mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Wonder
August 6, 2017
— 1 Comment
space
Inside the circular passage the whispers bounced
Off the reflections of the insinuations left by the past
Inner balance outer strength come with hard choices
When clouds obscure the top of the peak it is unclear
If there is a reason to climb today to the higher ground
Did pioneers or invaders carve this path on which we travel?
#WeekendCoffeeShare Lazy Muse Edition
July 30, 2017
— 6 Comments
reflection in my pool
If we were having coffee this weekend I would invite you to sip a long glass of iced tea or coffee. The weather is muggy and the ground is muddy. My ambition is active in starts and fits. Last weekend was extremely successful in the possession purge department. I unloaded a big car, loads of fabric, twofold funky floor cleaning machines, and about 300 pounds of glassware. We went to the used book store with our DVD’s, but only a small portion were accepted for trade. The initial phase was exciting because as items left the house, more was revealed that needs to go. I did uncover space in the garage and in some cabinets in the house, but I am not even 10% into the work that I need to do. It is exhilarating to see the empty space appear. It will be even more exciting to clear out the barn and sell the lot across the street. The financial reward will be more than worth the effort. I will perceiver.
With all the extra emphasis on physical things, my muse decided to be lazy and fickle. I wrote very little this week while I settle into my work and commute schedule. I made some excuses about all the “work” I have to do. I admit that this is pure malarkey. My commute is an easy 20 minute straight shot, and my work is fun. Plenty of people go to school full-time and work full-time and get graduate degrees. Surely I can work a tiny part-time job while purging my possessions and still find time to write. I am putting this muse’s nose to the grindstone in the coming weeks. It is better to write something, even if it is not my best work, than to skip too many days. How do you handle your productivity issues? Does your muse just lounge around and refuse to work? Today I am working a shift on Sunday so I can take a full day off for my facial tomorrow. Ms Muse should realize she is living in a very privileged and pampered being, and be more grateful. If I discipline her she just leaves. I can usually squeeze a poem out of her as she exits, but there is no telling when she plans to return. She is a lot like me.
While I fill your iced tea glass, tell me how your life and writing are going. I hope you are feeling more productive than I am now. Are you looking forward to the next season (back to school for some) or treading water? I love summer because I spend so much time in the pool. I don’t really mind the heat because I have a pool at my condo village I can use 24 hours a day. I am very fond of moonlight dips. The water cools off in the middle of September, ending the nighttime enjoyment. Until then I can be found in the deep end, thinking deep thoughts, teaching the muse to swim.
#WeekendCoffeeShare
Please join us each week for #WeekendCoffeeShare, hosted by Diana at Parttimemonsterblog.com. Share your news and catch up with the gang on the weekends here. The feast is moveable and the drinks are all digital and calorie free.
#NaPoWriMo Dystopia
April 9, 2017
— 1 Comment
Wall
My dystopian dream is all coming true
They are building a wall around the suburbs
And making them pay for it
#GloPoWriMo
Join the world for National as well as Global Poetry Writing month by following the above hashtags, reading, writing, reciting, or listening to poetry in April. This celebration of all poets, accomplished or not happens each year and goes on all month. You still have time to bust a rhyme. Check it out here.
#WeekendCoffeeShare #NaPoWriMo Edition
April 1, 2017
— 4 Comments
#NaPoWriMo2017
Dear Gentle Readers,
In April I write 30 poems in 30 days to honor my famous ancestor who was an exceptional poet and a special kind of historian. Today I join folks from around the world to participate in this year’s #NaPoWriMo. Since it is a global initiative it is also known as #GloPoWriMo to make it clear that everyone is invited. You can follow both these hashtags on twitter or Facebook for more information. I invite you to partake as a fan or a poet. You my be surprised at the poet you find inside of yourself. There are many wonderful styles of writing to discover in this treasure trove of artistic expression. Don’t be shy. Write a poem.
