Tag: poetry

One Lovely Blog

My friend Mitch at http://mitchteemley.com, authors a powerful, inspiring, often magical blog, The Power of Story. I’m a big Mitch fan, so imagine my delight to learn he’d nominated me for the One Lovely Blog Award! Thank you, Mitch. 

  
I confess I don’t often accept awards on WordPress, not because I’m not honored, but because I am just horrible at linking others’ blogs to mine. It’s an age thing. 

When I was a kid a link was one part of a chain and not some futuristic doohickey meant to convey one through space and time to another website. And a website had more to do with a spider….but I digress.

Part of accepting an award is following instructions. Let’s see how well I do, shall we?

1. Thank the person who nominated me and include a link to their blog. (check)

2. List the rules and display the award. (So far, so good)

3. Add 7 facts about me. (Seven seems reasonable, but honestly I could go on and on.)

4. Nominate 15 other bloggers. (Wish me luck on the linkage part!)

5. Leave a comment on one of their posts to let them know they have been nominated (Alrighty then! Again, wish me luck.)

7 Facts About Me:

1. I’m a lousy cook. My entire repertoire  consists of dishes that can be made in the crockpot using five ingredients or fewer. Sometimes I still mess up.

2. As a child I was a compulsive liar. The facts were never quite exciting enough, so I was forever making stuff up. Kind of like I do now.

3. I ride a motorcycle, and took a solo journey from central Illinois to Dallas, Texas, to celebrate turning 50. I’ll be 60 in October and need a way to top that trip. Suggestions?

4. I’m a native Texan, having been born in Buddy Holly’s hometown of Lubbock. I grew up in Floydada, Texas, home of the Floydada Whirlwinds. I just enjoy saying Floydada. You should, too.

5. My husband, who I affectionately call Studly Doright, was my high school sweetheart. In July we’ll celebrate 40 years of marriage. 

6. I’ve seen Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope over one hundred times. I still fantasize that one day Han Solo will come to propose and we’ll fly away together in the Milennium Falcon. Studly’s given his ok.

7. I’m affectionately known as Nana to five brilliant, beautiful, and spunky grandkids. Best fact ever!

I nominate these fine bloggers to receive The One Lovely Blog Award. Please check them out, send them some love, maybe bake them a muffin.

Sanseilife writes haiku, reflection, and shares her art through her wonderful blog: https://sanseilife.wordpress.com/author/sanseilife.

The mischievous Anna is a poet and an artist. http://themischiefmemoirs.com/author/themischievousanna.

Bunkaryudo writes one of the funniest blogs out there. If he doesn’t make you laugh, there’s something seriously wrong with your laugher. http://bunkaryudo.com/author/bunkaryudo/

Miss Crumpett focuses on the humorous and often touching antics of the students in her classroom. https://thecrumpettfiles.wordpress.com.

Mike Bizeau is a nature photographer who gets me as close to the great outdoors as I’ve ever been without leaving the comfort of my own living room. http://naturehasnoboss.com.

Mike Steeden pens the most incredible poetry. He makes me laugh and think simultaneously. The thinking part is the hardest, for me anyway. https://mikesteeden.wordpress.com.

My friend and fellow Words With Friends aficionado, Andy Garrabrant, is a poet whose beautiful soul shines through in every piece he writes. https://aroilinpain.wordpress.com.

The author of the blog, Windmills of My Mind, writes reflection pieces that’ll make you smile and maybe shed a tear or two. https://contemporaneousquixotic.wordpress.com

The blog, A Not So Jaded Life, is a great pick-me-up with timely quotes and stories of every day life. https://anotsojadedlife.wordpress.com/author/anotsojadedlife

The Joys of Joel is a poetry blog, and oh so smooth.  https://joysofjoel.wordpress.com.

One of the loveliest and edgiest blogs I’ve recently discovered is https://scottishmomus.wordpress.com. I’m seriously crazy about her poetry.

Laine Ann Jensen writes real from-the-heart romantic poetry on her blog, http://frommidnighttodawnlight.com.

If you’re into edgy fashion and photography, I highly recommend that you check out http://grungeandart.com. 

Jan Wilberg is one of my all time favorites. She’s honest and witty and insightful. Her blog, https://redswrap.wordpress.com is a must read.

Rounding off my fifteen is the blog https://eurobrat.wordpress.com. Certainly worth your time, eurobrat is both thoughtful and thought-provoking.

