2013 DAYS OF MIRACLE AND WONDER

These are the days of miracle and wonder.  
  Paul Simon

New Year's Eve day
I'm sitting on the beach
watching the sun rise.

The chickens sing
their morning song.
Life is good.

I see a dragonfly
zip along.
Someone is plunking
a ukulele song.

Life doesn't get
any better than this.

A stunning rainbow
bright color and  energy
appears over the 
crisp salty waves. 

And I think
I am living
my best life.

What more
could I want
on this heavenly isle?

Then all in a flash
I see a whale breach
and I smile.

ALOHA.

      My thanks to the talented Sandy McMaster for this poem. She is the inspiration.  Sandy plays ukuele to accompany her husband Doug McMaster, slack key wizard,  who recently was declared one of Hawaii's island treasures.
     I hope your first day of 2013 is filled with miracles and wonder.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

    Your writing challenge for today is to write a short poem about the first thing you notice in 2013.

2013 PREPARE FOR JOY

Remember the feeling as a child when you woke up and the morning smiled?  Taj Mahal

2013 is going to be
a year full of
of laughter and fun,

when the earth
will travel once
around the sun.

365 opportunities
to be happy
with joyful poetry.

So let me push away
sadness and fear--
it pulled me down
in the old year.

And let me open
my heart to delight
as I craft my poems
through the night.


     As you get ready for the new year, what things do you wish to leave behind?
Can you write a poem about that?  Please leave your suggestions in the comments below.

Stretching

He said,
the universal
resolution
is to try
to stretch
more in 2013.

Said that
he'd bend
over and touch
his toes
each morning.

That he'd try
to make
his dollar
go even 
further.

And when
it came to
his writing,
he'd try to stretch
the time he had
for laying down
his words.


    What resolutions are you considering for the new year?  Can you make a list of your resolutions?  Please leave one of your resolutions in the comments below.

haiku Fortune Cookie

a sugar wafer

crispy, golden thin, tasty
good fortune awaits


     Your challenge for today is to write your own paper fortune.  If you made fortune cookies, what would be the fortune you'd want to read inside?  Can you write fortunes for your family and your friends?

    Maybe this will help.

allrecipes.com/recipe/fortune-cookies-i/


   Or this

1. How To Make Fortune Cookies - YouTube

   ► 4:41► 4:41

   

   
   

   
   

   .
2. More videos for recipe for fortune cookie »

Poetry Friday is hosted by Carol at Carol's Corner

2012

Stars twinkle brightly.

The night sky shines clear,

as I think back

upon this year.

     I'm spending a little time today thinking about all the poems I've written this year.  Which poems are your favorites?  2012 has been a good year for my writing, but I know I can do even better in 2013.  I continue to grow and improve in my poetry writing.  For me, this is a large part of being a princess--working each day to grow and improve. 

    Thank you for sharing this journey with me.  I'll try to follow Will Roger's quotation--Don't let yesterday take up too much of today. But, I do need to look back on this year in order to plan for next year.  So your challenge for today is to make a list of the high points of your year.  Can you pick one of the items and write a poem about that?  Do have fun with your writing.

HAPPY BOXING DAY

It is the day
after Christmas
and today is the day
to say thanks
for all the people
who worked
yesterday.

To Policemen
and firemen,
doctors and nurses.
To grocery store workers,
waiters and waitresses,
the filling station workers.

To tow truck drivers
and all those people
working in hotels
and the entertainment
industry.  The folks
at Disney, Universal, Sea World,
and Knox Berry, Six Flags.

To the people on TV,
the cameramen,
the switchers and audio,
and weather, news,
and sports teams.

To all the people
who worked yesterday
on Christmas,
so you and I could play,
I say, Thank You.
I hope you can enjoy
a Happy Boxing Day.

