Poetry Challenge Day 167 (Sun Mar 20)
I’ve never been good at concentrating.
If there is anything
going on around me,
it captures my attention fully.
That makes it hard to focus
unless I am completely alone.
Most of this project
has been written when I’ve been alone.
But I would not want to live there.
If I could write with you
by my side,
that would be wonderful.
Poetry Challenge Day 166 (Sat Mar 19)
I don’t now how to rhyme, so I’m going to have a go at Haiku. This is from my “Water and Frog” poem (Day 147).
Here at the river,
I search for signs of a frog.
None appear to me.
Poetry Challenge Day 165 (Fri Mar 18)
Poetry belongs to everyone.
I like to make mine
accessible to everyone.
Of course,
I have no choice.
I find myself only capable
of writing about simple things
in simple ways.
I guess you would say
abstraction is not my thing
(apology I’m good at).
I read a poem about a frog
that had a conversation with water.
(I’m probably being unfair to the author)
This may in fact have actually occurred,
on some level, it is entirely possible.
But I find the concept
a bit hard to grasp.
Please understand,
I’m not ruling out the possibility.
I know what you are thinking… I’ll never be a poet because I’m way too literal. I suppose you have a point. See Day 147 for my attempt to escape the bonds of no imagination.
Poetry Challenge Day 162 (Tue Mar 15)
We are all born poets.
Writing poetry is an expression
of our humanness,
of who we are as individuals.
That does not mean
we are all poets.
Sadly, few of us are
yours truly included.
But, poetry is in us.
When we read or write poetry
we are reaching for that which
is best within us all.
Not trying does not make
us less human,
but the attempt can bring
unexpected rewards.
Rewards that will make
a lasting impression
and just might (you never know)
leave you a better person.
Poetry Challenge Day 161 (Mon Mar 14)
Happy Birthday daughter.
Of all the things that could be said.
Of all the things that bring me pride.
You are at the very top of my list.
Not a day goes by
that I don’t think of you.
Perhaps you find that hard to believe,
I understand… still it’s true.
If I could give you anything in the world
I surely would (besides my love of course).
But for now, this simple poem
will have to do.
Should there be any doubt in your ming to whom I am referring, it is to all of you. I have been blessed three times, and grateful for that.
Poetry Challenge Day 160 (Sun Mar 13)
I like using coasters
(beer coasters to be precise)
as book markers.
It’s so much easier
to find your place in the book.
Just start to open the book
and the correct page
presents itself.
Since I have a large collection
of said coasters
(something which I suppose
comes from drinking
a large selection of beers)
it allows me to read
lots of books at the same time.
Poetry Challenge Day 159 (Sat Mar 12)
I am reading the biographies of Poets Laureate
on the Library of Congress website.
It’s a rather intimidating experience
reading about all these accomplishments,
especially for someone of no repute
engaged in a project like this one.
Some I have heard of (two actually)
the rest not.
I suppose to be truly educated in poetry
one would have to have
read all of these, a lifetime’s
work it would seem to me.
Each biography was accompanied
by a photo of the poet.
My favorite poet is Joseph Brodsky,
Not because I have read him,
but simply because in his bio-pic
he is only poet holding a cat.
Poetry Challenge Day 158 (Fri Mar 11)
I was chatting with my Sister.
Quite unexpectedly she
complemented my writing.
When I disagreed,
she insisted it was good.
I find that a little hard to accept.
It has nothing to do with the source,
it’s about me.
How can someone that has no idea
what they are doing,
do that something well?
When I questioned her judgement
she told me she has spent her
life encouraging talent
and she knows what she
is talking about.
That was truly one of the nicest
things anyone has ever said to me.
Still, having told me this, even coming from a place of experience, doesn’t make it true… You see Sister, I get the last word.
Poetry Challenge Day 157 (Thu Mar 10)
If you think the ”RV”
parked in my driveway
is offensive,
wait until you see
the portrait of
Bernie Sanders
hanging on my back patio.
