For today's prompt, pick a type of person and write a poem about him or her. To help set the scene, you may want to title your poem as who the type of person is. For instance, you could write a poem titled "Firefighter," "Cynic," "Optimist," "Teacher," "2-year-old," etc. The list is endless.
Friends
Remember that episode of Friends
Where Ross makes a T-chart
Comparing Rachel with Julie?
And then Rachel got so mad
When she saw it because on
One side, he’d listed all her flaws
Then she saw the Julie column
And was amazed speechless
At the words: She’s not Rachel.
Well, I’ve done that for you, too;
Made a Pros and Cons chart and
The good qualities outweigh the bad.
In fact, there’s only one thing
On the Cons side, but I’m afraid
It’s kind of a deal breaker.
As Freddy says, you’re my best friend
And for reasons I can’t explain
That supercedes everything else
But maybe it’s something like this:
You’re the one relationship
I haven’t managed to screw up.
I’d really like to keep it that way,
See, because you and me, we’ve
Always been Like This.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Day Four - The Test
I chose to diverge from the prompt path on Tuesday because we had our first battery of standardized tests earlier this week. Here's a bit of whimsy on something high-stakes and stuffy. This one's for my students:
The Test
It is a pain, a dreadful strain
I know they try their best
To work their brains and read all day
This long and boring test
Yesterday’s math began this path
And now they have to read
I say, “Slow down, don’t be a clown.
It’s not a test of speed.”
But some are tired while others are wired
The stories are so long
Poetry, too – you know what to do
Remember: you are strong!
Your strategies, they better be
Right there upon your page
Mental toughness – you’ve got the stuffness
To clear this final stage
You’re almost there, don’t say you don’t care
You’d better stay awake!
Now here’s your snack, this reading TAKS
Is the last you’ll have to take.
The Test
It is a pain, a dreadful strain
I know they try their best
To work their brains and read all day
This long and boring test
Yesterday’s math began this path
And now they have to read
I say, “Slow down, don’t be a clown.
It’s not a test of speed.”
But some are tired while others are wired
The stories are so long
Poetry, too – you know what to do
Remember: you are strong!
Your strategies, they better be
Right there upon your page
Mental toughness – you’ve got the stuffness
To clear this final stage
You’re almost there, don’t say you don’t care
You’d better stay awake!
Now here’s your snack, this reading TAKS
Is the last you’ll have to take.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Day Three - World Without Me
Here's my response to Day Three's prompt:
World Without Me
The river breaks into sunrays
Shattering in rippling facets
Fleeting it seems, this light’s bright play
But it shines, as it shone,
As it ever will shine
Without me.
Traffic twirls on its concourse climb
A dizzying pinwheel of light
Blurring strands in a string of time
But it turns, as it turned
As it ever will turn
Without me.
Faint fading notes of symphony
Filling the air with autumn song
A falling swatch of harmony
And it plays, as it played
As it ever will play
Without me.
Window panes and cold winter clouds
The splash of light on fish’s scales
Elusive, how they flit and fly,
They’re just like us, like you and I
So what about this illusion?
This fiction we call legacy?
What have I wrought in books or hearts
That will linger here, after me?
My daughter walks, her hand in mine
Catching our family by the tales
Within her, our stories entwined
And she lives, so we live
As we ever will live
Within us.
World Without Me
The river breaks into sunrays
Shattering in rippling facets
Fleeting it seems, this light’s bright play
But it shines, as it shone,
As it ever will shine
Without me.
Traffic twirls on its concourse climb
A dizzying pinwheel of light
Blurring strands in a string of time
But it turns, as it turned
As it ever will turn
Without me.
Faint fading notes of symphony
Filling the air with autumn song
A falling swatch of harmony
And it plays, as it played
As it ever will play
Without me.
Window panes and cold winter clouds
The splash of light on fish’s scales
Elusive, how they flit and fly,
They’re just like us, like you and I
So what about this illusion?
This fiction we call legacy?
