Thursday 28 June 2012

More daily poems

This has been more fun than I imagined. Not really making the one a day, but the average is good. Seems like I have to have the opportunity in order to write. Note to myself: need to create this opportunity and provide thte time.

Well I have another three and I am very happy with these so lets get right down to the nitty gritty:


25th June

A Healing Circle

 Round and round and round we go
Follow the path, all we need to know.
Find the centre that’s the plan,
Return again a better man.

Round and round and round we’re yet
Upon a path ordained, it’s set
From here to there and then return.
A healing circle, look and learn.

Round and round and round we walk.
The path is clear, no need to talk.
It spirals in, then out again.
A healing prayer to ease the pain.


My wife and I visited a “Garden of Well-Being” inGloucestershire, called Matara. The gardens have been designed to create a sense of calmness, and contain elements of Japanese (Zen garden) and Celtic traditions (mazes or labrynths). The double spiral is a common form of the single route labrynth and is called here a healing circle. The idea being that you walk forward to get to the centre and by keeping going in the same direction you reach the exit, a different exit of course.

I started to write this lying in bed in the hotel we stayed in for two days visiting two wonderful gardens. It was very early and most of it came to me without too much conscious thought but I had to write it down before I forgot it. At 5.00 a.m. this would have been a distinct possibility.

The first verse came out in one go. The second verse was a little more difficult to find and in fact it nearly did not get written. I wrote the third verse after the first and thought that the poem was complete but after a little break decided to add another verse. The second line of the last verse originally read:

" It spirals in, it spirals out."

However, rhyming with “out” was difficult and so came up with the alternative seen above.

The last verse eventually appeared, still using the same repetition as the other verses for the first line. The rhyming couplet gave me a little trouble, which is why the second line is a little stilted The word order being a little unnatural although not unforgivingly so.

The third line also took two attempts, firstly:
“From here to there and back again”

The lack of a suitable rhyme again led me to change to a slightly different tack.

When a lyric or poem “falls” out on to the paper quickly, without needing too much concentration on my part, I often find that it is one of my favourites. Although it is only days since this was written, I believe this will be the case with this poem. I must admit to being quite pleased with it.


25th June

As in a dream!

I am so glad that I did get up and write the last poem down. When I got back in bed I was obviously on overdrive and another poem came very quickly to mind. Again it did not need much work from me, the lines coming very easily. This time I did not write the poem down straightaway, I allowed myself to drop off to sleep – and of course later on upon reawakening, I had completely forgotten it. I remembered that I had completed it but could not even remember the theme or subject of the poem except that it was something to do with the visit of the day before. Just like a dream it had evaporated completely.

A warning to get ideas down on paper as soon as possible and whatever you are doing.


26th June

The Black Tower

A calming scene of luscious green
A tangled woody bower,
A colourful riot before one’s eyes
And then afar a tower.

The tower is in black stone built,
The local stone is sand,
I cannot help but wonder why
The builder made this stand.

The crenellations ‘round the top
Add to the mystery
Like a castle on a hill top proud.
The man a dreamer, he.

Was it a show of daring-do
Or was there a special reason?
But either way, to travellers’ eyes
It stands out all year, each season.



A photo of a distant tower seen at Old Sodbury, Gloucestershire. I was struck by the colour of it as we drove by. Virtually all other buildings were in the oolitic limestone common to the Cotswold area. In fact the councils will not allow any other materials to be used for new buildings in an effort to maintain the scenic beauty of this wonderful location.

I have very little to say about this poem, it being another one that came out very easily. Again, the last verse was written before the final verse but not an uncommon issue, I would guess. In the third verse above the third and fourth lines have been changed, the originals being:

“Looking to all who pass it by
Like a castle, there to see”

I am very glad that I took a few seconds to change it.

 Oh yes, crenellations are the shapes of the rectangular, protective devices seen around the battlements and towers of a castle. A note on the tower from Wikipedia:-
There is a crenellated tower on the escarpment immediately above and to the East of the village, resembling a rook chesspiece, visible from the main road, that performs the function of a ventilation shaft (the first of six) for the Chipping Sodbury Tunnel, on the main railway line from South Wales, via Bristol Parkway to London Paddington). These shafts were designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Railway, which runs through the village and under the hill above it.


