Tag: Poemtober

Poemtober – Weeks 2, 3, & 4

Denise Krebs2 Comments

October 7 – Drip

Drip

dr
ipdr
ipdripdri
pdripdripdrip
dripdripdripdripdr
ipdripdripdripdripdrip
dripdripdripdripdripdrip
dripdripdripdripdripd
ripdripdripdripdrip
dripdrop

 

October 8 – Toad
Short and brown
Good friend Toad, a little down
Glad green Frog and he reflected
Lobel’s selves, connected

October 9 – Bounce
Bounce along–
Won’t
I someday be
Well
Again? Yes (I think…)
Now health is such a gift to treasure.

October 10 – Fortune
Dear Fortune,

How did I spend almost
my whole white life
not paying attention
to the fact that you play
favorites based on
‘Merica’s crass history?

With questions,
Me

October 11 – Wander
wander
eyes wide open
with appreciation
creative formation
unplanned hope in
ponder

October 12 – Spicy

Spicy delicious
Full of flavor
Fall chili
Rich &
Hot
Hot
& rich
Fall chili
Full of flavor
Spicy delicious

October 13 – Rise

Rise
Above
Life’s cold fray,
Like the morning
Sun that resets our
Soul sadness, daily
giving us hope
for newness
Believe
Up

October 14 – castle
He makes a hundred million dollars
each year, is riddled with anxiety,
and his adult children all live at home.

She rents a room from a mother and son,
helps them with their laundry,
and cooks in a microwave in her room.

The joy on her face shows who has a castle

October 15 – dagger

knocked, assaulted, choked, stabbed
dozens of times: mother and son
hate crime, unthinkable escalation
Gaza war exported to Chicago by a
monster of a man who once
built a treehouse

Read more about Wadea Alfayoumi with a gift article from me at Washington Post.

October 16 – angels
when times are oppressive
God’s protective calming cloud
peace in the world

October 17 – demon
Who will
cast out
the demon
of hatred?
How will
anyone be able
to pay for the
atrocities?
What will
bring justice
and peace?

October 18 – saddle
up
in the
saddle of
domination–
looking out at your
wicked realm. Will you see
that you are not so lofty?
Your power is manufactured
from whipping, stepping down, and kicking
those you have consigned to a lower place.

October 19 – plump
Whose name rhymes with rump and frump?
He’s one we should at last dump.
He’s plump and reaping a thump.
Failed reality show chump!

October 20 – frost
#WhyIWrite
As Kafka said, “A book
must be the axe
for the frozen sea
within us.”
A pen then is balm
for the axe wounds
I write to heal
to process
to contemplate
to go deeper
I write to leave
a small mark
I write to thaw
the frost that is left

October 21 – chains
War and its threat equal chains
When will we be free?
Can we make real gains
if we listen to each other?
Hatred of the ages strains
our capacity for love
Glean from heart and brains
to cause a path to agree
and avoid war stains

October 22 – scratchy
What? Dippity do
Scritchy scratchy too
I squeal

Shibble shabble shoe
Double trouble true
Big deal!

October 23 – celestial
Celestial
Marshmallows burnt just right
Settled round the fire light—cold backs
Warm fronts, time to relax.
Then looked up, viewed star tracks—chatter
turned to higher matters
Universal star spatter, bright moon
Soul space, Divine commune

October 24 – shallow
Deep
calls out
to deep but
at times shallow
wins

October 25 – dangerous

Hoping peace will be found
Lines of warring background
Bloodshedding justice drowned

October 26 – remove

Let’s remove Republicans from power
Election is one year away: blue wave
To the former guy they continue to cower
Let’s remove Republicans from power
We’ll use our votes on the House to scour
To save our Republic, we must be brave
Let’s remove Republicans from power
Election is one year away: blue wave

The following is a Golden Shovel poem with a striking line from something Mike Johnson said yesterday. “At the end of the day it’s the problem of the human heart, not the weapons…we have to protect the second amendment.”

October 27 – beast

At the End of the Day,
Mike Johnson, that is B.S. It’s
definitely the
guns that are the problem.
As if people of
other nations don’t have the
same worries of human
mental illness and evil heart
condition. But in the U.S. we cannot
resist using the
war-machine-killing-weapons
we’ve stockpiled. We
must stop. We have
to keep and save humanity, to
lift life and protect.
It is well past time to abolish the
gun-worshiped second
amendment.

October 28 – sparkle
precious shining lights
glitter on her eyelashes
flutter under night
constellations brightening
her mark on the nighttime world

October 29 – massive

His size is astronomical
Could it be gastronomical?

