DAY 30 – FREE DAY (AND FAREWELL)

NaPoWriMo Day 30
For Read Write Poem

Today is the last day of (Inter)National Poetry Month and the Read Write Poem NaPoWriMo Challenge. The prompt today is a free day — you are free to use any prompt you have not yet written to from those provided this month, or you can write, and share, whatever you like today.
Congratulations to everyone who took part in the challenge! For those of you who wrote a poem every day this month, tomorrow we will post instructions for submitting work for the Read Write Poem NaPoWriMo Challenge anthology.
Remember that the anthology is the culmination of the work done here at Read Write Poem. It will be posted on this site and on issue.com toward the end of May. Other than the anthology, as of May 1, the Read Write Poem site will no longer be live. The site’s main content will remain up as an archive, while all social elements (i.e., profiles, wire posts, private messages, groups, forum posts) will be removed May 1. Please make sure you have retrieved any information you want to save.
We also want to announce that Deb Scott — who served on Read Write Poem’s administrative team — and Carolee Sherwood and Jill Crammond Wickham — who were part of the site’s creative team — have started a new poetry community. The three will share poetry prompts and other poetry-related content at Big Tent Poetry. Their writing lineup is comprised of many fine poets, including several contributors to Read Write Poem. We hope you will check that site out and see what’s going on under the big tent.
Thank you all for taking part in Read Write Poem, and for taking the Read Write Poem NaPoWriMo Challenge this year. Read Write Poem was intended to help poets share work with one another and learn more about poetry. We hope you will continue on that path. Or, in short, we hope you will all poem on — wherever poetry takes you.

*

Farewell, and thanks for having me.

For today, a piece about where I live.

Somewhere far away?

Sometime in the future?

Check out:

PLANET ISAN

Star date, Thirty Maesayon
Twenty Five Fifty point Three
Entering Phrutsapharkhom
Ninth phase, Rama Dynasty

Atmospheric properties
Hot, humid, but breathable
Forty Celsius Degrees
Survival; conceivable

Welcome to North East Thailand
Amazing Land of the Smile
Stick around for a while and
Discover the Isan Style

Sabai dee? Wow Lao dai bor?
How are you? Do you speak Lao?
Chao si pai sai? Eeyang kor?
Where are you going? What now?

Het nar, kin khao, fang Morlam
Wan yut; welar muan lai der
Work rice, eat food, hear Morlam
Holidays; time for laughter

Life on Isan; laid back, slow
Conducted on your own terms
Recommended place to go
My experience confirms


Translation notes:

Maesayon = April

Twenty Five Fifty point Three
=2553 by the Buddhist calendar = 2010

Phrutsapharkhom = May

Ninth phase, Rama Dynasty = The King of Thailand
Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX

Isan = Name given to North Eastern Thailand

Sabai dee? = Lao for ‘Sawasdee khrap, sabai dee mai?’
= Thai for ‘Hello, how are you?’
(Strictly) only used in Laos,
but the Laos dialect is widely spoken in Isan

Wow Lao dai bor? = Lao for ‘Phut Lao (Isan-Thai) dai mai?’
= Thai for ‘Do you speak Lao (Isan-Thai)?’

Chao si pai sai = Lao for ‘Kuhn cha pai nai?’
= Thai for ‘Where are you going?’

Eeyang kor? = Lao for 'Arai na khrap?'
= Thai for ‘What did you say?’

Morlam = Traditional Isan Folk Music

DAY 29 – FRONT PAGE NEWS

NaPoWriMo Day 29
For Read Write Poem

You’re almost there, and inspiration for your next to the last NaPoWriMo poem is at your fingertips! D.S. Apfelbaum recalls what William Carlos Williams once wrote, “It is difficult/ to get the news from poems,” but asks, “Who says you can’t get poems from the news?”
For this prompt, choose your favorite newspaper or online news provider. Jot down five to ten headlines that jump out at you and without reading the articles, select elements from each headline to create a new event about which your poem reports.
Alternately, let short-format sections inspire you. Write a poem in the form of an obituary, a personal ad, a classified ad, etc. (Bonus points if you can pull off a poem in the form of a crossword puzzle.)


ROCK 'N' ROLL

In a band?
Wanna buy
Good as new
Second hand
Fender Strats?
Three pick-ups
Whammy bar

Red and white
Like Buddy
And plain white
Like Hendrix
Guaranteed
Quality

Just two grand
O.N.O
For quick sale
Cash only
No returns

Price includes
Hundred watt
Marshall Amp
Six months old

Also have
Effects box
Cash offers

Sold as seen
Up to you

Why buy new?

SALON ISAN

For Friday Flash 55


SALON ISAN

Al Fresco Beauty:
Irregular intervals
Facial hair removed

Essential tooling:
Half a bottle of Lao Khao
Mirror and tweezers

Use blunt instruments:
Don’t even think of razors!
Respect complexion

Firm grip; steady hand:
Tug those tendrils; ditch that down
Splash icy water

Apply final touch:
A shot, or three, of Lao Khao
After shave potion

DEPART, IGNITE, ROTTEN

For Three Word Wednesday
Depart, Ignite, Rotten


BEFORE REFORM

Rotten Borough vote
Ignites Election protests
Old regime departs

DAY 28 - INTUITION

NaPoWriMo Day 28

For Read Write Poem


Today’s prompt is provided by member, Julie Jordan Scott.
Arthur Koestler wrote: “The moment of truth, the sudden emergence of a new insight, is an act of intuition.” Akin to a “sixth sense,” intuition brings pieces together. It gives the gift of heightened awareness.
One single, specific memory I have from a math class comes from the first day of geometry class. I was 15 years old.
The teacher asked “What is intuition?”
I raised my hand — an unusual act for me when math was involved. “Intuition is having a hunch,” I said, “sort of knowing or having an idea of something out of the blue, like without really knowing you somehow know.”
What does this have to do with your life and your poetry?
Take a moment to remember a breakthrough moment in your life or a “freeze-frame” moment from long, long ago. An “a-ha” or an “epiphany” moment or a moment that has a story yet to tell.
Let’s prepare to write a poem using our intuition intentionally today. Write this prompt on your page: “When I remember my “a-ha moment” from my past, I understand the place I am meant to go with my words and poetry today is …”
Restate the prompt as you free-write and don’t write a poem yet. Instead, go about your business of the day purposefully not writing a poem.
Notice surprising turns of phrases you hear. Listen to people who say things to you that seem especially surprising, lyrics to songs. Eavesdrop intentionally. Wait for at least 2 hours and then write your poem from the words your intuition and your free-writing gave you.