What have I wrought in books or hearts
That will linger here, after me?
My daughter walks, her hand in mine
Catching our family by the tales
Within her, our stories entwined
And she lives, so we live
As we ever will live
Within us.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Day Two (2011) - Postcard From Home
2011 April PAD Challenge: Day 2
Posted by Robert
For today's prompt, write a postcard poem. Make it brief and communicate what it is like where you are. Also, make it personal. My poem is on the way, but I am having trouble producing line breaks with my smart phone. In the meantime, get poeming.
Postcard From Home
Saturday morning, the air smells of coffee, of sweet broom.
The wind rattles the leaves of that tattered old grape vine.
The breeze is holding its breath, like it feels the rain is on its way.
The cat’s on my lap. His claws dig and release, dig and release,
remembering his kitten days.
You remember them, too, right? When we found him and the rest
huddled in their nest? Say you do, even if you don’t.
Say you remember their blind bodies nudging, searching.
Say you remember, because those were our best days.
I think I’m like him, still searching, still dreaming, still waiting
For you.
Posted by Robert
For today's prompt, write a postcard poem. Make it brief and communicate what it is like where you are. Also, make it personal. My poem is on the way, but I am having trouble producing line breaks with my smart phone. In the meantime, get poeming.
Postcard From Home
Saturday morning, the air smells of coffee, of sweet broom.
The wind rattles the leaves of that tattered old grape vine.
The breeze is holding its breath, like it feels the rain is on its way.
The cat’s on my lap. His claws dig and release, dig and release,
remembering his kitten days.
You remember them, too, right? When we found him and the rest
huddled in their nest? Say you do, even if you don’t.
Say you remember their blind bodies nudging, searching.
Say you remember, because those were our best days.
I think I’m like him, still searching, still dreaming, still waiting
For you.
Day One (2011) - How to Laugh
http://blog.writersdigest.com/poeticasides/2011/04/01/2011AprilPADChallengeDay1.aspx
For today's prompt, write a "what got you here" poem. For instance, write a poem about a mode of transportation like your car, bike, horse, etc. Or write a poem about what "got you here" as a human being or writer (like what got you started writing, perhaps). Or write a poem about what brought you to this blog. Or whatever other interpretation you might have.
My parents recently re-told the story of how they met, so I decided to incorporate it into a poem. It's one of my favorite stories because, after all this time, they still laugh when they tell it.
Here's my first draft effort for the first day of Poem A Day 2011:
How To Laugh
They met in high school
At a record store where they
Made nonsense sentences
Out of album titles:
Get Yer Ya Yas Out at The Kiln House
Death Walks Behind You with A Pocket Full of Miracles
The Man Who Sold the World for Leftover Wine is Paranoid
Then they were friends
Who met at the county fair
Where he got drunk
And threw up
On the Tilt-A-Whirl and her friend left
An enormous red hickey on his neck
And he didn’t even know it was there
Then he dated her best friend
And she smoothed lotion
On her long bronze legs
And wore a copper halter
That made him sit up when he saw her
Come up that sidewalk like a sun-kissed goddess
And he took his arm off the best friend’s shoulder
Then he asked her out
They went to a pizza place
She wore a mini-dress
And when he pulled out the chair
He just kept going, and she fell flat
On her ass
And laughed
Then he reached down and took her hand.
Now we’re sitting on the patio
Drinking coffee and his hand
Still rests with hers
And I say,
“It would have been over
Then and there
If you pulled that on me.”
And He smiles and shakes his head.
Thirty seven years have passed
Thirty seven years of pranks and puns
And sickness and health, and he says,
“That’s how I knew we’d get along
Because right from the start
We both knew how to laugh.”
For today's prompt, write a "what got you here" poem. For instance, write a poem about a mode of transportation like your car, bike, horse, etc. Or write a poem about what "got you here" as a human being or writer (like what got you started writing, perhaps). Or write a poem about what brought you to this blog. Or whatever other interpretation you might have.
