National Poetry Month

Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese. ~G.K. Chesterton

Tomorrow is the dawn of National Poetry Month and there will be tons of poems to read and or receive throughout April.

I plan to write a poem-a-day in the form of a Laturne. If you're interested in participating by writing a poem every day for the month of April (weekends included, I assume:>)) you can sign up at readwritepoem, and from there you will be able to read many poems on many blogs.

You can also receive a poem-a day by email. Sign up at poets.org.

I am also going to read a poetry book a day and post it on the my side bar.

Even if you don't think of yourself as a poet, give it a try. It'll be fun and you will definately learn a little, if not a lot...so come along for the ride, and you could even write a poem about cheese (see the above quote)!

Weekend Wordsmith

To see the Summer Sky
Is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie -
True Poems flee.

~Emily Dickinson



Weekend Wordsmith's writing prompt is JUMBLED. I like that word and all it conjures in my frazzled brain. So this is what I came up with midst the jumble of my life :>)



Jumbled

Juggling the jumble of
Piles protruding,
Lists lengthening,
Time trumpeting,
Jingle jangle...

gotta start somewhere!

Stampede to an online Launch Party

"Poetry lies its way to the truth.” ~ John Ciardi

This morning's post is to invite you to Laura Salas' online launch party for her new book, about to be released, Stampede! To Celebrate the Wild side of School!

Let's join her in celebration on April 6, 2009!

Poetry Friday

"Poetry is an orphan of silence. The words never quite equal the experience behind them.” ~ Charles Simic

A few days ago, I picked up a poetry book written by an 11 year-old boy. His name, Mattie J.T. Stepanek. He began writing poetry at the age of three, to help him deal with the death of his older brother. Mattie had a rare form of muscular distrophy, and somehow this young soul was able to feel and see life for what it really was...living our lives listening to our heartsongs. The Journey through Heartsongs, the book I read, has poems written by a very young Mattie, age 3 to age 11. There is much to be learned by his poetry...I would hope that I too will listen to my heartsongs...

Here is an excerpt from a poem written by Mattie, age of eight, in his book titled, Journey through Heartsongs..

Swinging

So high. . .
Wind tickles my tummy
Plays with my feet
Gives my hair a ride.
So high. . .
Grab a leaf from a tree
Reach a so-far-up branch
See over the edge of my earth.
So high. . . read the rest..

Julie Larios is hosting Poetry Friday today. Check out the roundup here.

Three Word Wednesday

"Poetry...tells of capturing a moment...because it's going to live." ~ Nikki Giovanni

This weeks 3WW had me stewing. I wanted to write something for children, but that just wasn't coming out of me. And besides the words weren't really kids' kind of words, but I did come up with something but I couldn't quite get it done and it was time to move on to other projects with self imposed deadlines...so the following is what came out, instead (and it's not intended as a children's poem :>))...

The three words are: earnest, layer, reactive.

Beneath the layers

emotion sleeps,

standing at attention

for the moment

of reactive fear

to plunge me into

earnest tears.

"Never let the mud puddle get lost in poetry--because in many ways the mud puddle is the poetry." ~ Valerie Worth



It's been a while for me but here I am once again ready to write a poem from One Single Impressions prompt, which this weeks is 'equals' representing March 20, the vernal equinox, when day and night were the same length.

In my minds eye I saw the sun sinking into the horizon to give night an equal share, and wrote the following haiku...

day leaves, shaking hands

with night, sun sinks out of sight,

moon's light takes over.

Weekend Wordsmith

"Poetry is indispensable --if I only knew what for." Cocteau, Jean

This weekend's Weekend Wordsmith is Passport.

I was finding myself stumped. Throughout Saturday I had tried several times to come up with a poem (because that's what I like to write from my prompts). Nothing was coming, so this morning I remembered something I learned in a poetry course...add an extra word to a poem to give it some more depth.

Well I added two extra words to the prompt, Red and Trampoline, and before I knew it words flowed, and out came a poem of sorts. Not only that, similes showed up, too. This was a great exercise for me, and reminded me of the usefulness of continued education :>)

Bouncing from city to city
Like a trampoline,
Eyes as red
As delicious apples,

Feeling as used
As a passport,
Announcements unfiltered
Like a rock concert,

Will it ever end
Like a book?

Yes

Smiles greet me
Like open envelopes
Hugs as welcoming
As…well hugs

Home at last…

15 Words or Less

"Writing is a delicious agony."~Gwendolyn Brooks

Ahh...my favourite poetry day, photopoetry Thursday and 15 Words or Less...today's pciture is...well...peace provoking. Head on over to Laura Salas' blog and join in...for the fun of it...


Here's mine for this week, P for peace...


