Napowrimo Day 16 Poem: Life is Too Short to Fold the Socks

No prompt, though the line "Life is too short to fold socks" jumped out at me from my journal today.

April 16/13

Life is Too Short to Fold the Socks

I keep my socks in a small, blue laundry basket.

Actually, socks for the whole family live there,

Unsorted and unmatched.

I used to pair them up, fold them nicely and put them away,

Until, three kids later,

There wasn't time,

Or I didn't have the energy,

Or just didn't feel like it.

When my son asked me why I stopped,
"Because life is too short to fold the socks,"

Flowed from my mouth.

And I'm right.

Think about it:

They don't get wrinkled,

Or creased,

Or suffer in any way from not being

Sorted and folded.

In fact, they may benefit

From being part of the adventure of an

Unmatched pair on someone's feet.

Who said they have to be the same in the first place?

My daughter, at least, goes out of her way

For mix matched socks.

And I love tossing them in the basket.

If it bothers someone that much,

They are free to fold the socks,

But, so far, no one has.

I'm sure when I look back on my life,

I won't regret having unfolded socks,

Or wish I spent more time doing laundry.

There are so many things I'd rather do...

Read a book,

Write poetry,

Go for a walk,

Play with my kids,

Stare into space.

All more worthy pursuits,

Than having folded socks.

Napowrimo Day 15 Poem: A Pantum

Prompt: Write a pantum - consists of rhymed quatrains (abab), with 8-12 syllables per line. The first two lines of each quatrain aren’t meant to have a formal, logical link to the second two lines, although the two halves of each quatrain are supposed to have an imaginative or imagistic connection.

April 15/13

Butterflies with their colours so diverse,

Flutter by, no care whatsoever.

Fairies dance on my keyboard, finishing the verse,

I only hope they write something clever.

Book Blast: Helga, Out of the Hedgelands

 

Helga: Out of the Hedgelands Twelve-year-old Helga has more danger in her life than most beasts her age—Wrackshee slavers after her, a vicious attack by bandits that nearly kills her, a race against dragons pursuing her, and leading a daring rebellion to save her life and rescue friends and family from the insidious WooZan. And that is just the beginning. But what do you expect when you are a young beast who just can’t see the stupid rules of the world making any sense? Helga can’t accept things as they are and ends up taking on not just one, but two all-powerful, supreme tyrants in two different realms. Helga never intended to lead a revolution. It just sort of happened because she wouldn’t go along with the “rules of normal” that keep tyrants in power and entire societies enslaved. Beginning on a dangerous quest to solve some mysteries in her own past, Helga leads her quirky comrades on a journey that will not only forever change them, but upset ancient civilizations. As an author, I’m drawn to eccentric, unexpected characters: those who surprise because they hear a distant galaxy, see a different music, create their own fragrance rather than get hooked on a soundtrack; the child who has her own ideas about how the emperor is dressed; the lunatics and rebels who tell stories on the boundaries. Helga’s unusual story will take readers to worlds they never imagined—definitely a whole new ride. Time and again, the unconventional heroine and her eccentric comrades overcome ominous tyrants and black-hearted slavers, not by battling to the last beast standing, but by being the first beast to think differently. Helga: Out of Hedgelands is divided into three books which introduce the epic saga of the Wood Cow clan and their role in overturning centuries of slavery and tyranny. This story will continue in additional volumes of the Wood Cow Chronicles now in development. Over the series of current and future volumes, the entire history of the Wood Cow clan, the fall of Maev Astuté, and the coming of Lord Farseeker to the Outer Rings, will be told.  

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Book Trailer  

Author Rick Johnson I am a native of the Great Plains, having grown up on a farm in the Platte River Valley of western Nebraska. I love the wild beauty of the Plains and nearby Rocky Mountains--the too hot, too cold, too empty, too full of life extremes. Typically, the awesomely diverse and the awesomely stark are much the same, even as they are different. Although I have lived in Michigan, North Carolina, and British Columbia, the western plains, mountains, and desert are in my heart. As my day job, for over thirty years I have been a faculty member and administrator in higher education. Teaching broadly in the liberal arts, including creative writing, my professional publications include educational materials, poems, and 28 stories for young readers. During my spare hours, I have also collected and carefully studied the records of former times upon which the Wood Cow Chronicles are based. It is my privilege to bring this astonishing saga to light. ​ The Wood Cow Chronicles have been researched and written with the irreplaceable assistance of Barbara, my beloved wife of more than thirty-five years, and our children. Indeed, the essential research into the history of the Wood Cows has been conducted during the odd hours of family reading and storytelling "around the campfire" as we say--even when there is no campfire! This research continues and grows richer as our family expands across generations and continents.  

