A Poet's Wedding Crash

I know it's been like forEhVahr (forever) since I posted on this blog, and I do apologize; but it's not that I haven't been writing. In fact, I've had my nose to the grindstone for months working on editing a book and getting poems ready for this project I'm involved in for National Poetry Month. It's called the Pulitzer Remix, and it's put on by The Found Poetry Review. Poets were selected to participate and were assigned a Pulitzer winning book. From that book, we dedicated ourselves to writing a found poem each day for 30 days. 85 books/poets X 30 days = 2,550 new poems! Wow! I worked tirelessly on this in February and March, along with the editing. The book I was given is John Updike's Rabbit at Rest (so please look me up here).

Now it's April, and I feel like a marathon runner who has trained for months, but when the race comes, is left behind. I mean, I was elated when my poems were all written for the Pulitzer Project so that I could devote April to writing new poems every day from various venues such as Poetic Asides PAD and NaPoWriMo... AND keep up with my regular sites. Isn't that what poets do in April? Drive themselves crazy poeming? Not me. I'm stuck. Let down. Depressed. I planned for a huge event~ like a poet's wedding~ and am now... wordless. So I decided to fill you in on what's been going on while hoping to spark my creative juices. Hopefully it works.

**

In other news, I was delighted to have a piece published in Oh, Sandy: An Anthology of Humor for a Serious Purpose. All proceeds from this book will go to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Also, my photo was chosen as the cover for MiCrow 8: Winter 2013 Luminous.

**

That's enough about me. What have you been up to?

Day 30

PA- After leaving here…

Until Next Time (a palindrome)

Joy-
shouting loudly,
“Please return,”
echoing poets disperse, 
“Goodbye!”
Disperse; poets echoing,
“Return, please,”
loudly shouting-
joy.

@laurie kolp

Day 28

PA prompt: Life without ________

Life Without Temptation
(Why unrelenting emotion is evil )

The sycophant crept into your life
a slithering snake
unrelenting.
Cleopatra’s mesmerizing spell
evil
this adulterated charm coiled
around your weakest link--
emotion.
Squeezing, depleting
putrid poison spread like the plague
false ideas, seduction and lies;
brainwashing, abusing
naked naiveté.
Why
did you take the bait
as your loving family
watched from the bushes and cried?

@laurie kolp

Poetic Asides

PA- In the ____ of ____

(In the Throes of Passion)

love bugs hold on tight
remnants stain the front windshield
wipers smudge foggy glass

@laurie kolp

Day 27

Prompts:

3WW- foolish, mercy, relish
NaPoWriMo- least favorite words (nincompoop, louse, twerp)
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Mr. Nincompoop

As a child, momma always told him,
“Don’t be foolish in life’s decisions,
practice mercy, and relish each day.”

By the time he turned thirty,
he was labeled Mr. Nincompoop,
an unforgiving louse, and bilious twerp.

Why didn’t he listen to his momma?

@laurie kolp
*
Sevenling poetic form

PA prompt- Following

Following Two Crows

I am

Enrapt

In the silence

Of nothingness. I revel

In the mere state of being

Perfect refuge from an ill-fated

Day. A quick glimpse in the rearview

Mirror reflects moisture-glistened skin

My tongue sweeps across the beady moustache,

A salty treat for my parched mouth.

Sweat slowly slips into deep dark

Crevices, the innermost secrets

Of my curvaceous body. I

Slowly wiggle closer to

The open window

Hoping for some

Relief,

Yet

The

Stifling air

Remains inert, a prisoner

In the hot afternoon sun. Two crows

Play in grassy sand- jumping, poking and

Then flying away. My eyes follow their

Paths to clear blue sky, and land on an

Array of cumulus clouds. A perfect

Cloud angel comes into focus.

Cottony wings are opened

Wide, inviting me

Inside. Suddenly

I know this day

Has not been

In vain.

Enrapt

I am.

@laurie kolp

Day 26

NaPoWriMo: Spam poem

Please Delete All Shoppy Bag Emails From Me!

Oh, Shoppy Bag,
you are a drag.
Leave me alone
Facebook clone.
Beware my friends:
email it sends
is not from me--
delete them please!

