Welcome to Poetically Yours. This segment showcases poems by northern Illinois poets. This week’s featured poet is Rhonda Parsons.
Parsons discovered she had a talent for writing when she elected to take creative writing at Hononegah High School. The first assignment was not a poem, but a story inspired by the wind. To prepare for the assignment, the class went outside, linked themselves together and ran into the wind. She said it was such a unique way to become inspired. The story was to be read out loud with a piece of music accompanying it. She chose instrumental music, and the wind was metaphorical. Hence, the title: Written on the Wind. That story earned the first of the positive feedback she received that semester. It encouraged her to continue writing after the semester ended.
Since then, she has received an award from Rock Valley College and the Rockford Writers' Guild, for her book, “If A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words.” She’s also shared her vision in newspaper editorials and performed publicly at Holy Day celebrations.
Besides writing, Parsons enjoys painting, hiking, meditating, and playing with her family’s chihuahuas. Here's her poem "My Favorite Four Letter Word."
I wanted my days full of sun
and joy like copious rain
I wanted my spirit fresh like spring
putting winter’s worry away
I wanted it at a greater level
but never knew how to get it
till a four-letter word, titillated my tastebuds
Woke was this delightfully delicious word
Warm like summer
with a good minty snap,
Silky smooth
pillowy and squishable too
I loved it so much
I wanted to hear it, use S’more and s’more
Woke, woke, woke
My vocal chords gleefully clamored
delighted to have a four-letter word to utter
Woke, woke, woke
My pen quivered as it kissed the paper
realizing blank spaces between the “w” and “e” not needed
Woke, woke, woke
My brain lit up as it scrambled those four-letters
savoring these hidden words “we ok.”
We ok, we ok, we ok
If these seem like mere words
Scramble them back and live “woke”
They’ll be words with truth and power
Imperfectly, perfect
woke people strive to tune up the strings of the heart and the mind
Life is more melodiousthough woke isn’t spelled s-o-n-g
I love the chords in the song I woke
And we ok, we ok, we ok
all joyously woke
No desire, no time for crime
spirits lifted like I am listening to a beautiful ballad
or a glorious gospel song
Can’t see all the fingers and toes tapping
but the universe has a set of speakers……
and the party’s gone global
and we ok, we ok, we ok
all joyously woke
A caterer’s arrived
Water is now fabulous wine
and bread, delectable appetizers
Silver serving trays everywhere
everyone has their fill
This party doesn’t have to stop
If we strive to live the life
Woke is a light that always gleams
boosting you when sad
just remember to turn it on
and our days will be full of sun.