Light Bulb Poem

Today was the last day of school and the only thing sadder than saying goodbye to my students for the Summer is saying the same thing to my computer.  Substitute teachers in my district need to borrow a computer each time they teach and return it at the end of the day,  Classroom teachers are able to keep their computers year round as long as they are employed by the district.  As a building sub, I am able to borrow a computer at the beginning of the year and not return it until the last day of the year. So today I had to say goodbye to my dear friend and I am back to borrowing computers from friends and libraries until the 24/25 school year gets under way. 

Before I returned the computer to the media center, I cleaned out any files I may have had put on there during the course of the year.  I came across a poem, I had written but forgotten all about.  I don't remember what my inspiration was. I think it may have stemmed (no pun intended) from one of the science classes I was subbing in.  Or it may have been am ELA assignment or maybe just a prompt form my poetry group.  In any case it was in a Microsoft document in a borrowed computer and is now a submission to Poetry Friday which is being hosted this week by Michelle Kogan.

 Growth Mindset

or

Standing on Our Failures

In cartoons,  when an unsolvable problem is about to need a new adjective, a light bulb goes on over the thinker’s head.   

 

When Thomas Alva Edison 

Or T. Alva Ed 

Was inventing the light bulb 

What went on over his head?

Idea after idea after idea 

More than 10,00 all told 

Which he did not view as failures 

But as steps to the goal. 

With each setback I think 

I would have felt like a jerk 

But Tom discovered 

ways that his bulb wouldn’t work 

Inspiration is a light 

Perspiration is when we fight 

To perfect our ideas 

Until we GET THEM RIGHT. 

Now when I have a bright idea. 

And the light bulb shines 

I stand on other's failures 

And a whole lot of mine.

To get back to Poetry Friday click here.

The Progressive Poem is Here!

 Okay, before I go one step farther, I need to get two things off my chest...

1) Who ever decided to put National Poetry Month on the same month as the A to Z challenge

should have their poetic license revoked.

2) Who ever decided to put the A to Z challenge the same month as National Poetry Month needs to get more than just their alphabet in order.

I feel a little better.

Speaking of both challenges, yesterday Donna Smith of Mainely Write did a great job of bringing us closer to the end of this excellent epic of emigration. Her theme in the A to Z challenge is good words and I am going to start my intro with a doozy of a good word.

Today is the antepenultimate day of the progressive poem.  I learned antepenultimate 2 Summers ago when I was  reading Benjamin Dreyer's amazing book, Dreyer's English.  Antepenultimate means third from last.

Before I continue I want to advise that I made 2 changes to today's post.  The first is that I started all lines with a Capital letter.  Whoever comes behind me can certainly copy and paste from yesterdays post rather than mine.  The second is that I have changed the links, so now when you click on the previous poets pages you go directly to their original post.  

Cradled in stars, our planet sleeps, 

 Clinging to tender dreams of peace

 Sister moon watches from afar, 

 Singing lunar lullabies of hope. 

 Almost dawn, I walk with others, 

 Keeping close, my little brother. 

 Hand in hand, we carry courage 

 escaping closer to the border 

 My feet are lightning; 

 My heart is thunder. 

 Our pace draws us closer

To a new land of wonder. 

 I bristle against rough brush— 

Poppies ahead brighten the browns. 

Morning light won’t stay away—

Hearts jump at every sound. 

 I hum my own little song 

Like ripples in a stream 

Humming Mami’s lullaby

 Reminds me I have her letter

 My fingers linger on well-worn creases, 

Shielding an address, a name, a promise– 

Sister Moon will find always us 

Surrounding us with beams of kindness

 But last night as we rested in the dusty field, 

Worries crept in about matters back home. 

I huddled close to my brother. Tears revealed 

The no-choice need to escape.  I feel grown. 

 

Leaving all I’ve ever known 

The tender, heavy, harsh of home. 

On to maybes, on to dreams, 

On to whispers we hope could be. 

But I don’t want to whisper! I squeeze Manu’s hand. 

“¡Más cerca ahora!” Our feet pound the sand. 

We race, we pant, we lean on each other 

I open my canteen and drink gratefully 

 Thirst is slaked, but I know we’ll need 

 More than water to achieve our dreams. 

 Nights pass slowly, but days call for speed 

Through the highs and the lows, we live with extremes 

 We enter a village the one from Mami’s letter, 

 We find the steeple; food, kindly people, and shelter. 

 “We made it, Manu! Mami would be so proud!”

 I choke back a sob, then stand tall for the crowd. 

 

A slapping of sandals… I wake to the sound 

 Of ¡GOL! Manu’s playing! The fútbol rebounds. 

 I pinch myself. Can this be true? 

 Are we safe at last? Is our journey through? 

