Weekly Poem Challenge

[Tinker]

Day 13

Notes: ▼ Theme: Put someone on 'the naughty list' and tell us why. NO SPECIFIC NAMES, not even names like wife, daughter, friend, spouse, aunt, uncle, cousin or man at the corner. Him, her, she, he etc. are fine.

Words to use: coal, flamingo, list, naughty, why, mayhem,something 'deleted' as in crossed out.
Words forbidden: Any identifying names, (to protect the guilty and/or the indignant)
Additional parameters: Rhyming,

Unlikeable

He sat there, slumped,
arms crossed in petulant pose
among dignified leaders
to honor a great man in repose.

Clearly he'd rather be off
playing golf in flamingo land
or creating mayhem for coal miners,
or to be anywhere he can grandstand.

I'm reluctant to deem him damned,
his office demands our respect.
Why, some supporters are my friends,
but for me it's hard to connect.

I wonder when it is all over and done
will he be on the naughty or nice
list. Only history will tell.
Perhaps the FBI will investigate check it twice.
                               ~~Judi Van Gorder

[Tinker]

Day 14

Notes: ▼

December 6, 2018 at 8:49am Preview:
Theme: Colors
Words to use: Minimum of five colors used in new connotations. Use at least one other sense besides sight.
Forbidden words: the
At least 24 lines, free verse - rather than highlight your colors in green (per usual) list them after your poem.

Rainbow of Possibilities

Waking light
fills my rose dusk mind
with golden thoughts.
I see familiar tree tops
change to forest towers
and open sky
becomes a wash
of powder blue possibilities.
Prinked by prompts
and bold “must does”
I begin my day.

I flip on TV
for company
and see
a starburst
stained glass window
beaming down
a rainbow welcome
upon
a simple casket,
wrapped in
red, white and blue,
remembering
a life
and mourning
a loss
of a president.

His sage legacy
is a reminder
to live
with love and respect.
Today I strike
a candle to join
your "thousand points
of light".
George Herbert Walker Bush,
Thank you for your brilliant service.
                 ~~Judi Van Gorder

37 Lines
Colors used, rose, golden, forest, powder blue, red, white, blue, sage, (and maybe "rainbow"}

[Tinker]

Notes: ▼

Onomatopoeia

The Day Begins

Rat-a-tat-tat, Rat-a-tat-tat
you might think it a kettle drum.
Rat-a-tat-tat, Rat-a-tat-tat
No, it’s the sound of the rain,
waking me this bleak morning.
Rat a-tat-tat.

Pa-dump pa-dump, pa-dump,
the kitty gallops through the house
Pa-dump pa-dump, pa-dump
jacked by the cold and ready to play,
running so fast she slammed into a wall.
Clunk! Pa-dump pa-dump,

Shuuuuuuuu-uuuuuuu
the heater kicks on to warm the room
Shuuuuuuuu-uuuuuuu
I have no idea why that thing is so noisy.
Until it does it’s job I’ll stay right here
in the rustle of my sheets
snuggled and entertained by the cat.
                  ~~~~ Judi Van Gorder

[Tinker]

Day 15
Theme: Pick a snack or some kind of food you love that you CANNOT get where you are. A friend calls on her way to get herself some of what ever it is and now you really want some too.
Words to use: NOW!, mean, slime.
Forbidden words: ANY KIND OF FOOD.
Additional parameters: Title of poem is the specific food. (ONLY place you can use any type of food word.) At least 16 lines.

Taquerìa Tacos

Oh yes,
 there are many others
but only one hole in the wall,
So Cal, cocinero
can create them
mean and lean.

Fire on my tongue,
addicting, leaving me
craving more.

Not now,
but when I head south again,
You will be sure to find me
standing in line to place my order.

Taste of Mexico,
no slime, just succulent freshness
that awakens every taste bud
with fireworks!
          Olè!
                  ~~Judi Van Gorder

[Tinker]

Day 16

Theme: Time - we all need more, but supposing someone 'gave' you a moment? Pick a period of time: a moment, a quarter of an hour, a day, an hour, decade, eon, month, etc.. What would you/could you do with it? Or maybe when would you get it? Fun or get chore caught up? All sorts of possibilities!

Words to use: your selected amount of time, plus four (min) other units of time.

Title your poem your chosen unit of time.

Forbidden words: None today 🙂

Additional parameters: None sp;

A Lifetime

[Tinker]

Notes: ▼
Prompt for: December 9, 2018 (Ren) "Day 17 " Subject or Theme: Holidays make us miss someone or appreciate someone more. Your poem must include 5 of these 10 lines that are from songs on my current playlist:

if you're gonna break my heart just break it
play me close
27 blocks to go
I'm not made out of steel
everywhere I go I see your face
this is perfect baby
I still see you
you're running out of time
just another ex-love you don't wanna see
looking like a princess
I need more hours with you
you love me now and I feel the same way
I got this feeling inside my bones
baby shark

Word(s) to Include: at least 5 of the lines above - please list the ones you used at the bottom in a note.(tense can be changed, but nothing else!) Forbidden Word(s): (none) (or any derivatives of these words)
Additional Parameters: Can be serious or humorous...24 lines minimum Remember, do not use forbidden words ANYWHERE, including title or the brief description.

