Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Give Me You

We'll discuss gifts
if you insist,

but I must expose
how my intentions arose--

a brief moment of clarity
when time became a mystery

and all the stuff I could touch
didn't matter that much.

What's more meaningful to me
is you beside the Christmas tree.


*
Prompt Inspiration~
Poetry Jam: Gifts
3WW: brief, expose, insist
Poetic Bloomings: The Nasher

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Always Right

Manipulate
the sheets,
tuck them in
just right.

Not a wrinkle
to be seen--
feet covered,
blanket tight.

A bitter
(sweet) ritual
you go over
each night

          (again and again and again)

that I know
to follow,
or lightning
might strike.


*

Poetic Inspiration~
Poetry Jam: Lightning
3WW: bitter, manipulate, tight
Poetic Asides PAD, Day 20: Always ___ (as title)

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

The Syrofoam Cup


limited: caffeine intake
from this Styrofoam cup
where the last gulp is my second
and the first a wake-up

call, aggressive
when you're down all night
trying to get comfortable
in that cold bed of white

noise, I'm a fetus
trying to stay warm
with heightened awareness
each move an alarm

clock, sleep's a dream
weak coffee, last hope
as sterile as this room
a Styrofoam cup



**
Poetic Inspiration~
Poetry Jam- The Last
PU Verse First- The Ordinary
3WW- aggressive, heighten, limited

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

The Nurse

Desert of Backs by Carl Warner

amplify your moan,
a sigh
you criticize
how I
make you sit up in bed
and try to stand,
demand
you push your limits
while you can
(I know you can)
move back
to where you were
 
*
 
Poetic Inspiration~
 
3WW- amplify, criticize, moan
PU Verse First- The Body Becomes the Landscape

Sunday, October 20, 2013

The Quiet One

I'm the one who snuck in,
the nobody in a corner
standing alone.
I'm the one who wants
to be noticed,
yet feels unworthy
of recognition
when it happens.
A has-it-all-together look
with eyes to the floor.
Resale shop gown,
mousy hair once platinum.
Don't tell me I'm beautiful,
I just want to watch
everyone else
having a ball.

*
Poetry inspiration:
Tess Kincaid's Willow Manor Ball 2013

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

The Pink Cape(R)


Intensify the early-morning moment a garbage
truck barrels down your street. Lift your arms
and wave fastidious, as if the city worker might

notice. A daunting task, rolling the trash can
behind the incinerator and trying to dump it in,
only to find your wife's pink robe collecting grins.

"Whatever works," you say, even though
it was an accident, your last-minute grab
of cover flying open like a cape.

**

Poetic Inspiration:
Poetry Jam~ It's All in the Trash
PU Verse First~ Half & Half (3 stanzas, 3 lines each)
3WW~ daunting, fastidious, intensify

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Writers are Lovers


of mystery
as you can see
from the words of a poet.
Take, for instance, Robert Frost,
who in early adulthood stepped away
from poetry attempting to appease his family
with completion of higher academics, brief stints
in teaching, and reporting news slanted with a poetic view--
 
he once went on to describe a flagpole in front of the post office
as beauty with a majestic eagle who, in a mighty gust of wind,  
perched atop a pole by a stately white building,
adorned the heavens until a dreadful hunter
came along and shot it dead, that fool,
when merely the wind
knocked it down--
 
does a reporter write like that? No, only poets such as Robert Frost,
whose steps away from writing only led him back to feather pen,
can sustain wedding nights where hasty visitors knock
at cabin doors, when all around the deserted woods
no other light shines, and one is left wondering
if perhaps the stranger was the bride's true
love left with missing clues.


**

Poetic inspiration:
PU Verse First- Writers are Lovers
3WW~ dreadful, hasty, sustain

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Bedtime

He walks backward to his room
as if time walks backward, too.
One more goodnight kiss,
is there something that he missed?
Mom and Dad watching TV
when all the children sleep.

When all the children sleep,
Mom and Dad watching TV.
Is there something that he missed?
One more goodnight kiss?
As if time walks backward too,
he walks backward to his room.