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   Book Blast Giveaway $100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 5/1/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Napowrimo Day 14 Poem: Wonder Woman

Prompt: Write a character poem in the persona of a super hero or super villain.

April 14/13

Wonder Woman

I am an Amazon princess,

Disguised, protecting humans

From nefarious villains.

I right wrongs, fight for love, uphold peace.

Without a second thought,

I chase the bad guys down,

And watch their stunned expressions,

As I steal their weapons with my unerring Lasso of Truth,

And their bullets ricochet off my impenetrable wrist bands.

My flowing black hair is held back with golden tiara,

Which doubles as a weapon.

My transportation? An invisible jet.

They never even see me coming.

All six feet of my

Curvaceous, muscular frame is

Ready to strike at a moment's notice.

No one dares to mess with me.

Or, if they do, they live to regret it.

I show the boys that I can hold my own,

And more.

I am strength,

I am power,

I am a femme extraordinaire,

I am Wonder Woman.

Napowrimo Day 13 Poem: Walking With Tundra

Prompt: Go for a walk and pay attention.

April 13/13

Our dog, Tundra, who loves her walks.

Walking With Tundra

As I go to the drawer and take out the leash,

Gentle Tundra, hops up and down

Channelling her inner puppy,

Though she's now fourteen

With a greying beard and cloudy eyes.

Bounding down the stairs to the ally,

Where the leash is for show in my hand,

Her excitement is palpable.

She bursts out of the gate to the fence across the way,

The dog behind it goes crazy.

My dog pees, every time,

Oblivious to the commotion she's causing.

Deafness can be fun.

Off we walk,

And I use the term lightly,

It's more of a meander,

To the other side of the alley,

To pee in another designated spot.

I play with the leash and

Contemplate the garbage strewn around

When the truck hoist the bins

And fails to capture their full contents,

Then look up and enjoy the mountains,

Happy to live so near the river.

Tundra used to run on the beach for hours.

Down a few more houses we go,

Time to stop and sniff another fence,

This one housing three big dogs,

Whipped up into a frenzy.

Tundra taunts them from freedom side of the fence.

Again, she declines to hear them,

As I nudge her to keep going

And leave the dogs in peace.

Soon Tundra tires,

Her arthritic joints are getting sore

As she stops and looks at me,

Time to turn around.

First, another pee.

Back up the ally we go,

Passed the three dogs in the yard,

Though this time we don't stop,

We toddle along,

Sniffing the garbage,

I avoid the mud puddles,

Tundra walks right through them.

Soon we are back home,

Leaving a trail of worked up dogs in our wake.

My faithful Tundra, saunters through the gate,

And into the house,

To sleep.

Napowrimo Day 12 Poem: Be Gentle

Prompt: What you wish you could say to someone.

I wrote this one to myself. If you've been following my poems this month, you'll see that several of them deal with anxiety. I've been using my poetry to work some things out. It's been hard to put my poems out there publicly because it feels so self centred and scary, but I'm doing it anyway. Maybe it will help with the stigma or help someone understand or realize they're not alone.

April 12/13

Be Gentle

Be gentle with yourself.

Hardness creates gruff edges,

Jagged teeth and prickly moods.

Not even you can stand yourself then.

Really, there is nothing that can't be solved,

That doesn't have a silver lining,

Or work out for the best,

In the end.

Though, if you look, usually it gets better

By the middle.

But if the worst does happen,

You have friends and family,

Amazing people,

Waiting with a helping hand.

It's not a weakness to

Rely on them when need be.

And even if it is, so what?

Everyone needs help,

Especially when they are ill.

This is simply a different kind of sick,

One that doesn't involve fevers or rashes,

Broken bones or any other outward sign.

Clenched up panic and fear,

Stomach churning, heart pounding tension,

Tears, headaches and feeling blue

Are Real.

They don't make you less worthy, important, amazing.

So be gentle with yourself.

Do a little bit everyday

And that will be enough.

Baby steps are the way to go

So long as you are true to yourself

And follow your dreams.

But most of all,

Love yourself for who you are.

Napowrimo Day 11 Poem: The Library

Prompt: A tanka ~ a five line poem/stanza based on the syllable pattern 5-7-5-7-7, and works best when the last two lines are unexpected or funny.

