I’ve learned so much this month of April
Poem writing for me was such a gamble
A poet I’m not, at least that’s what I thought
So I decided to join NaPoWriMo
I learnt about alliteration, quatrain, metaphor
Tanka, Irony, Blank verse, and Doggerel
Name Poem, Free Verse, Terza Rima,
Falling Meter, Quatrain, metaphor
My mind was a whirl with all these terms
A poet I was not I thought it’d been reaffirmed Stubborn I am, so I sat down to learn
And wrote every day and thought I did discern
A slight improvement within my words
I wrote a poem every day for a month
Proud I didn’t back down once
Today is the end of the challenge Tho I’m so glad I took the plunge
Now it’s time to say good-bye
To all the poems, my how time flies
I had a blast and was taught so much
But think I’ll stick to my fiction stories
It’s been fun, but I got to run!
All I can say now is I’m damn glad it’s done!
Today is the last day of NaPoWriMo and I’m really proud of myself that I didn’t quit and finished the month out. This poem is my way of saying good-bye to the challenge. I enjoyed myself, but now it’s time to go back to my first love, fiction short stories. Thank you all for coming along on my ride. See you next month!
It’s time for Cee’s Share Your World once again. Thank you Cee for each week posting great questions.
What are some words that just make you smile?
Love, friendship, hello! These are just a few. Or great, delicious, I love you, Spring, warmth, sunshine, books, music. Those are a few others that tend to make me smile or feel good. I’m sure there are many others, but those are the ones I pick today.
When you lose electricity in a storm, do you light the candles or turn on the flashlight? How many of each do you own?
Oh most definitely light candles. I love candles. They shine with a soft glow and I have them that smell heavenly. So oh yes, bring on the candles! I also have a practical streak and so I do have flashlights too, mostly to light my way to the bathroom. Candles are best just sitting in one spot, much safer that way. But I love candles so always have some around. How many do I have? Oh, I have candles in every room! I usually have them in those glass jars like Yankee candles come in. Oh, if I could afford it, I would have Yankee candles in every room! But what I do have smell lovely and are every color in the rainbow. I also have flashlights in the living room, kitchen and bedrooms.
I’ve read a lot of long books, but there was one many years ago by a woman author. I can’t remember her name or the name of the book, which I hate when that happens. But I do remember it was her first published book and she was like in her late 70’s or early 80’s. It was about a woman’s book club. It was a long book! Probably the size of two, maybe three regular size books. It was also an amazing book! It told about all these different women, and it was fascinating. I believe it was set in like the 30’s or 40’s and went on for years! I really wish I could remember the name, but it just escapes me.
So you win a pet monkey at a fair, but this isn’t just any old monkey. It can do one trick for you whenever you want from getting a pop out of the fridge to washing your hair. What would be the trick?
Ah, poor monkey. Well, if I won it, then I would make sure it had a good home. I’m a softy that way. One trick, huh? I think I would have it dust for me! Yes, that’s what it would do, for one thing it can get up in those corners and get those nasty cobwebs down. I am also quite a slacker as far as dusting is concerned. I don’t like to do it, don’t know why, but I’d rather do just about anything else but dust. Which is rather strange as I am allergic to dust. LOL Go figure.
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
Last week I was glad to see the temps get up to 20C, which they are supposed to again today. I’m always grateful for best friends, things would be pretty dull without them. What I am looking forward to is more warm weather, I am so tired of winter hanging on. I’m happy to see the end of the month for several reasons. Bring on May!
Books, books, books friends from long ago
Alice, Jo, Huck, Jane
Names written on my heart characters that kept me company on many a long lonely day
Books, books, books the smell of ink on paper pages the feel of them between my fingers black letters dance before my eyes taking me to new places and old adventures to be had, tales to be told
Books, books, books they can make me laugh, cry, think stories take hold, don’t let go till the last page is read to the end many times beyond as my mind takes flight, I am that character I find
Books, books, books
Old friends, new safe havens, they never let me down
No one is ever alone, when they pick up a book and open its cover to worlds renowned……..
