Exquisite Collaboration Poem: In Case You Need To Hear This Today

(a collaboration poem)

IN CASE YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS TODAY

You are not alone.

The worst thing that has ever happened to you has happened, and you are still here.

You are stronger than you think.

While winter does its work, spring must wait patiently.

Remain a light to those hovering in the dark.

Be strong for others, and for yourself.

Look for glimmers of beauty when you feel all is dull.

Lift your eyes up, and your heart will follow.

The world looks different when you are 5 years small.

Cry if you need to. It helps cleanse the yuck.

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Reset your system.

You’re valuable to the people who love you.

Sunday sunshine blossoms in your heart.

Create your own success.

You can do this!

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THE POETS

Tracy Cooper
Justin Rielly
Nancy Purdy
Jane Scheffres
Luane Haggerty
Andrew D’Angio White

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OUR POETS HAIL FROM

Maine, USA
New Jersey
Vero Beach Florida
Rochester NY
Plano, TX
Shortsville, NY

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THE PROMPT

Our prompt this month was simple: Write a very short message of encouragement, hope, inspiration, or affirmation for a stranger. Poets were able to offer up to three messages, which were assembled into a free verse message to you, the reader. Contributions were used as they were submitted, except for one minor tweak I made to change “my” to “our” in order to maintain the piece’s point of view.

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THE IMAGE

This antique Royal typewriter used to create the image for this poem belongs to the grandmother of my dear friend, Karen Ward. Karen lives overseas now, and when she moved the typewriter couldn’t make the trip. So it’s here at my house, for safekeeping. Periodically, I type on it, random notes that I leave in the roller for her grandmother to see from the other side, or a few times notes sent in the mail to Karen. The Royal needs a new ribbon, and I’ve found a great source when the time is right. For now, I imagine as I type into the fading ink that the words are being filtered through Karen’s grandmother, to her, and out into the Universe.

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The Exquisite Collaboration Project is based on the Exquisite Corpse, a technique created by Surrealists in the early 1900s, in which participants add to a work with no one seeing what the other participants contributed. My goal is to encourage both budding and seasoned writers/artists to explore in a safe, supportive, “you can’t fail” environment. What began as a way to maintain some sort of connection with other people during the early days of the Covid lockdown has continued to unite strangers from around the world in creative collaboration.

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