Dear Luna

 

 

Into the night I wait for muse of moon

The stars arrange a symphony of silence

I tinker, tally words and thoughts but soon

Dear Luna slips between the haze, defiant

 

From hinterland the owl bestows a hoot

That echoes in the forests of my mind

I wait for inspiration to take root

As Luna slumbers deep beneath the skies

 

When midnight mocks the cursor on my page

I revel in the balladry unborn

Though constellations, cryptic they may fade

‘Tis hope that lights the way of the forlorn

 

Dear Luna stirs behind her quilt of clouds

She scatters dreams for me to read aloud

 

 

Written for “Poetry Forms”, a dVerse Poets Pub project.

This is my offering of a sonnet in Shakespearean style. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.  The structure consists of 3 quatrains, followed by one couplet. The “volta” occurs in the 12th line . I focused on the iambic pentameter and rhyme. Quite the challenge. You can learn more about this form as Bjorn describes in further detail here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fall

Sharon Knight – leaf and light

 

Illuminate me

Chloro- fill my veins

Colour me in carotene

Kisses and sugar sap

Decorate my heart

With strands of starlight

Let me sail

Over moonlight memories

Pinstripe my path

In strokes of midnight

Before I surrender to the fall

Sun-shine my soul

 

 

Today I am hosting Poetics for dVerse Poets Pub and I am excited to share the photography of Sharon Knight at sunearthsky.com for our poetic muse! You are welcome to join in at 3 p.m EST. 

 

 

Chiaroscuro – dVerse Anthology

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year! I am so excited to announce the publication of

Chiaroscuro

Darkness and Light

Voices from poets – dVerse Anthology

 

Thanks to the dedicated leaders of our virtual poetry site, Bjorn Rudberg & Mary Grace Guevara and all the poets from around the world who contributed, this book is now complete and available on Amazon.

You can find it here.

Congrats to all and best wishes for 2018!

 

Metamorphic

 

I’ve found a new canvass

To draw on… and from

Sharing journeys

From bo(u)lder times

To monotonous erosion

To sun-kissed, self-loving

Soul-saving bliss

Rocking my freedom

Of direction

Perfection still wavering

Between the lines

And my mind

Colours conjoined

Words coined

Tedious, serious joy

 

painted rocks – Michelle Beauchamp

 

 

We are rocking the quadrille over at dVerse Poets Pub! I am your host and I hope you can join us. Write a poem of exactly 44 words including the word “rock”. The prompt begins today at 3 p.m. EST and is open all week.

 

 

Blessed

 

 

 

 

I find my religion

in song and stars

not far from the dazzle

of dew drops at dawn

in chiseled red rock

set aglow by the sun

in the voice of the trees

that silence me

strokes of pastel

over indigo skies

moonlight shadows

that dance in my eyes

the strength of the spider web

in gale’s great force

and of course

it all feels magical

 

Paul is tending bar at dVerse Poets Pub today and he has us brewing up a little magic into our poems.

Want to read some enchanting poetry?  Feel free to join in. Just wave your magic wand over this: 

*** MAGIC***

Flicker

 

 

When nightfall finds you

Breathless under muted moon

Your shattered heart fumbling

Tumbling faster than your thoughts

May you count stars instead of tears

Echo the moments, over years

Summon one precious particle

Of light within your soul

Carry on, my friend

Carry on

This life is not over

 

 

Written for dVerse as Paul brings us a beautiful prompt for Poetics, called

“Blessings”

Collaboration for Peace – 52 – Pass it On!

We did it!! We set out, 52 poems and photos ago, to collaborate in bringing peace to this cyber-village of poets. In the process we each found a kindred soul and a shared passion that was not bound by borders. Now that we have reached our goal, we are asking you to continue this journey of peace. Reach out to a fellow poet or photographer (amateur or otherwise). Combine your talents to express your thoughts about peace and inspire others to do the same. At the very least, you will challenge each other, and make a meaningful connection from across the miles. Let us know in the comments if you have decided to take on the challenge. We would love to hear from you and follow your collaboration.

For our last post for “Collaboration for Peace”, Candy and I decided to share our answers to some questions about PEACE. Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments.

Photo: Candace Kubinec

What does peace look like to you?

Candy: Peace is a moment (or two) of calmness in a busy life. A time without fear or worry.

Mish: It’s not about rainbows and butterflies, peace signs and such. For me, peace looks like a world united, with non judgemental faces and open minds.

