OctPoWriMo 31 - Halloween

Today is the last day of October and the last day of OctPoWriMo 2014. It's also Halloween. I'm skipping the prompt, because I talked about what this year's challenge was like for me yesterday.

Halloween

Masks disguising friends and strangers;

Everyone is someone else.

Candy given out to children;

Everyone is generous.

OctPoWriMo 30 - The Day Before

This is the penultimate day of OctPoWriMo 2014. Tomorrow, I will write my last poem this month. This is the third year I have done this, and this has been my favourite year. The prompts were great this year; I think I passed on the prompt only 2 or 3 times. Today's prompt is perfect for the second-to-last day of the challenge.

The Day Before

I knew my life would change;

But I did not know how

The day before.

Nothing would be the same.

I saw it only faintly

The day before.

We never know tomorrow.

Today will always be

The day before.

Give Up the Light

I finally did it. I've been saying for years that I am going to put together a collection of the poetry I've written about vampires and the like, and I finally did it, just in time for Halloween.

If you like creepy, spine-chilling verse, this is the book for you. There are tales here of love that reaches beyond the grave; there are terrifying, twisted, and even comical poems that are perfect for reading on a dark and stormy night with the lights out.

Add it to your Goodreads.

Purchase it on Smashwords.

Purchase it on Amazon: US | Canada | UK

See my other books on Goodreads.

OctPoWriMo 29 - All I Need

Today's prompt is our own personal love story. This ballad is dedicated to my husband Mark.

All I Need

Romeo and Juliet

Were really rather blind.

David and his stolen queen

Had no peace of mind.

Cleopatra never knew

The joy of growing old.

Lancelot and Guinevere

Made Arthur a cuckold.

You and I will never be

An epic tale of love;

I don’t care, for what we have

Is greater than above.

We don’t need poison, lies, and murder

For drama in our life.

All I need from you, my love,

Is to be your wife.

OctPoWriMo 28 - For the Light

Today's prompt is hunger. I'm putting together a book of poems about vampires and other creatures of the night, so that's been on my mind.

For the Light

Now I hunger for the light;

As darkness gathers all around me

Here I stand in deepest night.

Once, this all was my delight;

Once, I thought that I was free.

Now I hunger for the light.

I remember day so bright

I sheltered ‘neath the rowan tree.

Now, here I stand in deepest night.

Sky of blue and clouds of white

Nevermore my eyes shall see;

And now I hunger for the light.

Only shadows in my sight

And the moon glows oh so faintly

While here I stand in deepest night.

I chose the night, became the fright;

Before me all shall flee...

And yet, I hunger for the light

As here I stand in deepest night.

OctPoWriMo 27 - Sleep

I love and hate today's prompt. Sleep is something I have always spent too much time with—I used to be the teenager (and young adult) who would sleep past noon on my days off. For the past few years, though, I have not been able to sleep past 8am on any day, or I will get very sick: headachey and nauseated. On workdays, I get up at 5:30 or 6am, but I still need somewhere between 8 and 9 hours of sleep to function. Because of this, I go to bed no later than 9:30pm, but I'm still tired all the time.

One of my favourite songs is Riley Armstrong's Sleep. I took inspiration from this song for today's poem.

Sleep

So tired all the time—

I never get enough

Sleep.

Wake up; roll out of bed—

I want to go back to

Sleep.

Sometimes, it seems a waste:

I want to write, but I need

Sleep.

Early to bed, and yet

Morning’s too soon; I just want

Sleep.

Hold me close; take me.

I love you and I hate you,

Sleep.

OctPoWriMo 26 - Never Fear

Today's prompt is fear. I wrote this in church this morning.

Never Fear

Guns and bombs and storms and quakes—

We hear of these and we all shake.

War and terror bringing fear,

All the bad news that we hear,

None of it should make me worry

For He will always walk beside me.

With His help, I will find

Power, love, and steady mind.

Within His shadow I can hide;

Beneath His wings I will abide.

I will never have to fear

For He will always keep me near.

OctPoWriMo 25 - Unseen yet Alive

Today's prompt is magic, and one of my favourite poems is Leonard Cohen's "God is Alive, Magic is Afoot,' which reminds me of the blitz form with some variations. So I wrote a blitz poem inspired by it.

Unseen yet Alive

Magic is alive

Magic is believing

Believing in the unseen

Believing you can fly

Fly me to the moon

Fly, fly away

Away from all my problems

Away from all my troubles

Troubles follow me

Troubles help me see

See what is important

See the magic

Magic kingdom

Magic gathering

Gathering together

Gathering the hunt

Hunt for red October

Hunt the dragon

Dragon heart of fire

Dragon heart of flame

Flame that burns so brightly

Flame that lights the night

Night of wondrous beauty

Night of mist and shadows

Shadows reaching for me

Shadows flee the light

Light of wonder

Light of love

Love is all you need

Love is magic

Magic is afoot

Magic’s in the air

Air is all around us

Air, water, fire

Fire, water, earth

Fire, earth, water

Water falling softly

Water rolling waves

Waves of rolling billows

Wave goodbye

Goodbye to you

Goodbye to yesterday

Yesterday I heard the rain

Yesterday I knew the song

Song of love

Song of magic

Magic is alive

Magic is afoot

Afoot…

Alive...

OctPoWriMo 24 - Critique?

Today, we were asked to think about reality TV competition shows, and how wonderful it would be to have one for poetry. My favourite is The Voice and, while I would love a competition show for poets, I really don't think we've thought this through. How many of you really want someone judging and critiquing your work? I would find it helpful, but I have a feeling that I'm in the minority. Which leads me to my poem today.

