Tanaga

Steady pen and paper meet

Combining in a grand feat

Leaving behind scenes replete

With magic and wonder sweet

The Tanaga is the Filipino version of the haiku, which is written with four rhyming lines of seven syllables each.

Shared with dVerse.

Mango Market

Some choose mangos by the smell

But the yellow scent of heaven

Is all the same to me

I go by feel; Goldilocks-like

Too firm, too squishy, just right

Weighed out and priced

My pesos for a taste of paradise

Backwards Poem

At long last the kite flies free!

He loosens it from the tree

A ladder fetched and leaned up

Her cries heard by a kind grownup

The girl looks up through the leaves in tears

Higher and higher! 'Til into the tree it steers

Dipping and diving and soaring!

To the park she races clutching the string.

All set up and ready for flight

Down from the shelf comes the glorious kite

Today's poem comes from the NaPoWriMo prompt to write a poem backwards. So if you start at the end of the poem and read it from bottom to top, it will actually make sense.

Purrfect Day

 

A purring cat, a well-worn book

And my hot chocolate standing by

All curled up in a cozy nook

While the rain patters down from the sky

I’m all set up and I’m here to stay

For the cat has deigned to nap in my lap

Who can dream of a better day?

While the rain on the window taps

The book is long and thrilling

The cat and I are turning pages

The coco is hot and steaming

While the wind and the rain outside rages

Who can dream of a better day?

Than I with my cat and cup and book and rain?

Rose Bower

 Within the rose bower

white rosebuds

tinged with pink hang heavy and sweet

swelling every hour

like a flood

more roses than the eye can greet

Titleless

My family's odd I warn my date

He grins, insisting the night will be great

My mom's a witch, my dad's a warlock

My brothers shout curses instead of small talk

My sister keeps her hydra in the hall

He says he can't wait to meet them all

Walking to the door I'm breathing quickly

My sight's blurring and my stomach's prickly

The banshee on the stairs doesn't phase him

Nor the hydra's hundred looks dark and grim

He greets my brothers super politely

And my sister in a way most knightly

When dad slaps his back I lose my worry

We're all laughing when mom makes her entry

He kisses her hand she calls him a dear

Poof! He's on the table a spotted deer

My family feeds him salad, berries, hay

They say that they like him better this way

He's joining in the wild frolicking

I turn away, they're so embarrassing!

Day of Rest

head of every week
Day of Rest
restoring my soul
lay down your toils
cease your work
and sing of Zion
join in fellowship
worship Him
in glad, grateful thanks
on this Day of Rest

Sleepyhead

The sun is shining faintly in the west
Casting shadows over garden and lawn
My child you've played the day through without rest
"Wide awake!" you say, but I see your yawn

Come inside my child now that playtime's through
Pull off your worn shoes and surviving sock
Leave the daytime adventures behind you
Slip on pajamas warm and note the clock

All your stuffed animals are standing guard
And every single picture book is read
Pillows fluffed and covers pulled back unmarred
So stubborn sleepyhead, climb into bed

Under heavens sprinkled with soft starlight
And now at last let me whisper good night

Catching the Muse

rides a unicorn through the sky
that's me, never tied to the ground
flying past mountains onward bound
led by the light of fireflies
into the land of dreams my friend
waking dreams with no start nor end
where muses dwell and dance and sing
while tales are born and laughter rings
ride a unicorn there my friend

Paint Chip Walk

Gray Lake covered in Silver Mist
the Lake House a Gray Mirage
Dark Lilacs nod and Whisper Violet
secrets to the Windy Sky
Counting Stars on the Cedar Path
past the Wishing Well in Purple Rain
Waiting for the First Light closing Summer Nights



Capitalized words are names of paint chips from Benjamin Moore.

Paradise

Under the flowering plum

I lie upon the grass

Laced with fallen petals

Clover leaves, twisted twigs 

Bright maned dandelions

Spring’s attire

The breeze blows soft

The sun speckles through the shade

Why then should I leave

When this is paradise enough for me?

The Poet is Sick

The poet is sick today
Her health has twisted away
Flown off on vacation
To a new destination
While the poet languishes
Trapped in several anguishes
Nausea, vomit, norovirus
Banes for each of us
The poet is sick today
Her health was twisted away
Write poems?
No way! 

Clowder Trio

Super Cat

ink

pawed

tail-dipped

Siamese

donning shrouding mask

dashing through the night fighting crime

Calico Cat

sweet tri-colored cat

still purring

content to claim your lawful right

gourmet feasts, friendly pats

and keeping

all joys that fall within your sight

 

Book Cat

tiny kitten in the bookcase

cavorting between the manuals

keeping gleaming tomes in their place

for she’s the librarian here

she knows each volume purrfectly

from the ones that make her castle

to the ones where she naps with glee

for she’s the librarian here

peeking out from behind the shelf

batting hands to fruitful titles

she is as helpful as an elf

for she’s the librarian here

curled up soundly in the archive

bewhiskered Queen of the novels

presiding as books come alive

for she’s the librarian here

A clowder is a group of cats.

Sabbath

bright
morn
that day
when our Lord
left the tomb behind
broke death and set us free from sin
Hosanna! We reverence Him now and forever
as we gather here together
in praise and worship
remember
always
His
day

 This poem is based off of the Fibonacci sequence which is 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 (and so on). Each line has a syllable for the number of the sequence and then after 13 syllables I turned around and went backwards. Who says math and English can't mix?

