Capturing the blessings in my life through words and photos
Thirty days
Thirty new poems written
some with ease, others with deep digging
trepidation revealing my soul to screens
found hope, promise, friends, mentors, giving me wings!
The last day of April, National Poetry Month, comes with the final day of inspiration from my poet friends at Ethical ELA. We were challenged today to review, revise, return to a poem. I chose to use a new to me form, the pensee, to draft a verse about the gratitude to the inspiration and inspirers this month.
The first time I
climbed a mountain,
a real mountain
the kind with snow
still lingering
into June
with hours spent
scrambling to the top,
I experienced rich feelings,
an overwhelming awe,
at the beauty before me,
His magnificence was as far as
the eye could see
my soul filled
with glory to the brim
as if it would burst.
At the same time
I felt small
like one little needle
on a pine tree in a forest,
a grain of sand
on the grandest shore
an infinitesimal part
of this tremendous world.
I still recall this
dichotomy of feelings,
this tremendous sense of
His creative powers,
His unending love
for me and this world,
even-though the first time I climbed a mountain was
forty years ago.
Today we were inspired to tap into deep emotions by brainstorming a list of “the first time I…” My list included this first time of climbing a mountain and feeling for the first time God’s true majesty in nature. I’ve recalled this moment many a time but this is the first time I’ve written about it in a poem. How ironic!
Why is it
some days
words come tumbling
out ofthe brainmy mouthonto the page
without anyeffort at allthought or care,
hurting those I love
the most.
While other days
words bounce and
swirl around
in the brainwilly-nilly,nevermakingany sensecertain that Iunable toproduce
acohesivethought?-ful response.
Today’s poetry challenge was to revise a poem of your choice using strike throughs and insertions. I took a poem I wrote this week about the ease or trouble in writing words. I transformed the words to consider the spoken word instead.
Money provides privileges and
Makes others wait in line for
The opportunities they need. The
World needs realignment to
Go forth, providing everyone
Round the world with basic needs
Our inspiration for todays draft of a poem was to consider something you want to vent about and then create a verse.I had a few ideas for topics and money came to the top.The song from the musical Cabaret came into my head so I decided to use the familiar words to build a Golden Shovel poem. Last night we hosted a fundraiser for our twin parish in Haiti, so my mind, and prayers, are with the people of this often forgotten country.
Why is it
some days
words come tumbling
out of the brain
onto the page
without any effort at all,
While other days
words bounce and
swirl around
in the brain willy-nilly,
never making any sense,
unable to produce
a cohesive thought?
Our host today, Scott, developed an idea to think of poetry as a billboard. He challenged us to help him fill his classroom bulletin board with inspiring words to guide his high school writers. Coincidentally the other day these words were singing in my head and I jotted them down. A few little tweaks later I pushed out today’s draft poem in a question format to answer his call.
I am from
the perfect bedroom
Where walls
Are green
And a telephone waits
I am from
a place of idealism
where three bears sit
and the cow still
jumps over the moon
I am from
a place of harmony
where kittens patter about
while grandma knits
in her rocking chair
I am from
peace and serenity
where bedtime comes quietly
as whispered voices
say goodnight
Today’s format comes compliments of the George Ella Lyon’s poem “Where I Am From.” Click here to hear the poet reading this work. Using this form we were to create a poem with the twist of thinking about a character from a favorite book. Goodnight Moon came into my head and the idea took hold, or rather clung on. So a rather silly, or deep?, adaptation of the idea was written.
Vain queen
Bound to your throne
Passing days brushing your hair
I wonder if you mind
spending half the year upside-down
Today we were challenged to write about the night sky, specifically a constellation. I find the combination of poetry and science thrilling! A little research led to this poem about the W shaped constellation, who spends half the year looking more like an M! Today’s poem is a pensee form with syllable count 2/4/7/6/8.
An ordinary night
Like all others
But this night the light
was extinguished
leaving me in darkness
alone and fearful
a life of sadness
and only memories
memories of summer breeze
autumn trees
winter skis
and springtime flees
times to explore
a trip to the shore
yardside chore
a mystery tour
these are the thoughts
that keep me sane
recollections of times
‘til we are together again
Writing today about the verse: April Showers Brings May Flowers, but in a new way. Many times the flowers appeared before the showers, the tears of grief came after the days of joy. Today’s draft attempts to capture those thoughts.
Mother Earth, how
I am in awe of all you do
Everything is woven together, I
do not quite comprehend. Your love
for each living being allows thee
to see the intricacies yet we let
you down with our consuming ways. I know it is me
who needs to continue to count
and take a stand for your creation and keep the
balance of your perfect ways
My process today: The suggestion for this Earth Day was to write a thank you note to Mother Earth. For some reason the poem “How Do I Love Thee” was swirling in my head, so I decided to use the words and write a Golden Shovel poem, with the verse written around the stanza (see highlighted last word in each line) Happy Earth Day Everyone. May we all take responsibility to care for and protect our precious and delicate planet.
My mother never liked to cook but boy did she like to bake!
Around the table we gathered to sample
the delicacies made lovingly in her kitchen
where yellowed recipe cards in perfect script note the steps to her heavenly treats.
War cake filled with
cinnamon, raisins,and cloves.
Scotcheroos, a gooey sweet
of rice cereal, butterscotch
and chocolate topping.
Mom’s specialty penuche,
brown sugar, walnuts too
poured into the large green plate
with samples taken on the wooden spoon.
Apple Impromptu, a warm fall dessert of apples, cinnamon, a crispy cake-like crust
with vanilla ice cream melting on top.
And Tom’s Donuts, nutmeggy warm treat perfect dipped in coffee.
All of these baked goods from mom’s special place
It’s no wonder I have a sweet tooth!
Today I’m writing about memories from our mother’s kitchen. It was great thinking back over all the wonderful baked goods made with love it that kitchen. Yum – it’s making me dig out the cookbook!
iblessings 
