Milling About

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The Maid of the Mill/Helen Kendrick Johnson, 1900
Public Domain

Homecoming

It’s been nearly fifty years since I’ve been to this old mill.

And yet, those past fifty years rushed right by me.  In a heartbeat,

whirling dust and wood and dappled sunlight streaked, until

everything including time ceased, as I glanced at an uneven bit of floorboard.

It’s where I left a note for you, with all the words my heart could spill.

I pledged my teenaged love to you and agreed we could run away.

But then you never replied. Your voice was silent, still.

So I lifted the board, and with a special sadness, saw the yellowed vellum sheet…

timing is everything, or what you will.

###

The form is Magic 9.
The poem was inspired by Sepia Saturday's prompt of

CanaLife

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
A Venice Canal, 1868/Eugenio Lucas Velazquez (1817-1870)
Public Domain

Canaliculi

What secrets bridge the span as they stand, bestridden

across the damp, ancient sandstone façade?

While the view may appear handsome, it is still forbidden,

since its face, its veneer, remains impenetrable and unsolvable.

Perhaps, in the aged mortar, someone slid in

a secret message or a cipher,

locked within the seams because that person didn’t

want the significance known by man or god,

and so, for all eternity, it shall remain hidden. 

###

Notes: The form is Magic 9, a very fun, addicting form.  It was recently featured at Poetic Asides, as the latest in their Forms Challenges.  The poem was inspired by Sepia Saturday's picture prompt: 

Shopping Around

Fashion Store by August Macke/December 31, 1913/Public Domain per Wikimedia Commons

Edit:

I was informed, and rightly so, that I made a structural error to my verse (see the first version, at the bottom of this post below.)  Now, I admit to breaking poetic rules on occasion, but you gotta know the rules to break 'em.  And 'though I've written a number of Ovijello poems in the past, I forgot a key/signature element to this form.  I humbly apologize for my careless error.  That's what comes from writing in haste when one is tired, and full of hubris.

Here is the revised version of my poem.

It’s in the Cards

My credit cards await

their fate

which is to spend the max

at Saks

and other fancy shops

with stops

to buy some shoes and tops,

a handbag, lipstick, jewels.

No limit and no rules.
Their fate at Saks, with stops…

###

My brilliant poet friend De Miller Jackson is currently curating the Ovillejo poem form at dVerse. It's a really fun but challenging form, and since she rather cleverly dropped my name over on Facebook with regard to such things, I decided to play along.

Here's my entry:

Props

My credit cards await

their fate

which is to spend the max

at Saks

and other fancy shops

with stops

to buy some shoes and tops,

a handbag, lipstick, jewels…

No limit and no rules.
Ya gotta have your props.

###

Anyway, as you can see, I've obviously been away from my blog for a while, and whilst I make no promises presently, I figure it's all for creativity, and that is generally a very good thing.

Bicycle Built for Two

Image courtesy of Magnificent Revolution

Bicycle Built for Two

Be mine, he said,

Because I love you.  We

Belong together.  This is not

Boutade – oh no,

But rather,

Backdrop for a billion brilliant bons mots…

Billet-doux.

###

Notes:  The form is Pleiades.  The poem was inspired by Sepia Saturday's prompt having to do with bicycles and tandem rides, couples, balancing and fun.

Ardent Dance

Image courtesy of WikiCommons Images/Georges Villa - Les Ailes

In a passionate but private moment…

Insulated from the world
I sing a silent song of ancient words.
Incalescence
Is informing all my thoughts.
Ineffable
Images dance by to the ardent music, but like
Icarus, they fall too soon back to earth.

###

Notes: The poetic form is Pleiades.  It was invented by Craig Tigerman, who was an editor at Sol Magazine.  Sol Magazine was a wonderful poetry publication (and project)  I discovered  several years ago.

My poem was written in response to Khara House's Our Lost Jungles Poetic Forms Challenge.  'Pleiades' is her 6th forms challenge.  The form takes some thought, but it is a lot of fun to write.  I highly recommend it!  

A Bit of Luck to 'Go'

A Bit of Luck to ‘Go’

Board game

we like to play?

Its name

Is ‘Go.’

It’s challenging

and so

my friends

compete.  Who wins?