 I savor this safety, we’re enveloped with care, 

 but Tío across the border, still seems far as stars. 

 He could not yet come to this new place 

 But Hermana moon, kiss his tear-stained face

¿Dónde está mi querido Tío? (Where is my Dear Uncle?)

¡Mi corazón está muy frío! (My heart is very cold)

I originally wrote this in Spanish.  I then translated it into English by myself and used an online translator back to Spanish to correct  any grammatical errors I may have made.  I have the translation in parentheses but I did not intend that to be part of the poem.  Perhaps an * can be used if we feel the young readers might not know what was said. 

April 1 Patricia Franz at Reverie 

 April 2 Jone MacCulloch 

April 3 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse 

April 4 Leigh Anne Eck at A Day in the Life 

April 5 Irene at Live Your Poem 

April 6 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche 

April 7 Marcie Atkins 

April 8 Ruth at There is No Such Thing as a God Forsaken Town 

April 9 Karen Eastlund 

April 10 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance 

April 11 Buffy Silverman 

April 12 Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise 

April 13 Denise Krebs at Dare to Care 

April 14 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link 

April 15 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities 

April 16 Sarah Grace Tuttle 

April 17 Heidi Mordhorst at my juicy little universe 

April 18 Tabatha at Opposite of Indifference 

April 19 Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core 

April 20 Tricia Stohr-Hunt at The Miss Rumphius Effect 

April 21 Janet, hosted here at Reflections on the Teche 

April 22 Mary Lee Hahn at A(nother) Year of Reading 

April 23 Tanita Davis at (fiction, instead of lies) 

April 24 Molly Hogan at Nix the Comfort Zone 

April 25 Rest 

April 26 Karin Fisher-Golton at Still in Awe

 April 27 Donna Smith at Mainely Write 

April 28 Me at Leap of  ME Dave  

The Penultimate Verse  will be presented tomorrow, 

April 29,  by Robyn Hood Black @ Life on the Deckle Edge 

The big Finale, will be on Tuesday, 

April 30  by Michelle Kogan @ More Art for All

This was a lot of fun.  It's my 2nd time around in the progressive poem and again I am having a blast. Looking forward to seeing how Robyn and Michelle bring the journey to an end 

A to Z 2024: Q is for Quatrains

 

 For The A to Z Challenge this year, I am focusing on everyday holidays. Each day there are multiple unusual things to celebrate.  Every day of the challenge I look for an event taking place that day and pair it with the letter of the day.  I have also made up 5 holidays to coincide with the vowel days of the challenge.  At the end of each post I will share a special song of the day for that day's letter.  At the end of the month, these songs will be assembled in a to z keepsake playlist on Spotify.  Every day is a celebration, let's unwrap today's together. 

April 19th is Poetry & The Creative Mind Day

& Today is also Poetry Friday Hosted by Heidi @ My Juicy Little Universe

The last time I posted at Poetry Friday I did an introduction to the A to Z challenge and an invitation to participate there-in.  Today, I will give those visiting from the round-up  a glimpse of what a regular a to z post looks like and at the same time show the A to Z folks what A Poetry Friday submission is all about.  

Today Q is for Quatrains and other poetry related stuff as the holiday du jour  is Poetry & The Creative Mind day.  I'm not sure why it's on the 19th or how it originated,  But right near the middle of poetry month here is a nifty little holiday to celebrate poetry. So let's celebrate it, but first a dumb joke:

Q: What's a quatrain?

A: Not much. what's a quatrain with you?

According to Merriam Webster, A quatrain is a unit or group of four lines of verse.  I have decided to write the heart of my A to Z post in quatrains today.  I am following an ABCB rhyme scheme

My A to Z Q Post

The A to Z Challenge

Is a big to do

Each year I struggle

As I get to Q

My theme this year

Has been Holidays

I've tried to approach it

In some different ways

Each Day, save Sunday

Calendars I consult

And search for Holidays

That I can exult

When I find the occasion

That I like better

I match the event

With that day's letter

For example April 2nd

Was Children's Book Day

B is for Book

I put on display

On the days of the alphabet

That start with A, E, I, O or U

I created my own holiday

Don't ask Y, but it's true

Today's Holiday

Wasn't hard to find

It was Poetry

And the creative mind

But how would that match 

With the letter Q?

I just scribbled out some

Quatrains for you

This has been Poetry Friday

And Also A to Z

Thanks ever so much

for joining me.  

*********************************************************************************

Today's song of the day comes from the late Rich Mullins.  It is Quoting Deuteronomy to the Devil

The Spotify A to Z playlist is now through Q

***********************************************************************

If you are joining from Poetry Friday, I want to mention two blogs participating in the A to Z challenge that are including poetry in all their posts.  The first is Sue's Trifles where her most recent post was a poem using pararhymes.  The other blog is the Versesmith, where the most recent post was about prompts and preludes.

