I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast

I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast | Melissa Studdard

pick

#poemsbeforephones

Studdard‘s poems are filled with awe, wonder, gratitude, connectedness, & appreciation. Sometimes, her focus on connectedness & appreciation verges on appropriation (e.g. her repeated use of the word “gypsy” in relation to herself). Still, I found it hard to maintain any sense of indignation. Her language is beautiful; her references illuminating. I found myself googling everything from paintings to politics.👇🏻

DivineDiana, Redwritinghood, Bradleygirl, cocomass

monalyisha 1/2: Studdard points out the grandeur & tiny miracles of nature, all without turning a blind eye to the occasional smallness, meanness, & ugliness that can taint it. 5y

monalyisha 2/2: For me, the collection does seem front-loaded (with all the best poems towards the beginning & a single standout at the end) but, as a whole, I really enjoyed it. Favorite poems: “Creation Myth”, “I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast”, “When You Do That”, “Everything is So Delicious”, “The Dream”, “I Fell in Love with a Double-Yolk Egg”, “You Were a Bird; You Are the Sea”, “If Only for the Sake of Blooming.” (edited) 5y

Redwritinghood Great review! 5y

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jmofo I‘m so glad you‘re challenging yourself in this way! I‘ve been enjoying your posts about this book! 🖤 5y

monalyisha Thanks @Redwritinghood 💁‍♀️ 5y

monalyisha Thanks @jmofo 🖤! I think it‘s a good one, too. 😉 5y

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monalyisha

I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast | Melissa Studdard

#poemsbeforephones

DivineDiana, Redwritinghood, Bradleygirl, cocomass

Redwritinghood Lovely. 💕💕 5y

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monalyisha

I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast | Melissa Studdard

#poemsbeforephones check-in, day eight:

The resolution to read poetry first thing in the morning, before touching any technology or social media, remains the one resolution I have not broken. It‘s nice to know that sleep & coffee are more alluring to me than screen-time.

I finished my first poetry collection of the New Year today! 🎉 Review coming soon... after one more quote. 😉 The last poem was a beauty.

DivineDiana, Redwritinghood, Bradleygirl, cocomass

DivineDiana Cheers to you! Love the photo too! 5y

AnneFindsJoy Great resolution, I love this idea! thanks for sharing some of the poems, so nice to read! 5y

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monalyisha

I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast | Melissa Studdard

I read four poems this morning,
I sneezed one thousand and one sneezes last night.
Now, off to work I go,
as our department is never properly staffed.

Hi, Monday.

#poemsbeforephones

Bradleygirl Awwwwww ✊ 5y

Redwritinghood Oh no! I hope the day goes by quickly. 5y

cocomass Feel better! 5y

monalyisha Thanks @Bradleygirl @Redwritinghood & @cocomass 🤧💕 5y

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monalyisha

I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast | Melissa Studdard

I think this would be beautiful, unconventional text for a funeral reading or on a prayer card. ⚰️🖤

#poemsbeforephones

Redwritinghood, Bradleygirl, cocomass

DivineDiana Agree! Beautiful! 🌊 5y

monalyisha Note: I ended up reading 9 poems this morning (2 before picking up my phone, & 7 after my technological transgression 😬). #poemsbeforephones 5y

Redwritinghood Agree. Lovely 5y

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monalyisha

I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast | Melissa Studdard

I only managed two #poemsbeforephones this morning, before I got distracted by how cute my rabbit was being & needed to take a photo. Then, of course, since my phone was in my hand, I mindlessly checked Facebook. 🤦‍♀️ But two poems still counts as fulfilling my resolution!: “Bareback Alchemy” (about riding a horse & recovering from heartbreak), & “The Dream” (about recapturing the magic of childhood).

Planning to read some more while we snuggle.

Redwritinghood, Bradleygirl, cocomass

Redwritinghood I‘m guilty too! I just woke up but I‘m too lazy to get out of bed and my book is downstairs. My iPad was on the nightstand though. 5y

Sleepswithbooks What an adorable bun 🥰 5y

Bookgirl I periodically take FB off my phone. I find then I only end up checking it about once a week from my computer. Huge time saver and I miss nothing! 5y

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monalyisha @Bookgirl I think I was just triggered by the red notification symbol. 🚨Normally, I don‘t even check Facebook all that much. Instagram (& Litsy! 😱) are my biggest time-wasters. 5y

DivineDiana What a cutie! I miss our bun. 🐰 5y

Bookgirl @monalyisha I find it get sucked into checking sites when I don‘t even care that much - very addictive so best for me to remove temptation. I don‘t consider Litsy time wasted though, nor do I ever feel annoyed by what I see here. Litsy is the best! 5y

monalyisha @Bookgirl I agree! I‘m never annoyed by Litsy posts! We rule! 💪🏻 I guess “time wasted” doesn‘t quite describe what‘s going on (too harsh), but I do often spend time scrolling through Litsy with a book in my hand instead of focusing on the actual book. I blame that on the lure of technology, in general, not on Litsy. I just need to look more intentionally & less idly. 5y

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monalyisha

I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast | Melissa Studdard

It‘s been a rough morning for resolutions. I slept in late *and* gave in to the siren‘s song of Starbucks. But poetry prevails! I read five (short) poems before picking up my phone this morning. 🙌🏻

It‘s funny: in high school, I hated Emily Dickinson (I was clearly deluded; I didn‘t like her unconventional use of punctuation & thought, at 14, that I knew better 🙈). Now, this poem speaks to me only because hers does.