April 11/13

The Library

At the library,

Feeling love from endless books,

Search the dusty stacks.

Still, I go to the bookstore

And I drain my bank account.

Napowrimo Day 10 Poem: Dichotomy

Prompt: an un-love poem

April 10/13

Dichotomy

Two sides of the same coin,

So different

But integral to one another.

The sun creates shade.

Dazzling light laughs and plays,

Tickles any fancy,

Dances through the day,

Relaxes and kicks back.

Reflects beauty.

Everything is fun,

Kick-butt amazing.

Loveable.

Dark shadow protects what's inside,

A guitar string wound tight,

Snaps when plucked.

Concealing, disguising

Repulsive fear,

Paralyzing anxiety

With a pretty shell.

Un-loveable.

Hard to love when the shell breaks,

Shadow creeps through the cracks

Dims the light.

Writing Wednesday: Writing A Poem a Day is Hard

Writing a poem a day is HARD, much harder than I expected it to be. I am a huge fan of Nanowrimo and can usually write 2000 words a day when properly motivated, but a poem a day? Even a short one? Well, this is turning out to be a different kind of challenge for me.

Part of it is the lack of flexibility. With Nano, you could take a day off, or only write a little bit, but make up for it later in a great show of writing frenzy. At times, the novel takes on its own momentum and almost writes itself.

A poem a day is much more disciplined. And it uses a different part of my brain. Which is good. Which is why I chose not to join Camp Nano this month and do Napowrimo instead.

I also need a different kind of head space to write a poem - it's a struggle to come up with a unique idea and form and carry it out every day. With novel writing it is different. Even when I don't know what to write, there is usually some logical thing to do next, or I can have characters bash around together until something happens. With poetry, I have to make it all happen. Though, I must say, the prompts help. And I do write random words or ideas down until something solidifies.

Also, in the past, I only wrote poems when inspired. I'd have a niggling in my brain, an urge to write something that wouldn't go away, so I'd write it all down and move on. With Napowrimo, I've been writing a poem every day, whether I feel like it or not.

And, today is only the 10th day! It's been a long road to write the nine poems that I've posted so far. It's been hard to post them. Again, with the novel writing, I write bad first drafts and I know it, I don't show them to anyone until I've edited for months. I feel raw and exposed posting these poems every day.

I would love to hear from others writing Napowrimo or taking on other writing challenges and hear how you are doing.

If you are interested in Napowrimo, click here for the link.

Book Blast: January Black

January Black

Sixteen-year-old genius Matty Ducayn has never fit in on The Hill, an ordered place seriously lacking a sense of humor. After his school’s headmaster expels him for a small act of mischief, Matty’s future looks grim until King Hadrian comes to his rescue with a challenge: answer a question for a master’s diploma.

More than a second chance, this means freedom. Masters can choose where they work, a rarity among Regents, and the question is simple.

What was January Black?

It’s a ship. Everyone knows that. Hadrian rejects that answer, though, and Matty becomes compelled by curiosity and pride to solve the puzzle. When his search for an answer turns up long-buried state secrets, Matty’s journey becomes a collision course with a deadly royal decree. He's been set up to fail, which forces him to choose. Run for his life with the challenge lost...or call the king’s bluff.

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Praise
Refreshingly intelligent and loads of fun!
I lost a few hours as I read this book. It's a Young Adult novel that is refreshingly and astonishingly intelligent, and the love story is perfectly played out.
~Christine Ashworth, Amazon Review

The mystery was intriguing - I loved how Wendy Russo weaved in all her secrets throughout the book, how she incorporated just enough to keep you reading, while never actually divulging much of anything. I was guessing for most of it and that's pretty hard to make me do.
~Julie, Clean Teen Reads

Wendy Russo has created a masterpiece.
~Ivan Amberlake, Author


Book Trailer

Author Wendy S. Russo

Wendy S. Russo got her start writing in the sixth grade. That story involved a talisman with crystals that had to be found and assembled before bad things happened, and dialog that read like classroom roll call. Since then, she’s majored in journalism (for one semester), published poetry, taken a course on short novels, and watched most everything ever filmed by Quentin Tarantino. A Wyoming native transplanted in Baton Rouge, Wendy works for Louisiana State University as an IT analyst. She’s a wife, a mom, a Tiger, a Who Dat, and she falls asleep on her couch at 8:30 on weeknights.

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BookBlast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 5/5/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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