#GloPoWriMo
Please sit down, relax, take a load off your feet
While I tell you the story of Ann Dudley Bradstreet
She published her poetry in the Puritan times
Her English is old school, her well crafted rhymes
Were concerned with religion and current events
She made poignant requests to her progeny to stay
On the right side of God’s will, never sit on the fence
She begged us to be ethical, honest, virtuous and bold
Her legacy is eloquent, the details of our family were told
In real time as America took unexpected turns toward liberty
Finding her voice as a woman was a rare privilege, an anomaly
As her descendant I call on her esteemed presence in April every year
I ask for her assistance to drop a few decent beats, to be pertinent and clear
And so, dear ancestor, now scattered into stardust and moonbeams
Visit me with your discipline, your wisdom, and all of your ancient dreams
To follow in your footsteps I am going to require a great deal of your love
Look down on your daughter here on earth, send inspiration from above
in bloom
looking up
If we were having coffee this month I would ask my coffee friends around the table to ride the poetry train if you are able. I know it is corny and may turn perverse. I assure you than in May I will return to verse. The coffee share and the poetry train go well as a duo, in my opinion. Help yourself to coffee, tea, and poetry. For more digital beverages and prose, please visit Nerd in the Brain. The weekly party is always interesting and stimulating.
#WeekendCoffeeShare
Sawing Logs
April 30, 2016
— 3 Comments
trees
trees
trees
Just as every tree may eventually become lumber
The daily tasks and stresses will fall into deep slumber
Blindness is blind to the spot that bears its name
It knows no visionary leaders willing to take the blame
Articulation of the truth is followed by group contemplation
Unconscious shared ideas of perfection enter dreams in symbols
Clashing ideas of black and white lead quickly to confrontation
In dreams as in waking life there are many obvious signals
NaPoWriMo2016
This is the last poem in my 30 out of 30 for #NaPoWriMo. I had a very good time this year and the time went quickly. I used a very zen approach this year..less might really be more. Thanks for sharing the experience with my fellow poets around the globe!!
Title Wave
April 17, 2016
— 1 Comment
Waving
Stretching out the vocabulary in search of catchy rich phrases to use as bait
To entice the dear reader to click onward with interest and intellectual curiosity
Words that sound funny when spoken are at the top of my title writing lists
These are followed by ironic twists and puns on popular trending events of the day
Alliteration is always appreciated as it is displayed across the stream of options
Decide to read or not to read, the precious investment of attention and time is given
To the words that signal a meaningful moment, a change of perspective, perhaps new ideas
NaPoWriMo2016
Find poets to follow at #NaPoWriMo in April. Submit poems of your own and experience to joy of writing poetry.
Funky Betsy’s Alchemy
April 11, 2016
— 2 Comments
book spines
The alchemist left a pile of books on the table with hints
About the kind of recipe we would need to visualize
To be kind in sacred places, such as heaven with Betsy
It turned out to be a very funky project for our powerful group
We concluded that our common mind was unconquerable
NaPoWriMo2016
The prompt for yesterday’s #NaPoWriMo poem was to create poetry using spines of books. After seeing some very good ones by my fellow poets I had to attempt one myself.
Cactus Code
April 11, 2016
— 1 Comment
cactus in bloom
Spring will flash by quickly with little time to tell pollinator possibilities
How full of potential my flowers are, how worth the effort to inspect
My color signals ripe and ready, opening to the best of my capabilities
I have radiant secrets to reveal, a botanical ancestry to save and protect
These flowers open for a brief show of all our strengths and our debilities
Time is our tricky limitation we must speak our mind and be very direct
NaPoWriMo2016
April is National Poetry Writing Month, aka #NaPoWriMo. Enjoy reading or writing some poetry this month.
Family Day at the Poetry Center
March 29, 2015
— 1 Comment
Yesterday I visited the U of A Poetry Center to find inspiration for my month of writing poems. Much to my surprise I arrived in middle of a special event. Family Day is held once a month in the winter months. Graduate students lead activities designed to stimulate interest in different age groups. I was given a name tag and asked what age group I wished to attend. Since 60 and over was represented by the docents I hung out with them for a few minutes asking questions. The groups were gathered with leaders coaxing them to collaborate. The toddlers were drumming and drawing on the floor. The teens were making up ironic statements about dental hygiene (which were very funny). The middle school group was on the patio writing odes. I took a place at the end of the table where I could hear them, but would not disturb them.