*

Prompt inspiration~
Poetry Jam: Backward(s)//(s)drawkcaB

Sunday, September 29, 2013

On Aging

photo by Mark Haley
courtesy of The Mag 188
*
 
I never thought my life
solitary, never wished
for anything more, until
 
gray appeared, one
strand at a time, wiry
springs a bird's nest
 
locking me within
the confines of my home,
and then I wanted
 
to go out and live my life
among people, celebrate
my remaining days. Instead,
 
I followed the footpath
to your shore, hoping
the horizon might not end.
 
*
 

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Battles of the Mind

I am; how did you guess?
Was it the fact I cried out

in the middle of the night
for King Kong, declared

him handsome and easy-
going as if he were Jesus?

Or was it the fact a lesser
god promised to center me?

**

Prompt Inspiration~
 Poetry Jam: Battles
3WW: easygoing, fact, handsome
PU Verse First: Just Past Center

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Siren Songs

artwork by Jeanie Tomanek
courtesy of The Mag 184


she conversed with birds
perched in trees, she made music
 
with branches strummed, the strings
plucked like a harp, heard for miles
 
luring men she scrambled
on the sidewalk below
 
 
 


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Descension Into Ascension


step right up, he said,
then threw her down
and watched her
twirl deep
into a
hole
so he
could pick
her up and lead her
step by step, the healing
path of twelve she'd only
recognize from where she's been
 
*

Poetic Inspiration~
Poetry Jam: Steps 

Sunday, August 25, 2013

In a Matter of Seconds

photo by Steven Kelly
courtesy of The Mag 183

A curvy road
too dangerous
to pass.
Your
bold promise
a fishtail swerve.
The other side
ethereal.

**

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Let's Talk About It


Silence like a cancer grows*
a weed within the mind's confines
that weaves obsession in the throes
of overtaking thoughts benign.

Too distraught to regulate
or yank habitual response,
this cancer of a sealing fate
soon consumes the s(u)n's blossoms.


*Simon & Garfunkel

**

Edited to elevate for Verse First:

watching weeds
thread through your mind
you find cancer

**

Poetic Inspiration~
Poetry Jam: The Sound of Silence
PU VerseFirst: Edit to Elevate- See Below
3WW: distraught, habitual, regulate

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

I Hope Not

When the lights go out, I hope
you're not drunk. I hope
it's not night and you're not
living in a new apartment
in a new area that's not
safe because you ran
away from an ex, yet
wanted him to worry
about you. I hope
 
you don't go berserk
and call a coworker,
quibble back and forth
about why it's dark
in your apartment
and no one else's
because you're drunk.
 
I hope she doesn't
have to duplicate
her words ten times,
get frustrated and put 
her friend-of-your-ex's
husband on the phone
to calm you down. 
 
**
 
Prompt inspiration~
3WW: quibble, duplicate, berserk

Sunday, August 4, 2013

It's All In Perspective

Drawing Hands, 1948 by M. C. Escher
Picture prompt courtesy of The Mag 180


If you draw my hands,
erase protruding veins.
Smooth over sun spots
with fingertip smudges.
 
If you draw my palms,
accentuate the major lines
of heart, head, life, fate;
read me as who I am.


Sunday, July 28, 2013

Kiss Me Aqua

Picture prompt courtesy of The Mag 179

You parked the antique car
and kissed me, aqua
 
eyes lifted 
one deflated heart
to the heavens
where I danced
on moonbeams.
 
100 balloons,
a blissful high
long enough to trust again
 
until you confessed~
I was too far gone.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Final Trip

Supermoon 2013, Julio Cortez, AP
Pic prompt courtesy of The Mag 176
 
She flew
to the moon
and back
in one night,
the flight
a liberty--
consequences
unknown.
 
Chance
enhanced
white dust dreams,
 pink clouds--
nonchalance
the blush
before 
descent. 
 


Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Meditation, continued



 
It is imperative to take action
when you feel distraction.
 
Find an oasis, a place to chill;
mindful thoughts felicitous fill.
 
Replace garbage, negativity
with harmonious images of the sea.
 
Think of the waves as lullabies,
salty air absorbing the lies.
 
Reward yourself when you're done;
an ice cream cone under the sun.
 
