Cleaned so we don’t see
crooks, gaps, cracks, dirty deeds and
tangled nots and haves
ava wood
℘
Haiku to launch us into National Poetry Month 2020. We need poetry now as much as ever. Stay home, if you can, and most of all stay safe!
Poem, Day 1
Happy to share a new poetical video from The Soul of Philanthropy!
Grateful to my friend, the poet Quentin “Q” Talley, who wrote “Full Circle” nearly 11 years ago. I commissioned the poem, initially, for a special event in 2008. Since then Q has breathed new life into it again and again. A print version was featured in my book Giving Back. He has performed it live at my book talks and various events. He recorded it for kinetic typography that is featured in The Soul of Philanthropy exhibit. And he worked with me to create this video.
I am equally grateful to my friend, the videographer Sino Chum, who filmed this piece. As with Q, Sino and I have collaborated numerous times over the years, like here and here and here. This project includes footage shot in Atlanta, Columbia, SC and Denver. It took more than a year to complete. A year that included Sino returning to his ancestral homeland, Cambodia, and getting married. Mazel tov! 💖
Steve Jobs once said the most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. Though it doesn’t always start out that way, somewhere in the process of writing a story I do feel powerful. It is a satisfying (and rather magical) process that brings me immense joy. With film, poetry and theater, respectively, Sino and Q are great storytellers and work hard at their crafts. That’s why I relish opportunities to collaborate and thus unite and activate our super powers.
Long time coming, Full Circle, the video. Enjoy
Kicking off National Poetry Month with one of our newest promo videos for The Soul of Philanthropy. It features Poet Quentin “Q” Talley and a bit of his poem Full Circle.
Enjoy!
℘
Hold me long enough
to melt this encrusted shell;
hard’s no state for hearts.
ava wood
Poem, Day 25
Anticipation
Bated-breath high, gift, curse, fate.
I see and can’t wait.
— ava wood
Sunrise by Diatra
Poem, Day 13
Poem, Day 2
March, fickle, left last night.
She blew a kiss and was gone.
I’ll love her still though — ava wood
(And ya know what that means…National Poetry Month is here :~)
Poem, Day 1
Poem, NPM Make-Up Day 2
It has come to my attention
with speed of lightning from above
thus compelled I am to mention
I must find another love.— ava wood
Poem, NPM Make-Day 1
Hard learned yet simple:
Live and give unsparingly,
head, heart, hands and soul.
— ava wood
Poem, Day 30
Today’s the last day of National Poetry Month, and I have a poem to share. But that’s not all! Like schools handle “snow days,” I’ll continue posting poetry during the first week of May to make up for the days I didn’t manage to post a poem. I estimate six or so make-up days.
This monthlong challenge that I set for myself has stretched and excited me. All and all, it’s been fun. I thrive from the pressure to highlight a poem with a new post by the end of each day.
I’m closing April with the poem that helped me break out of my shell as a poetry writer. Click the link for a short video version of “Truth Be Told,” a poem that opens my book Giving Back. — VF
valaida 