P is for Poet

 

My A to Z Challenge Theme this year is the ABC's of me.  Each day in the month of April with the exception of Sundays I will be posting about one aspect of my life that begins with the letter of the day. 

It's time for some  A to Z catch-up. , I am currently 2 posts behind.  The next letter is  P so let's get right to it shall we?

A was for Amateur Parodist

B was for Blogger

C was for Christian

D was for David Davidovich

E was for Evangelical Sans the Trump Kool-Aid

F was for Father of 3 Adult Children

G was for Giraffe Lover

H was  for Husband of One Amazing Wife

I was for Iguchi Appreciator

J was for Jester

K was  for Kindergarten Clear

L was for Library Lover

M is for Muppet Man

N was for Narnian

O was for Optimist

P is for Poet

They say beggars can't be choosers.  I think the same logic applies to people who are behind on their assignments.  Instead of not being choosers, we can't be perfectionists.

So I'm just making a pastiche of some examples of my poetry for today's post.  If it's been on my blog or appeared somewhere else before I am also providing a link.  

In 2023 and 2024 I participated in the Kid Lit Progressive Poems  as part of the celebration of April as National Poetry Month.  A progressive poem is ehre several poets take turns writing a line for that day's part of the poem.  I have included the 2023 poem in it's entirety with my contributions are in bold/

Raindrops, Moonseeds, and Dreams 

 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 mist, muddled, confused. \

 Was this a dream or reality, rousing my response? 

The sun surged, urging me to join in its rising, 

 Rising like a crystal ball reflecting on morning dew. 

I jumped out of bed, ready to explore the day.

 

 My feet pulled me outside and into the garden 

Where lilies and bees weave…but wait! What’s that? 

 A bevy of bunnies jarted and darted and played in the clover. 

A dog barked and flash, the bunderstorm is over. 

 I breathed-brave, quiet. Like a seed,

 as the day, foretold in my dream, ventured upon me. 

Sunbeams guided me to the gate overgrown with wisteria 

where I spotted the note tied to the gate. 

 As I reached the gnarled gate, pollen floated like fairy dust into my face. Aaah Choo! 

Enter, if you must. We’ve been waiting for you. 

 Not giving the curious note a thought, I pushed the gate open and ran through.

 Stopped in my tracks, eyes wide in awe—can this really be true? 

Huge mushrooms for tables, vines twined into chairs, 

A flutter of fairies filled flowery teawares 

 With glazed nut cakes and apple blossom tea, 

I heard soft whispers from behind a tree. Oh my! They had been “waiting for me!” 

 Still brave, but cautious, I waited for them. 

Forested friends filled the glade. “You’ve arrived! Let the reverie begin!”

I laughed as my bare feet danced across the dew-soaked grass, 

matching the beat of paws, claws, and wings—around me, above me. 

Tea cakes and hugs, twice all around, then silly games and races ’til the sun slid down,

 Moon shared a warm wink, and showered moon-seeds over earth’s precious ground.

A few years ago I did a holiday poetry reading for Christmas.  Here is the you tube video ...

Last Year for the Q day if the challenge, I wrote a poem:  \

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. 

I am not entirely a rhyming poet.  I think all of my poems referenced here do rhyme.  I did do an Acrostic poem for O in this years challenge and while that did not rhyme it did follow a pattern. 

SO to end this post I'll just jot some unrhymed lines and see if later I can make something more of it.  

Twisting and turning

The parade passed through

An optical illusion or a deliberate lie

A furtive glance of desperation

Ignorance of the truth 

disdain for the needy

The I doesn't see

That the me is beside myself

in myopic misery

A buffet of brutality

with extra helpings of apathy

washed down with righteous indignation

X marks the spot

where twitter once retweetd

link on the various words to get to the various places.

A to Z Challenge Home Page

A to Z Challenge Master List

Coming Up Quintessential Work Ahead

O is for Optimist

 

My A to Z Challenge Theme this year is the ABC's of me.  Each day in the month of April with the exception of Sundays I will be posting about one aspect of my life that begins with the letter of the day. 

It's time for some  A to Z catch-up. , I am currently 1 post behind.  The next letter is  O so let's get right to it shall we?

