tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15721253573530928322024-03-12T18:13:59.651-07:00OrangepeelPoetry and Miscellany by Bruce NiedtBruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.comBlogger575125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-61158283555794981742023-04-30T09:31:00.004-07:002023-04-30T12:20:37.639-07:00PAD 2023 in Review<p> Well, another April has come and gone, and this year I managed to crank out 41 poems in 31 days. (I'm counting the "warm-up" poem I wrote on March 31.) As usual, most of them were free-verse, but I also wrote a sonnet, a triolet, an abecedarian, a sea shanty, a haiku, two tanka, a "pan-ku" (a form I created), a hay(na)ku and two hay(na)ku "chains,", and five rhyming quatrain poems. It was also a rather interactive month for me on the writing blogs I follow: Maureen at NaPoWriMo featured my April 14 poem (see below) as well as citing my full-length poetry book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bungalow-Colorful-Aging-Bruce-Niedt/dp/1639800646"><span style="color: red;">The Bungalow of Colorful Aging, </span></a></i>and Robert at Write Better Poetry used my prompt idea on my birthday, April 27. </p><p>Also, as usual, I will share what I think are my best poems of the month. Here's my "top ten":</p><p>[Day 2 (NaPoWriMo prompt only): <span style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">write a question based on each of 5 to 10 words in a word bank, and then answer each question with a one-line response, using surrealistic imagery if possible. Then remove the questions and write a poem using only your answers. I chose not to remove the questions because I liked that result better.]</span></p><p></p><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><em><b><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">Owls and Thunder<br /></span></b></em><em> <br /></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">What is an owl?<br /></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">A creature who speaks for the ghosts.<br /></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">What is a ghost?<br /></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">That which is left of longing and regret.<br /></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">What is longing?<br /></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">A river trying to reach the sea.<br /></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">What is a river?<br /></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">A song in the water.<br /></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">What is a song?<br /></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">A miracle from a throat or an instrument.<br /></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">What is a miracle?<br /></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">That which happens when lightning follows thunder.<br /></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">What is thunder?<br /></span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">The only thing that quiets the owls at night.</span></em></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></em></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></em></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></em></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">[Day 4: "dream" and/or "reality"; triolet]</span></em></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></em></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><b style="font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, "serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Ploughshares<br /></span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, "serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, "serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">I dreamt the guns were melted down<br /></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, "serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">for bridges, cars and monuments<br /></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, "serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">to victims in our bloody town.<br /></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, "serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">I dreamt the guns were melted. Down<br /></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, "serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">the chute they went. "We will not drown<br /></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, "serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">in grief or hate." This covenant<br /></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, "serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">I dreamt. The guns were melted down<br /></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, "serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">for bridges, cars and monuments.</span></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, "serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, "serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, "serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.3333px;">[Day 8 (NaPoWriMo prompt only) a poem based on "20 Little Poetry Projects" exercise]</span></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.3333px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">El Tornado<br /></b><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I am a Saturday morning cartoon.</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I spring out of bed at seven a.m.</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">My feet blur into a circular swirl of speed,</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">and I take off with horizontal motion lines, a cloud of dust,</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">and a ricochet sound behind me.</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">It's Easter weekend and my wife is baking a yeasty bread.</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Metal pans clatter in the kitchen. She is covered in flour.</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Some of it rubs off on me when we kiss good morning.</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">She tastes like flour too. I hear the pastel morning outside,</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">but I feel red, as in fired up, action-loaded for a busy day,</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Indiana Jones in Egypt.</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Well, maybe I'm not </span><i style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">quite </i><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">ready.</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I want to do the Times crossword.</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">What's an eight-letter word for "lazy?"</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">This puzzle is on fleek.</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">If I finish it in ten minutes, the world will be a better place.</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">My kids say "on fleek" but they also say , "Dad, you're not woke."</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Well, I'm awake </span><i style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">now</i><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">. I'm the extra-large Red Bull of wakefulness.</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">My assignment is housework, and I wield that filthy vacuum</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">like a deadly weapon, wet mop in my other hand,</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">and bounce off the walls like a Superball.</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">"El Tornado" will make this dump sparkle in no time!</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Our guests will need sunglasses to visit!</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">House Beautiful will plead to put us on the cover!</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I'm the Down-and-dirty Cleaner!</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">This place will be so polished it will never be soiled again!</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I am the </span><i style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Luchador </i><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">of Housekeeping!</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Dust bunnies beg me for mercy!</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">But my fatal error is to peak too soon.</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Steam escapes from my ears, and I hit the wall, flattened</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">like Wile E. Coyote on that painted-on tunnel.</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">[Day 9: love sonnet; "number" poem]</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Fifty<br /></span></b><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Those two young things caught in a wedding pose<br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">had no idea what curve balls life would throw<br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">at them, the storms and sun, the weed and rose.<br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">They owned ten cars, and each one had to go<br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">through potholes, black ice, snow, and rocky climbs.<br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But there was smooth, straight highway too. Along<br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">the way, four boys had jumped aboard, and times<br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">became more interesting. Some things went wrong<br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">but many more went right. And now we've reached<br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">this peak where we look down and survey all<br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">we have accomplished, challenges we've breached,<br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">the glue of love to fix us when we'd fall.<br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Some days we feel young; some days, decades old.<br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We've gone through paper, silver, up to gold.</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[Day 14: "Now for something completely different"; parody or satire based on a famous poem]</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><b style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">This Be the Season<br /></span></b><b style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;">They fuck you up, the IRS,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;"> They're cruel, and arbitrary too.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;">They leave your life all in a mess,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;"> And save some extra strife for you.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;">But they have fucked up everyone<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;"> With unfair rules and rigid regs,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;">They audit you, and when they're done<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;"> You can't afford a dozen eggs.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;">This monetary misery<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;"> Will deepen like a seismic fault,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;">A rich, sadistic history<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;"> For any agent worth his salt.</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 15.4px;">[Day 17 (NaPoWriMo only): "W</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">rite a poem that contains the name of a specific variety of edible plant....</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">make a specific comparison between some aspect of the plant’s lifespan and your own – or the life of someone close to you. Also, include at least one repeating phrase."]</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Heirloom <br /></b><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">from a cutting in her yard</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">my grandmother's peppermint</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">has thrived for twenty-five years</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">From a cutting in her yard</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">it crowded my back garden</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">thriving for twenty five years</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">fifteen years after she died</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">it's crowded my back garden</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">with little purple flowers</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">fifteen years after she's died</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">but we still pinch off the leaves</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">and little purple flowers</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">smell the oil on our fingers</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">when we pinch off the leaves</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">and use them in our kitchen</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">fragrant oil on our fingers</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">that calming fresh aroma</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">when it's used in our kitchen</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">it keeps giving and giving</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">the calming fresh aroma</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">will probably outlive me</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">it keeps giving and giving</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">my grandmother's peppermint</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">will probably outlive me</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">[Day 21: Write a poem using a word bank of six words; "</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">choose an abstract noun [from a list provided] and then use that as the title for a poem that contains very short lines, and at least one invented word."]