I'll Miss You

Tears held in check
       a battle rages inside,
anger and sadness war.
"I’m not made out of steel"
"If you’re going
           to break my heart,
                      just break it"
and still I'll miss you.

"You’re running out of time"
To salvage any hope
              of Christmas past,
the laughter gone.
"I got this feeling
            inside my bones"
we end now 
and I'll miss you.

"Everywhere I go
            I see your face"
Your taunting words
           ring in my ears.
I will be happier
          without your venom.
and still I'll fondly
         remember better times
and I'll miss you.
                    ~~Judi Van Gorder

25 Lines
Lines used from playlist highlighted in green

[Tinker]

Notes: ▼

"Day 18" Theme: Christmas - any aspect thereof
Words to use: palpable, replete, whisper, symbol
Forbidden words: the, of, a, for, an, to, I, you, me, from, in, and
 
Hush He's Sleeping
Tanka

[Tinker]

Notes: ▼

"Day 19 - "
Theme: Currier & Ives Christmas. Write a rhyming poem that takes us back in time to a Currier & Ives kind of Christmas. (Google Currier & Ives if you aren't familiar with them.) Think simpler times, family oriented. Togetherness. No cell phones, video games or TV.

Words to use: harness, candle, envelope, stick
Forbidden words: auto, car, TV, cellphone, video, computer, internet,

For some reason, these prompts bring out my dark side.

Picture Perfect Christmas

 Frosty snowbound village
with garland all around
cozy candle lit cottages
where love of family abounds.

Enveloped in Christmases of old
were homemade gifts and sweets
and sleigh bells in the narrow streets.
Holiday sights and sounds untold.

Every person went to church
Currier and Ives sold a brand
A cardinal watches from his perch.
Were things really all that grand?

Kids enjoyed a sticky taffy pull
and snow ball fights for sure
a practice still secure
and on the farm, dared tip a bull.

A well worn harness hangs
on the rustic stable wall
next to the old mare’s stall,
there’s pens to muck before supper clangs.

Nostalgia for the good old days
when life was simpler then
you know, "Good will to men" when
seen through a rosy haze.

No people of color do you see
or derelicts, drunks or gays.
They don’t fit this idealic way
around the Victorian tree.

The truth is life was hard
in this picture perfect note
and women couldn’t even vote
when grandma cooked with lard.
                  ~~Judi Van Gorder

[Tinker]

Ring Joyful
Form used, Glosa

"day 20" Theme: Bells. Could be bells or belles. Door bells, church bells, 'with bells on,' --any kind of bells--but used in conjunction with Christmas
Required words: stargazing, meander, etiquette, break, jump, ring.
Forbidden words: fly, wing, chime.
Additional parameters: any form (state form with link to how that form works) as long as it is at least 24 lines long. (Do a double or triple if necessary!)

[Tinker]

Notes: ▼

Day 21 Theme: Anniversary. Write about 'an' anniversary...any kind of anniversary... 3rd Christmas together, wedding, a wdc anniversary … perhaps a cancer free date or x years at a job.
Words to use: the year of the anniversary and what it is.
Forbidden words: All words are good because each scenario is different.
Additional parameters: At least 40 lines. Make us want to go 'awww...sniff...smile'

Happy Anniversary Babe

It was just a couple
of weeks ago,
November 30, 2018
we celebrated
our wedding anniversary,
well sort of.

It was a quiet
celebration
just the two of us.
It had rained
all day,
I had to go
into the office
so I was tired.
Bob said we
should go out
for dinner
but I didn't
want to.
So we stayed in,
it was a night
like most every other
night.

A far cry
from 55 years ago,
1963,
and the hustle and bustle
of a formal wedding.
I say that quite
literally,
my slipper satin
gown had a bustle,
the train
pulled up into
a bubble on my butt
for dancing
later on.

The event
was just that,
a full Catholic Mass,
a gaggle of bridesmaids,
300 guests,
sit down dinner,
a four tiered cake,
a live band
and an open bar.

A new beginning
after just one
week before,
with the assassination
of President Kennedy
and the death
of one of our groomsmen
in an auto accident
the same day.
We were putting mourning
behind us
and starting a new life.

And life goes on,
quieter now, simpler now,
more comfortable now.
         ~~Judi Van Gorder

60 Lines
PS. We did go out and celebrate with friends of 50 years two days later. We are old but not so old we can't still have fun.

[Tinker]

Day 22

Notes: ▼
Theme: Shopping for the perfect Christmas Present, you meander in to an old antique store you've never noticed before. Time has no meaning here and you wander, entranced, by the items you see artfully displayed in old trunks or balanced precariously on dusty shelves. Antique furniture, jewelry piled as if in Aladdin's cave, musty old books, elegant hats of some long forgotten era. What do you find? Why is the cat (?)watching you? Why does the proprietor seem oddly familiar? Do you venture up the stairs to the second floor? Why do the wide wooden floorboards creak sounding like an old carol? Do you look out through the fogged windows to see outside and if so, does it look the same? Using some of these details, and more you come up with on your own as you wander in your mind's eye, take us on a descriptive journey to your finding that ultimate gift. Will it be as intended?