My parents recently re-told the story of how they met, so I decided to incorporate it into a poem. It's one of my favorite stories because, after all this time, they still laugh when they tell it.
Here's my first draft effort for the first day of Poem A Day 2011:
How To Laugh
They met in high school
At a record store where they
Made nonsense sentences
Out of album titles:
Get Yer Ya Yas Out at The Kiln House
Death Walks Behind You with A Pocket Full of Miracles
The Man Who Sold the World for Leftover Wine is Paranoid
Then they were friends
Who met at the county fair
Where he got drunk
And threw up
On the Tilt-A-Whirl and her friend left
An enormous red hickey on his neck
And he didn’t even know it was there
Then he dated her best friend
And she smoothed lotion
On her long bronze legs
And wore a copper halter
That made him sit up when he saw her
Come up that sidewalk like a sun-kissed goddess
And he took his arm off the best friend’s shoulder
Then he asked her out
They went to a pizza place
She wore a mini-dress
And when he pulled out the chair
He just kept going, and she fell flat
On her ass
And laughed
Then he reached down and took her hand.
Now we’re sitting on the patio
Drinking coffee and his hand
Still rests with hers
And I say,
“It would have been over
Then and there
If you pulled that on me.”
And He smiles and shakes his head.
Thirty seven years have passed
Thirty seven years of pranks and puns
And sickness and health, and he says,
“That’s how I knew we’d get along
Because right from the start
We both knew how to laugh.”
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
New Short Story, and other updates
Much to update today, and since it's Spring Break, there's time to post! First, I've added a plethora of new titles to the BookList. I'm very much looking forward to continuing Kevin J. Anderson's Terra Incognita series, The Map of All Things. With all the political intrigue of Roger Zelanzy's Amber Chronicles and societal tensions as intricate as those in Tolkien's Middle Earth, Anderson gives his readers truly epic fantasy. If you enjoy reading lovingly lush descriptions about high adventure, you'll love this series.
I'm also including more romance in the mix, since I've been at practice writing romantic fiction. Special thanks to Lisa Heflin for sharing Shoe Addicts Anonymous. While it's more chicklit than romance, I find I can sympathize with the characters: one is head over her Ferragamos in debt; the other is an agoraphobic who handles most of her social interactions online. It's a definite fun read.
Which leads me to my latest endeavors in writing...
After several people, my parents included, said they didn't care for Valentine's Day because it's an over-commercialized excuse to spout bad poetry and buy overpriced chocolate, I decided to write a story for a friend who was feeling particularly down about the holiday. I wrote a light and fluffy piece of romance fiction titled Bluebird. Thanks go to Jim, for his inspiration, and to Matt, for his constant support and encouragement. Enjoy!
Bluebird, A Sweet Story for Valentine's
Summary: After a devastating setback in their relationship, Hector and Cora really need Valentine's Day to be really special. However, when their separate plans go awry, someone sees it as an opportunity to step in and take advantage of the situation.
Word Count: 5,225 words
Rating: PG-13
Original story and characters belong to the author. Any resemblance to characters real or fictional is purely coincidental. Re-print or re-post with author's permission only. Lyrics to "Bluebird" copyright by Paul McCartney.
I'm also including more romance in the mix, since I've been at practice writing romantic fiction. Special thanks to Lisa Heflin for sharing Shoe Addicts Anonymous. While it's more chicklit than romance, I find I can sympathize with the characters: one is head over her Ferragamos in debt; the other is an agoraphobic who handles most of her social interactions online. It's a definite fun read.
Which leads me to my latest endeavors in writing...
After several people, my parents included, said they didn't care for Valentine's Day because it's an over-commercialized excuse to spout bad poetry and buy overpriced chocolate, I decided to write a story for a friend who was feeling particularly down about the holiday. I wrote a light and fluffy piece of romance fiction titled Bluebird. Thanks go to Jim, for his inspiration, and to Matt, for his constant support and encouragement. Enjoy!