Actually I am going to call it a day for this post there, I will post the third poem in my next posting.


Saturday 23 June 2012

Poetry, Beginning To Write Again Many Years

If you have read some of my previous posts here or my poetry-basedSquidoo lenses, you will be aware that the poetry I have been posting on the internet was almost all writtten many years ago in my youth. I have mentioned that my interest in writing has been reawakened by the postings. However, I have not been active in this endeavour.

In order to kick-start myself into action I am going to try and write a poem everyday. I am not sure if I can carry this off but if I do it will lead to a number of short, probably poorly written and an eclectic range of subjects. All to the good perhaps, especially the latter. Also, looking on the bright side, I should be able to edit the better ones into something to be proud of. The hope is that the action of writing will have three major affects:-
  • Writing more will encourage more writing
  • Writing more will encourage creativivty in my writing
  • Writing more will improve my consistency and skills in writing
If I seem to be repeating myself it is because I have great expectations of writing more. So everyday I will be making notes and putting a couple of stanzas down on paper. I will be editing as I go of course which is of course a standard part of the writing process. However I hope that by frequently posting  some of the "best" on this blog, more editing of course, I will get back into the business of writing poetry again.

Here are three which I have writen on the first two days of this project. Nothing came on the third day but I do feel good about them.


 
20th June (My thanks and apologies to William Shakespeare for the inspiration.)

Rush Hour


Hustle, bustle, toil and ruffle
Clothes protecting from the weather.
Rushing through the snow and rain
To their place of work ordained, 
Commuting colleagues all together.
Every morning it’s the same.

In the evening, repeat procedure
But carry out in reverse order.
Buses, trains and cars a-honking
Stressful signs of people waiting
To get home a little quicker;
Lord, O Lord, please heed their praying.


Played around with many rhyming schemes but settled on this one. Not usual for me - but after reading lots of free and non-rhyming poetry I wanted to be different. The first stanza came together and I worked on it for sometime using ABCCBC.

The original second line was, “Clothes worn keeping out the weather”. I may still keep it yet. Actually on second thoughts, to go back to the rhyming scheme, I am stayin with the original. Leaving, “Clothes worn to keep us warm” as second reserve.

The last two lines in stanza 2, after failing originally to maintain the rhyme scheme were,
“For the next stage of their journey
To get home, Lord heed their praying.”

NB. I moved the word “procedure” from line to line three times during the writing of this poem.


Shopping

Spending money, joining queues;
Oh boy, what joy
I can think of better things
To occupy my mind.
And if it should come to it,
I rather spend my time
Doing almost anything else,
Than shopping

I get no satisfaction
From brash new fashion.
I don’t need or get along
With must-have toys for boys.
Why are they so needed?
It really is a mystery,
A waste of world resources.
That’s shopping!


Wow, I thought I had finished this but have made several minor and a couple of major revisions to it whilst typing.  These were mostly to improve the metre and rhythm of the lines in the poem.
Apologies to Messers Jagger and Richards, but I declined their original line to improve the metre here.


21st June

Rain


It’s raining again, oh goody!
They told us we were short of water
And to use a hose was out of order.
In case of use a fine would follow
But now that’s sounding rather hollow.
It’s raining again, oh goody!


The shortest yet! Written during a few minutes waiting for a colleague at work.

I will of course keep you up to date with this project, hopefylly more posts (and poems) will follow rapidly.




Saturday 2 June 2012

A Poem For Ellen, On Her Passing Away

I don't often write this type of poem but Ellen was 101 years old when she died and I felt moved to put pen to paper.

                                       For Ellen.

               A grand old age, they all said so
               But still it hurt to see her go.
               And in the end, Not taking long;
               So short a time To move along.
               Leaving behind this vale of tears,
               Family and friends made through the years.

               She had a life that many say
               Was just and rewarding, for in her way
               She lived and loved those that she knew
               Harbouring no grudge, paying her due.

               For husband, son and daughter too
               She gave her love, she saw them through.
               In troubled times she was right there
               No need to ask, with strength she'd bear
               Them through it all and take their part
               With selfless love and generous heart.

               As Nan, she loved the children who
               Grew up so fast and loved her too.
               So weep not for a life so blessed,
               Remember Ellen, gone to rest.


I hope that you like it.