Words to use: piquant, befuddle, ring, set, cobweb, feather, gloss, spectacles, at least a four syllable word starting with the letter E.
Forbidden words: shop, store, buy, gift
Additional parameters: details, descriptive phrasings, find more than a simple gift. At least 48 lines, rhyming or not.

Curiouser and Curiouser

I enter the hobbit-like domain
of antiques and curiosities.
This peculiar place
is out of the way, almost hidden.

I peruse, glass topped
ornately carved display cases
and witness
crooked wire spectacles
from another era,
a moldy, mauve feather boa
that makes me sneeze,
an oriental yellowed-ivory chess set
that my son would love,
and a tiny gold baby ring.

On a shelf
next to the counter
is perched
a delicate, porcelain dove.
No, that's not it,
I need a more piquant find,
something unique, something memorable.

Toward the back of the room
there is a doorway
shielded by a glitzy beaded
curtain that tinkles
as I pass through.
Unlike the well lit outer room,
this one is dim
illuminated by only a stuttering
florescent lamp.
Cobwebs decorate the corners
and a once glossy teak table
is covered in dust.
Boxes are stacked
precariously at odd angles
in befuddled disarray.

With excruciating
and meticulous, endeavor
I begin to comb
through the boxes
closest to the light.
One must have been the property
of an apothecary.
Blue bottles, a scale,
stone mortar and pestle,
what stories
these could tell.
Another belonged to a military man,
old medals,
tarnished and forgotten.
Thank you for your service.

Who knows how long I searched
with no success
but I know it is here.
I will return tomorrow
to continue my quest..
            ~~ Judi Van Gorder

59 lines

[Tinker]

Day 23

Theme: Your favorite or most memorable Christmas. Be descriptive and let us in on the backstory as to the why it stands out in memory.
Words to use: Any and all you wish 🙂
Forbidden words: Free day 🙂
Additional parameters: at least 48 lines.

Merry Christmas To All

Haven't we been down
this road before?
Of my 76 Christmases
what's my most memorable?
I honestly don't know. They blur
together until a comment
a photo, a song or a person,
something draws me back.

So I'll simply
share my 77th with you,
which hasn't yet happened,
but only one week away
so things are fresh
in my memory. Favorite,
probably not,
but who knows, I'm alive,
my family is well
and I'm truly
grateful for each day
and Christmas
just takes it up a notch.

Since my son married
and made his home
500 miles away
I've gone south
to watch my grandkids
experience the wonder
that is Christmas each year.
It's easier and cheaper
for two people to travel
than a family of six.
A few years ago
they planned
a trip north
to spend the holiday here
and my son ended up
in the hospital,
again I went south
and obviously
their trip was cancelled.

He was a motor cop
at the time
and he was hit by a car
merging into his lane
where he was pursuing
a speeder at 75 miles
an hour with full lights
and sirens but she
didn't see him.
They had to pry
the bill of his helmet
from the asphalt.
That was a scary one,
but he survived,
he's just fine, still a cop
but plain clothes now
an expert in vehicle theft,
chop shops, undercover ops
and surveillance.
I told him he lives
a real live TV show.

This year I'm staying home
and so are my son and grandkids.
I'm hosting a Christmas brunch
for my brother and another couple.
I'm still planning the menu
and additional decorations,
its kind of fun to change it up.
I'll go to Midnight Mass
in my own parish,
which I haven't done for a long time,
husband won't make it that late.
We'll facetime the kids
on Christmas morning
and enjoy a low key celebration.

Then a few quiet days
before we'll be invaded
by our grandchildren
and their parents
for a full week.
A promise of chaos, noise,
adventure and lots of love.
On second thought, this just may
end up being my favorite.
                   ~~Judi Van Gorder

[Tinker]

Notes: ▼

Day 25

"December 16 prompt (don't know the day)" Prompt for: December 16, 2018 (Ren)
Subject or Theme: Christmas Future ~ a narrative and a poem!
Word(s) to Include: Any type of timepiece: clock, timer, phone, watch, etc. Please note what you use at the bottom. Must be used in the both narrative and poem.(or any derivatives of these words)
Forbidden Word(s): Future (or any derivatives of these words)
Additional Parameters: Write a narrative about a future Christmas. It must be at least 250 words (give word count). Then using that narrative, write a poem. At least 28 lines. Do not use exact lines from the narrative. Make the poem poetic.
Remember, do not use forbidden words ANYWHERE, including title or the brief description.

