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Put the ice queens, princesses, witches, monsters, pirates, Doctors, and whatever other costume the kids wore away.  Halloween is almost ove...

Sunday, April 24, 2016

April 2016 Poetry A Day: Week 4/5

So, Monday was another return to the office which gave us the prompt for 2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 18: write an office poem.  Pretty self-explanatory, right?  Wrong, because it could be anything in the office, about any kind of office, or even the creation of an unique office.  It leaves it open to multiple things.  So since I recently started a job in an office setting, though it couldn't really be considered an office job, I thought I'd try to give a poem about offices from a perspective that is neither visitor nor office worker.

BEHIND THE SCENES

They get there early
receive little to no appreciation
these bastions of the office
Constantly present

They mop and vacuum
water the plants
stock supplies and even
clean the toilets

They dust and polish
every room
They have an office
and closets are numerous

They don't get recognition
though they keep those offices going
For how could the workers get by
without coffee, tea, or seeing the sky

So if you work in an office
Remember the ones
that work behind the scenes
your maintenance staff

On Tuesday, once again, we received a two-for prompt.  The first 2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 19 prompt was to write a "cool" poem, while the second was it's opposite: an "uncool" poem.  We weren't given any qualifiers or expansions on these, so temperature versus fads versus whatever you think would be cool or uncool.  It leaves for a lot of interpretation.


NERDS AND GEEKS

They claimed we would never be cool
Games would never be in
That knowledge while power
would remain epically uncool

They never saw Gates nor did they
realize their claims would set in motion
a revolution that was fought
Though not in typical fashion

We flooded our own conventions
We refused to hide our pride
We proved that it didn't matter
Nerds and Geeks may have once been uncool

Then they rose to the forefront
Became stars in every realm
Actress mathematicians and gamer action stars
Nerds and Geeks are now an expected cool

I know, but I couldn't keep from doing another poem dealing with "nerd culture."  I keep hoping to find one that is actually prompted...I think it would be a unique set of poems.  There are so many that would either be completely against things within said culture, or that would be the culture's steadfast guardians, that I truly think it would be a phenomenal group of poems!

2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 20 we were prompted to write a poem about things unsaid.  Such a huge expanse again to choose from!

THE UNSAID

There are words never spoken
lest it's too late
for any true meaning
to be derived

There are events never mentioned
hidden in the annals of history
be it for our safety or to keep
us from destroying everything else

There are names never given
for the lives too short
nor are there books writ
for the journeys to bored

No matter where one goes
there is hidden messages
in the silence surrounding
The Unsaid


Apparently, Wednesday was another holiday day.  Poem in your Pocket Day gave us the idea for 2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 21 prompt which was to write a response poem.  Brewer even gave us a few poems that we could respond to if we were having problems working on it.  I decided to make mine in response to one of my earlier poems.  This particular poem can be found in my post April 2016 Poetry A Day: Week 2/5.   Why don't you guess which one?

Time has passed 
some have left
it's not so hard to know
whose new and whose old

The bumblers and stumblers 
have either left or entertained
having fun the whole way
learning as they go

Experience helped but
didn't really matter
for their enthusiasm made
it hard to see them go


It took quite some time to figure this poem out which is why this post is going to be late being published.  Sorry, but apparently my muse refuses to be rushed!

The prompt for 2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 22 was to write a "Star _______" poem.  He gave some examples but all I could think of was:

STARTING ANEW

they said I wasn't going anywhere
they claimed I should give up
I chose not to listen
And now I've a mess to clean up

It doesn't worry me any
It makes me strive even more
I keep wondering why
they think I need something else

I'm always starting something new
Something that catches my eye
It never gets finished
I hit a snag every time

I lose a random chapter
or find it doesn't flow
My muse has gone missing
and with it my willpower

But now I'm going back
To those unfinished projects
I'll restart them this time
Keeping the old as reference

I'll start each project anew
I'll study what went wrong
I'll stick it to my naysayers
And I'll finish them this time

The poem kind of stole my fingers and hijacked me while I typed it, but that's why I'm here.  So the stories and words that need expressing will hopefully be expressed.  Thank goodness there's a title!

2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 23 prompted us to write about footwear.  If not making it the star, at least mention footwear somewhere in the poem.


