Missing You

We're spending our days miles away. No matter how far, you're in my heart. Just sing me a song, and all night long you will be with me in my dreams.

Simply Receive

ABC Wednesday features the letter S this week. Thursday is Thanksgiving in the US. Here's two version of the same four line poem reflecting on themes of thanksgiving. The second includes more S words.

Simply receive the earth's blessings.

Be thankful for the harvest's bounty.

Treasure true friendship and of love

that lasts a lifetime in all its forms.

Simply secure in Earth's sacrifice,

Be satisfied with the harvest's surplus.

Sing of sincere shipmates and of love

sustained for a lifetime, in all its shapes.

Stars In Love

Love is blind and lovers cannot see

why they should look where they are going.

The lover is all that has meaning,

but t'wards sorrow they went careening. 

a black hole tore the lovers apart.

Now each star has a hole in its heart.

Inspired by the story of S and R, an astral romance.

Part of Carry on Tuesday #132:

"Love is blind and lovers cannot see"

"Merchant of Venice" - Shakespeare

More Shakespeare love quotes

Last Night

Poetry Jam suggested writing a poetic still life, whether one set up and captured by yourself or one found and enjoyed. I looked about my living room, and these objects jumped out at me, telling at least part of a story.

We decided on coffee and dessert.

Those two pair up quite nicely.

I think that you and I

pair quite nicely.

We had run out of coffee and

shouldn't eat a whole pint.

We had a few drinks

and kept talking.

We talked for hours about nothing

and everything while our

chatter blended into 

one great night.

Submitted to Poetry Picnic Week 14: What I'm Thankful For

I'm thankful for my friends and boyfriend who inspired the spirit of this poem and the beer, iceream, cute martini glass and coffee that make up the story.

Death of a Twin

Today's prompt/form idea came from dVerse: Craft prose to poetry There are three steps.
1. Find a prose passage that seems poetic. You know you read some stuff that just sounds cool.
2. Break it up into more poetic lines and stanzas. Reformat it, basically.
3. Alter it to better fit your definition of poetry. A few options: even out rhyme, meter; more flowery words; clearer images.

I used a passage from Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, which I copied below the poem. I loved reading that book. It's about a pair of twins born in Ethiopia, Shiva and Marion. Their parents were an Indian nun (who died in labor) and an English surgeon (who fled shortly after their birth). They were raised by two Indian doctors at a mission hospital. Very interesting story about love, medicine and family both chosen and natural.


Death of a Twin

His body was warm. 

He never took a breath 

after. 

His expression never changed. 

I felt his pulse,

regular for a full minute.

Then it paused,

as if the heart had just realized 

the lungs had quit. 

With a final throb, he was gone. 

Of all the pulse types, 

this was both the rarest 

and the most common.

Every pulse possesses

the potential to be absent. 

I closed my eyes and cradled him, 

his skull buttressed against mine.

I felt physically vulnerable

lying here next to him

in a way I hadn't known

when we were a continent apart.

With his death 

my biology was altered.

The heat was rapidly leaving his body. 

I lay there, my head against Shiva's, a finger resting on his carotid pulse. His body was warm. He never took a breath after the tube came out. His facial expression never changed. His pulse stayed regular for almost a minute, then it paused, as if it had just realized its lifelong partner-the lungs-had quit. His heart sped up, became faint, and then, with a final throb under my fingers, it was gone. I thought of Ghosh. Of all the pulse types, this was both the rarest and the most common, a Janus quality that every pulse possesses: the potential to be absent.
I closed my eyes and clung to Shiva. I cradled him, his skull buttressed against mine and now wet with my tears. I felt physically vulnerable in a way I'd never felt when we were a continent apart, as if with his death my own biology was now altered. The heat was rapidly leaving his body.
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Corn Parade 2011

2010

back again.

Here to wish

our lil sis

the best of luck.

Shuck, girl, shuck!

Yesterday, Meredith College had it's annual Cornhuskin' competition. On a very simple level, Cornhuskin' is what we do for homecoming. Meredith is an all women's college, so there's not football game and no associated pep rally or tailgating parties. There is, however, a spirit week. On Friday night, the main event draws family, friends, staff, faculty, and alumnae to the ampitheatre to watch skits, dancing, apple bobbing, and giant talking props.
We also have a tradition that every other class has a special connection: Big Sis & Lil Sis. A member of the big sis class shows her lil sis around school, helps them learn about the many traditions, and even takes them around town. Evens are with evens and odds with odds.
I graduated in 2010. Our lil sis class, 2012, is the senior class this year. As the big sis class, we come back to campus to cheer our lil sis class on. It was a fabulous time! I got to see some friends, watch some awesome skits, saw an amazing apple bobbing performance, and enjoyed being back on campus again.