     Boxing Day is the day after Christmas and traditionally it was a day in British households when the servants who had worked the day before so the family could have a lovely holiday dinner--those servants got the next day off and the family they worked for would have their dinner left for them in boxes.
    As our society becomes more 24/7 with services available at all hours on all days, the number of persons working on Christmas day has increased.  Your challenge for today is to write a poem to thank someone who worked yesterday so that you could have a good Christmas.  Today is a great day for writing your "thank you" notes in the form of a poem.  Happy Boxing Day.

Christmas Morning

On Christmas morning
while Mom and Dad sleep,
my sister and I
downstairs we creep.

We quietly race
to our Christmas tree
and are super surprised
by all we see.

Everything is here.
It's better than a dream.
We wake Mom and Dad
when Sis and I scream.

This is the BEST Christmas,
Mom and Dad.
I want you to know
you've made me so glad.

Everything is perfect.
Everything is right.
Even my cat and dog
today do not fight.


I hope the same thing
is happening at your place,
May our hearts all fill
with Christmas grace.

Merry Christmas.


     Thank you for finding the time to stop by.  I hope you can find a moment today to make notes about your best memory of this holiday season. Can you try to shape your notes into a poem?  Did you get a new journal for Christmas? 

CHRISTMAS EVE

On Christmas eve,
you search the sky
hoping to see
Santa drive by.

Then with a jingle
across the moon,
you see his shadow
and hear him croon,
"Merry Christmas
to all,
and to all
a Good Night."

Ocean Christmas

The ocean is warm.
The waves froth white.
The sea is at peace
on this Christmas night.

Blessings to you.
May your world be all right.
May we all live aloha
as love finds new heights.

EGG NOG

Something to drink,
it's whippy-whirly,
yummy swirly
with a little dash
of nutmeg 
on the top.


   Today might be a good day to continue making your poetry Christmas ornaments.  Have fun.

Christmas Ornaments

     Isn't it fun when good ideas start to pile upon each other, taking an ordinary thought and making it something different and fun?

     Today's post started with HeidiMordhorst asking for poems related to light for a themed poetry roundup this week. That request got the wheels in my brain turning slowly.,

     Then, I was notified by children's poet Matt Forrest that I had won two hand made Christmas ornaments from Maine. That got me feeling very grateful and thinking about Christmas ornaments.

      This made me stumble upon the idea of making a Christmas ornament for several of my children's poetry friends.

     So here is a candle of light for Heidi. The text says:

You shine so bright

through the night.

Let your light shine.

     Matt Forrest's ornament had to be a bell.

Hear the bells ring.

Hear the bells sing.

On Christmas Eve

ting-a-ling.

     David Harrison gets a Christmas star, like a sheriff's badge, in honor of his book COWBOYS.

On top of the Christmas tree

sits a golden star

to welcome good wishes

from near and far.

     To Tabbatha Yeatts who set up a Christmas exchange between fellow children's poets, her own Christmas ornament.

Of all the ornaments

on the Christmas tree

you are a special one

to me.

     To Amy VanDerwater at Poetry Farm, my Christmas exchange partner,

                               (this is supposed to be a barn)

At midnight

all the animals

get to speak

in their own

special poetry.

     To Robyn Hood Black, haiku specialist and wolf expert,

                                     (this is supposed to look like a wolf)

Yip. Yip.

Bark. Bark.

This is how

a wolf says HARK,

and Merry Christmas.

     To Renee LaTulippe at No Water River,

May the waves

of creativity

gush

for you.

Here's wishing you

waves of happiness.

    I still need to make a sunburst for Janet Wong.

You bring
children's poetry
to the world
and beyond.

    And a butterfly for my poetry sister Cory Corrido .

Flap your wings,
fly awhile
you always bring
a poetry smile.


     Can you tell I'm having fun with this?  If you'd like to share your Christmas ornament idea, in the comments below leave the shape of the ornament and the text you'd put on it and who the ornament is for (it can be for yourself--I imagine Jama would have cookies, Laura Purdie Salas would have a book. )

HAPPY HOLIDAY

-->
-->

Happy Holiday

On your sled

in the snow

you have a fun day.