October 30 – rush

Traffic
is bad today. When will
we get relief? Soon as
abode-advent
rush-hush

October 31 – fire

Fire
intense, angry
blazing, searing, scorching
first hot then cold
chilling, blasting, penetrating
frosty, crisp
Ice

Slice of Life – A Covid-19 Lazy Sonnet

Denise Krebs13 Comments
October 3, 2023 TwoWritingTeachers.org

A Covid-19 Lazy Sonnet

virus
fever
iris
griever

scrapheap
headache
asleep
awake

health
capsized
stealth
surprise

BUT feeling
healing

 

Two years ago I wrote a small poem each day in October using a word from the Inktober prompts. I thought I would challenge myself again this year with the new list. Does anyone want to join me?

Small Poems

October 1 – Dream
We
will drift
round our dreams

October 2 – Spiders
Spiders shouldn’t be
sitting by little misses
thinking they can scare
them away. She’ll just grab her
jar and nab those arachnids.

October 3 – Path
Would you take one less traveled?
Or prefer the beaten path?
Both will work–Keep on moving!

October 4 – Dodge
There once was a game of ball
Fun for all, but just don’t fall.
Keep your eye on it
Make your feet fly flit
Dodge it or get yourself mauled.

October 5 – Map
Make
a
Plan

The links above are all to a variety of forms that I used for each #smallpoem.

Inktober / Poemtober Small Poems, Week 4+

Denise Krebs14 Comments

This week I decided to double my random poetry process. I went to a favorite inspiration post: “141 Ways to Play, Process, Stretch, Express, Disrupt Words and Form” and chose #23-31, without previewing them. Each day I attempted the linked prompts (below) and then also included the Inktober word of the day.

23 October, Saturday

Your surprise party today
did not leak, so you were blessed
with laughter and memories

24 October, Sunday

I am a mending people-pleaser
I don’t mind being an appeaser
but my own wishes are indistinct
May my imprecision become extinct

25 October, Monday – The word was splat, and I wrote about it for Tuesday’s Slice of Life Challenge at this link.

26 October, Tuesday

I miss you and can’t wait to
see you. In the meantime, your
painting helps connect us.

27 October, Wednesday

On her deathbed, my mom
got up again.
With a welcome spark,
she lived longer–
in her wheelchair,
at the dinner table,
with her kids all around.

Later, she said,
“I think it’s time for bed.
The wine’s made me a little tipsy.”

“Good night, Mama.
See you in the morning.”

28 October, Thursday

We’re here!
On the way over,
we made a plan for the day.
First, we’ll build pyramids.
Later we’ll have a pan band.
When it’s lunch time, Coconut
wants to eat crispy carrots.
(He can’t really eat, but I’ll eat them.)
You said we can have pancakes.
May I make my own pirate?
We have to build a zoo
with habitats for all the animals.
Then we’ll decorate gingerbread,
do the Makey Makey piano,
build a tower with the straws
and those yellow connectors.
If our dad comes too soon,
we’ll save some for next week.
OK?

29 October, Friday (A life memory, yes, but not from high school.) 

My mom had worried
when she saw her newborn
with a patch on her eye,
a port wine stain birthmark
I’ve hardly noticed.

30 October, Saturday

That approaching rattler isn’t a worry; it can’t bite and slither
at the same time. My coffee isn’t finished, but I guess I’ll
make a move. Wouldn’t want to find out if his opinion differs.

31 October, Sunday

“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”
By Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A Summary Poem

Too much rain, crabs flooding into the courtyard,
A very old man with enormous wings appears in the mud,
And the new baby has been feverish for days.

Neighbors say the man is an angel coming for the child.
The priest thinks he’s a faker, just a carnival trickster,
But pilgrims come to pay five cents each to get a view.

A woman turned into a spider comes to town, so
Everyone loses interest in the old man angel.
The spider woman is a better storyteller.

The angel continues to live in the chicken coop
Until the hen house collapses, and the angel wanders
like a stray man, here and there, barely staying alive.

Years later, after a vulnerable winter, miraculously
his health improves, and his wings repair.
The angel flaps them clumsily, takes a risk and flies away.


Today is Poetry Friday, and Linda Baie at Teacher Dance, has the round up. She has written two sweet Halloween poems at her “Poetry Friday – Costumes Welcome!” post.

Poetry Friday – Inktober / Poemtober, Small Poems Week 3

Denise Krebs14 Comments

16 October, Saturday

Jesus napped in the windstorm
No compass needed for his route
to invite friends’ faith to transform.

17 October, Sunday

I love when languages
collide and I hear cognates
in Hindi, Spanish, and Arabic–
kashyu, teléfono and limun

18 October, Monday

Fickle moon,
what shape
will you take
today?

