Hello All. Today we combined looking at Lempriere’s Classical Dictionary and the Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction. There was a lot to dive into here. One was written in 1812, the other is still being written. It is a Past and Future style of prompt, though mine became more Past and Present.
Mars and the Areologist Mars Red Roman God of War Father of Cupid His Chariot roams the night sky Planet Home of Perseverance Areologist Explorer Rover Red Mars
Hello All. The prompt today, writing a poem in a letter to a historical figure or fictional character, and their letter in response. I wrote a letter to a hero of mine, and his charming reply.
Dear Ogden Nash, I write today because I always wonder How long it took you to ponder Whether to use a dictionary with words listed Or create your own, that never existed? Many poets I know, would love a priming To get an insight into your rhyming. Your choice of words were often frugal. It’s amazing you did it without any Google. Please let me know if you used a system To make up words when the dictionary missed’em. Sincerely, A Wordy Fan Dear Wordy Fan, Thank you for taking time to write me Getting mail, even now, can excite me. Some, like you, thought my language delightful, I know one Librarian who called it frightful. If this “Google” of yours and I had interacted, Do you think my wording might be less abstracted? And about my word use being frugal, I think of it more as centrifugal. Writing over Five Hundred pieces, Chances for word craft simply increases. My advice, keep writing, let the words dance And soon, the vocabulary you will enhance. I regret that I cannot be your rhyming high priest But I find it a difficult, now I am deceased. Yours, Ogden Nash
Hello All. Today’s prompt was to write a “Junk Drawer Song”. The prompt comes from poet Hoa Nguyen, and it asked us to take a memory invoking song, and combine it with a trip through our junk drawer. My song, which is an all time favorite, is “I’m Going to Go Back There Someday”, written by Kenny Ascher and Paul Williams. Hopefully you remember it from The Muppet Movie, so beautifully sung by Gonzo the Great. If not, please check out this Youtube video from the movie:
I’m Going to Clean this Drawer Out Today Receipts for cab rides Tokens and hair ties Notebooks and key rings Glass beads without strings Close to my soul And yet so far away I’m going to clean this drawer out someday This Looks Familiar Vaguely Familiar Bamboo fan with tassel A postcard of a castle Small bags of rocks And a coin in a box I’m going to clean this drawer out today. Come travel with me, it’s more fun to share There’s a picture of you when you had all your hair I found a cork from a special champagne day And a note that you wrote that I can’t throw away. There’s not a word yet For old friends who just met Tickets to ball games Photos without frames Is there a song there Or does that belong there I’m leaving this drawer for today. I know I’ll go back there someday.
Hello All. Prompt for today, a poem in the form of a “to do list” for a an unusual person or character. And so….
Bo Peep – To Do List Collect Eggs Milk Cows Mend Skirt Take care of SheepCollect EggsMilk CowsMend Skirt - found stain Take care of SheepCollect EggsMilk CowsWash skirt, stockings, and bonnetBake biscuits while waiting for clothes to dry Mend Skirt Take care of SheepCollect EggsMilk CowsWash skirt, stockings, and bonnetBake BiscuitsMake Butter for biscuits Mend Skirt Take care of sheepCollect EggsMilk CowsWash skirt, stockings and bonnetBake BiscuitsMake Butter for biscuitsMend SkirtTake Care of sheepLook for sheepLook for SheepLook for SheepStupid SheepGo HomeEat Biscuits
Hello All. Today’s prompt is to take inspiration from Spoon River Anthologies, and create a poem that speaks from the grave. After rereading the entries by Edgar Lee Master’s, I am left with this:
Spoon River Haiku
Edgar Lee Masters
Spoon River Anthologies
Unhappy Grave Yard
Hello All. Today’s prompt had the delicious, syllable counting poetic form the Fib. This lovely little construction is built upon a syllable count that is based off the Fibonacci sequence of 1/1/2/3/5/8. The Fibonacci numbers, where each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, are closely related to the Golden spiral, and many items in nature, such as petals on Field Daisies, branching in trees, patterns in pinecones, and so on. A fun structure for words and ideas. Two jumped into my head. Thanks for checking in
A Fib for Fib's Sake
All
Math
Poems
Blend right brain
Linear accounting
With left brain virtuosity
A Fib for Your Sake
Me
You
Can We
Mix as one
Creating, Breathless,
A new type of Golden Spiral
Hello All. Today’s prompt comes from Holly Lyn Walrath:
Go to a book you love. Find a short line that strikes you. Make that line the title of your poem. Write a poem inspired by the line. Then, after you’ve finished, change the title completely.