*

“When I remember my “a-ha moment” from my past, I understand the place I am meant to go with my words and poetry today is …”

…outside. Hushed voices are talking (quietly gossiping) about the recent suicide of a young man.
I can’t understand everything I hear, but the looks on people’s faces, and their reactions make me think ‘Soul Destroying’ and ‘Disgraceful Secret’.
I thought on the themes of what could drive a person to suicide and SD/DS word sequences; scribbled some notes, and came up with (just a hunch) this:


SEMI-DETACHED

Something Distasteful
Deceives Suburbia
Semi-Detached
Domestic Situation
Slowly Decaying

Disturbing Symptoms
Severe Depression
Dialogue Suspended
Shame Degradation
Damage Sustained

Soul Destroying
Disgraceful Secret
Sympathy Denied
Dysfunctional Scapegoat

Statistics Dictate
Downward Spiral
Social Disorder
Declining Standards

Suffering Disguised
Discipline Survives
Suspicions Diffused

Dubious Success
Scars Deliver
Distorted Sentiments

Senses Dulled
Disabling Sincerity

Sheer Desperation
Determines Solution

Sanity Doubtful

Disaster Strikes

OPTIONS

For ABC Wednesday - O


OFFICER/OCTAGENARIAN













OUTDOOR OPTION

One
Option;
Outspoken
Occidental
Offers Opposite
Oriental Outing

GREEN-FINGERED DAVE

Pick ‘n Play for The American Sandwich


TRUST DAVE

This week Andy gave us:

When Dawn asked him to kill some weeds, Dave mowed the lawn with a machine gun.

I chose to do an American Sandwich, as follows:

To say Dave was green-fingered would have been a complete overstatement.
When Dawn asked him to kill some weeds, Dave mowed the lawn with a machine gun.
When she asked him to plant some bulbs, he left the house in darkness for days.

NORMAL SERVICE

For The NaiSaiKu Challenge?
And The American Sandwich


NaiSaiku

Stop – would they wish I
Defeated and exhausted
FIGHT ANOTHER FIGHT ?
Exhausted and defeated
I wish they would stop


AMERICAN SANDWICH

Unsuitable television programmes can have a direct impact.
Parental Guidance is a necessary precaution for some shows.
Those Party Political Broadcasts, for example, should be censored.


‘FOUND’ AMERICAN SENTENCES

“And it makes me glad to say, it’s been a lovely day, and it’s OK.”
From the song LOVE SONG by THE DAMNED
From the Album SMASH IT UP

“How many ways to get what you want, I use the best, I use the rest.”
From the song ANARCHY IN THE UK by THE SEX PISTOLS
From the album NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS, HERE’S THE SEX PISTOLS

“I love you though you hurt me so, now I’m gonna pack my things and go.”
From the song TAINTED LOVE by GLORIA JONES

“I’m gonna wash that man right out of my hair, and send him on his way”
From the song I’M GONNA WASH THAT MAN RIGHT OUTA MY HAIR by Rodgers & Hammerstein
From the movie SOUTH PACIFIC

“I can tell by your eyes that you’ve probably been crying forever.”
From the song I DON’T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT covered by ROD STEWART
From the Album GREATEST HITS

“Take him by the hand, make him understand, that the world on you depends.”
From the song RIDERS ON THE STORM by THE DOORS
From the Album LA WOMAN

“I don’t really want to stop the show, but I thought you might like to know.”
From the song SERGEANT PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND by THE BEATLES
From the Album SERGEANT PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND

DAY 27 – LET SOMEONE ELSE TAKE THE LEAD

NaPoWriMo Day 27

For Read Write Poem



Carolee Sherwood wonders if you’re running on fumes like she is. She hopes her prompt takes some of the heat off and points your exhausted brain down the path where your 27th poem lies.
Take a word that’s part of you — your name, your birth month, your favorite animal, your guiding principle. Write that word vertically down a page and use the letters to start the lines of a poem. When you’re done, you’ll have an acrostic poem. (Though the prompt could be as simple as “write an acrostic poem,” the word sounds scary this late in the month. This prompt is designed to ease you into the final stretch. Don’t stress too much about the word you choose. NaPoWriMo is just for fun. Are you having fun?)


ACROSTIC

Says Sir Ten explained in brief:
Thai mispronunciation
Americanized vocal
Nuance; closing syllable
Stan transforms; becomes Sir Ten
Kow chai dai mai? Understand?
It’s all about what Stan Says

And just to show how much fun I’ve been having; here’s a limerick:


COMEDY NIGHT AT MCD.

FREE BEER… TOMORROW

Tips – they asked us to put a pound in
Beer – most of the punters were drowned in
The bar-tenders joke
Was written, not spoke
Laugh – I nearly got the next round in

DAY 26 – GET SCRAPPY

NaPoWriMo Day 26
For Read Write Poem



It’s getting late in the month, and finishing NaPoWriMo is going to take every bit of resourcefulness you have. Jill Crammond Wickham reminds us about the bits and pieces of poems we may be carrying around.
Today, before you start writing, you need to do some digging. Dig through your backpack, purse or desk drawer and find a scrap of poem written on an old envelope or bank deposit slip. Unearth an old journal or notebook.
Find a poem that you started, or perhaps one you abandoned. Read it through. Highlight the lines or phrases that please you. Do not cross anything out (yet)! You now have two choices: finish the poem or take the parts you like and begin a brand new piece.
If NaPoWriMo has you a little crazy, there is a third option: take the parts you don’t like and use them to inspire a new poem.

