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Showing posts with label Perfectly Poetical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Perfectly Poetical. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

'Twas the Write Before Christmas: Day 2

...Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel...


Cruel it may be, yet lovely -
Whispers of crystal and ice.
Feathered,
frozen,
fragile;
fragmented with gleaming light.

It is a damp breath exhaling -
cold silence trembling down.
Caressing,
covering,
crispening;
ruining green into brown.





Need an outlet for your creativity this Christmas?  Inspiration that may channel your unshared gifts into fruition?  Join us at Bigger Picture Blogs this week for 'Twas the Write Before Christmas, and spread your gifts!  Be inspired, take a break from the busyness, and give life to your ideas....we can't wait to see what you come up with!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

They Who Dance



The feet of dancers
Shine with mirth,
Their hearts are vibrant as bells:


The air flows by them
Divided like water
Cut by a gleaming ship.



Triumphantly their bodies sing,
Their eyes are blind
With music.
 

They move through threatening ghosts
Feeling them cool as mist
On their brows.


They who dance
Find infinite golden floors
Beneath their feet.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Underneath the Mistletoe Last Night...

The air directly below
the leaves
is filled with peace: green, light, expectant.
For an inch of silence
the space
is free to breath and hope.
Drip, glance, drop down to
the middle
of the gap: wide open, slowly approaching what's below.
There's a flutter and giggle --
the nerves
are piqued and hesitant.
Where the space ends atop
the heads
of two sweet marrieds: one gray, one white.
A falling, a spilling, a moving --
their lips
meet miles below the mistletoe.
That familiar softness tells
the years
that time is nothing to fear.
Down and down
their hands
lock around fingers and plain, solid rings.
In waves around this love
the crowd
of family whistles and shouts:
Mother and Father -- debuting
their love
underneath the mistletoe once more.



This poem (of sorts...) was inspired by today's prompt at Bigger Picture Blogs, and by my grandparents.  Each year, in front of their brightly decorated Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, with the entire extended family watching and cheering -- a tradition unfolded.  They'd stand and kiss: Grandpa would dip Grandma back in a swoon-worthy kiss of old-school romance.  So, not exactly underneath the mistletoe, but...they didn't need it :)  Their love was -- continues to be -- inspiring.

What will your inspiration be?  Link up with 'Twas the Write Before Christmas!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

O Shutterfly, O Shutterfly...

O Shutterfly, O Shutterfly, your Christmas Cards delight us!
For stationery and for price,
Your wide selection fits us nice;
O Shutterfly, O Shutterfly, your Christmas Cards delight us!

Definitely, Delightfully PINK -- and one of my favorites!  
O Shutterfly, O Shutterfly, your stationery's stylish!
When oft I searched, I could not find,
'Til Shutterfly, you were so kind;
O Shutterfly, O Shutterfly, your stationery's stylish!

Stylishly simple: two things I wish to be.
O Shutterfly, O Shutterfly, how lovely is your offer!
For some have sales, and some have deals,
But none so bravely offer steals;
O Shutterfly, O Shutterfly, how lovely is your offer!

I LOVE the sweet whimsy of this one.
O Shutterfly, O Shutterfly, I never knew your products!
Not only cards, but invites, too,
And calendars; a gift or two;
O Shutterfly, O Shutterfly, I never knew your products!

This is the perfect idea!  Personalized calendars? GENIUS!


Shutterfly has generously offered 50 free holiday cards to bloggers willing to share a few of their favorite Shutterfly products!  (Mockery of holiday songs is not required...)  Since I'm historically bad about getting holiday cards in the mail each year, I took this offer as a sign from heaven that I SHOULD send cards this year.  And this being December first -- I'm on it.  Want to join me?  Have a look around Shutterfly!  You'll like what you see!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Perfectly Poetical Tuesday: Found Poetry



Found poetry is a re-structuring of already written words, formed and shaped by the poet into something altogether different. The 'already written words' in this case, are the titles on my bedroom's bookshelf. Both random and beloved, sitting next to untouched or tattered.

I found poetry on my bookshelf. Where will YOU find poetry?


The Jungle:
Inferno.
Out Of Control, Gone With The Wind:
Prodigal
Summer.
An Acceptable Time, Watership Down, The Ramayana:
The
Red
Tent.
Persuasion, The Grapes Of Wrath, A Widow For One Year:
Love
In The Time
Of
Cholera.
Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn and
The Count Of Monte Cristo:
Sense
And
Sensibility.
Anna Karenina, Christ The Lord, Jane Eyre:
On
Fortune's
Wheel.
Middlemarch, Ines Of My Soul, To The Lighthouse:
The
Odyssey.
Cold Mountain, Pride And Prejudice, The Hobbit:
Wuthering
Heights.
The Piano Teacher, The Heretic's Daughter, Mansfield Park:
Confessions
Of
An Ugly
Stepsister.
In Defense Of Food, Taking Charge Of Your Fertility:
The
Holy
Bible.
In Sunlight In A Beautiful Garden:
Rebecca.