</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><b style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Strength<br /></span></b><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">child<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">last night<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">shot on Park<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">his<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">mother can't<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">kiss his wounds<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">she<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">saw blood<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">on the concrete<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">she<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">leaned against<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">her sister's shoulder<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">she<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">won't bow<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">to this guncalypse<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">dew<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">morning tears<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">on her lawn</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">[Day 24: "touch" poem; poetic review of something not normally reviewed]</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Tanka Review of Your Body<br /></b><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">you are the landscape</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I always want to visit,</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">your curves and your hills</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><o:p style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> <br /></o:p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">your lush accommodations</span><br style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">and world's softest skin: five stars</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">[Day 25: "Dream" and/or "reality" poem; "W</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">rite a love poem, one that names at least one flower, contains one parenthetical statement, and in which at least some lines break in unusual places."]</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><p></p><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Calibrachoa<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I dreamt I gave you flowers<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">but I didn't know how to pronounce<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">them<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">those little cousins of petunias<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">a million trailing bells, a riot of<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">color<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">variegated in violet, yellow,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">blue, pink and white and<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">red<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">a carnival in a hanging pot<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and I bought enough to fill your<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">bathtub<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And I bought enough to fill your bedroom</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and your front and back<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">yards<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and you had so many we decided<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">to share them all over<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">town<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and we hung them from lampposts and trees<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and a tall man standing on the<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">corner<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and we waltzed down the middle<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">of the street to the song of<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">colors<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and we said the word over and<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">over<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(<i>cal-i-bra-KO-ah<br /><o:p></o:p></i></span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">cal-i-bra-KO-ah<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">cal-i-bra-KO-ah</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">)<br /><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">until we got it<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">right<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">until it became<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">music<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">until it became<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">poetry<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and when I woke I went<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">straight to the garden shop<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">bought the biggest, most vibrant<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">basket of calibrachoa I could<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">find<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and the man at the counter smiled<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">at me because when I said it<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">right<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">it sounded like<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">poetry</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[Day 27: A poem entitled "The ______ of ________", where the first blank is a specific animal or plant and the second blank is an abstract noun; a poem using an "anapodoton" (a familiar saying that is not completed because most people know the whole saying, as in "When in Rome..."]</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Kitty Cats of Despair,<br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">or, If You Don't Know Where You're Going...<br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">For my birthday,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">my dad gave me a GPS<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">for my chariot.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Your sense of direction<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">is atrocious, son," he said.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Last week they complained<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">that the sun came up at 3 a.m.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">in Alexandria."<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Hauling that big hot yellow ball<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">through the sky is a chore, </span></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">especially </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">with no road signs.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Yeah, there's the constellations,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">but I can't tell Orion<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">from Ursa Major, and the gods<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">are constantly putting up new ones.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And then there are<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">the Kitty Cats of Despair.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I know they never made it<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">into Edith Hamilton,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">but they are deadlier than the Sirens.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Those adorable kittens</span></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">with their big eyes and mewing<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">will pull you off </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">the celestial road<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">faster than you can say,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Tie me to the mast."<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">More troublesome than Tribbles,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(I watch a lot of mortal TV)<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">as slow as quicksand,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">those evil mountains of fur<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">will drown you in cuddles.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The other day they almost caught me<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">when I got off too soon at </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Thermopylae,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">distracted by their song:<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"...any road will get you there,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">any road will get you there,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">any road will get you there...."<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Honorable Mentions:</span></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">How Do You Wake a Sleeping Pop-Pop? (Day 10)</span></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">13 short pieces from an instapoet (Day 15)</span></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Home of a Poet (Day 16)</span></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Marriage Advice (Day 18)</span></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Monsters (Day 19)</span></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Festival (Day 23)</span></div><div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">13 Ways of Looking at Peas (Day 29)</span></div></div><p></p><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><div><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></em></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"></span><p></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-55158292941805543122023-04-30T07:00:00.002-07:002023-04-30T07:00:44.250-07:00PAD Day 30: Finish Line!<p> Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a "surprise" poem, and (2) "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">write a palinode – a poem in which you retract a view or sentiment expressed in an earlier poem."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I've done the latter exercise several times over the years, but I never knew the name for it - "palinode." I feel like I should go out with a "bang" today, but instead I'm writing a short response to a short poem I wrote on Day 3 for the Write Better Poetry prompt (write a "connection" poem). Here's the original:</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Disconnected<br />
</span></b><u1:p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> <br />
<span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"></span></u1:p><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">You call and leave a message</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: #FFF9EE;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">that she has passed away.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
</span><u1:p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> <br />
<span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"></span></u1:p><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Maybe I'll call you back.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: #FFF9EE;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">You have my sympathy,</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: #FFF9EE;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">but not my grief.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
</span><u1:p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> <br />