Bluebird, A Sweet Story for Valentine's
Summary: After a devastating setback in their relationship, Hector and Cora really need Valentine's Day to be really special. However, when their separate plans go awry, someone sees it as an opportunity to step in and take advantage of the situation.
Word Count: 5,225 words
Rating: PG-13
Original story and characters belong to the author. Any resemblance to characters real or fictional is purely coincidental. Re-print or re-post with author's permission only. Lyrics to "Bluebird" copyright by Paul McCartney.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
New Year's Resolutions - The Novel!
Upon reviewing last year’s resolutions, (listed here if you want to point and laugh; I did. http://celesteavonne.livejournal.com/2009/01/12/) I did not do as well as I hoped. Maybe the point is to have a goal in the first place and no so much the achieving it, but I rather like the feeling of doing both.
Last year, I had resolutions in three categories: Personal, Health, and Career. I had dropped Romance from the previous year’s list because I felt that some things must be left to the Universe. There are interesting things developing on that front, but I’ll leave it at that.
One major change this year, I’m moving my Writing Goals from Personal category to Career. I’d like to make some kind of money from writing eventually; therefore, it makes more sense to slide that one to the Career Column.
All right, so here is my 2010 Year in Review and my New Year’s Resolutions for 2011, in very particular order:
Personal Resolutions
Last year, we resolved to cut back on our TV viewing from two hours to one hour during the school week. We succeeded in that, more or less. We lost Lost and filled the gap with Glee (yay!) and Big Bang Theory. One way in which we did not succeed, though, is that we frequently stayed at my parents’ house to watch Raising Hope after Glee, which put us over our viewing limit.
This year, we’re going to have to compromise. Instead of one hour, we’ll split the difference and limit ourselves to ninety minutes of TV. But, we must not get sucked in to So You Think You Can Dance or there goes our whole game.
Last year, we went to Paris during Spring Break. It was the trip of a lifetime. I guess if this was a score card, we’d get a check in that category.
Our Travel Goal this year is a road trip we’re calling 12: Twelve states and Canada from the point of view of a 12-year-old. We are going up the spine of the Rockies to Yellowstone, then into Banff, and back down to Texas through the Midwest. We are going to stay in family hostels along the way so that we can enjoy some of the towns on a personal level, which is what Katya really likes to do.
Our Finance Goal last year was Be Even More Generous! I learned year before last that I never regret giving. Rather, it’s the times we didn’t give that haunt me. I’m keeping this as a lifetime goal: When in doubt, give.
Now the Reading Goal. Last year, I set a minimum of 36 books because I had read 38 last year. This year, I reached the all-time personal record of 46 books! (http://www.thechamberedheart.com/Book_Lists.html) I ventured out of my normal comfort zone of fantasy and realistic fiction to include many Young Adult series, which I have enjoyed immensely. This year, I’m upping the minimum to 40 books, and I’m adding that one of them must be Mansfield Park, the final Jane Austen title to complete the goal of reading all of her works.
Health Resolutions
Epic fail in this category. Not only did I not meet any of my goals, I dropped my diet and exercise routines. I have become – eee, I cringe as I type this – sedentary. I quit Curves due to time constraints. I quit the Paleo diet because, well, I got lazy. Same goes for the yoga. If there is a category that needs a kick in the tush, this is it.
This year, I joined a diet and exercise site called www.MyNetDiary.com. It helps you track food stats, exercise, and personal habits so that you can target areas of need. For instance, I know I eat enough sodium to kill slugs and that my fat calorie ratio is an indicator for heart disease. Another bonus to the site is that it helps you set and track realistic health goals.
So in 2011, I’ll be using that site to achieve these goals: One, I’d like to return my BMI to 25. I will lose eleven pounds I’ve gained back over the last two years. Also, I want to run in the Capital 10K with my work friends, so I’m working on a running schedule to prepare for that.