#poemsbeforephones (day 4)

Redwritinghood, Bradleygirl, cocomass

readordierachel Thanks for the reminder to read more Emily ❤ 5y

Bradleygirl Nice 👏 5y

Redwritinghood 👍🏻👍🏻 5y

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RadicalReader @monalyisha I do love some Starbucks so delicious and good WiFi too 5y

cocomass I love that you‘ve already collected a few more people to do #poemsbeforephones. I‘m loving it and am going to pick up a new volume from the library today!

Voyage of the Sable Venus and Other Poems

monalyisha Thanks @cocomass! I‘m pumped, too. I think it‘s a manageable goal, & it makes me feel good about myself, starting the day with such noble, literary, lyrical intentions. I‘ve been posting a bit on Instagram, too, & I‘ve had some IRL friends tell me that they‘re trying it. Pretty cool! It‘s working really well so far. 💖 5y

DivineDiana Just saw your #poemsbeforephones goal and plan to join you! Goal was to read more poetry, and this will encourage me! 👍🏻 5y

monalyisha Awesome! Welcome! @DivineDiana I‘ll tag you in future posts. 🤗 5y

DivineDiana Thank you! 🙂 5y

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monalyisha

I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast | Melissa Studdard

#poemsbeforephones check-in, day three:

I read four poems this morning. It wasn‘t my favorite crop... but I found a line I liked quite a bit.

I‘ve been wondering when this collection was published; it feels very 90‘s/early aughts. I keep thinking of Joan Osborne/the scene from “Empire Records” when Deb tells Warren, “I talked to God. She says Yo, wussup?” As it turns out, it was written in 2014! Who knew?

Bradleygirl, cocomass

monalyisha Picture by: Stitchdownfarm (a beautiful farm in VT run by an awesome couple. You can follow them on Instagram!) 5y

kalinichta @monalyisha I follow them! Longestacresfarm is also a good follow. Some of her pictures are just magical. 5y

cariashley I love that movie 😊 5y

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ravenlee Awesome movie. 5y

monalyisha Thanks @kalinichta 💚! I love Stitchdown. My husband & I stayed there one weekend & it‘s seriously the most relaxing (& quirky) property. 5y

kalinichta @monalyisha Very cool! 5y

cocomass ✅ totally read a poem this morning. I will get my act together and start posting on Litsy again at some point this week. 5y

monalyisha @cocomass It‘s the reading them that‘s important! #poemsbeforephones 😉🙌🏻 (edited) 5y

monalyisha @ravenlee @cariashley I know, right? Such a nostalgia-fest. 💖 5y

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monalyisha

I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast | Melissa Studdard

#poemsbeforephones check-in, day two:

I read two poems this morning, continuing with Melissa Studdard‘s collection, “I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast.” My favorite phrase: “If I climb a tree, I can find the top of myself.”

Confession: I *love* being outside. I *love* nature. I *love* trees... and yet, I have never really climbed a tree. 😵 New goal for 2019: fix that, finally.

Honorable mention: “This desire to butter and eat the stars.”

cocomass

monalyisha Image credit:

Women in Trees

laurieluna I lived in trees when I was younger. In the middle of the estate I grew up on was a random triangle of grass, with 3 trees. We climbed them everyday. I highly recommend it, there's something otherworldly about being cradled in a trees branches. 5y

monalyisha @laurenbescoby That sounds lovely! I grew up in an inner city, so there weren‘t many trees around. Also, I‘m not an overly-physical person. I‘m definitely not in my most fearless state or physical prime (I‘ll be 33 in a couple of weeks), but YEAH! I‘ve always meant to. And I‘ve always admired Squirrel Girls who seem to be able to just scramble up & chill. #goals 5y

cocomass 👏🏽 I also read a couple of poems this morning. I‘m waiting for a book at the library, so I just read a few favorites from

Bone

monalyisha @cocomass We‘re doing it! I haven‘t read ”Bone.” I‘ll have to add it to my TBR. 😊 5y

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monalyisha

I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast | Melissa Studdard

Happy 1st day of 2019!

One of my reading goals this year is #poemsbeforephones. I plan to read at least one poem each morning (before opening any social media apps). Language, beauty, contemplation, & craft seemed like a better way to start the day than by looking for likes & validation. Though, I do still value pictures of people‘s pets — & all of you. 😉

I read 3 poems this morning. My favorite phrase was, “the skirt swish of a spiral galaxy.”

jmofo 👏 this is cool! I do this, but before I go to sleep, to help me wind down. 🖤 Happy New Year! 5y

saltwaterlit I love this goal! 5y

Redwritinghood Happy New Year!🥳🥳 5y

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Bradleygirl This is baller, I must try 5y

monalyisha Thanks @jmofo @saltwaterlit @Redwritinghood 😊! @Bradleygirl Feel free to tag me/hashtag #poemsbeforephones if you end up trying it! 5y

LazyDays How fun Good luck!💛 if you are interested some littens post great picks for #poetrymatters . I've discovered so many new to me poets. 5y

monalyisha Thanks for the tip, @LazyDays! 5y

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monalyisha

I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast | Melissa Studdard

My mother-in-law & I have developed a tradition wherein we exchange books of poetry. Whoever reads a book first will dog-ear the poems they like best & pass it on. When the second person reads it, we get a deeper insight into the first‘s mind, life, & heart. I‘m looking for a book to gift her for Christmas. This is FINE, right? 😅

(Legit still considering it. 🤷‍♀️😆💖)

Clare-Dragonfly I like it! I‘d be fine with giving it to my MIL 😆 And what a cool tradition! 5y

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