<span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"></span></u1:p><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">You broke that connection</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: #FFF9EE;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">years ago.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="background: #FFF9EE;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="background: #FFF9EE;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">And here is my "sequel":</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="background: #FFF9EE;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Connected<br /></span></b><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">I call you </span><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">to make sure </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">you got my card and </span><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">you're all right.<br /></span><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">To my surprise, we talk for an hour.<br /></span><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">I've been thinking about her,<br /></span><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">and we share funny stories and laugh.<br /></span><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Last time I called you were breaking up.<br /></span><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Today we have a better connection.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Maybe I have one more little poem in me today, a hay(na)ku:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">NaPoWriMo -</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">every April</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">I surprise myself</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: #FFF9EE; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-size: 15.3333px;">Thanks to everyone who read and commented on my poems on this blog and elsewhere online this month. As always, I regret not being able to comment more on others' poems, but I did enjoy reading them and left comments when I could. I'll be back soon with my usual April summary.</span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"></span><p></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-72745558866154395892023-04-29T06:31:00.004-07:002023-04-30T07:50:42.660-07:00PAD Day 29: The Dreaded Legume<p> Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a "sight" poem, and (2) "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Start by reading Alberto Rios’s poem “</span><a href="https://poets.org/poem/perfect-any-occasion" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;">Perfect for Any Occasion</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">.” Now, write your own two-part poem that focuses on a food or type of meal. At some point in the poem, describe the food or meal as if it were a specific kind of person. Give the food/meal at least one line of spoken dialogue."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Robert's prompt completes a quintet of prompts this month that includes all five senses. Sight, of course, is the easiest to do in poetry. I thought of Wallace Stevens' "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird," which I've parodied in the past or used the basic framework of his 13-part poem. So I veered a little away from Maureen's prompt by making this a 13-part poem instead of a 2-part one, but I think the other aspects of her prompt are in there. I'm am not the world's biggest fan of most beans, as reflected in this poem. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">13 Ways of Looking
at Peas</span></b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
will look at those dreaded legumes<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">as
long as I don't have to<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">eat
them.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2.<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It
was no help<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">when
parents and grandparents<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">tried
to force-feed them to me<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">when
I was little.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Sometimes
they're still served<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">against
my will,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">a
mound of little green balls<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">taking
up real estate on my plate.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"C'mon,"
the peas cajole me,<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">pushy
as time-share salesmen.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"We're
really great!<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We
promise not to make you gag this time."<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If
required, I swallow them whole.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">5.<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When
I eat vegetable soup,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
eat around the peas,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">till
they sit at the bottom of the bowl,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
I count them. Last time: seventeen.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As
for split-pea soup: never!<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">6.<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When
in Britain,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">there
was no phrase that made me cringe<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">more
than, "mushy peas."<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">7.<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mixed
vegetables, pot pies,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">beef
stew, even fettucini alfredo,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">all
red flags to me.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Will
there be peas in them?<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">8.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But
I've come to realize<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">that
it was the canned peas<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">my
mother served that I hated.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
frozen ones aren't quite so horrid,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">but
I still avoid them.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">9.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">On one occasion I helped shell fresh peas<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
tried a couple raw, right out of the pod.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Not
too bad. Why don't we eat them this way?<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">10.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A
friend introduced me to wasabi peas.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
actually liked their spicy crunch.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Maybe
it's the mushy texture of other peas<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">that
turns me off.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">11.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And
my grandkids like their "pea snacks,"<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">crispy
dry-roasted pea-flavored treats<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">shaped
like pods. Not bad at all.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">12.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Then
there are snow peas and sugar snap peas,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">which
you eat whole, pod and all,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">like
green beans, which I do enjoy.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">13.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Okay, maybe I don't hate <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> peas.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But
lima beans? That's another story!<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-42924274059727271092023-04-28T09:07:00.005-07:002023-04-29T12:13:49.452-07:00PAD Day 28: We ♥ Emily<p>First, I'd like to thank Maureen Thorson for citing my full-length poetry collection, <i>The Bungalow of Colorful Aging,</i> on her blog today. I estimate that at least half of the 54 poems in my book were inspired by her April prompts over the years. (Robert's Write Better Poetry prompts were instrumental too, of course.) See the link on the right for more information if you would like a copy. (As of this writing, it's available at Amazon.com for 53% off the cover price.)</p><p>Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a poem with the title "You Are ______," and (2) write an "index" poem, either using "found" language from the index of a book, or creating your own index.</p><p>I remember doing this NaPoWriMo prompt a few years ago and creating my own index for an imaginary book about Donald Trump. This time I took an actual book: <i>The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson</i>, edited by Thomas H. Johnson. This voluminous edition has two indexes - one for first lines and one for topics in her poems. I used the topic of "heart" and listed all the subtopics in that category, then used them as a sort of "word bank" for my poem. I tried not to read the poems themselves so I wouldn't "steal" any other text of ideas from them, but I did peek a few times. This poem, in her most famous cadence and form, contains about 25 words and phrases found in the index.</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You Are Emily's
Heart </span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It
was a gift, yet full of meat<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">this
Largest Woman's heart,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
popular, but broken too,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">with
over-eager art.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Her
mind was but a continent,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">her
heart its capital.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
mob within knocked at closed doors<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">imperial
and full.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And
like the sea, dirty but fair,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">it
tossed ships of all sort,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">until
the pirates of its chambers<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">anchored
in its port.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Her
hound within would howl at night,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">forsaken
in its care.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
tune too red, it sang along<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">but
found no answers there.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Yet
even at its heaviest,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">it
had vast sympathy<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">to
poor and torn and little hearts<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">in
need of remedy.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It's ancient-fashioned, modern too,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
full of joy and tears.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You've
kept its beat iambically<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">almost two hundred years.</span></div>
<br /><p></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-20724037695692887102023-04-27T04:51:00.004-07:002023-04-27T21:22:56.999-07:00PAD Day 27: Apollo the Directionless<p> Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write an "anapodoton" poem, and (2) write a "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">poem titled 'The ________ of ________,' where the first blank is a very particular kind of plant or animal, and the second blank is an abstract noun. The poem should contain at least one simile that plays on double meanings or otherwise doesn’t quite make “sense,” and describe things or beings from very different times or places as co-existing in the same space."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I actually suggested today's Write Better Poetry prompt to Robert Lee Brewer, and he coincidentally picked today, my birthday, to use it. What a birthday present! Thanks, Robert. Oh yeah: "What's an anapodoton," you ask? It's the beginning of a well-known saying that is not completed, either orally or in writing, because most people know the rest of it, like "When in Rome...," "If life give you lemons...," "If the shoe fits...," etc. I suggested that one of these could be the title of the poem, and the poet can riff on the meaning or implicatons of the whole saying, or change it up a bit with a different ending, like, "...don't drive in the traffic," "...ask for ice cream instead," or, "...your name must be Cinderella." I'd never heard the word "anapodoton" before either, until a couple of weeks ago when I did the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle and that was the theme of the puzzle.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I thought that, since both prompts today concern titles, I might not be able to combine them, but I figured it out by using a "subtitle." I had fun with this one today. The creative process can be a funny thing. The first thing I came up with was the main title, but I wasn't sure where to go with it, then all of a sudden, for some unknown reason, I got an image of the Greek god Apollo needing a GPS to pull the sun through the sky. I thought that was a good way to introduce the "different things from different times or places" part of the prompt. I also have Apollo making a reference to TV. And I used one of my favorite sayings, which I couldn't get out of my head since I came up with this idea. (I even made a "birthday" reference.) Hope you enjoy it.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Kitty Cats
of Despair,<br /> </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">or, If You Don't
