Poem a Day, Day 7

The challenge here was to write a "ramble poem" that is to say, a poem where you just start writing without any kind of plan where you’ll end up. Think "stream of consciousness" in poem form...


My wife and baby snuggle as I

stare at the computer

I woke with dreams of work rebellion


Feeling betrayed and alone I

have retreated to the safety

of strangers

Digital friends I may never meet

While my wife lays an arm’s reach away


I should wake her

tell her how I feel

Tell her how much she keeps me alive

Without her I would have no poetry in my heart


Even when everything things gathers around

me, dragging me down, she is there

I am there for her, but more clumsy

saying the wrong things with good intentions

Promising to ’work on it.’


How much longer will she allow

me to ’work on it’?

When is the deadline?


She slumbers here beside me

I am blessed


-Justin M. Howe

04/08/08

Poem a Day, Day 6

OK, I fell a couple of days behind, but the following poem should help explain why. The challenge was to write about your day...

Dreading work, I awake
eyelids feeling like lead sheets
Superman could not penetrate

How much longer can I
sacrifice my creativity
to a graveyard shift without reward?

Kiss the family goodbye
everything feels sepia
like I won't be returning

Work proceeds apace
nothing new
nothing exciting

Boss still disappointed
wants even more hours,
but he's leaving early

How much longer can I
sacrifice my creativity
in order to be a cog?

Exhausted, arrive home
family out of focus,
going to the doctor

prescriptions in hand,
we'll all be ok
if I can just get some sleep...

How long can I
sacrifice my creativity
before I'm intolerable?

Try to write a
worthy poem
not today, brain still fuzzy

Not only am I in a job I hate
Not only do I make my family wait
But I myself I cannot tolerate

How much longer can I
sacrifice my creativity...

When can I again
be me?

-Justin M. Howe
04/08/08

Poem a Day, Day 5

Today's challenge was to write about something that worries you. *gulp* Here goes...

I try not to worry


I try not to worry about the
little things
I don't worry if my hair
looks good
I don't worry if these jeans make me
look fat
I don't worry about the milk I
just spilled

I am not worried if you like
this poem
I am not worried if you think I have
no talent
I am not worried whether you realize I'm doing this
for me
I am not worried if these poems reach beyond
this blog

I am worried
that my wife is not happy
I am worried
that I may not raise my children the way I want
I am worried
that I've stayed in my job longer than is healthy
I am worried
that I have squandered whatever talent I may have had

But

If my wife is unhappy
I'll improve our life
If I make mistakes with my kids
I know I'm doing the best I can
If I let my job drag me down
I have the wrong attitude
If I let my talent wane
I can resuscitate it through practice and determination

So

Why worry?

Poem a Day, Day 4

Today's challenge was to write about something for which you are thankful. I am eternally grateful for...

My Wife

You challenge me
Have I been up to the challenge?

You inspire me
Have I been inspiring?

You love me
Have you felt loved?

For all of these things I am grateful
Do you feel appreciated?

You are a cool breeze off of the
snow-capped mountains
You are sea-mist off of the
grandest ocean
You are lush grass in a
desert oasis
You are my life
I will cherish you
You are my love
I will protect you
You are my wife
I adore you

-Justin M. Howe
04/04/08

Poem a day, Day 3

Today’s challenge was Haiku. The definition of Haiku put forward was:

"1. It’s a 3-line poem.

2. While many think the lines should be 5-7-5 syllables, that’s actually not true. It’s 5-7-5 "sounds" if you’re writing in Japanese. For English purposes, it tends to be a shorter 1st and 3rd line--with a slightly longer 2nd line.

3. The haiku describes nature--with an emphasis on description. Haiku do not rhyme or use metaphors and/or similes.

4. Haiku includes a word to indicate season. For instance, the word "frog" might indicate spring; the word "snow" might indicate winter.

5. There’s also usually a juxtaposition of two sensory images. For instance, the most famous haiku involves a frog jumping into a pond as the first sensory image--the water’s sound as the second. When put together, the sensory images turn a very simple moment into a profound poem."

So here are two attempts:



Bird chirping loudly

Standing on wooden feeder

No one must cross him




Feline begging for food

Too occupied to serve him

I’ll pay for that



I wrote these this morning as soon as I got home from work. What do you think, brilliant or the ravings of an exhausted madman?


-Justin

Poem a day, Day 2

The challenge was to write a poem from the point of view of someone else, so naturally I chose...

Calli

After a year and a half
I know more than you think
You still seem surprised
when I know what you mean

I love you and love to snuggle
But right now I need to run
to play to bite things
Why did you take that away?

I will cry,
but I'll get over it
This world is too wonderful
to spend much time sad

-Justin M. Howe
04/02/08

My first poem a day for April

Robert Lee Brewer at Writer's Digest has issued a 'poem a day' challenge for the month of April. Willing to give it a go, here's my first attempt.

Who?


Somewhere in the world
people will suffer.
Who out there will serve
as the buffer?
Sometimes it seems it can't
get tougher.

We wait for someone to
answer the call
But it seems there's
no one listening at all
Why isn't anyone
watching the ball?

Take a look, you'll find
dead eyes staring
Totally incapable of a
meaningful pairing
But why are all these folks
far beyond caring?

Blame it on the movies
Blame it on books
Blame it on the TV stars
with all their good looks

Blame it on video games
Or blame the computer
But there's only one place
to to find the mental looter
Look inside yourself for the
ultimate distraction
We've let all these in without
willful subtraction
You've got to find it in yourself
if you want to take action

Now I can't lie
I was like that too
Preferring entertainment
'stead of watching the news
But I realized something
that gave me the blues

I am a part of this earthly machine
I have to help to keep it green
'Cause we only have one
you know what I mean?

People are hungry
people are dying
All for the sake of Government lying
“Keep buying Keep spending
Keep driving Keep Trying”

But all I can hear are billions crying



-Justin M. Howe
04/01/08