OctPoWriMo 8 - Scent

Prompt: scent
Form: sonnet

Scent

Roses blooming in the summer rain
And coffee brewing just before the dawn;
A mug of steaming chocolate keeps me sane
When flowers, kittens, raindrops all are gone.

A turkey roasting and a pumpkin pie,
Bacon frying, pine logs in the stove.
Forests, rivers, mountains soothe my eye;
My nose prefers mint, cinnamon, and cloves.

When I’m feeling sad or lost or blue
I remember all my favourite things:
A whiff of favoured smell can bring me through
And lift me up on reminiscent wings.

If I were blind and deaf I’d be content,
But I could not enjoy life without scent.

OctPoWriMo 1 - Change My Mind

Today's prompt is "Dark Night of the Soul." There is no suggested form, so I chose one of my favourites, the English sonnet.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Change My Mind

I look for myself in Mom, in Dad, in friends;
I look for myself in art, in love, in God;
But all I find is bits of odds and ends.
Is there a me? Or am I just a fraud?

And yet, each piece I find is part of me
And, piece by piece, I fit myself together
Just like a jigsaw puzzle, and I see
Some pieces join to be, not whole, but closer.

The dark night of my soul is when I find
A portion of the picture is something
That I don’t want to be. And yet my mind
Is mine. So this is me, despite the sting.

If I accept and integrate that part,
And change my mind, then I can change my heart.

Love Is...

Love is the beginning and the end:
All the Law and Prophets hang on that.
Without love, it’s all a vast pretend:
Clanging cymbals, nothing, falling flat.

Love is the foundation and the peak:
Never failing, always hoping, sure.
All you need, and everything you seek;
In the arms of love you are secure.

Love was, and is, and is to come again.
Faith and hope abide, but love has won;
Kind and patient, over all love reigns,
Bows its head and whispers, “It is done.”

Love is father, mother, lover, friend;
Love is love and it will never end.

OctPoWriMo 17 - Savoury

Today's prompt is savoury, and the suggested form is the sonnet. This is my favourite poetry form, and I love writing them. However, most of my sonnets are serious, while today I decided to be a bit silly. It's still true, though. I do like savoury better than sweet.

Savoury

I’m not a fan of super sweet confections,
I don’t really care ‘bout cake and pie,
I don’t hold for sugar much affection,
It takes so little sweets to satisfy,
But if you give me french fries, cheese, and meat,
Potato chips and popcorn: salty things,
I have a tendency to overeat,
Especially with spice to give a zing.
I’d rather eat my dinner than dessert;
Savoury will always be my pick.
And now you know the map into my heart:
Some fat, some spice, and maybe a salt lick.
Bacon is my favourite of all—
Along with spaghetti and meatballs.

Steak sandwich: yum

OctPoWriMo 22 - Shadows of Anger and Fear

I couldn't get inspired by today's prompt, so I used yesterday's Wednesday Poetry Prompt from Writer's Digest, and wrote a sonnet about Star Wars. I am so excited about the new film coming. I've been watching the trailer over and over.

Shadows of Anger and Fear

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away,
The shadows of anger and fear grew strong and bold.
The stories are true: it’s us who saved the day,
Took down the Sith, refused to be controlled.

We lost our homes, we lost our families,
We lost so much, we vowed we’d lose no more,
We’d never live our lives upon our knees,
So we took up our arms and went to war.

Among the stars, he faced his destiny—
A choice between what’s right and what’s easy—
And chose the path of light, chose to be free,
And showed us all what love can truly be.

Though darkness had his father’s soul enslaved,
‘Twas love that gave his son the pow’r to save.

OctPoWriMo 16 - I Never Miss

Today's prompt is "Once upon a time..." (The beginning of a story, not the television show.) We were asked to tell a story with a poem, so I was going to use the ballad form since it lends itself so well to epic tales. However, this particular story wanted to be a sonnet. So a sonnet it is.

I Never Miss

Once upon a time there was a girl

Who knew no equal on the battlefield.

She lived for battle singing in her bones;

Before her, almost anything would yield.

A foe defeated sent a man to kill her:

An archer who had never missed a shot.

He made a different call and then he joined her;

Together, they unwound the villain’s plot.

Now, they take out all who come against them;

They never shall be parted until death.

Two warriors against the world they stand

Until the day they breathe their final breath.

When others ask him how he stole a kiss,

He smiles and only says, “I never miss.”

OctPoWriMo 17 - Lord of the Rings Online

Today's prompt asks us to think about games we have played or still play. My favourite game is Lord of the Rings Online (LotRO). It's a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) based on Tolkien's worlds of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. I wrote an English sonnet on my experiences within the vast world of LotRO.

The Last Homely House in Rivendell

The Lord of the Rings Online

Through Michel Delving, on to Hobbiton,
And up the Hill to see the Party Tree—
Without a mount, it’s quite a way to run,
And rented horses certainly aren’t free.

Once I buy a horse, I ride to Bree;
Such a pretty town, though like a maze.
I play my lute outside the Prancing Pony
And wander through the twisted, winding ways.

And then, I find my way to Rivendell,
Riding through the Trollshaws’ red and gold.
My favourite place, for it is always Fall.
And then, over the Misty Mountains cold.

I speak to Gandalf, Aragorn, and Sam.
I ride with Hobbit, Elf, and Dwarf, and Man.

At the Party Tree in Hobbiton

Playing my lute in Breetown

OctPoWriMo 31 - Quietly Give up the Light

For my final OctPoWriMo post this year, I had to try a Shadow Sonnet. I think it's appropriate today.

Quietly Give up the Light

Bite me, oh dark one; my love, I long for your bite.

Give me your blood, and my soul to you I will give.
Night falls around us, but you are one with the night.
Live you may not, but together forever we’ll live.

Hold me, oh dark one; I’m yours to have and to hold.
Fill me with fire until I have had my fill;
Cold is your skin, but soon I won’t feel the cold.
Still I will love you even when my heart is still.

To my friends I’ll be dead; to my family I’ll be dead too.
Will I miss them? You know, I believe that I will.
You’ll be my family; my only friend will be you.
So much that I have I will lose: I know it is so.

Might I forget the pain in my newfound might.
Light up my heart as I quietly give up the light.

OctPoWriMo 10 - Mornings

Just five more minutes, Mom. I will awake

In time to eat and brush my teeth, I swear.

Aw, come on. Why can’t I get a break?

I want to sleep some more. It isn’t fair!

Hit snooze and snooze again just one more time;

My bed so soft and warm I hate to rise.

I hate nothing like I hate that chime

That calls me to be healthy, wealthy, and wise.

I sometimes like to rise before the sun,

To sit in quiet while all others sleep,

And not to think of what needs to be done,

To pray the peace I find then I can keep.

But most days, coffee is my closest friend.

I wish my sleep would never have to end.

OctPoWriMo 1 - New Moon

What is it that makes a new moon “new”?
Is it like the first page of a book,
Before the story starts, before “Page 1,”
That blank white sheet it seems words have forsook?

Or maybe it’s the writer’s blank notebook
Ready for adventures to begin,
Waiting for the pen to start the tale
Of love and loss and epic fights to win.

And at the end when all is said and done
The full moon fills the nighttime sky with light,
The story fills the heart and soul with joy,
And for a fleeting moment, all is right.

But then the cycle must needs start anew:
The moon will wane; the joy will fade too.