Know Where You're Going...<br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">For
my birthday,<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">my
dad gave me a GPS<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">for
my chariot.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Your
sense of direction<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">is
atrocious, son," he said.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Last
week they complained<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">that
the sun came up at 3 a.m.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">in
Alexandria."<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Hauling
that big hot yellow ball<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">through the sky is
a chore, </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">especially </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">with
no road signs.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Yeah,
there's the constellations,<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">but
I can't tell Orion<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">from
Ursa Major, and the gods<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">are
constantly putting up new ones.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And
then there are<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">the
Kitty Cats of Despair.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
know they never made it<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">into
Edith Hamilton,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">but
they are deadlier than the Sirens.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Those adorable kittens</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">with their big eyes and mewing<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">will pull you off </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">the
celestial road<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">faster
than you can say,<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Tie
me to the mast."<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">More troublesome than Tribbles,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(I
watch a lot of mortal TV)<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">as
slow as quicksand,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">those
evil mountains of fur<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">will
drown you in cuddles.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
other day they almost caught me<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">when
I got off too soon at </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Thermopylae,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">distracted
by their song:<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"...any
road will get you there,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">any
road will get you there,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">any
road will get you there...."<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">
</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-12817998835192260062023-04-26T13:01:00.002-07:002023-04-26T13:09:20.722-07:00PAD Day 26: Two Kinds of Monster<p> Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a "response" poem (a poem that responds in some way to one of your own poems or someone else's), and (2) "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">write a portrait poem that focuses on or plays with the meaning of the subject’s name. This could be a self-portrait, a portrait of a family member or close friend, or even a portrait of a famous or historical person."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I didn't combine the prompts today. My "response" poem is an answer of sorts to my Day 19 poem "Monsters" - a poem from the monster's point of view. It takes roughly the same form as the previous poem, two rhymed quatrains, although with an ABAB rhyme instead of ABCB. (The A rhymes here are actually near-rhymes.)</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Mis-monster-stood<br /></span></b><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">As a monster I would fear children,<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">That's why I hid under their beds.<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">I never would injure or kill them,<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Or touch a hair on their cute heads.<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Now I try to be less of a monster,<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">I've a home with a pretty front porch.<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Yet the townsfolk think I'm an imposter,<br /> </span><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">and they chase me with pitchfork and torch.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">My response to the second prompt isn't so much a "portrait" as a bit of political satire and a riff on the name itself.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><div><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">House-hold Name<br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It's
a name we can't seem to escape—<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">for
decades, all over TV and hotels and,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">God
help us, the White House and beyond.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It's
a name derived from German,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">probably
from their word for "drum,"<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">a
big, noisy instrument with no melody.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It
means to hold the highest suit in cards,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">or
to best someone at their own game—<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">something
that he does with sadistic glee.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But
consider also all the words that rhyme<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">with
that name, how ugly and undesirable<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">they
can be—<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">bump,
clump, slump, thump,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">frump,
grump, hump, lump,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">plump,
rump, chump, dump.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We're
crossing the bridge toward<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">the
next election. Let's make our bid<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">one
no-trump.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div>
</span></div><p style="text-align: left;">
</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-41902621722480299962023-04-25T06:14:00.009-07:002023-04-29T12:12:32.013-07:00PAD Day 25: Carnival in a Hanging Pot<p>First of all, I want to wish a happy 84th birthday to former US Poet Laureate and Facebook friend Ted Kooser. who generously shares new poems on his page. He's maxed out on friends there, but you can certainly follow him and read all his wonderful poems.</p><p>Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1)Write a "dream" and/or "reality" poem, and (2) "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">write a love poem, one that names at least one flower, contains one parenthetical statement, and in which at least some lines break in unusual places." This prompt was inspired by the e.e. cummings poem </span><a href="https://poets.org/poem/somewhere-i-have-never-travelledgladly-beyond"><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">[</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-size: 15.4px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial;">somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">]</span></span></a>, so I carried some of that whimsy and non-capitalization with me when I wrote this poem. The unusual line breaks - just one word at the end of each stanza - took on a kind of form, reminding me of the hay(na)ku I like to write - or more accurately, reverse hay(na)ku. I've been obsessed with this very pretty annual flower that I hadn't been aware of before, whose name took me a few minutes to figure out how to pronounce properly.</p><p>P.S.: "Million bells" (see line 5) is another name for Calibrachoa.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Calibrachoa<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
dreamt I gave you flowers<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">but
I didn't know how to pronounce<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">them<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">those
little cousins of petunias<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">a
million trailing bells, a riot of<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">color<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">variegated
in violet, yellow,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">blue,
pink and white and<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">red<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">a
carnival in a hanging pot<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
I bought enough to fill your<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">bathtub<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And I bought enough to fill your bedroom</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and your
front and back<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">yards<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
you had so many we decided<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">to
share them all over<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">town<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and we hung them from lampposts and trees<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
a tall man standing on the<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">corner<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
we waltzed down the middle<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">of
the street to the song of<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">colors<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
we said the word over and<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">over<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cal-i-bra-KO-ah<br /><o:p></o:p></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">cal-i-bra-KO-ah<br /></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">cal-i-bra-KO-ah</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">)<br /><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">until
we got it<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">right<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">until
it became<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">music<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">until
it became<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">poetry<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
when I woke I went<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">straight
to the garden shop<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">bought
the biggest, most vibrant<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">basket
of calibrachoa I could<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">find<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
the man at the counter smiled<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">at
me because when I said it<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">right<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">it
sounded like<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">poetry</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Db0nez8Jb_BBl393lSIjMqYUg8NZzSJO_-VNFNucDTCpeSSaT-nZGa1uo9l_uHuNuRy3OA2kUArORix6c7AxeWyue9I4_9zxud8AaA7PMFgAX06EOWuOa2u9YlAL2c1r-KHIMFZtwY8If2Az6maUgwnGlSIzfYVXXbcVvaQh2u5wqJWsIAS3KSRG/s600/calibrachoa.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Db0nez8Jb_BBl393lSIjMqYUg8NZzSJO_-VNFNucDTCpeSSaT-nZGa1uo9l_uHuNuRy3OA2kUArORix6c7AxeWyue9I4_9zxud8AaA7PMFgAX06EOWuOa2u9YlAL2c1r-KHIMFZtwY8If2Az6maUgwnGlSIzfYVXXbcVvaQh2u5wqJWsIAS3KSRG/s320/calibrachoa.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<br /><p></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-87267944544013584902023-04-24T06:18:00.004-07:002023-04-24T06:18:57.845-07:00PAD Day 24: My Favorite Place<p>Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a "touch" poem, and (2) "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">write a poetic review of something that isn’t normally reviewed.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> "</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Short and sweet today, with no explanation needed (I hope):</span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tanka Review of Your
Body<br /></b><o:p> <br /></o:p>you are the landscape<br />I always want to visit,<br />your curves and your hills<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>your lush accommodations<br />and world's softest skin: five stars</div>