 

Photo: Mish

How do you experience inner peace?

Candy: Being outdoors is where I find peace to quiet my inner self, to prioritize. As an introvert, I need those moments to recharge.

Mish: When I feel turmoil in my life, I try to remind myself of my priorities, what truly matters in my life and eliminate the “small stuff” that gets in the way. I find inner peace when I am in nature, examining a wildflower in the woods or watching a hawk soaring above me. I think the simplicity of nature has many lessons for discovering inner peace.

Photo: Mish

What do you believe needs to happen for peace to happen?

Candy: We need to learn to respect others and appreciate our differences. And then follow up with actions that demonstrate that respect. A genuine smile goes a long way to promoting peace.

Mish: We have to break free from societal walls. We need to build bridges instead of walls. Respect and embrace our differences. Become part of the melting pot. Let go of our fears. Stop celebrating any country as the strongest or the best. No country is better than another. These arrogant personas do not support the goals of peace.

 

Photo: Candace Kubinec

What can we do as individuals to promote peace in the world?

Candy: Don’t give in to what is popular but do what you know is right. If you want to promote peace in the world it must start in your own neighborhood – a ripple of peace that will spread outward.

Mish: Reach out. Speak to others who look nothing like you. Learn first hand about their culture and beliefs. Give up the stereotypes. Become educated before you speak. Make connections. You will be enriched and enlightened.

 

Thank you to all of you who have “liked”, commented and supported our Collaboration for Peace project. We hope you continue our journey of peace.

We leave you now with our final collaboration, a poem written by Candy and a photo taken from one of my most peaceful places.

Photo: Mish

Peace Enough

 

I wish you peace enough

to last not just for tomorrow

but until we no longer

need to wish

 

I wish you peace enough

to share with those you love

and those you fear

so you may fear less

 

I wish you peace enough

to carry you through

turbulence and pain

so your heart may smile again

 

I wish you peace enough

to calm your inner self

then ripple out from you

to calm your world

 

© Candace Kubinec

 

You can follow Candy’s blog at rhymeswithbug.com

Thank you, Candace Kubinec for sharing this experience with me, for your amazing way with words, your lovely photography and especially for your friendship.

 

 

Collaboration for Peace – 51

Photo: Candace Kubinec

 

Sol

Shadows still play

On the path to peace

Veins of the vicious

Testing our strength

To reach for the light

 

Dodge the darkness

Stretch your arms

To the sun

Embrace the heart

Of humanity

 

Stay tuned next Sunday for our final post for Collaboration for Peace. This has been an amazing experience. We hope to pass on the torch of peace to you, that you will join in the power of creativity and kindness to inspire others.

 

 

 

 

 

Collaboration for Peace – 50

Photo: Mish

 

Dreams of Peace

 

we hang our dreams from

broken branches of hope

where they flutter listlessly

until the breath of peace

whispers aside the clouds

and we dream once more

 

© Candace Kubinec

 

Check out more of Candy’s poetry at rhymeswithbug.com

Collaboration for Peace – 48

Photo: Mish

 

Proliferation

 

Plant me some peace

Sow me some unity

Let it rise up out of the

Darkness of discord

Let it spread seeds of

Understanding and tolerance

Until the weediness of fighting

Is overrun with reconciliation

 

© Candace Kubinec

Collaboration for Peace – 47

Image credit: Candace Kubinec

 

Forward

 

Why are we backpedaling

While currents of clarity

Still flow at our feet?

How does one drop of impurity

Poison our possibilities?

When are we accountable

For the inevitable,

Witnesses to the destruction?

 

We are the ripples of hope

On waters, stagnant

The ancient sunlight shimmer

Dancing over shadows

We are the reflections

Of persistent hands of change

And this world did not evolve

Without us

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collaboration for Peace – 43

Free Fall

we’re free falling
flying without wings
hands clasped
tugging
at the cord that binds
us to the past
leaving behind the strife
the worries
the discord
and drifting into the
open arms of peace

 

© Candace Kubinec

Photo: Mish

Candy and I are taking a short break. We’ll be back with more photos and poetry in January. Our goal is to reach 52 posts – a whole year of collaboration!

How Dare I Even Try to Cover Shakespeare

 

All the world’s a page
And all the men and women merely poets
They have their exits and their entrances,
And in time they write of every stage of this life
The penning of seven ages. At first, the infant,
Rapping and clapping  in mother’s arms
Then the whining schoolboy, with his backpack
And mourning face, snailing his way
To school. And then the lover,
Sighing between couplets, with a woeful ballad
Music to his mistress’ ear. Then a soldier,
Fighting life’s battles on paper and screens
Jealous in honor, spoken word slamming
Seeking the published prize
At the risk of denial. And then the justice,
Fattened and fueled with philosophy,
With eyes widened by profound thoughts
Full of wisdom of past and present
And so he coins his phrase. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and withered wordsmith,
With spectacles on nose and irony alongside;
His youthful imagery, well saved, a world too wide
For his shortened verse, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish times, whines
And whistles of his own elegy. Last stanza of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Blank verse, refrain and mere oblivion,
Sans rhythm, sans rhyme, sans breath, sans everything.

 

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

By William Shakespeare

(from As You Like It, spoken by Jacques)

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

poetryfoundation.org

Photo taken in Stratford, Ontario, home of the Stratford Festival and Shakespearean plays.

 

A wonderful challenge by Bryan Ens for dVerse Poetics, where he asked us to “cover” a poem by a poet whom you admire. I missed the prompt so I’m linking this up to “Open Link Night”.

Feel free to join in with one poem of your choice!

Collaboration for Peace – 40

 

The Beacon

Adrift I float
No gentle breeze
To send me home
only dreams
To guide me
To urge me forward
Through doubts and fears
I am not afraid
To travel on
Hope shines brightly
A beacon on the horizon

© Candace Kubinec

 

Photo: Mish

Photo: Mish

Collaboration for Peace – 39

 

Doldrums and Dragonflies

 

Even in flight

I am not alone

Cradled

By the zephyrs

Warm embrace

This too is my calm

My inner field of felicity

Double-winged, I will sing

To the flutter of my heart

In shades of iridescence

 

 

 

I feel blessed to have met Candy, my friend in collaboration as we continue to be inspired by each others work. You can find more of her photography and poetry at rhymeswithbug.com

Purging Postcards

 

 

 

Stop jarring your journeys

Spill them

Leave them dancing

Bubble them in the breeze

Spark your grin

Rose petal your way

To the clouds

With a skip and a twist

Recycle the shimmer

Of open green trails

Memories are melting shadows

Let them lull

 

 

Another one for De’s Q44 prompt at dVerse. 

My first attempt at using ALL the Quadrille words (19).

Collaboration for Peace – 37

Photo: Candace Kubinec

 

 

Nature sings to me

In melodies of sun

And baritone shadows

Harmony on forest’s floor

Echos of peace

 

 

Visit Candy at rhymeswithbug.com

 

 

Spirit Birds

 

Feather me, hawk

To help me see

Feather me, crow

Please balance me

Feather me, dove

To nurture and love

Feather me, bluebird

With joyful words

Feather me, eagle

To make me wise

Feather me, seagull

In freedom, I’ll fly

Feather me, falcon

To heal my soul

Give me my wings

To make me whole

 

A late response to Victoria’s poetic prompt, “Come Fly With Me”

It’s  Open Link Night over at dVerse Poets Pub.  Feel free to share a poem with us!

Collaboration for Peace – 32

Photo: Mish

Build Up

Let’s learn from
the past
spite and envy
slowly crumble our
foundations
we gradually collapse
under their burden
Let’s build each other up
bit by bit
word by word
creating a future
of peace

© candace kubinec

An Artistic Blend with Bev

One of my favourite blogs is artpresciption.com by Beverly Dyer, an artist who works with acrylic, watercolour and mixed media. She is also a Certified Botanical Illustrator. I am always intrigued by her unique style. Beverly was so kind to offer her lovely work to me for some poetic inspiration.

 

 

 

Awake I am rooted

Tethered, duty bound

Muffled by the fog

In dreams I drift

Turquoise, featherweight

Mellowed by earth’s song

 

 

 

The wind took my words

         To cradle, now churning

            Twisting and turning

      Filtered the facts

  Flicked lies at my back

S t r e t c h e d  and  sizeable

         Unrecognizable

               The wind took my words

 

 

 

If I could take the blue of you

And blend it with the mauve of me

I think that somehow we would be

A garden made in heaven

 

 

Images © beverly dyer

Poems by Mish

I Wish

 

I wish love grew as ivy

Boundless, disencumbered

Sprouting across spaces

Rainbows of faces

As we sway hand in hand

 

I wish for seas

Of selfish hearts to crash

Against rocky reefs

Dissolve and dilute

In harbors of integrity

 

I wish for all clichéd

World peace, homemade

Stirred, simmered, seasoned

With the very gifts

That God gave us

 

I wish for stars

To forever befuddle me

Amaze me, allude me

Remain unreachable

So I never stop reaching

 …and wishing

 

As your host today at dVerse Poets Pub, I am asking you to leave your worries at the door. Make a wish and write a poem about it. It may be a personal longing or a global vision. Your poem can be serious, humorous or whimsical.