If you are joining from A to Z blogging, I want to tell you about another April challenge and that is the 2024 Kiddy Lit Progressive Poem.  On April 1st one poet started it off with a couplet and each subsequent poet has posted the earlier couplets and then added their own,  For April 19th it is Reading to the Core's turn. Her submission is right here.  I will be adding a couplet on the 28th of April.

To go to the home of the A to Z challenge click here, to see the 2024 master list of participating blogs click here. To enjoy more of Poetry Friday click here. Enjoy the 2024 A to Z challenge, and Poetry Friday. Happy Holidays!

A to Z 2024: F is for Final Words

For The A to Z Challenge this year, I am focusing on everyday holidays. Each day there are multiple unusual things to celebrate.  Every day of the challenge I look for an event taking place that day and pair it with the letter of the day.  I have also made up 5 holidays to coincide with the vowel days of the challenge.  At the end of each post I will share a special song of the day for that day's letter.  At the end of the month, these songs will be assembled in a to z keepsake playlist on Spotify.  Every day is a celebration, let's unwrap today's together. 

April 6th is Plan Your Epitaph Day

By John Salmon, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link

 

The first Plan your Epitaph Day was in 1995.  

I decided to do something a little different today in describing the holiday.  Instead of using my own words I am going to use some of the text found on the Plan Your Epitaph Day webpage from Daysoftheyear.com It's not the entire text just some snippets

There comes a day in every person’s life when they have to face the inevitable, 

. This day, Plan Your Own Epitaph Day, is the perfect day to set aside some time to figure out what you’re going to have to say about yourself before you’re gone.

, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Ludolph van Ceulen had the first 35 digits of Pi inscribed on his tombstone, as he was the first to calculate this delicious sounding number out to that many decimals. 

 Some of the activities you can do to celebrate this day, is go to graveyards and look for inspiration in the stones of those who have already passed. 

 

this is one more way to collect Epitaphs that have already been written to help inspire you to write yours! 

 Another thing you can do to celebrate this pasttime is to have picnics in the graveyard with likeminded friends. 

Together you can sit and brainstorm on what you’d like your final words to the world to be. 

 

Plan your own Epitaph day is a day for reflection on our own mortality, and thinking forward to what kind of legacy we want to leave behind for those who come after us.

 So take some time to think about where you’ve been, what you’ve done, and what you’d like to say to those who come after,

**********************************************************************************

April is also  National Poetry Month.  I have decided to write a poem about today's holiday.  Mainly because I didn't create much of my own content today.

Today's poem will be a limerick

Today plan your own epitaph

Play it straight or go for the laugh

But don't wait 'til next June

Best to do it soon

You can't chart your last day on a graph.

*********************************************************************************

Here is another quick poem

Today's song of the day

is Fear by Lecrae

The Spotify pla list for my A to Z challenge is now a week old and 6 songs long.   

Well Week 1 is in the books.  Feel free to catch up on any of my posts you may have missed.  In your comments, you can let me know what words you might consider as an epitaph.  

To go to the home of the A to Z challenge click here, to see the 2024 master list of participating blogs click here. Enjoy the 2024 A to Z challenge, and Happy Holidays!

A to Z Challenge 2024 Theme Reveal

 March 10th is the official theme reveal for the 2024 iteration of the A to Z challenge.  Last year I actually announced my theme for 2024 here a year early while announcing my theme for 2023. In that post I stated, 

"The 2024 theme will be Narnian characters and creatures from A to Z. My working title is Narnia: From Aslan to Zardeenah."

Well it turns out, I lied.  Lied is a strong word.  I miscalculated.  Almost every year for the last 35 years I have reread each book in the Chronicles of Narnia.  Last year when I made the announcement, I had not yet started on my literary pilgrimage to Narnia and thought the idea of reading the books would help in making the alphabetical list of entries.  

I ended up reading a sum total of zero Narnia books in 2023.  While it's true that  I could easily journey from Archenland to Zalindreh, my heart was not in it.  I chose to abandon  delay my Narnian sojourn for another time (Although I would prefer to do all my blogging in Narnia, as no time would pass while I was writing).  

I then toyed with the idea of having no theme and simply blogging about something new from A to Z each day.  I liked that idea quite a bit, but then it occurred to me, I would have nothing to say at the theme reveal.  I then thought of having an overarching theme but leaving it wide enough to choose the individual topics the day they were due.  That also seemed a little problematic as I often suffer more from topic block than it's cousin writer's block.

Holidays by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free 

 Finally I thought of a topic that would give me both flexibility and stability.  I decided to blog about Holidays.  However instead of A is for Arbor day, C is for Casmir Pulaski Day (It's A Chicago Thing), I will be focusing on lesser holidays, the kind you would find at sites like the National Day Calendar or What is Today Holiday's like National Take A Poet to Lunch day which takes place on January 6th each year, the holiday that inspired this poem.

