A group of writers, mostly from Australia, undertake an annual Month of Poetry in January. Writers from all over push themselves to write a poem every day. Some days we crank out surprisingly nice poems while other days, well you could say it just stinks… But there’s something envigorating about having made the daily effort. We’ve passed the half-way point in the month so I thought I would share a few of my hurriedly written poems here.
Time to Rhyme
Finding time
to write a rhyme
each day might be a chore.
But stretch your mind,
don’t lag behind,
you’ll love it more and more.
Setting Goals
What tasks are important
And which are frivolous?
Lord give me a plan and purpose
For the year that lies ahead.
Give me eyes that focus
on actions that count,
so I don’t become addled
through meaningless tasks.
Some times what seems good
obscures what’s best
And we waste our time
Going nowhere fast.
Lord illumine my mind
to follow your lead
With God-made goals
Designed just for me.
Looking Back
Family pictures should bring joy
Glad reminders of days gone by
Places we’ve been
Things we’ve done
While years of time kept moving on
But viewing them what jumped at me
Were things that we have lost.
When tempers flared
And words pieced deep
And backs were turned in hate
Here’s hoping that in this new year
We’ll treasure what was lost
With the salve of love
We’ll heal the pain
And become a family again.
Chicken Escapades
Four chilly chickens made their escape
When the wind blew open the gate
They longed to return
but on their own terms
Human hands won’t determine their fate.
The squawkers eluded my grasp
They ran and flew all aghast
But with water and food
And the lure of the brood
They lingered while I grabbed them fast.
How Many Hats?
How many hats
can one person wear?
How many balls
can one keep in the air?
Do it yourself
to save a dime
Bust your butt
and run out of time
Overwhelmed
And shaking my head
Things I loved
I’ve begun to dread
Slow down
Take a break… Simplify
Baby steps
Can get you by
Until you’re ready
to move around
with surer steps
on solid ground
How many hats
can one person wear?
How strong are the shoulders
How much can they bear?
Life in the boonies
I live in the boonies
away from the noise
and pressure
of city life…
Sometimes peace
is nice…
No traffic,
usually…
Neighbors
are friends,
we can walk
across town.
The cities all
an hour away
with opportunities
and things to do
But returning home
to my small town
brings comfort
to my soul.
Sleepless Night
The fat caterpillar
hung by its tail
and I watched it
…all night
I watched it
from my recliner
camera ready
while it hung
by its tail
doing nothing.
I thought it died
it stayed so still
So I prayed
God would let it live,
then walked away
put my camera down
as if no one heard.
Hours passed…
When I returned
A shiny green chrysalis
had replaced
the fat caterpillar.
I missed it all!
Should I be glad
or should I be sad?
It lived,
but…
I missed the pictures
I could have had.
Sleepless Night (2)
The chrysalis
that first was green
was beginning to turn dark
The soft wet wings
that soon would fly
were visible inside
My camera
was by my side
I watched and waited all day
All night too
my timer rang
to help keep me alert
Each half hour
it woke me up
while butterfly took her time
I prayed to God
Don’t let me miss
my chance to get this shot.
Deep in sleep
my brother called
from his home in heaven
“Janice wake up
you are missing
the best action shots”
“Wake up wake up”
he said again.
I awoke! Oh! my butterfly!
Soft rag wings
hung by its side
very wet and wrinkled
Stretching slow
she hung below
her empty shell while stretching
Snap snap snap
my shutter went
my treasures in the making
I still missed
when she emerged.
But there will be another day.
Dreaming Big
Dreaming big is fun to do
Nice big house with land to spare
Now let’s get real, keep dreams in tow;
We can’t spend cash that isn’t there.
Writing for Kids
The fun-est part of writing for kids
Is pretending to be a kid again.
Trying to think in simple ways
Wondering how I thought back then.
Eyes wide with wonder, rich with dreams
Imagination laced with fantasy
Bursts of energy, full of play
When time moved slowly day by day
That little girl that once was me
Still lives back in my memory
She shapes my stories and my rhymes
And in some ways shapes my destiny.
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