This poem came about from my love of books and the written word. Hope you enjoyed.
Vampire Chazz Darling has a hobby
quixotic in character, he joins in games
he likes to role play, costumes, acting
supernatural powers, it’s all the same
Drinking Poisoned Absinthe makes him crazy
so he leaves explicit messages to his enemy
bloody body parts are left here and there
in his mind’s eye, criticizing, feuds are a pair
Mocked in the community, his vampire rage knows no bounds he goes online to message boards, to let his anger resound
Indignantly his conservative friends are sorry
that this terrible thing made tonight’s news story
This poem came about because I followed the NaPoWriMo’s websites prompt today:
Today I challenge you to find a news article, and to write a poem using (mostly, if not only) words from the article! You can repeat them, splice them, and rearrange them however you like. Although the vocabulary may be “just the facts,” your poem doesn’t have to be — it doesn’t even have to be about the subject of the news article itself.
Below is the news article I used for the poem. Comments are always welcome. Thank you!
News of the Weird Weirdnuz.M368, April 27, 2014 Copyright 2014 by Chuck Shepherd
Lead Story
First-term U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho of Florida is already among the House’s most conservative members, but his Republican primary challenger claims to be even more so–but with a quixotic, long-time hobby as a costumed, role-playing “gamer.” Challenger Jake Rush (in his day job, a lawyer) portrays supernatural characters as a prominent member of the national Mind’s Eye Society and Florida’s Covenant of the Poisoned Absinthe, including a vampire named “Chazz Darling,” who, according to a Yahoo message board once left an explicit, body-parts-bloodying threat to a role-player with whom he had been feuding. (The Florida political report SaintPetersBlog broke the story–and was quickly criticized, less by Rush’s political defenders than by the indignant “cosplay” community, feeling mocked.) [SaintPetersBlog, 4-1-2014] [MiamiNewTimes.com, 4-1-2014] http://www.weirduniverse.net/
So here is another weekend. Hope everyone’s is going good.
It’s time for another post hosted by Lizzi over at Considerings, called Ten Things of Thankful. Where we list 10 things we are thankful for this past week. I just hope I can actually do 10! Why not go and visit Lizzi and see what she’s up to? She’s an awesome writer, so you won’t regret it.
Lizzi also did a great Wordle thingy which I am totally stealing. Thanks Lizzi!
I am thankful that another month is almost over. It’s bringing me closer to something that I am going to love. It’s a secret for now, but when it comes, man I will be so ready! Sorry I can’t let you all on in the secret, but I want to hold it close for a little while longer.
I thought winter was over with, and I was thankful for that. But then, I woke up this morning to a white mess outside. Spring, spring you fickle creature. (That was yesterday, today it warmed up and melted all the snow!)
I have a few wonderful, truly amazing best friends. They lend me their ears to pour my insecurities or my happiness into. They never judge me and cheer with me on every adventure I want to take. They are wonderful, amazing, and I am so lucky to have them. (They know who they are)
Sam (c) JLPhillips 2013
Sam, my little bundle of fur baby joy is just wonderful. He cuddles me when I need them, kisses my tears away, listens to my secrets, and keeps them too! He’s so funny too. And he’s getting down right popular! Soon he will have fans wanting his autograph. He’s been in a book written by my good friend tiny over at tinylessonsblog.com, she’s a fantastic writer and her book “Confessions of a Rescue Dog” helps other animals at her local humane society with each book sold. (This is the one Sam is in).
I love music, it’s been a huge part of my life. It’s helped me say so much that I want to say to certain people. I’m always on the lookout for new music to give a listen to. So if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to let me know and I’ll give it a go! It has helped me when I was down and out, or when I’m happy and joyful!
I saw my first spring Robin the other day! Now I know Spring is coming, even if old man winter just doesn’t want to let go. I was so happy to see that Robin, now I hear him every day outside my window and it makes me smile.
