Blogging University: Landscape, Found Poetry, Enumeratio

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, writing, Writing201

The landscape theme influenced me to write about the landscape of a Monday morning journey to work. As I wrote the poem in the enumeratio style, I found myself singing “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” by REM!!

Standing on the platform

Mindless zombies are the norm

I stifle another yawn

Curse it, weekend’s gone.

School kids, business types,

Holidaying husbands and wives,

Adrenalin junkies full of hype.

Snapshot of other’s lives.

All jostling for position,

Each has a separate mission.

Blank it out with headphones,

Music’s on, it’s my own

Way of dealing

With folk less appealing.

 

Train doors separate.

Come on now, can’t be late.

Locomotive running late –

How long must we wait?

Newspaper’s full of gore

Tragedy, another war,

Football ended in goalless draw.

And I clench my jaw

As more bodies jump on.

Hang on now, won’t be long

Til my stop is here –

Internal cheer.

Then escalators hit

People swamp – I quit.

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Blogging University Poetry Course: Fingers, Prose, Assonance

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, fiction, Writing201

I found this hard and I hope I’ve got it right. I’m doing new poetry styles for the first time, and it’s a good challenge. In regard to the assonance part, I’ve used ‘ou’. This effort is completely nonsensical.

Messy Fingers

‘You could use a fork to eat,’ she says to him as he grabs another handful of mash.

‘You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had. I want to use my hands,’ he retorts.

Another mouthful of cheesy peas. You couldn’t picture it.

‘Please use the fork.’ She sounds exasperated. Her comments keep rebounding.

‘Stop hounding me. You should be gone.’ He’s wound up now.

She pouts. She pours a glass of four per cent lager over his head, jumps in her car and drives to Gloucester.

Where there are lots of roundabouts.

Poetry 201: Fog/Elegy/Metaphor

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, fiction, Writing201

This is called ‘Rainbows’ (A Dark Elegy):

The words you spun entangled my soul,

Caught in a web, loss of control.

Riding through ghostly mists, foreboding and dark –

Too much weight for my paper heart.

Chilling mistruths that poured from your lips,

Taught me hope in the wintry depths.

Your cruel words helped me to embrace rainbows more.

You gave me a way out of your civil war.

You made me feel without you I was nothing,

But I knew there was more to loving.

I’d like to see you now, it’s bizarre,

To thank you for putting me on a better path

Today’s Poem: Animal, Concrete, Enjambent

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, fiction, Writing201

Rabbit

Down we climb into the depths,
Long winding paths that intersect
To confuse and befuddle, To leave
Invaders in a muddle. We scamper to
Where we will be safe and warm, and
Protected from wind, heat and storm.
We gather and hoard on what we can
Find, and careful never to stray
Behind. The earth is damp below
Our feet. But this is the place
We call home so sweet. Where we
Snuggle at night, away from the
Noise and the light so bright.

Poetry Day 3: Trust, Acrostic, Internal Rhyme

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, fiction, writing, Writing201

TRUST AND LOVE (A Parent’s Wish)

That day you were born, car horns
Rush hour traffic, a feeling of magic
Until we bumbled thru doors to the maternity ward
Showed to empty bed space, awaiting first sign of your face.
This love makes us burst at the seams, child of our dreams.

And as time passes you’ll learn to have a heart that will yearn
Nothing but love, trust and peace, lifelong gifts for one so sweet
Do not lose sense of who you are, these gifts already shine like a star

Life will sometimes make you weak, just open your hand and reach
Out for those who care, release your burdens and share.
Virtuous blessings will be yours, as such experiences open up doors:
Everybody you trust and love will not part cos of the joyous exchanges of our hearts

Writing 201, Day 2:Limerick Poem

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, fiction, Writing201

The limerick has to be in regard to any kind of journey and it needs to contain alliteration

There was a girl guide from Guernsey
Who got into her mind not to curtsy
To all passers by
Who’d look her in the eye
And say, ‘You’ve missed the bus to Chertsey.’

Writing 201: Haiku Poem on Water

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, fiction, Writing201

This is my first haiku. Here goes:

Water caresses
Gentle as a newborn babe
Pure and soothing too

Review of 750 Words website

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, fiction, writing

This week I focused my attention on a story I was writing, so I’ve not posted upon WordPress in the last few days. I had to envelope myself with that sense of self-discipline – which being on WordPress has helped me maintain since the start of 2015 – in order not to let the story become one of those half-baked ideas that sits in a drawer for another year.

I’ll post that story up by Monday.

Anyway, it was whilst researching this story that I came across a website called 750 Words (www.750words.com); I’ve no idea how I got to it during a random keywords search in Google, but I think I’ve found a potential cousin for all my WordPress endeavours.

The concept of the site is to encourage users to write at least – you’ve guessed it – 750 words daily. The authors of the site explain that it is a dumping ground to clear the mind for the day or ahead of more serious writing endeavours. You don’t have to worry about being word perfect: the site encourages the writer to write freeform about whatever comes into their head.

Sure, anybody could off-load their thoughts in a notepad each day, so what makes this site special? Well, once you’ve hit the 750 word mark and saved your work, you are greeted by an analysis page – and this is a really groovy feature. Here, you’re given a measure of the emotional content of what you’ve written about and the themes that you’ve covered.

Bar graphs and pie charts are used as part of the critique, making the info more easy to digest. When somebody presents facts to me in pie chart form especially, that is when I intend to listen!

The analysis also covers whether you’ve written in the first or third person. I particularly liked the word most commonly used feature: this will definitely be a useful tool in helping me avoid repetitive words and phrases in my story writing (I do tend to use the words ‘but’ and ‘however’ a lot).

In time, I will put a draft of a story as one of my entries. It will be interesting to see how the site analyses that.

There is also the chance to link up with other writers too. I haven’t looked into this yet, but, like being on WordPress, having the chance to connect with others who share the same passion is always a good thing.

The key thing that I have taken away from being on WordPress and 750 Words is that I can never be stuck for ideas of what to write about. Even if I just write something short each day, the fact is I’m being committed.

And that’s a good thing.

Have a good weekend, everybody.

P.S. I only put up a picture of a cake because cake is great!

Daily Post Prompt: What is the best thing since sliced bread?

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, fiction

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Sliced Bread.”

Three things:

1) Wet wipes

They have so many uses. As well as cleaning baby, I use them for cleaning shoes, doing a bit of dusting. They’re useful when you’re out and about if hand washing facilities in public toilets aren’t up to scratch.

They have a multitude of uses that make life that bit easier.

2) TV remote control

I was going to say TV only, but the remote control has opened up doors with all the different stuff you can do on Satellite TV. I love being able to download loads of cool movies and box sets, fast forward through adverts and pause as well.

3) Wetherspoons Pubs

Great beer, decent food at reasonable prices and football/soccer on TV.

My needs are relatively simple through the often gruelling onslaught of life. The above things are luxurious necessities to me

See the Light

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, fiction

The darkness is descending upon our awkward times
How can we be free when we must face our crimes?
Spectres watch with splendour as our shadows twist and deform,
Waiting to suck the essence from the bodies into which we were born.

Over the horizon is a weak, weak light
That we must turn to face before days become night.
Arm in arm, sister to sister, brother to brother –
Respect to all and our Earth Mother