoke in us a wide array of emotions and thoughts. They can send us to a different dimension and time. They can dampen us, soothe us, make us smile, laugh, cry, melancholic, inspired… name it, they can effectively do it. There are even times when pictures more effectively elucidate what words struggle to express.
So our first game/activity is to open ourselves to the emotions a picture evokes in us. And write about it.
Here’s the rule:
1. Write a poem or an inspiring line based on a photo of your choice. This photo can be your own, or someone else’s. (If the picture is not yours, please ask permission from the owner when you post it, or better yet, provide only the link to the picture that inspired you, without posting it.
2. Your poem or inspiring line may be of any length, and any genre. It can be humorous, sentimental, heart-warming, whatever. You may write in Ilokano, English or Filipino.
3. Post your inspiring line in your blog and in the comment section of this page (or just a link to your post so we could go and check it there). For poetry submissions, please indicate if you wish your piece to be posted in Bilingual Pen as an article submission.
The goal of this game is to get us to write, and express our thoughts and emotions.
Let me start.
.
.
The Face of Peace
The voice of worry
Whispers
In the ears
Of my jaded soul’s
Fitful attempts
To rest my eyes
From the landscape
Of my broken dreams
In the forsaken sky
Of my busted wings;
Its discordant tune
Humming a boisterous
Music that knows
No melody;
Chanting lyrics
That cut through
The hope that resides
Within me.
I fumble for
The white handkerchief
To throw it
Into the arena
Of my struggles.
But then I get
A glimpse of you
Just lying in your cradle
And suddenly
My lips refuse
To pronounce the name
Of surrender.
You sigh softly,
Allowing me to hear
The rhythm
Of your heart,
Reminding me
Of the texture
Of the love
You brought
From up above.
The discordant
Music fades,
Now replaced
By the hymn
Of your praise.
I watch your face,
The rise and fall
Of your chest,
Not realizing
I’m being hypnotized
To allow myself
To be hugged
By the calmness
Of your peace.
I fold
The handkerchief
Of defeat
And put it back
To where I cannot
Get it.
I’ve no use
For it now;
My wings
Are fixed once again
To soar towards
The vast sky
Of life’s hurdles.
I bend over,
Allowing myself
To drink in
The softness
Of your sighs.
Then I whisper
Into your ears:
“Thank you, Manman,
For showing me
The face of peace.”
//Sherma E. Benosa
27 August 2008; 10:50am
Inspired by the picture of my nephew, ManMan. Taken by my sister-in-law, I am using it with her enthusiastic permission. (Peace, Sheryll!)
I’m tagging Sonnet, Penstalker, Ka Loren, Manong Tito, Hitokirihoshi, Penshadow, Jake, Manong Rudy, Salve, Virtual Friend, Stern57, Nyanya, Manonton Dalan, RainforestRobin, SoulMerlin, Rhapsody and Gmacomics.
Others who wish to join whom I failed to tag, please feel free to join in. Learning is more fun when shared. 
.
rhapsody
can i link up my previous post in response to this post.. or maybe just re-post it? coz i remember i made a short tagalog poem for i think 2 related fotos in one entry.
i’ll dig it up!
thanks for the tag!
i’ll add u up in my roll! 
August 27th, 2008 at 2:30 pmgmac
nakupow! lolz. ang ganda ng expression ko di ba. hehe. hindi ako marunong tumula pero thanks sa pagtag. gagawin ko ang aking the best na nanggagaling sa kaibuturan ng aking puso.
August 27th, 2008 at 5:23 pmRobin Easton
What an absolutely stunning poem. It completely matches the exquisite beauty of the photo. Wow, I swear your writing just gets better by the day. I couldn’t not imagine it getting any better…and I think that every time and each time you exceed your own talent. You REALLY know how to craft an emotion into a phrase. You are an artisan.
This is SO intimately beautiful. I could feel you in that room and hear the baby’s breathing. You describe this so well I smell that wonderful smell that sleeping babies have. To just breathe that in would bring peace. I think it IS peace. What a precious dear life. So fresh and innocent.
You have such a true and beautiful beautiful heart.
August 28th, 2008 at 7:40 amVery rare and as precious and this sleeping child.
Love,
Robin
nyanya
hey, hey, may i join ako!
have made a poetry, it’s in my blog. Sana you’ll have time to read it, and hopefully comment on it…
Hope to hear some comments from you!, thanks!:-)
nyanya
http://nyanya-ninyascrib.blogspot.com/2008/08/darkness.html
August 30th, 2008 at 12:34 pmnyanya
hello, hello, may I join ako…
I made a poetry, which I posted on my blog.
Hope you’ll have time to read it and comment on it.
Thanks!
nyanya
http://nyanya-ninyascrib.blogspot.com/2008/08/darkness.html
August 30th, 2008 at 12:43 pmnyanya
thanks for tagging me!:-), nyanya
August 30th, 2008 at 12:45 pmnyanya
sori, o.c…
di ko kc alm kung natatanggap niyo ung comment ko.
here’s my poetry!, thanks ng madami!
http://nyanya-ninyascrib.blogspot.com/2008/08/darkness.html
August 30th, 2008 at 12:51 pmSherma Benosa
Hello Rhapsody! Thank you so much for playing along! You are the very, very first to do this! You did me and our humble abode such honor. Thank you!
———–
Hello , GMAC! It could be a poem, it could also be just a line, a sentence or two. Anything that you are inspired to write.
You can do it, I’m sure. 
———–
Dear Robin! Your words always melt me! Thank you my dear friend. I was so emotional when I wrote it. I so love this child, this angel, and the other one (Pau). I aim to write the best only for them. Lucky are their parents to have them. Again, thank you so much. You always humble me…
———–
Hyaya, Nyanya! I’m so sorry your comments went to spam!
Good thing one of them went through, I realized you had earlier messages. I approved them all. 
Thank you for joining in. I’m off to your blog…
August 30th, 2008 at 5:00 pmAntonette
Ah ok, ito yong nakita ko kay gmac rin:) Sige, i’ll do this
Thanks mare 
Antonettes last blog post..Manufacturing robots
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:28 pmAntonette
Mare I’ve accomplished the picture-inspired tag:) Here’s the link http://sonnetshaven.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/images-that-inspire/
Antonettes last blog post..Image I love
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:22 amvirtualfriend
Yayayay!
Eto rin sa akin!
http://bilingualpen.com/2008/09/03/to-my-buddy-my-destiny/
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:02 pmSherma Benosa
Thank you for doing it, Antonette! Sobra. Yung request ko ha? Hehehehhee.
Buddy! Love yeah! Thanks, sweetie. Hehehehehehe.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:16 amPM
o okay. just paste the link ei? here you go: http://prinsesamusang.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/crash-and-burn/i‘m not the greatest at this though so you must be kind to me and my poetry
October 1st, 2008 at 10:21 amQuintin
Pasali po……promise hindi ko hahabaan. Para ito kay MANMAN.
MY WISH AND A WORD FOR MANMAN
As I cast the rays
Of my critical eyes,
Over your Angleface
Dear little precious child…..
I see a mirror of peace,
Contentment and calm,
Of hope Of the future….
Pot of gold for dad and mom.
I wish you the best,
Like I did to mtne;
And hope your pathways…..
Will meet and intertwine.
Now I say to you baby Manman……
February 16th, 2009 at 1:37 pmGrow up to be a good man;
Like my one and only son,
And his name is Allan!