P for Peace

petals protruding
persuading
the world to
embrace
Peace

My Peace Poems

A smile is the beginning of peace.~~ Mother Teresa

You may have already seen the letter below floating amongst writers blogs regarding the gathering of peace poems. Please feel free to participate and help in your own way to bring peace into your life and others, as well as help Judy reach her goal.

Here are my poetic contributions, one is an acrostic and the other a diamante


Perpetual
Essence of
Acceptance
Cradled for
Eternity

War
fearful, hostile
struggling, battling, conforming
bloodshed, survival, tranquility, freedom
understanding, accepting, embracing
harmonious, serene
Peace

3-1-09

Dear Family and Friends of mine,
Peace and love are on my mind now all day, everyday...Do you remember the story of Sadako the little girl who died as the result of the Hiroshima bombing? Her goal was to fold 1,000 origami cranes before she died, an act of hope and
peace. She died before she finished, but since then, children from all over the world continue to send thousands of colorful peace cranes to the Peace Museum in Hiroshima. Thus, they show their support and faith.

I traveled for two weeks in November with Patch Adams and 25 other clowns on their 24th annual humanitarian clowning trip to Russia. We visited sick or abandoned children in hospitals, orphanages and home hospices, clowning and sharing love, laughter and peace.

Action: I am gathering poems, quotes and prose pictures about peace* from writers around the world, of all ages and backgrounds, published or not. They will be arranged in a book, the proceeds of which will go exclusively toward building in West Virginia, the world's first silly hospital, a proto-typical model of health care delivery. See www.PatchAdams.org; Patch Adams: Gesundheit (Patch Adams & Maureen Mylander); Housecalls (Patch Adams).

This one-of-its-kind hospital will treat patients free of charge using the most modern medical technology and alternative methods including humor, drama, art, music, playful architecture and old fashioned family-doctoring. There will be no insurance required or accepted.

Arnold Adoff, Maya Angelou, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Zilpha Keatley Synder and Jane Yolen have already contributed their poems. Honor Moore will help. I have asked the Obama Family, Patch Adams, Robin Williams and Shel Silverstein’s publishers to participate in 1,000 pieces of peace. Would you please join us?


What: send one or more peace pieces *
When: DEADLINE: March 30
Where: judy.fisk.lucas@gmail.com
Why: To do something for peace

Thank you from the center of my heart,
Judy Lucas, M.A.
SCBWI Member & CSUCI writing student
Camarillo, CA

Poetry is not always words. ~Audrey Foris

Ah...it's Thursday again...15 words or less day over at Laura Salas' blog. I have great fun writing poetry from pictures. I find it very inspiring and all kinds of ideas pop into my head from a photo. Head on over and try it...it's for fun, no pressure. Today's photo is titled 'Secret Door'. Doesn't that just make you want to take a peak???

Here's my creation:

Squirreled away
Bark hair drapes the curved archway
Awaiting new life

Weekend Wordsmith

"What can a poem do? Just about everything."~Eve Merriam

This weekend's prompt at Weekend Wordsmith is MEDAL. As you'll notice in my poem it has absolutely nothing to do with the word medal. What I picked up on was the word science written on the medals in the picture. This in turn triggered a thought about how one of my son's do not like science...and this is what I came up with...(the metering is a little off...oops!)

I hate science,

I hate math,

Spend umpteen hours

With homework's wrath.

I like recess,

I like phys. ed.,

For those there's no

Need to use my head.

I like my friends,

I like being cool,

So I may as well

Stay in school.

15 Words of Less

"Poetry helps us travel beyond ourselves."~X. J. Kennedy







Head on over to Laura Salas' blog for this week's 15 Words or Less...write a short poem from a posted picture...it's for fun and is fun to do...meant for anyone who just wants to try. Below is my creation for this week.


peaceful wind
carries me-
forgotten below
the speed of life.

Three Word Wednesday

"Poetry should be like fireworks...ready to explode..." ~~Lilian Moore.




Today, on Three Word Wednesday the word prompts are:

Avenge
Genuine
Ramble

An interesting combination which produced this result from my rambling brain...

The need to avenge
the force of life
through time,
Rambles our need
to find
our genuine self.

Monday's Poetry Stretch

It's been a while since I've done Monday's Poetry Stretch. This one was fun to do...not only inspired by the prompt of writing a personal ad poem, but also by Jane Yolen's poem she posted first thing...rhyming poems are fun to write...

Next!

I'm tall and slim
And somewhat prim,
My hair a mess
I must confess,
But eyes of blue
And that is true.

I love to read,
My biggest need,
To you I'll talk,
And mend your sock,
Do you believe?
Then how naive!

My dogs, my cats,
My birds, my rats
Mean more to me
Than drink or tea.

I live a life,
And need a wife
To cook and clean,
I'll be your queen,
You'll be my king,
I'll take your ring...

It's no, you say
Well that's okay,
I'll not resist--
Next! on my list...