BAREFOOT PREFERANCE

Just when I thought things couldn't be better
They got terribly worse
I had no sweet boots or 
striking sandals

There lay no comfy sneakers
or worn-in flip-flops
Just a pair of too small pumps 
or work boots needing lacing

Why can't we roam barefoot
feel grass beneath our feet
enjoy a sudden dip in a puddle
Let our feet breathe

But no, when we go out
they need protection
from the bees and the gravel
from the heated sun or frozen snow

The title wasn't really that surprising to me, to be utterly honest.  The take the poem took did since I wanted to highlight on being barefoot instead of wearing shoes or really any kind of footwear, not even socks!  The poem however decided on a different flow.  Hope you enjoyed it!  I must admit though, I almost tried to make it a Doctor Who tribute.  Figuring out all the pieces of footwear just the Doctors wear would tire me out though!  Although, I guess I could have thrown the term Sand Shoes in and most fans would have gotten it.

2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 24 is the last Sunday for the poem a day challenge.  I'm hoping you've been enjoying mine and following the links to enjoy some others and perhaps even try your own hand.  The prompt for this particular Sunday was to write a lost and regained poem.  It's tempting to include the saying of letting what you love and if it's truly love or if it love's you it'll return but it just didn't feel right for this particular piece.

The time is past 
when it was seen as 
cute or adorable

Now we get to pass that on
to the youth who happen
to be one half us

It's short and has no title, but it works, at least for me.  Just a reminder, for those who like me find title-less works annoying, if you have a title suggestion, leave a comment about it.

Next week is the last week.  The last of the poems and a quick overview of personal feelings during this particular journey.

Camp NaNoWrimo April 2016: 4/5

Once again, I've not really taken the time to write.  I know, I need to just sit down and write, but I keep finding things that I need to do that are of higher priority, like work of all kinds!  There's housework, homework, and money-work.  I barely have time to keep up with DWTS and The Voice.  I'm not giving up though!  I know I can get to 20K words, I just have to focus.  And stop getting distracted!

In case you weren't aware yet, winning validation became available this past week on Wednesday.  For those who had met or surpassed their goals, this was fantastic news!  For those of us who haven't been able to really work on our projects, this might make us a little more anxious than typical.  I got the e-mail and told myself "This weekend, no matter what you may wish to do, you're sitting down and working on your project, Ency."  Then sat down and wrote for about five minutes while making dinner.  Got about a hundred more words to add to my total, but still puts me nowhere near where I need to be.

Hopefully I can happily post next week that I met that 20K word goal.  I set it lower than I knew I could do because of all the real world obligations.  RL is annoying, but necessary.  This is not a good thing for writers who want to disappear into their other worlds and while away their time there.  Especially if they aren't making writing their living.  Well, good luck to my fellow campers.

I must apologize for this being late.  I mistakenly believed I had it properly scheduled to post on Sunday morning, but apparently it remained as a draft instead of a scheduled post.  So, I'm terribly sorry for that!

Sunday, April 17, 2016

April 2016 Poetry A Day: Week 3/5

On Monday, a very wet Monday, though with it being spring I really should not be surprised, we entered the second trimester of this poem a day challenge.  Thankfully it was another prompt that leads to a large array of choices.  2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 11 gave us the prompt for a defensive poem.  It took me a lot of thought to put this one together.


Wanting to do more
Expecting to do more
Strategies in place
To hinder every step forward

Things change 
people move around
Accusations are made
Offense is the best Defense

With an old episode of Biggest Loser playing in the background, I finally managed to put some semblance of a poem together.

Once again Tuesday was a double prompt day.  2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 12 gave us the choice of either writing a serious poem or silly poem.  Of course a person can always choose to write two poems, one for each prompt.  This could be a bit of extra work or they could be combined like I did last week into one poem.  Here's my attempt for this particular challenge.

SERIOUS VS. SILLY

Sullen
Enamored with silence
Remaining unhumored
Intrigued to solve the mysteries
Only to be disappointed 
Until deciding to become
Something other than serious

Standing in circles
Intriguing moments of
Laughter and
Love
Yearning for continuous joy

Surprisingly, I knew the title before I even thought of what type of poem or how it would be worded.

Wednesday we were given another _______ poem.  This time it was "Last _________" for 2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 13.  After recently hearing Shinedown's Second Chance, the only thing I could think of was "Last Chance"  which then made me think of a line from a different song, "this is the last night that you'll feel like this".  I can't remember the title or artist though...