Ah, coffee, my love, my preferred nectar. I’m always grateful for coffee, but today for some reason it tasted extra good. Yeah, I love me some coffee.
I have been doing NaPoWriMo this month and it has been quite the experience. I have learned so much about poetry and all its different forms. It’s been some hard days, but I’m glad I did it. I am planning on doing an extra special poem on Wednesday which is the last day of this month-long extravaganza. I have asked my good friend Michael to help me in this and he has graciously accepted the challenge (poor deluded man, LOL). It has been a great learning experience. I wanted to challenge myself (as I was NO poet) and I accomplished that. What amazed me, was my dear readers (this means YOU) seemed to enjoy the experience too. Thank you so much, you guys are the best!!
Next month, I am going back to writing what I love the best, short stories and flash fiction. I took a break, now I’m revved up to get back into it.
The NaPoWriMo’s websiteprompt today was to write a poem based from a picture prompt. They gave four pictures, but I decided to use one I found myself. I also decided to do a few Haiku, as I haven’t done any this month yet. Japanese haiku traditionally consist of 17 on, or sounds, divided into three phrases: 5 sounds, 7 sounds, and 5 sounds. English poets interpreted on as syllables. That’s the easy definition. It can get rather complex, but I will leave that to the experts.
Eight pounds of funny character
Sam is a force to be accounted for
Black and white bundle of love
He fits in my life just like a glove
Toys he has, but doesn’t like to share
The cats look at that like a dare
They steal his food and his play things
Until he gets mad and then what a fling!
Sam chases them off, till the next time
He waits patiently, while they plot their crime
Get along, please?
I followed (or tried to) the prompt for today at the NaPoWriMo’s website:
Today’s prompt is the curtal sonnet, a fourteen line sonnet. It has a first stanza of six lines, followed by a second stanza of four, and then closes with a half-line. The form was invented in the 1800s by Gerard Manley Hopkins, who used it in his famous poem “Pied Beauty”. So for today, I challenge you to give the curtal sonnet a whirl. It doesn’t need to rhyme — though it can if you like — and feel free to branch out beyond iambic pentameter. Happy writing!
Which way to go? Which way to go?
I stand at a cross roads in my life
Look left, right, back again
Decisions to be made,
Which way to go? Which way to go?
I’ve been here so many times
Each time I choose a path to tread
Sometimes right, sometimes wrong
Which way to go? Which way to go?
Worry, fret become my companions
Do I go this way or that way?
Hesitate, wonder, left or right
Which way to go? Which way to go?
Now weary of loneliness, sorrow, pain
Tears flow, how am I do know?
I need to let go, let go
Which way to go? Which way to go?
A strong hand slips into mine
A shoulder to lean on, my tears dry
Together we face the ways
Which way to go? Which way to go?
My love walks with reassurance
He makes the way clear to see
I want to go where he goes
Which way to go? Which way to go?
Stopping, surveying our paths of life
He kisses me, whispers, I love you
I choose to go wherever he goes
I have chosen to follow today’s prompt from the NaPoWriMo website; Anaphora is a literary term for the practice of repeating certain words or phrases at the beginning of multiple clauses or, in the case of a poem, multiple lines.
Room abandoned, beds empty Walls echo with orphan cries Tis nought but bricks, wood, plaster
This dark, gloomy room
Where lines of beds reside
Teary, weary children were kept
Played little, worked much,
Grew to be men, women,
Out in the hard world they go
Walls dingy, windows, tall, doors locked
Room where sadness, loneliness reigns
Children crying in flat pillows at night
Praying for someone to take them home
The hardwood floors soak up their fears
Moonlight dully shines to light the gloom
Shadows dancing on the walls, nightmares come
Brick, wood, plaster walls, muffle their orphan cries
Today’s poem followed the NaPoWriMo website prompt:
Today, I challenge you to write a poem that features walls, bricks, stones, arches, or the like. If that sounds a bit hard, remember that one of Robert Frost’s most famous poems was about a wall. Happy writing!