I chose a line from a wonderful work, so even if you don’t like my poem, please check out this perfect little book: A Drive into the Gap, by Kevin Guilfoile. It is an amazing story of mystery, joy, sorrow, Alzheimer’s, and baseball, all packed into a tight 69 pages. It is one of those rare books, that when you finish reading it, you hold it for a moment, then turn it over, and start reading it all over again. The last line of my poem, was the line I used as my working title inspiration, and is stolen from the book, almost verbatim. It was the only way I could do it justice.
You Never Know About a Day, Batboy version You never know how the day will go, What events will come your way. You never know if bad will turn to good, Or if clouds will continue to grey. You are fourteen and nothing fits, Puberty seems like a curse. If it were up to you, you would stay in bed. The day can only get worse. But you are a batboy, tonight there's a game So you get up and find your clothes. A long day ahead before you go to the park And you already stepped on some legos. You missed breakfast, you can’t find your shoes, There are bunches and bunches of chores. Mow the lawn, help with the dishes, And whose room needs cleaning, yours. How bad the day seems, how unfair and cruel. Your teenage mind screams in protest, I’m tired, and bored, and if I had Stayed in bed, I wouldn’t be being oppressed. Yet finally you complete all your domestic duties And uniform on, head off in high gear. You hope the day will take a turn for the better. The clouds in your head begin to clear. Your batboy duties start before the game Running errands, polishing helmets and shoes. It’s kind of like your chores at home, But without you singing the blues. Then you make a mistake and find yourself In trouble with a player from the opposing team. His shadow over you, he yells and swears. The hope for a good night, now a bad dream. That’s it, you think, why bother to try. You knew the day would be a bust. I should just stay home, covers over my head. No more sunny thoughts will I trust. You stew on the bench, storm clouds black in your head, As the jerk who yelled at you heads up to bat. A player from your team takes the seat next to you To make sure you are watching the rat. You never know when clouds will clear Or what events will happen in a day. On the short list of truly epic things that could happen to a fourteen year old boy in summer, A future Hall of Famer ordering an All-Star Pitcher To knock down an All-Star Shortstop because The shortstop was a jerk to you, Well, that blows them all away.
Hello All. Today we are using a poem as a guide to write a different poem, starting line for line with the same letters, letting the easy outline guide our words and thoughts. Though I naturally lean towards Ogden Nash as my spirit poet, today I chose Billy Collins. I hope he won’t mind. Enjoy.
Misty Constellations (My version of Constellations by Billy Collins) Yes, of course, that’s Orion Though he is lying on his back, Canis Major still behind the trees. And then the clouds rise and blow. Gemini is lost in the mist, the ice crystals swirling to block their gaze. There, look, as the clouds drift, it’s Cassiopeia, that tunnel of stars infinite like a sci-fi worm hole. A dipper winks here, a handle there, I line up the Big Dipper’s Spout to find the north star. If we could stand under Polaris, Spinning like a top wrapped in frost and stars, tonight, might we call it Constellation Misty Copeland?
Hello All, and Happy Easter. I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. The prompt for today was to use a photo from the twitter channel Liminal Spaces. I was drawn to this photo, though its not as cheery as I try to be. I will work on a happier subject for next time.
The Little Theater on the Square Closed for Renovations The little theater on the square Closed for revitalizations After years of wear and tear Closed for preservations Of stages and scenery Closed for Alterations To modern day machinery Closed for modernizations New lighting and new sound Closed for Augmentation For air handlers underground Closed for restorations The ceilings and the walls Closed for glorifications The Lobbies and the halls Closed for Fabrications Of seating and screens Closed for Preparations Fresh Popcorn and Jelly Beans Closed for Renovations Maybe a year or two Closed with Expectations Of money coming through Closed to Illumination No power in the lines Closed to Inhabitation With water bills and fines Closed by Urbanizations And the spread of mega-malls Closed by Resignations To corporate protocols Closed to Dramatizations The thrills and cheers are gone Closed to Imaginations The dark stages depend upon Closed without Consolations No audiences are there Closed for Disintegrations The little theater on the square
Hello All. So today’s prompt was to make a universal “you” deck. A set of cards, each having a word on each side, until you get to 100 words. These are words you like, you relate to, words that can easily help paint a picture of you. Then pick two or 3 and write a poem. So . . . it’s Grass, Honeysuckle, and Cheese. Enjoy.
Daisy’s Day
Nibble soft grass, Nuzzle your neighbor, Nod to the wind.
Scent in the air, Soft and alluring, Stroll thru the pasture.
Hedge by the gate, Hangs heavy with bloom, Honeysuckle on the nose.
Dining on sweet petals, Delivering rich milk, Daisy’s fine cheese.