@laurie kolp

Day 25

Prompts:
PA- Falling
Magpie Tales- (photo)

Birds: Wildflowers and Gemstones

Wildflowers decorate the sky
Nature’s tune in harmony
A multi-colored vista
Entertaining symphony

Red Poppy, Cardinal Flower
Ruby gems shining through
Bluebonnet, Snapdragons
Contrasting sapphire blue

Baby’s Breath, Queen Anne’s Lace
Pure and white pearl drops
Carpenter’s Square, Cattail
Tiger’s eye never stops

Black-Eyed Susan, Marigold
Amber’s friends a’swaying
Hollyhock, Zinnias
Rainbow’s slide a’playing

Falling like shooting stars
Up and down, red or brown
Splashing life's energy
In vibrant colors I drown

@laurie kolp

Day 22

PA prompt- Only one in the world

Jesus

*

Joy

Everlasting love

Solace, serenity

Undying

Spirit

*

@laurie kolp

*****************************************

NaPoWriMo prompt- Double dactyl poem

Eleanor Roosevelt: For the people, not above them

Higgledy, piggledy
Eleanor Roosevelt
National prodigy
Stubborn as well;

Objecting to debutantes’
Idiosyncrasies
Coming out socially;
Cup of tea hell.

@laurie kolp

Day 21

Prompts:

Big Tent Poetry- What you would shout down the street

PA- A ‘second thoughts’ poem

-------------------------------------------------------

On Second Thoughts, I’ll Keep My Mouth Shut

Hey, Mr. Hoarder,

yeah, I’m talkin’ to you

with all that tacky furniture

and stuff stacked high

overflowing

out the garage

onto your driveway.

Man, when you gonna take down

that there blue tarp piece of crap

trashin’ your rooftop and trickin’ the birds

since Hur’cane Ike blew through?

@laurie kolp

PA- A Message in a Bottle poem, and 'Stylish Blogger' award

Thank you Lisa of Inspired by Lisa for this lovely blog award!

Here are seven things about me in the form of a poem based on PA's prompt, A Message in a Bottle poem.

My Middle Name is Katherine

If you should find this note inside this bottle clear,
I was 43 years old, 2-o-11 was the year.
Earlier in life I taught in schools, lived out on my own
But then I met Mr. Right, said goodbye to life alone.
The children I had born, a daughter and two boys,
truly were God's blessings, spreading endless joy.
America was in troubled times, my faith replaced all fear
I escaped all pain in rhymes and shared my work right here.
I hope you find this message and recognize my name
from poetry, short stories, or a novel claim to fame.

*
Can you find my seven things? The first fifteen people to leave a comment with a link to their blog will be the next recipients of this 'Stylish Blogger' award (I will post the winners on this blog). All you have to do is link back to me, write seven things about yourself, choose ten to fifteen people and pass it along.

Many blessings...
Laurie Kolp

A cause for celebration

I was so honored and humbled to learn that I Am the Sea made it to #3 on Poetic Asides' sonnet contest (on PA, scroll down to April 18 to see the list and winning piece). Thanks, Robert Lee Brewer; and congratulations to the other top ten winners. Most importantly though, thank YOU for visiting my blog, reading my posts and leaving comments. You give me the strength to stay afloat. Here is my poem: 

I Am the Sea

The water’s edge laps rhythmic solitude
Enticing waves, the arms that call me in;
I drown in bitter sorrow from this feud,
Then like a buoy pop up once again.
Rejuvenating tides this cycle bears,
My fingers slap calm water freshening.
Hypnotic reverie from ocean’s prayers;
A dolphin diving up and down, I sing.
Am I insane to dream myself to shore?
To think white castles hold the golden key?
Each time a current pulls me to the floor,
An inspiration molds my destiny.
I am the sea, I write to fill this hole;
No storm or wind will crush my hungry soul.

@Laurie Kolp

Day 18

NaPoWriMo - A color poem (same color repeated throughout)
PA- Title-- Like_____
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Like a Day at the Park

Outside my kitchen window red
birds jump and play hopscotch,
cardinals all shades of red;
Mommy, Daddy, babies gather.
Red flits as wings flutter,
sibling rivalry, red hot ire
tempers flare in flights red;
a game of tag, “You’re it!”
Red STOP sign; the enemy nears
Blue Jay chases red away.

Day 17

NaPoWriMo - A portrait poem
PA- The big picture
Form: Shadorma
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The Trophy Wife

Cobalt blue
Eyes shadowed rainbows
Lips soft pink
Whitened teeth
Like an Easter egg, pastels
Camouflage the truth

Day 16

NaPoWriMo- Write an erasure poem from an excerpt of Annie Dillard's book The Writing Life.
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A Writer’s Spark

The curtain’s sparks burnt
red hot cigarette holes
in the threadbare rug,
fire’s rumbling heat
flew vengeful flames
‘round the kitchen table.
Roaring inferno heat
that seemed to melt
shaky hands, ashen face
came so close it singed
her tattered yellow sleeve.
Faster than flying fingers
across an old typewriter,
the torch spread fire
through the endless pages
of the writer’s creativity.

@Laurie Kolp

Day 7

Never Tease a Weasel

He had a breadstick for a nose
darty eyes, a moving head;
and when he chose to speak, y’all,
slimy sounds were often said.

The guys all called him Weasel
but his real name was Aumen;
a bunch of grapes a’taunting
beneath his pimpled chin.