Journal Entry December 25, 2041

The calendar marks another Christmas, 100 years from that of my birth. Gratefully my mind is still here. The body may be checking out however. The number of years left for me is in question. But I believe love and the written word live on.

calendared pages
declare another Christmas
on this day of hope
I share the Father's promise
through my actions and my words

Despite our world's forward progress into technology induced isolation, the Christmas promise of hope and salvation is still renewed this day. Winding the timepiece backward, I've watched as the ice man brought the block of frozen water and placed it in a box to keep our bottle of milk cold. I've helped chop and split wood to cook our meals on wood burning stoves. The ice is melting and our forests are burning.

timepiece wound backward
nature's ice and wood supply
simple solutions
for preservation and heat
planet now in jeopardy

I've turned the round dial on a clunky black phone and listened to the ticking sound as the dial returned to position and worked with pencil and paper to calculate the mathematic equations to determine my clients insurance premiums. I built a business by visiting peoples homes, sitting across their dining table and getting to know who they are and what their needs were. In turn the season was met with cards, homemade cookies, jams and wines.

clunky telephone
pencil, paper, face to face
caring for others
gifts of cookies and jellies
season of celebration

Today the world spins by my surgically enhanced eyes so fast, my laser vision still can't keep up. The fridge passes prepared nourishment, on schedule, to a plate for consumption, a dinner bell rings. Communication is permanently imbedded behind my left ear and linked to my right eye, so I see and hear and communicate at the touch of my ear lobe. And the public is lulled by corporate greed to believing the automated voice saying, "buy this, buy that, buy, buy, buy", cares. The promise of the season buried deeper and deeper under consumer landfill.

crispy salad plate
juicy red pomegranate
bells chime a welcome
family still gathers to feast
gift exchange waits 'til later

We can no longer depend solely on a child in a manger born 2000 years ago. He has passed the mantel, it is up to us to carry his message. Cherish the earth we were commissioned to care for, walk in the shoes of our brother and reach out and touch our neighbor.

earth and sky and sea
living proof of agape
gifted to our care
love our neighbor as ourselves
pass on the message of hope

Artists paint, singers sing, healers nurture and poets write. Until I can no more, I will use my gift to proclaim the living message of the season.

St. Luke wrote these words,
"Peace on earth good will to men."
sage words to live by
                        ~~Judi Van Gorder

Prose 371 words.
Poem 5 tankas followed by 1 haiku = 28 Lines

[Tinker]

Day 26
Notes: ▼

42 Lines
side note: The name of the street I've lived on for 55 years is "Joy Road".

Theme: If I Owned a Toy store. What types of toys? What would it be like? Magical? Scientific? What would it look like? Who runs it? Where is it? 

Words to use: silly string, rhinocerous - or another 4+ sylable animal, read, purple, a number like 10 or 506, Store's Name, alphabet, a specific children's book title and author, a childhood character not associated with the book title you use, price

}Forbidden words: buy, purchase, money, coin, afford, dollars - not even implied with a $ sign, no form of money as in lira, dimes, pounds , etc.
Additional parameters: Must rhyme, minimum of 36 lines

Tinker's Toy Academy Welcome, step right in join with me, let's begin. Right here on windy Joy Road we just received a brand new load. Toys of every kind for everyone who loves to play and treasures fun.  From slimy, gooey silly string to a giant playground swing. And of course, what can be grander than a green, fake salamander? Over there are crying baby dolls and bins and bins of colorful balls. Sit right down in this little nook you can find adventure inside a book. Read the antics of Junie B. or runaway and sail out to sea in "Where the Wild Things Are", the book earned Maurice Sendak 5 big stars. Here imagination rules the day, in this charming castle you can play. Don a royal purple cape or change into another shape with horns and tongues of fire anything your heart desires.  We reserve a special section for priceless fun with education. Teach your child their A B Cs, with black and yellow alphabet bees, or line up the animals of Noah's Ark count them 2 by 2 before they embark.  And if your taste runs to the techy we have gaming from chaste to the sketchy. There is Minecraft and Fortnite or worse, dependent on skill level, age and purse. We don't recommend you make it a habit, try virtual change from monster to rabbit.   But whether you're naughty or nice, there is no need to think twice. Whenever you wander around to the wizard's side of town, please look for the sign, Tinker's Toys a shop for every age, girls and boys.                      ~~Judi Van Gorder

[Tinker]

From the Heart

Notes: ▼

20 Lines

"day 27"  

Theme: Sad Santa. Santa's been all 'round the world and every single deserving person on his journey has gotten one of Santa's gifts. But he has just discovered that he still has one small gift left in the bottom of his pack. He doesn't know what to do! Cannot give it to the world. It doesn't contain a cure for any disease, it can't make everyone nice, isn't money and it can't bring world peace. It isn't an embodiment of hope or joy. 

It is a concrete thing that can be placed in a box, wrapped and given. While not necessarily a toy, it is something one can hold in their hands. Who gets it? Why? What is it? What will make Santa happy? Hurry, dawn is approaching and Santa must give out everything in his pack before the first rays of the sun break the horizon.

Words to use: precious, tear, eyebrow, fold
Forbidden words: none today

Additional parameters: Rhyming - must use at least 3 'slant' rhymes, descriptive, at least 15 lines.

Stanzaic Form Used: The Tennyson is a stanzaic form patterned after Ask Me No More by English poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson (1802-1892). The elements of the Tennyson are: 

1. stanzaic, written in any number of cinquains. 
2. metric, iambic, L1-L4 are pentameter and L5 is dimeter.
3. rhymed, envelope rhyme scheme abbaC deedC fggfC etc. 
4. written in with L5 as a refrain repeated from stanza to stanza.

