Established by the Academy of
American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month begins on April 1st and runs
through April 30th every year. This month-long celebration of poetry is designed
“to widen the attention of individuals and the media to the art of poetry, to
living poets, to our complex poetic heritage, and to poetry books and journals
of wide aesthetic range and concern.” During April, poets, poetry lovers,
publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, and schools
throughout the United States celebrate poetry.
One of the challenges of NPM is
to read and/or write a poem every day. So ... in the spirit of the observance, for the fifth year I offer you what I hope will be inspiration
for each of April’s thirty days.
This year, I’ve done some
research into the most popular poems of all time and have listed my favorites
among them below (in no particular order). As a change from previous years,
this year, I ask you to click on the links below the poem titles and poets and to read the poems—one each day of
the month. After reading the poem for any given day, spend some time with it; think about the content
and anything in the poem that “strikes a chord” for you. Working from that “chord,”
try to write a poem of your own that may or may not involve similar content. Let
the famous poems inspire you and, then, follow your muse!
April 1—“Daffodils” (“I Wandered Lonely As
A Cloud”) by William Wordsworth
April 2—“Remember” by Christina Rossetti
April 3—“If” by Rudyard Kipling
April 4—“Invictus” by W. E. Henley
April 5—“Hope Is the thing with Feathers”
by Emily Dickinson
April 6—“Answer to a Child’s Question” by
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
April 7—“Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll
(with audio)
April 8—“Love and Friendship” by Emily
Brontë
April 9—“The Road Not Taken” by Robert
Frost
April 10—“I Carry Your heart With Me” by E.
E. Cummings
April 11—“I Loved You” by Alexander Pushkin
April 12—“Life Is Fine” by Langston Hughes
April 13—“Seven Ages of Man” by William
Shakespeare
April 14—“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe
April 15—“I Taught Myself to Live Simply”
by Anna Akhmatova
April 16—“Brown Penny” by William Butler
Yeats
April 17—“If You Forget Me” by Pablo Neruda
April 18—“Digging” by Seamus Heaney
April 19—“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”
by Maya Angelou
April 20—“Do Not Go Gentle into that Good
Night” by Dylan Thomas
April 21—“Cinderella” by Sylvia Plath
April 22—“Laughing Song” by William Blake
April 23—“The Starry Night” by Anne Sexton
April 24—“Dreams” by Langston Hughes
April 25—“Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman
April 26—“No Man Is an Island” by John
Donne
April 27—“Forgetfulness” by Billy Collins
April 28—“Blackberry-Picking” by Seamus Heaney
April 29—“The Bear” by Galway Kinnell
April 30—“Alone” by Philip Levine
Tips:
1. Don’t feel compelled to match
your content to the examples’—in fact, do just the opposite and make your poems
as different as you possibly can. The example poems
are only intended to trigger some poetry-spark that’s unique to you and to guide
your thinking a little—don’t let them enter too deeply into your poems, don’t
let their content become your content.
2. Let your reactions to the poems surprise you. Begin with no expectations, and let
your poems take you where they want to go.
3. Give the topics your own spin,
twist and turn them, let the phrases trigger personal responses: pin down your
ghosts, identify your frailties, build bridges and cross rivers, take chances!
4. Keep in mind that writing a
poem a day doesn’t mean you have to “finish” each poem immediately. You can
write a draft each day and set your drafts aside to work on later.
5. Whatever you do this month,
find some time (a little or a lot) to enjoy some poetry!
As always, your
sharing is welcome,
so please feel welcome to post
your thoughts and poems as comments!
Regular weekly
prompts will resume on Saturday, May 2nd.
In the meantime, I
wish you a wonderful and poetry-filled April!
Happy National Poetry
Month!
Let the poem-ing begin!
Adele Ma'am,
ReplyDeleteWrote this for A to Z but submitting it here anyway.
http://imagery77.blogspot.com/2015/04/deep-in-their-hearts-event-awaited-for.html
Hank
Thanks for sharing, Hank!