Thank you Cee, for doing another great week of questions on Share Your World. Here are my answers to this week’s question.
How many places have you lived? You can share the number of physical residences and/or the number of cities.
Oh wow, I have lived in a lot of places, that span two countries so far. Let’s see if I can give you a sort of list. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin (born and raised)
Southaven, Mississippi
Outside of Ft Worth, TX (don’t remember the first place)
Lake Worth, TX
Azle, TX
Springtown, TX
Ft. Worth, TX
N. Richland Hills, TX
Azle, TX
Victoria, TX
Weatherford, TX
Gainesville, TX
Nacogdoches, TX
Waco, TX
Townsend, WI
Lethbridge, AB, Canada
And I don’t think I’m done yet.
What type of music relaxes you the most?
Any music really. Depends on my mood. When I want total relaxation, I go for classical or someone like Enya to soothe my tired mind.
If you could instantly become fluent in another language, what would that language be and why?
I just have to pick one? Well, if it has to be just one, it would either be Spanish or Italian. Spanish, because it’s so prevalent nowadays. Italian because it’s so romantic to me, and I love singing groups like IL Devo, IL Volo and the like and I would love to understand what they are singing.
If you could fly or breathe under water what would you prefer?
It would have to be to fly. I love being up in the sky, complete freedom. Fly anywhere I want to go.
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
I’m grateful for spring finally coming to the Great White North. I saw my first robin the other day and now have been hearing it everyday sing outside my window. I’m grateful for plans coming together and for best friends.
I’m looking forward to another week being gone. For another pound being lost. For just living and being free to live. Sometimes it’s the little things in life that mean the most, an email, a chat, a loving word.
Alliteration, ballads, stanzas all parts of poems and such
The poet sits, reflects, pouts his heart so full of doubt
Faraway lands beckon him, romance, rhymes, verses, tankas he needs to roam, to experience how can he write what he knows nought about?
Travelling around the world to bask in old cultures, rites, history an ode, limerick, narrative or two practising his pastoral oratory
Ireland, Japan, Australia are places he goes years it took, while he wrote his prose
Older he grew, wiser no doubt walking ancient trails, up hill, around
Rain or shine, elephant rides, camels too
Netherlands, France, even Spain
He wrote, wrote, wrote and never complained
Terza Rima, rhyme royal, his own refrains
His tortured soul grew quiet one day
Home called to him, he headed that way
A head full of poems, heart at rest
He now knew he could give lyrics his best
This poem is also for the Daily Post challenge; Tell us about the top five places you’ve always wanted to visit.
Inside my poem is the top 5 places I’ve always wanted to visit. I’m sure it will be easy to spot them. Thank you for reading! Comments always welcome.
Fairy tales new and old
Little girls and boys so bold
Fairies, witches the occasional troll
These are stories to be told
Cats in hats, kittens with mittens
Cows jumping over moons being smitten
Evil stepmothers, with apples to be bitten
Dark, gloomy castles a welcome addition
Tales of knights and maidens fair
Dragons flying in the air
Some with a quaint family of bears
Eating porridge in china dinnerware
We are never too old nor too young
To hear of magic beans that were flung
Growing upwards to where the giants sung
Oh, how I love to read about heroes unsung
So gather children at my feet
For tales of houses made of sweets
Where bricks of gold pave the streets
And animals walk, talk and meet
Once upon a time
When all was fine
In every pleasant clime
Faeries shared everything of mine.
This poem was done from the NaPoWriMo’s prompt for today, which was;
Today, I challenge you to write a poem for children. This could be in the style of a nursery rhyme, or take a cue from Edward Lear or Shel Silverstein. It could rhyme — or not. It could be short — or not. Happy writing!
I didn’t follow it to the letter, as my poem is about fairy tales not a fairy tale. I hope you enjoy!
Life, Love & Strength 