HAIKU

day old baby chicks
cheep around their mother's feet
eating day old bread

  Look at the hen and little baby chicks I saw on my morning walk.  I  fed them some of the bagel I had with me and it was lots of fun to watch them scurry after the crumbs.  Actually there were over a dozen of the little chicks.  What is something you saw on your way to school?  Can you write your own haiku ?  Think of using your senses.  Can you include a sense other than sight?  Have fun writing.  

Much is waiting inside us to be expressed.

STONE WALL VIDEO

Rats! Rats! Rats!

Not the furry kind,

the frustrated kind.

I have a video

I want to share

but I can't seem

to figure out

how to put it here.

And so I think

if I dare, I'll ask you

to  detour to where

(clink on the word where)

you'll see a short video

(one minute, twenty seconds.)

I hope will give cheer.

Thank you.  Today is Poetry Friday and Liz Steinglass is hosting the poetry party.  You can find more poetry posts at http://elizabethsteinglass.com/2016/02/process/ 

Why am I always running out of time?  Do you?  Can you write a poem today about all the things you never seem to have enough time for? 

Is life ever long enough to get the things you need to do done?

FINDING POEMS

Birds on a Wire

There is a poem out there
floating in the air.
Quick, can you grab it
then sit in your chair,

With a pad of paper
and a pencil or pen,
writing words down
is how your poem begins.


   What words will you get down with today?  Writers like to call the time they spend writing as BIC time--butt-in-chair.  If you don't spend a little time each day, every day writing, you get out of the writing habit and all those lovely words you might write, and all those delicious poems out there floating in the Universe waiting to be discovered, will be lost or they might float on to some other writer.  I believe this.  Where do you think the inspiration for poetry comes from?  Can you write about that today?  Have fun writing.

  Why should I not sit, every morning of my life, on the hillside, looking into the shining world?  Mary Oliver

STONE WALL

copyright Joy Acey 2016

Sometimes my writing
hits a wall,
can't move forward,
no words at all.

And then I look
more carefully
between each stone--
fertility.

A pebble, a vine
growing there
even grass and ferns
sway in the air.

At the wall
there is much to see
if I just wait
patiently.

  What do you do when you can't think of anything to write?  I look out my window and watch.  For your poetry challenge for today, stand at a window and look out.  What do you see?  Can you write about that?  Have fun writing.

   You can observe a lot by watching.  Yogi Berra

The Library

In the library
you'll find gold
with books to read
for young and old.

A secret world
is what you'll find
to learn new things
and improve your mind.

    One of the first things I did when I moved was get a Hawaiian library card.  I've been having fun getting to know the libraries on Kauai.  And I'm learning how to reserve books on line and how to get electronic books for my e-reader and downloads of audio books.
   Do you frequent your library?  What kinds of books do you like to read?  Poetry books?  Can you write a poem today about a book you are reading or about your library?  Have fun writing.

   The greatest thing Ben Franklin ever gave us was a free public library.

haiku

Rough ocean waves crash
over ancient lava rocks--
sand in an hour glass 

   We have been having some spectacular waves on our beaches.   Several of the beaches have been closed.  Roads have been closed too, as the waves wash over the road and wash them out or wash out the foundation of houses close to the water.  The wild waves can be quite dangerous.  
     What "natural" disasters can occur around where you live?  Can you make a list of disasters?  What can you do for safety in a natural disaster?  Do you have a disaster plan?  This is a big topic, can you write a poem about it?  Have fun exploring this topic.

The power of the word is real whether or not you are conscious of it....Behind every word flows energy. Sonia Choquette

MORE RAIN

Yesterday it rained.
The worms came out to play.
Today the birds sing.
This is what they say:
"My worm is bigger than your worm."

Let the landscape speak to you.

 

RAIN

All through the night, I hear rain.
Deep in moonlight, I hear rain.

At the lighthouse where birds nest
albatross in flight, I hear rain.

Chickens crow a dull refrain.
Cocks start to fight, I hear rain.

They flap feathers up and down
reaching a new height, I hear rain.

How can their war make you smile?
Do you delight I hear rain?

I ask for peace, hatred makes us blind.
We've lost our sight, I hear rain.

I search for joy in a flood of tears.
I wake to write.  I hear rain.

   I'm trying to write a ghazal today.  I think I've followed the rules, but I'm not positive.  You can find out more about ghazels here. The ghazel, written in couplets, uses a single rhyme,( I've used the "ight" family) followed by a refrain.  In this form the poet tries to hide his name in the last couplet.  With my name it is fairly easy.  Rumi wrote in this form. One of the best modern poets to write ghazels was Agha Shahid Ali.
   Do you ever try to stretch with your poetry?  Your challenge for today is to try a new form or topic for writing your poem.  This may take a bit of research, but I know you can do it.  Have fun.

   To write is to grow.  I never know what I'm going to write until I've done it.