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- writing odes
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- reading odes
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- bamboo shade
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- my poets’ corner
I listened to them praise mother and father, bamboo and bugs. The work was brilliant and astute. I spoke to the leaders after the session. They are graduate students studying creative writing. They said that the activities here leave them completely uplifted and amazed every time they do it. The kids blow their minds, just as they had mine. I did some drawing and free writing while half-tuned into my fellow poets on the rock. That was what I had come to do, so I spent 15 minutes on the task. The snacks were being served and the band was playing in the courtyard, so I hustled on out to see what else was happening.
hula hoop and band
Chalk was provided and words had been applied to the concrete. Hula hoops and a live band made the festive atmosphere complete. The kids clearly loved Family Day. The parents were pleased too. A beautiful work of art was made on the spot by graduate students in art education. Poems written by the kids that day were written on the background. It was a resounding success. I realized that I had come at the perfect time after all because the kids have the pure innocent free wheeling creativity I want to generate next month.
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- prompts for odes
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- draw and write
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- ode
There were two typewriters set up for people to try, and they were popular. The catering consisted of perfectly ripe fruit and muffins, perfect child fare. I enjoyed the ripe pineapple, strawberries, and honeydew melon. I felt like I had attended one of the best children’s parties ever. The band even included a saw player, and what could be better than that?
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- chalk on concrete
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- chalk on concrete
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- chalk on concrete
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- play area
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- mural
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- typewriter
#ROW80 Literary Liaisons
March 11, 2015
— 4 Comments
ROW80
Writers make good company in person or long distance. In our 80 days together writing about writing I have made the acquaintance of interesting and talented people. Like social exchanges in person we represent a very diverse set of interests and geographic situations. The faithful participants check in twice weekly to report progress on goals which range from studying story architecture to editing novels to posting on twitter. At the same time I have been joining my on line colleagues I have been hanging out at least once a week with poets. One of my goals at the start of the 80 days was to become a regular at the U of A Poetry Center. This goal had been an unstated wish for over a year, and yet I had not worked it into my routine. Now that I made it a conscious part of my practice as a writer I am really happy. Being present for the readings and taking in the atmosphere of the crowds who attend the poetry events is a blast. All this free entertainment that is right up my alley has been waiting for me right around the corner from my home. I am glad I have made it a habit to go because it is a remarkable resource. I will probably work up to taking a workshop eventually.
Although I set no number of books, poems or poets to read during the challenge I have been very active absorbing poetry in print and by app. The Poetry Foundation app and others keep me busy finding new writers from all periods of history. I have developed some favorites in this short time of sampling different kinds of poetic work. Translated poetry is interesting to me. I like hearing it in the original language then in English, to hear the sound before the meaning. Haiku is written by all kinds of people in many languages around the world a great app to learn more about those is The Haiku Foundation’s Haiku app. Shake your iPhone and a new (not your grandfather’s) haiku appears ready to tweet or read. In general I like short pithy poems, but am also fond of epic stories if they contain humor. I am on a general exploratory venture into every poem and all poets. I have thought a lot about the relationship between poetry and music, and how they shape popular culture. I am reading Dorothy Parker Drank Here, a novel about the ghost of the great witty woman. Dorothy Meister presents a funny set of circumstances at the Algonquin Hotel in New York where Mrs. Parker is a haunting the bar as a way of telling about her life and personality. I am enjoying the read, and also noticing what a great device a ghost is to frame a story about anyone in history. I am planning to try it with some of my dead ancestors.
Dorothy Parker Drank Here
My poetry is chugging along, which I think is an accomplishment. I write almost every day, and expand my subject matter horizons. When I began this adventure I wanted to warm up and work on poetry for a better outcome in this year’s Poetry Month, NaPoWriMo challenge. I feel ready and able to write a poem every day in April, and I am now in the practice of illustrating what I post. I am proud to have developed this habit. It has no unwanted side effects, and I think I can only improve as I practice. Sometimes the inspiration comes from what I am thinking or doing in life, and other times it comes from some distant part of the universe. It always feels good to hit publish. To be in the company of writers is a honor and a privilege I appreciate. Check out my fellow writers and their adventures here.
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