If you're still curious (or a bit confused), some of our students put together a lovely webpage about the history of Cornhuskin' here.

Man'yoshu: I will have to wait

Your delightful breasts

tease me, beckon me forward.

I want to feel your

soft skin pressed against my own.

For now, I will have to wait.

dVerse Poets' Pub: Form for All
Man'yoshu: a widespread form in Japan during the 700s CE
Poems were declarative rather than introspective, imagistic rather than abstract.
1 of 3 topics, Somon: mutual exchanges of love or longing
1 of 2 styles, Tanka: syllable counts of 5-7-5-7-7.
Learn more about the form here.

Love Often

Love often during this

one life. You don't get

another chance at it.

"Love one another"

Last words of George Harrison, of the Beatles (1943-2001)

For more poems from this prompt: Carry On Tuesday #129

For some other famous people's last words and a video of George singing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" check out Carry On Tuesday Plus

Note: In my more southeastern US accent, those end words rhyme a bit better. :)

Wandering

I went looking over yonder hill.
I found nothing but my love for you.
But if I never see the sun again,
over time I'll see myself wandering for what?
My mind was wandering, as it always does,
seeking the hill again, always searching for life.
You never know what you'll find, in life.


Poetry Tow Truck 40: Plaid Poem

Three Years Between Us

It was my whole lifetime,

unimaginably long.

Then it was just enough 

to be amazingly cute,

my own real live babydoll.

For a while, it was quite

intolerably annoying.

You were always on my nerves.

A few years more brought

friendly cooperation

and increased peace.

For now, we still feel

the difference,

but only occasionally.

Over our lifetimes, 

the same three years will

become increasingly smaller.

Eventually they will be

unimaginably short.

I have a younger brother who was born on my third birthday. I've always loved him, but there were long stretches where I didn't like him one bit. Fortunately, we've grown closer over the years and even enjoy spending time with each other's friends.
BlogHer Prompt: talk about siblings

Connected

Energy flows through every cell

of every body.

My joy is contagious.

My excitement,

my energy,

my desire to help

and to affect change

can all be felt

if you just stand near me.

Feel the love,

the peace,

the hope.

Open your body

to the vibrations.

Open your heart 

to the emotions.

Open your mind

to the new notions.

Energy flows through every cell

of every body.

Feel it.



I went to an organizational meeting tonight for Occupy Raleigh.

Occupy Wall Street is a beautiful movement gathering some awesome power and amazingly positive energy for change. The movement is spreading in the form of protests and marches happening across the country and the world. Look up your town or city and you'll probably find something nearby related to the Occupation. Check Facebook and Twitter for #Occupy and there is tons to see. The amazing energy this evening really moved me.

Today's service at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh (where I attend somewhat regularly) featured humanity's ability to share emotions and energy through proximity and movement.

Today's poem is perfect for the day I had!


Part of: NaBloPoMo October: Between

Love Lost: Philip Levine Cento

She remembered or yearned.

“I found you whole.

I find you in these tears,

and it would do no good.

I will never make it"

Now she shakes her head,

shakes him away,

and she's herself.

Something began here

and nothing comes back.

This poem is a cento: a poem created by rearranging another writer's verses or lines. I greatly enjoyed reading many of Philip Levine's poems in order to find this poem. The lines came from the following poems:

In the New Sun (1, 5)

Father (2,3)

Heaven (4)

A Woman Waking (6,7)

Late Moon (8)

My Fathers, The Baltic (9,10)

Prompted by The Found Poetry Review

Poems found via the plaigarist.com poetry archive

E is for Esperanto

ABC Wednesday this week features E. I wrote a poem in English here. Because I couldn't ignore that E is for Esperanto, I also wrote this little story(with lots of E words). I've included the translation right below.

I regularly visit lernu.net, where there are free Esperanto courses. Esperanto was created by L.L. Zamenhoff in order to be everyone's second language. It is incredibly easy to learn and is spoken by over one million people worldwide.

Give the poem a read, and you may even recognize some words.



Vi estas tre ebria.
Vi trinkis ekscesa ejlo.
Via edzino ekkoleros.
Ŝi eksedzinigos vin.

