The poemslinking slowly on
spindly legs
stalking new spaces
Ekphrasis, boiled down, is art describing another work of art. For poetry, the example most sites provide is John Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn.” I call this category of posts ‘Not Necessarily Ekphrasis’, because all of the poems won’t necessarily describe the pic on which they will be placed. I may find the picture a good match for the mood of the poem, or it may actually be an ekphrastic poem.
Poem created in response to Poetic Bloomings’ prompt #529 “Out My Window“
What do you see out your window?
(form: double cinquain)
Looking at Nature
I see
myself looking
back at me as I look
out the window as nature looks
at me
fearing
that my looking
inward looking outward
will change the look of the nature
I see
(form: lune)
A Darkening Window
My eyes, my worldview
our divide
insurmountable?
Poem created in response to Poetic Bloomings’ prompt #528 “Shout It Out!“
Need to go on a tirade, scream, shout, get something off your chest?
(form: tanka)
Shout It Out
will.i.am not, but
i do tend to scream and shout
and let it all out,
but just when i.am driving,
looking like an angry mime
Poem created in response to Poetic Bloomings’ prompt #527 “You, from your house’s P.O.V.“
What might our house say about us?
(form: cinquain)
Peopling
talking,
walking, climbing,
cooking, eating, fixing,
caring, watching, reading, sleeping,
loving
Poem created in response to Poetic Bloomings’ prompt #526 “What Do You Do When Stuck Inside“
This prompt was about being isolated, trapped inside, and/or how you stay connected in such a situation.
(form: double cinquain)
Snowed In
Enrapt.
Watching fluffy
white flakes gently floating,
serenely composing themselves
in drifts
against
my doors, windows.
Weightless flakes composing
immovable piles overnight.
I’m trapped.
Poem created in response to Poetic Bloomings’ prompt #525 “Comfort Food“
This prompt was about comfort foods during cold weather and to “write what satisfies you.” The first two poems on this post are food-based, the last was strictly inspired by “Satisfaction.”
(form: tanka)
Comforting Food
Comfort foods are great
the flavors, the full belly
but satisfaction
comes from creating a meal
all my family enjoys
(form: shadorma)
Satisfaction
dry red wine,
full-bodied coffee,
perfect pints
of Guinness
sipped, savored, shared with good friends
Soul-nourishing bliss!
(form: cinquain)
I Get It, Mick
got no
satisfaction
flyin’ around the world
doin’ this and tryin’ that until
I loved
Poem created in response to Poetic Bloomings’ prompt #428 “Again and Again“
This prompt was to use alliteration, possibly to use the Alliterisen form. I got the alliteration, but will have to try the form out at a later time.
(form: lune)
Standing Strong
weary, weeping, yet
standing strong
damaged, defiant
(form: none/free verse)
Standing Strong
prejudiced people
playing at power
hiding their hating
bullying, berating
fail at breaking her spirit
standing strong with
courage and conviction
she shines her light on their lies
The more you read, the less apt you are to make a fool of yourself with your pen or word processor.
As I was trying to figure out what to write about in my first post in two years, I came across this quote by Stephen King. While it seems like longer than two years ago since I wrote anything, I have continued to read. I have read many books in that time, some new to me, some that I’d read previously that sat on my bookshelf (some got donated, some retained their place in the shelf), and some re-reads of my favorites, which sit in prominent places on my bookshelf. Hopefully, I’ll get back into more of a habit of writing. Maybe, I’ll even get back on that path of trying to get published. Most importantly, per this quote, hopefully, I’ve been reading enough to not make a fool of myself.
Title: Wold and Iron
Author: Gordon R. Dickson
Published: 1990
Author’s Wikipedia page: Gordon R. Dickson
Genre: Science Fiction
Review: The Foreword by Harry Frank, Ph.D. pretty much sets the tone for this book. It explains how Gordon Dickson spent a good deal of time researching wolves and asked Dr. Frank to consult on his book to ensure he got Wolf’s behavior correct. Unfortunately, with this information in the back of my mind, I kept wondering if Mr. Dickson had decided to write a book on wolves, but wanted to make it fiction to try to reach a wider audience.
The book is well-written and has a decent premise for a “post-apocalyptic” story. Instead af a physical catastrophe, this story is set shortly after a global economic collapse and finds the protagonist, Jeebee, trying to get to his brother’s ranch. He tries to avoid contact with people since there’s no telling who’s friendly and who’s going to do harm. During one encounter, he finds himself leaving the town in the company of a wolf, who becomes a fairly constant companion for the remainder of the story. Jeebee has a few more encounters over the course of the story and, as I said, the writing is good, but not very exciting. For me, this could have been a novella, but I guess that wouldn’t have provided enough time to adequately describe the breadth and depth of wolf behavior.
Bottom Line: I was fairly bored for most of the 468 pages. This one will not be on my re-read list and will be donated back to a used book store.
Even Stephen King’s dedication pages have great advice, tidbits of writing wisdom. In It, he dedicates the book to his mother, wife, and kids, and after naming their children, he adds this message:
Kids, fiction is the truth inside the lie, and the truth of this fiction is simple enough: the magic exists.
This is really worthy of two quotes, but I’ll just hack on both parts here, as concisely as I can.
The truth inside the lie. Yes, indeed. To more accurately complete that sentence, though, I’d have to insert ‘good’, as in ‘good fiction is the truth inside the lie’. It’s what makes the story believable, relatable. Regardless of how fantastical or far-fetched a story is, the truth hidden within allows us to connect with the story, the characters. Without that truth, we don’t ‘get it’, and the story is not believable…much like a lie. In order for a lie to work, there’s got to be at least a shred of truth to it, otherwise we discount it as untrue.
The magic exists. This could mean a number of things, and by throwing in ‘this fiction’, it muddies it a bit more. Does he mean specifically the magic in this story? The magic being that bond of friendship that transcends time, that bridges distance, that connects people together in ways that even blood can’t. True friendships are able to withstand internal conflicts because the friends know they care about each other and, ultimately, have each other’s best interest at heart, even when a truth can be difficult to hear. True friendships bring people together, regardless of distance, when they get that call in the middle of the night…just like magic.
Wanna Get Published, Write! 