Saturday, October 17, 2009

green rain


Thank you to Tea leaves ‘n Honey for the suggestion of conquer. It is a word that has many connotations. I have responded to one that called to me and am curious to discover yours.


Green Rain

the final rapping
on the pane
is never as bad
as what we hide
inside green rain
on tears
and more

To My Web Family

Dear Web Family,

We have been in the midst of a family crisis for the past 6+ weeks. Please be patient with me if I do not visit or am slow to respond to your thoughtful comments. Know that I do read them when I can and they bring much comfort. Where ever you may be, I hope that you are enjoying the seasons unfolding.

Much love,
Anna

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Arcturus



Thanks to Joseph Harker of Naming Constellations for this week's prompt, talisman.


Arcturus

thoughts dart
senseless
‘neath foamy krill
lidded whys
trawl
unwitnessed
neither heads nor tails

I am a red star
fading
take my years
I am jasper
in your palm


Saturday, October 10, 2009

Happy Birthday John Prine

No, I haven’t been tagged. And yes, I’m doing this meme of my own choosing.

In my virtual meanderings, I spotted this meme on Poetikat’s site.

I enjoyed what she did with it and filed it away as a form that could be fun to play with.

So tonight, as a tribute to John Prine, on his 63rd birthday, I offer a potpourri of songs, sorted through the filter of My Life According to John Prine:

1. Are you a male or female? - Donald and Lydia

2. Describe yourself: - Illegal Smile

3. How do you feel? – We Could

4. Describe where you currently live: - Other Side of Town

5. If you could go anywhere, where would you go? – Lake Marie

6.Your favorite form of transportation: - Morning Train

7. Your best friend is: - Far from me

8.Your favorite color is: - Blue Umbrella

9. What's the weather like? - Humidity Built the Snowman

10. Favorite time of day: - A Crooked Piece of Time

11. If your life was a TV show, what would it be called? – Linda Goes to Mars

12. What is life to you? – In Spite of Ourselves

13 Your relationships: - I Know One

14. Your fear: - being Pretty Good

15. What is the best advice you have to give? – Fish and Whistle

16. If you could change your name, you would change it to: -- ‘Til a Tear Becomes a Rose

17. Thought for the day: - Let’s Invite Them Over

18. How I would like to die: - Killing the Blues

19. My soul's present condition: - Often is a Word I Seldom Use

20. My motto: - All the Best

John Prine was born in Maywood, Illinois 63 years ago today. He worked at the post office in his hometown. On the side, he began playing in coffee shops in the evenings. One day, the film critic Roget Ebert went to see a movie that he didn't like very much. He left the theater early and headed down the street to get a beer instead. He happened to go to the bar where Prine was filling in with background music. And so instead of writing a movie review that week, Ebert wrote a review called "Singing Mailman Delivers the Message,". Suddenly John Prine had a full house every time he played. This is where it all started.

John Prine’s star shone brightly as he began to expose his gift to the world.

His songs are about the things that each day holds and gives up. He writes in effortless verse that brims with wit, observation and unabashed love.

They made love in the mountains, they made love in the streams,
They made love in the valleys, they made love in their dreams.
But when they were finished there was nothing to say,

'Cause mostly they made love from ten miles away.

from Donald and Lydia

And the gold rolled through his veins
Like a thousand railroad trains,
And eased his mind in the hours that he chose,
While the kids ran around wearin' other peoples' clothes...
from Sam Stone

When John Prine sings about love lost, your heart breaks alongside his. In listening to Sam Stone’s story, you cannot help but realize that wars do not end on the battlefield.
Simply put, John Prine can make you feel as though you’ve lived a whole lifetime in 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

Please feel free to post your own My Life According to (fill in your favorite songwriter) and please let us know where we can find your impressions.
Here are the guidelines:

1) Answer the questions as well as you can, but using only song names from one artist.
2) Try not to repeat a song title.

I hope this inspires you to share some of your favorite songs. And wherever you may be, I hope this finds you well and with music in your heart.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

falling leaves

I have missed wordzzles, playing with the words and reading everyone’s quirky and inspired stories. To say life has been crazy busy would be an understatement. Last night, I took a look at next week’s words, and decided to jump in with both feet now. I must admit to feeling a bit rusty. Anyway, here’s my offering. Hello to all the wordzzle Houdinis. Hope all is well with you.

This Week's Ten Word Challenge will be: Tibetan sky, symbols, won’t you come home Bill Baily, shadow figures, brain cortex, practice makes perfect, life, start of school, lavender, chow down

And for the mini: mental hospital, falling leaves, apple cider, packing crates, clues


It was that time of year where everything from the mullet to the grasshopper was peaking. A full flush fanned the table. The ripened tassels swilled in the hills. Priscilla was afraid that all this brilliance would crest too soon, disappear without a trace. This damned season which caused her clouded blood to slow.

This was the 20th anniversary of the “unraveling‘’ which had landed her in the Oak Hills Mental Hospital. It was painful to think about. For so many years the memory of it had dwelled in her marrow, rebuffed. And the hooded dread had swelled and had its way.

With the start of school, she was hopeful again. Life was full of symbols. The falling leaves carnelian under a wide Tibetan sky.

Priscilla stared at the packing crates stacked in a self satisfied configuration in the SW corner of the room. They stared back at her. Filled to the brim with keepsakes not worth keeping. Spiral journals penned in lavender ink. It was the close of her 19th summer and she was tired of tracking down clues. Shadow figures lurked on every corner. Paul’s unsandeled feet portended death. The Phrygian caws were a certain sign. And the jam between her toes was full of mold.

She sat at the piano, fingering chords that filtered through her brain cortex like shadowed figures. Won’t you come home Bill Baily. Won’t you come home? She wanted to hear the refrain again. Practice makes perfect. She cupped the mulled apple cider closer. Then chuckled to herself, reinforcing the comfort that flooded. The falling leaves were at once beautiful in their covenant. Soon she would chow down blissfully on butternut soup. And open her books.

These were the burning times!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Fog


Thanks to Sweetest in the Gale for this week's prompt, fog.



fog

mornings
heavy and damp
hang
as doppelgangers

I have been
here before
afraid
at times like this
the tired air
must be plucked
tenderly

Monday, September 7, 2009

Romance





Thanks to Geraldine of My Poetic Path for this week's prompt,”romance”.
Please visit all the poets at One Single Impression to sample this week’s offerings.

Romance

-noun
the thrill of being dislodged

-verb
to court and to woo

(personal derivative meaning)


a lovely stranger
in the wings
shakes loose
a talus
of regret and old English



Summer’s End


A Temporary Blindness

this!
a temporary blindness
overtakes you
and you wonder
out loud
how can liquid particles
exhaled in this way
later return
so sweetly as rain.


Green

even the most
seasoned
among us
become unhinged
in the presence of
excrescent splendor

the hours turn green
all the waiting is done
we wrap our legs gladly
around the plump stalk
of summer
exhaling pleasure.


Tall Grass

Sonny’s long sleeved manicure
of summer’s overgrowth
tries in vain
to bring
the neighborhood back.


Mahogany

a fugitive sound
hurries by
on padded feet


Chinese checkers

words
bashful and unrehearsed
queen each other

syllogism is comfort
in dark corners