My process this year is each day of the challenge to post about a holiday that is taking place that day.  Some holidays like April Fools day on the 1st would match very well for the letter of the day.  Others will take a little pushing to make it fit the letter of the day.  April 2nd for example is Children's Book day. If I choose that holiday, I would have a title like B is for Books for Children. 

In addition to actual holidays, I am going to also create 5 new holidays as part of my list, including ways to celebrate these new festive occasions.   

Recent A to Z Challenges

2023 A Month At The Movies

2022 Limericks, Homeruns, & Wordles (Oh My!)

2021 A to Z People who were alive in 1921

2020 State (& Other) Capitals

Each year on Spotify I make an A to Z playlist for the year.  At the end of each post I will have a link to the song for  that day .

I am very excited about this Holiday edition of the A to Z challenge.  To learn more about The 2024 A to Z Theme Reveals click here, if you are ready to participate in said reveals click here, and finally if you are looking for a spreadsheet of who is already participating this year click here.

Do What I Did - Valentine's Day Advice

Poetry Friday is upon us once again. It is at Reflections On The Teche this week. I am entering this post from Valentines Day.

 

If You Want Your Love Story

To Have A Happy End

Do What I Did

Marry Your Best Friend

 

If A Diamond

Isn’t Really Her Thing

Do What I Did

Buy An Emerald Ring

 

If Your Fiancée

Doesn’t Need A Lot of Folks

To See Her Wed

Don’t Do What I Did

Just Elope Instead

 

26 Years Ago This Valentine’s Day

We Got Our Marriage License

And I’m Here To Say

I’m So Glad I Married My Best Friend

I Did What I Did

And I’d Do It Again

I wrote this earlier this month based on a prompt at my poetry group.  I gave it to Amy on Valentine's day.  Each time I read it I'm reminded of the work OF P.D. Eastman.  This is probably because I think MY NEST IS BEST because of the bird I share it with.

For More Poetry Friday click here.

Poetry Friday: A Winter Poem For Reluctant Poets

 Poetry Friday is being hosted this week by Tracey at Tangles & Tails

Today there was no school as there was a snow day.  All the snow reminded me of an incident from 14 years ago when I was teaching a unit on  poetry to my children when I was homeschooling them.  The original post is found here.

Each of my children wrote a poem, but my 8 year old at the time son was originally a little reluctant to write his. Before producing the picture poem below, he recited something like Winter, winter I hate winter.

Later when I had some time to myself.  I reflected on the incident and wrote a poem as if it was written by an 8 year old who did not want to write a poem.

It reminds me of something that P.D. Eastman of Go Dog Go, or The Best Nest might write.

Winter. Winter. Winter. Winter.

Winter is no fun.

Winter. Winter. Winter Winter.

Now my poem's done.

I say it's done

but Dad say no.

Who wants to write

when you can play in the snow?

Sledding, Skiing, snow ball fighting.

Winter's really quite inviting.

It's fun outside and in the home

but do I have to write a poem?!!!

Winter. Winter. Winter. Winter.

Now, my poem's done!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I write this poem almost 14 years ago.  The youngest of the three children I was home schooling at the time is a senior now in high school.  I am working as a building substitute (a substitute teacher who works at the same building all year) at a middle school  I think of this poem from time to time when I encounter reluctant writers or winter activities.

_______________________________________________________

For more Poetry Friday click here.

National Take a Poet to Lunch Day

 January 6, 2024 is Take A Poet to Lunch Day.  It was started in 1995 making today the 20th annual celebration of this event created by Professor Arnold Adoff. This link gives some good ideas of how to celebrate poetry on this day.  A few years back I found out about this day and wrote a poem to commemorate the occasion,

I Took A Poet to Lunch Today

I took a poet to lunch today

And there amid the verse

Our flow of thought

Was free and light

Not stifled, bland or terse

I took a poet to lunch today

And traded quip for quip

She scrawled a sonnet on her check

 And left it with her tip

If you can't take a poet to lunch today

Please don't wear a frown

We all write poems in our own way

And some just write them down.

A few years later I included the poem in a holiday poetry reading on my vlog.

First Poem Of The Year

 

I have written my first poem in a while, and it turns out also to be my first poem of the new year.  

Juggling

Why do I juggle?

Why Do I struggle,

with the pressure of every demand?

Why do I struggle?

Why must I juggle

When God has each ball

well in hand?

Why do I stumble?

Why do I grumble

constantly rehashing my plight?

Why do I grumble?

Why must I stumble

instead of choosing to walk

in the light?

Why can't I stop

Juggling and Stumbling

Struggling and Grumbling

Living a life based on fear?

