In the Beginning

Image courtesy Pixabay

God created the heavens and the earth
And everything in between;
The evening and the morning
And the expanse of day and night,
The dry land and the seas,
And He stretched the shoreline in between.
He made the sun and the moon,
And He placed the stars upon the sky.
And He made male and female
And everything in between.

I Did Not Impress

I met a girl so beautiful
My voice caught in my chest,
Tangled in my breath.
I was all a mess;
I did not impress.

I met a man so beautiful
Words could not express.
Again, I lost my breath.
I was all a mess;
I did not impress.

Golden Leaves

Softly falling quiet snow
Dancing, swirling all around
Piling up upon the ground
Lightly falling gentle rain
Washing snow and ice away
Puddles where the children play
Sweetly falling flower petals
Filling all the air with scent
Heat and spice makes us content
Gently falling golden leaves
Bringing in my favourite time
Inspiring my heart to rhyme

Thank You

Yesterday, someone replied to a comment I had left on an online article. They made huge, erroneous assumptions about me; insulted me; and swore at me. After my initial horrified, angry reaction where I kinda wanted to yell back, I realized that it just wasn't worth it. So I wrote this instead.

Thank You

Thank you for reminding me
How vile people can be.
How some, no matter what, will choose
To merely shout abuse.

Understanding, compromise,
And kindness they despise.
Also, logic, facts, and proof;
They think they know all truth.

Thank you. I remember now
And I will not allow
Myself to waste my energy.
Blocked. Bye bye.

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 21 - In My Nature

Today's prompt is nature, and the suggested form is the terzanelle. As I often do, I went a bit off the rails; instead of talking about trees and water and whatnot, I talked about my nature. This led me into a topic that has been on my mind and heart a lot lately, and I kinda got a bit angry. 

Disclaimer: I am a Christian, but I feel like I have to call out some of my fellow Christians for the hateful things they sometimes say and do.

In My Nature

It’s not in my nature to hate anyone.
Love is love and love will win.
Why can’t we all just live in the sun?
Condemned to hell for mortal sin:
Can’t you see how you push them away?
Huddled together, looking within,
In your ivory towers you watch and pray,
Hiding away from the world outside,
Avoiding the cooties you see on the “gays.”
Don’t you remember for whom Jesus died?
Not only you and your churchgoing friends;
God loves us all; you don’t get to decide.
You probably think that I’m wrong to defend
Those who are “sinners” in your eyes.
Don’t fool yourself: I know you pretend
That you’re better than everyone you despise.
Brothers and sisters, I know those are lies.
“Love the sinner,” and yet you shun.
I’m so tired of hatred; I am so done.

OctPoWriMo 20 - Stark and Severe

The prompt today is white, and the suggested form is the tetractys. When we in the West think of white, we usually think of purity and innocence, brides and christening gowns. But white is also snow and ice and emptiness. The empty page can be possibilities or writers' block. White can be a negative colour too.

Stark and Severe

Cold
And clear
Deathly pale
Stark and severe
White is not always only positive

OctPoWriMo 19 - Ode to a Tree

The prompt today is tree, and the suggested poetry type is ode, which isn't a form at all, but a generic catch-all term for a poem that is written in praise of something or someone. While thinking about what to write, the song Snowbird by Anne Murray started running through my head, so I decided to use its rhyme and rhythm for my poem today.

Ode to a Tree

Beneath your leafy branches full and broad,

I stand with face uplifted for my heart is truly awed

By everything you do and all you are

For I am certain that you truly are a superstar.

When I was young, I climbed among your boughs

And, snuggled in your grasp, I felt safe enough to drowse.

Today I wish that I could once again

Ascend among your branches to a place where I remain.

Spread your branches sweeping over me,

And let me hide for just a while from harsh reality.

The days are speeding ever swiftly by,

And if I could, I’d love to stay and watch the world rush by.

OctPoWriMo 18 - Dancing on the Clouds

Free verse is simultaneously the easiest and most difficult form. With no set rhyme or metre, the poet can go anywhere, write anything. And there is the difficulty. I find the strictures of a form help to sharpen my focus, while free verse leaves me flailing. I used to write a lot of free verse, but it's been a while.