  

 Today is Poetry Friday and the Round Up is over at Donna JT Smith's blog Mainely Write.
Thanks, Donna, for hosting all of us.  You can find more poetry posts at Mainely Write.

CLEMATIS

Purple clematis grow
under the mailbox.
Purple for loyalty.
Purple for royalty.
The promise for poetry,
the prayer for possibilities
for tomorrow.
Reaching
skyward climbing
higher and higher
on the old fence post.

 What is your favorite flower?  Set a timer for sixty seconds and make a quick list of every flower you know.  Can you pick one of the flowers to write your own poem today?

Poetry speaks to us in the language of flowers.

RAIN

One raindrop falls from the sky.

Two raindrops the wind blows by.

Three raindrops sputter down.

Four raindrops hit the ground.

Five raindrops in the grass.

I hope this rain storm soon will pass.


   We've been having rain, sheets of rain blown by the wind.  Clouds are caught on the mountains, so we can't them.  But the waterfalls are doing well and as soon as there is sunshine, we'll have rainbows.
   Can you write a poem about something that happens in February? Have fun.

The world is waiting for your poem.  Write it.  Only you can.

BRING IT!

Bring on the sunrise.
Bring on the fire.
Bring on a day
that will inspire.

   I hope you are enjoying your Presidents Day.  Have you been able to get any writing done today?  Try, even a little haiku.  The picture shows the sunrise that greeted me today.
On my walk this morning I fed the ducks.  It is becoming a small daily treat for me.  I threw some of the bread crumbs into the pond and was delighted with the fish leaping up to grab the food.  What was a treat in your life today?  Can you try writing a poem about it?  Have fun.

 Left to its own devices, writing is like weather.  It has a drama, a form, a force to it that shapes the day.  Julia Cameron

haiku

Cows in the pasture
cow parsley and buttercups
chewing on their cuds

  Happy Valentines Day.

Writing is like breathing, it's possible to learn to do it well, but the point is to do it no matter what.  Julia Cameron

The hole

I dig

never seems

deep enough

to find

the greatest

truth.

   Do you ever feel like your writing is just going through the motions?  Lately, I have been feeling like that--there must be something more important I can say with my words, something more organized.  This morning I had the delightful time of getting into my writing for a longer period.  It felt so good.  I feel like there is something just below the surface waiting for me to discover.  So, I'm going back to my notebook.  I hope you have a great weekend and a happy Valentine's Day.

  What are you writing today?

Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.  Eleanor Roosevelt

SUNRISE

.

Sunrise.

Welcome 

the birth

of a new day.

See

the gem

sparkle

over

the bay.

Watch 

light 

rise

into

the sky.

See

your future

drifting by.

When

all the world

has a rosy glow,

and the day

is full of magic

with room

to grow. 

  Happy Poetry Friday.  Were you up early enough to see the sunrise?  The sunrise in Kapaa today was at 7:26 AM.  It comes very late when I'm on the far west of the time zone and the sun has to get over the foothills before it gets to me. My sunset is after 6:30 in the evening.  What magic will happen for you today?  How will you grow yourself today?  Can you write a couplet about your Friday today?  Have fun writing.

Dreams are the soul's pantry.  Keep it well stocked and your soul will never hunger.  Cindy Williams

 

Today is Poetry Friday and Kimberley Moran has the round up at her blog Written Reflections.  Thanks, Kimberley for throwing the poetry party this week

CHANTICLEER

copyright 2016, Joy Acey

"Hello, Sun.
We're glad you're here,"
Sings the royal chanticleer.
"I own the sun.
I'm strutting free.
The rising world
depends on me."

  Chanticleer, is another word for rooster.  In poetry, this word is often used when writing an aubade poem, also known as an alba--a dawn song  Today, for your poetry challenge, can you write your own aubade?  Sing a song to the rising sun.  Are you happy when you wake up, or do you regret having to get out of bed?  Put your thoughts into a poem.  Have fun writing.

The greatest achievements were at first and for some time DREAMS.  James Allen

CHICKENS SQUAWK

Chickens by my doorstep
peck plants in a quickstep.
Chickens at the door mat,
teasing the old house cat.
Chicks in the front yard
search for tasty grubs,
dig in and out
of the planter tubs.
Chicks scratch in the dirt
look for their dessert. 
Everywhere I walk
I hear chickens squawk.
BAWK, BAWK, BAWK! 

  So I played some more with my reject chicken poem from yesterday and this is what I came up with.  I need to take this poem apart again, because the rhythm still isn't right, but I'll save you the agony of seeing this poem again.  Instead I'll invite you to write your own poem today.  When was the last time you wrote a concrete poem?  Do you want to try one of those today?  Go for it.  Have fun.

  Today is Ash Wednesday.  Did you do anything to celebrate?  Will you give up anything for lent?

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.  Helen Keller

Chicken Talk

copyright 2016 mixed media, Joy Acey

Hen and rooster here.
Chick, chick there.
Chickens are everywhere.
Cock-a-doodle-doo.
Bawk, bawk.
This is how
The chickens talk.