Why cant I give up on 

Trying and Crying

Believing the lying

That I whisper into my ear?

The answers are found in the questions.

Truth is more than suggestions.

Poetry Friday is being hosted this week by Marcie Flinchum Atkins.  Click here to join the fun.  .

60 Years in 60 Days 2013

 

2013: The Beginning of the year of limericks

I turned 49 in the year 2013.  I remember going with my wife and kids to the Cook County forest preserve in Elk Grove where there is actually, wait for it, a grove of elk.  We were hanging out watching elk, climbing trees, and having all kind of birthday fun when an idea came to me.  For the rest of the year, I would write a limerick each day and post it on Facebook for all  to see.  

Eventually the task got a little much for me and I did not write 365 limericks that year, but I wrote well over 200.  While my limericks never quite went viral, I am sure a few of them made a number of  my friends, family and acquaintances sick.

The year of limericks was a bit of a turning point for me in a few ways:

While I have dabbled in poetry along with other kinds of writing and studied poetry while obtaining a degree in English, I never considered myself more than an occasional  poet.  The limerick experimented jump started this part of my writing.

Facebook has become a curator of my limericks.  Thanks to Facebook memories my limericks from 2013-2014 pop up on the anniversary of the day I wrote them.  The November 7th 2013 popped up again today.  It is about knock knock jokes.  

While knock knock who's there jokes are lawful 

A lot of them are just plain awful 

When you knock knock who's there 

You best be aware 

There is such a thing as a doorbell.

Spiritual Thursday, Poetry Friday, Rejoicing in the Summer Season

 Carol Varsalona of Beyond Literacy Link is hosting this months Spiritual Journey Thursday.  I hosted last month and then went to Greece just a few days after that.  

Carol's Theme this month is rejoicing in the Summer season.  I technically was in Greece this spring as the official first day of Summer was June 21st this year and I left Greece on the 20th.  However I am going to use some of my experiences from the trip in this reflection as the trip took place on my "summer" vacation.  

Carol asked us to reflect on this Elanor Duse Quote:

"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the field has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive"

As I reflected on the quote, I was reminded of the opening verse of Psalm 19 ...

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalm 19:1

I got to thinking why we  don't always stop to smell the significance of God's creation.  It reminded me of my flight to Athens.  I had a window seat and it was a beautiful day out.  There was lovely view after lovely view as we approached our destination. Most of the passengers were not looking out the window.  Some were sleeping, others were reading.  The majority were on their electronic devices are watching the screen in front of their seat.  

The View Out My Window

God's glory in nature

Is always displayed

To see it, it helps 

When I roll up the shade.

My second thought about creation also has to do with my trip to Greece.  The above picture was taken on my first day in Greece at a place called the Areopagus or Mars Hill.  The Apostle Paul visited Mars Hill and even gave a sermon there.  You can read about in Acts 17: 16 -34.  Essentially Paul is in Athens disturbed by all the idol worship in the city, he is reasoning in the synagogue and gets an opportunity at Mars Hill to explain the new teaching he was proclaiming.  Paul uses the opportunity to talk about some of the things he has seen in Athens and to compliment the Athenians on some of their practices.  He also talks about a statue he had seen that was to an "unknown" God and uses that as an opportunity to proclaim the God of creation and share the story of Jesus.

There is a tendency to celebrate nature in a natural way and not as the creation of a creator.  Instead of talking about God many just deify nature itself referring to it as Mother Nature or Mother Earth but rejecting the biblical idea of a personal God who created it all. Instead of taking an antagonistic or combative approach to these differing world views, I think an approach like Paul used on Mars Hill is more suitable.  People who find inner peace, and contentment, and wonder from nature should be commended even if they do not believe in the God who created that beauty.  Like Paul believers should use that common bond, a spiritual regard, for nature as a starting point to talk about the God that the heavens declare the glory of.

Spiritual Journey Thursday is a gathering that takes place on the first Thursday of the month,  Click here to see the rest of the July installment.  I left for Greece on June 6th and returned on June 21st.  Today I started daily posts about my trip exactly one month after the trip began. Please join me for those reflections.  

I am also including this post at Poetry Friday for the brief poem inspired by this weeks theme and the picture I took from the airplane.  Marcie Atkins is hosting this weeks Poetry Friday.  Join in, by clicking here.

Poetry Friday - The Poet That Lives Inside of Me

 Last week I shared how in our poetry writers group we were asked to write two poems about the writing process:1 serious and the other humorous.  I shared the serious one last week, and now the humorous attempt. 

The Poet That Lives Inside of Me

There's a poet living inside of me

We sometimes don't agree

My life sometimes gets in the way 

Don't write a thing from March to May

But the poet living inside of me

Is writing every day

He stores these poems somewhere

He doesn't say; I do not care

But when I need to write a poem 

He lets me know they're there

The poet living inside of me

It seems we're in a fight

But rather than we disagree

We know that we're both right.

