#verselove - 4 Say to Them

For the month of April, I am participating in 30 days of #verselove poetry writing with Dr. Sarah J. Donovan's Ethical ELA. 

Today's inspiration was by Allison Berryhill to write a poem called 'Say to Them.' She shared a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks "Speech to the Young" and suggested that we mimic the same form as this. 

Here's what I wrote . . .

Speech to the Forlorn; Speech to the Awe-Invited

by Maureen Young Ingram

Say to them, say to the empty-hearted
the wonder-dismissers, 
the hope-belittlers,
the joy deniers,
"spend five minutes laying on the grass and watching the clouds,
you will know there is so much more than you."
You should dare to be still,
feel the embrace of slowing down.

Notice a newborn's fingernails,
see a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis,
watch creek water rushing over rocks after a rain.
You can only marvel.