DeleteHi Adele, todays poem reminded me of indecision, maybe it was the first half of the line - 'I wandered lonely as a cloud.' So --
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
This Way Or That
The whole day's eye opens dizzy in the morning.
I wandered lonely and without a clue
of what to do through a valley of thought ;
daisies, their rosettes of spoon-shaped leaves;
ray's I pick away from their sun -
all points of the compass.
Shall I go north, east, what about south, or,
maybe to the west?
I look to the weathercock for direction;
he spins round, confused.
Indecision ... interesting! Thanks so much for sharing, Lewis!
DeleteSo much richness every year. Thank you once again, Adele!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Jamie!
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 2 —
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
When I'm Gone Away
Turnaround, dash away from
the thoughts of corruption
you'd plann'd.
Go wordless
into that warm street,
leave behind the threads of threats;
that tattered coat
of a counterfeit day
you'd plann'd;
from early in the city
and late into the countryside -
through the viewfinder of deadline
deception by deception.
When I am gone away,
it will be because of everything
you'd plann'd.
Thanks for sharing with us, Lewis!
Deletebrown leaves gently twirl
ReplyDeletego wherever the wind blows
ecstasy awaits
Thanks so much, Risa! Christina Rossetti would have approved!
Delete=/\../\=
ReplyDeleteHi Adele, the poem for April 3. I wonder!...not 'If', but - Can You.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
Can You!
Can you keep your bed when all about you
are losing theirs and claiming yours.
Can you eat your apple pie while men freak out;
and make allowance for their shouting.
can you start a clean slate
and not fret about all the flies around you...
be unconcerned about being underrated,
scream—and not make your crazy schemes
your master; drink—and not claim noughts
and crosses the perfect game!
not say harrumph! harrumph! like a schoolmaster
while you tear up sheets of rosters,
or, better, put them to the flame!
take the roof off your house
and leave its oak beams bare.
go and live in a cave by the sea,
and listen to the waves - those stubborn mules!
can you watch yourself return
to that bottle of scotch;
your words spoken mere tokens
of the things you spent your life on,
to scoop-up the pieces from the coop
messy as chicken soup;
without any system of rules.
be as brisk as a rocky mountain bighorn sheep
with fine action brake disks, that
on any given turn
practise the art of beginning again.
with slurred speech wet as sea moss
steer a course -- your shopping cart
quick around the aisles of Wal-Mart
with natural swerve on every curve.
can you walk on clouds
while sound asleep and break
your self-inflicted curfew.
say good-bye with no strings attached
to so called loving friends that hurt you.
with a poets pen write to get in touch...
to dodge the bullets shot at you
by rattlesnakes in three piece suits.
greet every second that beckons you;
to run towards it;
what's there of worth to unearth
in the long run -- can you make a life of fun
and not every step one tonne.
Very nice, Lewis! Thank you again for sharing. Are you going for the poem-a day- challenge?
DeleteI'm looking forward to the challenge of working on one poem a day! Early in the morning I'll read the days prompt and write out a few lines in response, then return to it at various intervals throughout the day...whenever I get the chance!...I love seeing how the poem keeps changing its course but always seems to find its way to somewhere!
DeleteAnd then there's the fun of not knowing in advance what will get written on any given day. I think your prompts for National Poetry Month are fantastic!...Thank you, Adele!
Hi Adele, a poem for April 4. To take a different view.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
By Twists and Turns
In the day that reveals me,
Bright as the open sky;
I rebuke the works of...
Are they soulless gods -
For this helpless zombie.
Out of their obliging abandon
I have winced and cried aloud,
And by twists and turns -
My head is unbloody, but bowed.
Close to this place of senses
Suffering the pain of thought -
Where retreats the fondness of the light,
The guarantee of the moment
Loses and shall lose me afraid.
Does it matters how crooked my departure -
How dead with reward the scroll;
I am not the master of my fate,
Neither am I captain of the soul.