LAST ATTEMPT

There comes a time
In every life
Where the liver decides
It's time to end

It could be their life
But more often than not 
it's just some thing
they've been trying for a while

they've approached it in various ways
Head-on, backwards, sideways
They've gotten tired of trying 
They've decided on their last attempt

They'll start something new
After this attempt
For now they feel
They're beating on a dead horse



Thursday was 2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 14.  We were challenged to write a "time-out" poem and I had to take a "time-out" from poeming thanks to real life(RL) obligations.  So, now as I'm going back to finish out the week's poems, I find it slightly ironic.  But anyway, here goes:

TIME-OUT

I need a break
from deadlines and try-outs
from work and even fun

Yes, I need a time-out
before the stress buries me
and I somehow destroy my own world


Friday marked the halfway point in this challenge and with real life having forced a break, I wasn't sure what to expect.  So, when I looked over 2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 15, I was pleasantly surprised.  We were given a list of eight words and challenged to use at least four.  Can you locate mine?

THE TARRASQUE TOOTH TRACKED

Challenged on a quest
I daren't blacklist
the king who made
such a lavish request

He dared us five to journey
in a vessel of rare design 
to lands unknown in search
for not some gaudy ring

Nor was it plans 
upon paper of poor design
It took us across many lands
both hilly and flat

No, this particular quest
took us to the den
of the very rare tarrasque
in search of a single solitary tooth!

Well, it's pretty simple to spot them, I think.

Yesterday's prompt was great for foodie poets.  2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 16 basically told us to go out and eat.  We were tempted to, that's for certain!  It was to write a poem either about or in a food establishment, though I think the main point is to write one about a food establishment.

Journeying out
for late night munchies
Nothing too it
or so we thought

It turned from a quick trip
to a complete sojourn
as we quickly realized
we were late to our favorite haunts

So we googled and gps-ed
our way to a late night meal
finally settling
at a nearby Jack-In-The-Box

I thought I did fairly well.  Don't have a title, though.  Any ideas?

Apparently today is National Haiku Day(I really need to start up a blog about the daily holidays...Or someone should, anyway!)  In honor of it, 2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 17 challenges us to write a haiku.  We can also choose to right a poem about haiku's, but I do enjoy writing in this particular format.   I know I wrote one in Future of April 2016, but I don't like repeating efforts if I can avoid it, so here's my latest haiku.


HAIKU

take a five word start
seven syllable center
and five sound ending

Turns out, I decided a haiku about haikus was in order!  Hope you enjoyed this week's attempts.  As always, make title suggestions in the comments!

Camp NaNoWrimo April 2016: 3/5

We've reached passed the halfway mark!  Have you reached the halfway goal?  I haven't.  I'm not giving up though!  Since I'm doing this by hand, it's a little harder to have an accurate count.  I'm trying though, and I refuse to give up!  For those who have reached their halfway point on their word goal, congratulations, keep going.  You can always go above and beyond!  For those who, like me, have not, don't give up.  Every little bit aids in reaching your goal.  Keep working towards your goal.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

April 2016 Poetry A Day: Week 2/5

Week 2 of the Poem A Day challenge.  It's been a little harder to keep with it because I'm not adding these into my NaNo Camp project, at least not yet, but it's fun.  One of them might make their way into my NaNoWriMo project or another work (My Rock Falls series does have a few writers within.) So Monday's poem theme was distance.  Seriously, 2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 4 is to write a distance poem.  Upon reading this, my brain compared how I learned to tell distance with that of those who learned to use meters or miles.  Surprisingly, this poem gave me it's title before I even started letting it flow.