Join us for some “Wishful Thinking”. Doors open at 3 p.m. EST.

 

Still Life

 

I was painted pain purple

By words grayed and grimed

But I found my own still life

Speckled in sunbeam yellow

Waterfall tears tinting my

Rainbow soul

I am nature’s canvass

Wide eyed and waiting

Saturated in earth’s tones

Ivy swirls on jagged stone

 

 

We are painting our own portraits with words this week over at dVerse .

A wonderful prompt by Lillian. Hope you can join in too!

 

Collaboration for Peace – 28

Have the courage to listen to the poems of your heart.

Candy and Mish

 

Heart Song

          ♥

Sing your own song

fling it into the air

be bold

uncontrolled

shout your own words

devout words

or somber

words of joyfulness

let your heart speak

its unique language

in poems of hopefulness

and peace

 

© Candace Kubinec

For Viv

 

A tear surprised my face today
as lavender and sweet bouquets
swayed gently to the clarinet

A tear surprised my face today
for all you penned upon a page
when petals drop before they fade

A tear surprised my face today
though we had never met

 

In memory of Viv Blake, a beautiful lady and talented poet who graced the dVerse community as well as others.  She will surely be missed by many who loved her and admired her.  We will continue to be blessed by her words and spirit.

Rest in peace and sunshine, Viv.

 

Tournesol (Sunflower)

This gallery contains 6 photos.

  Le soleil est dans mon coeur aujourd’hui Et donc je danse     The sun is in my heart today And so I dance      

Collaboration for Peace – 25

Candy and I hope you hold on to your inner peace this week.

 

 

Lost Peace

 

Some where buried

under the chaos

of everyday

peace has gotten lost

but I will find it with

my eyes closed

I will hunt by

feeling with the

fingers of my heart

searching among the

stones that were

thrown until I touch

the smooth, comforting

warmth that is my peace

© Candace Kubinec

Collaboration for Peace – 23

 

Candy and I hope you find some time for stillness this week…

 

Image: Mish

 

In Stillness

I’ve laid down my pack

and loosened the laces

on my hiking boots

I will sit for a while

admire the mountains I’ve

yet to climb

I will inhale the clean air

and listen for the small

stirrings of creatures

nearby

watch for the

aerial performance of

hawks in the blue sky

I will feel the warm breeze

as it passes me, hurrying off

to the valley below

I will stay here a while

in stillness – waiting

until peace joins me

then I will move on

 

© Candace Kubinec

Collaboration for Peace – 19

We hope that peace is part of your day. Another collaboration by Candy and Mish…

 

©Candace Kubinec

 

My Peace

 

I look up

Into the treetops

Where silence is

Broken only by

The song of the lark

And clouds whisperings

Blue embraces me in

Shades of sapphire

And indigo

This is my peace

Zia

 

Oh sacred sun

Paint my heart in pastels

Once more you find me

Beckoned by the beige of

Chiseled mesas

Dressed in shadows

Tantalized by turquoise trails

Where time tumbles

In weeds, windswept

Wonders dance like dust devils

And I trust

 That beauty still thrives

 In lonesome places

 

Today I am hosting Poetics at dVerse. The topic is “Sentiments of the Southwest” where I have offered up some of my favourite photos for inspiration.

The pub opens at 3 pm EST. See you there!

The Southwest: A Photo Collection

 

Eyes Open

 

“Come –

see real blossoms

of this painful world”

~Basho~

 

Today I walk upon mounds of spongy soil where neon blades blend into the dead of brown. I feel the unease of limbo and transition, tree branches bare and waiting.  The red maple, with no patience for spring, has already scattered its tiny flowers and they grab hold of the treads of my shoes. Dried out and weightless, they cling to me. Had I not noticed them before their fated plummet to the earth?

A purple crocus blooms beside an old oak tree. They don’t grow wild in these woodlands. A relocated bulb, perhaps journeyed here with an ambitious squirrel. He would never know the joy that his misplaced treasure had bestowed on me.  The trail suddenly juts south towards soggier territory but I commit to it.

A pair of ducks set sail across a flooded marsh, still surrounded by autumn’s auburn willow branches, a rare medley of seasons. The mud makes me tiptoe on the trail, searching for composted leaves for stepping stones. I ponder about why I have never owned a pair of rubber boots. The rain has been abundant, flooding streets and parks but I like the shine it is has given the emerald ash trees. These are majestic trees ridden with the curse of the ash borer yet they still bring me peace. All of nature brings me peace.

 

Cherish the blossom

Life bursts through soils run amuck

Petals slip through fingers

 

 

Written for dverse ~Haibun Monday#10: Hanami~ Kansen Sakura (Toni Spencer) has asked us to begin our haibun with a haiku by Issa or Basho, expand on it with our own perspective of “beauty, spring, hanami, journey to view cherry blossoms or other spring blooms, when you notice spring’s beginnings, the renewal and hope in spring…fun times relating to spring.” This is followed by our own haiku.

Collaboration for Peace – 11

Words and photo combine across the miles to bring you today’s collaboration.

 

Photo: Candace Kubinec

 

Overcast

 

Darkness is a veil

Masking moonbeams

Casting shadows over

Rays of hope

Reach deep

Light is more powerful

Than shadows of doubt passing

Reach deep

And peace will overcome

 

 

Land of Sunshine

 

In this room

The sun always shines

Tiny smiles, twinkling little stars

All aglow against the sounds

Of first words and laughter

My clouds dissipate when I enter

For this is heaven on earth

The land of the most innocent minds

With so much time on their hands

 

I am greeted

Scrawny arms wrap around my legs

Wide eyes look up to meet mine

Am I worthy

Of all that they have placed in my heart?

We gather to watch the cardinals

Pecking at seeds through the snow

Our window, a floor to ceiling portal

To the world

All anew, nothing askew

Because this is the land

Of sunshine

 

 

 

For Open Link Night at dVerse…a little late for Mary’s poetic prompt which asked us to reflect on rooms or a room. I chose a room where I spend a significant portion of my day.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Now

 

 

time does not freeze frame

wings not wasted meet the sun

dreams happen in flight

~

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/now/

 

Peace – Haiku

 

peace prevails on trails

sunbeams stretch to stifle darkness

silence speaks volumes

 

 

---

 

A beautiful place to find peace…

 

http://artists4peace.wordpress.com/

Smallest of Places

 

 

I find green in the smallest of places. It is not the mountain covered in triangular repetition of perfect pine that makes my heart flutter. It is not the river, churned and murky or hills that roll in shades of emerald and jade. It is the single blade of grass between my thumbs, tickling my lips as I blow gently through cupped hands. My eyes wander to the delicate veins of magnolia leaves as tiny aphids make their delicate climb. I reach to touch the green of neon moss blankets warming tree limbs, fallen and forgotten. I follow green in the iridescent glow of dragonfly wings dancing over the shallows. I cherish the green of tiny strawberries weaving on trellises, patiently waiting to ripen. As cerulean skies and yellow meadows magically merge in van Gogh’s “View of the Church of Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, I will still find green in the smallest of places.

 

 

Lost in fields of green
Four leaf clover at our feet
Gently we must walk

 

Written for Haibun Monday at dVerse Poet’s Pub. We have been inspired by the work of Vincent van Gogh.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Boundaries

 

Sometimes we sit on the edge

Waiting, wishing, wondering

Pensive, planning, pondering

We cannot fall if we have wings

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/boundaries/

Earthly and Heavenly Conversations

 

“Hey! I can make my own waves in the water!”

      “Where are your shoes? I told you no.”

“But look…”

      “I told you NO.”

“Ok, I’m getting my shoes…oh I have to stop to get all this sand off my feet.”

      “Where is your towel? I told you to bring your towel.”

“I forgot it.”

      “Don’t pick that up. It’s dirty.”

“It’s just a straw, for my flagpole on my sand castle.”      

      “Put it down. Now!”

“But I want it. I need it. The flag is the best part.”

 

 

“So, by the way…I made my own waves in this world.”

      “How did you do that? I told you no.”

“Just look.”

      “You didn’t listen. That is good.”

“ I always listened to you….always did what you said until I was tired of wiping the sand off my feet. I needed to feel it.”

      “You threw in the towel? I dreamt of your success, your master’s degree in…something. “

“Oh I know…I have never forgotten your dreams.”      

       “I was afraid of failure…mine, yours…yours being mine.”

“I remember one time when I was little and we were at the beach… I couldn’t build my sand castle because I needed a straw and you said it was dirty. The straw was part of my…”

      “I know….part of your creation, your idea. Are you still making sand castles?”

“Yes, Dad. Every day that I can. I want them. I need them…and my ideas are the best part.”

 

~

 

When Victoria C. Slotto at dVerse  challenged us to incorporate dialogue into our poetry, I was surprised and overwhelmed when this prompt took me on a very personal journey.

 

The Philosophy of Every Breath

 

We tread in the turbulence
Only to save ourselves
Creating our own human condition
We set our own foolish fires
As we direct our demise
Blindfolded
Do you ask why?
Do you feel each wispy breath as it
Leaves your tired lungs, wondering
Why we are here?

Listen to the faintest crackle
Of leaves on the forest floor
This is the voice of truth
Feel the soft skin on your lips
As you kiss a baby’s cheek
This is the canvass of innocence
Follow the red lines in the eyes
Of the man begging on the street
This is the road map to justice
And we have lost our way

~

Brian Miller is hosting at dVerse! He asked us to write about philosophy.

 

Haiku

Sundown silhouettes
Fusion of heavenly hues
Summer paragon

Weekly Photo Challenge: Muse

 

Trees are my muse. I am overwhelmed by their beauty, individualism and stature. Their history intrigues me. As Mother Nature sculpts and paints them with her elements, I have the easy part. Be amazed. Point and shoot.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/muse/

 

 

3 Days 3 Quotes Challenge: Day Three

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.“

~Omar Khayyam~

__________________________________________________________________________

This is my final post for the “3 Days 3 Quotes Challenge”.

Thank you to unexpectedincommonhours. Check out her blog!

I enjoyed the challenge, as it wasn’t overly time consuming and gave me a chance to use some favourite photos I had stored in my archives.  Since many do not wish to take part in these challenges, I have decided to open this up a bit.

My nominees are:

1. A blogger who would like to post 3 quotes.

2.  A blogger who would like to post their own 3 quotes.

3.  A blogger who would like to post 3 quotes with their own photography.

If one of these speaks to you,  I look forward to your response!

Have fun!!!

3 Days 3 Quotes Challenge: Day One

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

~ Neale Donald Walsch~

             _______________________________________________________________

Today I was pleasantly surprised to be nominated for the “3 Days 3 Quotes Challenge”.

Thank you to a wonderful lady that blogs at unexpectedincommonhours. Take a moment to check out her captivating photography and inspiring “eclectic musings”.

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you.
2. Post a quote each day for 3 days.
3. Each day, nominate 3 new bloggers to take part in the challenge.

My first 3 nominees

1. Deb’s world

2. Apple Pie and Napalm

3. Busy Mind Thinking

~

My 2AM

 

My two a.m. is a darkened cocoon

Where the words and I transform

I am swaddled by the freedom

En-kindled by the darkness

As the keyboard tap dances

Under the moonlight of the monitor

My two a.m. is a borderline I dare to cross

Where night mingles with the day

Random thoughts come out to play

I sit on the edge of my eyelids

Holding them up to the light

And I peacefully fight

Because the winner is always me

Slumber or finished piece

 

We are incorporating “2 a.m.” into a poem for dVerse this week.

 

 

 

When You’re Down in Memphis

Let’s go down to Memphis

Listen to some old time blues

That might be news to me

Feel the joy in the melancholy

As wailing guitars push out notes

Like potbellied tears

And tiny little diamonds

We’ll dance by the stage

With that sweet ol’ man with the cap

How do you say no

To a sweet ol’ man with a cap?

We will marvel

At the Beale Street Blues Boy

His portrait on the wall

The reason for it all

We’ll try those deep fried pickles

Savor the sweet tang of the ribs

Lip smackin’, hip packin’

As we sway to the rhythm

Of the house band

Let’s take a walk

Beside the muddy Mississippi

The sound of the sax

Rising softly at our backs

We’ll ride the horse drawn carraige

Lit up like Christmas

Because that is what you do

When you’re down in Memphis

~

Rest in Peace, Mr. B.B. King

(September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015)

~

Dedicated to my friend, Ann and a road trip I will never forget.