I'm on my surfboard

on a wave,

all splash and spray.

Thought worlds apart

we both

have the same thing

to say,

We hope you have

a great

holiday.

      Your challenge for today is to write a poem about what the weather is like in your part of the world and what you are doing today. Have fun.

MY SLED

To the top of the hill
my boots crunch the snow
then,
        one,
              two,
                     three.

I flop on my belly.
Down we go
W
   H
      E
         E
            E
               E!


 My sled and me.   


     This poem is shaped so the reader can feel the movement of going down the hill.  But, once you've reached the bottom of the hill you need to go back up again.  So,then try reading the poem from the bottom up.  Does it work to take you back to the top of the hill?  For today's challenge you may want to do some research on reverso poetry, then have fun trying to write your own.  Marilyn Singer has a book of reverso poems titled MIRROR, MIRROR. 

CHRISTMAS STAR

See.

There

At the top.

Rejoice a star.

     What is at the top of your Christmas tree?  Who put the ornament there?  when I was a child we had an angel that went on the top of the tree.  It was the last thing to go on the tree and the honor of placing the last ornament was saved for the youngest child.  What traditions do you have for Christmas?  Can you write a poem about that? 

HOLIDAY ENJOYMENT

Many friends
I see
Smooching and
Taking time for a
Little lip locking,
Everyone
Tries their hand in
Open holiday
Enjoyment.

     I had fun writing this acrostic for today.  Actually I started it yesterday while I was on an airplane.  I liked being able to use "lip locking" in a poem.  Can you write your own holiday acrostic?  It might be fun for you to put together a small collection of acrostics on a holiday theme.  Do you think the colors help this poem?  Would it have been as effective if I'd reversed the green and the red?  I don't think so.  The "appearance on the page" is something a poet considers when presenting a poem.  So, once you have written your poem, think about what the poem is going to look like as well as what it sounds like.  Have a great poetry day.

Christmas Dessert

Our house

is toasty,

the stove

steaming,

Mom is making

our Christmas

plum pudding.

   Have a great Sunday.  I'm flying off to Hawaii today.  So it is your opportunity to write about anything you wish, just write.  Have a great day.

FRUITCAKE

Today

in the mail

came a 2 pound

brick.

Aunt Sally

sent Mom

a fruitcake

again.

  Today's challenge is to write a poem about a holiday food.  Have fun.

Christmas Star

Mama Bear
asked her
sweet little cub,
"What would you like
for Christmas, Dear?"

Little Bear thought
in deep silence
and finally said,
"Mama, I want 
a star."

Mama Bear
looked both
near and far,
but she couldn't find
Little Bear's star.

So she made
sugar cookies
shaped like a star
and sprinkled
sugar glitter.

Then she said
to Little Bear,
"There you are."

"These cookies
are very sweet,
but they're something 
to eat.  They aren't 
the star I was after. "

Perplexed, 
Mama Bear
picked up her knitting
and had inspiration.
She stitched in stars
on her creation.

"These stars
are cuddly warm,
but a sweater is 
something to wear.
It isn't a star 
that floats 
in the air."

"Your star wish will be 
the death of me, "
said Mama Bear
most fretfully.

Which is why,
if you look 
in the sky
this very night
you'll see
Mama Bear and
her little cub
drifting on air 
high above,
shining as stars
radiating love.
Ursa Major
and Ursa Minor
ladling Christmas cheer.


     This poem (oh, I hesitate to call it that) needs lots of work.  Let's just call this one a draft.  I've got the basic outline of what I want to do with it. But that's the way it rolls on some days.  It is a good idea.
    Part of this came from the fact that last night was a new moon and it was supposed to be the best night for viewing the geminaids astrological shower, except we had rain and a total cloud cover so if the stars were out there doing their thing, I certainly couldn't see it.  So, to cheer me up, your challenge for today is to write a poem about stars.  If you don't like that challenge, write something, anything.  Have a great weekend.

Poetry Friday: Today's Roundup is at Jama's Alphabet Soup. Enjoy!

My Favorite Food

On cold mornings

what I love most

is hot chocolate

with marshmallows

and

TOAST.

After building 

my snowman

by the fire

I roast

drinking my hot chocolate

with marshmallows

and eating my

TOAST.

It's my favorite food

I should not boast

but I like my

hot chocolate

with marshmallows

and 

TOAST.

     What is your favorite food to eat on cold mornings?  Do you like oatmeal or do you like to take your toast and make milk toast?  Your challenge for today is to write a poem about your favorite food to eat on a cold morning, or on a hot day.  Have fun writing.

CHLOE'S BOXES

Chloe loves boxes.
She likes big boxes.
She uses them to build
wagons,
trains, 
planes,
and even rockets.

Chloe loves little boxes,
She uses them
to hold her
rocks,
feathers, 
stamps,
and pennies
like a bank.

Chloe loves to decorate
her boxes.
She colors,
paints,
glues,
and stickers 
her boxes.

Every year at Christmas
Chloe likes to give away
her boxes
to Mother,
to Father,
to her Grandmother,
to her brother
even to the postman.

But this box
Chloe has saved
especially for you.
Can you guess
what is inside?

Merry Christmas.


     Today can you write a poem about what Chloe put into your box?  What would you like it to be?  Have fun.

Poinsettia

 I drove to Phoenix yesterday to see my children's poetry friends Ken Slesarik and Jeanne Poland.  I met them both two years ago at a Highlight's Educational Foundation workshop presented by David Harrison.  It was an incredible group and we have all kept in touch with each other.  Jeanne has Quicksilver Studio and she comes to Sedona twice a year to teach calligraphy.  So when she is in Arizona, the three of us get together with Ken's students, at an after school club called Poetry Rocks at Esperanza Music Academy.  We have a great time with the kids and it is so much fun to see and hear them read the poems they've written.  We did this last year too, so we have seen "growth" in these student poets. 

     So, here we are The Princess of Poetry, Ken Slesarik, and Jeanne Poland.  You can tell by our smiles that we had as much fun as the kids did.
    This long introduction is an explanation for why today's poem isn't the greatest, but it does get the job done.   Have you ever tried to rhyme the word poinsettia?  I even had my rhyming dictionary out and there were far more words that would rhyme than I thought possible--words like Nubia, buddleia, cochlea--but none of the words worked for me, so I invented a word.  Poets can do that. 

Poinsettia 

A lovely plant
is the poinsettia
with red leaves
and yellow centers,
they couldn't be better-ia.

But wait!
They also are
a greenish cream.
The beauty of the poinsettia
has to be seen.

OK, so there you have it.  Your challenge for today is to make up your own word and use it in a short poem.  (Don't tell your teacher I suggested you make up a word. I was always getting in trouble for this when I was a kid.)  Perhaps this is why I've ended up a poet.  I have so much fun writing poems and sharing them with you.  Thank you for stopping by today.

Santa's Cat

Santa couldn't find his cat.
He wondered where she was at.

He looked in the kitchen
and under the stairs.
He looked in his workshop.
But the cat wasn't there.
 
He checked with the elves
and his reindeer, 
they both said,
"We haven't seen her here."

Santa thought she'd run away
until he checked
inside his sleigh.

There with the cat,
Santa couldn't believe his eyes,
mewed eight little kittens--
a big surprise.

So if this Christmas eve
in your stocking you find
a sweet little kitten
from Santa's cat.
She doesn't mind.


     Happy Monday.  I'm going to Phoenix today to have some poetry fun with the students at Esperanza Music Academy.   I hope you have a fun day too.  for your poetry challenge today, can you write a poem about Santa's dog.  It doesn't need to rhyme, but let me know what kind of dog he is.  What does he look like?  What does he like to eat?  What does he do?  
      Have fun writing your poem.