A was for Amateur Parodist

B was for Blogger

C was for Christian

D was for David Davidovich

E was for Evangelical Sans the Trump Kool-Aid

F was for Father of 3 Adult Children

G was for Giraffe Lover

H was  for Husband of One Amazing Wife

I was for Iguchi Appreciator

J was for Jester

K was  for Kindergarten Clear

L was for Library Lover

M is for Muppet Man

N was for Narnian

O is for Optimist

Today is also Poetry Friday and since there is only a few minutes left in Friday, I will share a poem about Optimism and be back tomorrow to write about how I'm a poet.  The slacker in me wants juts to combine both but I think I can prevail.

OPTIMISM

Opportunities Present Themselves In Many Initially Simple Matters

Pessimists Turn Inner Memories Into Seeing Mirages

They Ignore Messages Indicating Successful Management

I Might Instead Secure Motivation

Motivation In Seeing Myself

Instinctively Moving Swiftly

Striding, Marching

Masterfully

Poetry Friday is being hosted this week by Jone Rush MacCulloch. Check it out!

Click on the various words to get to the various places.

A to Z Challenge Home Page

A to Z Challenge Page for the letter O

A to Z Challenge Master List

Coming Up

Capping Off Poetry Friday

 I am an old school blogger and as such I still list many blogs on multiple blogrolls at my site.  There are many different types of blogs, sports blogs, music blogs, poetry blogs just to name a few.  tonight as I was looking over some of the recent posts on my blog roll I noticed one that said 30 poems.  So I assumed it was a poetry blog this being just a few hours from Poetry Friday.  Boy was I wrong it was a blog called Fan Graphs which is a very insightful baseball blog that I understand only about a third of.  

Well I clicked and there were 30 poems all right, but they were poems about baseball caps and not just any baseball caps but 30 poems dedicated to a new line of caps called overlap caps by the company New Era. 

Davy Andrews wrote a poem for each of the 30 MLB teams caps.  They are called overlap caps because each cap overlaps two of the baseball teams names or designs.  Since I am a Chicago baseball fan I am including a picture of both Chicago teams caps  and the first few lines of the poem to demonstrate the effect.

 

                    Chicago White Sox

Pay close attention, kids. 

This is the danger of the limited color palette. 

Life’s not black and white. 

Or rather, it’s not all black and white. 

 

There’s still right and wrong. 

There’s right, and then there’s wrong. 

So much wrong we’re drowning in it,

                        Chicago Cubs 

 “Nothing to see here,” said the huge, rotund C 

 That swallowed its skinny sibling whole. 

 “Nothing to see. Hop aboard the El.” 

 It looks like it’s about to throw the skinny C back up.

To see the pictures of the rest of the caps and read these poems in their entirety along with other teams of your choosing click here. 

Poetry Friday is hosted this week by Janet at Salt City Verse.  You can click here to see what she has going on. I have not been writing much poetry lately which is one of the reasons why I have not been participating in Poetry Fridays for a while, but as my old school blog role indicates I am still actively pursuing poetry in my blog reading.

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.

Poetry Alive 2024

In late December 2022, my daughter told me about  a poetry group that  met the first Monday of the month.  She and I went in January both enjoyed it so we have been attending ever since.  The group meets both in person ad remotely.  Emma and I have only attended in person so far.

The structure of the group is that the poets share any poems they are working on the the moderator leads us through the theme of the week and then gives us a prompt to work on.  After the group is finished composing, they share the work they just completed.  n

In 2023 several poets shared one poem about Elgin, the city I live in, o Valentines Day. Our group was asked to participate in that.  In April of last year we all participated in a event called Poetry Alive where we all read several of our poems at a  public meeting.  My daughter chose not to participate last year i the event but went with the rest of our family to see me read.

Many of the poems I have submitted for Poetry Friday have bee written during or shared at our monthly poetry meetings .  For today's Poetry Friday I would like to present the You Tube video of the 2024 Poetry Alive presentation.  This year Emma participated as well.  We are the 2nd and 3rd poets.  There were 4 rounds of recitations.  Poetry Alive 2024 took place on the night of my 26th wedding anniversary, so in honor of the occasion, I adapted a song I wrote for her into a poem and recited it in the third round.Poetry Friday is hosted this week by Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise. 

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!

Attention All Poets: April A to Z Challenge is Coming.

As today is Poetry Friday and also the penultimate day for  the A to Z 2024 Theme Reveal, I thought I'd feed 2 birds with one feeder (I'm a feeder not a killer) in today's post.  