Today's prompt is senseless, and the suggested form is free verse, so I gave it a try. I thought about writing of things that make no sense, but then I decided to just do a nonsense poem. I've written a couple of these before, but people always find meaning in them that I never meant to include, so we'll see. Here's a poem that makes no sense at all.

Dancing on the Clouds

Give me your hand
And
We will walk together
Wading through the deep
Swimming in the sky
Loving one another
‘Til a’ the seas gang dry
And melting rocks
And melting clocks
Will mark our time together
Forever

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 16 - Always Moving Forward

All the shows I've been watching lately seem to have the same theme. On Arrow, Oliver remembered his friend telling him about how the shark will die if it ever stops swimming. On The Flash, Barry learned that going backward will ruin his life. On Supergirl, Kara discovered where she wants to go and how to move forward. On Luke Cage, Pop gave Luke the advice: always forward. I think someone is trying to tell me something.

Today's prompt is in-depth, and the suggested form is the nonet. I was thinking about always moving forward, and about how we cannot see what is under the surface of deep waters, and somehow, it became a double nonet, or a reflection, or an iceberg lurking in the depths.

Always Moving Forward

We must never stop and sit inert

Should continue moving forward

Like a stream flowing onward

On toward the ocean

Never ending life

Hope forever

Always on

Forward

Now

Deep

Below

The surface

Always moving

Even in winter

When ice freezes over

The river will never stop

Even though we cannot see it

Always moving—it will never stop

OctPoWriMo 15 - Autumn Begins

Today's prompt is blue, and the suggested form is Musette. I have never written one before, so this was a lot of fun. I decided to talk about this time of year, since it is my favourite season, and blue does make me think of falling temperatures. Even though orange, red, and brown are more the colours I think of for Fall.

I took this picture a week or so ago in my front yard

Autumn Begins

A chill
Over my skin—
I thrill.

It’s Fall;
Autumn begins:
Enthrall.

I feel
Like I will win.
Ideal.

OctPoWriMo 14 - Screaming at a Wall

Today's prompt is shameful, and the suggested form is the Villanelle. I love this form and the prompt really resonated with me today. Lately, I have been feeling a lot of frustration over the shameful behaviour of someone whom some of my friends still blindly support. I have gotten into a lot of arguments on Facebook over the last few weeks.

Screaming at a Wall

Sometimes it feels like might makes right
And I am screaming at a wall—
Still I rage against the coming night.

Their arguments all seem so trite,
Caught up in their leader’s thrall:
Sometimes it feels like might makes right.

I kick, I shout, I punch, I bite;
This has devolved into a brawl.
Still I rage against the coming night

He’s not able to be contrite:
A swaggering neanderthal.
Sometimes it feels like might makes right.

I no longer am polite
To their unmitigated gall.
Still I rage against the coming night

I will not give up the fight;
Pride will surely make him fall.
Sometimes it feels like might makes right;
Still I rage against the coming night.

OctPoWriMo 13 - Go

Today's prompt is flow, and I took it in a little different direction. Instead of thinking about less struggle and more flow, and I kinda went completely the other way. Ooops.

Go

Go with the flow
Don’t rock the status quo
No
You’ll never shine if you don’t glow
So go
Take the throw
You know
You will grow
If you don’t tiptoe
So be a tornado
Be a torpedo
Just go

OctPoWriMo 12 - Sing of Care

Today's prompt is strong. I decided to challenge myself today. I really love the Blitz poem form, but I've written so many of them they're kind of getting easy. So I wrote a rhyming Blitz poem today. It was a lot of fun, and I think the lines flow even more quickly and smoothly than in a non-rhyming Blitz.

Sing of Care

Hear me roar
Hear me sing
Sing of war
Sing of flying
Flying far
Flying high
High until I touch a star
High and loud my battle cry
Cry at night upon my bed
Cry until my eyes are red
Red the blood of angry men
Red a world about to dawn
Dawn the sun will rise again
Dawn the night is gone
Gone is dark and cold
Gone are dreams and goals
Goals have changed
Goals now exchanged
Exchanged for better things
Exchanged and gained
Gained now are my wings
Gained where once was chained
Chained and weighted down
Chained no longer now
Now I wear a crown
Now I do not bow
Bow only to pray
Bow not to men
Men will all betray
Men and also women
Women are the same
Women share the blame
Blame gets tossed around
Blame will help no one
One way we can be found
One way we can outrun
Outrun our weakened flesh
Outrun and find our home
Home where we’re refreshed
Home no more to roam
Roaming is a chore
Roam the wilds no more
More time to rest
More love to share
Share your best
Share and care
Caring is strong
Care will be your song
Strong...
Song...

