Mar
25
Today’s timely prompt for Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:
On this day, pancakes were first made. Many would consider pancakes to be their favorite breakfast food. Reflect on breakfast, breaking fast, or fasting.
I offer a choka in celebration of the annual Pennsylvania Maple Festival starting tomorrow in Meyersdale, PA.
every snowy spring
maple sap journeys sunward
rising through the trees
drips into waiting buckets
boils over the fire
slowly condensing sweetness
into thick syrup
flowing amber stickiness
covers my breakfast
of warm pancakes and sausage
rewarding annual trek
Mar
24
From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:
On March 24, 1874, magician Harry Houdini was born. Reflect on magic.
Mar
23
From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:
Today is “Toast Day.” Reflect on bread.Today is “Toast Day.” Reflect on bread.
Basket of grain
Rays from the sun
Enrich the sheaf
And bless the loaf
Drop of Gods’ gold
Mar
22
March 12
Today marks the anniversary of the death of Anne Frank who died in 1945. This brave young woman is well known for the diary she kept, capturing her time in hiding from the Nazi soldiers. Reflect on horror.
This was the first of the March Challenge prompts that I missed. This was also the day after the devastating earthquake and even more devastating tsunami hit Japan. Even away at a con as I was, I was watching the internet headlines and sharing news with other attendees. SJ Tucker, the musician I was primarily there to see, has posted that she will be putting up some auctions in support of Doctors without Borders.
This poem is a wave poem.
Continued…
Mar
22
Cloaked Monk was kind enough to include my very late offering of Patterns into the March Challenge, and now I feel that I should try to climb back up on the wagon. Today’s prompt:
March 22nd is “National Goof Off Day.” Reflect on spontaneity.
With the Equinox just past, this seemed most appropriate.
cleansing breath of spring
a child’s spontaneity
dancing in the sun
winter’s memory dismissed
melting away with the snow
Mar
22
The weekend away that knocked me off schedule for the poetry challenge involved a road trip to Baltimore to see the Mythic Faire. This magical event combined threads of steampunk, faerie, pagan, rennies, pirates, scifi-fantasy, folk rock, and more into an amazing tapestry.
My primary incentive for attending: s00j. SJ Tucker is one of my favorite musicians, and she played two separate concerts. The following video is of “Cheshire Kitten,” off of her Mischief album, played during the Saturday afternoon performance.
Continued…
Mar
21
One weekend away, and I totally fell off the wagon that was Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge. One prompt has still been insisting it be given voice though:
March 14
On this day in 1879, scientist Albert Einstein was born. At an early age, Einstein showed great interest in math and science. Reflect on patterns.
I read this and thought “fibonacci would be perfect for this!” And so:
spots
stripes
patterns
camouflage
predator and prey
forever playing hide and seek
Mar
11
From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:
March 11th is “Johnny Appleseed Day.” John Chapman, known as Johnny Appleseed, was responsible for introducing apple trees to many regions of the western frontier. Reflect on fruit.
apple cut crosswise
reveals pentacle within
gift of the goddess
Mar
11
From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:
Today is “Harriet Tubman Day.” Tubman was abolitionist. She helped many slaves escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Reflect on slavery, in whatever form.
a simple quatrain:
born into a cage, only to die in a cage,
never feeling the grass, never seeing the sun,
hopeless in your fear, powerless in your rage,
purpose ended once the experiment is done.
Mar
9
From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:
On this day in 1454, explorer Amerigo Vespucci was born. The continent we live on is named after Vespucci. Reflect on exploration.
Another new form for me today, the etheree. On a subject very near and dear to my heart.
Space
Shuttle
Final flight
Discovery
Brave adventurer
Traveler, explorer
You took our dreams to the stars
You dared to create the future
Eldest of the fleet, first to retire
Welcome home, Lady, you have earned your rest
Mar
9
Surprisingly, one of my favorite rooms in Phipps Conservatory.
Taken during the 2011 Orchid Show last weekend.
Mar
8
From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:
Today is the beginning of Mardi Gras. Reflect on abundance.
Over the weekend, Greg and I went to the Orchid Show at Phipps Conservatory. Today’s form is an abhanga.
abundance of petals
gathered into boquets
adorn the passageways
fragrant beauty
Check out the flickr stream for LOTS more photos. I was playing with the new little snapshot camera and was quite pleased.
Mar
7
From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:
On this day in 1849, scientist Luther Burbank was born. Burbank was a botanist, or someone who studies plant life. He was known for developing new types of flowers and plants. Reflect on nature.
This tanka was prompted as much by my drive home tonight as by the challenge. Close encounters of the white-tailed deer kind.
woodland messenger
winter coat of softest grey
caught in headlight’s glow
fleet of foot, white tail flagged high
vanishes into the trees
Mar
6
From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:
On this day in 1912, Oreo Cookies were sold for the first time. Reflect on something delicious.
This is my first attempt at an epulaeryu poem:
Minty green dairy delight
Brief seasonal treat
Delicious and refreshing
Shamrock shake arrives
Full of the promise:
Welcome Spring!
Sweet!
Mar
5
From the Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:
Today, March 5th, marks the beginning of the Iditarod race. Reflect on competition, racing, etc.
I went more literal with a haiku for the Iditarod.
racing for glory
across the frozen tundra
man and dogs: a team
Mar
4
From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:
On this day in 1789, Congress met for the first time. Reflect on politics, government, structures of power.
The form I chose for today’s poem is the choka.
Frodo Chimpanzee
ascending the hierarchy
challenging his way
through the ranks of the females
even including
the watching human woman
a part of his life
studying him since his birth
family member
acceptance relegates her
just another step
on his climb to dominance
influence growing
power and authority
the ranks of the males
succumb to his bullying
finally alpha
strongest leader of the troop
sovereignty unchallenged
Please visit The Jane Goodall Institute for more information on the research at Gombe.
Mar
3
From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:
On this day in 1847, inventor Alexander Graham Bell was born. Reflect on communication.
Playing with poetic forms again. This is my first attempt at the highly structured diamante.
communication
articulate, poetic,
exchanging, expressing, stimulating,
dactylic composition, dulcet tones,
lilting, enchanting, affecting,
lyrical, passionate
music
Mar
2
From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:
March 2nd is “Read Across America Day” in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Reflect on reading.
For today’s offering form, I chose a septolet:
on basement shelves
forgotten books
dusty pages
hidden worlds
lurking
waiting to be
explored
Mar
1
Midnight came with some sadness this evening, with no prompt for a haiku. But The Cloaked Monk, whom I discovered during last month’s Haiku Challenge, has started a new March Challenge.
Approach the prompts from whatever creative standpoint you would like. Photography, poetry, prose, etc. Be humorous or serious. Be literal or use the prompt as a springboard to something more. Just put your creativity in gear!
March 1: On this day in 1872, Yellowstone National Park was established. Reflect on camping.
My offering comes in the form of a rictameter:
my tent
beneath the moon
thin nylon walls reveal
firefly shine and raccoon rustle
mind conjures fairies, dancing on parade
otherworldly celebration
lanterns casting shadows
flickering on
my tent
