Earth and Stars, Music: Haibun

I wake to news of carnage. I wonder, fraught at what is wrought by men and guns and crazed ideas. My spirit feels wounded, unable to summon the joy. Yet I know it is there, buried in my heart, waiting to soar. I know that above me, the stars still sing, and the moon hums her changing melody, calling the tides. Come play, she croons, come roll and prance.  Music of the universe, music of Earth. Listen–there the mockingbird, and there the robin, and there up at the top of the oak tree, the blue jay squawking. The gift of song, it’s all around us.

Joyful spirits sing

the sound of a summer breeze

laughs through a window

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Frank Bramley, “When the Blue Evening Slowly Falls,” [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

This Haibun is a for Colleen’s Poetry Challenge. The prompt words were spirit and joy. Since I didn’t participate last week, I also used that week’s words, gift and song.

 

 

 

 

Stars and Spring: NaPoWriMo

Spring meander,

goose and gander

sit on their nest

take turns then rest,

lilac scents the air

children play, feet bare

without a care,

each laughing cry

floats to the sky

twinkling bright

in the night,

the goosey pair

now aware

honk and stare,

look with delight

at sparkling light

dancing, giggling in the night

 

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Canada Geese by the Delaware River, Red Bank Battlefield, National Park, NJ

 

This is Day 28, NaPoWriMo. We’re asked to write a poem in Skeltonic verse. The form is named for English poet John Skelton (c. 1463 – 21 June 1529). It is also called Tumbling verse.

Song and Dance: A Quadrille

Daffodils smile,

dance awhile,

giggle when tickled by the breeze,

tease,

they bask in light,

their faces bright,

listen to the robins sing,

melodies of spring,

flowery laughs join birdsong,

a sing-a-along

till day is gone, all unspun,

the moon rises with a hum

 

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This is for dVerse .  The Quadrille Monday prompt from De Jackson (aka WhimsyGizmo) is “giggle.” (Doesn’t the word giggle make you giggle?) This photo is from a few years ago. Our daffodils haven’t bloomed yet, but they are starting to come up. They make me happy. A quadrille is a poem of 44 words; it is also a dance.

 

 

 

Angels and Magic: Magnetic Poetry

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Walters Art Museum [Public domain, CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

 

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There are fools surrounding a god

of smoke & poison

remember angel voices caramel breath linger long,

listen–

“it is I,

time to wake”

embrace this desire & live no prisoner

fever haunted

laugh open our secret magic

never let peace go

 

 

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in warm night

a marble boy is born

the star bleeds

delicious colors

and will heal him

it is salt-rhythm poetry

glass and fire

for a wild heart

 

Saturday Magnetic Poetry. The Oracle decided to go with some magical realism, or surrealism, or perhaps it’s time for Angels in America (again).  The Oracle is cryptic.

 

Laugh, Dream, and Celebrate

“Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever.”

–Walt Disney

 

About a week ago I woke up from a dream. It involved some sort of complicated story line that unfortunately I don’t remember—because I think it was probably a pretty fabulous story. Then again, maybe not. I do remember that in the dream I was trying unsuccessfully to get Google maps to work on a phone (which appeared to be covered in some thick yellowed plastic, like an old fashioned cellophane wrapper). I was not panicking or frustrated in the dream, merely trying to find my way.

 

I’m taking that as a metaphor of life.

 

Most of us struggle to find a path–or at least a clear set of directions–through the paths and by-ways of our lives.  And it’s best not to panic. Sometimes it’s even fun to meander, or take a brief tour into uncharted territory.

 

During this time of year, everywhere you turn, there are articles about New Year’s resolutions. Both ordinary people and celebrities give advice. Guess what? I don’t have any. My life is not your life, and who am I to presume to have answers?

 

In recent weeks, I’ve become somewhat overwhelmed by the many projects that I am working on—and that all seem to be due at the same time.  (Why DID I agree to write that book review, too? I guess I better read the book soon.) It’s hard to fit everything in, to be a good daughter, mother, wife, and friend—and to give equal time to physical and mental pursuits.

 

 So this is a reminder to myself—one step at a time. It will get done.

 

For over thirty years, my husband and I have celebrated New Year’s Eve with some dear friends.  Almost every year we’ve had Chinese food; sometimes take out, sometimes in a restaurant; sometimes with children, sometimes without.  When our children were small, we spent the night at our friends’ house, and then had brunch together the next morning. That started our tradition of New Year’s Day Cinnabons. (Yes, I’m a good baker, and I could bake my own cinnamon rolls, but that’s not the tradition! Remember how I like traditions?) 

 

So here is another reminder to myself—take time to remember and nourish (in both ways) friendships.

 

And here is probably the most important reminder—don’t forget to laugh every day, to have a bit of fun—and don’t forget to dream.  (OK. It’s also important to eat chocolate, but I don’t need a reminder for that, and you probably don’t either.)

 

I will do my part to give you a chuckle, as a New Year’s present. Here is one I just saw today. It’s from a collection of jokes sent in by scientists to the Guardian. I’m not a scientist, but I like it because it’s about books and typos—you have to admit, typos can be pretty funny.

 

A new monk shows up at a monastery where the monks spend their time making copies of ancient books. The new monk goes to the basement of the monastery saying he wants to make copies of the originals rather than of others’ copies so as to avoid duplicating errors they might have made. Several hours later the monks, wondering where their new friend is, find him crying in the basement. They ask him what is wrong and he says “the word is CELEBRATE, not CELIBATE!”

A Happy New Year to my family and friends—including those in the blogger world.  I hope you all find peace, love, and happiness in 2014.

Thanks for reading!

Merril/ Super Momma/Aspiring Queen of the Universe

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