 
~~
 
 
Poetic Inspiration:
Poetry Jam- Knickerbocker Glory- What do you delight in?
3WW- garbage, imperative, action
PU Verse First- Omniscience

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Ice Breaker

Stanley Kubrick for Look Magazine, 1949
Pic prompt courtesy of The Mag174


In the doorway
where she stood
 
a blur of self-doubt
masked assuredness,
 
heat lightning a brief flash
pursuant task-- confidence.
 
Back straight, chest back
each breath a forward step
 
sipping courage, no regret
she offered him a light.
 
 
~~
 
Poetic Bloomings Prompt#113:Hook, Line and Sinker

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Copious Flow

Sunrise behind rock buttes in southwestern US. Photo by Peggy Goetz











Resurrected:
a phantom inside of me
longing for flexibility,
 
agile mind, body, spirit.
 
A tangible difference
felt in ten weeks-
acuity and energy.
 
Flaccid?
Poetic fluidity,
my everlasting rock.
 
 
 
~~
 
Poetic inspiration:
3WW- agile, flaccid, phantom
PUVerseFirst- (short & sweet)

Sunday, June 16, 2013

In Your Arms

The Promenade, 1918, by Marc Chagall
Pic prompt courtesy of TheMag173

 
I kited through life,
flew to the moon
where my wishes came true--
 
a pink castle
within dark green hues 
 angling envy
like points of view,
mankind's
 magnanimity
as visible as fire. 
 
~~

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Beauty in Despair

Foreclosed, the ramshackle house
with moving van curbside.

Yet, azaleas and holly bushes
line the front flower bed--

thick glossy leaves
with serrated edges
a dare
to reach in and pick
not the evil red berries

but the blossoms
like tissue paper--
deep pink, dainty buds

a chuckle or a tease,
depending on
perspective.


~~

Prompt inspirations:
Poetry Jam- It's All About Flowers
PU Verse First- Move (no more than 20 lines)
3WW- chuckle, evil, serrated

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Rendezvous

Charleston Farmhouse Door
Pic prompt courtesy of The Mag 172


twisting stripes to swirls
in a sea of hay and oats,
we joined as one
behind the padlocked door
 
~

Friday, June 7, 2013

Stranded in Galveston, Part 2

For the first part of this post, click here.

The guy drove me back immediately. Of course, when I reached the condo and saw my friend face to face, she had a million excuses and couldn't stop with the apologies. I told her we were leaving as soon as possible, but she connived me into waiting until after a barbecue. I wanted to leave as soon as we had eaten, but she begged and begged me to stay the night. They went out to party, but I fell asleep early. I was so mad, but as a people-pleaser, I kept my feelings locked in. Sigh. It was such a wishy-washy weekend. I couldn't wait for it to end!

The funny thing about the whole incident is what happened the NEXT weekend. My mother decided to come and visit. There I was with a tie-dye eyelid. She didn't need to know what had happened, so I worried about what to do. Well that same friend (who happened to be my roommate for the summer) worked at an Estee Lauder counter (thanks to me getting her the job). She decided to match the other eye with makeup. Oh, Lordy... did I look like a clown. When my mom walked through the door, she just stared at me quizically for awhile and then asked why I was wearing so much eye makeup. I came up with a quick answer; my roommate was trying out all her new makeover techniques on me. Thankfully she just visited for the day.

My parents stayed together and I made it through the summer despite the crazy things that happened. What about you? Do you have a wild summer story? You never know... it might even be this one.



Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Insecurities

I remember a college trip
to the beach one Spring Break.

Your ego went unnoticed
with each swallow of beer
damaging my tolerance
for sunburned feet,

each legitimate kiss drowned
in a body surf sweep of fear

that you might find
someone else
more attractive.

 ~

Poetic Inspiration~
Poetry Jam- It's Vacation Time
3WW- damaging, ego, legitimate
PU Verse First- I Remember

***





Exciting news! I have signed a contract with Winter Goose Publishing for the publication of my first book of poetry. Click here to learn more.