The worst part about these nominations, other than the linking thing, is the number of folks I’ve left off! If I follow you, I do so because you’ve got something important or funny to say or display, like https://juliepowell2014.wordpress.com/

And https://bhharned.wordpress.com/

Oh, and http://inesemjphotography.com

Ok, I’m not all that good at following directions. So sue me.

Peace, people!

Curves

she’d never been adept
at hanging lefthand curves;
hitting the apex just so,
leaning tight into the turn.
she’d fall out too soon,
or overshoot, rattling
her delicate equilibrium.
but let her lean right,
oh my! and the gods smiled
at the smooth transition,
steely nerves, graceful form.
she pondered a world of
only right hand curves
and ended up exactly
where her ride began.

 

I only wish I could lean left like this.

Peace, people. 

Bucket List

In response to the Daily Post’s Daily Prompt

Kick it: What’s the 11th Item on your bucket list?

There’s a hole in my bucket,
Or so I believe,
The older I get
The bigger the peeve.
I cross one item off,
And up crops another,
You’d think by my age
I’d not even bother.
Yet if I were counting
From top to the bottom,
Item eleven would be
Seeing Paris in Autumn.

Peace, people

Crushed

left alone with
thoughts unwieldy
too intense for
this bright day
crushed beneath
thoughts of envy
will they always
hold this sway?

gathered close for
future’s telling
slowly ticking in
mad men’s hands
stop the clock and
start the living
mark the place
then heave the sand.

prayed, oh please
don’t let this nature,
keep me wrapped in
jealousies
sifting through grayed
grainy photos
begging for my
soul’s surcease.

The Spotlight

In response to the Daily Post’s Daily Prompt:

Witness Protection. When you do something scary or stressful–bungee jumping or public speaking, etc.–do you prefer to be surrounded by friends or by strangers? Why?

No shrinking violet, am I
Yet the circumstances do decree
If an audience of strangers or friends
Is preferable to me.

When speaking to a group
Of unfamiliar folks my
Sense of timing is impeccable
And I’m full of witty jokes.

At karaoke, though, I find
The better I know the crowd
The more relaxed my vocal chords
So I sing out loud and proud.

If ever I should bungee jump
I want six friends around
To serve as my pall bearers
In case I splatter on the ground.

Peace, people!

Skating By

slipping on black ice
skittering wildly on by
hoping for a brake.

  
once out of control
look out kiddies, here i come
screaming yeehaw, y’all!

  
’round and ’round again
spinning donuts whip whapping
as hood chases boot.

  
May I never have to drive on snow and ice again.

Peace, people!

Smile, Don’t Speak

Daily Prompt: What do you find more unbearable? Watching a video of yourself or hearing a recording of your voice?

The lie I tell myself:
“Darling,” (that’s my pet name for me),
“Your disembodied voice
Grates. (That’s as polite as I can be.)

“But darling in your favor,
A natural grace and sweet disposition
Compensate for failings
In your whiny intonational exposition.”

“So, what you’re saying,”
I nod to myself, no nicknames embedded,
“Is that the camera loves me
And video is where I should be headed.”

“Darling, no,” I laugh,
“You’re not camera ready, either!
Avoid both at all costs,
And forget we had this conversation.”

The author in conversation with herself.

Sideways

I fell into your poem sideways,
not top to bottom as you likely wrote
it about love, and loss, and maybe

the taste of food.

A word stood out, midway through
your second stanza, so my brain followed
my eyes and without thinking

i read horizontally backwards.

Oddly enough, it made perfect sense and
I wondered, did you intend for me to
explore your words this way;

did you create a new form?

Only on my second pass did I find your
opening line and its nuances. Beautiful
rightside up and inside out.

A masterpiece.

The Sea Knows

The sea knows my name
and calls me ever homeward
here child, you’ll be safe

  
The sea owns my soul
echoes in the ebb and flow
waves’ endless lament

  
The sea holds my heart
safely wombed in fathoms deep
swaddling currents’ keep.

  

Peace, people.

To Scale

  
Heart to heart
Mind over matter
Shifted priorities
Discerned differences
Follow the heart’s desire
Listen to the mind’s measure
Balance perceived risks and rewards
Everything worthwhile is weighed
Even breaths and heartbeats
Register on life’s scales
Tipping is recommended
Just a thumb on hold
Changing outcomes