I miss my tribe.
The house is full of pessimistic
scientific thinkers.
I can’t coax them into poetry.
“I just can’t appreciate it,” says one.
“Poetry. Yeah. Whatever,” says the other.
They analyze and ruminate with
cold logic.
They don’t hear the wind’s song,
or feel the blackbird’s call.
I am a lone poet boat tossing
on their scientific sea.
But soon, my tribe will come.
I will be immersed in the language
of verse, pressed into prose.
I will know the companionship
of a crowd of like minds,
feeding on the energy to
fuel our words,
until we come together
again.
.
.
Just 2 weeks until Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival here in Salmon Arm, BC
I’m looking forward to learning from Diana Gabaldon, C. C. Humphreys, Gary Geddes, Ursula Maxwell-Lewis, Carmen Aguerra, Carolyn Swayze, Howard White, and more! It’s always a fantastic weekend for a bargain price. You should come. Seriously.
Shawn L. Bird 
You had me at ‘scientific.’ I feel your poetic soul calling to your fellow writers. Have a grand time on the lake.
It is always so wonderful! 🙂 But never long enough.
Good things never are, are they? I will definitely make arrangements to attend next year!
I will look forward to meeting you!
I go to a few great conferences. Surrey Int’l Writers’ Conference in October is fantastic (huge! amazing! inspiring!) Really great opportunities to pitch there.
When Words Collide in Calgary is very inexpensive, but full of enthusiastic people.
Thanks for much for the rec’s. I’ll look into them all. Never been to Calgary, but I lived in Montreal for 9 months and did NOT want to leave. Surrey sounds fantastic, too. Been to Scotland twice, Wales once, and England, of course all three times – but not Surrey.
Bummed I can’t make Writers on the Lake this year. I look forward to meeting you, too!
lol SIWC is in Surrey, BC. Part of Greater Vancouver. 😉
You know, I thought I should look it up before commenting, but I took a shot. Canada is so-o-o big. Any cities called Pasadena up there?
The only Pasadena I know is the one in California, USA. On a map, we’re half way between Vancouver and Calgary, nestled in the mountains.
Yes, I looked up your neck of the woods last night. Would love to visit some day. Incidentally, there is also a Pasadena, TX with a population of over 150,000 – larger than Pasadena, CA. I did not know that!
I know this 🙂
I hope you have a tribe near you!
There’s one in my head, lots of voices 😉
Such longing! Your tribe is near.
13 days! 🙂
Yes, I know this feeling. My father was a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman that every one though I should be. My truck driving brother-in-law once said, “you can’t eat them books,” and they all thought it was funny. So I heard that one way too many times. My tribal scar are not pretty.
Yes. People are nice enough, and some are down-righted awed, but to be with people who UNDERSTAND, who think the way I do, see things the way I do… It’s just wonderful.
From the first time you liked anything of mine Shawn, I knew I was in your tribe…cus I never knew you were out there? So after you liked something the first time, I was curious, so I went and read you…and omg, since then? I am always glad when someone likes something, but when YOU do, I immediately squeal in joy and think ok girl you got a good one that time! LOL.
thanks for your work, tribe-sister! 🙂
Ah! How sweet of you!
Though be aware, if I haven’t liked something, it probably means I didn’t see it, not that I didn’t like it.
I cannot wait to use that epithet on my husband: “pessimistic scientific” thinkers! I need to find a tribe too 🙂
So long as you use it as epithet rather than epitaph! 🙂
The last two lines are tantalizing. Super subtle double entrendre, or not, it’s hard to tel, but either way, well written!
😉
Ah, the Scientific Sea. You could argue that what we do is like Science…we manipulate language and find the “right” combination of sounds, syllables, words, thoughts…and emotions follow. But yes, I know what you mean. We all do. Talking shop is learning. It’s both humbling and affirming. Have fun with your tribe.
At its basic level Science just means ‘knowing’ and we just ‘know’ in a different way.
Hearing the winds song is the most fun. Very cool poem.
Thanks
You mean you don’t appreciate the glorious beauty of an equation, and the thrilling ‘thunk’ when chunks of logic slot together?
No. Because I’m usually being crushed beneath the ‘thunk.’
The thing is, if everyone were of a poetic mindset, then accolades would be constant and their affirmation wouldn’t be very affirming. It’s the rareness of finding a like minded individual that makes is special. At least that’s what I tell myself… Haha
lol
Reblogged this on Hibernaculum and commented:
I am a loss for words. This is fantastic! Love the “I am a lone poet boat tossing”, truly a brilliant piece. 🙂
I feel ya’ sister. Your tribe is all over the world, and we all feel you! Just this evening my hubby rolled his eyes when I chose going up to my “lair” and writing instead of catching up on the last few episodes of The Walking Dead. I told him that I wanted to get my writing done first, and he said, “I wish you would just be done with writing!” Sacrilege! Will never be done with writing. Even after I die, my soul will be writing spirit words in the air for other writer spirits to see and hear and taste with their spirit hearts. 😉 Your tribe is never far!
AMEN!
Although I love science and math too, to be honest. There is so much poetry woven into the the language of science…think– coalesce, effervesce, sublimation, heck, even chemistry…it’s all beautiful.
Electro-micropic photos are pretty artistic.
nice.
Thanks
Ah yes, the tribe. Thanks for the post. I can’t make it cos I have Uni work to take care of. However, my Tribesmen in Ghana have something coming at them.. Thanks for the post.
🙂
I love. I can relate.
Thanks
There are times when my family, and life advisors who want to call themselves my friends, get me far less than they wish they did. This poem represents my feelings at their “scientific analysis” of life and how it works, vs. how I feel about life. “Just do this:_________,” they say, as if it were that easy to win at life for me. “Everything you do is stupid,” they say, or “I don’t care about your feelings,” they say. It isn’t all science and logic. Thanks for the post.
My pleasure. I hope it’s a small encouragement to you!
Amen, I say! It’s hard to find like-minded people!
One week until Word on the Lake! I can hardly wait!