*

Here’s a piece I started and never finished.
The first two stanza’s were as far as I got…
Until today…


ANOTHER HOLIDAY CANCELLED

Windsor knotted, Cashmere tie
Bank Manager from Yorkshire
Now working in Lancashire
Fluent in three languages

Welcomes plain-English speaker
In a mixture of all three
‘Put wood in t’ole; sit thi daewn
‘n tek the weight off yer feet’

Donkey-jacketed debtor
Closes the door; parks himself
Leather and Mahogany
Too formal for his liking

Flat cap shifts from hand to hand
Coffee cup remains untouched
Hoping for a lucky break
But expecting more bad news

Down to serious business
Computer keyboard clicking
In time to manicured prompts
Cashmere Tie draws a breath; speaks

‘About the loan applied for
It’s a negative result
Your Credit Rating’s far too…’
‘Precarious’ came out as ‘slack’

What could Donkey Jacket do
To help his situation?
He works all the hours God sends
Double-shifts and overtime

Hasn’t had a holiday
Since Nineteen Eighty Seven
‘Not my fault if They don’t pay
Honest wages for honest work

And ever since Recession
Saving for a Rainy Day
Doesn’t accrue much interest
In the sixth wettest city’

‘Sorry mate, I can’t help you’
Cashmere Tie extends right hand
Donkey Jacket grips it; shakes
Removes wood from hole; slams

TV DINNERS

For Sunday Scribblings – Dinner
And Monday Poetry Train Revisited


RIP

Absent TV chefs,
and especially Keith Floyd;
may you rest in peace.


ANIMAL PRACTICE

A few moons ago
Before ewe became mutton
You went through a phase

You’d drink like a fish
And you’d get drunk as a skunk
You could wolf them down

One more for the road?
Be a lamb; go bar for us
Make mine a pigs ear

DAY 25 – FIRST THINGS FIRST

NaPoWriMo Day 25
For Read Write Poem


It’s Day #25, and you may be getting tired. In Joseph Harker’s prompt today, let others do the heavy lifting of inspiration.
Keep an ear out for the first sentence (or even word) that is said to you after you read this prompt. (Poetic license: If the first few words are exceptionally boring, wait for the first uncommon or peculiar one.) Take that word/sentence — it could be “mango” or “exemplar” or “have you ever been to this Ethiopian restaurant?” — and build a poem around it. Maybe you have deep thoughts on mangoes or a narrative of heartbreak and spicy injera from the restaurant mentioned. Trust in fate.


“THE DOOR WON’T CLOSE PROPERLY”

With the front door open a crack
and the afternoon sun, still strong
I can settle into the beam
that slices through the entrance hall

Then, with left hand over right eye
(because I need my good, right hand
and the sun shines in from the left)
I can stare at another world

Raise right hand, in front of face
wave rapidly before left eye
Stroboscopic finger effect
causes images to distort

Perspective loses relevance
Dimensions fuse, and time speeds up
Colours merge into greyish-pink
Tone and contrast exist no more

The action enhances hearing
Ultra-high and ultra-low
frequencies can be distinguished
and messages begin to form

Suddenly contrast is restored
Images show, in shades of grey
like negative development
for those grainy old photographs

Stills develop jerky motion
It’s early Hollywood, with sound
but nothing like you’ve ever seen
shown at a cinema near you

Your deepest dreams, your greatest fears
take shape and manifest themselves
somewhere between the world outside
and that crack that lets darkness in

NIGHT RAIN

For Haiku Bones


NIGHT RAIN

April almost done
Dry Season has had its day
Overnight showers

FISSURES

For One Single Impression - Fissures




FISSURES

Crack in man’s armour
Attitudes widen divide
Gulf escalates war

DAY 24 – FIND A PHRASE

NaPoWriMo Day 24
For Read Write Poem

With words like codswallop, it’s clear that Read Write Poem member Marie Gauthier means business! Now is not the time to let your NaPoWriMo work ethic slack.
Clichés, idioms, what-have-you. As points of inspiration, you might think they’re dead in the water, but that’s a load of codswallop. Time spent investigating word origins is never time wasted. “Left in the lurch” is one example. Here’s what The Phrase Finder says about it:
There are suggestions that lurch is a noun originating from lych – the Old English word for corpse, which gives the name to the covered lych-gates that adjoin many English churches. The theory goes that jilted brides would be ‘left in the lych (or lurch)’ when the errant bridegroom failed to appear. The lych-gate is where coffins are left when waiting for the clergyman to arrive to conduct a funeral service. Both theories are plausible but there’s no evidence to support either and in fact lych and lurch are unrelated.
For our purposes, it doesn’t matter whether the derivation pans out as true or not. Your inquiries are meant to be catalytic crackers. Surely “lych-gate” stirs an idea or two!
So for today’s prompt, travel a while on The Phrase Finder website until you find the phrase or phrase origin that most interests you.
There are no hard and fast rules. The Phrase Finder has phrases from the Bible, from Shakespeare, phrases coined at sea, something for every taste. Take some notes, do a free-write or three, and see where a little word exploration takes you.


http://www.phrases.org/meanings/163400.html GOOD MEN AND TRUE

Meaning
Dependable men, of rank and honour. The phrase was adapted later to 'twelve good men and true', indicating the twelve (originally all men, now both sexes) of a criminal jury.
Origin
From Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, 1599:
DOGBERRY: Are you good men and true?VERGES: Yea, or else it were pity but they should suffer salvation, body and soul.

Here's mine:

A study of Good Men,
uses of the word ‘Good’,
and what we believe to be True.
Finishing off with comparative and superlative forms of ‘Good’.
Good – adjective; Better – comparative; Best - superlative

GOOD MEN AND TRUE

Good patients follow
the good doctor’s advice;
avoid Caffeine; Alcohol.
If they know what’s good for them…

As for my good self,
this is good news; and bad.
… I don’t like Irish Coffee…
but I do like a good drink…

I’ll try to be good,
armed with good intentions
(whether I agree, or not).
What good would complaining do…?

A good thing I know;
one good deed deserves
another one in return,
and good things come to those who…

Wait…! Think, my good man.
The Good Book tells us Jesus
could turn water into wine
… and saved the good stuff till last…

That was a good gig!
A good night had by all;
a wedding to remember,
followed by a good night’s sleep…

Good morning…! Headache…?
A good hangover cure;
a cup of strong, black coffee,
as brewed in the good old days…

I’ve lived the Good Life
and I’ve Fought the Good Fight,
but soon I’ll draw my last drop.
All good things come to an end…

A good point to note
before I say ‘Good-bye’.
A better world awaits me
… to the best of my belief…

FAREWELL

For Carry On Tuesday #50

Don’t be dismayed by good-byes
A farewell is necessary
before you can meet again


THE AGE OF CONSENT

Don’t think I left you behind
Be patient; I shall return
Dismayed, but undefeated
By prevailing attitudes

Good-byes are never easy
A love like ours will endure

Farewell; be sure my absence
Is my punishment, not yours

Necessary rules apply
Before closed minds are opened
You and I hold the key that
Can unlock hearts, to our love

Meet disapproval with hope
Again and again, for love

DAY 23 - SEEING SENSE – BY COINCIDENCE

HAPPY ST GEORGE'S DAY !
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
NaPoWriMo Day 23
For Read Write Poem



Read Write Poem member Sage Cohen has a terrific suggestion for today’s poems: Write a poem in which you combine a speaker and an event that normally don’t go together (such as sports broadcasters and poetry writing), as Jay Leeming does in his poem, “Man Writes Poem.”


GAMBLER EXPLAINS VISION

sight one of the five senses
has been acquired in order
to qualify perceptions

light exists and it travels
at a phenomenal speed
encountering obstacles
which may alter or distort
its appearance and its course

filtration and reflection
refraction and diffraction

perceptions are conditioned
by the coincidence that
we are able to receive
and make some sense out of light

another coincidence
is our light-receiving eyes
which coincidently too
contain lens pupil iris
as well as the retina

enabling us to perceive
what we know as ‘images’

(and by chance our rods and cones
allow us to recognise
differentiate colours)

all are racing certainties
and blindingly obvious
you could bet your eyes on it

CANE

For Friday Flash 55

NO PAIN, ONLY GAIN

Waiting was a game the teacher played
Patiently, with one eye on the time
Once all the pupils had arrived, he’d take
The register, but woe betide. The crime
Of being late, incurred his ire; his wrath,
And not a single student chose that path.
Intimidated by his bamboo cane,
Education, no pain; only gain.

DAY 22 - WORDLE

NaPoWriMo Day 22
For Read Write Poem

Today’s prompt is from Read Write Poem member Catherine who provided the contents for today’s prompt, a Wordle.

*

Use one or use them all

*
Rust
Reverberate
Saffron
Pepper
Tomorrow
Dizzy
Squall
Tendril
Crow
Fierce
Flinch

and, the one I didn't use:

Emporium

*

*

*

TERMINAL BOREDOM


Nothing to do but kill time
The boredom is killing me
Pace up and down; to and fro
Wear a hole in the carpet
No wonder I feel dizzy
Somebody call a doctor
Nothing to do but kill time
The boredom is killing me
Shout upstairs for assistance
House has been empty for weeks
The echo reverberates
My condition’s getting worse
Nothing to do but kill time
The boredom is killing me
Fierce headache developing
On top of everything else
Every tendril of my hair
Is screaming in agony
Nothing to do but kill time
The boredom is killing me
Pain is causing me to flinch
In need of a distraction
Must be something else to do
To speed-up a lazy day
Nothing to do but kill time
The boredom is killing me
Re-arrange the furniture
Put this here, that over there
No, that’s not right; try again
Till it’s back where it started
Nothing to do but kill time
The boredom is killing me
Check steel ornaments for rust
So I can tell the cleaner
First thing tomorrow morning
If she bothers to turn up
Nothing to do but kill time
The boredom is killing me
Re-read yesterday’s papers
Cover to cover again
Telegraph, Guardian, Times
Mirror, Sun and Daily Mail
Nothing to do but kill time
The boredom is killing me
Refill the pepper grinder
Is it half-full, half-empty?
Do I need any saffron?
Or should I use Turmeric?
Nothing to do but kill time
The boredom is killing me
Open the window; look out
Hoping for a chance to see
…No one in particular
…Feed the crows to pass the time
Nothing to do but kill time
The boredom is killing me
A breath of fresh air at least
To calm the squall in my head
Before the doctor arrives
With powders, pills and potions
Nothing to do but kill time
The boredom is killing me
Check telephone messages
For the umpteenth time today
Blank LCD; audio
Mobile and land-line alike
Nothing to do but kill time
The boredom is killing me
Turn on my Home Computer
No emails to reply to
Double-check on my notebook
Refresh page time after time
Nothing to do but kill time
The boredom is killing me
Four hours after awaking
Seems like an eternity
Was that someone at the door?
Or just a passing shadow?
Nothing to do but kill time
The boredom is killing me
Is the postman late today?
I’m expecting a letter
From an important person
An expert in these matters
Confirming my suspicion
That my disorder’s chronic

My

Condition is fatal and

I must prepare myself

For a painless but

Slow death due to

Terminal

Boredom

EBB, NEGOTIATE, RANDOM

For Three Word Wednesday
Ebb, Negotiate Random


EBB

The tide is turning
As support begins to ebb
So a new wave forms

NEGOTIATE

Negotiate terms
Prioritise conditions
Sign the document

RANDOM

Six random numbers
One specific objective
Win the Lottery

DAY 21 - FLAWED

NaPoWriMo Day 21
For Read Write Poem

Today’s prompt is from Read Write Poem member Kristen McHenry:

“In ancient times, Persian rug makers were deeply religious and believed that only God could make something perfect. They would deliberately drop in a small faulty stitch, a flaw, into each Persian rug. In doing so, a ‘Persian Flaw’ revealed the rug maker’s devotion to God.” — Karel Weijand
Like many of us, I often struggle with the gremlin of perfectionism. The above quote reminds me that achieving perfection is not my prime directive in life, and that in fact, striving for perfection can be a form of hubris.
Write a poem about flaws and perfection in yourself or in nature or write about how you feel about being imperfect or perfect.
Here are some things you may want to reflect on as you write: Do flaws add beauty to the world? What does it feel like to experience perfection? What is it like to encounter flaws — in our selves, in others, in systems or in objects? As imperfect beings, are we able to adequately judge perfection?
If you’d like, you can try contrasting these both concepts in one poem or just choose the one that you feel most drawn to. There is potential for both perfection and flaws in everything on earth, so there’s no limit to to subject you use to frame your poems.


FAR EASTERN PROMISE

The counterfeit Rolex, a gift from Jakarta
His Armani suits were made in Bangkok
That timepiece cost two hundred thousand Rupiah
Those threads were a snip, at four thousand Baht

In the race for attention, he’s a non-starter
Style; kept in a box he cannot unlock
Along with his Artificial Intelligence
Bought from an ad in Exchange and Mart

He hangs on the hope of a Far Eastern promise
A mail-order bride from the Orient
He’s saving his wages to cover the postage
A few months now - he thinks - she’ll be his wife

He’s throwing his money away, to be honest
Riches; her real husband’s evil intent
He’s holding the poor girl to ransom; a hostage
Guaranteed wage for the rest of his life

He was born in a world of abject poverty
Now he can laugh all the way to the bank
The wallets of six other men hold her image
Not so ‘magnificent’ seven, for sure

“Taking the cash from these fools doesn’t bother me”
He says “One born every day, to be frank”
He grows richer, fatter, while they pay their homage
Hook line and sinker; entranced by the lure

DAY 20 - HEROES

NaPoWriMo Day 20
For Read Write Poem

As a child, Jessica GC says she had two heroes: Wonder Woman and her mother. “To me, they were one and the same,” says Jessica. “Both had long dark hair. Both were strikingly beautiful, and both had incredible strength.”
Write a poem in which you to pay tribute to your hero, past or present.
Here are few possibilities for inspiration:
· What made your childhood hero so special? What traits did you envy? Are super powers involved?
· Do you have more than one hero? Consider drawing a comparison between them.
· Honor the everyday heroes among us — the policemen, the fire fighters, the troops — risking their lives everyday.
· Did your hero ever fall from the pedestal you put him or her on?
· Maybe you’re the hero you want to write about! Have you ever had a moment when someone has made you feel like a hero? Did you ever save a cat from a burning building? Or maybe it was something as simple as staying up all night with a friend who needed you.
In any case, share with us in your poem what made or makes your hero so deserving of admiration.



MY HEROES

‘Humanity’; now a word
Meaning only ‘Human Race’
Values become distorted
Lost to Vanity Culture

-so-

Put away the comic books
Forget the action movies
Concentrate instead on what
The word ‘HERO’ really means:

A person or persons who
Are able to exhibit:

Exceptional qualities
Above and beyond the norm

Courage when faced with danger
Salvation from jeopardy
Compassion, understanding
When others remain aloof

Aptitude, ability
To overcome the inept
Dignity, nobility
To combat the arrogant

-so-

Where do we find such people?
Not in the classified ads
Like charity, my heroes
Begin right here, at home

On the one hand, take my son
He qualifies on all counts
Fearless, kind, intelligent
And composed in times of stress

My daughter, just two years old
The champion’s apprentice
Already has the makings…
Potential Super-Hero

A survivor from day one
She pulled through, despite the odds

Vote for her or her brother?
In truth, my heroes are both

-so-

Just like any search we make
We rummage, we hunt, we seek
The answer lies before us
Right at the end of our nose

MANY MOONS AGO

For The American Sandwich


MANY MOONS AGO

This week, Andy gave us:

The full moon sat at two ‘o clock; 'it must be midnight', thought the cowboy


Here’s my Nano Americo^

Dec 31, 1868.
The full moon sat at two ‘o clock; 'it must be midnight', thought the cowboy
Happy New Year, 1869!

NaiSaiKu

For The NaiSaiKu Challenge?
And The American Sandwich
And ABC Wednesday – N

NaiSaiKu

What is NaiSaiKu?
NaiSaiKu is basically a Haiku, or Haiku-length verse,
which is then repeated backwards.
The title is sandwiched between the two separate verses,
or is formed by the third line of the first verse.
The title is CAPITALISED.
The rules are very flexible, and the main thing is to have fun.
Examples of NaiSaiKu construction are found below:

Start with a Haiku:

Alone in the world
Unloved and unlovable
He’s his own best friend

Then simply repeat the lines in reverse order:

Alone in the world
Unloved and unlovable
HE’S HIS OWN BEST FRIEND
Unloved and unlovable
Alone in the world


Or,
Alone in the world
Unloved and unlovable
He’s his own best friend
ALONE IN THE WORLD
He’s his own best friend
Unloved and unlovable
Alone in the world


Or,
Alone in the world
Unloved and unlovable
He’s his own best friend
UNLOVED AND UNLOVABLE
He’s his own best friend
Unloved and unlovable
Alone in the world


Or even,
Alone in the world
Unloved and unlovable
He’s his own best friend
ONLY THE LONELY
He’s his own best friend
Unloved and unlovable
Alone in the world


For further details and your chance
to try the NaiSaiKu challenge?
Click HERE

AMERICAN ALLITERATION – AOK

After an awkward altercation, Al admitted anxiety.
On occasion, obstinate objections obviously overwhelm.
Keen kissing Karen keyed karma, killed kidology, kindling kindness.



