Tag: #poemadayfeb

poetry

My Most Political #poemadayfeb Poem

carolyncordon

This poem came from the Facebook conversation that happened earlier today, combined with my own thoughts, (of course), triggered by today’s #poemadayfeb prompt of “Veil”. As I wrote this poem, I was remembering things seen on my television, and my thoughts and feelings at some of what I saw and heard. I’m not naming who the person is that prompted the ‘Lizard-tongue’ comment, but if you saw it on TV, you know who it refers to.

This is my most directly political poem, for this month of poetry, and I certainly don’t apologise for that. All of us must think on what is happening in our home, our community, our country, and our world, otherwise we will remain captive to those who would do us wrong, for their own benefit.

If this poem can help to open a few minds to the dangers of always simply ‘going with the flow’ even when the flow is headed to the sewer. Beware of what is being offered to you, but be open to honest offers too. There is much good in the world, some of it working quietly in the background, with self-less volunteers doing remarkable good things.

If you have a yen to do some good things in life too, look around, there is bound to be a volunteer group that would welcome you in to help them in their work. I gain much joy from all of the things I do with and for my various ‘communities’ and you can get the same, if you’re prepared to help out.

Here is my poem, feel free to leave a comment here, I’d love a discussion happening!

 

Unveil the truth

Strip back the veil, what will I see?

Purity exposed, humbling me?

Or ugly lies, with lizard-tongue poke

with sideways glance from a privileged bloke?

 

The truth is there, is it too well hidden,

from populace sheep, who do what is bidden

by Murdoch’s liars, tricking them all,

kicking down triers, keeping hopes small …

 

But we have minds, thoughts, ideals –

we give to strangers, prepare extra meals,

volunteers build strong community,

bring together like-minds, in friendly unity.

 

Hope is around, if you get out and look –

but if mainstream media was the news you took,

and never looked further, the lies would choke –

truth in media? With Murdoch, a sad joke.

 

But there are other sources, if want to know,

if you’re not sure where, give Twitter a go.

Choose your sources, from people you trust

and judge what they say, always a must.

 

Some people lie, have their own agenda,

don’t always believe them, just cos they ‘friend’ ya –

believe what they do, not what they say,

bad people may sneak up, fool you, betray …

poetry

On the Cusp of, What?

carolyncordon

I’m still very much enjoying this Poem a Day thing, venture, experiment, call it what you will, where I can use the prompt of the day, and use it to write a brand new poem. How awesome is that? Hugely awesome, that’s how much.

The poetry prompts are provided by three lovely people, Kathy Parker, Paul R Kohn and Laura Greaves, and the idea is that poets/people who may realise they are poets if they undertake this challenge, those people, all use the prompt for the day, and write a brand new poem. It’s that simple/difficult/whatever …

When I spotted this new poetry thing, on Kathy’s Twitter post, back before February began, I thought, yes, something to keep me writing more, yes, yes, yes! So I got involved, and thought about what I would do with the new poems I would write. The obvious answer to that question was to post them on this blog, which you are looking at right now.

And when this wonderful month of #poemadayfeb is over, I should have enough poems to put together a chap book of poetry, and may interest a publisher in publishing such a little poetry book … Or I could print it myself, perhaps if a publisher doesn’t appear to do that work for me …

I am a poet, writer, and occasional public speaker, and if I can get more people coming along to my writers website and blog, something magical may happen. There has been mention of rainbow unicorn butterflies happening, but I may be confusing that with something on social media. Probably Facebook, and there was a cute picture, but I digress …

Anyway, the poetry prompt for today, 16 February #poemadayfeb, was/is “Cusp”. I thought about what the word meant to me, then checked out the actual meaning, thought a bit more about my life, and the lives of others, and I came up with the poem below. It isn’t a rhyming poem, it isn’t a fancy pants poetic form, it is merely unrhyming stanzas of three lines for each stanza.

Enough talk of what it may be, here is what it is, a brand new poem for today:

 

Get there & jump!

On the edge, the turning point, the cusp,

the spot where things can change,

go from being one thing to being another –

 

child to teenager, teenager to adult

adult to, well to what? To whatever it is

at the ultimate edge for us all to face.

 

Bad to good, or good to bad, crossing

transitioning, becoming something else,

something other that what we were,

 

venturing into a new state of being ;

ugly/beautiful, unknowing/thoughtful,

become aware of a new and better you.

 

It can happen, but only if you are ready

to approach and cross over, move into,

metamorphose, as tadpole does to frog …

 

If you stay the same, unmoving, blocked

stopped, in stasis state, when all else

is changing – you’ll be run over, crushed,

 

never able to achieve a single thing

worth getting or doing, chances ignored,

achievement impossible, a life lost …

poetry

An Unexpected Little Poem

carolyncordon

I’m enjoying this Poem a Day thing, (#poemadayfeb) very much, that’s for sure. I’m being very careful not to read any poetry prompts in advance, only looking up what the prompt for the day is, once I’m sitting down, ready to write the poem for that particular day.

