Directive - Part 1 of 6

My friend Suzie gave me a skeleton of a book. She told me that I have to write about each image that is tucked into the six sections. I've named the book Directive because she gave me the directive to write it.


When she used the word “directive” I instantly thought of the Robert Frost poem, Directive. A poem that is said to be “ornery and ironic, heartbroken and lyrical”.


Sounds familiar.


Like many of Frost’s poems, it takes place in a wood, close to water and speaks to readers about our destination.


Part 1: A bird cage.


Suzie liked this image of a bird cage because of a story I read at Express Yourself called, Confessions of a Bibliophile where I write about the poet, Paul Lawrence Dunbar. His poem is the title of Maya Angelou’s first autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Sympathy.

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,


When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore, -


When he beats his bars and he would be free;


It is not a carol of joy or glee,


But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core ,


But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings-


I know why the caged bird sings!

Back to Frost and Directive.
The poem talks about when we are completely lost may we come to our true selves. Sometimes a walk in the woods is all we need to rejuvenate.

And if you're lost enough to find yourself


By now, pull in your ladder road behind you


And put a sign up CLOSED to all but me.

Rober Frost, Directive

The Sphinx of Sand

The Sphinx of Sand by Gracie Lodge-McIntire & Kristen Lodge

We saw a Sphinx in the sand
Today at York Beachin Maine
and I said to Gracie,
“Let’s write a poem about it”

Why not?

I answered

with ideas sprouting

The rocks banged against our feet
The sun burned our backs
and the tide came high
and covered the sand

How can I compete
with those rocks that crash to our feet
or the Sphinx of sand
standing so grand?

And now we are home
with sand still on our feet
thinking of the sand and the Sphinx
and will always remember the day at the beach

There is one detail
that can never fail
the Sphinx of sandstanding so grand.