[Tinker]

Write a poem about change:
 

Black Beauty

With minimal crystal
the vicious molten magma
beneath the earth's crust
rises to the surface
to spew volcanic ash
and ravenous, crimson lava
down and out
to flow over
unwilling terrain
and into the sea
quickly cooling to create
jagged rock formations.
With time the spikes
and splinters
of the dense mass
become glassy,
black and brittle,

The sharp edges
ideal to cut and slice
with precision.
The mirrored surface,
a shiny bauble,
the perfect contrast
to luminous skin.

 Obsidian,
nature's jet-black beauty.
                                ~~Judi Van Gorder

[Tinker]

Notes ▼

"day 28"

Theme: write a poem for Christmas morning for someone to find in the toe of their stocking. Someone real. Mom, dad, your child, spouse, sibling, partner, best friend or grandparent. Be real, honest and make them smile. Write from your heart. Show emotion! (And then consider actually doing this! Did it one year for everyone. Happy tears and the highlight of the morning!)

Words to use: Their first name or mom etc.
Forbidden words: the, of, for, to, you, me, my, we, with, from .... only kidding....use whatever words express your heart.
Additional parameters: rhyming or not, Min 24 lines of love.

Dear Trinity,

Merry Christmas
Sweetheart,
Standing on the cusp
of womanhood
your possibilities
are endless.
Keep your eyes wide open,
explore each opportunity,
and always stay true to yourself.

Life is an adventure
to be embraced
Live with the same fearlessness
you display
on the soccer field.
Train your body and mind
and when you are in the game
trust your teammates
and play balls out.

There are going to be
many difficult challenges ahead,
life is not easy,
meet it head on,
don’t ignore or try to
sidestep adversity,
It’s in the hard times
that we discover ourselves.
Failure is your friend,
it takes you one step
closer to success.

Always know
you are loved,
you are beautiful,
you have a good heart
and if you put forth the effort
in time, all things
will come to you.

Believe in yourself
as I believe in you
my love will live in you
beyond my time.
I depend on you
to carry it forward.

Love, Grandma Darlin'

[Tinker]

Notes: ▼

"day 29-edited"  
Theme:Bah Humbug! There's this marvelous room over here where one can (temporarily) crawl in, slam the door and, without getting into any trouble at all, let out all the holiday frustrations, people getting on your nerves (no names, now!) and just 'stuff' in general that is spazzing you out! There's things in here you can smash to smithereens (and will be magically repaired later) and throw at walls. Just a place to rant and get it out of your system so you can go back to being your normal, marvelous, holiday self!

Words to use: I want to hear things crashing and banging. I want to see stuff smashed to smithereens! What do you smash, bash and crash? How? With what?

If you rant and rave against a person … that person's name will be Cruella D'Vile or Ginchly Mc Green.
Against a company, use: Scrooge-a-zon.
Against a 'thing' - what ever the thing is.

Remember, all things broken will be fixed and it isn't 'really' that company or person you decimate, it's allllll in your mind. Walking out of the room, and all is as it was, you've just released the tension. 🙂

Rhyming or not, at least 28 lines, and go get rid of some tension 🙂

The Grinch Who Tried to Steal Christmas

Slamming the door behind me
I shut out cheer and care
and enter my very own pity
party. Follow if you dare.

I crumple into a heap
upon the dusty floor
"You sow what you reap"
Oh Grinchy, hear me roar.
I smash the looking glass
into splintering shards.
Your effigy I punch and bash
and shred your business cards.

Don't tell me what to do.
Gender doesn't make you right.
I'm the pro, not you.
Get the F*** out of my sight.

I've tried to play it cool
with diplomacy and more
but won't wade the cesspool,
you're such an ignorant bore.

I'd love to tear asunder
each narcissistic limb.
Don't spew it was a blunder.
I'll not be your victim.

So here I wail and flail
throwing caution to the wind
I may end up in jail
in thought at least I've sinned.
                  ~~ Judi Van Gorder

[Tinker]

Notes: ▼ Last Day of the Winter Construct Cup Challenge
Pick and link one of the poems you've already written. Then either write a totally new poem following the prompt or significantly edit original as new item.

Molly’s First Christmas

She joined
our home months
ago, her kitten play
charmed all.
In my memory
I don’t recall
ever owning one
quite as entertaining.
She can be sleeping
like the dead
one second
and the next dancing
across the kitchen floor
on her hind legs.

Now with Christmas looming
the tree went up
glorious in lights
and silver shiny globes
and instantly
it came down
toppled by a flying cat
clinging to its branches.
Tinsel scattered
and ornaments tumbled
everywhere
gratefully only one shattered
into tiny sparkling shards.
Molly peeked out
from between flocked branches
wide eyed wonder
wrapping up my heart
for many Christmases to come.
                  ~~Judi Van Gorder

30 Lines
A totally different poem with a more cheery Christmas theme. A little more personal.
"When the Light Went Out" For "Day 7"

Theme: Shattered Ornament
Words to use: shard, dance, memory, heart
Forbidden words: the word 'a', bounce, roll, crash, red, green, broken
Additional parameters: At least 20 lines.
 

