sanitized

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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

Coming Full Circle

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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

Listen! Listen!

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!

 

Here Again

Time again for lamentation.

Even though today and into next week, temperatures in Charlotte will near 90 ºF, I am not fooled. Absence of sunlight when I’ve awoken this week is a dreaded reminder: Today fall slouched in. So I’m re-posting the piece, titled equinox.
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equinox

fading daylight hints its approaching
the rustling cues my lament and loathing.
hustled, leaves surrender verdant hues
a pall befalls every branch in view.
its cooled breath, a cause to brood
déjà vu dreading of a bluest mood.
never ushered, seemingly flung in
the season liked least of them
alas, here again: autumn.

ava wood

autumn leaves

Long Enough

Hold me long enough

to melt this encrusted shell;

hard’s no state for hearts.

ava wood

 Poem, Day 25

Can’t Wait

Anticipation

Bated-breath high, gift, curse, fate.

I see and can’t wait.

ava wood

Dee sunset

Sunrise by Diatra

Poem, Day 13

Blue Sky

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

Birth Month

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Sweet March has landed.
Winter is MIA and
spring is on the way!

— ava wood

(I know National Poetry Month arrives in April but can’t help myself. Spring excites me.)