~ ~ ~
Great idea, Lewis!
DeleteThank you, Adele...with each prompt I refer back to your tips! :)
DeleteJust great, Lewis, the way you flipped the message (and content) of the original poem. Nice reading you here on the blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jamie! I'm so glad you liked the poem. Adele has put together a wonderful blog...a friendly place to visit!
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter Sunday, Adele!
ReplyDeleteA poem for April 5. In opposition to the gloomy view of the soul/will/spirit which I wrote about in yesterdays poem.
~ ~ ~
Spirit
Spirit is the thing with feathers -
the attempt is made to cage the bird;
when it sings is told to stop...
sway tuneless on that chillest perch -
and with storm-sick eye
to view the strangest sea -
yet - without words - the little bird,
unabashed - at all - never stops,
and its sweetest tune is ever heard;
lively over every landscape.
If
ReplyDeletehad I only known
still the leaves would have fallen
loving continues
Very nice, Risa!
Delete
ReplyDeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 6. I have asked: 'what do birds say?' and through the skylight window have watched them go about in the garden. -
~ ~ ~
Where Raisins Soak
At the skylight: a flash of blue
quick-looks in at me.
The bluebird's view is skyward-now
at unfriendly neighbours: starling,
crow, and house sparrow;
nest-trespassers; seeking squatters rights!
and -beware- lurking down
in picnic-grass; snake, cat,
raccoon! what! -
time to dare a blue-dash
to the birdbath
where raisins soak in fresh-poured water,
and from there - to the garden table;
a fancy spread of grubs
of the darkling beetle, worms and berries
and home by a blue-path,
to its needled nest of pine -
to sing and wave a wing at me.
Love the "sing and wave a wing" line. Thanks so much for continuing to share with us, Lewis!
Deletehigher hopes flew away
ReplyDeletetears formed like earthly prayers
feathers fell to earth
Very nice, Risa! I've always appreciated your concise and direct style!
DeleteHi Risa! "Feathers fell to earth." Magical!
DeleteLovely, Risa! Thanks for sharing!
DeleteBasil! Where are you? Your guest blog was great, but we're missing your poems this year! Hope you'll join in at some point.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jamie!
DeleteI appreciate your words. Somewhere between personal deadlines and missing some appointments with the Muse…
The commitment is always there.
To poetry… in and beyond April
Basil
Hi Adele, a poem for April 7. -
ReplyDeleteA composer of symphonies is resigned to the fact of not being able to 'capture/bag' the song of The Song Thrush.
~ ~ ~
The Song Thrush Song
He cannot bag the Song Thrush song
through this april morning fog,
and double-glare's at the cat
who with a shrill
jumps awake from catnaps snapped
to cat-eye the composer
resigned never to compose
in symphony the Song Thrush song.
Uncomposerly, a handkerchief
of surrender drops
onto the garden lawn,
followed by the shout:
"the inspirations of the flashbulbs
are far too dimly lit!"
and through the damp-brown sticky leaves,
the hiss and sniff
of the garden-garter snake
senses with its air-split tongue —
to-day the muse is flat blank deadbeat dead!
Lewis, what a jabberwocky-ian sound your poem has. The sound images and the beat are wonderful.
DeleteIf Lewis Carroll can write his Jabberwock poem, I can take license to dance my way:
DeleteSQUARE DANCE
Click your heels,
to an akimbo,
straighten
your torso,
draw your fiddle,
and get done
with the old hoedown
Basil Rouskas
Lewis and Basil,
DeleteWonderful to hear from both of you (welcome back, Basil)! Well done, gentlemen, and thank you for sharing!
Brilliant!...where the composer couldn't! - with your poem you brought a lively tune. Basil! I'm of glad of the company at the dance!
DeleteHooray, Basil! You're back. It wouldn't be Poetry Month without you! More, please ...