Whew! Now, go find some poetry and link up your creation at The Little Stuff of Life today for Perfectly Poetical Tuesday!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Perfectly Poetical Tuesday: Free Verse

Perfectly Poetical Tuesday is celebrating Poetry Month! This month's poetry style is Free Verse, which means I can write about anything I want, in any way I choose. (I think.) Free Verse terrifies me, actually. No rules?! No parameters?! But I can do this....I can do this...I think I can...

Yes. I can. (And you can too, for that matter. Hop over to The Little Stuff of Life to see more poetry and add your own!)



Quietude

Like muffled gems of blessings,
they are what I crave.
Like vacuum-sealed drops of time,
they are my medicine.
But fleeting --
they are so fleeting.
They scatter around me in a dance of
unattainability.
Like feather-light pearls of air,
they cover me with calm.
Like woolen breezes
and sun-warmed touches,
they settle me into serenity.
And fleeting --
but more appreciated, so.
They stun me with their uncommon
appearance.
They are moments of silence.
They are particles of anti-sound.
They are bits of noiseless time.
And they are fleeting --
So fleeting.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Daffodowndilly


She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;
She turned to the south wind
And curtsied up and down.
She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbour:
"Winter is dead."
-- A.A. Milne


Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Perfectly Poetical Tuesday (Haiku #2)


I love Perfectly Poetical Tuesdays! Not because I'm a fantastic poet -- you've been around long enough to know better than that. I just love trying my hand at it. Stretching my brain a little bit. I love the thought that even my life writes a poem.

And so does yours! Join in today with your own haiku -- leave it in the comments or link up over at Stephanie's. You can do it!

---------------------

The Toddler

Getting her to sleep
Was a simpler task before
She learned how to sing

--------------------

(Honestly, at this very moment [Monday night], I'm listening to her sing and holler [in variations of Away In A Manger and Twinkle, Twinkle] 45 minutes after being laid in her cozy bed. Fun with a capital Crazy. In any case, my life wrote a poem...it's true!)

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Perfectly Poetical Tuesday (Shakespeare)


This month's poetry challenge for Perfectly Poetical Tuesday is Shakespeare. Yeah. I know. I felt quite intimidated, too. But, since it is almost Valentine's Day, I decided to try my hand at some sort of heartfelt, romantic poem dedicated to my loving, gorgeous, tender husband.

Isn't Iambic Pentameter every guy's dream gift?

Now, this is only very loosely based on anything Shakespearean. But it's the thought that counts with PerPoTues. Plus, if I can write something short and sweet and mildly evocative of The Old Bard, you can too! Go see Stephanie at The Little Stuff of Life to play along and write your own poem.







As when the snowflake falls onto the earth,
And spears its crystal brow 'pon deadened grass,
I lay myself before thy waiting heart
With trust in thee to melt my frozen past.

But see the flakes which build a deepen'd drift?
Perhaps it is their fate I should desire.
For it would be a shame to melt so soon
When I could gently seep into your fire.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Perfectly Poetical Tuesday (Epic)



Since I wasn't hip to PerPoTues when the Epic poem was assigned, I thought I'd give it my best shot. And it turns out, my best shot isn't really an Epic at all -- just a tale about a harrowing and dangerous adventure: the shaving of legs in the winter. Egad.

Here now, is my Epic. Heavenly style. Good luck to you all.



Listen, ye friends, to the tale
Of the lazy lady in winter.
Of how her excuses grew frail,
when her legs could give off a splinter.

An average lady she was,
Neither terribly dull nor fancy.
But the one area that could give pause,
Was the state of her legs a-prancing.

She'd neglected to shave her lovely limbs
For too many cold winter mornings.
And when the prickles were noticed by him,
Her husband began with the scorning.

Said he:
My lady, My love, My Heavenly girl,
I don't believe I can bear it!
Where once as perfect and smooth as a pearl,
Your legs have grown rough like a ferret!

Please, my darling, please!
You must now tame this thicket!
Here, I've gathered your things:
See?! Your razor, your loofah, your spigot.

Said she:
Goodness, My love, My handsome one,
How have I come to this place?
With terrible speed will I hastily run
To remedy my winter-time laze.

So she uncurled herself from her blankets,
realizing her husband was right.
Her legs gave off sparks like a musket,
Electric static brightened the night.

Upon hopping into the shower,
She quickly became quite stumped.
For there, causing her to cower,
Were a million teensy goosebumps.

She gasped! She sobbed! She whimpered!
She couldn't begin this endeavor!
For, to shave on top of the goose-pimples
Would leave a burning disaster!