Mi havas ekskuzon.
Mi eksplikos ke mi ekmalsatis,
kaj mi trovis taverno escepta.
Tie estis eksterlandano
de la Ekstrema Oriento.
Li rakontis epopeo belega.
Mi ekvojagxis poste li finis.

Ne. Evidente nevera.
Nur apologio estos bona.
Esprimu via domaĝo.
Diru ke vi eraris.
Elpetigu ŝin:
"Havu korfavoron sur mi!"
Elbe, ŝi pardonos vin.

You are very drunk.

You drank excesses of ale.

Your wife is gonna be angry.

She is gonna divorce you.

I have an excuse.

I will explain that I got hungry,

and I found an excellent tavern.

There was a foreigner

from the Far East.

He told a beautiful epic poem.

I left right after he finished.

No. Obviously false.

Only an apology will be good.

Express your regret.

Say you made a mistake.

Implore her,

"Have mercy on me!"

Maybe, she will forgive you.

I translated a poem into Esperanto back in April, in the first week of my blog. You can check it out here.
*28 Aug: Added to Poetry Pantry #64

Death of a Queen

The Vengeful King

"An eye for eye!"

the great king cried.

My queen has died.

Now, how shall I

punish this crime?

None can compare

to my lady fair

whose lustrous hair

fluttered in air.

Who would have dared

to leave her there?

Killers beware

I'll find your lair

and have you snared.

Revenge, I swear.

Killing the guy

who did the crime

will satisfy

my wish to find

justice this time.

The Peaceful King

I know that an eye for an eye,

will only make the whole world blind.

Revenge will not help me to find

relief or any peace of mind.

No one will ever replace

her gentle, sweet, smiling face.

But now I must show some grace

and refuse to become base.

I can show others the way

if I correctly display

how to handle this sad day.

May her soul find peace, I pray.

I felt like writing on both sides of the prompt. Personally, I hope for the second outcome.
Part of Carry on Tuesday #118.

An eye for an eye will make the whole world go blind. - Mahatma Gandhi

Planning

How many ways can one wear white?
tulle, chiffon, lace, silk
beaded, embroidery, buttons
mermaid, empire, a-line

All the colors of an extra-large crayon box
available for dresses and vests
You do have a color scheme, don't you?

You'll need a cake (or maybe two):
modern or classic?
vanilla, chocolate, lemon, or lavender
All are edible art!

Don't forget the gifts:
favors, parents, friends
Register now and get a free gift yourself!

Maybe we should elope...


On Sunday, I accompanied my college roommate to the Southern Bridal Show. So many brides. So many vendors. So many decisions. I wanted a nap after, and I'm not even the one getting married!

Who am I?

I am more than words can describe,

yet I can't find any good words to write.

I love circles, blue, rubber duckies, and friends.

I believe in conservation education.

My poetry expresses my thoughts and wants

but can be fiction, a story I thought up once.

Hopefully I can inspire others

to love and protect the Earth Mother,

to want know more about biology,

and maybe to create their own poetry.

Write what comes out based on the prompt and just post it. 

You can always clean it up later.

Free Write Friday: Do You Know Who You Are

Sirens' Song

No man is immune
to the sirens' song.
While love seems to
radiate from the shore,
hearts and ships are
dashed on the rocks and
drenched in the sea.


Three Word Wednesday CCLIII

Child's Prayer

"If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take."
She thinks only, 'this prayer rhymes,'
knows not its meaning, but in time
life's true dangers she will see.
Then hopefully she'll think of me
and the protection I will give
for as long as I shall live.


Carry On Tuesday 117
Rupert Brooke's poem, 'The Soldier'
"If I should die, think only this of me"

Found in Grammar

An action is in itself a signal,
a new step.
Reach for the relationship.
Circumstances would then
no more be discussed.
It may be a single change.


Words found here:
The Elements of Style
Strunk & White
III. Elementary of Principles Composition
9. Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic.


Found Poetry Review prompt
Grammar On

Dose Me (Four Poems, One Title)

A small pinch, the needle pierces my skin.
A wonderful dose flows into my veins.
I appear comatose for a few hours,
but my mind is exploring other worlds.




The doctor finally appears.
The piercing pain in my stomach
is only getting worse, I feel.
Will someone give me a dose
of something soon, morphine maybe?




The doctors here dose me daily.
I appear more affable, but
the piercing parley in my head
is not quitting or quieting.




One small dose with his meal today.
No piercing to give it away.
"Natural causes," they will say.
How much are you willing to pay?



Three Word Wednesday CCLII
Appear, Dose, Pierce