Poetry Friday is hosted this week at Salt City Verse. Join in, by clicking here.

Poetry Friday: Questions and Answers on My Method

 

I attend a poetry workshop on the first Monday of the month at my local library.  Each month our facilitator gives us the opportunity to share a poem we have written, shares poems on the theme she has chosen for the month. and then gives us time to write a poem or two based on the theme, again giving us the opportunity to share those poems as well.

Last month the theme was the writing process and we were invited to write one serious poem and one humorous poem on any aspect of the writing process that we wanted to.  Recently on Poetry Friday's when I have particpated I have included poems that were not of recent vintage.  After returning to Poetry Friday last week after finishing the A to Z Challenge, I decided to at least for the time being, eschew the wayback machine, and share poems I have written this year.  

Today, I am going to share the serious poem about my writing method, which is title simply, Questions and Answers on My Method.

Questions and Answers on My Method

Why do I write?

Cause I want to?

Cause I have to?

Cause I need to?

Why do I write?

I write because 

Words are my life blood

They invade my sleep

They are my canvas

And my palette

How do I write?

Does it matter ...

Whether it's poem or prose?

fiction or non fiction?

Do I have a process?

Or am I just opening Pandora's box?

How do I write?

Sometimes ...

My poems write themselves

and then I sign my name

Sometimes ...

When I write,

I get an idea.

Then,

For 30 minutes:

I 

Write

Erase

Repeat

Throwing spaghetti

On the wall

Until something sticks.

Why do I write?

Because I can.

How do I write?

By any means necessary.

Poetry Friday is being hosted by Robyn Hood Black you can get there by clicking here.

My last 500 days of 50

Last 500 Days of My Fifties

5/12/2023 - 9/22/1964

 I'm in my late 50's.  I was born in 1964, the last year of the Baby Boomers.  

The year before  I turned 50, I wanted to do something special to commemorate my last year in my 40's.  On or about my 49th birthday I was with my family visiting the  elks in Elk Grove Village.  Elk Grove Village is a suburb of Chicago located near O'Hare airport, It is where I grew up and where my parents lived until very recently.  There is a forest preserve in Elk Grove that extends into neighboring towns like Schaumburg.  Ever since I was a kid there has been a herd of Elk maintained by the Forest Preserve in Elk Grove.  

As my family watched the elk,  an idea came to me.  I could write a limerick, and  post it on Facebook every day until I turned 50.  I wasn't completely successful in my quest, but I do believe that I wrote and posted over 300 limericks over that time period.  Why limericks? I never did figure that one out, but I think I owe a lot of the personal poetry renaissance I have been going through the last 15 months due to my year of limericks.

As my mid 50's turned into my late 50's I have been thinking how to celebrate the last part of my 6th decade.  No "elks" moment has hit me and I'm not sure my FB friends want a year of haikus or anything like that.

A couple of months ago an idea came to me that instead of having some special activity, I could just be more purposely reflective during the time.  I decided since my 50's were ending that I could perhaps extend the year   to 500 days.  So starting tomorrow I find myself in the last 500 days of my 50's.

Today is May 11th so that means that there are 20 full days left in the month.  There are 30 days in June, 31 in July and August and 22 days before my birthday in September.  That's 134 days before my birthday. There are usually 365 days in a year, but 2024 is a leap year so there are 366 days from  September 23rd, 2023 and September 22nd 2024. Some may wonder why I don't count until September 23rd, my birthday.  The answer, of course, is because that will be the first day of my 60's.

So, what do I plan to do with this time period that 1150% greater than Lent? First of all, give it up for Lent, it's a great religious observance, and it doesn't get nearly the credit it deserves.  I'm not sure really.  I think what I'll do is when I'm reflecting on my adventures in ageing, or perhaps doing something for the last time in my 50's I might blog about it here.  But mostly I'll do what I encouraged my 11 year old future sister in law to do 8 years before I courted her sister, and that is cherish the time.  

In the Bible we are encouraged to number our days. By delineating the last 500 days in my 50's I am inviting myself to live purposely.  It is of course very possible that I publish this post and then regular life and my ADHD conspire that I never think about it again.  This is part of the reason why  I'm publish posting this on my blog and on Facebook so I do pay  attention during these final days of my fifties.

Dear Facebook friends, this doesn't mean that there will be no more limericks.  It just means I'm commemorating the end of this decade differently than I did the last.  In fact, I think I feel a limerick coming on now:

I really thought it would be nifty

To write a limerick a day 'til I was fifty,

The days in my  fifties are numbered

I only have left 500.

I'll live them up, cause the will end swiftly. 