‘FOUND’ AMERICAN SENTENCES


“You’re a social chameleon, what on earth we gonna do with you?”
From the song CORPSES IN THEIR MOUTHS by IAN BROWN
From the Album UNFINISHED MONKEY BUSINESS

“Last night the plans for a future war, was all I saw, on Channel Four.”
From the song SHOPLIFTERS OF THE WORLD by THE SMITHS
From the Album LOUDER THAN BOMBS

“Dying all the time; lose your dreams and you lose your mind, in life unkind.”
From the song RUBY TUESDAY by THE ROLLING STONES
From the Album BETWEEN THE BUTTONS

“The pack on my back is aching; the straps seem to cut me like a knife.”
From the song FOOLS GOLD by THE STONE ROSES

“He’ll never make that hill in a million years; whip-crack beating down.”
From the song WHAT THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR by THE STONE ROSES

“She’s a black magic woman; she’s gonna make a devil out of me.”
From the song BLACK MAGIC WOMAN by SANTANA
From the Album ABRAXAS

“Stained glass windows keep the cold outside, while the hypocrites hide inside.”
From RELIGION by PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED
From the Album PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED, or PIL, or FIRST ISSUE

“If you have five seconds to spare, I’ll tell you the story of my life.”
From the song HALF A PERSON by THE SMITHS
From the Album LOUDER THAN BOMBS

“He doesn’t know who Jesus was, what praying is; how can he be saved?”
From the song CHRISTMAS by THE WHO
From the Album TOMMY

“And she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from China.”
From the song SUZANNE by LEONARD COHEN
From the Album SONGS OF LEONARD COHEN

“Michelle, ma belle, sont les mots qui vont très bien ensemble; très bien ensemble.”
From the song MICHELLE by THE BEATLES
From the Album RUBBER SOUL

“All the poets studied rules of verse, and those ladies, they rolled their eyes.”
From the song SWEET JANE by THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
From the Album ROCK ‘N ROLL ANIMAL

DAY 19 - WHO WEARS THE TROUSERS?

NaPoWriMo Day 19

For Read Write Poem

*

For today’s NaPoWriMo prompt, Read Write Poem member Rallentanda introduces a word that’s new to many of us: éclat. Online dictionaries (like this one) list several definitions, but it is the etymology that inspires the meaning chosen for today’s prompt. The word éclat is French, and we’re paying attention to its root éclater, “to burst (out), shine.”
For Rallentanda, and us, this means a flash or light bulb moment. Everyone has had one. Things suddenly fall into place (a realization of the truth of the matter).
Often the situation is too painful to address, so you hide it. For example, you suspect your husband is having an affair with your best friend or you suddenly realize where the missing cash went from your wallet all those years ago.
It can even be humorous. You usually wear your best under garments for a visit to the gynecologist, but as you’re ready to strip off you suddenly realize you are wearing your old gardening knickers with all the broken elastic. Try to describe the ensuing feelings of embarrassment and desperate attempts to rectify this situation.
I actually know of someone who tripped and fell on stage at a gala performance. She was so humiliated that she pretended she was having a heart attack (which seemed, to her at the time, the better option).
Your poem should express the emotions that grip you as you experience your ’shock’ moment.

*

Staying with the French theme:

*

EN ÉCLAIRANT

On the bus to work this morning
Top deck, front seat; one place vacant
I sat down beside the loner
Wearing striped top and a beret

Not really paying attention
But a sudden flash filled my thoughts
Certain I knew him from somewhere
Illuminated, I observed

Recognised him by his hair-lip
But he wouldn’t remember me
I was only twelve or thirteen
When he moved from our neighbourhood

I’d heard some stories about him
But I wasn’t expecting this
A Marcel Marceau look-alike
On the bus, sitting next to me!

Workmates told me his second wife
Had asked him to show more passion
Like men in sexy French movies
Monday nights on BBC2

Smoking those Gauloises cigarettes
Or was it Gitanes…? Disque Bleu…?
Had this week’s Paris Match rolled up
In a belt-loop of his Levi’s

Started reading Fin De Partie
Which translates to (Beckett’s) Endgame
Looking deep in concentration
But I know he doesn’t speak French

At least that’s what my friends told me
When we spoke this afternoon
He’d been to France two or three times
Just to humour his Better Half

He only bought the Paris Match
Because Yvette takes her kit off
By the sea on the Cote D’Azur
(Pictures on pages eight and nine)

An amusing thought crossed my mind
As I stood up to disembark
Back in the day, he, a tough guy
Now his wife wears Les Pantalons

I wonder what he’d make of me
If he knew how things had turned out
Back in the day, me, a Tomboy
Now just another Bloke at work

WONDER, BEAUTY

For Sunday Scribblings - Wonder

And Carry On Tuesday
“A thing of beauty is a joy forever”

And Monday Poetry Train Revisited

AUG 9, 2001

Newly born babes
Each a brown-skinned, black-haired cherub
In amongst them
Lay one that was quite different
From all the rest
Quite different in fact to any
I’d seen before
Obvious question; boy or girl?
Glad reply; boy
He wasn’t only beautiful
He was the most
Perfectly formed example of
Humanity
I had ever been privileged
To lay eyes on
Almighty God and Lord Buddha
Must have conspired
A joint-venture to deliver
This precious gift
Thing of beauty; joy forever

