Poetry Challenge #126-Happy Valen-Tendi
Happy Valentine’s Day! Ever since St. Valentine defied Emperor Claudius II of Rome’s orders by secretly married couples, we’ve been celebrating Feb. 14th with hearts, flowers, romance and poetic gestures—including names plucked from a jar*. Let’s carry on the tradition with this week’s prompt:
Valentines in Montpelier, VT
Poetry Challenge #126
Happy Valen-Tendi!
A Tendi is poem made up of four-lines where the first three lines rhyme and the fourth line is a refrain. If you have more than one stanza, the fourth line is repeated each time.
Since it’s almost Valentine’s Day, try to use a refrain that might be on a Valentine. Something like:
I love you very much.
My heart belongs to you.
You are so very sweet.
Or use a saying from a candy heart:
Can you write a Valentine Tendi with three stanzas? Then, if you dare, send it to your Valentine!
Set your timer for 7 minutes
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it!
Surprise! A Bit More about Valentine’s Day & a song:
Originally Feb. 14th was a holiday to honor Juno - the Queen of Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also regarded Juno as the Goddess of Women and Marriage. As it happened, the day after, Feb. 15th was the fertility holiday, the Feast of Lupercalia during which women and men, who would otherwise be separated, where brought together. On the eve of Lupercalia—Feb. 14th—names of Roman girls were written and placed into a jar. The Roman boys would draw a girl’s name from the jar and the two would thus be coupled for the duration of Lupercalia. Sometimes couples paired during the festival would fall in love and marry. One might say, those jars were the first Valentines delivered…and the couples, “Valentines.”
The Song: Exs and Ohs by Elle King
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge about 1400 days ago (who’s counting?). We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
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Fill 'er Up! What Poppy Taught Me...
Back in the 70’s during gas rationing, my grandfather and I would idle in the gas station line together on “Even Days" so we could fuel up our cars.
For those of you post-rationing folks, cars with license plates ending in odd numbers could fill up on “Odd Days,” Mon-Wed-Fri, those of us with even-numbered plates could fill up on Tues-Thurs-Sat.
If either of our tanks fuel levels had dropped below half-a-tank, Poppy insisted on it. Spending this time with my grandfather would have been enough, but, as an added bonus, he’d pay to fill up my tank, too. (A much needed and appreciated college student “gift”.) Poppy got a kick out of it, too. As he neared the front of the line, Poppy would get into his car without a backward glance at me. After filling up with the allowed amount of gas: 10 or 12 gals, sometimes only 5, Poppy'd pay, telling the attendant “Put that cute blonde’s gas on my tab, too,” and drive off.
Poppy’s rule about refueling often and never letting your tank get below the half-full mark has stuck with me. Whether true, or an old car talk myth, Pops said all the yuck settled to the bottom of the tank. So, if I allowed my tank to get low, along with fuel, all the sediment and unwanted gunk will be sucked into the engine.
In that way, writers, artists, anyone who creates, are like cars. Our creative "wells" can run dry, too. Tales of creatives "refueling" are many and varied, some legendary: Hemingway & Steinbeck went adventuring; Parker and Fitzgerald shook and stirred. Others, try perhaps less entertaining, but more healthful routes such as Julia Cameron's The Artist’s Way. This 12-Step Guide to Creative Recovery, suggests weekly artist dates as a way of topping up our creativity.
To outsiders, and worse, to ourselves, “Filling the Well” and “Resisting,” as Steven Pressfield in War of Art calls procrastination, avoidance, and other obstacles that keep us from creating, can seem to be one and the same. Therefore, guilt or that darned clock—tick tick tick-Time’s-a-wasting-Slacker—can stop us from taking time to recharge our creative spirits.
Eventually, just as my 79 MG Midget sputtered and died on the way back from Lake Tahoe the one Sunday night I didn’t heed Poppy’s warning to never let my gas tank fall below half, our joie de create can sputter out.
“Heed the difference between “Filling the Well” and “Resisting”.”
While I absolutely do not believe our creativity can ever truly dry up. I know energy for, and interest in, doing the hard work it takes to rejuvenate, re hydrate, revitalize a shriveled creativity spirit can dwindle. Why risk it? Much smarter, and definitely more fun, to follow Poppy’s lead and refuel regularly.
Since February is the Heart month, with International Book Giving Day smack dab in the middle on Valentine’s Day, I’m devoting my February posts to “Loving Up” and "Filling Up" our creative wells.
Bonus: If you buy a Children's Book to Give, let me know and I'll join you by donating a book in your honor.
Post in Comments or Here!
Meet my new grandson, Dylan!
Until then, I’ll be playing Mimi. My favorite newish way to refuel.
Time For A Top Up!
Big Cuz Ben showing me how!