DeleteThe students are enjoying reading a poem each day -- not sure if I can get them to write 30, but they really do enjoy your blog. Thanks, Adele.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear that your students are enjoying the poems. Thanks for your comment, Rich!
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 8. Are friendship and love two separate things, I'm not so sure - and if they are...is one greater than the other! 'Both' are subject to change.
Delete~ ~ ~
Friends and Lovers
The mood of friends and lovers are like seasons change -
if I were a gardener would I cast the dice to gamble
on the transactions of brokers and traders at the stock exchange
or look to the divination of chicken eggs unscramble,
I'd forget about messiahs who show the way or free-floating seaweed
that pretends to swim -to a greener shore- on a wave,
I'd sow to reap the fruit of seed and not to trust the deed
of others, I'd knead dough for bread to eat-- some say useless in the grave,
though worms likely disagree and take what comes what may -
as far back to the bone; the flesh and day of the dinosaur -
to-day, they feast on certificates birth and death; a papier-mâché,
changeable as the stuff on the shelves of a city superstore.
A very interesting reflection! Thanks so much for sharing!
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 9.
ReplyDeleteRobert Frost drew inspiration for his poem 'The Road Not Taken' while on walks around the village of Dymock in Gloustershire, U.K. - in the company of his friend the poet Edward Thomas.
~ ~ ~
Dymock
As for my passing there,
which of two roads to take
at the fork of the tongue
of a woodland snake -
one as straight as the crow goes
where mosquito's lay in wait
by a pond too small for sailing,
and I, anchored under an oak tree
close to the waters edge,
with pieces of hotdog bait
to catfish catch.
The other; some say haunted by
the ghost of a fellow whose
one hundred year old poem lay
trodden black in a woodshed
topped with a frost
covered weathercock
that points to the village of Dymock;
and of walks past gone
in the company of ET;
through the forest that has made
all the difference.
Amazing how one poem can inspire another! Thanks so much for sharing, Lewis!
DeleteI didn't know about Frost and the village of Dymock. Thanks for sharing that info!
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 10. Where there isn't any separation - how close?
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
Closer
a tree —
not between the root
and the bud
no centre-middle —
that is me
and always you.
I really like the conciseness of this poem and the juxtaposition of nature and human nature. Thanks for sharing!
Deleteher pink lips were pursed
ReplyDelete"Why do spiders live alone?"
we had no answer
Love the sense of mystery! Well done, Risa!
DeleteRisa! I love this poem. Brought connecting images of a silk purse to carry coins in and the spider's silk web to catch its prey on.
Deletecombining auras
ReplyDeleterainbows appear in the sky
the spectrum of life
Again, your style is perfect for your words. Thanks so much for sharing, Risa!
DeleteRisa! Lovely image of the arc of life.
DeleteMany thanks to Lewis and Risa for sharing their poems each day! I may not reply to each, but please know that I'm reading and enjoying every single one!
ReplyDeleteShout out to Basil: I miss your poems!
Hi Adele, a poem for April 11.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
We Promised Each Other Roses
I loved you, but, no more...can't you see!
for mile after mile the feeling remains -
love for you no longer bubbles up in me,
only a soaplessness royal reigns!
To our guests on both sides of the aisle,
we promised each day would grow a rose...
proved not so! for while after while -
in our garden overgrown with woes.
On its way to the local thrift store -
I must confess - I've sent my wedding dress,
I won't be staying here no more -
I'm off with Joe to a change of address -
As may God grant you to be loved again,
a love so tender and so true a guarantee,
not best left to the turn of a weather vane -
as may God decree that love come not from me!
Interesting use of rhyme that gives the poem a sense of old English poetry. Really nicely done, Lewis. Thank you for sharing with us every day.
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 12. For the speaker in the poem by Langston Hughes it turned out fine in the end. It isn't always so.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
Fingerprints
I don't feel as cool as
but sick as cucumber green.
my watch is cuckooless stopped
on a wrist crocodile heavy hot
to over a waterfall go
a cartwheel sideways,--
fingers too tired to hold
on long enough
to leave fingerprints
left to right the wrongs.
