Q is for QUESTIONING SOULS #AtoZChallenge Poetry

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

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Q is for Questioning Souls and Queen Victoria Century Plant 

 

QUESTIONING SOULS

No! My education

is too lacking.

The words all

come out wrong.

Why would anybody

even care? 

Marathons are

not for weak,

questioning souls

but for

strong minds,

solid knees,

and muscular hearts 

Yes. I can

believe in myself. I can

stop braiding negativity

into disbelief. I can

start spinning confidence

into success. 

***   ***   ***

 

Questioning your worth - whether you do it to yourself or someone else feels it is their duty to do it to you - is non-productive for everyone. Better to believe in yourself and to help others to do the same.

 

P is for POSSIBILITIES #PoetryMonth #AtoZ

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

***   ***   ***

 

 P is for Possibilities and Poinsettias

 

POSSIBILITIES

There are words

I want to build on

and to use as titles

of poems. Phrases with meaning: 

Rendering a Thought Visible

Or

Attempt at the Impossible

But my page is blank

Not barren, only empty.

As the leaves of autumn

shrivel and blow away,

so has my inspiration.

Leaving behind only

Possibilities. 

Inspired by the works of Belgian artist René Magritte and an essay by Marcel Paquet: The Enigma of Poetry.

 

Do other mediums inspire/inform your poetic musings?

 

 

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O is for ORAL FIREWORKS #PoetryMonth

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

***   ***   ***

 

 O is for Oral Fireworks and Orchids 

Photo I snapped at an orchid garden on Big Island

 

 

ORAL FIREWORKS

 

Hand-knit mohair sweater

Still a treasure,

though an outgrown style. 

Sugar-coated jelly slices

Stuck between the teeth,

don’t smile. 

Oral fireworks of

Nehi Orange-Ade

on a first date. 

Teen memories bear weight,

Adults cannot carry,

and nothing can replace. 

Relive,

pretend,

embellish. 

You are but once sweet sixteen.

***   ***   ***

 

I still have that hand-knit sherbet-orange mohair sweater with the six-inch wide collar that my mom knit for me! Which item have you saved from your teen years that holds such strong memories that you pack it up to take with you every time you move?

 

N is for NO KNACK #AtoZChallenge Poetry and Flowers

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

***   ***   ***

 N is for No Knack and Narcissus

 

 

 

 

No Knack 

My Toastmasters speech

a dry run.

Tense, but eager

Using clear, concise tones.

Each word highlighting a point

on how the writing process

flows from idea sparked,

to bursting flame,

generating a complete and published work.

Then I swap the breezy artist’s cap

for one of entrepreneur – and
feel the constant drag
like wading through
a cooled pahoahoa lava flow, or

a river of mud.

 

***   ***   ***

If you are a writer who has switched hats to market your work in print, you probably understand where I was coming from when I wrote this poem. Do you find it easier to write than market your work?

 

M is for MOLDING DESTINY #PoetryMonth

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

***   ***   ***

 

 M is for Molding Destiny and Morning Glory

 

 

Molding Destiny

 

A fallacy,

both the molding

and the destiny

 

The master plan

includes free will,

without restriction

 

No ending

is pre-arranged

by calendar date:

 

Play here

Marry over there

Die on schedule

 

Rather: follow

what your heart

beats in time.

 ***   ***   ***

 

This is my favorite poem in the entire collection. I've given myself such wonderful advice: follow what your heart beats in time.
Live at your own pace. Is that a goal worth setting?

 

 

 

 

L is for LACK OF MOTION #AtoZ Poetry

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

***   ***   ***

 

L is for Lack of Motion and Lilacs
 

 

 

 

LACK OF MOTION 

Lack of motion

Limited sight

Slow breathing

 

Diminished thought

Absence of concern

Exhalation of relief

 

All this and more

As one accepts release

Falling gradually

or fast

Time and again

With ever increasing pleasure

 

Into nightly blessed sleep.

 

***   ***  ***

Just reading the words makes me sleepy. I've never suffered from insomnia so it is easy to take a good night's sleep for granted, although a scheduled talk next morning will have me tossing and turning through the night. What keeps you awake?

 

K is for KARMA in an Electronic Age #AtoZChallenge

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

***   ***   ***

 

 K is for Karma and Kobus Magnolia  

 

KARMA

Letters, addressed

Stamped and postmarked

Mailed

Delivered

Read 
 

Telegrams, then air mail

Telephones and texting

Computers and skype 
 

Instant contact through

Email smiley faces

Facebook games

Twitter characters

 

News first hand

Almost before it occurs

Births

Marriages

Careers

Instant karma in an electronic age

 

Where will the world be

When the lights go out?

***   ***   ***

 

With everything at our fingertips and our patience at an end, it is difficult to imagine if technology has us racing on a treadmill chasing the carrot or if it is technology racing to keep up with our imaginations.

J is for JOIE DE VIVRE #PoetryMonth

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

***   ***   ***

 

 J is for Joie de vivre and Jasmine

 

 

 

Facing forward

with expectant wonder,

she counts crystals in each

purple drop

of rain. 

Thunderous silence

fills her mind with lightning,

trapping future visions in

the pulsing beat

of time. 

Joie de vivre is coursing

through her bloodstream,

soothing rhythms

casting yet

another fate. 

While moonlight

focuses on wave-tossed
beaches, and trade winds

circle ever-changing,

near horizons. 

 

***   ***   ***

 

Life moves forward whether we keep up with it or not. Some days it is difficult to match "wants" with ability. On those days, I've found that it is better to sit back and let some things pass me by.

Have you ever been left with more plans then energy at the end of your day?