The Critics

 

 

Did you tread in tepid waters?
Your toes never touching bottom
Your head never fully immersed
They called your work tepid
Yet it ignited my soul

Was purity your paradox?
Unquestionable, points made and drawn
Like constellations on a sky map
They called your work aphoristic
But your realities opened my mind

Did the words fall without effort?
A silky slide of naked truths
A penning of mindless muse
They called your work facile
As I let your clarity complicate me

Do you still listen to the warm?
Write your reveries in the clouds
Find the peace that eluded you
They called you “King of Kitsch”
But sentiment is under rated

“Eternity sneaks in
her arms full of wild promises.”
― Rod McKuen, Listen to the Warm

~

 

For dVerse we are writing about poets that have inspired us. Rod McKuen had a huge impact on me as a teenager. Open, honest and straightforward, his work resonated with me and helped me to validate my own style of poetry. Only a few months ago, I decided to email Mr. McKuen to let him know how his work had influenced me. I procrastinated and the email was never sent. Weeks later in January of 2015,  I sadly read that Rod McKuen had passed away. Another life lesson…don’t wait.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/30/arts/rod-mckuen-prolific-poet-and-lyricist-dies-at-81.html?_r=0

Image credit: http://www.pinterest.com

 

Alternate Route

I take the scenic route, switchbacks, potholes
Where distance fails me, a few miles short of escape
Yellow lines divide freedom from catastrophes
Blue-grey blankets lie heavy in sapphire skies
Flaxen fields brush stroke my thoughts in gold
As roadside hawks circle to catch winds of grace
I succumb to the art of enlightenment
The blur of mile markers, dilemmas lost in transit

~

 

 http://dversepoets.com/2015/04/21/poetics-of-the-road/

We are writing octets (eight line poems) for dVerse. Some of us incorporated the theme of the road or travel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Brother

Driving east from our hometown

I remember a sunset

Blazing behind me

Reds I’d never known

Tangerines twisted

In tones of blue silk

Ivory smiles, infectious

Masquerading as cirrus clouds

I think it was you, my brother

I think it was you

              ~

Miles were meaningless

Moments embedded in golden hues

Purple streams extended

Like arms that had my back

I never lost sight of your afterglow

Love as large as the sun

Fades not in distance

Or in hearts

I think it was you, my brother

I think it was you

Grace encouraged us to write about brothers/brotherhood for dVerse poetics.  I lost my only brother suddenly when he was 36.  This was written as I recalled the most amazing sunset, traveling home one day from the small town I grew up in. It just happened to be his birthday.

The Irony

I would not have soared
If it were not for you
Finding fault in my feathers
As I flew

Your doubts became my updrafts
Scrutiny sculpted wings
Lifting my heavy heart
To higher ground

I made steps
From your stone grey eyes
And they have served me well
For taking off
Propelling me gently
Into turquoise skies

~

Inspired by Gabriella’s poetic prompt for dVerse as we reflect on vocations.

Wellspring

~

We put ink to paper

A slow release of demons

Taking up valuable space

Indigo tears dripping

As loud as rain on tin

Echoing with validation

Heart and soul precipitation

We are deafened

By our own definitions

Of tragedy and defeat

Blinded by the sandstorms

We carelessly create

Still we reach for the reservoir

Spellbound by the flow

Of this cursive dance

We put ink to paper

~

Another one for dVerse. It’s been a great week. As a poetic prompt, we were asked to choose a line from one of two poems by Brian Miller or Claudia Schonfeld. The line I chose was “we put ink to paper” in Claudia’s poem. You can check them both out at dVerse Poet’s Pub.

The Plight of Progress

 

We are encouraged to climb
Ascend to perfection
To cerulean skies, cumulus clouds
Where reality resembles
A third grader’s painting
In primary colours

This is footing for fools
Surety snaps in an instant
Like brittle branches of the oak
And still we fall gracefully
Earthbound by the weight
Of our own hesitations

Then how does hope grow
In ancient shadows
Of deadwood and doom?
By the healing embrace of the sun
By the beckoning call of the moon
One does rise up

Weekly Photo Challenge: Serenity IV

Setting golden tones

First class seat for evening show

Dazzling in silence

~

Related posts: Serenity

                          Serenity II

                          Serenity III

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/serenity/

Nirvana

Life is like hide and seek

Burying your faults under fuzzy blankets

Searching for truths and treasures

In dark alleys of your mind

Before lights fade and you are called home

Ready or not here we come

But we are not searching

Until we look into a baby’s eyes

And find the sea

You are not playing this game

It plays you

Until you realize

 The hourglass is nothing but sand

To sift between your fingers

And toss into the wind

You have already won

When you stand silent on the mesa

Sunlight blessing your face

Tracing the shadows of the eagle’s talons

Looking over this canyon

You know

You know that you are

In that one place

That grabs you

By the corners of your mouth

And lifts you up

Elated for the moment

Enlightened forever

For the Love of Dogs and Blogs

Three years ago today, I published my first post on Word Press. This journey of writing, sharing photographs, reading, learning and connecting with others has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Thank you to all of you who take the time to read, comment and interact.

