Against my better judgement, I have been reading some books on writing poetry. Some of it is helpful and some conflicts with my core writing values. These conflicts create a dissonance I hope I can wash away without too much influence on my writing.

 

POEM 23

I opened my spirit, I am in control

The heavy rush of air fills my soul

It reminded me of a fresh spring day

My morning cup of earl grey

Sweetened the start of another day

The delicious challenges awaiting me

I know I’m ready, I won’t flee

Adventure and experience sustain my soul

I follow my spirit, I am in control

POEM 24

I remember those days of shame

Friends don’t associate with my name

I alone carry the weight

The others have no cause to hate

Each day I meditate

To exorcise the feelings we all carry

To feel good, create a boundary

To live in the present

Makes all our lives pleasant

POEM 25

The dusty trail stretched ominously before me

Lined with brush, stones, and boulders

I could taste the heat and dust

Nary a tree in sight

From the glaring sun, no respite

In the distance, the view is blurry

In the day, no wildlife ventures out

The silence is almost a shout

Sweat coursing over my body

Hard to believe this was my choice

Yes, I am enjoying the strange form of fun

When I arrive back at my car

I still only see our lonely star

POEM 20

A tranquil, bucolic little town

Becomes beyond belief at sundown

The crimson sky highlights the beauty

The fishing boats on the rolling sea

This my home, my destiny

Take me back to my little town

POEM 21

Loneliness can be freedom, embrace it

It is not a curse, celebrate it

Allow yourself to stop the orbit

Be the harbinger of abundant truth

To deny it would be uncouth

Bring life to that which is youth

Be in solitude with your best friend

Allow your spirit to ascend

Let the tranquil mirth never end

POEM 22

Hand in hand we stood facing the wind

Many obstacles came before us

Hand in hand we stood facing the wind

Each day our differences clashed and battled

Hand in hand we stood facing the wind

Heartache and tragedy befell us

Hand in hand we stood facing the wind

Problems were addressed and conquered

The sun burst forth each new day

Life evolved into exceptional joy

Hand in hand we conquered the wind

POEM 17

Karma can be fickle and unpredictable

It can lead us on a path blissful

It can lead on a route to heartbreak

Only you can stop the ache

That karma exists, you needn’t agree

You are who you want to be

Ignore the meandering route to platitude

Chose the path to love and gratitude

 

POEM 18

Poetry is the vessel of life

It denies many a strife

It’s the undiluted essence of man

Like frozen fruit punch in a can

Mixed with a fifty percent vodka solution

Life is not an illusion

To be experienced, it must be read

This is not something to dread

The true story is in the reader’s head

Each time is different

Each person is different

It lets thoughts run free

Become who we were meant to be

Like a fine piece of artwork

Must include a person to make it work

However small, change is timeless

Becomes an inseparable part of us

 

POEM 19

The sea is powerful, lonesome, and desolate

Stand before it, not luck but kismet

Cast your fortune, harness it’s power

Comfort and excite for many an hour

All life began in its fury

Return to it now, cast off the worry

POEM 14

Love is a single flower in a grassy field

With freedom, it will increase the yield

The colors light and airy

Emotions as if touched by a fairy

Serenity drifts through consciousness and air

The eternal flame burns without a care

Resolute in its strength to conquer all

The synergy of love will never fall

POEM 15

The rain softly cascades down

The collective tears of humanity touch down

The catharsis of expression is freeing

Sends our cares and worries fleeing

Nourishing and encouraging springs new life

Shielding and escaping a life of strife

I stand in the rain, it doesn’t bother me

I can’t wait to revisit the sea

POEM 16

The kiss of hope

It’s a blissful thing

It lifts the burden

It makes my heart sing

The dawning of a new day is crowned

Happiness opportunities abound

The path is not to frustrate

Let wonder proliferate

Just a quick note to any of my readers. On June 1 I was involved in a nasty bicycle accident and will not be posting probably for at least two weeks. The pain medications seem to interfere with the creative process.

The first one is a repeat from a prior day.

POEM 10

The pen is an unformed repository of words

Not like the keyboard designed for nerds

The poet unleashes another day

Words are nourishment, not just something to say

Let your mind go free, your heart will be strong

A little chaotic nonsense won’t take long

For the seeds of serenity to grow,

The words of the poet are something to know

The structure of the verse is inconsequential

Feelings, emotions are the foundation of sensual

Breathe, release, breathe, release, all will be well

Embrace the new day, many stories to tell

POEM 11

We are all on this planet together

We cannot deny that butterflies affect the weather

Be kind, not just to people, but to mother earth

We can survive, we can even thrive

We will perpetuate the feeling of mirth

We must save the bear and the hive

It’s the little things that make our life grow

We must be careful; we reap what we sow

Reach your hand down, pull up a friend

If we all work together, humanity will never end

 