***

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Perception

Waking, Walking, Singing, in the Next Dimension? 1979 by Morris Graves
Pic prompt courtesy of THE MAG 171
 
She sees birds
in spectacles,
 
a spree of feathers
encircle words
of peace
 
when she chooses
to put them on.

~

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Saying Goodbye


In our embrace,
your breath

a touch
of life and love.

Uncertainty,

the tear
you wiped away.

~

Prompt Inspirations~
Poetry Jam: Goodbye
PU Verse First: The Function of Freedom

Sunday, May 26, 2013

The Mag 170

Ponytail by Last Exit
Pic prompt courtesy of The Mag 170
~
 
Flag Day--
the horse's tail
stirs the air
 
~~

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Childhood Wishes

Lighthouse Dandelions by Jamie Wyeth
Courtesy of pic prompt, The Mag 169

Pollyanna had a thing for sun-
shine, alacrity enough
to ward off any storm.
 
I cried when she fell
from the tree,
 
hung my head
in yellow walls
 
wishing for
something cheery
in my life.
 
~~

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Terri L. French




Terri L. French
Today I'd like to share this interview with a dear friend of mine, Terri L. French. We met back in 2008 over at Robert Brewer's Poetic Asides and together with 11 others from all over the world, formed a private group we coined the Baker's Dozen. It's how most of us started through brainstorming of ideas, daily writing, sharing of poems, and critiquing with one another.

Terri is the SE Coordinator of the Haiku Society of America and new editor of the senryu journal Prune Juice.

Recently, I had some questions about haiku, which is much more difficult to write than one might think, and she graciously offered me some pointers. I asked if I could share them with my readers and she said, "Of course!"

full moon--
most of my days spent
only half there
-Terri L. French

*How long have you been writing haiku and what drew you to that particular form?

I guess I have been writing haiku seriously for about 7 years. I don't really remember when I was introduced to the form, probably in school. I googled "haiku" and found out more about the form, discovering it did not have to be in the traditionally taught 5-7-5 syllable form. I emailed back and forth with Michael Dylan Welch, former President of the Haiku Society of America and a fine haiku poet. He critiqued some of my "haiku" (they weren't very good!) and gave me some links and book suggestions.

*What is the biggest misconception about haiku?

The biggest misconception is that haiku must be written as a 5-7-5 poem. Japanese "syllables" are actually sounds called "on." The Japanese wrote in 5-7-5 "on." But "on" can be much shorter than our syllable, so a haiku written in 5-7-5 syllables is actually a long haiku. So it is best to say haiku are usually 17 syllables or less and usually written in three lines. I say "usually" because haiku have many guidelines though few of these are carved in stone. It is essential that haiku have a "kigo" or seasonal word and good haiku usually have a "kireji" or cut that divides the haiku (notice the plural of haiku is haiku!) into two parts. But I am getting a little too in-depth here!

 
 
bare birch limbs
 
the burled knuckles

of an old crone's hands


-Terri L. French

*What other forms of poetry do you write?

Besides haiku, I write other Japanese forms - haibun, haiga, tanka, renga, senryu. I particularly enjoy haibun because it combines prose with haiku. I write some prose and creative non-fiction. I'm afraid my attempt at fiction have not been very successful. My degree was in journalism. I think my degree has helped me with the concrete imagery in haiku.

People can always go to the Haiku Society of America website or email Terri at terri.l.french@gmail.com if they would like to find out more.

Now go write some haiku!


– Terri L. French, The Mulling Muse, first published Contemporary Haibun, Volume 12,
and Red Dragonfly



Wednesday, May 8, 2013

When "Just Thinking About" Becomes "Real"

My lanky body a pretzel
as I wait for school's end,
windows rolled down, doors open
enough to feel the subtle breeze.

On my mind, this poem and bees-
the time I attracted them
during field day, my perfume
I thought strong enough
to cover up sweaty skin
a mere allure;
from peace to chaos,
destruction.

A silly scene unfolded
as my students watched
their teacher

FrEaK oUt.

Fast forward: now.
A wasp inside the car;
dare I grab my camera,
a fleeting thought
as I stiffen up, jump out,
an ultimatum on my mind-
the wasp or me?

I won.

~~

Prompt Inspirations:
Poetry Jam- The Buzz on Bees
3WW- destruction, lanky, ultimatum

Monday, May 6, 2013

Stranded in Galveston

One time I was stranded in Galveston, abandoned by a friend at a bar when she found a guy to suit her needs. It was Memorial Day weekend, and I was just another fun-loving college student out to party. I didn’t really want to go to Galveston during such a busy weekend, but she talked me into it because I had the car, which she took with her when she left. My purse was in the trunk and my keys  in her pocket since my outfit didn’t have pockets.

At first I panicked. I went back into the club thinking she'd return soon. She didn't. Fortunately, I ran into a guy I knew from my hometown college, Lamar. I had gone there my first year and then transferred to Texas A&M. I had finished all my classes and was waiting to do my student teaching in the fall. Over the summer, I was working full-time in Dillard’s lingerie department (that’s another story for later).

What were the odds of running into a familiar face in a strange town? It seemed as if an angel had appeared, but I was still fuming mad. He was a gentleman and didn’t want to leave me alone, so we set out to find my friend. I was staying at a condo of someone she knew. When the guy and I drove there, no one was home. When we called, no one answered.

The guy and I decided to wait at the beach and then go back to the club and condo later. We talked about all the crazy things going on in our lives… because at that age everything is crazy. His parents were getting a divorce, mine were thinking about it (which is why I hadn't moved back home for the summer). We sat on the seawall, dangling our legs over the edge, feeling the cool breeze on our face. The salty air was a sobering slap, and the sound of the waves crashing calmed me down. After awhile, we decided to search for my car. When we stood, we collided; the guy’s head to my eyebrow. At the time, we laughed. Little did I know what a fuss it would cause later.

The bar was deserted and the condo was still dark with no cars in sight at four o’clock in the morning. We had no other alternative but for me to crash in the cheesy motel room he shared with his fraternity brothers. Everyone was passed out in the beds and all over the floor. There must have been a dozen snoring, stinky beer-smelling male bodies in the ratty room. The guy apologized and offered a bed, but we couldn’t wake any of them up, much less move them. I snuggled with a pillow and blanket on the floor knowing I was in danger of a roach attack by morning.

What seemed like mere minutes later, I opened my eyes because I could sense people staring at me. In that awkward moment when I remembered what had happened, I felt like Snow White. They treated me as royalty after they heard my story (I’m not real sure what they thought at first and don’t want to know). By that time, my eye was black and blue.

To be continued... 

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Dandelion Dreams

Young Woman Picking the Fruit of Knowledge, 1892 by Mary Cassatt
Picture prompt courtesy of The Mag167

Wasted, the years
counting on a dream,
a wish to blow away
her life,
as if
 change came
through osmosis.
 


 
~~
 

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

My Mantra

Soak in God's sun, believe in the power of prayer,
pay tribute to each new day, find out why you're here.

A mantra that I live by now; it's not all about me.
I don't run the show, a path of pain made me see

if I live right, seek God's will daily,
I need not feel penitent or worry constantly.

Instead, a life of faith~ God will work things out.
As long as I soak in his love, I'll never live in doubt.

~~~
Poetry Inspirations-
Poetry Jam- Soak
PU Verse First: Authentic Life
3WW- believe, penitent, tribute

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Pulitzer Remix by the Day

As most of you know, I'm participating in The Found Poetry Review's Pulitzer Remix in honor of National Poetry month. All of my poems are from John Updike's Rabbit at Rest... every word, different theme (can you figure it out?). I had big plans at the beginning of the month to take part in other activities around the web, too. Well, it's not happening and I'm sorry. I just can't keep up with it all along with my personal life and goals. I have decided to make this a running post for the rest of the month. Each day I will add my remix poem for you to read if you'd like. I hope you enjoy!

My wordpress blog, Bird's-Eye Gemini, contains all my other poems from April.

PULITZER REMIXes

1- Same Subject, Different Story
2- Anything But a Dream
3- The Façade
4- In His Eyes
5- When He Cries
6- Errors in the Morning Paper
7- War Cry
8- Floating
9- The Edge of Death
10- Ten
11- While Reading a Book, His Mind Drifts
12- Post-Electrical Buzz
13- Unaskable Question
14- What is Enough?
15- OD
16- Emptiness in a Crowd
17- Mental Obsession
18- Reunion with an Aging Mother
19- Coming Out of the Red Haze
20- Forgiveness
21- Collapsed Secrets
22- The Gasp
23- Clarity
24- Awakening
25- Stepping Forward
26- Things Are Much Better Sober
27- Glowing Grace
28- haiku
29- Inside (to) Out Happiness
30- Echoes


Saturday, April 13, 2013

Taking it Slow

Three days a week,
a gradual conditioning
to get in shape
the right way.

Week one-
walk six minutes,
 jog one
repeat five times.

Week two-
walk five minutes,
jog two
repeat five times.

And so on…
until week eight’s goal
of jogging thirty minutes
nonstop. Alleluia!

Versus my usual-
walk awhile and get bored
start jogging, reach the high
endurance still remains
by week three, it’s three miles
nonstop, but with pain.

A stress on weak ankles,
Achilles tendons scream and shout
a twist and turn, my muscles pout
not my breath, but my body
getting older, resisting wear
and tear from running; but I
love it still the same.

Will I be able to adhere
to this strict regimen,
a gradual progression
in comparison
to my impatient obsession
of reaching five miles
in two weeks
like I did when I
was younger?

With my daughter
by my side,
I'd say
probably.

(I'll keep you posted).

~~~

Prompt inspirations:
NaPoWriMo- A walk
PA- Comparison

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Hunting Medals

We staked our claim in the parking lot
A yellow school bus with hormonal kids
Waiting to embark on chances sought
In formulas and scientific grids

Hunting for a placement in the state
Competing computations set in time
Against the brightest whizzes, fate
Depending on the nature of the crime

How hard the tests would be that day
How stiff the competition ‘tween their peers
“Get Smart” a squinting scope amid the splay
Strategic fundamentals based in fear

All these needless worries as the pupils sat
Calmly playing games, waiting for their turn
Nervousness a passing-thought caveat
Rewarded efforts solved, experiences earned

~~

You can read more on this event here.

EXCITING NEWS! My mini-chapbook, With TLC, is now published over at Poetic Bloomings.

For the latest Pulitzer Remix poem, please look at the top of the right side-bar where I update daily.
 
~~

Poetic Asides, Day 9- Hunter/hunted
NaPoWriMo- Mystery

Thursday, April 4, 2013

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?

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Galactic Explosion

You said the moon
didn’t taste of cheese,
instead, a dip of Cool Whip
on your tongue, a tease

sliding down your throat
like a sweet milk shake
lighting up your insides,
a firecracker quake.

I said I wanted some
but I only got the sun,
a bitter tangy shock
that made me come undone

and when it all ended
the earth exploded from afar,
I knew at once we were complete
making love, a shining star.

~~

Poetic Asides PAD, Day 2- A bright poem/ dark poem
NaPoWriMo- A lie

~~

*Here is my Day 2 Remix poem*

~~

Monday, April 1, 2013

Welcome April, Welcome All!




Happy National Poetry month! I'm going to be pretty busy writing lots of poems... I love it. Please check out my poems for the Pulitzer Remix. I have the book Rabbit at Rest by John Updike. Every single word for all 30 poems has been taken from the text. Here is my offering for Day 1. I will put a direct link on my sidebar and also on my FB page and Twitter. You can subscribe to daily updates if you'd like. I also plan on linking to my usual sites and offering poems from both the Poetic Asides PAD challenge and NaPoWriMo prompts. Hope to see you there.

What will you be doing this month to honor poetry?

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

,,,Orphaned Commas,,,


A (captain?) crunch of numb-
ness, not numbers, silly; don't you
know I'm a poet? No, numb
 
words dilute this page, lame
words, so terse, like, ugh, "it"
rains orphaned commas ,,,,,
that won't cooperate, no,,,,,
 
They jump around like love-
less passion, horny college
coeds, bed-to-bed, hmm,
want some humble pie?
 
Ask an English teacher
about commas; less drama
will occur when you concur,
the numbness on the screen
will dissipate when those
crappy commas find their place.
 
 
~~
 
Poetry inspirations~
Poetry Jam: Usual/Unusual
3WW: cooperate, lame, terse
PU Verse First: Passion
 

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Bye-Bye

Not to be Reproduced, 1937 by the Belgian surrealist René Magritte
Pic prompt courtesy of The Mag 161


You reproduced our vows,
and try to seek forgiveness now?
 
The lies you left behind
tattooed within my mind,
 
written on the face you hid
in another woman's bed.
 
Your image just an echo,
a double-vision foe.
 
All I want to see
as you walk away from me
 
is the back of your greasy head.
 
 

Friday, March 22, 2013

A Loving Tribute

In memory of a cherished friend,
a heart balloon with "You are loved" written on it,
 sent heavenward.

Has it really been five years?
Pow! Pow! A neighbor's gun.
 
Has it really been five years?
Ring! Ring! A life-changing call.
 
Has it really been five years?
Flash! Flash! Nightmarish visions.
 
Has it really been five years?
Swoosh! Swoosh! Peaceful waves.
 
Has it really been five years?
Chirp! Chirp! Loving reminders.
 
~~
 
Gone, but never forgotten
Healed, but forever scarred
R.I.P. My dear friend, Mary
3-22-08
 

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Country Dancing

How many pairs of Ropers did she wear out?
Wrangler jeans and stylish shirts
the city girl stepped into for wild nights
of country dancing and beer,
two-stepping 'round and 'round
the floor, a slide there, a dip and twirl (careful!)
sometimes jitterbug, if she was lucky
enough to find a willing partner, a hug.
 
Waltzing, one, two, three; next, polka,
working up a sweat, a need to drink
more beer while Top-40 played
its turn a break in stride, back
in time for line dancing to begin,
then two-step, waltz and polka
jitterbug, if she was lucky, a flip.
Over and over, the cycle continued
up to 2 a.m.- - closing time.
 Again and again,
a buzzing whirl;
no mistake, 
a downward
spin.
 
*
 
Prompt inspiration: Poetry Jam~ Dance
3WW- careful, hug, mistake

Monday, March 11, 2013

Diamonds

Meal Beach, Burra Isles, Shetland by Robin Gosnall
Photo prompt courtesy of The Mag 159

diamonds dance on clear water, 
the sun sparkles
like a ballerina on stage

 

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

A Cure for Anxiety




Watch the light transfer
colors explode, begin to dance
across the beige carpet
up the walls like a doodle
waltzing on the ceiling
and back down again
hypnotizing, calming.
A rainbow awaits: follow it.
No need to grope for peace,
let the prism's magnificence
wipe away brutal fear.
Breathe in, breathe out.
Think of nothing
but the light,
the colors
now.
 
.


**
 
Inspiration:
3WW ~ brutal, grope, transfer

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Nonsense


Photo by L. Kolp


Do you see the pattern?
Doused with sprouts
of swirly fluff
~naughty words~
I've had enough!
They don't make sense,
no tense (some dense).
Overused, a pale
defense against
ShAtTeReD poems,
prolific forms
from whence; do you
get my drift?
 

Prompt inspirations:
3WW~ douse, naughty, pale
Poets United Verse First: Patterns

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Closed



Don't touch him,
don't expect him to
open up.
 
The arms
he once wrapped
around himself
 
were ripped off
by his wife
 
and all that's left
are burrs.


(part of) Venus de Milo with Drawers, 1936, Salvador Dali
Photo prompt courtesy of The Mag 157
Note: I did not refer to Venus in this poem because my muse wanted to take this in a different direction!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

No, It's Not

Before you immerse yourself in a padlocked bathroom
Attempt to flush false emotions
And ponder valid
Reasoning
With tears
Just
Wait
Just
Wait
And think;
Is it worth
The acid, dry heaves?
Is the pain worth the consequence
Twenty years later, the loss of enamel on teeth?

*

Poetic Inspirations:
Poets United- Verse First: Fibonacci poems w/ Kim (I did a double reverse fib)
3WW- heave, ponder, valid