Hi, Lewis!
DeleteAn interesting twist! thank for sharing!
Hi Adele, a poem for April 13. Those all important thoughts of this, that and the other!
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
Oblivion is an Idea
That strange eventful Everything -
there the time before the womb
and there the time the close of tomb.
The thoughts of men and women all the world
are not; merely ideas to the six global winds; sails unfurled
on ships on waves of seven seas on earth as it swirled.
Great use of rhyme. Not overly-obvious or intrusive. thanks for sharing, Lewis!
Deletetell me how you feel
ReplyDeletetwice, life is nice, life is nice
daily renewal
The repetition words perfectly and enhances the last line. Much said in just a few words ...
DeleteLove the poem, Risa!
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 14. The plan was to write a version of The Raven with a happy ending!...maybe next time!
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
The Raven - Altered and Abridged
Once upon a midnight nearly, while I wandered, peak to peak,
Over hills and over curious thoughts for lost Lenore,
While I plodded, thoughts recapping, suddenly, a lapwing flapping -
In the guise of inquisitor, he sputtered, "is your mind fit for snapping-sore?"
"What!", said I, "From some other shore have you word of sweet Lenore?
"Only this, and nothing more," he uttered, "you shall know her Nevermore!"
Great fun, Lewis!
DeleteDitto to Jamie's comment!
Delete4/14
ReplyDeleteLife Stages
me like da wind
catbird this manifestation
me like da wind
woman the next
me like da wind
moody moving
without boundaries
occasionally
collecting
dust
Really clever, Risa! I love this poem :)
DeleteThank you , Lewis. I've been enjoying yours as well!
DeleteThis one is superb! Thanks, Risa!
DeleteHi Adele, 3 poems for April 15.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
To Live Simply
The bird in its nest in a tree
of twigs and leaves used to build
a home for home year on year.
~ ~ ~
To Live Simply 2
Look at the skylark over spring bulbs
without worry or prayer
for the castle in ruin or treasure buried there-
and no need of a poem layer on layer.
~ ~ ~
To Live Simply 3
The fluffy cat's-eye in hope to hypnotize
the goldfish a swimmer to synchronize;
to jump out of the bowl
and into her meowing mouth the final goal,
instead, the cat falls asleep to dream of water,
and of fishing there by the Hudson River.
Very nice, Lewis! Am I keeping up okay? Forgive me if I haven't commented on all! Thank you for sharing!
DeleteThe poems get posted and then there are thoughts about how they could have be improved; a few extra words here or maybe a change of word there, or the removal of others somewhere else...at the end of the day there they stand! These prompts are an excellent opportunity for exploring the writing process and of finding other ways in which to express our ideas. Adele, thank you for all your encouraging comments and for the fun of responding to the daily prompts.
DeleteThanks so much for your kind words, Lewis! I'm very glad to know that the prompts work for you and that you're enjoying the process. Thank you for sharing your work with us here on the blog!
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 16. What to do, ask the Gods, flip a coin, or rely on chance, or...?
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
Looped
Though looped in loops,
what to do -
flip a coin,
or ask the Gods
to turn their heads
in my favour,
or hold the tail of chance
to follow.
By and by and by myself,
and for myself,
I shall try
to sort it out.
"By and by and by myself,
Deleteand for myself,"
Great lines!
Live Simply
ReplyDeleterice ginger fish
even emperors ate this
chose simplicity
Nice! Simplicity and less is more!
Deleteoops should be "choose simplicity"
ReplyDeleteNo worries about typos—I wish I had a penny for every one I've made!
Delete
ReplyDeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 17. To see my home again.
~ ~ ~
Return
With each early sun
on my lips
a prayer,
in this country -
this exiled flower;
once a wild-rose,
day by day
to bee-wing home
from one flower
to the next.