Her nimble mind raced, her heartbeat quickened,
she glanced wildly at the door.
But during her pause the soap had thickened,
and she nearly fell to the floor.

"Honey?" she heard down the hall,
"Is everything coming along smoothly?"
"Yes!" she replied, mid-sprawl,
Thinking: I may need your muscle to move me.

Warmed by the near-embarrassment
She resolved to endure the plague.
The blade left a path, like an astringent,
burning her shivering legs.

Is this what it takes? she wondered.
Is this really the thing to be done?
She didn't want to make a blunder,
But almost couldn't bear to go on.

She dug down deep in her coffers;
Her leg hair needed to be shorn.
And eventually she finished, but butchered;
Her poor legs were tortured and torn.

The bathroom air felt Nova Scotian --
she took a moment to regain her composure --
then slathered on a layer of lotion
hoping to assuage the pain with moisture.

Once re-heated by warm woolen clothing,
She managed to ward off the shivers.
Pride had replaced her shave-loathing,
Her curiosity poured forth like a river.

Slowly up-rolling her pant leg,
This newly shaved lady was ready.
Would her skin be as smooth as a goose egg?
Could the pain be redeemed by the shedding?

Before her very eyes she watched
As a bare leg became exposed,
Each pore opened up -- debauched --
And new hairs immediately did grow.

"NO!" she shouted, defeated.
"All my efforts are lost!
If by this frozen air I am greeted,
My follicles will remain star-crossed!"

She doubled up on her resolve
to outlast this wretched cold weather.
Her husband's ideas must simply evolve;
Even if he must cover his own legs in leather.

And so my dear friends, remember
the tale of the wintertime woman:
Her courage, her bravery, her valor,
Her wisdom -- and how it was proven.

For after trying to soften her legs,
She instead made a gentler choice:
To bundle up until winter reneges.
To become hair-free in spring, then rejoice.

Monday, January 11, 2010

...Or Be Square

Don't forget to join in Perfectly Poetical Tuesday tomorrow at The Little Stuff of Life!

This month's poetry style is...to be determined by you! You can pick whatever poetry style you'd like, whether it's from the styles Stephanie's already showcased, or otherwise.

Here are some of the styles she's used before, just to get your ideas flowing:

Acrostic
Limerick
Dr. Seuss
Epic
Ode
Edgar Allen Poe
Quatrain
Haiku
Cinquain
Couplet

I know you'll all impress Steph with your poetic prowess, so get to it -- write that poem! You can leave a poem in the comments here, or better yet, stop by Stephanie's place and enter your link on her list. I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

Happy creating!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Perfectly Poetical Tuesday (Couplet)




Thanks to Stephanie at The Little Stuff of Life for hosting again! This month's poetry style is the Couplet: two rhyming lines. Feel free to join in with your own Couplet either in the comments or by linking to Stephanie's post -- I'm sure she'd love to have you!






Tiny, silken, chubby toes on my daughter's feet

Cause me to abandon socks; instead, I'll raise the heat.



I hope your tootsies are staying warm today, and that you get to love on some baby-toes soon! Check out more poetry at The Little Stuff of Life!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Don't Forget!

Tomorrow (Tuesday, December 8th) is Perfectly Poetical Tuesday at The Little Stuff Of Life. This month, Stephanie's chosen the Couplet as our poetry style. Simple and short -- two rhyming lines -- for your busy holiday month.

It's more fun than you'd think to get your mind's words flowing in a different style than usual. You KNOW you want to, so please join in!

You could write two lines about babies growing older. Or crazy acrobatics! Or the frantic holiday pace. Or a fixed dishwasher! Or maybe not -- because then what would I write about?

Whatever you choose, I'm so excited to see what you guys come up with. After all, you ARE brilliant. I should know -- I get to read your fabulous comments.

See you tomorrow??

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Perfectly Poetical Tuesday (Cinquain)



Thanks to Stephanie for hosting PerPoTues! This month's poetry style is the Cinquain: yet another poem that I'd never heard of before. Not that that's a big deal -- I haven't heard of most poems. It's one of the many reasons I love Perfectly Poetical Tuesday.



Check out The Little Stuff Of Life for more entries!






Pumpkin

Once carved,

Can only decay

Leaving a molded frown

Deflated

Monday, November 9, 2009

Just A Reminder

Tomorrow (November 10th) is Perfectly Poetical Tuesday at The Little Stuff of Life. The style for this month is Cinquain, which looks like a pretty simple follow-this-formula-and-you're-done kind of poem.

YOU CAN DO IT!

And you totally should.

You could write it about leaves. Or aprons! Or too much Halloween candy. Or your sinus infection! (Not that those things are on my mind lately. Why -- are they on yours??)

So, I'll see you tomorrow -- I can't wait to read your fabulous SIMPLE poetry!

Pretty please?