Progressive Poem April 12th

 Some of my fellow poets who contribute at Poetry Friday are working on a progressive poem for April's National Poetry Month.  I signed up for today and then quickly forgot about it.  Thanks for all the reminders on my J post for the A to Z Challenge.

Here is the poem so far with my line on the bottom,

Suddenly everything fell into place

like raindrops hitting soil and sinking in

When morning first poked me, I'd wished it away

my mind in the midst, muddled, confused

Was this a dream, or reality rousing my response?

The sun surged, urging me to join in it's rising.

Rising like a crystal ball reflecting on morning dew.

I jumped out of bed, ready to explore the day

My feet pull me outside and into the garden

Where lillies and bees weave ... but wait what's that?

A bevy of bunnies jart and dart and play in the clover.  

A dog barks and flash, the bunderstorm is over. 

That's my line and I'm sticking to it.  Tomorrow, Irene Latham at Live Your Poem contributes the next line.  

The rest of the participants can be found on the sidebar of Another Year Of Reading.

Poets in the Family

 My daughter Emma and I started attending a live poem workshop at our library at the beginning of the year.  It meets on the first Monday of the month and the first thing we do is go around the table and share a poem we have already written if we would like to.  

Monday Afternoon was very hectic at my house.  Amy was out and about and everything was going wrong.  The workshop started half an hour earlier than I thought it did, dinner was a hot mess,and I was in a foul foul mood.  By the time we got on our way a gorgeous full moon was shining on the river that our library sits upon and it had a calming effect on my soul reminding me what the important things were and how I was chasing the unimportant.  

Emma and I got into the meeting right as the poetry sharing was beginning. I jotted this poem down and then recited it when it was my turn.

Inside Outside Upside Down

(With No Apologies to Sam And Jan Berenstain)

Inside

Running late

Mixed up meeting time

bad mood

burnt food

rush rush rush

Outside

Circle moon

Yellow glow

Silence between loved ones

That speaks comfort

Through the admiration of beauty

I'd like my inside to be more like the outside. 

After I read my poem Emma read hers.  She had written it previously but I  still took it as a warning that I need to be careful with my words, thoughts, and actions so I don't hurt the ones I love.

I encouraged Emma to start a poetry blog. She had a few other blogs when she was younger, but doesn't use them now.  Her poem and my poem are both at Poetry Friday this week.  It is being hosted this week by Carol at Beyond Literacy Link.

Love,

Dave

A Poetic Ending to a Semester of Subbing

 

The 2022-2023 school year is my 5th school year as a substitute teacher.  Since the Spring of 2021, I have been mostly working as a long term sub. A long term sub usually replaces a teacher on a leave or fills in a vacancy caused by a teacher's departure.  I have done both.   This means I'm filling in for the same position every day until that teacher returns from their absence  or the vacancy I'm filling in for is staffed.  This year I have been subbing for a special needs classroom since the beginning of the school year.  I have had 2 classes (1 group of 6th graders) and 1 group of 7th graders in one class room.  In addition to teaching 4 subjects on 2 grade levels, I have been preparing lessons, grading papers, , making report cards and basically everything else a "regular" teacher does.  It has been some of the most challenging and most fulfilling work I have ever done.  

The length of most long term sub positions are known in advance.  Generally you know how long, give or  take someone personal, sick or maternity leave is going to be in advance.  Filling an unfilled spot does not usually come with a knowable end date.  My principals were pretty sure they were going to have me for the full school year as in the first 4 months the job was posted a total of zero people applied for it.

When I came back from Thanksgiving break, I was greeted with the news that a teacher had indeed applied and been hired for the position.  It was bittersweet, my students all have various degrees of difficulty adapting to change.  Many of them did not take to the idea well.  I on the other hand, was very glad that a SPED certified teacher would be taking over at the beginning of the next semester at the same time as being saddened that such a wonderful experience was coming to an end.  

In the last 3 weeks of school I worked hard with the students that we would finish well.

In our English Language Arts class I wanted to teach the students some poetry so I found this lesson on Acrostic Poems  from  Youtube  utilizing Brain Pop which is one of my students favorite educational websites. 

 

After the video, I went to our board and "we" created this poem using SCHOOL as our acrostic.

                                                Students and Teachers

                                                Classes and Chaos

                                                How much is 7 times 3?

                                                Old friends and new ones

                                                Open their minds up

                                                Learning begins with me.

The semester is over.  I have said goodbye to my students and just need to go back next week, log in their final grades and do a few other thing to transition the classroom for the next teacher.  As for me, I was able to get a long term position for the next semester as a building sub.  I'll be going to the school my wife works at but will be most likely in a different classroom each day.  It is what I had hoped to do at the beginning of the school year but I am so glad to have spent August to December where I was.  

