"Hearts Of Kindness" return to the Town Common

The "Hearts of Kindness" have returned to the Town Common. On my walk 

Monday morning, I had seen the cloths lines strung between some of the trees. The radar picked up that the hearts were going to be hung Monday afternoon.

I captured several photos during my walk on Tuesday. One shown here, the link to the album provided below.

masked or not,

life on the edge

or not, let’s find 

within ourselves

hearts of kindness

Photo album can be found online -> https://photos.app.goo.gl/zmbQif3AKSz3j3D86

The poem is an original 'sherku' - https://www.quietpoet.com/2022/02/sherku-hearts-of-kindness.html

some of the "Hearts of Kindness" hung around the Town Common

"poetry reminds me of those mysterious truths that can’t be reduced solely to linear thought"

"In this weary and vulnerable place, poetry whispers of truths that cannot be confined to mere rationality or experience. In a seemingly wrecked world, I’m drawn to Rainer Maria Rilke’s “Autumn” and recall that “there is One who holds this falling/Infinitely softly in His hands.” When the scriptures feel stale, James Weldon Johnson preaches through “The Prodigal Son” and I hear the old parable anew. On tired Sundays, I collapse into Wendell Berry’s Sabbath poems and find rest.

I’m not alone in my interest in this ancient art form. Poetry seems to be making a comeback. According to a 2018 survey by the National Endowment for the Arts, the number of adults who read poetry nearly doubled in five years, marking the highest number on record for the last 15 years. The poet Amanda Gorman stole the show at this year’s presidential inauguration, and her collection “The Hill We Climb” topped Amazon’s best-seller list.

There is not a simple or singular reason for this resurgence. But I think a particular gift of poetry for our moment is that good poems reclaim the power and grace of words."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required) 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/29/opinion/poetry.html

sherku: fear knot

I wake fearful

take a breath

realize

it is a

new day, we

can do this!

For more sherku and other verse I write visit https://www.quietpoet.com/

"in our age of social media, words are often used as weapons. Poetry instead treats words with care"

Fall in Franklin

something about the redness

of the leaves, the white fence 

and the morning sunlight

Fall in Franklin: something about the redness the white fence and the sunlight m, originally uploaded by shersteve.

What is a sherku? 

Governor's visit, summarized; short and sweet

These two sherku were written as a result of Governor Patrick's visit to Franklin's Senior center on Sunday. I am working to publish the audio of the session in sections so if you missed the event, you can still listen to what was said during his visit.

Gov Patrick says

Tough state budget choices
Most of these things we will
Pay for sooner or later

What is a sherku?

This is almost a "found" poem as it an amalgam of Gov Patrick's remarks when he visited Franklin on Sunday (5/17/09).


-----------

Gov Patrick says

We better start behaving
Like we are members
Of the same community

What is a sherku?

This is a "found" poem - Governor Patrick said this during his visit to Franklin on Sunday (5/17/09).

fuel assistance

Seniors, veterans, all it takes
Is one phone call with Bob
To get it started

What is a sherku?


Call Bob who?
You can call Bob Fahey at the Franklin Senior Center. He and I had a good fact filled conversation on Wednesday and I'll have more to write about the assistance he provides guidance on for Franklin's seniors and veterans over the next several days.

For other sherku celebrating this National Poetry Month you can visit quiet poet here

Plan and revise

Long range planning efforts
Don’t do much good if you
Don’t keep the plan up to date

What is a sherku?


Note: I learned from the focus group meeting to review the current long range plan that there have been similar efforts before but by the third year of the five year plan, they were out dated and dropped, hence no confidence in the plan. Of course, a plan needs to be revisited regularly!

This was originally posted at quiet poet as part of my effort to celebrate National Poetry Month by creating a daily sherku.

Franklin Planning Committee - meeting canceled 11/6/08

Received the word via email notification today from the Chair. Thank you, Doug! This saves a trip and time tonight.

I was also inspired to write a sherku on the train home:


Other Writing

meeting canceled; no need for
live reporting; can
catch up on other writing

What is a sherku?

Where in Franklin? #39

Where in Franklin? #39, originally uploaded by shersteve.

White columns. Hand rail.
Odd looking contraption.
Where in Franklin have I seen that?



A sherku to introduce the next challenge.

The guidelines for playing "Where in Franklin?" can be found here.

sherku: school choice

Four candidates, fine qualities
All good choices, but which
One will be the best?

What is a sherku?

On the same page

"On the same page" is a program being run by the Library funded by a grant. This is the program you may have heard about that selected Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo as the book to read.

I did read the book and found it quite interesting. I did a short form book review here.

I was curious about what the library was going to do to help foster the discussions around the book to get Franklin "On the same page". I went digging into the town website this morning and was disappointed to find how much I have already missed this month!

The Library schedule for February can be found here.

What is left in February are the following:

Tuesday, February 19 at 7PM
Oral Histories. Franklin residents from other lands gather to tell their stories of immigration to the United States in the Meeting Room of the Franklin Library.

Wednesday, February 20 at 1:30PM
Children's book discussion centers on the life and times of youngsters living in the early part of the twentieth century in stories drawn from the Dear America series. Book discussion is held in the Meeting Room of the Franklin Library.

Thursday, February 21 at 7PM
Immigration Then. Historian and author James Johnston and historian Robert D'Attilio present a view of what America was like during the first great wave of immigration in the early part of the twentieth century. Mr. D'Attilio's specialty centers on the Sacco and Vanzetti case.

Thursday, February 28 at 7PM
Immigration lawyer and Franklin resident Chris Lavery will discuss laws affecting immigration today.