Category: Real Life

NAPOWRIMO2020 - Poem 19

4/27/2020

NAPOWRIMO Prompt: Write a poem based on a “walking archive.” What’s that? Well, it’s when you go on a walk and gather up interesting thing – a flower, a strange piece of bark, a rock. This then becomes your “walking archive” – the physical instantiation of your walk. If you’re unable to get out of the house (as many of us now are), you can create a “walking archive” by wandering around your own home and gathering knick-knacks, family photos, maybe a strange spice or kitchen gadget you never use. One you’ve finished your gathering, lay all your materials out on a tray table, like museum specimens. Now, let your group of materials inspire your poem! You can write about just one of the things you’ve gathered, or how all of them are all linked, or even what they say about you, who chose them and brought them together....

I walked by the crick and back home up my street and snapped some pics. Then I photoplayed and created a wee scene...

A Drunken Tale (At the Local Watering Hole)

Wise turtle tells me tall tales of ye old Captain Fundas
who’s quite known for his specific brand spitfire sass.
He lives at his lighthouse, never raising his brows
when the fish fan outwards, away from the birdy buzzards,
for frisky frolics further upstream. Was it all but a dream....
in a little fishing town, a little further down
than that other nifty place, where I saw your pretty face?

(conceived April 24, 2020, recrafted and finalized April 25, 2020)

It’s a nonsense poem, not really saying anything,
But it’s whimsical
And quirky perky:)

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NAPOWRIMO2020 - Poem 18

4/27/2020

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An Ode to Life’s Small Treasures;
Grandiose Unrealized Pleasures

6:30 am, the arse crack of dawn,
a time for the devil’s spawn,
or so I had thought...
I never knew such beautiful skies! I kid you not!

Opulent pearly pink, incandescent sky,
sultry shades of sorbet sashay.
Bloomy roars, reverberating cheery encouragements.
Optimistic rosy glow, vibrantly voicing hope,
radiating a golden orb of fiery faith in rocky times,
peeking out from the sinister buzzkill clouds;
Glorious red and yellow blazing, entwining flames of citrus
in sky mirrors, topsy turvy glassy reflections make me tipsy.

(Ideas/working out of ideas April 24, 2020, Written and fine-tuned April 25, 2020)

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NAPOWRIMO2020 - Poem 17

4/25/2020

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Prompt: write a poem that features forgotten technology

CDs Remastered; Compact Discs Rememembered

Like 8 tracks and cassettes, CDs 💿
are almost obsolete technologies,
Just ask Sam the record man

Those shiny, silver discs once dazzled me
with magic,
Or, if you’re more scientifically inclined - a semi conductor laser wrote and read music that
enticed my ears and affected my life.

That’s the magic of the mix cd.

Now, I’m left with a museum of mementos;
thousands of sparkling memories in the mixes of youth.
Unhelpful titles scrawled across
in my 13, 17, 21 year old handwriting,
Relics representing events and feelings of ‘the best days of our lives’- not!

when ‘we were young, we were free!’

Long since forgotten what the titles mean;
they used to mean the world.
Now, a total surprise and a complete mystery
you don’t solve until you slide that cd into the player...
Wait for her to load .....
and let loose all wild a n d f r e e.
On the open road, you suddenly give nod to the equivalent of a stuck record needle, or the crumbling mess of cassette tapes, or a streaming stuckness.

Going digital is the loss of the craft.
It doesn’t have that certain slant of light;
It’s just data and it’s invisible,
all up in a cloud somewhere.
With all the space in the world, you can add or delete songs on a whim.

We used to slave over our latest creation.
Couldn’t wait for all the appreciation
Everybody wang-ed, everybody chung-ed
Everybody had fun tonight
Finite selections - 80 minutes, 18 or 19, 20 songs max -
Gotta be selective,
You had to pick and choose
Keep a specific theme or mood
Order mattered - Let’s face it,
No one knew how to work the shuffle
on those awkward clunky Discmans anyway! -
You had to be certain.
Once burned, burned forever!

Oh, and,
Never in the right case at the right time;
Chasing the perfect song,
Hunting for happiness and happy surprises.

That’s the magic of the mix cd.

(April 23, 2020)

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NAPOWRIMO2020 - Poem #16

4/25/2020

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Pathetic Pathos

In this life-mare without a care.
We’re stars in this epic of pandemic proportions;
An epidemic of anti-economical chaos,
lost lives and missed fortunes,
a surreal, real-life Dali,
ass imprints couch, jammies as allies.
Time melts mish mash minutes into disjointed days.
Dazzling colours fade into worn out greys.
Confusion hails, humanity fails.
So much for all the cautionary tales.
Respect essential superheroes in scrubs and uniforms;
they brave busy bus platforms in thunderstorms -
Life, as always, a fantastic master of pathetic fallacy,
demanding pathos.
I turn to another bottle to battle beastly doubts...
peace out.