I don’t park an RV in the driveway. The RV that I own is parked in the garage where RVs belong. However, my Toyota Tacoma is parked in the driveway, and it is one bad-ass truck, as trucks go. For the record, I do own a portrait of Bernie Sanders. I also own a portrait of Einstein and Bob Marley. And, yes, they do hang on the back patio. The point here, perhaps a bit too subtle I suppose, is the only sort of person that would find my truck offensive is the same sort that would be offended by the politics of Bernie Sanders (and perhaps his portrait as well). Also, I suspect that person would likely dislike the color of Bob Marley’s skin.
Poetry Challenge Day 156 (Wed Mar 9)
Fire is a catalyst
it provides warmth to survive
and it sustains love.
What is love without fire?
I know something of that.
Having lived without fire,
I don’t want to live without it
ever again.
Poetry Challenge Day 155 (Tue Mar 8)
There are two types of poetry.
Imaginative
and reality based.
The highest form of poetry
is that which engages
the imagination.
I am firmly embedded
in the reality based genre.
I have written one imaginative poem to-date. It wasn’t easy, and to tell you the truth (the title of the poem is “Water and Frog”) I stole the idea for the subject from a poem written by Joy Harjo. Not only was it hard to write, but in order to complete the poem, I had to sit by a stream for some time, seeking inspiration. It finally came, reluctantly I might add, after pleading with inspiration to hit me with the biggest hammer it had. Was the poem a success? Only partially. After all my efforts it turned out to be less imaginative than I had hoped it would be.
Poetry Challenge Day 153 (Sun Mar 6)
Every day should be Sunday.
I love Sunday.
I don’t feel pressure to do anything.
I spend time contemplating my next step.
Not doing feels just as good as doing.
If I do happen to accomplish something
I take the time to admire it.
that being the case,
every day should be Sunday.
Sunday is also a good day for pancakes.
Poetry Challenge Day 152 (Sat Mar 5)
Writing a poem about death is not
something I planned to do.
Thanks to a book given to me
by a certain special someone,
it’s something I’ve actually given
some thought to recently.
But fortunately for you
(at least for now)
this is not about my
philosophy on death,
this is about my near death experience.
The other day I cancelled my Dermatology appointment.
(I did it online.)
A couple of hours later
I noticed I had a voice message.
“This is Calvin from Dermatology calling back,
it looks like you have cancer
and I wanted to see if you’d
like to make an appointment.”
My first reaction was
how the hell did he come to that conclusion?
I haven’t even been seen before,
but the voice of reason skips over the obvious
and goes straight to obscure.
Curious and a bit worried
I called back.
After waiting on hold for 20 minutes
(Thank you COVID)
I got through to a person
and explained the phone message.
The person I was talking to
assured me they would not have
left a message like that,
so naturally I read it back to her.
After discussing this for a few minutes
we came to the conclusion
that the voice message must have
used the word “cancer”
in place of the word “cancelled.”
(I’ll leave it to you to go back
and reread the message, but it does fit.)
After making some idiotic comment
about advising Calvin to slow down
and enunciate his messages more clearly,
I hung up feeling much better.
Poetry Challenge Day 150 (Thu Mar 3)
Why not write a poem that is untitled?
What would such a poem be about?
It would have to be about nothing, or would it?
Maybe just a series of questions?
Would it give any hint of an answer?
I’ll never know until I try…
Poetry Challenge Day 149 (Wed Mar 2)
I went in for a mid-morning cup.
Never been here before.
(I had just left a skate shop
where curiosity had pulled me in.)
I met Isaac there (his real name)
a cool guy.
The shop was amazing, I will wander in
from time to time
now that I know it’s there.
Here in the coffee shop,
It’s pretty plain inside, but warm and friendly.
“16 oz. Americano, with room please.”
Experience at small bespoke coffee places
has taught me that you’re better off
specifying cup size rather than using
the Starbucks nomenclature…
The Barista pulls my Americano
into a glass tumbler with a cardboard cozy.
Amazing! I’ve never seen that before!
I am naturally skeptical
but I sit down to give it a go.
It’s a damn fine cup of coffee,
probably the best I’ve had in some time.