Thomas Wolfe wrote that we can't go home again, but I think we do (again and again) in memory, in dreams, and sometimes in our poems.
Deletelove
ReplyDeletewe are connected
by an umbilical cord
we don't need a phone
Oy! Have you noticed how people carry their phone with them everywhere these days? Though there's much more in your poem than simple communication.
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 18. When there's a sudden change of mood.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
Fare Around The Tree
As if by lightning strike, a stroke of luck,
quick-struck and all her worries become un-stuck.
She blows early cigarette smoke through a late to shut window,
and with each puff hoped her sorrow to pass an English valley oak -
only grown there a shade for a chair painted blue
next to a gate that opens both ways to folk who in secret speak and spoke
and there with her sheep dog at her side
she goes to sit to pray,
then, off to cut some smelly old bog to dry for fuel -
what a slog!, from middle-winter to midsummer day
(also there, under the rot of a log, the grass frog -
she wished was a prince!)
but even of that!, suddenly, and as if by lightning struck,
she's unafraid! - and all the world feels as if remade -
full of wonder and colourful-keen,
what a joy! she's ready for the big parade -
what! cries she, how is it,
the melancholy - disappeared!...
have the Gods been swayed-persuaded
to restore this body new-sparked and cheered,
and there, above oak wood bark wet and roots revealed —
Hark! hark! Shakespeare's lark at heaven's gate sings -
My lady sweet, arise: Arise, arise, to embark on a journey
fare around the tree of life as it yearly rings,
and be treasure-surprised; sweetened of ear, and brightened of eye...
forget the whys and wherefores and all of life's goodbyes,
and most important and most of all,
at every turn be always ready to improvise!
So much wonderful sharing! Thank you, Lewis, again and again!
DeleteSome interesting word combinations ('swayed-persuaded').
DeleteI know I'm not keeping up with comments but I am reading!
Hi Jamie, swayed-persuaded - as though the Gods swayed back and forth until finally persuaded.
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 19. Being afraid when there's an actual danger or an imagined one.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
Afraid of What?
A visit to the zoo -
and there, the lion behind the bars,
and I, from the other side
to look through -
Suddenly, I'm afraid -
if I were stuck in there
the lion would surely eat me,
even if I prayed and prayed.
But wait! I'm not in there,
and neither is he out here.
Could be an extended metaphor for our fears! Thanks once again for your generous sharing, Lewis!
Delete4/18
ReplyDeleteDigging
digging here dig there
history buried in dust
here is only now
Wonderful, Risa! Thank you, as always, for sharing!
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 20.
ReplyDelete~ ~
Hymn Without Number
Have you listened to the gravedigger on his deathbed
tell of how he'd seen and heard a severed talking head.
Perhaps you've watched the devil many times over do the drop-dead dance
in front of your friends and relatives by the graveside of life's game of chance.
Maybe you've stared at the last of the candle's wax rise as your dying likeness,
and through a midnight curtain spied an oak tree to prance in a state of undress —
To have fathomed the depth of light and to know the exact close of any given day,
or to know for sure, the weathercock of tomorrow won't be blown as if flown away.
And claim by sight and sound to have experienced a blinding silence,
and that a low dark layer of ever changing cloud could be weighed on a balance.
Have you known the dying of a lily, and the dying of your own dying limbs,
and have you in secret written in praise all the perfect hymns. —
If so, then no doubt, you'll go mental into that good night.
Love the dismount! Thanks for sharing, Lewis!
DeleteEach year, Adele posts something special for National Poetry Month -- a great way to share poetry!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Bob!
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 21.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
A Fairy Tale
From scarlet depth's or is it whiteness height's -
the violinist plays at a light-years pace
along a path to a garden's end,
where two frogs leapfrog into a tilted glasshouse,
and just like Dorothy's house;
it begins to spin and then to stop,
and from a tall glass cathedral now,
out step a prince and princess
to dance around rainbow-leaved oak trees.