Thanks to for Patricia J Franz  

for hosting

the last Poetry Friday of the year.  

My advice is  

check it out 

just by clicking here.

Keith Roller Played With a Full Deck and the Cards He was Dealt.

 My brother Keith was born on this day in 1970.  He passed away in April of 2013 at the age of 38 from a heart attack while in a nursing home in Elgin.  He died a few weeks  before he was scheduled to return home to his wife and kids. 

Today, he would have turned 52.  There is really very little significance to a 52nd birthday, but a few years ago I manufactured a little significance by referring to it as the full deck birthday.  This is because a card deck traditionally has 52 cards.  Today would have been Keith's full deck birthday.

My brother had social, emotional, physical, and mental health challenges on his brief time here,  One could say that the deck was stacked against him.  To judge him for his challenges, as many did,  would be not only unfair but would rob you of knowing one of the kindest, smartest, funniest people you would ever encounter.

In his short life, he graduated college, fell in love, married and fathered 2 children who he showered love on.  While it seems cruel that they hardly remember him, his legacy of kindness, passion, and creativity continues in them. 

I was an older brother to Keith, I was also his youth group leader when he was in high school.  I guess I was something of a model and an example to him.  In many ways he was an example and even a teacher  to me and although his life on earth is over the memories and the lessons continue. 

 

Earlier this year,  I started 2 sonnets with the same line: The time were given is quite brief.  It started as just an exercise,  It became much more than that when the 2nd poem became about Keith.  As today is not only Keith's birthday but also Poetry Friday.  I thought I would share it again here.  

Death of a Brother

14 lines after 13 years

The time we're given  is quite brief

For some, it's much too short

One April morn I got the report

I'd lost my brother Keith

Such news was so beyond belief

That I had no retort

Of snappy comebacks, I'd fallen short

So anguished by my grief

My brother died in a nursing home

At the age of thirty-eight

While he was watching M*A*S*H

13 years later as I write this poem

Though my grief is not as great

My heart still bears the gash

Buffy Silverman is hosting this weeks Poetry Friday.

Poetry Friday 8/19/2022 Finding Castles Among Ordinary Things

 I am hosting Poetry Friday today for my very first time. I originally said I would wait until Midnight Eastern time (11 P.m. where I live) so that it would truly be Poetry Friday. I have caved and am posting this on Thursday at 11:09 Eastern time as I worked at 2 of my jobs from 6 am to 9 pm (my time)  counting travel time and don't want to stay up any longer than I have to asI am also working the same shifts tomorrow.  Here's what I have for you ...

 Back on June 17th, Rose Cappelli of Imagine the Possibilities shared her amazing poem, Music Lessons for Poetry Friday.

I was not familiar with the form, an etheree, and decided to experiment with it.  An Etheree is a 10-line poem that works it way incrementally from one syllable to 10 syllables adding a beat with every line. At One aspect that I enjoy about creating poetry is the freedom to see the world a little differently than everyone else.  An ability to make a connection, and then see where that connection takes me.   

As I was reading Music Lessons, at Rose's blog, I noticed that right under her poem there was a section embedded in her post stating sponsored content replete with the usual clickbait about insurance rates, medical treatments, and other sundry time wasters.   Among the annoyance, I had a flash of inspiration.  Why not write an etheree about internet ads.  This was the result ...

Sponsored Content

I

Really

Don't care where

Educated

Singles in Elgin

Meet, Nor do I need to

Know the seven worst mistakes

I can make with my retirement.

There is a search bar for a reason,

I am content to find my own content.

6/18/2022

My wife and I have had one car between us for several months now.  We were hopeful that we would be working at the same school this year and only found out a few days before the school year started that there would not be a position for me.  Fortunately my long term substitute skills  are highly sought after and I received an offer to work at a middle school in my wife's district.  While we begin to look for a second vehicle, I have been bicycling nine miles down our bike path (each way) to my new school.

When I bike to work these pictures give you an idea of the view ahead of me.

Granted it's gorgeous but it's also fairly common place. Don't get me wrong I love my commute.  Most days I see at least 2 deer and some pretty good views of the Fox River but for the most part it's just tree after tree with a couple of towns thrown in for good measure.

But there is also this ...

Yes 2 miles from downtown Elgin there is this castle structure that I believe was brought over from England.  Most days I bike right past it often not even seeing it.  

Over the past few years I have found myself in a bit of Poetry Renaissance.  To me poetry has been my way of finding castles among ordinary things and even making ordinary things stick out like castles.  

That's what I have for this week.  Let's see what you can add and find out where the adventure takes us. 

 

As you read through what I'm sure re going to be excellent selections this week. I hope you experience your own Poetry Renaissance.  Next Weeks Poetry Friday will be hosted by Tanita S. Davis  at Fiction Instead of Lies.