Poem for April 6

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April 6th PAD Challenge was to write a “post” poem. I combined that with a group of words I assembled using a Wordle to inspire this one.

To Bury Shame

He digs a post hole, pours concrete
and dark words along fence line
opposite the garden wall. To bury
shame is the thing, his bitter sin, hard
and old, fear burning his nostrils.

The sound of something black rolling
through the front door, the dog-song
out in the desert. His ears strain to their howl,
one hand to his face, nothing seen, no answer.
His mouth, open in silence. The weight of sky
a pressure on his heart.

Carol A. Stephen
April 6, 2013

Canis latrans Français : Un coyote en Arizona

Canis latrans coyote (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

April 5th Poem for the WD PAD Challenge prompt

napo2013button2Over on the Writer’s Digest site today’s prompt is to write a plus poem. Took a little while to figure out an angle for this, but here’s my first draft of a plus poem:

We Live in a Plus World

This is a plus world, supersize, maximize,
for just dollars plus get the combo.

Google +, and if you google plus,
the onslaught of more-thans gives you six

billion plus hits in less than
point two zero seconds.

There’s Med Plus and Pet Plus,
there’s a plus for mature adults.

Plus a Canadian government language plus
for terminology and linguistics, even Wiley Plus

which might be a surfeit of coyotes
chasing a plus-itude of roadrunners.

They never say plus what’s the plus,
it’s mostly minus that fine detail.

One thing you know: you could spend
hours plus trying to track it down.

And for the NaPoWriMo prompt to write a cinquain, there is this one:

Spring, Teasing

Today
out my window
sun in a warm blue sky
the bite of wind hides behind glass
outside.

Carol A. Stephen
April 5, 2013

Carol A. Stephen
April 5, 2013

April 4th NaPoWriMo poem

napo2013button2Today’s prompt from NaPoWriMo is to use one of the unlikely space ship names from Iain M. Banks as a title and go from there. I read today that Mr. Banks has late stage cancer. So sorry to hear that.  No disrespect intended with this humorous offering.

This did not start out to be a rhyming poem, but at some point in the middle the rhyme started to come. So I went back and made some edits so the whole thing would be in synch. Take a look at the list on the website, though, and see which one appeals to you for your own poem!

A Series of Unlikely Explanations

I couldn’t call because my phone’s on fire,
I couldn’t write— my pen is filled with ice,
I couldn’t swim because I lost my lollipop,
I couldn’t ski— they made snow only twice.

cropped-pc210265.jpgThe cat was sitting there upon my tablet.
The dog was sleeping on the four remotes.
The mailman locked the main door to my freezer.
The milkman doesn’t deliver milk for goats.

The census wrote my name without a comma,
and flyers never stay in my mailbox.
I didn’t buy your gift—they had no llamas
and every monkey had the chicken pox.

For every odd and painful situation
I have a good excuse, or maybe two.
They may seem unlikely explanations,
but hey, and what the heck, I think they’ll do!

Carol A. Stephen
April 4, 2013

Sea Shanty for April 3 NaPoWriMo

napo2013button2Well, never thought I’d be writing a sea shanty, for sure! And I don’t think this is my forte! Here’s an excerpt from the prompt for Day 3: write a sea shanty (or shantey, or chanty, or chantey — there’s a good deal of disagreement regarding the spelling!). Anyway, these are poems in the forms of songs, strongly rhymed and rhythmic, that sailors might sing while hauling on ropes and performing other sea-going labors. Probably the two most famous sea shanties are What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor? and Blow the Man Down. And what should your poem be about? Well, I suppose it could be about anything, although some nautical phrases tossed into the chorus would be good for keeping the sea in your shanty. Haul away, boys, haul away!  And here’s the link so you can see all the info: http://www.napowrimo.net/

English: Simplified (one voice) music score fo...

English: Simplified (one voice) music score for the traditional sea shanty “Drunken Sailor”. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

MY ATTEMPT:

Sail Away Shanty

A capstan crew would chant a particular type o...

A capstan crew would chant a particular type of shanty in order to coordinate their movements (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cast off the rope lads, and pull up the anchor
Yo ho and sail away now
Come every fellow and fancy-vest banker
Yo ho and sail away now

Bound for the Indies, southward we go
Yo ho and sail away now
Gone for the winter, back in the snow
Yo ho and sail away now

we’ll look for palm trees on far away shores
Yo ho and sail away now
We’ll land in Haiti or isles of Azores
Yo ho and sail away now

Sail away laddies, ye all sail away
Yo ho and sail away now
See you in winter, when we get our pay
Yo ho and sail away now.

Carol A. Stephen
April 3, 2013

English: Sea shanty choir Rolling Home of Ålan...

English: Sea shanty choir Rolling Home of Åland från Åland demonstrating the original use of shanties aboard Sigyn. The shanty man is standing in the middle. A capstan has been moved to where the performance is easier to see. Svenska: Den åländska Shanty-kören Rolling Home of Aland sjunger och demonstrarar användningen av shantyn ombord på Sigyn under sång- och musikfesten “Ta i ton” 2011. Shantymannen i mitten. Ett gångspel har flyttats till en för förevisningen lämplig plats. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)