Why would you tease a weasel?
All the girls would criticize
as they grabbed the sour grapes
flung them in the bullies’ eyes.

Each day to him Russian Roulette
a secret game he played at home,
and despite the animosity
Aumen answered with Shalom.

Until the day his mom caught on
and tried to intervene,
poor Aumen turned the gun on her
raging fire, putrid green.

Perhaps a scare would do the trick
it worked each time he played,
so he grinned and pulled the trigger
then screamed when life did fade.

@Laurie Kolp

*NaPoWriMo prompt
*Big Tent Poetry

Previous poems about Aumen can be found under the Big Tent Poetry prompts (days listed in Comments)

Ready, set, go!

I am so amazed at how my fingers always seem to have it more together than I do.  I mean, yesterday was the first day of November, and I knew that I had to get busy writing a novel for NaNoWriMo, BUT I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS GOING TO WRITE ABOUT. 

I had been praying to God for several days to inspire me with a plot for this new novel or even just a few words to get started, and still no lightbulb had gone off (no dumb blonde jokes, okay?).  I woke up bright and early, wasted time on Facebook, checked email and sent the kids off to school; then I had to go to the dentist.  I bemoaned myself Sunday night for making an appointment to get my teeth cleaned on the day after Halloween, but since it was the first day of NaNoWriMo I decided to go.  I told the dentist and hygenist what I would be doing this month and when they asked me what I was writing about, I really had no clue yet.

"We'll see," I said. "I'm not really sure yet."

They both looked at me perplexed.  I was even beginning to doubt my own capabilities.  I usually had something in mind, at least when I have written books before, which I have.  The first one is based on my life written in third person so that nobody will know it's about me (in case the kids should read it).  That was my very first book, written after confiding in a friend about my crazy, demented past.

"Wow! You should write a book," she had said when I was done talking.  I mean how many people can have all that happen to them before they turn thirty? 

And so the seed was planted.  I wrote and wrote, relived the past, poured hours over this project and finished it; but I was too shy to share it with anyone.  Until Mary, that is.  She read the whole book word for word, and we sat in amazement as we compared how similar our pasts had been.  And then she died, and my book has been sitting in a drawer for nearly three years.

The other book I've written (but not completed) began when I was taking a class from Lamar's Continuing-Ed department.  We were given a prompt and I took off on that one, baby.  That's when I knew my fingers were messengers of God.  I mean, where did this stuff come from?  Part of the reason I've sat on it for so long is that I am in FEAR.  The topic has become so complex and unbelievable that thoughts of the children reading it are too much to bear.  What will they think of their sweet old mommy?  I guess I'll have to use a pen name or something.  I know how I want it to end, but am not sure when I want to end.  This story will remain shelved for a bit longer.

So now I am embarking on this third book.  Thankfully, a thought inspired me sometime after lunch yesterday and I went to bed having written 1,697 words AND a poem for the Poem-A-Day Challenge (see my other blog, Conversation With Laurie).  I spent a great amount of time this morning working on it, took a break for lunch and chores, and am now procrastinating again.  At least I'll know when my fingers are ready to begin again.

November brings challenges

Some of my friends' published books

 As October draws to a close, most people are gearing up for the holidays.  How can you not?  Halloween items have been displayed in some stores since the end of August, and have been marked down already to make room for the Christmas items coming out since the beginning of October! 

All of the festivities and anticipation of the joyous season might have some of you excited and giddy, but not me.  You know why?  November is a very busy month for writers, and I am facing some big deadlines starting in a few days.

You see, November is National Poetry month and National Novel Writing month.  For several years I have participated in Robert Lee Brewer's Poetic Asides Challenge- to write a poem everyday in November (he does another challenge in April).  This challenge is not that great for me anymore, since I already write poems everyday with my Baker's Dozen group of poets from all over the world.  But this month, I am also taking the NaNoWriMo Challenge -to write a book in a month...and in November?  I know, I must be crazy, but I do like a good challenge. 

So as you are festing up for the holidays, please remember me.  I will be furiously pecking away at my computer while the kids are at school and after they go to bed.  Such is the life of a writer. 

April is National Poetry Month

Do you like a challenge?  April is National Poetry Month and in honor of this historic literary form, you can participate in a poem-a-day challenge.  Robert Lee Brewer's Poetic Asides hosts this wonderful writing opportunity every year.  This is the third year and my third time to participate.  Each day, Robert gives a prompt to write a poem about and then you can either post it on his blog or not.  But keep checking back to the blog because at the end of the month, Robert will tell you how to submit some of your best poems to be considered for a chapbook (a collection of poems).  I would love to read your poems if you choose to participate.  You can post them on my poetry blog Conversations with Laurie.  Hope to see you there.