Happy National Poetry Month! 📝🌼 Ocean Vuong has a way of turning the smallest image into something luminous. In a few lines, fear becomes beauty, movement becomes emotion, and language becomes something we feel as much as we read. To learn more about Vuong and his poetry collection, TIME IS A MOTHER, visit: https://lnkd.in/eGYe3kU4 #books #bookish #bookishreccomendations #reading #poetry #poetrycollection #nationalpoetrymonth #language #beauty Penguin Press
I Once Met A Butterfly Named Eli… Butterflies float and wood as well I asked a butterfly how But he wouldn’t tell I begged and pleaded I wanted to know how But he said I won’t tell anyone Not even the cow Because this is my gift God has given to me You have gifts too Try to be happy You have everything And you want to fly I don’t have much And soon I will die Because butterflies don’t live quite as long as people Then he flew up to his home on the steeple. He lived in a nest It resembled a cup Then he shouted one more thing Life is short Live it up
There’s something powerful about poetry that transforms simple moments into something unforgettable.
I highly recommend the interview by David Perell, available on YouTube, called 'Ocean Vuong Teaches the Art of Writing'. It's a masterclass in what poetry "is" and how anyone can create it. Vuong is mesmerizing to listen to. Keep a notebook handy as you'll want to capture their writing advice!📝
You lost your readers at "afraid of butterflies." Although "how they move like a heart on fire" is an okay metaphor, its impact is reduced because they'll still be reacting to the unintended absurdity of the preceding line.