DAY 18 – CATS

NaPoWriMo Day 18

For Read Write Poem

*

“I’m cursed. I’m a tiger,” says Read Write Poem member Irene. She’s talking about the Year of the Tiger, and it’s the inspiration for her NaPoWriMo prompt:
The tiger is a creature known to create wildness and tumult. In Chinese superstition, it is not a year to marry or have children. The tiger is too aggressive. It stalks and preys.
Write a poem featuring the cat family, whether big or small.
There are many cat poems that may inspire you. The first poem that comes to mind, William Blake’s “The Tyger,” wonders why such a creature is created in the first place. Did such a creation come from the Devil himself? God will only create a lamb, right?
Ted Hughes wrote about the jaguar, a not-so-distant cousin. I think a jaguar looks even more fearsome. There’s a playful feline quality about the tiger. Not so with a jaguar! It is like black rage. I’ve seen a jaguar in a zoo, pacing endlessly in its cage. Here’s how Hughes wrote it, in “The Jaguar,” “He spins from the bars, but there’s no cage to him” and “his stride is wildernesses of freedom.”
Then there’s the pussy cat. In “Esther’s Tomcat,” also by Hughes, the cat becomes, in a figurative sense, the protagonist, the beleaguered husband. Hughes describes him as “an old rough mat” and reveals, “Continual wars and wives are what/ Have tattered his ears and battered his head.”
Is that enough to go on? Roar! Purr! (You choose.)

*

*

*

A Haiku on the Nine Lives principle - containing nine words.

*

*

NINE

Timespan nine lives long
Until curiosity
Presents fatal blow

HUNT

For Haiku Bones - Hunt


HUNT

Fat man; horn blower
Red, white and black; horseback load
Fox; hounds easy meat

DAY 17 - ELEMENTS

NaPoWriMo Day 17

For Read Write Poem

*

Look at you! Writing past the half-way mark! Today, Neil Reid invites us to keep going by writing about the elements:
Let’s be elemental. Fire, earth, water, wind. They touch our lives every day. Choose one that interests you, then take a point of view that is not so much your usual. Observe what interaction you’ve known, or not known, with this element.
You might make it personal or take the element’s point of view (how might humans appear to you from that stance?) or wander where you may. Tell us something about your element that we don’t know.
You’re welcome to make your own rules, and as always, the most important point is simply to write and share, however it comes your way! Have fun!

*

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?


Clear your mind


of all acquired knowledge;

belief,

interpretation,

misconception.


Prepare yourself

For a meeting…


with your Self;


an entity,

existing alone.


There is nothing else.


Nothing at all..


A point exists,

outside of Life;

outside of Time.

A point at which

The Universe

is much smaller;


microscopic…


At this point,

it contracts

yet further,

to its origin…


a Thought.


The Thought is born.

Who am I?


Develops.

Why only me?


Left to fester,

creating

an Energy…


an Aura,


a single cell

can no longer contain.


Expansion occurs;


The Big Bang…


Hydrogen

begets Helium,

Lithium,

Beryllium,

Boron…


CARBON


Building blocks.


Fusion occurs.


Elements become compounds.


Science is born.


Science…


how things work,

the way they do.

How they come to be.


Evolution?


For answers,

explanations,

You turn to Science,


Mathematics.


Without logic,

Matter becomes

unpredictable,

unstable…


Self-destructive.


Application

of logic

ensures survival;


longevity.


Process runs its course

to conclusion.


The Universe

is created.


In terms of such

a vast expanse,

everything takes place


in the Present.


What is measured

in billions of years

by You,

mere Mortal,

is in fact


No Time at all.

MASK

For One Single Impression - Mask

NO MASK REQUIRED

Within the mask – deception
Without the mask – yet more lies
It can often be that way
As we live - and learn to hide

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.

.

.

Sometimes I honestly think
The wisest person I know
Is my two year old daughter...

No Mask necessary here

.

.

.

.

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.

.

.

.

.

.

The light that pours out of her
Is a golden glow – so pure…
Free of adulterated
Artificial influence…
Telling nothing but the truth

.

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.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Although she can’t speak English
And my Thai – inadequate
Communication happens
And understanding ensues

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

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.

This photograph

copyright © Kanpirom Srisongnang

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.

A level of perception
That we grow in and out of
Some might call it ESP

Others; Perfect Sense Effect

DAY 16 - LEGEND

NaPoWriMo Day 16

For Read Write Poem

RWP member Julie Jordan Scott launches her NaPoWriMo prompt with a quote from Diane Ackerman: “Smells detonate softly in our memory like poignant land mines hidden under the weedy mass of years.” Julie reports having discovered in her own notes 17 pages on the subject! Here’s the prompt she culled from material she’s collected:
Practicing the art of writing from the sense of smell will open language in a different way than writing from a more “language friendly” sense, like the sense of sight or sound. Because of this, writing that uses a scent prompt evokes visceral, richly experienced poetry.
Scientific fact: Salmon smell their stream of birth from hundreds of miles away. The scent of this particular stream weaves its way to the salmon like a love-call. It rises and falls with the water, its essence calling the ancient connection. The salmon respond to this invitation and make their way back to their spawning ground.
Humans have primitive connections to the sense of smell, as well. It is our most primal sense, especially since the connections between the language centers and smell sensory centers are so few. Our sense of smell is tied to our most ancient selves. Another intriguing fact? Smell is connected closely to our memory centers even though it is distant from our language centers.
Somewhere near where you are sitting is something with a specific smell that will conjure a memory rich with images. Take a moment to find any such object and breathe the scent of it, deeply. It may be as simple as a strand of your hair, a ketchup bottle from the refrigerator, a potholder or a bottle of lotion.
Add to your breath the simple phrase, “I remember” and breathe the scent in again. “I remember.” Free write from “I remember” for at least five minutes, repeating the prompt “I remember” if your writing slows.
Use the seeds from your free writing to write today’s poem.


MY SEEDS

I remember – Changnoi’s old tee-shirt. Fragrance/memory/legend/respect/farang(foreigner)Ratchada(in Bangkok)Huay Khwang(suburb of Ratchada)voices/wai(hands joined raised to face; bow)anonymous/shoeshop girls/morning paper/sawasdee ja, phor Changnoi(hello Changnoi’s Dad)time/a maze in Thailand(Amazing Thailand)attitude adjuster



8 YEARS OLD PLUS

Smell of souvenir
The fragrance of memory
Just an old tee-shirt?