[Tinker]

Don't want to break the momentum.   Quick break for Christmas but something easy today.   Write a poem in 24 syllables using the word "after"

Boxing Day
a British phenomenon
arrives the day after Christmas.
Boxed gifts for charity.
~~jvg

[Tinker]

Another 24 syllable challenge. Write a poem in 24 syllables including the word "fledgling".
 

Leaving the Nest

Fledgling rider,
places foot in stirrup,
gets boost from the rear,
straddles the saddle,
eager to fly.
~~jvg

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[Tinker]

Prompt:  Share what Psalm 23 means to you.  (I found this prompt at on a Christian Forum and it spoke to me so I share it here.)

The Night the Bears Roamed

 

 

[Tinker]

Repetion is commonly found in in many poetic forms, but none more than in the Pantoum.  Write a Pantoum:

Aloha, Hello-Goodbye

Aloha, come to our island paradise, 
Welcome houli, it’s the place to be.
Breathe the scent of jasmine and spice.
Rest in the shade of the kukui nut tree.

Welcome houli, it’s the place to be. 
Sway to the strum of the ukulele,
Rest in the shade of the kukui nut tree,
Caution, avoid the rumblings of Pele.

Sway to the strum of the ukulele
Grass skirted lovelys hula with grace
Caution, avoid the rumblings of Pele.
Surf’s up, shoot the curl, enjoy the chase.

Grass skirted lovely’s hula with grace
Breathe the scent of jasmine and spice
Surf’s up, shoot the curl, enjoy the chase.
Aloha, come back to our island paradise.
                             ~~Judi Van Gorder

"Notes:"
16 Lines
Mahalo (thank you) for reading my simple poem. Hawaiian language is very phonetic.
Aloha Ah - low- ha means hello or goodbye - depends on whether you are coming or going.
Houli - how- oo- lee. - non Hawaiian.
Kukui - koo- koo-ee The state tree, brought to the islands with the Polynesian immigration. The large nut has many uses from ornamental, oil., fuel etc. in the old days only Hawaiian royalty wore a lei (lay) of Kukui nuts.

I have a beautiful Kukui nut lei I inherited from my mother. No she was not Hawaiian royalty only a tourist willing to pay the price. I began taking hula lessons at the age of 8. I performed with 3 others through my teens all over the state of California. About 20 years ago I was on the island of Maui with friends in a local lounge and some locals were playing ukuleles and one Hawaiian woman began dancing, I couldn’t resist and i joined her in a vamp. They were all so surprised a Houli could dance like a native. It was a very fun night

 

[Tinker]

Prompt:  sapid

Letter Home

The sapid words he wrote
lingered lovingly on her tongue
and on her heart
as she read aloud.
~~jvg

[Tinker]

Prompt: 24 syllables using algid

Bitter Cold

The algid review froze her pen.
The frigid words began an avalanche
of doubt.
Winter will pass.
~~jvg

[Tinker]

Write a love poem talking about something else.

Surf’s Up

We touch
and from the darkest depth 
at the ocean’s floor
a rumbling, churning,
a tumbling, yearning,
begins climbing 
         to the surface.

A frothy surging sea 
builds to its crescendo 
changing colors
along the way.
Ineffable as it hangs . . . .
until it can hang no more
then curls 
         and rolls,
to crash upon the shore.
                   ~~Judi Van Gorder
 

[Tinker]

 24 syllables prompt: ineffable

Maverick,
sea green, frothy wave,
surges upward,
ineffable as it hangs . . .
then tumbles to shore.
                     ~~jvg

[Tinker]

24 syllables including the word "impish"

Loki's Game

Loki's impish game
extinguished the Norse Light
with the kiss of death
tied to the tip
of Blind Hod's dart.
                      ~~ jvg

Notes: ▼
24 syllables
5 Lines
Norse Mythology: Baldar god of the light was indestructible. The lessor gods would target practice throwing darts and spears at Baldar and he would be unscathed. His only weakness was mistletoe. Loki the trickster god, hated Baldar and tricked Baldar's blind brother Hod into throwing a dart to which Loki had tied mistletoe. Loki guided Hod's hand and the poison dart struck Baldar, killing the light.

[Tinker]

Write a poem using anaphora. (  A rhetorical device in which there is repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases or lines.)

 

To Read a Poem When a poet's scribbles touch you When his pen writes from his heart When his words become super glue When he dares to share his art Then the reader's keenness deepens         and like magic poetry happens.                            ~~Judi Van Gorder

Chore Time Mopping, scrubbing the kitchen floor      mopping the sticky spills mopping everyday user ills Mopping, scrubbing,             my least favorite chores.               ~~Judi Van Gorder

Seasonal Repeat Winter chores         outside chairs inside Winter clothes         warm and fuzzy Winter woes          flues and colds Winter floors           tracked with mud Spring chores           open doors Spring clothes           cottons and rain coat Spring woes            weeds to pull Spring floors            freshly polished Summer chores            clean the pool Summer clothes            shorts and sandals Summer woes             sunburn and insect bites Summer floors              sand to be swept Autumn chores              rake the leaves Autumn clothes               sweaters and wools Autumn woes               summer is gone Autumn floors               here we go again                                    ~~jvg

The beginning of the week we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  Dr. King, in his famous speech used anaphora through out. 

