SUNSET

The sun sets
like a child
forced to bed,
screaming
and yelling
and turning
the sky red.
He wants 
to stay
for another day
so we can
have more time 
to play.

   It has been another busy day for me.  I found the box with my computer, monitor and printer in it, but I don't have them hooked up yet.  My desk is still upside down in the middle of the floor.  It needed to be glued and then I couldn't take the weight of it to turn it over because my broken wrist is still causing some problems with weighty things.  Plus, my empty file cabinet was locked to move it.  Now, I can't find the keys to unlock it.  I put the shelf brackets taped inside and now I can't open the files to get them out.  All little problems.  Anybody have suggestions for where I should look for the keys, or how to get the locked file cabinet open?  Anyway, I figure in about another 20 days, I'll have all the boxes emptied.  One of my bookcases did not last the journey, so I guess the answer is to get rid of some of my books. Anyway, after working all day on getting boxes emptied and the house more settled, I'm tired and expect to sleep well tonight.
   I hope your day was a good one and that you wrote an interesting poem.

  Tomorrow is another day.

RED TAIL HAWK

Red tail hawk circles
blue skies overhead,
he flares his tail,
boy, it's red.

Making lazy loops
on this Saturday
is how I feel
as I go on my way.

     Happy Saturday.  I hope you are having a good day.  This poem really needs a better end line.  I'm going to have to work on that, but I did explain I'm feeling loopy-lay today--so that is how I wrote.  So many things to do today.  All the weekend chores are waiting for me.  I hope you can find time to write today.  Can you imagine what the picture for this poem will look like?  Now, go write your own poem and if you want to share it you can place your poem in the comments below.  I'd love to read it.

SUMMER

(original art, Joy Acey, all rights reserved)

old wooden row boat
in the gentle current drifts
idle oars at rest


     There are times, during this summer when I have felt like that row boat--just drifting with the current, with little energy to do anything more.  The heat affects me that way.  How is your energy level today?  Can you write a poem about that and use a simile or metaphor to show how you feel.  Have fun writing.  Have a great weekend.

HOUR GLASS

the sand

drops

slowly

grain

by grain

never

to drop

again

toward

the end

sand begins

to spin

racing out

the narrow bend

of the hourglass

again

      I've always been fascinated by hourglasses and three minute timers.  Far more fascinated than shaking an watching snow globes.  Happy Sunday.  Someone once made the comment that the difference between prose and poetry, is that the poet gets to control the length of the line.  Wish I knew who said it, I'd give him credit.  But it is all about choices and the poet gets to make lots of them.  In this poem I made the choice not to use punctuation.  It wasn't laziness, but the poet's choice to emphasize the meaning of each word I have carefully selected to go with this subject matter.  But, even as I have gotten this far with the poem, I'm wondering if I could convey even more meaning with the metaphor, if I tried to make this into a concrete poem.

the gritty sand

drops slowly

grain by

grain

never

to drop

again

to-

ward

the end

the sand 

begins to spin

racing out the

narrow glass bend

of the hourglass again

    What do you think?  There is more tweaking to do, so I'm having fun.  There is so much work to do.

     I know, your challenge for today is to think of a tool you use and compare it to an animal to make your own metaphor.  Can you write a poem today with a simile or metaphor in it? 

How to Make Poetry Sing

Open your mouth,

let the happiness erupt.

Let the words spread

like butter on hot toast.

Send a small song---

a sonetta to your tonsils,

let them vibrate

in every color of the rainbow.

Breathe deeply.

Let your heart turn golden

from the glow of your words 

on fire.

      This is a free verse poem.   If you wanted to make your poems sing, how would you do it?  Notice the concrete words in this poem?  Are the verbs strong enough, or could I have found some better ones?  Have I used any similes or metaphors in this poem?  Do you find any of the lines cliché?  Which ones? 
Can you write your own poem about how to write a poem?  Poems written about poems or poetry are called ars poetica.  Please share your thoughts and comments with me.

My Winter Cocoa Mug

My favorite cocoa cup

is the color of my friend

sweet,

warm,

comforting.

     Today's poem is a little different, so the challenge will be too.  Take any object of winter (sweater, boots, mittens, snow shovel, etc.) and then tell how that object is like your friend.  When you compare two things and say one is  like the other, that is a simile.  When you say the winter object IS your friend--that is a metaphor.  Use either a simile or a metaphor in your poem.  Have fun.