I'm still running to catch up

More rainbows.
More smiles.
More flowers.
More laughter.
More Aloha.
Kauai.


     Can you imagine the picture I wanted to draw to go with this poem?  Think of a brilliant rainbow arcing the blue, blue sky over the ocean.  Then place a breaching whale inside the arc.  Would seeing that make you smile and say, thank you?  When I'm in Kauai, I still take lots of walks.  I even take short hikes.  On my walks I learn lots of things and I often meet interesting people.  Walking over a bridge I saw several strings hanging down over the bridge. I wondered what that was.  A man, standing at the side of the bridge lowered another string.  He was crab fishing.  He had eight lines he fished.  On the end of the string was a mesh basket he'd put bait into.  When the crab climbed into the basket to get the bait, the top would close and catch the crab.  As I was talking to the fisherman trying to learn more, he paused for a moment and then told me the story of how he held the record for catching the second largest crab in Hawaii.  He showed me the spot on the bridge where he caught the crab.  It was on Dec. 23, 2013.  Now he is trying to break the record again  before the New Year.  I think he said his crab was almost 7 pounds.  The current record is at 13 pounds.  That's one HUGE crab.
     Another morning, I was drinking coffee at McDonald's.  A family on vacation sat at the next table and I got to listen to their conversation.  They were talking about all the places they had visited on this trip.  They went to New York.  The boy said his favorite thing there was when they went to Broadway and to the Statue of Liberty.  The went to Washington and the boy liked the Lincoln Memorial.  Every where they went the boy had a good memory of the place.  It got me to thinking about all the places we visit.  Where have you been recently?  It doesn't have to be exotic.  It could be your own home town, your school, the library, the grocery store, even Grandma's counts.  Now can you take one of the locations and write your own poem?  Make this fun.  I'm already thinking about a poem about my drug store.  WOW!  There are a lot of fun things in that store. Have fun writing your poem.

Funny Errors

Sometime today
    or maybe tomorrow,
I'm going to make
    a mistake.

 I'll add laughter
      when I start over--
you'll see the poem
    I make.

   I have several "On this Date" books in my library.  When I get stuck for a poem idea, I check my books to see if some important event happened on this day or if someone I know was born or died on this date.  I have books for daily inspiration, words for the day, be happy today books, etc.  One of my favorites is TODAY I WILL by Eileen and Jerry Spinelli.  Today's page includes, "Sometime today, or tomorrow, I'm going to screw up."  That line really spoke to me.  I don't think I've ever written a poem about screwing up--but I certainly have, many times.
   What mistakes have you made?  Can you start over and try again?  How can you help yourself to NOT make the same mistake twice?  Can you write about that today?
    As the Spinellis point out, never be afraid to start over again.  Do not let failure scare you, it is how we all learn.
   Have a great day writing. 

HAPPINESS

I like the look of happiness,
it makes me glad, I must confess.
Your smile full of energy,
it makes me feel mirthful glee.

Your eyes sparkle with an impish shine.
Your laughter I can take.
The joy that glows upon your face
is impossible to fake.


    Your challenge for today is to take an emotion and write a poem about what that looks and feels like.  What does sadness look like?  How can you tell when someone is in pain?  How would fear look?  Have fun writing.

This Poem

has tremendous potential.
It might
      make a new friend,
      or find a lover,
      stop a baby from crying,
      win votes,
       create laughter,
       inspire wisdom,
       stop a war,
       bring tears and make memories,
       build dreams,
       or put you to sleep,
  and possibly this poem
  can change lives.







This poem is a list poem based on the line "This poem has tremendous potential." What other things might a poem do?  Can you try writing your own list poem?  Have fun writing.

LAUGH

A laugh
happens
when
something
funny
reaches your
tummy.

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.