tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929848976398253372024-02-21T00:27:10.484-05:00Poets on the PageWe believe there are no rules for poetry, only playing with words until you breathe life into them.Morgan Dragonwillowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17147836851533669779noreply@blogger.comBlogger417125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-17546742284277807682018-09-07T09:54:00.002-04:002018-09-07T09:57:06.356-04:00OctPoWriMo 2018 Countdown!It is that time of year again, for poets all over the world to write 31 poems in 31 days! OctPoWriMo begins in 24 days! We will be doing a countdown here on OctPoWriMo, sharing tips, books, and more.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by MDragonwillow</td></tr>
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If you are one of those brave souls who would like to volunteer to help write tips, prompts, read the participants poetry and leave encouraging words, message me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/morgan.dragonwillow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/MDragonwillow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.<br />
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You might notice I've recently changed my name from Morgan Dragonwillow to Willow Althea on Facebook and Twitter. The transition isn't complete but I am slowly changing things over. I will probably keep Morgan Dragonwillow for my poetry books, but everything else will be Willow Althea. Thanks for your patience and understanding. Someday I will post on my blog about the why of it.<br />
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Head on over and <a href="http://www.octpowrimo.com/p/octpowrimo-2018-link-up.html" target="_blank">link up for OctPoWriMo</a> now!<br />
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Dance.Write.Play.Repeat<br />
<a href="http://www.awritersuniverse.com/" target="_blank">Willow</a><br />
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*this post also on <a href="http://www.octpowrimo.com/">octpowrimo.com</a><br />
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Willow Althea, a.k.a. Morgan Dragonwillow, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Morgan-Dragonwillow/e/B00C14XIL6/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1474889855&sr=8-1" style="color: #002a77; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow</a>, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of <a href="http://octpowrimo.com/" style="color: #002a77; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">#OctPoWriMo</a> & <a href="http://poetsonthepage.blogspot.com/" style="color: #002a77; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">#PoetsonthePage</a>. Collaborate with your soul and get your words on the page. </blockquote>
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Yes, she is on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MorganDragonwillow/about/?rel=author" style="color: #002a77; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Google+</a> too!</blockquote>
Morgan Dragonwillowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17147836851533669779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-41972565669931200182018-09-03T00:00:00.000-04:002018-09-03T00:00:06.266-04:00Influence & Inspiration<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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"The music of my youth." This is how one of my friends described Aretha's body of work. So many of us -- Detroiters, Americans, and citizens of the world -- mourned the loss of "The Queen of Soul" these past two weeks. Fellow musicians and regular folks, all fans, she inspired, bolstered, and comforted paid tribute to her in words and song.<br />
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Though her music and voice always made me stop and listen or move to the beat, my favorite Aretha moment happened in 2015 at the Kennedy Center Honors where she celebrated Carole King by singing "Natural Woman." Tears rolled as I sang (off-key) and watched the communication between Aretha and Carole and between Aretha and the star-studded audience. President Barack Obama wiped a tear from his eyes along with me.<br />
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With her music, her leadership, her example to her family and community, the legendary Aretha Franklin defined an era in our history. <br />
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<b>Today's Prompt:</b><br />
By this time in our lives, we've all experienced a loss of someone whose presence or actions on a large platform have affected us. We may not know the individual personally, but he or she has inspired or comforted or taught us. We've also had family and personal friends whose lives have had an impact on our own. Write an ode to that person. Or, write a poem about how that person influenced or inspired you.<br />
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<b>Word Bank:</b><br />
Tribute<br />
Inspiration<br />
Legend <br />
Presence<br />
Model<br />
Mentor<br />
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<b>Video Prompt:</b> <br />
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We would love to read your work, so please share your poem or provide
a link to your website or blog in the comments below. Thank you, and
happy writing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Annis
Cassells is a writer, poet,
life coach, and teacher. She divides her
time between Bakersfield, California and Coos Bay, Oregon, where she
conducts memoir writing classes for senior adults. She is a member of
Writers of Kern, a branch of the California Writers Club. See Annis’s
blogs at <a href="http://www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com/">www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com</a> and <a href="http://www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com/">www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com</a> and
her website at <a href="http://www.connectionsandconversations.com/">www.connectionsandconversations.com</a></span></i></span></span><br />
<br />Annis Cassellshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956658096326753578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-5559167940702205352018-08-06T08:47:00.000-04:002018-08-06T08:47:05.906-04:00Strength<!--[if !mso]>
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A writer friend once said, “If I’d known I was going to live
this long, I’d have taken better care of myself." At the time I laughed. But
as the years have gone by, her statement has come back to me many times.</div>
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Now that I’m in the last few days of celebrating my 75<sup>th</sup>
“Birthday Season,” I’ve thought even more about maintaining self-care. The
central, recurring thought: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">strength. </b></div>
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Physical strength is good and necessary so we can keep going.