Depends.

###

Notes: As I mentioned yesterday, I planned on using the marvelous vintage photograph prompt (above) from Sepia Saturday to write a poem. The form is 'Musette' and you can find out more about it at Shadow Poetry.

Can-Can

The Little Epicure that Could…

When shopping for my tasty bits,

I do the supermarket blitz.

I hold the price gun and I scan.

I think I can!  I think I can!

My budget will not let me buy

some steaks or frozen apple pie

but I am still a gourmet man.

I think I can!  I think I can!

For what is soup but dinner in

a can?  A rank beginner in

a cooking class can heat a pan.

I think I can!  I think I can!

The chicken noodle is on sale.

I got a coupon in the mail.

O Campbell’s!  I’m your biggest fan!

I think I can!  I think I can!

###

Notes:  The Mag [Magpie Tales] posted the above picture as the prompt. The form is Kyrielle, because it's such a fun form!  I can haz soup.

Illuminated!

Image courtesy of Maisa Gonzalez's Portolio

Quidquid

“Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.” (Anything said in Latin sounds profound). ~Anon

If you speak Latin, you’ll sound smart,

like Einstein, Plato and Descartes.

But even more, most will not know

what you have said.  Just goes to show

that but a few words, known by heart,

proves you speak Latin.  You sound smart!

Thus when you postulate, ‘quidquid,”

just say it once.  Then say, ‘ibid.”

Or then say, “Bibo ergo sum,”

Some ‘Python’ fans will know, by gum,

your toasts to Latin are so smart!

So, “ergo,” now, here’s THE best part…

To “carpe diem” (seize the day)

use Latin.  You’ll be “illiant-bray”

and so profound,  You’ll stand apart:

if you speak Latin, you’ll sound smart.

###

Notes:  Dang it!  My original notes just got wiped out!  Gotta start from scratch now.  Grrrrrrrr!

Breathe, breathe...

Okay here goes:  The form is called Quatern.  I know, I know, dear reader...you are mega-surprised because you were expecting another Kyrielle Sonnet, right?  Well, to be honest, the Quatern is similar in many ways to the Kyrielle and the Kyrielle Sonnet, which is why it was easy and fun to write.  The prompting for writing this form  comes from Walt and Marie, those nice folks over at Poetic Bloomings. Every week, they do something called In-Form Poet, which is all about poetic form - and this week, the form was Quaterm.

Now, believe it or not, I didn't originally set out to write a pun[ish] poem about Latin.  Instead, my thought was to write something on 'balance' since that was the prompt word over at Theme Thursday.  (Yeah, I know today is Friday.)  The goal was 'neco duos pennipotenti per unus calx'  which basically means (according to a couple of online translators) to kill two birds with one stone.  It's not exact, mind you, especially when you translate it back from Latin to English, but whatever.

Anyway, I started searching for humorous 'balance' quotes, which is actually more difficult than one might expect.  Most 'balance' quotes have a more inspirational kinda aura about them (as opposed to funny.)  But, one hyperlink (and subsequent website of quotes) led to another - and suddenly, there I was.  Latin.

So...did I strike any sort of balance with the above poem?  Hmmmm.  It's a stretch.  But if you put Pig-Latin, Monty Python and certain individuals of considerable intellectual weight (among other stuff) on the scales of life, then perhaps I did, on balance, complete the task.

Okay...okay...Gemitu!  (That's Latin for *groan!*)

Kvetch

Image courtesy of 3fatchicks

Kvetch

I never met a one like you

whose negativity shines through.

This poem’s the salute I sketch

for all you do.  You kvetch, kvetch, kvetch.

You criticize, I must confess.

No matter what, you must redress

your point (to death) in acid-etch.

Yes, all you do is kvetch, kvetch, kvetch.

The food’s too salty, sweet or cold.

If someone’s wronged, you’re wronged two-fold.

You sound like an ungrateful wretch

and all you do is kvetch, kvetch, kvetch.

And if you go to see a show,

you will complain, “It sucks, you know.

The acting’s bad.  The plot?  Farfetched.

And all you’ve done is kvetched, kvetched, kvetched.

You never compliment your host,

unless it’s qualified, at most.

You whine, you sulk, pretend to retch

and all you do is kvetch, kvetch, kvetch.

But can you take it?  No, you can’t.

Constructive words just make you rant.

You are the king of Kingdom Quetch*

‘cause all you do is kvetch, kvetch, kvetch.

I never met a one like you…

See, all you do is kvetch, kvetch, kvetch.

###

Notes:  The inspiration for today's Kyrielle Sonnet (and then some) came from the prompt of 'complaining' - thoughtfully (and without any whining whatsoever) provided for by Daniel Ari on his Imunuri blog.  I just couldn't resist.  Wine and cheese, anyone?

It may be the lowest form of humor...but a pun is fun!

Image courtesy of Discovery Education

 Lexicon Love

So, if you have           

addictionary

you’re hooked on terms.

Cause?  Word-list germs.

###

Image courtesy of Bob Canada

Chow Down

A cantina

cannot serve a meal

since the venue

has no menu.

A restaurant

like this only has

surly waiters.

Never caters.

###

Notes: The form is Pun-ku.  (Actually, the second poem is a double Pun-ku.  Salvatore Buttaci is a poet and writer who came up with this new humorous poetic form.  It is called the Pun-ku, and it's really fun.  Here's how you do it ...

(1)    Unlike the haiku that allows for a less than strict adherence to the 17-syllable rule, the pun-ku must be exactly 17 syllables long. 

(2)    It contains only four (4) lines arranged syllabically as follows:

Line 1: 4 syllables     Line 2:  5 syllables      Line 3:  4 syllables    Line 4:  4 syllables

(3)    As for the end-rhyme pattern, Lines 1 and 2 do not rhyme. Lines 3 and 4 do.

(4)    The pun-ku must contain a pun on one or more of the words used in the poem.  The subject matter deals with human nature, is light, humorous, or witty.

(5)   The title of the pun-ku can only be one- or two-words long (or short).

After the Curtain Call...at the Masked Ball

Image courtesy of BibliOdyssey

The Empire Theatre

Up in Box Twelve, she waves

a single perfect rose

at one actor, who saves

a smile for her: she knows

after the curtain call,

they’ll elope at the Ball.

Intrigue for ingénue.

###

Notes: The form is called 'Poesia di Tema.'  It was created by Marie Elena Good for Robert Lee Brewer's Poetic Asides' Form Challenge.  Marie and her 'virtual' bff Walt Wojtanik have created a lovely poets' site in order to encourage and nurture poets.  It's called Poetic Bloomings, and today is In-Form Poet's Day, where new forms are introduced and highlighted.  You can learn more about Marie's form there.

As for the inspiration for my poem (beyond the challenge of trying a new form) I found some really fascinating pictures at BibliOdyssey.  The one I used for this poem was artwork from a 1922 program cover from New York's Empire Theatre.  It enlivened me think about the masked balls which at one time were held at theatres and operas houses in the US and abroad.  The way the lady in the drawing holds her rose and gazes out in the distance told me all I needed to get started with the narrative.

On another note:  Poets United's Sherry Blue Sky just posted an awesome interview with writer/poet extraordinaire Kim Nelson.  It's a terrific read and I highly recommend it.

Contradiction in Terms

Image courtesy of crazysexylife

Contradiction…A Queron

I like blue eyes

(‘though I have brown.)

I like storm skies.

I’m verb, not noun.

I improvise.

I won’t back down

and that’s what’s what …

I wear a crown

of if and but.

It’s no disguise.

Am I a nut?

Then, what’s the norm?

Deep in my gut?

It’s “Don’t conform.”

(Yeah…got that down.)

I’m plexiform*…

but that’s my norm.

###

Notes:  One of the people I've 'met' at Poetic Asides is a talented poet named Daniel Ari. He invented a new poetic form called Queron.  It's kind of complicated, but fun and a worthwhile challenge, nonetheless.  Above these notes is my first attempt at trying the form, and while it's normally written in longer syllabic lines than what I did (4 syllables per line) it is a flexible enough form to allow for the variations.  

I encourage you to check it out and give Queron a shot.  You may find yourself surprised at the results - in a really good way.

* Plexiform, according to the 1913 Webster's Dictionary, means networked or complicated .