So, today’s prompt then … The prompt for this tenth day of February is a simple little word, which could have gone in many different directions, and I wasn’t entirely sure what the poem would actually be until I had written a few lines, and then had an idea about what I could do to make a simple little poem, into something a little bit special.
The prompt for today was ‘Home’.

My poem for today is a Ten Line poem, which is a poetic form, with many variations. There are a great many very interesting poems at this webpage, which I was thrilled to find today, when I went ‘exploring’ the internet. The link is below, and if you are interested in short poems, I heartily recommend going there and taking a look!

https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/tag/10-lines/

My own poem is a kind of shape poem, of ten lines. The ‘shape’ I hope my poem shows, is the shape of a welcome bed to rest on, for a nap, after a busy and tiring day. Anyway, here is my new poem:

home is the place where your own bed is …

There’s no place like it, is how the story goes

and yeah I feel that’s the truth for sure.

It’s where you don’t have to fake it –

Tired? You can sleep, it’s fine,

people here know you well,

and they’ll understand –

chat when you’re up,

there’s no rush;

sleep now,

zzzzz!

 

 

poetry

When Poem and Life Collide …

carolyncordon

I suspect things are happening inside my brain, that I am not aware of, until some time after they have happened. And one of the things happening, is when life and poem crash, Bang! into each other, and it becomes difficult to decide whether life is dictated to by the poem, or whether the poem is the thing in charge, and life follows as meekly as a lamb.

I am doing the #poemadayfeb thing that other poets around the place are also doing. This involves writing a new poem every day in February, and sharing/posting/whatever your poem, with others. I am putting my poem up here on this blog every day, on the day if possible or the next day, if it’s possible then. I’ve only missed one day so far, and posted the poem the next day.

Those following along on the #poemadayfeb adventure use poem prompts given. Today’s prompt was a poetic form, in which to write a poem, rather than a ‘thing’ to write a poem about. I’d never written a poem in this form previously, so I was very happy to give it a try, and even more pleased by how much I enjoyed writing today’s poem.

So today’s poem is a bit late, but I am definitely going to post it here on this website/blog, and here it is:

 

Lazy Day, With Rain …

 

Outside, the rain is pelting down

but I’m comfortable in here,

sitting at the kitchen table

with my plans for the day all set.

 

Feeling disinclined to move, when

outside the rain is pelting down …

and now the thought of coffee, comes,

so though rain’s now stopped, I’m still here.

 

But as I mentioned, I have plans

I have to meet, whether or not

outside the rain is pelting down,

so, coffee, then get on with it.

 

My plans though, they weren’t written down;

I wonder will it matter, if

I just remain here inside though

outside, no rain is pelting down …

poetry

Sorry for Being Late!

carolyncordon

Well, I’ve been steadily writing, and posting my Poem a Day, for February, as my part of the #poemadayfeb challenge, writing a new poem every day, and posting it to my blog, on this, my Writer’s website. But sadly, yesterday things went a little wrong.

Things got busy, devices weren’t available, so that, while a new poem definitely did get written for the 7th day of February, it didn’t get put on my Blog page here … Never fear though, as soon as I’ve finished typing up this, I will put up that new poem, for the 7th day of February, on the blog!

person holding turned on smartphone
Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

I wrote the poem on my phone, and so had it with me when I visited my mother today, and I took the opportunity of having the poem with me, and so I read yesterday’s poem aloud to her. She liked the poem, and was impressed by the way I tied all of my important points together.

Well, I’m sure that’s pretty well what she said, something similar to that anyway. It was certainly approval she gave, for sure, and not wishy-washy approval either, but intelligent relevant kind of approval. Hey, I’m a mother too, I can tell the difference!

I haven’t checked out the prompt for today, but rest assured that I will do that too, after this particular post is finished. I am definitely going to write a new poem, every day in February 2019, and I am going to get a chap book published with all of the poems, whether mainstream publishing, or some other kind. I am impressing myself with the poems I’ve been writing, so far, and I can’t see why the quality would drop!

Once I’ve checked out what the prompt is, I will get going with writing my new poem for the 8th day of February, then post is on my blog page here! Then I will post a link to it on Twitter, and one on Facebook, and how knows perhaps a publisher will see the quality of my poetry, and snap me up as one of their poets!

This has been such fun, I’m almost feeling like a real poet, oh hang on, I’ve been writing poetry for years, I already am a real poet … I have poetry online, in books, in libraries, as well as scribbled on a gazillion notebooks and scraps of paper. Published in books is the best way for poetry!