(I work on my todo list, a very bad habit.)
When I’m finished
(with the coffee, not the todo list)
I’m feeling proud of myself
for coming into this place.
(Two scores in a row!)
I take my cup up to the Barista
and tell him it was very good.
He smiles broadly and says
“I’m glad you liked it.”
That’s a good morning.
Poetry Challenge Day 148 (Tue Mar 1)
I know there is one person
that reads my poems.
I never expected even one.
Frankly, I’m doing this for myself.
For many reasons.
To keep my old brain engaged.
To make myself a better person
(seriously)
and to give myself a goal.
Perhaps the best reason…
just to see if a year-long challenge
can even be sustained.
To that one reader
I would just like to say,
“Thank you.”
Poetry Challenge Day 147 (Mon Feb 28)
I’ve come to the water
to look for Frog.
(For no particular reason.)
I don’t see him.
I assume he is afraid
to show his face to me.
I don’t blame him.
My kind are the reason
Water and Frog are so shy.
But there’s more here to see.
I’ve never seen rocks like these.
They look like they are made of steel.
They are beautiful.
Even though Water and Frog
are hiding from me,
they can’t hide these rocks.
The words the water speaks
as it courses around these rocks
is a mystery to me.
Frog would know what water is saying
if I could find him,
I would ask him to translate for me.
I completely stole the inspiration for this poem from Joy Harjo, or rather, the inspiration for this poem came from one by Joy Harjo that I tried desperately not to plagiarize…
Poetry Challenge Day 146 (Sun Feb 27)
I went cat skiing.
Tux wasn’t with me,
so it wasn’t really cat skiing.
It was a blast,
even though Tux wasn’t there.
I was planning to go cat skiing, but my friend wasn’t feeling up to it so we cancelled, however we did go two years ago, so this still applies. (Tux is my cat…)
Poetry Challenge Day 145 (Sat Feb 26)
You have no idea
how much I love you.
Can I use the word love?
(I did, so I suppose I can.)
I can’t explain it.
Your passion makes me feel
like a greater participant in life.
When I’m with you
everything is bigger, bolder,
more significant.
This is not a feeling that
any other friend has given me.
I have met the love of my life
and I would not want to live
without her (I’m lucky and I know it).
But to have met the love of my life
and to also have met you,
to have the privilege
to call you my friend,
has been a joyful experience
that I could never have expected,
nor will I ever be able to replace.
Poetry Challenge Day 144 (Fri Feb 25)
I can’t find the words
to tell you how much I love you.
Even though we are from
different mothers
(as the phrase goes)
you are unquestionably my brother.
Everything
(OK, almost everything)
positive in my life has been
the result of your influence.
It is safe to say
I would be a very different person
had we never met.
I will never let you go,
you will always be a part of me.
If it is possible to meet
beyond this life
you are the first man
I will be looking for.
Poetry Challenge Day 143 (Thu Feb 24)
Everyone carries a heartache,
what do we do with it?
Do we remember it,
whenever it calls to us,
or do we tell it,
“you are history”
when it presents itself.
The choice is our’s,
the choice determines our future.
Poetry Challenge Day 142 (Wed Feb 23)
I’m sitting in a restaurant
writing in my journal.
I don’t care if people
see me writing,
I’m learning to let my
inhibitions go.
I asked the server
if she would have the
chef step out from the kitchen.
A shy fellow emerged a couple
minutes later.
I told him my meal was wonderful.
He seemed embarrassed
but grateful.
I like to think my praise
helped to make his day.
Poetry Challenge Day 141 (Tue Feb 22)
I think my poetry
may best be described
as a stream of consciousness.
What better way to
discover who we are?
The good news is,
I am discovering.
Poetry Challenge Day 140 (Mon Feb 21)
My server just apologized
for taking so long
with my order.
I told her,
“no problem,
I’ve written four poems
while I’ve been waiting.”
Poetry Challenge Day 139 (Sun Feb 20)
If you didn’t hate poetry
before you stumbled onto
this site,
I wouldn’t blame you
if you did now.