Varieties of Distance

They say distance makes the heart fonder

yet they contradict with

long-distance relationships won’t work

For distance between cities I’ve noticed

While several use miles and kilometers

Even more go by time

Distance works in length of songs, books, movies, too

But nothing is nearly as long

as the distance of a life

Nothing is as short either

For some life is ended at the start

Gone before they truly live

Others go beyond the distance of their life

Known generations later

For distance is just a measurement


2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 5 was actually a "two-prompt challenge."  He gave us the option to write an experienced or an inexperienced poem.  Since the word experience can refer to so many things, I have to agree with Robert Lee Brewer, the author of these posts, that this should provide a large selection of poems.  My attempt at an experienced/inexperienced poem is actually slightly influenced by the series Dancing With The Stars.  No, I haven't given it a title, but if you have suggestions, don't be shy.  Leave it in the comments!
They dance as gazelles run or grass waves
Magic leads every step
It’s so hard to know
just who is the professional and whom is new

Then there are those who
obviously have two left feet
stumbling, bumbling, and no sense of rhythm
dancing on a stage just to have fun

Does experience always matter
when you love what you’re doing
or when the story is so compelling
it makes a person forget the dismal dance they see


Day 6 was a bit harder for me to actually focus on.  Okay, so it was nearly impossible for me.  2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 6 was to write an "ekphrastic poem".  I'm so glad Brewer gave a definition for this and provides his own example of the poems.  Anyone who knows me well, knows that anything can be inspiration for a new piece of work.  In fact I couldn't tell you the number of times a picture I saw was the inspiration for a person or piece of work.  Look at my NaNo Camp project...it was inspired by a picture I took on my phone!  Either way, apparently an ekphrastic poem is inspired by a piece of art.  For mine I took a pic that I had saved to my husband's computer that had originally been shared by a friend (or was it group?) on Facebook.

Chained by a warrior
Of unrivaled power
She reeks of goodness
Though she appears dark

She seems almost calming
To the ghostly image 
Of a creature much worse
than any she'd known 

It came from a time
ere humans e'er lived
A time populated with
creatures more noble than she

The strength the pair exudes
The grace and nobility within
They eclipse all making night
seem like day and day like night

They overpower even Arthur
with his noble ideals and 
Knights of the Round Table
This flying creature and it's majestic captor

Apparently once again there was no title forthcoming from this poem.  Any suggestions are, as always, helpful.

2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 7 marked the end of the first week which is surprising as the month seems to be flying by.  This time the prompt is "Urban _________".  All I can think is 

URBAN RANGER

Tracking in the sewers
City streets make no difference
This hunter is at home
in a bustling city or minuscule village

They have no need
of learning the ways of the wild
or patterns of the tides
Not when they can weave through a metropolis

They've learned to track in the merchant's home
or through a thieves'guild's den
The urban ranger is no tracker of the wild
they are the bounty hunter of the old days

2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 8 had a prompt that gave me a bit of a memorable trip.  He says to write a doodle poem.  So here's my attempt and a title as well!

DOODLE TO A MASTERPIECE

I sit bored as I wait
Can't help myself 
On the blank page before me
I take a pencil and mark

The lines take a life of their own
the swirls expand to create
a picture of their own
A masterpiece from a doodle

I can't stop the connections
I can't remove the pencil
I don't remember why 
I was so bored before

For 2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 9, we were challenged to write a Hide Out poem.  As you'll see, my hideouts have never been in a physical place.  Likely they never will be. 

HIDEOUTS IN THE PAGES

Pull the blanket over your head
Grab the flashlight from beside your bed.
Disappear a bit from a cruel, cruel world
Into one we know will end happily

It may take hours days, weeks or years
But through the tears a smile will emerge
As each journey ends A forced return
From the hideout that exists between the pages

The stories that are used to hide away
from cruelties of a modern world
Hidden from our injustices 
by following the heroes of other worlds

That's where my hideouts are
They're between the pages of stories
The images in daydreams 
My hideouts have never been on this physical plane

Yes, a library worked 
So would a bed or chair or even hidden room
They weren't where I disappeared to though
It was in the stories on the paper in my hands

It was the romance of the wild west
The adventures in far off lands
Mysteries that needed solving
These are still the hideouts I seek


Today is day 10 out of 30.  A third of the way through the challenge and while I might not have written them daily, I'm proud to say that I have written a poem so far for each challenge.  So today's challenge, 2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 10, the prompt was to write a poem about an emotion using said emotion for the title.  With the wealth of emotions and their synonyms available for usage, I think the option  are endless.  So, here's my attempt.  Hoping you enjoy it!