19 October, Tuesday
(“My Mother’s Eyes” prompt by Andy Schoenborn at Ethical ELA)
After Marjorie Agosin

I

My husband’s eyes
Are pools of hope
Where falls
Sing, dreaming of a tomorrow
Where kindness
Comes to rest
Where raindrops are friends
Of his nourishing stories

II

My husband’s eyes
Are pools of hope,
Of waves simply
Trying to find their way
In a new chapter.
I approach them
And on the threshold of his eyes
She is looking
For herself in the green streams
That forever flow

In my husband’s eyes
I also encounter myself
Because into them
I loop, basking
Again and again
As I have found my own
pools of hope.

20 October 2021, Wednesday
Sevenling (Somebody’s Daughter)

Somebody’s daughter–a sprout
of hope–vulnerable, bountiful,
and strong.

Relationships of imperfect perfection,
being loved in her truth telling,
an introspective and worthy storyteller.

Ashley C. Ford writes a memoir.

21 October, Thursday
A Lazy Sonnet about Addie LaRue

starkness
fuzzy
Darkness
was he?

Addie LaRue
strife
breakthrough
life

bookshop
remembered
backdrop
dismembered

coping.
hoping.

22 October, Friday
A Wedding Memory

Gift of words to each other.
Your hearts open between you.
Thankful to witness the adoration.

Today’s Poetry Friday roundup is over at Jama Rattigan’s blog, Jama’s Alphabet Soup. Enjoy an October cup of hot chocolate and a beautiful pumpkin cookie with her and other Poetry Friday friends.

Poetry Friday – Inktober / Poemtober Small Poems, Week 2

Denise Krebs13 Comments

I’m writing a small poem each day using a word from the Inktober prompts (a word, I’m finding, that is great for sketching but doesn’t always inspire poetry).

However, I was inspired last week by this Poetry Friday community. Thank you, Heidi (Saturday), Karen (Tuesday), and Alan (Wednesday)! And thanks to the inspiration of Birdtober friends, Ruth, Michelle, and #writeout announcer, Margaret, I sat outside at the medical clinic and enjoyed listening to the birds for Sunday’s poem.

9 October
A Definito

This is applied
to urge
or compel
one to do what you wish–
to push, insist, drive, impel
another.
Pushed into a corner,
With arm twisted–
Pressure

10 October
Healing

Dear finches,
Take your pick
in this safe garden.
Do you want your nest in
bamboo, cedar, olive, or plumeria?
There are aloe vera
and snake plants, too.
Here you can be fruitful and multiply.
Thank you for your sweet psalms.
They help patients heal.

 

11 October
Sweet and Sour

acids sharp and zesty–
lemon, cranberry,
rhubarb, gooseberry,
tamarind, tart cherry.
add sugar to taste
for the tang to marry.

12 October
After Jane Hershfield – Inspired by Karen Edmisten

I would like my living
to be full and free–
not stuck in regret,
but ready for today’s
unexpected word.

13 October
A Leaving Clogyrnach – Inspired by Alan J. Wright

Our goodbyes will arrive too soon
We’ll fly into the waning moon
Our farewell’s the proof
But still seems aloof
A new roof
A new tune

14 October
Tick Tock

Tick tock, tick tock
Jack and the Beanstalk
Tick tock, tick tock
Neil and the moonwalk
Tick tock, tick tock
Patriarchy bedrock
Men’s suits round-the-clock
Time to stop and take stock
For women’s rights to unlock
Tick tick tick tick tick

15 October
Helmet

As the sun rises,
put on your
faith and love
breastplate,
and your
hope of salvation
helmet.
……………~I Thessalonians 5:8

Today’s Poetry Friday Roundup can be found at wee words for wee ones. Thank you, Bridget Magee, and big congratulations to you for the two birthdays in this TENth month!

I’m conTENt after reading Bridget’s inTENse message. In a senTENce, she inTENds to exTENd a TENder-hearted opporTENity you will want to atTENd to.

Inktober / Poemtober Small Poems, Week 1

Denise Krebs

Maybe someday I will try inking all the prompts for Inktober, but for now I am going to follow Jone Rush McCulloch’s lead and write a small poem each day in October.

My new lens is like
a clear crystal burning in
the light of sunshine

What new suit will you wear
when all your defenses fall away?

Vessel
A ship at sea, airtight
’37 dirigible crash at night
Chalice holding wine of Light
Internal river of lifeblood
Person who holds extraordinary love

When we said ‘yes’
more than 38 years ago,
I never knew the knot of love
could keep getting stronger.

White supremacy,
raven of oppression,
unmerited power through
hatred, fear, injustice.
Never satisfied.

Holy Spirit,
To your church,
come and clear it
Make them hear it
God, be near it

When I see a fan,
I think of you, Mohammed H.
You were my Kindergarten fan fan–
now growing up still charmed
by the hum of the bladed whirligig.
Future engineer.