2012 Poetry Month

Alchemy

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WHAT CAN BLOSSOM
by April Halprin Wayland
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Folded paper
nestled in this dish
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pure water
pouring over
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color uncurling
petal by petal:
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a poem
blooming.
 
(c) 2011 April Halprin Wayland, all rights reserved
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The story behind the poem:
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Do you remember “those tiny clam shells with a ‘water flower’ inside that floated up when you had soaked it in water, sealed with a band of paper with Chinese writing on it”?  I can’t find them anywhere on the internet, though the quote is from a listserv person who is also searching for them.  Something made me think of them today, in the middle of a meeting.  The metaphor emerged as I wrote the poem.
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Now it’s your turn. What toy or party favor do you remember fondly from childhood? Try finding an picture of it on Google images. Write a simple, short poem.  See where it takes you.
 

 
This 1:06 minute video shows how to make flowers that open in water…not exactly the clamshell tissue-paper flowers
I remember, but easy to make…and so pretty when you put several in one dish
!

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