Moon gazing was written as I was grieving the loss of our dog. Since then, it has been difficult to look at photos of “Barley”. I avoid things that hurt. I avoid things I cannot fix.

Barley wasn’t just a pet. He was my friend.  So on this blogging anniversary, I thought it would be nice to pay tribute to my first inspiration to write. One miniature wire haired wiener dog that blessed my life and made me laugh every single day for seventeen years. It is time to look into his ragamuffin face again and say hello.

Hello, my long lost little buddy. I will always miss you and love you.

At fourteen, he still had a spring in his step.

 

Purebred…but he preferred the Rastafarian look.

 

The sunlight was too bright for his weary eyes, hence the little wool cap. Still cute as a button in his golden years.

 

 

 

Wild Water

 

 

Don’t ever lose what you came here for

Dreams lost between fingers

Float aimlessly so

Haunting you, taunting you

Forging the flow

Of what you cannot

And what you will sow

Like they know

Hah! Like they know

~

Don’t ever lose what you came here for

Thoughts and faint hearts

Will easily dissolve

Diluting, polluting

Your streams of resolve

Diverting your course

To bowers and bays

That lead you astray

Hah! Sail away

Breaking Bread Habits

You sprinkle the flour
Careless chaos across my counter
I want to even it out, but I resist
This is your life now
You knead it

~

Watching you with motherly eyes
I finally see
That everything you are
Did not originate from this kitchen
And I thank God for that
You’ve moved on from
These minds, crumbled and torn
This table set robotically
With knives scraping on Corelle
Just to break the silence

~

You twist and turn this art
Into your own
Scoring precisely as planned
Filling the old loaf pan
With new hope, rustic and pure
This bread will leaven
And my heart will rise

~

Written for dVerse and inspired by Gail’s nurturing poetic prompt using the subject of bread.

Because

Every change leaves a mark

And some are beautiful

~

Three Guitars

 

The great escape

From the black and white keys

Was my Fender

Shiny and smooth

Never been used

Fingers on frets

Calloused and tender

Took flight to the strings

Imprinting my skin

Tuning from ear

Playing by heart

Ascending my dreams

To my Takamine

Crystal clear

In sound and conviction

Lyrics of soul

Leaving lips

Not kissed

Love not lost

Hope only tossed

To dogma days

And sultry ways

Of my Ovation

Acoustic nirvana

Standing up tall

And I had the gall

To write, to sing

Create the flow

Of beat and sweet

Surrendering all

That I am

~

 

 

 Anthony gave us the opportunity to share our love of music today at dVerse.

My guitars of past and present are pieces of my life.

I would be lost without music.

Flight Delays

Image: Brooke Shaden “waiting to fly”

 

It is the longing

That shortens our days

Taking trips around the world

In paper planes

Diving perilously over

Our own dark skies

Only to come back empty

Pilot aborted, hope distorted

Deserted dreams repeated

Making over dramatic

Emergency landings

Before take off

 

 ~

For dVerse poetics, Grace introduced us to the most amazing, artistic photographer, Brooke Shaden. Her work is truly inspirational as a writing prompt.

http://brookeshaden.com/gallery/

My Lighthouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are my lighthouse

Directing me to shore

When I drift carelessly

In my own waves

Signalling me to safety

My lantern, my love

Wrapping me in safe harbors

To sift through sands

For ancient shells

Emptied of lost moments

Until I find the one

Perfectly pierced

Waiting for a chain

And a reason to be worn

 

You are my lighthouse

Illuminating my destiny

Through fog and faint heart

Shining on me

Like I am important

My lantern, my love

And there is not a gale

Or storm that could take me

When I have your light

Your beacons of hope

Guiding me back

To shores of solace

Dreams and castles

Still yet to be built

 

 

Karin Gustafson  at dVerse Poet’s Pub, challenged us to follow through on metaphors.

“Meeting the Bar” at dVerse