And by a golden sundial; its shadow at twelve, mid-day -
a butterfly, as if to talk to say: 'by the twelfth hour
along from now,
prince and princess must return to life around the pond,
or else to take a final bow and glide here a dance no more!
Thank you for sharing, Lewis!
Deletepassing
ReplyDeleteso open the door
and walk to the other side
do not be fearful
Great advice!
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 22.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
Scrambled Eggs
So-and-sos dead, I read it in a magazine.
It said he died while eating scrambled eggs for breakfast.
On the kitchen table they found a notebook
in which he'd written poems about Change...
you know, like, how there's always change -
exactly like the change of weather
and everything else in Nature -
And how you can't get at what that change is,
and is there any such thing as change at all! - how odd!
Of course, all those poems are nothing more than thoughts
about Change and not Change itself -
and whatever you said about Change,
and as soon as you said it,
quite Naturally; Change had gone and changed!
What and where is that Change?
Scrambled Eggs: Eggs with the yolks and whites beaten together
and cooked to a firm but soft consistency.
nice!
DeleteThanks so much for sharing, Lewis!
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 23.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
All I Do To Feed The Exit Wound
Exhausted with so much fluff softener
for a widower in the crowd.
Drained weak beat bushed
shot spent wasted
bleary-bone-weary.
I feed the wound like a bookworm
eats its way through my autobiography.
Dead-dog-tired
all in, done for, done in
had it, kaput.
Exhausted with the exit of a wife -
Lily and I, used to be umbrella'd
against any downpour.
Out on one's feet
outta gas, ready to drop
run-down, tired out, worn-out.
Exhausted with this wilderness --
I feed the wrecker everywhere.
Very sad but well-expressed. Great use of alliteration and assonance.
DeleteGreat sound to underscore the sadness in this poem. Thanks for sharing, Lewis!
ReplyDeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 24.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
Dreams
No flowers
trees
grass
animals
sky
sea
fields,
or
anything
else.
They've all gone
off to follow their dreams.
Thank you, Lewis!
Deletedreams
ReplyDeletebubbles of rain float
dreams are rising to the clouds
my eyes fill with tears
Beautiful, Risa! Your signature style is always such a breath of fresh air! Thanks so much for sharing.
DeleteA deep nod to you, Risa, whose poems I always enjoy for their directness, brevity, and insights.
Delete=/\../\=
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 25.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
Inherited
Wonderlands and sorrowlands.
No such things exist,
and all that stuff
are varieties of inherited ideas.
I have to accept the reaper
of the present-dazzle
is only a functional vampire -
nought more and nought less.
I, mistakenly believed
that by pursuing the idea
of the organ-grinder
I would find something.
Instead, in a labyrinth --
the bones of similar past explorers —
and I, a loony-bird singing
merry ideas and loopy turnabouts.
"Wonderlands" and "sorrowlands" —so evocative! Thanks again for all the sharing!
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 26.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
To Lay Under a Tree
I'll go to the church on the hill
and there take a pew to pray,
then into the yard to lay under a tree
and cry my share a star to fill.
I'll wipe my eyes,
and let go my fear of death --
I can't, I don't have time
even to send for a coffin
for all these how's and why's.
The bell tolls; it tolls for me.
Just catching up! thank you once again for sharing, Lewis!
DeleteStill reading and enjoying. Some of the poets and poems stay with me, and I find myself looking for other related works. Most enjoyable, Adele. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're enjoying the post, Amita!
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 27.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
Sometimes Remembered
There were butterflies and petals on the air
and in the cool of the shadows between the rocks
on the beach awake with the sun, the sea and me.
And of those things and everything else;
no void, no beyond, above, behind or beneath --
what's there is there.
I found a sea bird with a broken wing
too hurt to fly over friends round and round
with laughter about nothing in particular.
It all seemed special and fun and light and without a care.
Now, not in touch, lost, out of reach, dead.
But sometimes remembered -- butterflies and petals on the air.
Wonderful "dismount," Lewis! Thanks again for all your sharing this month!