As far as the Paleo Diet goes, I’m going to return to it as I did the first year I adopted it – by eliminating foods from our diet one at a time each month, starting with potatoes, then wheat-based products, and then yellow cheese. Most of the good habits we instituted with way of eating are still with us, so we’ll just target the ones we’ve let slide. With Katya entering adolescence, it’s even more important that she continue healthy habits. She’s what it’s all about.
Career Resolutions
Last year, my primary Writing Goal was to fill one speckled composition notebook each month. I filled ten. The September 2010 notebook is still in my purse, half full, and I have another notebook from class that is full, but much of it is writing prompts I’ve worked with students, so those don’t really count.
I’m keeping this goal because even though I didn’t achieve the twelve I set out for, I still did write a lot – four more than I did in 2009. Katya continues to out-write me in terms of volume and quality, which is amazing and inspiring, so I’ll follow her lead.
Another Writing Goal was to query agents and submit my novel Reprieve for possible publication. Daunting, yes, but I did submit the novel to two agents and managed to create a whole database of agents to query in the future. Sadly, Reprieve got rejected, and I was deeply wounded, but I’m not giving up. I believe it’s a strong book destined for publication.
My goal this year is to keep submitting. Due to the time-consuming nature of this process, though, I’m reserving the task for the summer. I will send three queries a month in June, July, and August.
Two other things that occurred in 2010 that I would like to keep in 2011: Katya and I participated in April’s Poem-A-Day Challenge and National Novel Writing Month in November. We both achieved our goals for those months, and we had a lot of fun doing it.
As for the goal to find a publishing outlet for Katya’s novel, that got sidelined because she decided to re-write it. That led her to getting the opportunity to read an excerpt at the Texas Book Festival in Austin, where she met and spoke with great authors who gave her invaluable advice. Katya met some of her favorite authors this fall at Book People and at the Texas Teen Book Festival with the awesome girls from the Ann Richards School. We’ll keep searching for a suitable venue for Katya’s stories, even if we self-publish.
If I placed 2009 and 2010 side by side, I would judge 2009 as the better year. Even though we lost some dear family members in 2009, we suffered greater losses in ’10. We lost our sweet Papa in June, and my Dad lost his job in October. Katya and I also made some grand changes to our living arrangements, which have led to some adjusting. But overall, we have enjoyed good health, great family, strong friendship, and stability. At least we can say 2010 was an eventful year, and now we’re looking forward to shiny new 2011.
Last year, I had resolutions in three categories: Personal, Health, and Career. I had dropped Romance from the previous year’s list because I felt that some things must be left to the Universe. There are interesting things developing on that front, but I’ll leave it at that.
One major change this year, I’m moving my Writing Goals from Personal category to Career. I’d like to make some kind of money from writing eventually; therefore, it makes more sense to slide that one to the Career Column.
All right, so here is my 2010 Year in Review and my New Year’s Resolutions for 2011, in very particular order:
Personal Resolutions
Last year, we resolved to cut back on our TV viewing from two hours to one hour during the school week. We succeeded in that, more or less. We lost Lost and filled the gap with Glee (yay!) and Big Bang Theory. One way in which we did not succeed, though, is that we frequently stayed at my parents’ house to watch Raising Hope after Glee, which put us over our viewing limit.
This year, we’re going to have to compromise. Instead of one hour, we’ll split the difference and limit ourselves to ninety minutes of TV. But, we must not get sucked in to So You Think You Can Dance or there goes our whole game.
Last year, we went to Paris during Spring Break. It was the trip of a lifetime. I guess if this was a score card, we’d get a check in that category.
Our Travel Goal this year is a road trip we’re calling 12: Twelve states and Canada from the point of view of a 12-year-old. We are going up the spine of the Rockies to Yellowstone, then into Banff, and back down to Texas through the Midwest. We are going to stay in family hostels along the way so that we can enjoy some of the towns on a personal level, which is what Katya really likes to do.