<br /><p></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-59886522138308917162023-04-23T06:13:00.004-07:002023-04-23T08:53:15.288-07:00PAD Day 23: Music Hath the Charm...<p> Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a "fear" poem, and (2) "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">write a poem [...] that has multiple numbered sections. Attempt to have each section be in dialogue with the others, like a song where a different person sings each verse, giving a different point of view. Set the poem in a specific place that you used to spend a lot of time in, but don’t spend time in anymore."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I'm thinking about returning after several years to one of my favorite annual festivals, the XPoNential Music Festival hosted by the public alternative music station WXPN in Philadelphia. It's held at Wiggins Park in Camden, just across the Delaware River from Philly, and runs for three days with a variety of top-name and up-and-coming acts. It's still a relative bargain too, for so much music, and as a contributing member to the station I get some nice perks like discounted admission, free water and soft drinks, and meet-and-greet opportunities with the artists. (I've met Richard Thompson, Los Lobos, Suzanne Vega and a number of other musicians at previous festivals.) I stopped going several years ago, though, after a couple that I used to like to go with stopped attending, partly for health reasons. (Sadly, he has since passed away and she is now in assisted living.) This year is the festival's 30th anniversary, though, and I'm thinking of returning. Also, they now hold it in September instead of July, when it's not nearly as hot. I still have a little post-pandemic anxiety about crowds, though, and I'm not sure if I have the stamina for a weekend-long festival that I did a decade ago. But I just might go anyway, even if it's solo. (My wife used to attend outdoor festivals but it's no longer her cup of tea.) Anyway, here's my poem on the subject, a dialogue between me and the music. Guess who wins.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Festival</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><i>(for Marlene and Bill)</i><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Yes,
I used to come there every year<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">with
some friends now long gone.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Some
summers were hot as Sahara<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">but
we'd hydrate and hide<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">under
sun hats, slathered with sunscreen<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
tough it out.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
music was always worth the wait.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
music is still here,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">better
than ever.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Even
on those July scorchers,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">there
can be a cool breeze<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">off
the river, while the fat sun sets<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">behind
the stage, and we rollick<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">through
the twilight and into<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">the
canopy of stars.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I'm
getting too old for this,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">my
joints and my bladder protest<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">after
hours in the field.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And
the crowds—I'm still grappling<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">with
fear of the plague.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Am
I ready to be<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">crammed
shoulder-to-shoulder<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">with
who-knows-who carrying<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">who-knows-what?<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Everything
is a risk.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You've
had the shots.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We
are your antidote for despair.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
joy of a shredding guitar,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">a
blaring horn section,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">that
vocalist wailing,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">squeezing
the mic like a male appendage.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
singer-songwriter's piano ballad,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">the
funk, the folk, the jazz, the rock.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Come
out of your bubble.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">5<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Okay,
okay.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I've
packed my blanket and Banana Boat,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">my
beach chair and cooler, my ticket,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">my
festival shirt from last decade,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">my
straw hat and my eager ears.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This
time tomorrow night,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I'll
be screaming for an encore.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Can't
wait to see you all again.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br /><p></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-8330177359806685182023-04-22T13:35:00.001-07:002023-04-22T13:38:06.871-07:00PAD Day 22: Reconstructing Emily<div style="text-align: left;"> Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a poem with the title "What _______," and (2) "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Find an Emily Dickinson poem – preferably one you’ve never previously read – and take out all the dashes and line breaks. Make it just one big block of prose. Now, rebreak the lines. Add words where you want. Take out some words. Make your own poem out of it!"</span></div><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I started by looking up all the Emily Dickinson poems beginning with the word "What." (There were fifteen of them in the Wikipedia list I consulted, plus one "Whatever.") I picked one more or less at random which I hadn't already read, which is this one:</span></p><p></p><div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">215 What is—Paradise</span></b><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div><div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">What is — “Paradise” —<br /></span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252);">Who live there —<br /></span></span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252);">Are they “Farmers” —<br /></span></span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252);">Do they “hoe” —<br /></span></span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Do they know that this is “Amherst” —<br /></span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252);">And that I — am coming — too —</span></span></div><div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #626262;">Do
they wear “new shoes” — in “Eden” —<br /></span><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #626262;">Is it always pleasant — there —<br /></span><span style="color: #626262;">Won’t they scold us — when we’re homesick —<br /></span><span style="color: #626262;">
Or tell God — how cross we are —</span></div><div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #626262;">You
are sure there’s such a person<br /></span><span style="color: #626262;">
As “a Father” — in the sky —<br /></span><span style="color: #626262;">
So if I get lost — there — ever —<br /></span><span style="color: #626262;">
Or do what the Nurse calls “die” —<br /></span><span style="color: #626262;">
I shan’t walk the “Jasper” — barefoot —<br /></span><span style="color: #626262;">
Ransomed folks — won’t laugh at me —<br /></span><span style="color: #626262;">
Maybe — “Eden” a’n’t so lonesome<br /></span><span style="color: #626262;">
As New England used to be!</span></div><div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #626262;"> So I dutifully eliminated the many dashes and line breaks, as the prompt suggested, to create a paragraph, and then began analyzing and dissecting the poem. I took "Paradise" and "Eden" to be synonyms for "Heaven" in this poem - some visualize Heaven as equivalent to the Garden of Eden. </span><span style="color: #626262;">I thought the poem had a certain childlike curiosity to it - the word "Nurse" (an old-fashioned word for "nanny" or "child care provider") was an indicator of the speaker's point of view. (I substituted "Nana" as in "Grandmother.") The poem is rather straightforward and "modern" in its language, but I had to look up the significance of "Jasper" - it is a type of stone that has been used for tombs and such. "Ransomed" in this poem seems to mean "redeemed from sin", as perhaps an angel or saint might be (or perhaps even someone "holier-than-thou.") So that explains some of the changes in my version of the poem. I tried to modernize it a bit more, play up the "child" qualities, and personalize it a little bit in terms of the geography. It also thought a child might be just as likely to say where they live is "boring" as "lonely." </span><span style="color: #626262;">I didn't do much as far as the line breaks were concerned, except to combine a couple of lines and make the poem two lines shorter. It's not a radical rewrite, but I thought it might be more relatable in this day and age.</span></div><div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><div><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">What Is Heaven?<br /></span></b><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(after Emily Dickinson)<br /></span></i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">What is Heaven? And who lives there?<br /> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Do they give you lots to do?<br /> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Do they know that I'm from Cherry Hill,<br /> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and that I am coming too?<br /> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Do they wear new shoes in Heaven?<br /> </span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Is it always sunny there? <br />
</span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Will they scold me when I'm homesick,<br /> </span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">or tell God that I don't
care?<br /></span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Are you sure that there’s a person<br /> </span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">called a Father in the sky?<br /></span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And if I should get lost there,<br /> </span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">or like my Nana, "die,"<br /></span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">walking barefoot on the tombstones,<br /> </span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">will no angels laugh at me?<br /></span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Maybe Heaven's not so boring<br /></span><span style="color: #626262; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">as New Jersey seems to be!</span></div>
</div><div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #626262;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #626262;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><p></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-37765367777257376032023-04-21T06:29:00.006-07:002023-04-21T07:33:13.212-07:00PAD Day 21: Guncalyspe<p> Today's prompt from Write Better Poetry is to write a poem using at least three of the following six words:</p><div style="text-align: left;">bow</div><div style="text-align: left;">lean</div><div style="text-align: left;">park</div><div style="text-align: left;">saw</div><div style="text-align: left;">tear</div><div style="text-align: left;">wound</div><p>NaPoWriMo's prompt is: "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Begin by reading Sarah Gambito’s poem “</span><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/150295/grace-5cfa852f5d239" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Grace</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">.” Now, choose an abstract noun from the list below, and then use that as the title for a poem that contains very short lines, and at least one invented word."</span></p><blockquote class="wp-block-quote" style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221) rgb(233, 233, 233) rgb(233, 233, 233) rgb(221, 221, 221); border-image: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 1em 1em 0.5em; quotes: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="is-layout-constrained wp-block-group" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 15.4px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 15.4px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: var(--wp--style--global--content-size); outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="has-text-align-left" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 15.4px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Glory<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Courage<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Anxiety<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Failure<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Defeat<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Delight<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Confusion<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Calm<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Belief<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Cleverness<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Despair<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Honesty<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Deceit<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Strength</p></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">Robert in Write Better Poetry says, "<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Also, feel free to try actually writing a six-word poem if you want (</span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333;">no need to use any of the above words if you go this route, though you could go nuclear and write six six-word poems, each using one of the above words. Any takers?</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">).</span> </span></div><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;">Well, well, well. This perfect storm of prompts practically invites me to write in one of my favorite forms, the Hay(na)ku. Six words, short lines, six-words poems - it's on! I've sung the praises of the hay(na)ku and shared many of them on this blog before (and I have a published chapbook of them, </span><i><a href="https://payhip.com/b/2AwTh"><span style="color: red;">Knit Our Broken Bones</span></a></i><span style="color: #333333;">), but if you are not familiar with the form, read an explanation from its creator, Eileen Tabios, </span><a href="https://eileenrtabios.com/haynaku/"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a><span style="color: #333333;">.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So here is my "hay(na)ku chain" which combines all of the prompts. Each individual hay(na)ku contains one of Robert's prompt words. The title, the short lines and invented word for Maureen's NaPoWriMo prompt are all there too.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div style="background: white; text-align: left;"><b><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Strength<br /></span></b><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">child<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">last night<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">shot on Park<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">his<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">mother can't<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">kiss his wounds<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">she<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">saw blood<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">on the concrete<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">she<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">leaned against<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">her sister's shoulder<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">she<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">won't bow<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">to this guncalypse<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">dew<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">morning tears<br /></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">on her lawn</span></div><p>
</p><p><br /></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-42083978180335639782023-04-20T08:21:00.001-07:002023-04-20T08:23:45.266-07:00PAD Day 20: Future Artifacts<p> Today's prompts from Poetic Asides and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write an "animal" poem, and (2) write a poem "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">exploring a particular object or place from the point of view of some far-off, future scientist."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;">The second prompt is always intriguing because it forces the writer to look at something from an objective but remote or "alien" perspective. One of my favorite poems of this type is "A Martian Sends a Postcard Home," by British poet Craig Raine. You can read it <a href="https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/a-martian-sends-a-postcard-home"><span style="color: red;">here</span>.</a> I took a recently-coined word referring to an animal that caused me a little confusion when I first read it, and projected that confusion onto future scientists finding a coffee mug with that word printed on it. I wrote it with long line breaks to look like poetry, but it could just as easily be paragraphs of prose.</span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Granddog<br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Our
team of archaeologists has made a significant, if puzzling discovery.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It
is an ceramic drinking vessel with a message in ancient English,<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">which
we have translated as, "I love my Granddog."<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As
with many artifacts we have found from this period,<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">the
word "love" is represented by a red heart symbol.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But
what is puzzling is the word "granddog."<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We
know that these ancient humans kept domestic animals<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">called
"dogs" in their homes, the descendants of wild wolves.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And
we know that a "grandchild" was the child of one's own children.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But
this hybrid term has led to some debate as to its meaning.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Some
historians theorize that it means the dog of one's own grown children.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Some
believe it represents the offspring of one's own domesticated dog.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And
some even theorize that this ancient race, which we know<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">experimented
with genetic engineering, created a human/dog hybrid.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(However,
we have no pictorial evidence of this.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Perhaps
the results were too grotesque to document.) <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Still
others believe that the word is mistranslated or misspelled,<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
should be two words (grand dog),<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">with
"grand" meaning of excellent quality and/or great size.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We
do know that this ancient race kept domesticated cats<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">which
were of immense size, possibly even larger than their masters,<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">often
overpowering them. We know this as the result of our discovery<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">of
a shirt-like garment with the inscription,<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Sorry
I'm late—my cat was sitting on me."</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;">
</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></span></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-59994280281015821242023-04-19T08:29:00.000-07:002023-04-19T08:29:04.725-07:00PAD Day 19: Who's Scared of Monsters?<p>In addition to this blog, I have also been posting my daily poems on the NaPoWriMo/GloPoWriMo 2023 Facebook page, administered by Maureen Thorson in addition to her webpage. I was gratified that my Day 18 poem "Marriage Advice" has received a large positive response over there.. Thanks to everyone who liked and commented.</p><p>Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a "taste" poem, and (2) "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">cast your mind back to your own childhood and write a poem about something that scared you – or was used to scare you – and which still haunts you (if only a little bit) today."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I'm short on time today, so my poem is short, a humorous verse combining both prompts. I guess it's influenced a bit by Shel Silverstein and his sometimes dark humor.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Monsters<br /></b><o:p> <br /></o:p>When I was a kid I feared monsters,<br />In my closet or under my bed,<br />With a ravenous taste for children;<br />If one caught you, you'd surely be dead.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>But I'm grown now and bigger than monsters—<br />They don't even make my pulse quicken.<br />In fact, I have caught a few of them,<br />And you know, they taste just like chicken.</div><p>
</p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-70556900938855996882023-04-18T12:05:00.009-07:002023-04-19T19:34:44.540-07:00PAD Day 18: Alphabetical Advice<p> Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NapoWriMo: (1) Write a "love"and/or "anti-love" poem, and (2) write an abecedarian. </p><p>There are several ways to do an abecedarian poem. You can write it with only one word per line, in alphabetical order from A to Z. That's rather hard to get to make sense and not sound forced, though. So many poets have taken to just making sure the first word of each line begins with each successive letter of the alphabet. (To see an excellent example, check out <a href="https://poets.org/poem/abecedarian-dangerous-animals"><span style="color: red;">this poem </span></a>by Catherine Pierce.) You don't have to start with A either: you could go in reverse from Z to A, or even start with a selected letter and "wraparound" through the alphabet to the letter before it. For instance, I once wrote an abecedarian that started with the letter M and ended with L, because it was addressed to the Moon.</p><p>I thought I'd try something different this time, though, and wrote what I call a "phonetic abecedarian." That is, instead of each line beginning with the next actual letter of the alphabet, they begin with the <i>sound of the name </i>of each letter. Only ten of the lines still start with the actual letter, but their first or only syllable is the name of the letter, as in "be", <i>de</i>fine", "<i>peo</i>ple", etc. The rest start with words like "see (C)," "cue (Q)" and "double you (W)." (H was the hardest but I used "<i>a ch</i>arm.") And the last line is a numeral!<br /></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Marriage Advice<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(
a "phonetic abecedarian")<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A
little later this year we will<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">be
celebrating a milestone. Anyone can<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">see
we're still in love, it's what<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">defines
us. But it hasn't always been<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">easy.
Marriage takes work,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And here a younger couple says,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Gee,
we never realized." There's not<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">a
charm against arguments; we don't always see<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">eye
to eye. Sometimes we squawk like<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">jay
birds, sometimes we coo like doves, our<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">cadence
in sync. "Don't go to bed angry" is an<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">elementary
rule. But we're not<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">eminent
psychologists. We can't<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">ensure
what works for us will for you.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Oh,
there's always work to do,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">people,
and when you've done it,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">cue
the violins. Now you<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">are
ready for romance. The<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">essence
of marriage is having fun.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Tease,
joke, titillate, show your mate that<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">you
enjoy their company. But also,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Viva
la difference!" and your pleasure will<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">double.
You only live once.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Express
happiness and get it in return.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Why
not let the score be Joy 2, Misery<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">0?</span></div>
<br /><p></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-33429003517225608432023-04-17T12:09:00.001-07:002023-04-17T12:09:47.254-07:00PAD Day 17 Part II: There's a Sucker...<p> So here is my poem for the Write Better Poetry prompt (write a "nerve" poem.) I used the words "nerve" and "nervous," but that's the only element of my poem that responds to the prompt.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Born Every Minute<br /></b><o:p> <br /></o:p>It made me nervous at first,<br /><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">to see bright blue
strawberries<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">in a seed ad on the internet.<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">How unnatural, I thought,<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">yet maybe it is possible<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">to cross-breed strawberries<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">and blueberries. No, the ad