 

 

 

 

POEM 12

He drives down the road, chasing the sun

The miles clip by, he’s singing for fun

The dry sand and sage brush go by in a blur

The scorching sun makes it so hot, not an animal will stir

Slowly, sadness comes over him, making him gray

A day much like this, the grim reaper took his partner away

Life isn’t fair, sometimes it seems mean

The circle of life can feel like a bad dream

POEM 13

The old Adirondack chair has seen much life

It keeps the secret of the wildlife

Many of the days have been good

The weathered paint is peeling from the wood

Been sitting outside for a generation and more

Lucky its not rotten to the core

Made of sturdy stuff, probably outlast me

Much neglect, happy its not angry at me

Been with me through most of my existence

A stalwart friend in my liberation and resistance

25 jasmine register flaming shock float

The intoxicating fragrance of jasmine filled the air

It was a shock to my senses, hardly seemed fair

The flaming sun scorched the earth

It failed to register, I just didn’t care

The light clouds in the sky appeared to float

I was happy and relaxed in my sporty boat

26 enigma abort fox shy chorus

The enigma of life will always be with us

We can’t be shy, confront it, don’t be careless

The chorus of naysayers are not our friends

Don’t abort the progress persistence transcends

Be known as the shrewd fox

Open the door with many locks

The key to the universe is in your hands

Devotion to truth and honesty are its demands

27 birth telegraph wisdom nexus waste

The birth of wisdom comes at the nexus of observation, perseverance, and determination

What a waste it would be to not take action

The core of wisdom telegraphs itself to all who listen

Wisdom lights the way, the path does glisten

Folly would be to not follow the path

Best not to incur Karma’s wrath

POEM 7

The crimson dawn crept into view

Another beginning, the day it was new

I pulled on the trusty shoes, ready to start

My body ached like armageddon, but I still had heart

The years had been many, the miles had been countless

The roads have been many, the route has been aimless

What is the meaning of it all?

I need to know before the fall

One more day, here I go

Another meaningless trek, at least no snow

Home again, the morning went fast

Every day, I hope it’s not the last

The sun beating down wakes up the town

So many people with priorities upside-down

POEM 8

Can you come out to play?

We can dance the night away

A fitting respite from a dreary day

We must not toil our life away

As we twirl around the floor

The ecstasy has just begun

We flow into the music

We become one

On and on, we hope the magic never ends

When the evening is over,

Once again, we’ll just be friends

POEM 9

You chart your own destiny

The roadway of life is not a we

You can be on a parallel path

Your right to chose

Might incur some wrath

It can be a Sophie’s choice,

Chose to be free

Have no regrets in the aftermath

Its been a month since I started writing poetry. It has been very fulfilling, but at times a curse. I’m starting to think in verse. Its been a strange journey. I’m not sure exactly where my poetry comes from, but there it is. By my count, I’ve written 34 poems in the first month. I still don’t know what the technical rules for writing are. I still wonder at some of the things I’ve written. To be sure some of it is contrived and amateur. It just flows out. An example from this morning: I was doing a little reading and came across the word “pen”. A few thoughts went through my mind, none of them poetic. Then I wrote the words “The pen” on a blank piece of paper and this is what appeared:

 

The pen is an unformed repository of words

Not like the keyboard designed for nerds

The poet unleashes another day

Words are nourishment, not just something to say

Let your mind go free, your heart will be strong

A little chaotic nonsense won’t take long

For the seeds of serenity to grow,

The words of the poet are something to know

The structure of the verse is inconsequential

Feelings, emotions are the foundation of sensual

Breathe, release, breathe, release, all will be well

Embrace the new day, many stories to tell

 

My thought: “ask not what the writer meant when he wrote it, ask how you felt when you read it”. Have a day filled with joy and wonder.

In my poetry writing, my dictionary, rhyming dictionary, and thesaurus are my constant companions. We must all use the tools available to us.

22 relative omnipotent revolution oblique lambent

Life is interesting precisely because we are not omnipotent

The answer to the stream of experience is oblique

All choices are relative, most are a matter of judgment

Look for the choice with special lambent, not the one bleak

Life is a revolution, lead the charge, be magnificent

23 aureate cheese novella clumsy concuss

I was hoping this poem to be an aureate picture of life

Often, we are confronted with a clumsy verse

As long as it doesn’t concuss, it could be worse

Fortunately, not a novella, you would need some nightlife

This was to be very terse, using the word cheese

Makes it irrelevant and inverse

24 elliptic wall moon black myopic

The moon is in the seventh house, don’t be a dope

The elliptic orbit changes all that can be foreseen

Our view of the future is myopic, but not without hope

The night is inky black, moonlight is a beam

Kindness is not a wall, it will help us cope