Workshop preparation creates mess and chaos in my home. The books hop off the shelves and gather in patches in the corner of the living room floor and on the windowsill. Twenty four of them have built towers on the floor and twenty-nine camp on the windowsill. We'd get an award for diversity. Leadership books mix with well-being, mindfulness and writing books. Some poetry and fiction books have been invited to join as well. Estonian and English books converse easily with each other. The workshop I am preparing for is about the inner resources and self-care of educational leaders.
Seeing all the books that have escaped the shelves in my living room, I thought it would be easy to create a book spine poetry. Ha. I was wrong. To my surprise and puzzlement the books seemed to be in serious work mode today and refused to join me for the play. I nudged and invited them, then begged and pleaded, finally some old favourites agreed to help me out and they pulled one new one with them.
Here's the result:
Strong ground
Science of happiness
Ways of reading
Your brain on ink
The fourth way
Map
Falling awake
Making the pile I remembered the last time I created book spine poetry. It was during one February Saturday when I had gathered with a group of women for a self-care day. Already when I arrived, I noticed that the hostess had left piles and piles of books on the tables, counters and shelves. My thought instantly made a connection with books spine poetry and to my delight this was one of the invitations during the day. Here's a result of that day:
Translation:
Tomorrow somewhere else
Everything breathes together
Butterfly's footsteps in snow
Time's imprint in stone
Instead of the world
The silence of sound
During this long time
In the heart the woods sing
Until love arrives
Diane (newtreemom )
ReplyDeleteEven with “reluctant books” the poetry finds a way out! And it sings.
I love your introduction where you personified the books. Very clever!
ReplyDeleteI’m glad you included both spine poems, I enjoyed them. And it also makes me think about titling… I wonder - the Estonian titles seem more poetic!
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous spine poem. I love that they are translated from another language and it makes me realize how much I miss in the world because I don't understand it but then when someone makes sense of it , it is deep and profound and poetic in all the ways poetry touches us. This is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGlad you coaxed some of those reluctant books to cooperate. I really like the idea of a group working together to create a book spine poem. I wonder how students would do if you placed a pile of books in front of them and asked them to create a poem out of them. arjeha
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed your process and the flashback to another time with Spine Poetry in this Slice. Thanks for sharing! A perfect playful exercise when so many books are around!!
ReplyDelete“Your Brain on ink” has me intrigued. I loved having students create book spine poetry. I haven’t done it in a long time. Might be time. Love how unique the two poems are.
ReplyDeleteThe way the books refused to play - but then you talked them into it - made me smile. I liked both poems, and I wonder if tomorrow might be a good day to ask some of my students to do this. Hm....
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