Critique?

Judge my writing; rhyme and metre;

Give me honest feedback.

Show me how to make it better;

I’m looking for a teacher.

Poets often can be thin-skinned;

We don’t take crit well.

Let me positively spin it:

We have a fragile shell.

I would rather be an artist

Who learns from others’ comments,

Who doesn’t feel that I’m a target

For all my work is flawless.

OctPoWriMo 23 - Killed in the Line of Duty

If you follow the news, you probably have heard of the shooting on Canada's Parliament Hill in our capital city of Ottawa. It's terrifying, because things like this just don't happen in our "nice" country. But today, I want to focus on the man who stood guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The post is an honour given to members of the Canadian military and reserves. The guards are ceremonial, and don't carry loaded weapons, so couldn't defend themselves by returning fire. Corporal Nathan Cirillo of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders reserve regiment was killed. RIP, Cpl Cirillo.

Killed in the Line of Duty

He guarded the tomb of the unknown soldier;

His name will be remembered.

A soldier, a father, an animal lover:

He left us too soon.

OctPoWriMo 22 - No Mic

I don't have a mic
So I can't record a poem.
I wish that I could.

OctPoWriMo 21 - Fingerprints

Today's prompt is fingerprints, handprints, or footprints. We were asked to think about where we have left our mark.

Fingerprints

What have I touched as I walk through this world?

What has my life affected?

How many wonderful things unheard

I have never suspected?

When my time on this earth is done

I want to see them all:

The good and the bad, every one,

The big and even the small.

OctPoWriMo 20 - Hurry, Hurry, Hurry

Today's prompt is late. As in, "better late than never," or the anxiety of being late. I'm usually the eager beaver who shows up to everything early, so I wrote about the anxiety of waiting for others, the ones who show up late.

Hurry, Hurry, Hurry

I admit I hate to wait;

I am often early.

Others who are always late

Cause me to feel surly.

And yet this life is way too short

To throw away on worry.

There is much of more import

Than hurry, hurry, hurry.

OctPoWriMo 19 - Rain

Today, we were asked to write of rain. I loved this prompt since I adore thunderstorms. My favourite camping memory is sleeping in a tent in the middle of a thunderstorm.

Rain

Gentle showers coming down,

Droplets dampening the ground,

Lightning flashes all around,

Thunder is the only sound,

And now the earth is fully drowned.

OctPoWriMo 18 - Slowly Spinning

Like yesterday, today's prompt is found poetry. Most specifically, newspaper blackout poetry. I have no newspapers, so I took a screenshot of a story I wrote and blacked it out in Paint.

OctPoWriMo 17 - Sweet Music

Today's prompt was about found poetry: collected words from newspapers or magazines, magnetic poetry, etc. I elected to use the online magnetic poetry kit. I found it quite a challenge as a lot of the words given are erotic in some way, and I had other plans. After a bit of playing and moving tiles around (and a lot of clicking on the "More Words" button, I am satisfied with the result.

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 15 - Almost

Today's prompt asks us to think about the word halfway. This led me to the word almost, which some have said is the saddest word in the English language. I think it depends on your point of view.

Almost

Halfway up or halfway down?

Halfway there or halfway gone?

Not good enough or close enough?

Almost.

I’m almost there.

I almost won.

I’m almost done.

Almost.

OctPoWriMo 14 - Cheese

Today's prompt offered several quotes from poets past. I chose G.K. Chesterton: "Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese." I did actually write a trochaic tetrameter that mentions cheese before, but I decided to throw together another one today.

Cheese

I have written of cheese before;

I will write of cheese again:

Cheese and bacon—I want more!

Whoops! My diet’s down the drain.

Cheez Whiz? Never! Icky stuff.

All my dairy must be real.

Now I guess I’ve had enough,

Just until another meal.

OctPoWriMo 13 - Palate Palette

Today's prompt is colours. I believe that all (or nearly all) of us are at least a little synaesthetic. You may not physically taste a colour when you see it, but if I was to say that something 'tastes green,' you could probably guess what I mean. I don't have extreme synaesthesia myself, but I find the senses overlapping in my thoughts and in my writing. So I decided to play with that, and also with the homophones 'palate' and 'palette.'

Palate Palette

Red is fire

Hot and sweet

Cinnamon and cayenne

Yellow’s sharp

Warm and tart

Cheeses, bread, and lemon

Green is gentle

Cool and fresh

Celery and cabbage

Feel and taste

Hear and smell

See and know

Colours

OctPoWriMo 12 - Desire

Today's prompt is desire. I wrote this in church this morning.

Desire

Deep within me burns a fire,

Everlasting, strong desire.

Surrender to the raging flame,

I will never be the same.

Rain and wind inside my soul,

Ever storming, ever whole.

OctPoWriMo 11 - The Other Side of Love

Today's prompt asks us to write about "creating a better world for children."

The Other Side of Love

All life is of value

No matter age or size;

You can see the wonder

Reflected in their eyes.

Before you were considered,

The Father knew your name.

He will never leave you;

He loves us all the same.

Anyone who injures

A child of God above

Will learn, to their dismay,

The other side of love.

OctPoWriMo 10 - So sick

I am so sick today. I spent the whole day in bed, but then I really didn't want to miss a day of poetry, so I put together a haiku. I didn't follow the prompt.

So Sick

My head is floating

I spent the whole day in bed

So sick I can’t breathe