"And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."2 This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that: Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
                     ~~Martin Luther King Jr.  delivered August 28, 1963
 

[Tinker]

Symbols, a little different kind of prompt today, actually 2 different prompts:  

I've been flipping through the many books on poetry on my book shelf and reading snatches, just looking for ideas.  Creating Poetry by John Drury offers ideas at end of each subject.  I just opened to a page on "Symbols"  which has forever been unclear in my mind.   He says, "Think of a symbol as any image that resonates with meaning and recurs throughout the poem."    Donald Hall in his book To Read a Poem defines symbol  as "a person, object, place, or event that comes to stand for something other than it is, usually something more than it is, and for a class of events or relationships. There is the conventional or traditional symbol, the natural symbol and the literary symbol."   I will leave this here for the purpose of the below prompts or exercises but I think I am going to take this subject for discussion to "Literary Discussion"  If you would like to chime in just follow the link to. Symbolism. 

Here are two suggestions Drury makes as exercises in symbolism:

"13.  Take a familiar symbol (like a red rose, or an anchor, or a crucifix) and write a poem that restores the object to something tangible, something you can see, hear smell taste and touch.  Place it in some context, some seemingly real place."

"14.  Write a poem in which you refer not to things themselves, but to parts of them.   The antler rather than the buck, the telescopic sight rather than the rifle etc.....Jump from image to image, using free association asking yourself "what does this remind me of? When you come to a halt, see what all the images and shifts and "parts for the whole" suggest, what they add up to." 

[Tinker]

Here is something easier than yesterday's prompt.   I'll come back to that.

Today write a poem using personification.  (Giving human characteristics to an inanimate object, idea or animal)   

Come Sail With Me                        

[Tinker]

New to me, a Japanese Verse form, the Gogyohka.  Basically it is a tanka without syllable limitations.  Give it a try.

 

 Gogyohka #1

       lights go low
       the rise and fall of violins surrounds us
       on the big screen the wild fields of Ireland
       blades of green populated by delicate lavender blooms
       a child’s voice sings
                  ~~ Judi Van Gorder

[Tinker]

Prompt: a poem in 24 syllables using the word  " prate "

No Loitering

There's no time to prate about,
twenty four syllable verse
sometimes sounds terse,
though efficient through out.
                                ~~jvg

[Tinker]

"I'm late, I'm late for a very important date,"     This famous line rings in my head all of the time, because sad to say, I am one of those.   It seems I'm always struggling to get somewhere on time and often missing the mark by at least a minute of two.     Being late is so rude and I am very conscious of that, but still time gets away from me and I'm scrambling again.  I have to admit  when I'm waiting for someone who is 15 minutes or better late, I can't help being angry. Hypocritical I know, when  I am a chronic culprit.  It is one of the reasons I have my own business.  I have staff to open on time and cover for me.    I even have had dreams of being late.  

So the prompt for the day.   Tardiness

~~Tink

[Tinker]

Yesterday was not only Valentine's Day it was also National Ferris Wheel Day.  So write a poem of 12 lines or more from the prompt: Ferris Wheel.  

At the Fair

Word patterns scramble round
and round, seeking the perfect
order and placement as I write.
Like the lights of the Ferris Wheel
against the darkness of night,
a blur of vibrant colors
illuminating my mind,
grouping thoughts into stanzas
rocking gently in the air,
the gondolas rising higher and higher
then rounding
and descending to spill
out upon the page,
still breathless from the ride.
                   ~~ Judi Van Gorder

[Tinker]

I’ve been remiss for some time in providing daily challenges so here is one: 

 

write a poem in 24 syllables, no more, no less, using the word raillery.

 

Lucky Charm With a wicked wink and slightly naughty raillery, he charmed the Irish lass, who gave him some sass.                     ~~jvg.

[Tinker]

Purple Pen 

I scribe in 
night guarded purple,
deep and dangerous,
iridescent, 
glowing royal,
opens me.
         ~~jvg

prompt:  indigo 
24 syllables
Acrostic

[Tinker]

My Summer Morning

Water drips
from the hose bib
as the long hose unwinds
and drags across the gravel
then kinks
needing a yank
to straighten
and quench my garden's thirst.

It is still cool
at 6 AM
but the silent heat of the afternoon sun
will be relentless.
For now the buzz of bees,
flutter of butterfly wings,
and water splashing
on the dry earth
are in harmony.
         ~~Judi Van Gorder

Morning Poem

[Tinker]

Breaking the Silence

Silence is suspended
by the far away, staccato bark
of hungry dogs.
In the time it took to type
these words, it has stopped.
The tap tap tapping
from fingers
striking the keyboard,
the subliminal buzzing hum from some
electronic appliance,
and from outside,
the soft chirp chirp of little birds,
are now the only discord
imposing on my morning quiet.
                     ~~Judi Van Gorder

The focus of this writing exercise was rhythm, the use of words to tap out a lyric.  
Morning Poem

[Tinker]

Verse Form: The Seox

Morning Newscast

Officer
involved shooting, one hurt,
two dead in domestic
violence dispute.
Suspect's wife fled
to neighbor.