DeleteSing my Name
ReplyDeletea chorus of birds
morning meowing of cats
my name means laughter
Love this one, Risa! So upbeat and filled with a spirit of life! Thanks for sharing!
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 28.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
Uncorked
I used to be a beachcomber,
and one the strangest things I found
was a small birdcage,
and stuck where the door should have been
the skeleton of two human hands
as though reaching
for the corked bottle inside.
After the bottle was uncorked,
I read the message
written in the form of a riddle:
It's fear that keeps the peace
and so called love that disturbs it.
That's why hands get stuck in cages.
Enigmatic? Thank you for sharing, Lewis!
DeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 29. Unfinished.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
Incident at the Round-a bout
That morning. Light of step the walk to school,
where the teachers wore their hair and clothes and shoes
fashionable in nineteen seventy two.
My wooden desk - its lid love-hearts penknife etched -
a store for pens pencils and plastic odds and ends,
and a piece of string I have no idea what for!
and sticky pink and red striped sweets
stuck to love-letters to me from Lily and from Lily to me.
The lorry over-turned,
and the driver spoke his last words:
"What happens to my toupee
after I'm dead?..
...I want to sing along to the vibrating
of that hollow moon, and to the silver-tinged flowers
over there where the lady bugs
and caterpillars are sleeping."
There were pigs on the road,
dead or dying - wounded at the least.
And one little piggy
was impaled on the railings painted red.
That night, I went with my Mum,
to the church on the hill, and listened to
and remember the debate in the churchyard --
but not what was said in the church.
Wow, Lewis!
DeleteForgetting
DeleteI'll try to forget
that everything is plastic
finding real is rare
Hi Risa, I love your poem for today. I've enjoyed reading all your pieces, especially -- Higher hopes flew away, Life Stages, and Love. I've found myself saying: I wonder how Risa will respond to today's prompt, and have always been pleasantly surprised :)
DeleteThe line should read: stuck to love-letters to me from Lily and from me to Lily. Funny, I kept looking at the line in the poem, knowing something wasn't right!
ReplyDeleteHi Adele, a poem for April 30. Unfinished and untitled.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~
The swiftness of her good-bye,
the cool of her cotton blouse.
The wife of married years --
westward bound across the sea.
The sun the moon the sky the field,
and the tree where I carved
mine and Lily's name,
there to-day, nearly forty years later.
Such a strong emotional core and sense of loss. Thank you for sharing, Lewis!
DeleteAdele, I really enjoyed reading your poem selections and responding to the prompts in celebration of National Poetry Month. Thank you for allowing me to post my poems here and for your comments which are always appreciated. Also, thank you, Risa, Jamie and Basil for your kind words and for sharing your wonderful poems. Best Wishes to all who have spent some time here at Adele's brilliant blog during the month of April. Its been a great opportunity to further explore the magical world of words. :)
ReplyDeleteAwww, thanks so much, Lewis! I've enjoyed your responses and came to look forward to your poems each day. I hope this small bit of inspiration will stay with you and that you'll continue to write. Thank you for your generous sharing!
DeleteAlone
ReplyDeleteinternal tears flow
the pain of abandonment
weighs heavily on the heart
A real sense of loss in these three lines. Thanks for sharing, Risa!
DeleteRisa, I love this. Brought an image of a heavy rock falling (in slow-motion) to the bottom of a cold, deep river.
ReplyDeleteLewis, I think you may have a poem of your own inspired by Risa's!
DeleteAdele, yes, I see what you mean! Mind you, any one of Risa's poems could serve as inspiration :)
DeleteMy thanks to all who visited "The Music In It" during National Poetry Month, to those who read and wrote, and to those who posted their comments and poems. The blog received between 300 and 400 hits daily throughout April. I hope the month was filled with poetry and light for all of you!
ReplyDeleteThanks to you Adele! I am so grateful for having been included in the sharing and inspiration.
ReplyDelete