Today’s SoCS prompt is to find a word that starts with U and use it in the post. “Bonus points if it’s the first word in your post,” Linda says.
Unfold the paper flowers you gave me — three lilies —
And the paper vase they cams in — so pretty! —
Stack all the pieces in a pile and
Set them on fire
Disclaimer: no origami was harmed in the making of this poem.
This week’s sijo is inspired by summer. I also thought about Fandango’s word for today, “scorch.” I could probably write something better, but I’m decently happy with this, and at least it’s something. 🙂 Pretty true to my summer experience.
As temperatures outside climb past 90, become scorching,
Intensity of my family’s love of air-conditioning,
Makes this one of the coldest seasons, when experienced.
Edit: I just wrote a second sijo.
“Summer Produces”
Strawberries ripening, almost more quickly than we can eat,
Peaches colored like sunrise, days starting early due to much light,
And memories, of other reasons to love this season.
For example, swimming, or in my case, playing in the water. I don’t do that anymore.
With today’s MVB prompt being “marshmallow,” I was inspired (I guess) to write this, for DVerse Poetics.
The best marshmallow Is the kind lit on fire, Golden-brown is overrated Patience not needed for The most delicious s'more: Sandwiched 'twixt two Graham crackers with rich Chocolate, its sugar melts into A gooey mess, highlight Of a happy summer's night.
“‘Oh.’ the priest said, ‘That’s another thing altogether — God is love. I don’t say the heart doesn’t feel a taste of it, but what a taste. The smallest glass of love mixed with a pint-pot of ditchwater. We wouldn’t recognize that love. It might even look like hate. It would be enough to scare us — God’s love. It set fire to a bush in the desert, didn’t it, and smashed open graves and set the dead walking in the dark. Oh, a man like me would run a mile to get away if he left that love around!
Another quotation from The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene, which I am still reading. For One-Liner Wednesday. I have read that one of the Church Fathers (I don’t remember who) said that the fire of God’s love is the same as the fire of hell. I don’t pretend to really understand that, but this quotation reminded me of that. Hell is eternal separation from God, and although it is terrible, I have read that those in hell do prefer it to being with God in heaven.
I’m not a theologian, though.
Reposting this poem from early March 5 years ago for Fandango’s Flashback Friday and linking with DVerse Open Link. I still relate to this (probably about 10 times more than when I wrote it) and hope to be able to take my own advice and see life like this, even when it feels nasty, and it seems like you’re at rock bottom (and then you realize that rock bottom has a basement…). One hopes that the metaphorical cake that will eventually be baked will NOT taste nasty! In the meantime, I might eat some literal cake to make myself extra cheerful. 🙂 Just kidding but also not.
Finally, I am posting an octave for the paint-chip poetry prompt, which Linda has challenged us with all month. This is with last week’s words, not this week’s, but I am sharing it anyway because I’m kind of proud of the fact that I used all 5 paint chips. 🙂 Sharing with the Writers’ Pantry today.
Today for Quadrille Monday, the prompt word is “ash.” I wrote this as a cherita, too, since it happened to work that way.
Doesn’t everyone want a chance at a new life? Continue reading
A poem in couplets for MVB: Lamp and FOWC: Combination, linked up with DVerse’s open-link night.
Arise, O lamp of dawn,
And let the night be gone!
How quickly the night fell,
That force-fed taste of Hell.
How dark the dead of night;
How dead one leaves that fight.
A combination of
Sleeplessness, dearth of love
Makes one almost give up,
Fumbling salvation’s cup —
Until the sun returns:
Yet how these trials burn!
One of my favorite pursuits is writing poems, and I love to try new forms. One such form is the Mirrored Refrain, which is our challenge at DVerse Poets. However, I don’t always make time to write for every prompt that I want to try! It can be overwhelming at times to have several vague ideas at once but no idea how to solidify them. Occasionally, even though creative writing is fun and tends to be stress-relieving and make me come alive, moments like that can also make me anxious. (For example, I forgot to respond to this prompt about fire last week, so now I’m responding quickly to his prompt about anxiety. 🙂 )
This was inspired by today’s FOWC: Laconic and the Sunday Writing Prompt from MLMM, “great balls of fire.” I decided to also combine it with the photo challenge. Might as well link up with the Writers’ Pantry, too. 🙂
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