 

 

 

I is for IMAGINE #AtoZChallenge Poetry

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

***   ***   ***

I is for Imagine and Iris

 

 

IMAGINE

Imagine

sinking

into steaming water.

So relaxed you cannot move. 

Egrets

turn the air white

with swirling feathers.

Ever moving, while you remain still. 

Fearful

of sprouting roots,

you ask forgiveness.

And vow to stop the madness.* 

*Within this context, the madness represents society’s expectation that one must always be actively productive (or could it be your expectation of yourself?)

 

 

H is for HORIZONS #AtoZ Poetry

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

***   ***   ***

 

H is for Horizons and Hibiscus in Honolulu

 

Hibiscus at Queen Lili'uokalani Botanical Gardens in Honolulu

 

Horizons

Farms spread out

by design of county plats

Home for dinner

Each family tucked in

for the night. 

Breakfast a routine affair

Like Sunday drives

after mass

And holiday visits

to relatives. 

Roads with numbered routes

Lead to fishing holes,

And beach parks

hold dreams that encompass

only near horizons. 

Dare to break the cycle

 

***   ***   *** 

Poetry is meant to be read, not as an interpretation of the poet’s thoughts but as a means of opening the reader’s mind: to spark imagination, to recall memories long ago experienced, long forgotten; thoughts happy and sad, thought-provoking experiences that form and inform the person you are today. Do not fear the past, so you can enjoy the present and plan a happy future. Allow poetry to open for you infinite possibilities. Claim what rings true for you, leave the rest for others to explore their own awakening.

 

 

G is for GOSSIP REIGNS #Poetry for #AtoZ

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

***   ***   ***

G is for Gossip and Gladiolas (and Gail)

 

 

 

 

GOSSIP REIGNS

On lazy sun-washed afternoons

imagination turns to thoughts of

courtyard pubs, where friends gather to discuss

whatever most consumes their waking hours.

Tucked away behind the Seine in Paris, or

a secluded nook of Gloucester’s harbor,

topics range from art and plotlines, to the

tantalizing satchel in the local consignment shop.

Gossip reigns.

Food arrives, sporadically.

People pick at plates of

battered squid and cherry peppers.

Wash down Gorgonzola cheese-stuffed mushrooms

with dark beer and fresh-brewed coffee.

Or some exotic drink,

served in mugs sporting

a hodge-podge of designs.

Each holding a life’s story at the bottom,

shimmering for patrons to review

at leisure between sips.

Reality appears on no menu

in these flights of fantasy,

these parcels of precious moments,

free of conflict.

Close your eyes, relax.

Breathe deep.
 

 ***   ***   *** 

 

Is poetry well-suited for sparking the imagination and taking the reader on flights of fantasy?

F is for FULFILLMENT #AtoZChallenge #Poetry

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

***   ***   ***

F is for Fulfillment and Flamingo Flowers (Anthurium)

 

 

Fulfillment 

Happiness bubbles up from

a cauldron of endless possibilities,

giving rise to celebrations

only imagination can provide. 

At sunrise, reach for the sky

atop Mount Haleakala,

or from the comfort of

your own back yard. 

Drink sparkling liquid

laced with fresh-peeled lychee

while relaxing in the sensual

jet stream of a soothing hot tub. 

Hear the waves splashing along

Atlantic and Pacific shores; dance

flamenco in Madrid; enjoy the swans

in Brugge and Boston Common. 

All this, and more, isn’t

happiness realized;

knowing you can dream

is the true fulfillment.

 

***   ***   ***
 

Are happiness and fulfillment two sides of the same coin? Can you have one without the other?

E is for ELIXER #PoetryMonth #AtoZChallenge

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

***   ***   ***

 

E is for Elixer and Eucalyptus

Elixir

My dreams of youth

recall an endless ride.

 

Freedom to travel the fields
and back roads, racing
across shadows tossed to earth
by pines and ancient oak.

The sun, a steady companion,

often present, always eager
to return when showers end.
Wind, both friend and foe.

Youth, the elixir that turns

a long stretch of summer
into a magical adventure.

Memories of those early years of such freedom seem to get better with each recall, don't they?

D is for DREAMLESS #PoetryMonth #AtoZ

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

***   ***   ***

D is for Dreamless and Dandelion

 

 

 

DREAMLESS

The effort leaves her spent

filled with joy

Breathless.

She leans back

takes inventory, reveals

Satisfaction.

Dreamless, she sleeps,

gaining strength

Healing.

Preparing for what comes next

Already knowing, this child also

Will give her no rest.

 

***   ***   ***

 

Were you expecting this poem to take you in a different direction?

 

C is for CHILDHOOD #Poetry Month and #AtoZChallenge

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

***   ***   ***

C is for Childhood and Camilla

 

Childhood

A Magical Adventure

 

Gramma Anna shuffles the deck

for another round of five-card Rummy.

I am four years old.

The crystal candy dish visible

in the glass-front dining room hutch

holds round white mints with xxx on top.

My mouth waters at the thought of

those sugary xxx marks on my tongue,

melting. 

Deep purple plums, tangy

in their under-ripe bitterness.

At age six, a secret treasure mined

From Gramma Julia’s garden.

Kitchen fragrance,

dough rising beneath a clean

flour-sack towel.

Fillings of poppyseed, raspberry, and prune

crowned with sweet whipped cream.

Childhood

in retrospect

outshines the brightest star.

 

 ***   ***   *** 

 

Visits with my grandmothers, Anna on my mother’s side, Julia on my dad’s side, are recalled in the context of food. Both baked excellent pies, cakes, breads, and biscuits. Their candy dishes were always full.

Why do you suppose this poem might offer either a feeling of contentment or wash over someone like a wave of sorrow?