says,<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">they took the DNA of some<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Alaskan flounder to make them<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">blue and more resistant to
frost.<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">But it's all just a scam.<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It turns out this bogus
company<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Photoshopped blue coloring<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">onto everyday red
strawberries.<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">They've got their nerve<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">preying on the gullible like
that.<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">What's more, my seeds still<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">haven't germinated,<br /> </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">and I want my money back.</span></div>
<br /><p></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-74578690735306999142023-04-17T10:44:00.007-07:002023-04-17T13:50:11.176-07:00PAD Day 17: A Generational Plant<p> Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a "nerve" poem, and (2) "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">write a poem that contains the name of a specific variety of edible plant – preferably one that grows in your area[....]</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">In the poem, try to make a specific comparison between some aspect of the plant’s lifespan and your own – or the life of someone close to you. Also, include at least one repeating phrase."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I have an idea for the first prompt but haven't really worked on it yet - maybe later today.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">For the NaPoWrimMo prompt, I'm resurrecting a poetic form I created. I was inspired by my friend Anna Evans, an excellent formal poet who created a new form called the "haikoum," a cross between the haiku and the pantoum. <a href="https://www.ablemuse.com/erato/archives/umbrellajournal/TiltArchive/nonce/TripleLutz.html"><span style="color: red;">Here</span></a> is an example. I then created my own variation, the "panku," which combined different aspects of each form. Whereas Anna's form retains the 5-7-5 haiku structure but weaves in the repeating pattern of lines of the pantoum, my panku form is in couplets, with all 7-syllable lines, each third line being a repeated line, in a pattern of </span></div><div style="text-align: left;">AB CA DC
ED FE... B[X], </div><div style="text-align: left;">where X is the third to last line of the poem. </div><div style="text-align: left;">So in the poem I wrote today, the lines are repeated in the pattern: </div><div style="text-align: left;">AB CA DC
ED FE GF HG IH
JI KJ LK BL. </div><div style="text-align: left;">Every line is used exactly twice, with some minor variations here and there. Like Anna's haikoum, my panku, "Careful in the Fog" was previously published in the online journal <i>Tilt-a-Whirl</i> (now, sadly, defunct), which specialized in repeating form poetry. Here is my new one:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Heirloom <br /></b><o:p> <br /></o:p>from a cutting in her yard<br />my grandmother's peppermint<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>has thrived for twenty-five years<br />From a cutting in her yard<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>it crowded my back garden<br />thriving for twenty five years<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>fifteen years after she died<br />it's crowded my back garden<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>with little purple flowers<br />fifteen years after she's died<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>but we still pinch off the leaves<br />and little purple flowers<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>smell the oil on our fingers<br />when we pinch off the leaves<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>and use them in our kitchen<br />fragrant oil on our fingers<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>that calming fresh aroma<br />when it's used in our kitchen<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>it keeps giving and giving<br />the calming fresh aroma<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>will probably outlive me<br />it keeps giving and giving<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>my grandmother's peppermint<br />will probably outlive me</div>
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-9149108259347149382023-04-16T08:47:00.001-07:002023-04-16T08:48:50.349-07:00PAD Day 16: Home is Where the Heart Is<p> Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a poem with the title "______ of _______," and (2) "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">write a poem that involves describing something in terms of what it is not, or not like."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I combined the prompts today, and intended on writing a poem that uses the "negating" device of describing something by what it is not. But after the first few lines it developed into an extended metaphor and I lost the "what it is not" aspect of the poem. But that's okay not to follow the prompt literally and all the way through. The opening lines set up the framework for a half-decent poem, I think. </span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Home of a Poet<br /></b><o:p> <br /></o:p>It's not one of those tiny houses,<br />in fact sometimes it feels a little too big.<br />It's not new construction either,<br /> all shiny inside with a gorgeous facade.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>The plumbing doesn't work so well,<br />and sometimes the electric short-circuits.<br />There's less thatch on the roof these days,<br />it's harder to see through the windows,<br />and I should get rid of some of the clutter.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>It's become a real fixer-upper,<br />but it still has good bones,<br />and it's where my heart is.<br />I take it everywhere I go.<br />I've lived here for seven decades<br />and will continue to do so<br />until the day I have to move out.<br /><o:p> </o:p></div>
<br /><p></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-29957262783145571032023-04-15T09:33:00.010-07:002023-04-15T13:15:53.579-07:00PAD Day 15: insta-culture<p> First of all, I want to thank Maureen Thorson of NaPoWriMo for highlighting my PAD poem on her blog - my Philip Larkin takeoff, "This Be the Season," a bit of a humorous screed about the IRS, which I wrote yesterday. Always an honor!</p><p>Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NapoWriMo: (1) Write a "shadow" poem, and (2) "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">think of a person – real or imagined – who has been held out to you as an example of how to be of live [sic], but who you have always had doubts about. Write a poem that exaggerates the supposedly admirable qualities of the person in a way that exposes your doubts."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I picked a type more than a particular person - though I have one in mind, and so will you, probably, once you read the poem. I guess this type is an example of "how to live" as in, "Why can't you sell millions of poetry books like [insert name here]?" I made only a passing reference to the "shadow" prompt in this poem. (I wrote a "shadow" poem a couple of years ago, about a game my grandkids play with shadows in the summertime, that was published on the website <i>Your Daily Poem</i>. I don't think I can top that one. Click <a href="https://www.yourdailypoem.com/listpoem.jsp?poem_id=3766"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a> if you'd like to read it.)</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>13 short pieces from
an instapoet<br /></b><o:p> <br /></o:p>1.<br />i'm not your stuffy, dusty, dead white poet<br />whose book you keep on the shelf<br /> to impress your guests. i'm accessible!<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>2.<br /> i draw cute little illustrations<br />with every poem i crank out.<br />they are art like my writing is poetry.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>3.<br />my poems are ideal for short attention spans,<br />never filling more than half a page.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>4.<br /> my poems inspire you with platitudes,<br />stale metaphors, & lots of abstract nouns.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>5.<br /> i make the reader feel, not think.<br />thinking is for dummies.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>6.<br />here's a poem i wrote
on a napkin just last night.<br />it doesn't want to spend years in the shadows<br />or my sock drawer. it
wants to meet you NOW.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>7.<br />all you other poets
are jealous because I'm so popular.<br />how many million books have YOU sold?<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>8.<br /> i am indeed in the land of milk & honey.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>9.<br />like the kardashians, i have proven that<br /> someone can become famous<br />without having a single original thought.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>10.<br /> look, there's a whole shelf devoted to me<br />in barnes & noble!<br /> (also a couple of books by somebody named<br />billy collins & mary oliver.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><o:p> <br /></o:p>11.<br />now everyone is jumping on my bandwagon.<br />girls, get your diaries out!<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>12.<br /> i've gone on long enough now.<br />i'm going to watch tik-tok<br />& make dinner in my instapot.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>13.<br />& after that I'll need an hour<br />to write my next book.<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><br /><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">
</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-85778202396627054162023-04-14T10:42:00.003-07:002023-04-14T12:37:16.151-07:00PAD Day 14: A Parody [Warning: Language]<p> Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a "now for something completely different" poem (doing something poetically you haven't done yet this month, or something not normally characteristic of your style), and (2) write a parody of a famous poem, or a satire based on a famous poem. </p><p>Regarding the first prompt, my "something completely different" is a poem that uses profanity, something I rarely do, especially the "F-bomb." But consider the source: I am doing a parody of Philip Larkin's "This Be the Verse." (I've provided the original below in case you aren't familiar with it.) I should say that my opinion of the IRS may not necessarily be quite as negative as the poem implies.<b style="text-indent: -12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></b></p><p><b style="text-indent: -12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 1; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This
Be the Verse<br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> by Philip Larkin<br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">They fuck you up, your
mum and dad. <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> They
may not mean to, but they do. <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">They fill you with the
faults they had<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> And
add some extra, just for you.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But they were fucked up
in their turn<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> By
fools in old-style hats and coats, <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Who half the time were
soppy-stern<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> And
half at one another’s throats.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Man hands on misery to
man.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> It
deepens like a coastal shelf.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Get out as early as you
can,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> And
don’t have any kids yourself.</span></div><div style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 1; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><o:p> <br /></o:p><o:p> <br /></o:p><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This Be the Season<br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> by Bruce W. Niedt<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">They
fuck you up, the IRS,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> They're cruel, and arbitrary too.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">They
leave your life all in a mess,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> And save some extra strife for you.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But they
have fucked up everyone<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> With unfair
rules and rigid regs,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">They
audit you, and when they're done<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> You can't afford a dozen eggs.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This
monetary misery<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Will deepen like a seismic fault,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A rich,