Our Finance Goal last year was Be Even More Generous! I learned year before last that I never regret giving. Rather, it’s the times we didn’t give that haunt me. I’m keeping this as a lifetime goal: When in doubt, give.
Now the Reading Goal. Last year, I set a minimum of 36 books because I had read 38 last year. This year, I reached the all-time personal record of 46 books! (http://www.thechamberedheart.com/Book_Lists.html) I ventured out of my normal comfort zone of fantasy and realistic fiction to include many Young Adult series, which I have enjoyed immensely. This year, I’m upping the minimum to 40 books, and I’m adding that one of them must be Mansfield Park, the final Jane Austen title to complete the goal of reading all of her works.
Health Resolutions
Epic fail in this category. Not only did I not meet any of my goals, I dropped my diet and exercise routines. I have become – eee, I cringe as I type this – sedentary. I quit Curves due to time constraints. I quit the Paleo diet because, well, I got lazy. Same goes for the yoga. If there is a category that needs a kick in the tush, this is it.
This year, I joined a diet and exercise site called www.MyNetDiary.com. It helps you track food stats, exercise, and personal habits so that you can target areas of need. For instance, I know I eat enough sodium to kill slugs and that my fat calorie ratio is an indicator for heart disease. Another bonus to the site is that it helps you set and track realistic health goals.
So in 2011, I’ll be using that site to achieve these goals: One, I’d like to return my BMI to 25. I will lose eleven pounds I’ve gained back over the last two years. Also, I want to run in the Capital 10K with my work friends, so I’m working on a running schedule to prepare for that.
As far as the Paleo Diet goes, I’m going to return to it as I did the first year I adopted it – by eliminating foods from our diet one at a time each month, starting with potatoes, then wheat-based products, and then yellow cheese. Most of the good habits we instituted with way of eating are still with us, so we’ll just target the ones we’ve let slide. With Katya entering adolescence, it’s even more important that she continue healthy habits. She’s what it’s all about.
Career Resolutions
Last year, my primary Writing Goal was to fill one speckled composition notebook each month. I filled ten. The September 2010 notebook is still in my purse, half full, and I have another notebook from class that is full, but much of it is writing prompts I’ve worked with students, so those don’t really count.
I’m keeping this goal because even though I didn’t achieve the twelve I set out for, I still did write a lot – four more than I did in 2009. Katya continues to out-write me in terms of volume and quality, which is amazing and inspiring, so I’ll follow her lead.
Another Writing Goal was to query agents and submit my novel Reprieve for possible publication. Daunting, yes, but I did submit the novel to two agents and managed to create a whole database of agents to query in the future. Sadly, Reprieve got rejected, and I was deeply wounded, but I’m not giving up. I believe it’s a strong book destined for publication.
My goal this year is to keep submitting. Due to the time-consuming nature of this process, though, I’m reserving the task for the summer. I will send three queries a month in June, July, and August.
Two other things that occurred in 2010 that I would like to keep in 2011: Katya and I participated in April’s Poem-A-Day Challenge and National Novel Writing Month in November. We both achieved our goals for those months, and we had a lot of fun doing it.
As for the goal to find a publishing outlet for Katya’s novel, that got sidelined because she decided to re-write it. That led her to getting the opportunity to read an excerpt at the Texas Book Festival in Austin, where she met and spoke with great authors who gave her invaluable advice. Katya met some of her favorite authors this fall at Book People and at the Texas Teen Book Festival with the awesome girls from the Ann Richards School. We’ll keep searching for a suitable venue for Katya’s stories, even if we self-publish.
If I placed 2009 and 2010 side by side, I would judge 2009 as the better year. Even though we lost some dear family members in 2009, we suffered greater losses in ’10. We lost our sweet Papa in June, and my Dad lost his job in October. Katya and I also made some grand changes to our living arrangements, which have led to some adjusting. But overall, we have enjoyed good health, great family, strong friendship, and stability. At least we can say 2010 was an eventful year, and now we’re looking forward to shiny new 2011.
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