Kitten Mischief

playful kittens tossing aqua string

variegated yarn rolling everywhere

as tiny paws expertly bat and whack

those tabby paws and yarn entangling

then lightly springing up from the snare

stringing mischief from room to room

and when kitten paws begin to slack

sleep amid the yarn anxious to resume

This is a  San San, a poem with seven lines, three repeating words or phrases and a specific rhyme scheme. 

Tie Up a Posy

pocket full of posy
written words
carefully chiseled thought by thought
some raspy some rosy
configured
and then placed polished in its spot

A posy is a small bouquet or a short verse.



Shared with dVerse

Spring Rain

silver droplets glazing
apple buds
tightly folded; into jewels
pearls and diamonds sparkling
like soapsuds
ephemeral spring molecules

Through the Portal

 

for dVerse

like a bright fantasy

shimmering

hazy veil of mirrored pool

distorts reality

entering

dreams of radiant fairy rule

Star Path

far above the sky
spilled milk glows
pathway through the night

Diamonds and Toads

I tremble for, I see
snakes and wasps tumbling from my lips
fighting to be free a gleaming bevy of
scales and wings like emeralds, opals, pearls
the words I spoke when I met the fairy
flying spiteful, I never dreamed
the punishment of such famed bounty
never decreasing would ever be called mine!

Another cleave poem! The italics and regular font can be read as two separate poems. It is based on a fairy tale by Charles Perralut originally titled "The Fairies" but often called "Diamonds and Toads."

Sleeping Platypus

curled tight; beaver tail
across your gray duck-like bill
all tucked up for dreams


Sleeping platypuses are adorable. You should go google them.

Cactus

Stark
dry land
wilderness
bronze dust as far
as the eye can see.
Yet brave green arises
prickly needles poking
stabbing all those unaware.
and yet 'tis beautiful despite pain
majestic conqueror of the desert.

shared with dVerse

Spring Calling

 for dVerse

Spring green grass and spring soft wind
Shower me with greetings
While spring new tulips bloom up to the sky

I see them from my window
I see them from my car
In hurry-flurry moments; I see them

Calling, calling: Come out, come out

Puss

soft boots
terrible claws
all the armor you need
for a war against an ogre
mouse turned

Train Travels

for dVerse

The train comes flying down the track
Screeching past my luggage stack
For there's adventure to attract
No looking back! No looking back!

Pulling out into bold sunlight
Hurtling into great delight
Directly to each shining sight
The future's bright! The future's bright!

Fairy Garden

shared with dVerse

Today I found a fairy realm

It’s almost too small to glimpse

I’ve marked out the country’s borders

Searching the garden’s every inch

From wood porch to coriander

Today I found a fairy realm

Underneath Rosella Purple

Tiny roads through the pumpkin patch
Hidden in the garden leaves

Wee houses made with fennel thatch

Today I found a fairy realm

The navy’s in the lily pond

A palace in the collard greens

With soaring flags of silverwhites

I hope someday I’ll meet the queen!

Today I found a fairy realm

Where tiny markets sell rhubarb seeds

Walnut mugs, and bright blue bonnets

From early morn until the eve

When lamps with dragonflies are lit

Today I found a fairy realm

I just can’t tear myself away

Amid the green there’s so much to see

One question leaves me wondering

When ever shall they find me?




Rosella Purple is a tomato.
Silverwhites are garlic. 

Rumpelstiltskin

for dVerse

Firelight reveals
Dusty straw; spinning wheel
For the king's iornclad deal
Gold or death's seal

Little wonder she heeded
The voice that greeted

An unsual sight
The girl and spirte
Her paranormal knight
Escaping the blight

Morning light shines cold
Over the shimmering gold

Magnolia

mauve magnolia
unfolding
spring with broad petals

Xyst

Xyst

xylocarp coconut trees line the walk

xenopus swims through the adjacent stream

xeruses dash from shadow to shrub between

xiphoid-like leaves down to the salty shore where

xebecs lower their sails docking in a seeming

xerox of paradise tucked away like a

xenolith from prying eyes.

NaPoWriMo continues!

For in depth definitions (some with pictures) click on the links in the poem.

Quick definitions as follows:

Xyst - a walk with trees

Xylocarp - a woody fruit like the coconut

Xenopus - African clawed frog

Xerus - African ground squirrel

Xiphoid - Sword like

Xebecs - A Mediterranean ship with three masts

Xenolith - A rock inside an igneous rock

The Pleiades poem is a seven line poem where the title and first word of each line all begin with the same letter.

The Pleiades were seven sisters who fled from Orion and eventually became a constellation, so there is one line for each sister. It crossed my mind to wonder how hard it would be to write a Pleiades beginning with X... so I learned a lot of new X words today!

The Pleiades can also be written with just six syllables because only six of the stars can be seen with the naked eye. However, I figured going all X's would be hard enough without restricting the syllables.

I Know the Myths and You Know the Math

Welcome to National Poetry Writing Month were poets are invited to write a new poem every day in April. This is my first year and I am more than excited for it! Here's the first of thirty!

shared with dVerse

I Know the Myths and You Know the Math

Daydreamer of stars and particles
fantastic things and graceful theorems
riddles and words carefully crafted
poems, stories ready to be solved
opened up and expounded upon

shared with all the awestruck listening ears
apt stargazers counting the heavens
creating magic solving the unknown.

I just discovered Cleave Poems over at Jane Dougherty's blog. Cleave is a strange word that means "to tear apart" as well as "to cling to" and that is what this poem does. It is one poem with with two poems written side by side. If you read the regular font and the italic font by themselves they are separate poems, so really this is three poems in one!

  

For more poetry fun, check out the NaPoWriMo website.