Sometimes you just have to let a poem be what it wants to be.  I tried very hard in the version below to write a free verse poem and it just wouldn't come together.  Maybe it was because I didn't have anything profound to say about chickens.  But, I thought you'd like to see the stuff I normally throw away so I can start again.

Chickens by the front door
pecking at the plants.
Chickens in the backyard
scratching in the dirt.
Chickens in the sideyard
searching for small grubs.
Chickens by the mailbox
fluffing in a dirt bath.
Everywhere I walk
I can hear
the chickens squawk.

  And since I know this now wants to be a rhyming poem, I'm just going to play with it some more.  Poor chickens.  For your poetry challenge today, I'm going to ask you to write something you think you'll want to throw away.  And then if you have time, rescue your poem.  Oh, I'm already thinking about an ocean poem where I'll have to toss a buoy. Have fun.
  I hope you have a happy Mardi Gras.
 I'm a happy girl today since I found time to play with my water colors again. Yahoo.  What art materials do you like to play with?

Light tomorrow with today.  Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Hiding Frog

Little green frog hides in the moss
behind a rock,
hopes no one sees
him hiding there.

He doesn't move, perhaps he thinks
you won't see him
if he doesn't
blink an eye lid.

But you do see him sitting there
and you both stare
before he croaks
and hops away.

  This is a minute poem.  It has 60 syllables, divided between three stanzas.  The first line has 8 syllables, and the next three lines each have 4 syllables.  Would you like to try writing your own minute poem today?  I can guarantee it will take more than a minute to write it.  Have fun shaping your lines.

And here is a quote from a book mark my friend Tabatha Yeatts sent to me:
You are the sky.  Everything else is just weather. Pema Chodron 

Rooster

Big rooster,
cock-of-the-walk
wakes me each morning
with his chicken talk.
His crow is loud
and very deep
when all I want
is to sleep 
          and sleep!

   This rooster is going to be named soon.  He comes around at 5 each morning to say hello.  Either he's getting named, or I'm finding a chicken pot.
Then I can curse him by name, which is much more satisfying.
   There is a Kauai joke.  How do you cook a Kauai chicken?  You put it and a lava rock in a pot with water.  Cook it until the lava melts, skim out the rock and cook the chicken for two more hours, then the chicken might be tender enough to eat. Kauai chickens are tough old birds.
   Do you know a chicken joke?
   When I was in China, we went to a restaurant in Peking, I think it was called Peking Duck.  We had a seven course meal that featured duck in every course.  So I've been thinking about Kauai chicken as a seven course meal with cold chicken consume, shredded chicken tacos with cabbage and pineapple, devilled eggs, roast chicken, barbecue chicken and sweet and sour chicken.  What is your favorite way to eat chicken?  Maybe you can try writing a list poem today about eating chicken.  Have fun writing.

DUCKS

Ducks by the pond
waddle to and fro
into the water
they go,
           go,
               GO!

   I saw these ducks on my morning walk.  They seem to get along quite well with the Kauai chickens.  I see them together in the grass eating tender shoots and searching for grubs and insects.
   Since there are five ducks in the picture, can you try writing a counting poem today?  Have fun writing your poem.

   Today is Poetry Friday and all the children's poets have gathered at The Miss Rumpus Effect for a poetry party.  You can read more poetry at Tricia's  blog.  Thanks for hosting us, Tricia.

HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY

Today is Groundhog Day.
Will it be sunny
or dark and gray?
Will Mr. Groundhog
stay and play,
or will he see his shadow
and run away?

  Living in Kauai, I figured there wouldn't be groundhogs here.  And there aren't any.  I called the zoo in Honolulu to check my facts.  I wanted to know if there were any burrowing animals in Hawaii.  As I thought about it, I didn't think so. The islands are made of volcanic rock and that wouldn't be easy to burrow into that rock.  But I found out that there are sea animals and birds that burrow along the shore line.  And there is a blind snake that many people confuse with a worm.  It is small.  So my next question, are there any animals that hibernate on Kauai? It certainly doesn't get cold enough here for an animal to need to hibernate.  The zoo hasn't gotten back to me on that question.  What other burrowing animals live in your part of the world?  Can you write your own poem?

The poet is he who inspires far more than who is inspired.  Paul Elaurd

HAPPY FEBRUARY

A poem is a present
wrapped up in string.

The feelings it rises
are wonderful things.

Poems, are like flying
on a carpet or boat,

The words, sometimes,
get caught in my throat.

   What is a poem to you? Can you write a poem that includes the word February?  Have fun creating your poem.
 

Rain

I embraced the winter rain,
felt the mist upon my cheeks.
All day I watched the fog tumble
down the hillside from clouds
pinned on the backside
of a sleeping giant.
All the while warmed
by sweet mystery
of weather.

What is something you can embrace? Would you like to write a poem about it?  Give it a try.  Have fun writing.

A poem should not mean, but be. Archibald MacLeish