Drunk crashes
into side of Patrol car.
Two officers injured,
driver arrested.
The lesson - Don't
drink and drive.

Commute time,
more costly than you may think.
Bay Area drivers
lose eleven days
annually,
more than most.
         ~Judi Van Gorder

Morning Poem

[Tinker]

Verse Form. Gwaddodyn  Using the cywdedd naw ban couplet followed by the cywdedd hir couplet.

Summer Swelter

The end of June has arrived too soon,
summer sun has me sweating by noon.
There is no breeze but buzzing bumblebees
and butterflies ease my sunstroke swoon.

The seashore offers a cool respite
and foamy surf rushes to summit
upon the sand. It flows over my toes,
the cooldown grows cleansing my spirit.
                            ~~Judi Van Gorder

[Tinker]

Circle

Morning yawns open
saunters to noon
sun to moon
night wakes
soon
soon
night wakes
moon to sun
saunters to noon
morning yawns open.
          ~~Judi Van Gorder
              
 

Verse Form: Eggtimer
Morning poem #13

[Tinker]

Write a Raay

Visit to the Vet

Today Molly got
shots and a check-up,
disrupting the scene.
Between hisses and claws,
draws of blood, and screams,
seems like she went wild.
Child cat, I love her,
purrs, once we got home.
          ~~Judi Van Gorder

[Tinker]

Prompt: Confinement
Verse form: Sonnet

Trapped

Confined within the hemisphere dispensed
A stroke while forming in her mother's womb.
A damaged global hub, commander's room
to signal body parts to function hence.
The intellect and empathy are held
within its mass to compliment her life
Her brain was halved as if 'twas sliced by knife.
The living side stepped up, took charge, excelled.
Born paralyzed, her arm and leg, dead fish,
unknowns, her speech, her thoughts and so much more.
But still her stubborn courage deigned to score,
she fell and failed and tried again. Her wish
to walk and talk and be like other kids
made real, her body moves just as she bids.
                                 ~~Judi Van Gorder

Bowlesian Sonnet

[Tinker]

Write an Etheree

Dawning

Day
begins
in silence.
I feel a nudge
and open my eyes
to see my Molly's face,
her kitty nose to my nose.
A sweet awakening with love
and gentle persuasive intention.
The dawning of another enterprise.
                             ~~Judi Van Gorder
Notes: ▼
A Morning Poem

 

[Tinker]

Write about an everyday task with a new perspective.

Cleaning the Tub

My bathtub
has become a killing field.
Daily I retrieve lizard heads
and wipe the porcelain
clean of bloody streaks.
Yesterday my sweet kitty
brought in a little bird
she snatched from the sky,
I rescued it from the tub
and turned it outside to hop away.
Downy feathers flew everywhere.
And last week
while in the shower
I thought I had thoroughly cleaned,
an alligator lizard swam up
out of the drain where
it had been hiding
and circled my bare feet.
My new daily task
has raised my creeped out bar.
                   ~~Judi Van Gorder

[Tinker]

Write a Trilonette

Dancing with Roses

I have red rosebuds on the brain.
I sit and write while roses dance
around in my imagination.

Looking through the window pane
of joy, they sway as in a trance,
drawing me to meditation

There's many flowers I could feign
in colors, that engage, enhance
allure and elevate their station.

But everybody knows the reign-
ing bloom for bliss and true romance,
the scarlet rose, is love's creation.

A symbol for all hope and passion,
the red-red rose performs in fashion.
                      ~~Judi Van Gorder

 

[Tinker]

Write a Tanka

Change On the Horizon

She's labeled "lazy",
her habits mimic the sloth,
gorging on goodwill,
sapping the snap from others.
Today new conventions dawn.
                     ~~Judi Van Gorder

 

[Tinker]

Your assignment: Think about some emotion you experienced recently. Write about that emotion from the perspective of some inanimate object.

Anticipation

The well-worn teapot,
spiffed up for the occasion,
began to hum
then shimmy with glee
as the time drew near.
The vibration came from deep inside,
it bubbled up
until she thought she might explode,
rocking out at full boil,
whistling her top off.
Her guest had arrived.
         ~~Judi Van Gorder
 

[Tinker]

Write a poem reflecting a different persona

Those Who Dare 

Silently, slowly I slither
from my sunning place
stalking a succulent morsel
to sustain my significance.
My languid length lithe
with strength and stamina slides
without effort down a tree trunk
to seductively sap your soul.
I am as ancient as the most ancient,
cunning and capable.
I will wind and wring the wind from your lungs
then swallow you whole.
Do not dare to challenge me.
Consumer of conceit, constrictor of courage,
call me Kaa.
                                ~~Judi Van Gorder