Not everyone participating in Poetry Friday may be familiar with the A to Z challenge.  It's an annual challenge where for 26 days in the month of April you write about something with another letter in the Alphabet.  In addition to that you can coordinate all your posts in a theme.  For example, a few years ago, my theme was the songs of the Sherman Brothers who wrote songs for movies like Charlotte's Web and Mary Poppins.  More recently in 2022 my posts featured a limerick from every letter of the alphabet.  Many people over the years have used the theme of forms of poetry.  One of the best things about the A to Z challenge is the community of bloggers who will read the entries and comment on them.  In that way it's very similar to the Poetry Friday community.  Poetry Friday makes Friday the best day of my blogging week and the A to Z challenge makes April the best month of my blogging year.  I thought today I would encourage you Poetry Friday folks to consider the challenge this year.

This year my theme is Holiday's to see my theme reveal click here. To see my poem inspired by the Holiday, Take A Poet to Lunch Day, click here. For more about the A to Z challenge and theme reveal click here.

Poetry Friday is hosted this week by Tanita S. Davis at Fiction, Instead of Lies . Check it out!

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.

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.  .

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.

Dave Out Loud: Poetry Friday - Aileen Fisher's Rabbits Rabbits

Note:Aileen Fisher wrote the poems in this book but did not do the illustrations.  I did several takes of this video, and this was the only one where I omitted mentioning the fine work of illustrator Gail Niemann. 

Poetry Friday is being hosted by Irene Latham.  You can find it 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.

Blog Tryouts Results Show

Blog Insider: An unsolicited and superfluous look inside the minutiae. 

I'm a big fan of blogroll (Don't know what blogroll click here to find out.) At present, I have 8 different blogrolls on my home page,  and we all know how painful that can be. The most recent one is called Blog Tryouts.  I just started it earlier this year.

Blog Tryouts is exactly what it sounds like. I chose 8 blogs that I was not currently linking anywhere else in my blog and placed them in their own section.  Some of these blogs like The Comics Curmudgeon and We Are That Family have been on my blogrolls before and I have decided to have another look at them.  Others like Chicken Spaghetti and Laws of Gravity are blogs I have recently discovered and placing them on a  blogroll for the first time. 

Since the beginning of the year, I have been enjoying going to these blogs on multiple occasions and have added 3 to some of my more permanent blogrolls.  

Laws of Gravity as I mentioned last month on my Januarying post is a blogger/substitute teacher and I have really enjoyed her tales from the front lines of education.  I have added her blog to my Education and Special Needs Blog blogroll.  Her most recent post is called Oblivious.

Rambling Ever on may well be my favorite of the blogs from blog tryouts. I feel like I have found kindred spirits in the group of writers who contribute to this blog.  They have a very good 5 part series called The Forgotten History of Christian Rock with 5 Spotify playlists to help you not forget.  I really enjoyed their recent post called I Love My Boring Church as our family has been on a church search for some time now and the post served as something of an oasis for me. I wasn't sure which blogroll to place Rambling Ever On, it could certainly go into my Bloggy Blogs category as they spray all to fields, but for now, anyway, I'm including them in the News, Faith, Opinion, and Insight Blogs section.

The Third Blog that earned a place on my blogroll team is Reflections On The Teche. I've seen this blog on several occasions through Poetry Friday.  This week's Poetry Friday is at  My Juicy Little Universe by the way.  Feel free to stop in. I really like the poetry at Reflections On The Teche. I've even signed up to take part in the kiddie-lit progressive poem she's spearheading in  April. One feature she does on her blog is This Photo Wants To Be a Poem. I particularly liked the submission called Sunrise Field. I have placed Reflections On The Teche in my Writing, Poetry, Publishing, and Book blogs section.  

I will keep all 8 blogs up in The Blog Tryouts section until the end of March.  In May I plan to link blogs that I discovered or rediscovered during April's A to Z challenge.  

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

The Music of Poetry - The Pain That plagues Creation

Hello, Poetry Fridayers.

On the Poetry Friday that took place on June 30th, 2022.  I shared the inaugural Poetry of Music post and stated I wanted to share songs that were more like poems set to music about once a month or so.  6 months later, here I am sharing the next installment. I landed a lot closer to the or so part of my prognostication than the once a month part.  

Today's song comes from the  late Mark Heard, producer, singer, songwriter, and poet all wrapped into one.  Mark Heard died in the Summer of 1992 a few weeks after having a heart attack while performing at the Cornerstone Music Festival in Bushnell, Illinois.

My last post contained a bit of a lament on some of  the present difficulties associated with my life at this  time.  The Pain That Plagues Creation is a haunting  reminder that while  life is  fraught with difficulty it also equally fraught with hope.. 