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Perfectly Poetical Tuesday - Poe


It's that time of the month again! Time for Perfectly Poetical Tuesday at The Little Stuff of Life. This month's assignment - in honor of creepy, spooky Halloween - was to write a poem in the style of Edgar Allen Poe. I have to be honest and say that I really doubted if I'd actually participate this month. Poe?! Talk about intimidating. Last night, though, inspiration flowed through me into a somewhat Poe-esque creation. Enjoy, if you dare. And then channel Poe yourself - join us at PerPoTues!



The Abyss

There lies between these kitchen walls
An abyss -
Full of time spent chopping and searing.
Full of the ghosts of meals unappreciated;
Wasted on the tongues of children who
Will treasure it not.
They will know of my culinary genius
Nevermore, nevermore.


In my haste to unveil worlds of taste -
Usher them into darkened bistros or
Breeze filled seaside cafes -
I've charged blindly into alien territory.
The abyss
Erases all chance of enlightening their budding buds.
For after a single tortured bite, their lips will part
Nevermore, nevermore.


Our table weeps, crying out for fulfillment. But
The abyss
Offers nothing more than haunted plates
Holding memories of delicious meals past.
Time stands still under the cobwebbed chandelier
As the children scorn anything but bland and
Tastelessly piled food. The plates - the table - to enjoy spice
Nevermore, nevermore.


To guarantee a filled belly in a skeletal child
Who will partake of neither sauces nor flavors foreign,
Adventurous manipulations of exotic ingredients
Have been woefully sacrificed to
The abyss.
In the mad pursuit of any morsel that won't be flung to the floor,
My lament washes over the elaborate recipes that will be created
Nevermore, nevermore.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Perfectly Poetical Tuesday (Ode)


Thanks to Stephanie for hosting PerPoTues! The poem this week is an Ode, which for our purposes is basically a rhyming tribute to something we love. And - just like last month - let me encourage you to build your own Ode to share with us - if I can do this, you certainly can too!

Check out the other Perfectly Poetical Ode entries at The Little Stuff of Life. (There's still time for you to submit your entry...winkwink.)


Ode To Bedtime

When first we awaken and greet the day
You seem but a far off dream.
We spend our time, we work and play
And manage to burn off steam.
But all the while, your peaceful promise
Looms in our hearts so large,
That when you arrive, nothing can stop us
From throwing ourselves in your arms.

Through baths and stories, we're waiting
for your actual time to draw near.
The ticking clock starts to hasten;
we're listening with day-weary ears.
Now screaming, now giggling, now whispering;
the children's cacophony has ceased.
The day has gone into history,
Our minds are calmed and eased.

What quiet! What serenity! What rest!
What shall we do with our freedom?!
How can we use our time best?
We're like peasants set free in the Kingdom.
We can read without interruption,
or leave the house for a date.
We can have a thoughtful discussion,
or quietly ponder our fate.

We gaze around at the debris
of a day spent playing and living,
and suddenly - like an amputee -
we notice our children are missing.
Calm and relaxing though you are,
at times we wish we were stronger!
For try as we might, we're not far
from - tomorrow - delaying you just a bit longer.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Perfectly Poetical Tuesday (Haiku)


Thanks to Stephanie at The Little Stuff of Life for hosting this fun poetry carnival! You all should participate too - I'd love to read your poems. If I can crank one of these babies out, anyone can; I am extremely under-talented in the poetry department. As in I know how to rhyme two words together, and isn't that the definition of a poem?

No? Shoot. Well, it'll be fun to do anyway, and that's all I ask out of life.

This month's style is Haiku (following a 5-7-5 rhythm of syllables) (no RHYMING?), and I'm about to lay it on ya.

Are you ready?

Ahem...



Her constant questions
leave me breathless with answers;
the cycle repeats.



Oooh - so deep, I know. Haiku makes me feel philosophical. Or something.

Check out the other Haiku submissions and write your own soon!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Perfectly Poetical Tuesday (Quatrain)


Today is Perfectly Poetical Tuesday over at The Little Stuff of Life, and though I've never participated before, I thought it looked like fun. Plus, the assignment is a simple little Quatrain which immediately popped an idea into my head, so I couldn't resist. Here goes, my PerPoTues submission:

I wish I were a lady
who could stand a bit of sweat.
But I find a piece of shady
ground often suits me best.

I hope this is right - because it speaks directly to the heart of my feelings about summer. Mainly that I wish it would cool down, already! The shade under a big, green tree is about the only place I would want to be outside on a hot summer day - accompanied by a glass of sweet iced tea and a Jodi Picoult novel. Ok, now I'm talking myself into actually desiring that hot summer day...quatrains must be powerful brainwashers...
Visit Stephanie's blog for more Quatrains; I'd just about guarantee they'll be better and more technically correct than mine!