(Written: April 13/14, 2020, Edited April 25, 2020)

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NaPoWriMo2020 Day 5 Prompt - Twenty Little Poetry Projects

4/18/2020

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Reflection & Aha... I used to worry about posting a poem every day, which was silly. I work on poetry every day during May, nay April (but the rhyme...), which is why there is NAPOWRIMO. I realize that mass posting every day brings an increased awareness to Poetry. But, we can only do what we can do, and it may seem obvious to some, but once I gave myself permission to go at my own pace, I may actually finish a NAPOWRIMO...It won’t be 30 poems in 30 days, but it will be 30 poems, based on 30 days of NAPOWRIMO Prompts (or not, ‘cause Poetic License) spread over several months.

I love this prompt and have been trying to make a poem, but it’s been a work in progress.... and I remembered that I have done a poem with this Prompt... As an occasional teacher, Aka. The Sub, this was an assignment the teacher had left for her grade 8 class. So cool! So, we all settled to poetry writing (they were really good kids at a really great school)....

Believe In Youth

i believe in You --
teaching in the world today takes everything we got
it causes so many worries. I wish we weren’t so fraught

slammed in the press for trying to do our best
taking away money, packing the classrooms like sardines
and it seems that no one is learning a thing

AXE fumes and obnoxious attitude ooze
i’m assaulted by curses coming at me, a mere messenger of knowledge --
and, I’d like to think — a harbinger of delight
i try with all my might
it used to be that eyeballs stared at me, they couldn’t wait to see
now, they get all glazey as they peel them from their screens
farther away and harder to reach
thumbs thump and slide, it’s one bumpy ride
machines rule the room, and I must be on a screen
to make my lessons boom
OMG it’s dizzy-making to think of all the changes
Life’s a test, full of stress,
but you’ll burst your seams,
as you follow your dreams.
i wish You all will soar to success.

reaching all the Kids today takes everything you’ve got
a worthy challenge I won’t give up on; I give it my best shot
I believe in You, the future.

(May 24, 2019, reworked/edited 2020)

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Poem #9, NaPoWriMo, "I wasn't worried about you, should I be?"

4/12/2017

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There are those days when you're just driven to daytime drinking...
You know those days, right?
It's worse when there is actually no drink to be drank;
When things go flying before you can even catch your breath;
You get beat upon by life and also fists;
Your best bud is mad at you;
You got assignments due at school
and two jobs to boot;
You gotta make time for the dentist to do his business.
(I'll have you all know - contrary to popular belief, I do not have a big mouth-
and so it really hurts afterwards, what with the fibro and all!)
My hair is atrocious and requiring attention and care...
You get the picture, I'm sure,
Because I know you feel it, too.

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Poem #6, NaPoWriMo, named Supernatural

4/8/2017

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Poem #6:
Supernatural

About a week ago,
I heard the angels talking.
Your demon ray-gun bullshit
It doesn't work on me.
It's not your fault.
When god is righteous,
You get the hell out of the way.
You should forgive yourself.
Explaining freedom to angels
Is like explaining poetry to fish.

You are not alone,
Is all I'm trying to say.

(Compiled from viewing the TV series, Supernatural)

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So, I got some bad news...

7/11/2016

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... And then I had a bit of a creative tantrum, which was super cathartic. I feel much better, thanks.

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Continuing with Creative January...

1/16/2016

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It's cold and it's snowy in Canada in January but vow to be happy, despite the cold! Wear your favourite winter woollies and get out there! Happiness doesn't just happen so plan for it to happen; in fact, don't accept anything less! LIFE is a special occasion. And each individual moment that make life are special, too. Of course, a good life needs good health, so DANCE with the spirits - Zumba, perhaps! - Stay ACTIVE (& stay hydrated) to stay HEALTHY. GROW a PASSION - a passion for creating. Get your ZZZs and LET's GET HAPPY... get ready!, already! You got this. Make life a meaningful journey... be tasty. Normal? Really? Normal is clearly over-rated. Normal is boring! Never settle FOR GOOD ENOUGH. Imagine the world... it is often irresistibly surprising! Unleash the PASSION. Make a splash! BE STRONG!

Lab 1 -->> Smartphone 30/30...

This project emerged as a result of Lab 1 in Steve Sonheim's Creative Photography Lab - 52 Fun Exercises for Developing Self-Expression With Your Camera.

It's time to go beyond the single snapshot. The objective is to capture an experience by shooting a series of images. Tell a story by taking thirty shots in thirty minutes with your Smartphone. Take a shot of whatever grabs your attention at one-minute intervals. Don't think - just shoot!

Okay, here's what happened...

My ride didn't show up one day last week so I hustled to the bus stop to get the right bus; the one that drops me off right at my door! But, alas, the wrong bus showed up first. (Everybody knows that bus schedules, much like the Pirate Code, are more like guidelines, really.)

When I got off the bus, I faced a thirty minute JOURNEY HOME...

The song, entitled "La Doodle Song" by Nicola Schneider (MissNikkiRocks of Team Schnadams, Inc.) accompanies my video, JOURNEY HOME, depicting an unexpected surprise of an adventure.

Mellow and mournful piano gives way to a more frantic frenzy, mirroring the actual situation I found myself to be in.... at first, annoyed that I had a longer than necessary trip home after work. But, I also, to put it bluntly, really had to pee! But, woe was me for I was yet 30 minutes from home. So, I took pictures to distract my self. And, the whole situation was made infinitely worse by the frenzied, flowing Spencer Creek that I was walking alongside!
Everyday Art Every Day on Instagram
#spencercreektrail
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