I REMEMBER… BANGKOK 2001

Word was out
The word was ‘Changnoi’
The boy’s name

Ratchada’s new kid
Reputation established
Anonymous dad

At each turn
Another voice calls
‘Mar du si’

‘Come and see Changnoi’...

In the maze that is Huay Khwang
A legend is born

Attitudes
To foreigner; me
Adjusted

Because of the boy
No longer am I ignored
Take, for example

Half mile trip
Newspaper journey
One hour plus

Three girls; teenagers
Sitting, chatting; workplace snub
Shoe shop employees

Love the boy’s
Enigmatic smile
His presence

Their earlier taunts
Pointing, and giggling ‘Farang!’
At me, for my sins

Forgotten
Because of their love
For Changnoi

Now ‘wai’ their greeting
‘Sawasdee ja, phor Changnoi’
Quiet, respectful

ONCE UPON A TIME IN ISAN

For Friday Flash 55
.
.

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED

Isan heartland scene
Jangwat Nongbualamphu
Edible landscape

Alone, a man walks
Highway to Amphor Nonsang
Rice field surroundings

Food basket in hand
Local produce; offerings
For saffron-clad monks

Holy residents
Defenders of Buddhist Faith
Wat Sutapradit

Simple country fare
Accepted with gratitude
Blessings in return

Journeying homewards
Automobile hit and run
Final act’s reward

DAY 15 - COST OF LIVING

NaPoWriMo Day 15

For Read Write Poem

Do you have the courage to attempt today’s prompt, written by RWP member Dale? If you haven’t practiced being silly in a while, this is the perfect assignment for you:
In a nice private place, pick out a stanza, or a few lines, that you like from a poem that you don’t otherwise feel was very successful. Say them over to yourself.
Now hum them. See if you can find the tune.
And now sing them aloud. (Who cares if you can sing? You’re in private. And this is poetry!)
Throwing away the rest of the poem, write two more stanzas (stand-alone or connected) that go to the same tune.
No fair doing it silently!

My wife said: "I guess you're going to sing it then?"
I said: "Have another guess"

A one, a two, a one, two, three, four...


COST OF LIVING

I had this verse I couldn’t add to:

In life’s no-win situation
No control
Make a pact with scheming Satan?
Sell your soul?
Life eternal, or damnation
In the fiery flames of Hell
Mortal life-span; short vacation
Spend it well

Until now…:
Tune…? How about –

CCCC FFGG CCC
CCCC FFGG CCC
AAAA FFGG
CCCC FFG
CCCC FFGG
CCC

2 NEW STANZAS

Is it worth the outcome? Are you
Satisfied?
Terms, conditions in your favour?
You decide
Don’t allow constraints to bar you
From the choice you’d rather make
Made in haste, decisions scar you
Give and take

All the world knows death is certain
Life’s unfair
Count your blessings, not your money
Be aware
Tolerate your circumstances
Many others worse off still
Invoice due, no second chances
Pay the bill

CHEERS

For Three Word Wednesday
.
.
.
ANY EXCUSE...
.
Make a brash statement
‘Cheers Arnold’; beer’s Patron Saint
Lubricate freely!

DAY 14 - CLEAVE OR LEAVE...? More Like 1IN3

NaPoWriMo Day 14
For Read Write Poem

Nicole Nicholson has a big challenge for us on Day 14: Write a cleave poem. What’s a cleave poem, you ask? It’s three poems in one.
The whole idea works something like this (quoting the creator of the form, Dr. Phuoc-Tan Diep): “In its most basic form it is three poems: two parallel ‘vertical’ poems (left and right)…[with] a third ‘horizontal’ poem being the fusion of the vertical poems read together.” He goes on to say, “One of my aims was to examine how something can be more than the sum of its parts and can be 3 in 1: synergy, fusion, co-operation, dialectics, marriage, interdependence, teamwork and The Trinity.”
More info can be found at The Cleave (including samples) and at the “cleave” entry at Writing.com.
Happy writing! (Editor’s note: A good idea, for those who fear the cleave is too challenging: Try a short one or simply try a form you have never tried before.)

.

.

.

POET… ME?


i’m no poet
don’t I know it
i’m not averse
to writing verse
sometimes it rhymes
sometime it doesn’t
so what the hell?
you can as well
NaPoWriMo
do it… let’s go!


SYLLABLE SESTINAH

WHAT IS ‘NaPoWriMo’?

What is ‘NaPoWriMo’?
No… Not my Misnomah…
Acro… Oh!... What? ‘Tis why
Dynamismo got no…
Flow… My hot Nano fizz
Is so slow – High-par… Not!



NaPoWriMo

Natural reaction
Admittedly cautious
Trepidation? Hardly
Inevitable result
Often misinterpreted
Never a dull moment though
Absolutely fabulous
Laden with fun and laughter

Pretty serious at times
Obviously demanding
Entertaining the muse
Trying to stay on the ball
Reasonably free of stress
Yahoo helped out quite a bit

Whether or not I finish
Remains a thing to be seen
Imagination willing
Thirty pieces is my aim
Inspiration is vital
Notwithstanding peer pressure
Gluttons for punishment, all

Mediocre arrangement
Offerings not worth their salt
Not on this boy’s agenda
That’s the theory at least
Hits will be the judge of that

WHAT?

For Pick 'n' Play at
The American Sandwich
And The NaiSaiKu Challenge?
.
.


DEDICATED TO OUR ANDY

...who gave us:

"The cowboy pressed the stopwatch, willing time to stop the speeding bullet."




WHAT...?
.
The Martian giggled...

The Cowboy pressed the stopwatch, willing time to stop the speeding bullet.

The ice-cream tasted good.



141 AND BEYOND... SLIGHTLY
...or ABV not E for B

Ten pints of Holt's best
Half a bottle of Vodka
For breakfast today
ABV NOT ABSee
For breakfast today
Half a bottle of Vodka
Ten pints of Holt's best


Thanks for the inspiration Andy!