JUBILANT
Joyous

Until the end
Birth is its beginning
Intelligence unneeded
Love can cause it
As well as
Numerous other events
Transcending most emotions

Camp NaNoWrimo April 2016: 2/5

So last Sunday I didn't get a lot done on my project and I meant to give a little highlight on the write-ins, but ended up not seeing as I was unable to watch them in their entirety before my Sunday post.  I will admit though that I am working on the story and am tempting to draw out or find a way to create a map on a computer to give the overall area that the story, which is promising as a series starter instead of a stand alone (which was my original plan), spans.  Is what you're working on shaping up differently than you originally planned?

I'm also working on it's cover.  I'm thinking of using the house I have in Camp NaNoWrimo April 2016: 1/5 as the background and impose a picture of either the family or their vehicle to make this story's cover and if it really is the start of a series, use the house as a backdrop for the cover.  Give your opinions on these thoughts in the comments.  Maybe you have a better idea?  If so, don't be afraid to comment about it!

Sunday, April 3, 2016

April 2016 Poetry A Day: Week 1/5

So, April 1 was the first day of the 2016 April PAD Challenge.  The poem we were tasked to write was "a foolish poem" - apropos for April Fool's Day.  Basically a poem involving fools, pranks, and/or tomfoolery.  So this was my attempt, possibly a bit more or less refined from the actual submission in the comments section for 2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 1.

Tricksters extraordinaire
Come out to play
On this 
All Fool's Day

Illusionists and hypnotists
Pranksters and general populace
Let out a side that's hidden
364 days of the year

From mild misplacement
And sleight of hand tricks
To worldwide dupings
Played upon unsuspecting targets

So enjoy it whilst one can
The pranks and tricks, hijinx and hilarity
For those unsuspecting victims
While it may end up cold - Revenge is sweet


I haven't thought of a title yet, but am willing to accept suggestions.  Go ahead and leave one in the comments.


For 2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 2, the poem was to be a He said, She said type poem.  It just seemed to flow for me, but once again I have no title for it.

He said he needed space
She claimed it was okay
He said it would be a short time only 
She claimed she would wait.

He called her to hear her voice
She said things were fine
He mentioned some places he saw
She said she was still waiting

He finally returned
She waited in the door
He went to greet her 
She stopped him with a bag

She said she needed space
He demanded why
She said she needed time
He replied she'd had enough

She pointed out that was his
He claimed she could have as well
She couldn't say anymore as she walked to a waiting vehicle
He tried to call her back

He never noticed the tears on her face 
Neither did she on his 
He didn't notice the changes
But neither had she

The biggest thing they missed
Besides each other 
The biggest thing left unsaid
Were three little words

Both had waited for the other to say them
Neither wanted to be first
To admit to those three little words
I love you

Today's challenge, 2016 April PAD Challenge: Day 3, is to right a "Three ________" where the _________ is a word or phrase.  With it being the third day of the third month, the only thing missing is a three in the year....

Three

three songs to describe
three ways to sing
just as there are three types of stories
to describe three styles of writing

Three games to play
Three cheers to yell
Three dances to try
Three ways to cry

Tragedies in three
But Blessings are sole
Couples are doubles or duos or bi
But Triples are trios or tri


I know, it's not exactly a "Three ________" poem, but it's what flowed for me.  At least this one has a title!  Let me know what you think of the poems or if you have title suggestions for me for the above poems.

Camp NaNoWrimo April 2016: 1/5

So this was the first week of Camp NaNoWriMo.  I finally figured out what I wished to work on.  It'll be something kind of paranormal.  For more information why don't you check out my Camp NaNoWriMo page.  If you'd like, you can even add me as a writing buddy.  The picture I'm referring to is:
 

Neat isn't it?  I took the picture from just inside a building across the street from it.  The way the tree just kind of guards over the house barren of the leaves that are typical of spring lends itself to a more eerie atmosphere.  Then as I was walking my dog only a few days ago I thought of this picture while seeing how friendly and welcoming the rest of the town was.  I couldn't help but wonder how much of a story lies in just the opposite atmospheres.  What is the welcoming and safe-like environment was just a front for the horrors that exist in the town.  The town is home to those that is typically not spoken of.  Ghosts, vampires, weres, just about anything that would be considered mythical.  Well, the entire town except that one house.  The house in town that lends credit to the stories of hauntings and campfire ghost stories.

What do you think?  Sounds interesting I hope.

Anyway I had a late start and am glad that my target goal is only 20K words.  Luckily I've written over six hundred of them already!