OctPoWriMo 11 - Feisty Quiet

Today's prompt is lively and the suggested form is acrostic. I've always loved writing acrostics. I looked at the list of words given on the prompt page—spirited, gutsy, determined, feisty, zealous—and most of my acquaintances would say that none of them describe me at all. I am famous for being very quiet and introverted. My closest friends and family would know that I can be all of the above, however, if the right circumstances are met.

Feisty Quiet

Family know I can be spirited;
Everyone else thinks I’m always composed.
Inside my soul,
Searing control
Takes all of
Your anger transposed.

Quickly I go
Under the deeps,
Into my head,
Ever to keep
To myself.

OctPoWriMo 10 - I Thank My God for Life and Breath

Today's prompt is unfolded, and the suggested form is the Wrapped Refrain. Since today is Thanksgiving Monday in Canada, I chose to write about that instead of the prompt. I have so much to be thankful for, and one day a year is hardly sufficient to remind me. Sometimes I simply have to stop and breathe because I am so thankful that I have breath. Without life, I could not be thankful for anything else.

I Thank My God for Life and Breath

I thank my God He gave me life.
I have so much, my world is rife
With blessings I cannot contain.
I know my life He will sustain.
To see His hand of mercy often leaves me awed;
I bow my head and close my eyes: I thank my God.

For life and breath and everything,
He’s given me reason to sing.
In all my days I will rejoice
For I will always have a choice.
I will be thankful ‘til the moment of my death
For love and joy, for family, for life and breath.

OctPoWriMo 9 - Don't Want to Fight

I've already written a Cascade this month, but I love the form. I decided to make it a bit more challenging today, so I added rhyme. The prompt 'spiral' is cool, and I would have done it if not for something weighing on my mind. We hosted Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, and a family member made a homophobic comment that really bothered me. I'm not going to get into the details, but I had to write about it.

Don't Want to Fight

Her words are ignorant and rude
I bite my tongue and look away
I don’t want to fight today

She would think I’d gone astray
If I told her with “attitude”
Her words are ignorant and rude

And so, I focus on my food
No matter what I want to say
I bite my tongue and look away

Perhaps I’m lacking fortitude
My heart betrayed, full of dismay
But I don’t want to fight today

OctPoWriMo 8 - Be Brave

Today's prompt is porous. On the prompt page it says we don't have to use the word in our poem, but "it's about where the word takes you." Then they give the dictionary definition, which includes "permeable to outside influences." This got me thinking about being influenced by others, standing strong in who I am, being brave. This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately. In my real life, there are only two people who really and truly know me: my husband and my sister. They know everything about me, while my other friends and family know different levels of who I am, but not the whole picture. I don't know if this will ever change, or if it should change. But sometimes I kind of wish I could be brave and just show the world who I really am.

I used the suggested form today: the Rispetto. It was a lot of fun to write and what I wanted to say fit perfectly into the rhyme and metre.

Be Brave

“Be yourself! Be real! Be true!
Stand up tall! Be brave! Be strong!
Let me see the honest you
Singing, shouting out your song.”

I smile and nod, and yet, I hide
I don’t (yet?) have enough pride.
I’m afraid to let you see
Everything inside of me.

OctPoWriMo 7 - See the Voice

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:8

Today's prompt is taste and the suggested form is the Rondel. The above verse has always been one of my favourites and it was the first thing that came to mind. I have always loved the idea of tasting to see something. I am not synesthetic, but as a poet, I like to imagine how a colour might sound or a sunset might taste. And the idea of tasting God is a fascinating one. I would almost call it irreverent if it wasn't right there in the Bible.

See the Voice

Oh, taste and see the voice you feel
Singing softly in your soul
Sweetly, gently, He cajoles
All you have to do is kneel

Bring your hurts to Him to heal
He will mend and make you whole
Oh, taste and see the voice you feel
Singing softly in your soul

Hear the singing, ringing peal
Read the words upon the scroll
Surrender to His kind control
Sit back and let Him take the wheel
Oh, taste and see the voice you feel