Day 6 NaPoWriMo 2022

Today we had a mission – doctor appointment! Pick up prescription! Bank! Oh, why the heck not, Lunch! Then it was some odds and ends to straighten up.

Another mostly gray, early spring day but the signs are all sneaking in. My junior high science teacher had us keep a list of all the signs of spring we saw – buds, birds, animals, weather, everything. It was a great exercise in observation and provided a way to introduce bird identification too!

I am always reminded of Robert Frost’s poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay” when I see a willow doing its thing against the brown background, so when I read the NaPoWriMo prompt… well I had to give it a go. “I’d like you to write a poem that reproduces a phrase with the first words of each line.”

nature’s waiting game
first buds pinking up the hills
green still a surprise
is this a true sign
gold finches don their yellow
her thoughts turn to love
hardest part of year
hue emerging from gray brown
to gold green washes
hold that willow close

Posted in Do the Work, gardens and flowers, haiku, In the neighborhood, life around us, NaPoWriMo, Poetry and Lyrics, taking time to look, the creative process, weather | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Day 5 NaPoWriMo 2022

Today was the day to go out and check on the two cats. Did a couple errands on the way and grocery shopped on the way back. Admired the single species crocus in bloom in the front yard and all the daffodils who are some days away from blossoming. The deer have eaten the hostas level with the ground.

The cats were especially glad to see me because I came bearing a new bag of cat food.

Tonight watched the rest of Ken Burns’ documentary on Benjamin Franklin. Last night I was very distracted by the music, tonight the individual tunes didn’t insist I figure out what they were. All in all very interesting – many sides of Franklin I’d never heard of and I was surprised by the difference in his age against his fellows like Adams and Washington et al.

turned the corner and
there I was, just sitting, and
thinking and being

down the road a ways
paused to let reality
cut me off again

finally got home
put away the shopping
for another week

alt reality
two cats welcoming me home
bee line to food bowls

Some flowers for Mom from my shopping today:

Posted in cats helpful cats, Do the Work, gardens and flowers, haiku, life around us, NaPoWriMo, note to self, Poetry and Lyrics, taking time to look, the creative process | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Day 4 NaPoWriMo

A different kind of Monday – waited for a package – yeah! which came – yeah! and the new pen was beautiful – yeah! and the new ink was good – yeah! but the nib size was wrong and I didn’t realize it right was wrong – boo!

On the other hand, it was an interesting experience to try the BIGGEST nib this company makes when I was expecting an Extra Fine nib and the company I bought it from was fabulous when I chatted them up about it. So it’s on its way back and hopefully soon I’ll have the right size one.

Didn’t do much else today really except go to the post office to start the pen’s return trip. Why then am I so hungry and why did I think of this poem when I started to think about writing a day four poem? I don’t know but once I’d started down that road there was no turning back. (The NaPoWriMo prompt was “Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem . . . in the form of a poetry prompt.”

It’s not often I can dip my toe into a prompt so here it is:

this is just to say

your poetic prompt:
to explore a
rash of crimes
in your locality

and if any
should involve
a theft of fruits
left to chill

offer some
forgiveness
and empathy —
they were so sweet

Posted in Do the Work, food, fountain pens, NaPoWriMo, Poetry and Lyrics, silliness, the creative process | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Day 3 NaPoWriMo 2022

It’s earlier than normal for me to be sending haiku out into the world but hey, sometimes they’re just there, laying alongside your morning tea cup, right?

Welcome visitors, and thank you for your comments! Isn’t it a lovely thought to think about a tour of so many poets visiting so many other poets this month? Sort of a world cruise in its own world within a world!

I look for routine
among the shreds of daily —
what feels normal?

to fill, to empty,
to dirty, to clean again,
to go and return

familiar comforts
in troubling times — to stop,
pour the tea — drink it

Posted in coffee and tea, covid19, Do the Work, haiku, NaPoWriMo, Poetry and Lyrics, taking time to look, the creative process | 4 Comments

Day 2 NaPoWriMo

Quiet day but it started out with the solution to using up bananas: Banana pancakes!

morning slatted light
across the waiting table
glowing sugar bowl

banana pancakes
filled two plates and our stomachs
jolly good breakfast.

quiet afternoon
some mundane tasks accomplished
now what’s for dinner?

and a bonus quote, via Salada tagline:

Posted in Do the Work, food, From the Quote Box, haiku, NaPoWriMo, Poetry and Lyrics, taking time to look, the creative process | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments