watching the horizon

April 2015

Soft, sweetheart.
Light upon my soul.
The breeze caught me by surprise.
Whispering your name. 
Warm hues take me back to summertime—
With you. 

more sunshine to write about

I don't believe many people (other than myself) who love writing and reading poetry would admit to this, but this year, I am thankful for National Poetry Month being over.

I'm pretty sure I nearly ran out of words and feelings and inspiration. My heart needs refueling. It's just the facts. Writing sad poetry is pitiful crap if you ask me even if it drips with profundity or evokes the tears of everyone within a 1000-mile radius. The catharsis of it all proves it does something to help lift burdens and lighten moods, yet I caught myself wishing so much that I had more sunshine in my heart to write about.

That is not to say I only wrote crappy sappy please-put-me-out-of-my-misery poems all the month long—no. My everlasting hopefulness flaw (quality) made sure that I was able to grab hold of a few glints of golden sun. But wow, holy cow, did I write some sad sad bad give-me-a-tissue-or-please-knock-me-out-now poetry. Going through the month's writings to prepare the Reader's Choice top ten, I read most of them again. Just wow. What the heck.

There were a few days when I cried as I wrote; other days, I prayed as I wrote; and even still, there were many days when my heart was just barely there in it all because of the lack of rest and physical and emotional touch that I need.

I could rag on and on, I think. I could probably even write an epic poem on how badly I am tired of kissing people I don't love and how much I want to be able to take a little rest from my worries. I am off kilter with wanting for affection and rest. I don't know what to do except keep going out and dating, but it's all such a wreck of a situation. So for now, I'll keep praying that this heart of mine will be sustained, and I'll find more words before next year rolls around.


Some of those poems I'm complaining about: Poetry Month 2016

Poetry Month 2016 Top Ten

For a few years now, I take time to write poetry throughout the month of April for National Poetry Month, and every year, I astonish myself with how I can actually write thirty poems thirty days in a row. Even still, this go 'round the potential to fail seemed higher than usual. There were days when I had no words for most of the day. There were days when the only thing I could feel was an ache for things I lack, and I simply do not enjoy writing that type of poetry. It gets written at times, but only because poetry is the purest form of catharsis for me right now.

What offers me joy in the whole process of writing and sharing my poetry with you is seeing what poems are the most read. Because of your reading, commenting, and sharing, they get seen by more people, and it shows me that what I write is appreciated. I feel so appreciated as a poet as I prepare the list from this most recent poetry binge. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

If you'd like, let me know which ones you have enjoyed most by leaving a comment.

And now, enjoy the best read (by you!) poems for April:

1.  Pain

2.  Always Golden

3.  Negative

4.  Find the Time

5.  You

6.  Building on Each Other

7.  Is It Wrong?

8.  Choose

9.  Ours

10. To Dream with Me


The Poet's Picks: 

A sonnet: Our Mess of Bricks

A favorite: A Home for You and Me



Poetry Month 2015

Poetry Month 2014

Poetry Month 2013

Seeking to Become - May 2016

I spent all of April writing poems like I get paid to do it, so I didn't want to overburden you, my readership, with a double post on one of the days. However, I did not forget about this monthly spiritual challenge. I actually kept it on my mind daily, and that's not always the case each month. I am glad for the extra time to reflect on what I want to strive toward. 

I studied and pondered daily a set of eight scriptures that I had discovered awhile back, but somehow they became new to me as this month progressed; they are found in Luke 18:1-8:

1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

 The first seven verses are what have caught my eye for most of the time. I have quite a few situations/requests/challenges that I have wearied the Lord with, yet I know he is not wearied. I have seen how my tears have been wiped away numerous times. I have had many prayers answered.

With that said, you might be wondering why I would have these scriptures as a focus then. Well, in verse eight, the question "Shall he find faith on the earth?" stopped me in my tracks. I was feeling like I have such a strong testimony of how God watches over me and how I believe in Christ and his atonement. And then with that last bit, I realized that if I have so much faith, if I can be counted as a believer, why then do I allow myself to despair?

It doesn't happen often, and it's even rare for how much adversity I face daily, yet I do let despair in and affect me. I cry bitter tears at times when, if I had more faith, I would be better able to have patience and even more able to partake of the joy that surrounds me.

Heading into May, I want to continue seeking to become more faithful, stripping away my tendency to become despondent when problems pile up. I hope you will join me in studying out how these scriptures can help in this effort.

three for one

On this last day of National Poetry Month for 2016, I would like to share three poems that I wrote with the junior high and high school classes that I teach. We were studying the poem, "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven" by William Butler Yeats this week, and worked on imitating his repetition/rhyme scheme to create new poems. On the last day of poetry month for school, I asked the students to give me four random words to set my end rhyme, and then we all worked on writing our poems at the same time. I did give them a bit of a head start by giving instruction and sharing some thoughts before I began, but it was definitely a good competition. 

I'd like to share all three of my competition pieces with you. I hope you have found as much joy in poetry this month as I have. Trying new things, reading new and old poems, it has all been a growing experience. Thank you for being part of my experience as well. It has been wonderful! Enjoy! 

Sunshine and Mountains

A citrus sunshine day with lime,

Tangy with a splash of happy day.

We smile and shine adding lime

To the mix of lemons for a lemonade day. 

We could sit and cry all day in a chair,

A lovely purple crying chair, but the mountain

Keeps calling us to stand up from the chair,

To no longer sit still, to forever climb the purple shadow mountain.

To Eat and Drink

Knowledge—truth, something we chew,

When it all is shown—comes into light.

The world doesn't seem so bad—no longer can chew

Our hearts to bits—now there's only light. 

Walking together on green grass so moist, 

Softly, quietly, perfectly filling this cup

To overflowing, a life no longer dried up—moist—

Saturated— yet still perforated—a completely full cup. 

Lunch Date 

Held within a dream like peaches and cream, 

You and me, connecting over pizza

In a temporary moment, smooth as whipped cream

On hot chocolate, with lingering thoughts of pizza.

Riding side by side, I almost see a bicycle

Transporting you here and there as if on a cloud

That floats by, coming back on a bicycle

To transport my pizza peaches and cream dreams to the cloud.