sadistic history<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> For any agent worth his salt.<br /></span><br /></div></div>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-79831669035376201322023-04-13T08:28:00.000-07:002023-04-13T08:28:19.832-07:00PAD Day 13: Short on Forgiveness<p> Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a "forgive" poem, and (2) write a short poem "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">that follows the beats of a classic joke. Emphasize the interplay between the form of the poem – such as the line breaks – and the punchline."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">As far as the first prompt, I just wrote a poem two days ago about forgiveness ("Knocking Things Over"), and earlier this month I took William Carlos' Williams poem about forgiveness, "This is Just to Say", and parodied it by turning it around 180 degrees. I also wrote a poem a few years ago called "Public Apology" based on a true story about someone in Australia who paid for a skywritten apology to his wife or girlfriend. It was published on the website Your Daily Poem in 2021. So that prompt doesn't particularly excite me today.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;">I'm not sure what to make of the second prompt. Should I tell a classic joke and put it into poetry form? Or tell an original joke structured so it can be read as a standup gag? I'm a little confused over this one, but I did come up with something that combines both prompts:</span></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oops<br /></b><o:p> <br /></o:p>They say<br /> "forgive and forget"<br /> but I must have got it backwards<br /> because<br />I forgot to forgive.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's another one that's sort of a joke in poetic form. Not terribly original, but kind of fun:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Coming Up Short<br /></b><o:p> <br /></o:p>I can't write haiku.<br />It's hard to say something in<br />seventeen sylla</div><p>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;"></span></span></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-42578976785911857172023-04-12T18:43:00.002-07:002023-04-12T18:44:28.518-07:00PAD Day 12: How Now, Brown Poem<p> Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a "sound" poem, and (2) <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">"write a poem that addresses itself or some aspect of its self."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I sort of did the second prompt yesterday - my poem "Knocking Things Over" was rather "meta" as it addressed the poet who wrote the epigraph I used. Today's poem is inspired by another "meta" poem I came across. (<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/07/31/this-poem"><span style="color: red;">here's</span></a> the link if you would like to read it.) The "sound" prompt is addressed by all the similar vowel sounds (assonance) in the poem.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Assonance Makes the
Heart...<br /></b><o:p> <br /></o:p><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(after "This
Poem" by Vona Groarke)<br /></i><o:p> <br /></o:p>This poem makes sounds with its mouth.<br />This poem says "ow" with a large round O<br /> that gets smaller. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <br /></span><o:p> <br /></o:p>This poem is the mouse<br />escaped from that Billy Collins poem<br />that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>now cowers in
your house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <br /> </span><o:p> <br /></o:p>This poem is a night owl that stays out all hours.<br /> This poem carouses downtown with flowers in its hair<br />and drinks whiskey sours.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>This poem<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>has
superpowers.<br />This poem is no coward.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>This poem loves April showers<br /> and lives in an ivory tower.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>This poem was lost but now it's found.<br />This poem's name is Howard Brown.<br /> <o:p> <br /></o:p>This poem is a cow,<br /> or maybe a sow.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>This poem is floundering.<br />This poem is going south.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>This poem is done now.<br />Wow.</div>
Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-81973010122776592332023-04-11T19:08:00.003-07:002023-04-11T19:16:25.333-07:00PAD Day 11, Again: Inauspicious Meeting<p> Okay, I finally responded to Maureen's prompt for NaPoWriMo. I indirectly followed the prompt by taking one of the lines from Naomi Shihab Nye's poem "One Boy Told Me" as an epigram and jumping from that to a true story about my encounter with her. </p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Knocking Over
Something<br /></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It is hard being
a person.<br /></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">- Naomi Shihab
Nye, "One Boy Told Me"<br /></span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Dear
Naomi,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
never properly apologized<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">for
the day I sat next to you<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">at
the Princeton Poetry Festival<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
knocked over your tote bag<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">full
of papers and books.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Yeah,
that was me.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I'm
sure I mumbled, "Sorry,"<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">but
you were rightfully annoyed<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
probably didn't hear me<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">as
you gathered your things<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
sat silently next to me at the reading.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It
was a hell of a way<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">to
meet someone famous.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But
I love your work, including the poem<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
cited above. That little boy is right—<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">it's
hard to be a person.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Too often I knock over something,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">make
the wrong turn,<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">miss an appointment,<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">anger someone I admire.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But
we are all only human.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So
forgive me if you can,</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
I will be diligent enough<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">to
forgive myself.</span></div>
<br /><p></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-78435607372468032542023-04-11T18:26:00.000-07:002023-04-11T18:26:45.767-07:00PAD Day 10 (Belated): Gun Culture<p> Here's a poem left over from yesterday, using Robert Lee Brewer's prompt of writing a popem with a title beginning with "How." I mentioned my friend Vince Gotera earlier and provided a link to his blog, The Man with the Blue Guitar. His poet friend Thomas Alan Holmes has been writing a series of poems this month about gun violence and gun control, focusing on the recent events in the Tennessee legislature. I wrote a poem earlier this month on the subject of guns, but he inspired me to revisit the topic.</p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>How Easy to Forget Mỹ
Lai<br /></b><b> <br /></b>It's almost been lost in the shuffle of history,<br />but I am old enough to remember when it was news.<br />1968: Three to five hundred unarmed villagers<br /> murdered by our troops—many women and children.<br />No war crimes trial—only the lieutenant in charge<br /> was convicted, and his sentence was commuted<br /> to three years of house arrest.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>Children. Murdered in cold blood.<br /> Lying in a dirt road next to their dead mothers.<br />Why should we be surprised, in a country<br /> that has always worshipped the gun?<br />Why should we be surprised that children<br />are murdered even today, every day, in the streets,<br />in their own classrooms, by guns once used<br />only by the military? Why should we be surprised<br /> when the people who are supposed to pass laws<br /> to protect us, mumble something in the hall<br /> to a reporter about "thoughts and prayers,"<br />on the way to their office to meet<br />a gun lobbyist and get their check,<br />guaranteeing amnesia for the last tragedy<br />until the next one comes around?</div><p>
</p><p><br /></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-11943201805739035282023-04-11T10:57:00.002-07:002023-04-11T18:43:24.037-07:00PAD Day 11: Changes on the Diamond<p> Today's dual prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a "form" and/or "anti-form" poem, and "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">write a poem that takes as its starting point something overheard that made you laugh, or something someone told you once that struck you as funny."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">I'm not in sync with the NaPoWriMo prompt right now - guess I'm not in a "funny" mood at the moment. Maybe I'll try to return to it later. Meanwhile, here's my response to the other prompt, in a variation of the "hay(na)ku" called the "hay(na)ku sonnet," created by my friend Vince Gotera. (Check out his web page <a href="http://vincegotera.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a> - this month he's writing a lot of curtal sonnets.)</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Baseball 2023<br /></b><o:p> <br /></o:p>Some<br />seismic changes<br />this new season—<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>pitch<br />clock, no<br />shift, bigger bases.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>New<br />rules, surely<br />for a reason—<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>players<br />head off<br />for the races.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>Different or same,<br /> still my game.<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: left;">
</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1572125357353092832.post-60159592300731002482023-04-10T14:24:00.002-07:002023-04-11T07:03:23.333-07:00PAD Day 10: Grandpa's Sea Shanty Reveille<p> Today's dual prompts from NaPoWriMo and Write Better Poetry: (1) Write a poem in the style of a sea shanty, and (2) write a poem with the title "How _______." <br /></p><p>I've done the sea shanty exercise at least two or three times before - the last time was a satire about our "illustrious" 45th president. This one was inspired by my granddaughters - in fact they gave me suggestions for a couple of the verses. We had fun with it. It's to the tune of "What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor?"</p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>How Do You Wake a
Sleepin' Pop-Pop?<br /></b><o:p> <br /></o:p>How do you wake a sleepin' Pop-Pop,<br />How do you wake a sleepin' Pop-Pop,<br />How do you wake a sleepin' Pop-Pop,<br />Earl-eye in the mornin'?<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>Tickle his beard and roll 'im over,<br />Tickle his beard and roll 'im over,<br />Tickle his beard and roll 'im over,<br />Earl-eye in the mornin'!<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>What if he grunts and keeps on snorin',<br />What if he grunts and keeps on snorin',<br />What if he grunts and keeps on snorin',<br />earl-eye in the mornin'?<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>Jump on his bed like a trampoliner,<br />Jump on his bed like a trampoliner,<br /> Jump on his bed like a trampoliner,<br />Earl-eye in the mornin'!<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>What if he hides under his covers,<br />What if he hides under his covers,<br />What if he hides under his covers,<br />Earl-eye in the mornin'?<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>Pour a cold glass of water on 'im,<br />Pour a cold glass of water on 'im,<br />Pour a cold glass of water on 'im,<br />Earl-eye in the mornin'!<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>What if he's wearin' waterproof jammies,<br />What if he's wearin' waterproof jammies,<br />What if he's wearin' waterproof jammies,<br />Earl-eye in the mornin'?<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>Scream like a banshee and blow an air horn,<br />Scream like a banshee and blow an air horn,<br />Scream like a banshee and blow an air horn,<br />Earl-eye in the mornin'!<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>What if he's wearin' soundproof earplugs,<br />What if he's wearin' soundproof earplugs,<br />What if he's wearin' soundproof earplugs,<br />Earl-eye in the mornin'?<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>Kick 'im and shove 'im till he falls out,<br />Kick 'im and shove 'im till he falls out,<br />Kick 'im and shove 'im till he falls out,<br />Earl-eye in the mornin'!<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>What if he falls and bumps his noggin,<br />What if he falls and bumps his noggin,<br />What if he falls and bumps his noggin,<br />Earl-eye in the mornin'?<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>Give 'im an ice pack and some oatmeal,<br />Give 'im an ice pack and some oatmeal,<br /> Give 'im an ice pack and some oatmeal,<br />Earl-eye in the mornin'!<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>And it's heigh-ho, up he rises,<br />Heigh-ho, up he rises,<br />Heigh-ho, up he rises,<br />Earl-eye in the mornin'!<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p><o:p> </o:p></div><p>
</p><p><br /></p>Bruce Niedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04974369288649730186noreply@blogger.com1