The Pain That Plagues Creation

By Mark Heard

As this planet falls around the sun

Trapping us in the orbit

Creation groans in unison

Like a race of frightened orphans

The darkness of this raging storm 

Is covering up our portals

But a yearning for the light is born

In the heart of every mortal

And day to day we ache

With the pain that plagues creation

Night to night we lie awake

And await its restoration

Heaven knows our lonely ways

Heaven knows our sorrows

Heaven knows the things that we don't know

And the joy of eternal tomorrows

But through this glass we dimly see

This world as it was made

And the good we know must surely flow

From the heart of a kind creator

And day to day we ache

With the pain that plagues creation

Night to night we lie awake

And await its restoration

So hold on in this restless age

And do not fear your shadow

Your alternating tears and praise

Are prayers that surely will matter

And day to day we ache

With the pain that plagues creation

Night to night we lie awake

And await its restoration

 The Pain that Plagues Creation appears on the Mark Heard album, Eye of the Storm.  You can find the lyrics by clicking here.

Thanks for Catherine Flynn for hosting this weeks Poetry Friday at Reading To The Core.  

Thanks also to my wife Amy for listening to me read the lyrics to her even though we had already said good night.  

Love, Dave

Spiritual Thursdays: One Little Word .

 

I am trying to get into the New Year blogging.  So I have decided to participate in Spiritual Journey Thursdays.  It's a first Thursday blog hop that is being hosted this month  by Margaret at Reflections on the Teche. Margaret is part of the Poetry Friday community.  Her theme this month is One Little Word.  

Given the theme I immediately went into full Martin Luther mode and started belting out the third verse of A Mighty Fortress is Our God.  For future reference 10:45 on a weeknight is not the best time for belting out reformation hymns.  At least that's what my wife tells me.  Click here to have it belted out for you by the good folks at Hymnary.

1 A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he, amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
does seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

2 Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right Man on our side,
the Man of God's own choosing.
You ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth his name,
from age to age the same;
and he must win the battle.

3 And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God has willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo! his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

4 That Word above all earthly powers
no thanks to them abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours
through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill:
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever!

Psalter Hymnal, (Gray), 1987

There is an excellent article from Desiringgod.org entitled 'What "One Little Word" will fell Satan?'  In it, the author speculates what Luther may have meant by what word is being referred to at the end of verse 3.  He states that Luther wrote that the word he meant was "liar." Or at least the German word for liar.  

I can tell you that this makes perfect sense to me.  

Many times in the course of my life I have told myself and believed lies.  The past few months have been a particularly difficult season in what has been a very difficult series of years for me and my family.  

These past months as I alluded to in my Last Poetry Friday submission have been some of my most challenging in my work life.  They have also been extremely taxing in almost every aspect of my life.  

In September my family left a church we had been at for 10 years that never really felt like our home.  We have spent the fall and early winter looking for a new church which has brought both comforts and challenges to us.  

In September on my wife's birthday, I went to visit my Dad in the hospital and was told that day that his leg needed to be amputated. His foot was amputated on that very day.  On my birthday a few weeks later my Mom and I had a phone appointment with a neuropsychologist who diagnosed her  of having some type of dementia, perhaps Alzheimer's.  We cancelled birthdays for a while after that.

Somewhere in that time a part of me snapped.  I didn't notice it at first, but my wife did. I still did all the things you do to get from one day to the other.  I'd been in full on crisis mode before but this was different.  I tell you that even right now I can hardly function  at work or anywhere.  

But I think I am beginning to figure it out.  I've been believing lies.  I've been believing that I am powerless in the train wreck season I've been going through and in reality I've tied myself to the track with those lies.  I have two daughters who both have mental health issues.  My wife and I continually tell them to stop believing lies and tell themselves the truth,  As Tom Hanks's character Jimmy Dugan (sp?) said in A League of Their Own. "That's good advice! 

 John 8:31 through 8:36 says (in the NIV), 

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘ You will become free’?” 34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35“The slave does not remain in the house forever; . the son does remain forever. 36“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 

 The truth is that God has been with me every step of this journey. Today I received what I perceived to be a body blow but when I told that perception to my wife, she told me the truth and I decided to believe that truth, then act upon that truth, and pray that truth. This evening what can usually be a very stress filled event was pleasant. When I got home instead of being in a zombie like stupor I was ready for the next thing. I know I'm still many miles away from a new normal but I'm closer than I even imagined I could be on New Years Eve. 

 Love, Dave

For more SJT click HERE

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.