Tuesday, October 20, 2015

To Love is to be Vulnerable (OctPoWriMo Day 20)

The prompt today was to write a love poem. To me, a love poem is about being vulnerable, because if you truly love someone, anyone, you are opening yourself up to them. Being vulnerable can be scary but it is worth it.


They Say Love I Say

They say
love is power—
for if I love you
you have power
over me,
manipulation,
control,
for your own personal gain
or satisfaction. It’s all about
your control
over me.
They say.
            --Selfishness.

I say
love is not power—
for if I love you, truly,
I relinquish all power
over you,
your free will,
freedom,
is not for my gain or
satisfaction. It’s all about
releasing my control
over you.
I say.
            --Vulnerabiltiy.

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Things are Not What They Seem (OctPoWriMo Day 18)

Look Again

You see but skin,
layers of tissue and
blood-tinted pigment,
hair follicles and
regenerating cells--this
coating is,
as in all humanity,
outer uniformity.

Yet inside me, this dull, clay pot,
churns nuclei of uniqueness.
Look again,
deep into the chasm of identity.

You will see soul and spirit,
layers of abilities and
talents, strength in
accomplishment and
failure--this
prime is,
as in all humanity,
God's image. 

On the outside a dull, clay pot,
but on the inside filled with glory.
Look again,
His Light in me is blinding.



Saturday, October 17, 2015

Dance (OctPoWriMo Day 17)

“Dance, when you're broken open. Dance, if you've torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you're perfectly free.” ― Rumi
Today I thought I'd try a nonet: the first line having 9 syllables, the second 8, and so on until the last line of 1 syllable. It demands a succinctness so I'm not sure if it works but a good challenge for me.

Dance
Dance of Angels by Leonard Afremov


Addiction. Broken relationships,
broken dreams. A bandage only
prevents awareness. Name it.
Fight for your life--but not
alone. Let Love take
your hand. Do not
resist His
healing
dance.

Friday, October 16, 2015

The Magical Day (OctPoWriMo Day 15)

Prompt: If you could do anything you wanted to do today, what would you do? This is what I would do: Jump on my magic carpet, pick up my granddaughter and share the adventure of a lifetime. Like a dream.


The Magical Day

Come with me and fly my magic carpet
To wondrous worlds we speed from dawn to dusk,
Where warm croissants await with morning light
Under the Eiffel tower's stretching arms.

Then whoosh we're off to Venice' waterways
Surrender to the oar of gondolier,
And off again to picnic lunch and play
In the white-sand heat of Mykonos Isle.

Refreshed we fly to Rome's sistine chapel
Majestic awe and grace. We walk. We walk;
And hunger calls us to falafel stands
With spices rich and juice runs down our chins.

But one more stop to watch the fading sun
On Ayers Rock with colours rich and red,
Exhausted then, curled up on carpet ride
With you--it's still my favourite place to be.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Risky Business (OctPoWriMo Day 13)

The prompt today is: Thoughts on how to be risky in writing. Writing can be risky if you take chances. But why write if there's no challenge and no desire to grow and change? The option on this challenge was to write a blitz poem. This in itself is a challenge--a first for me. So here we go:

Rain of Life
BONDED BY THE RAIN 1 by Leonid Afremov

Risk it all
Risk of rain
Rain in Spain
Rain or shine
Shine my shoes
Shine the light
Light of day
Light a fire
Fire in the belly
Fire her up
Up, up and away
Up in the air
Air out your grievances
Air out your house
House of horrors
House of cards
Cards to deal
Cards are stacked
Stacked against me
Stacked to the hilt
Hilt of a dagger
Hilt of a sword
Sword of truth
Sword of a fish
Fish for compliments
Fish out of water
Water it down
Water under the bridge
Bridge over the River Kwai
Bridge the gap
Gap in the teeth
Gap in the armour
Armour of God
Armour yourself for battle
Battle of wits
Battle of the bulge
Bulge in the wall
Bulge of the eye
Eye for an eye
Eye of the hurricane
Hurricane on the water
Hurricane of fear
Fear of failure
Fear of death
Death to fear
Death to life
Life is poetic
Life is love
Love...
Poetic...





Sunday, October 11, 2015

Life Directions, Life Surprises (OctPoWriMo Day 11)

I grew up in a little prairie town in Saskatchewan, Canada. So, when I decided as a young adult that I wanted to move and work overseas, I was definitely doing something outside of the box. I did not do this alone--I did it with my husband and three children aged 5, 4 and 2. I knew there were those that questioned whether I could do this but I wasn't concerned with what others thought. That being said, everything I learned from this little town, I took with me--and these lessons have been with me all my life. So, even though I left it all behind, physically, the town and its people came with me in my heart and soul. This poem is a tribute to this little town of Borden.


Everything I Learned in Life I Learned in Borden


Life lessons learned in childhood years   
Stay firm—a solid base,
My lessons learned in Borden years
Life storms cannot erase.

The joy of simple beauty in
Blue skies, bright stars, gold grain,
And seasons shift, as faultless friends
Bring life—and hope remains.

At home I learned of love and joy
Together work or play,
And comfort in my small-town world
To be kind and neighbourly.

Small-town grown-ups also showed
Commitment to hard work
With youthful eyes I watched them all
Press on—to never shirk.

In little country church I learned
Of God’s amazing grace,
To sing of being lost and found
Redeemed I found my place.

At hockey games and curling rink
I learned the pride of sport,
Of loyalty, community,
To be Canadian at heart.

In school I learned more social skills,
And knowledge set me free,
Champlain, French verbs, Shakespeare, Einstein,
Fed curiosity.

To be or not to be that is
The question we must ask,
And mine led me to far off lands
To heed a call and task.

But not without rememberings—
And all that Borden taught
Me came, still comes, in homesick thoughts
Of love—of home—of God.

Where the Wild Things Are (OctPoWriMo Day 10)

Listen to music, dance, and get in touch with your wild side. That was today's prompt. There are always those songs that make me want to dance, no matter where I am when I hear them. This song by Kongo is such a song. It makes me think of other worlds, other places--of wild things.


Where the Wild Things Are

in my head
there is a house
full of rooms
full of things--
strange and wonderful and
wild
things.

in this house,
during the day, most
rooms are locked
silent
though sometimes things
escape--
wild things.

then from my window
where nameless people pass
I imagine lives
they live, worlds
they visit and
I hitch a ride--
wild places.

in these imaginings I
machete forests
and drink grog
and fight dragons
to save
children--
a hero.

Then my own children
call me back
to reality,
"Mom, where's my school lunch?"
And the wild things
retreat to
my head.