Equally important is having strong convictions and passions. </div>
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I recently met up with a childhood friend who’s about my
age. During our conversation, I often heard, "I'm too old." and "I don't care about..." She seemed to have given up on life, even though she has a track record of
being a strong woman in her younger days. This is a woman who gathered the
strength to flee an oppressive relationship in a foreign country and get her
five-year-old son back to the United States. She worked hard and made a
comfortable life for them.</div>
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We’ve all had to muster strength to get through life’s
challenges, small and large. Think back years, or even days, to when you had to be strong and
resilient. Write your “strength poem.”</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word Bank</b></div>
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Fragile</div>
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Intense</div>
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Powerful</div>
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Tough</div>
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Weak</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Photo Prompt</b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0slr_4KZ0eDMOC3hJpdBop7Ng-2MDTPCtm7YU2DBoK6TLVxQOU3uDVtBcSJZAh9Fp-WZUuU60wEtRUEhxlaR4VNXfixg2aHKb7SyGlrNhR87tLMCGeiOgZwQ3dGE1jANG3MrvlWtKNtg/s1600/MLK+%2526+GW.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="477" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0slr_4KZ0eDMOC3hJpdBop7Ng-2MDTPCtm7YU2DBoK6TLVxQOU3uDVtBcSJZAh9Fp-WZUuU60wEtRUEhxlaR4VNXfixg2aHKb7SyGlrNhR87tLMCGeiOgZwQ3dGE1jANG3MrvlWtKNtg/s320/MLK+%2526+GW.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washington, D.C. Photo by Annis Cassells</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></b><b>Quote Prompt</b></div>
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"It doesn't take a lot of strength to hang on. It takes a lot of strength to let go." J. C. Watts <br />
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We'd love to read your work. Please share your poem in the comments below, or provide a link to your website.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSDQZwZHFaJchnn8fqsTbQSbCqf-M23roAw5ioaga4sZQbN-HhJEi6MDF86uqZBhFlGLTS1k3-4Y1OZWYOcDeiULT5ZoWKcC2W1qggTV3PQ93seeJmRsdbSipAxkJ5gJ7rVUtiHZzXxVM/s1600/IMG_2648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="568" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSDQZwZHFaJchnn8fqsTbQSbCqf-M23roAw5ioaga4sZQbN-HhJEi6MDF86uqZBhFlGLTS1k3-4Y1OZWYOcDeiULT5ZoWKcC2W1qggTV3PQ93seeJmRsdbSipAxkJ5gJ7rVUtiHZzXxVM/s200/IMG_2648.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Annis
Cassells is a writer, poet,
life coach, and teacher. She divides her
time between Bakersfield, California and Coos Bay, Oregon, where she
conducts memoir writing classes for senior adults. She is a member of
Writers of Kern, a branch of the California Writers Club. See Annis’s
blogs at <a href="http://www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com/">www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com</a> and <a href="http://www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com/">www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com</a> and
her website at <a href="http://www.connectionsandconversations.com/">www.connectionsandconversations.com</a></span></i></span></span></div>
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Annis Cassellshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956658096326753578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-54515980409449969802018-07-02T18:19:00.000-04:002018-07-02T18:19:07.292-04:00Early Bird or Night Owl<br />
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“The Early Bird
catches the worm.” This 17<sup>th</sup> century Proverb our mothers and
grandmothers quoted still rings true today. Being early brings a person
numerous benefits.
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some movie theaters and restaurants offer discounts in the
form of “Early Bird Specials.” Throughout my career years, I’ve been lucky
enough to have prices knocked down for early registration at conferences and
hotels.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Athletes, artists, writers, CEOs, and many folks considered
to be successful take advantage of the early morning hours. It gives them more
time during the day when their energy, motivation, and creative levels are
high. They’re able to complete projects and tasks, which leads to feelings of
accomplishment and greater success.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">For
me, early morning is often when a solution to a problem or an answer to a
question appears. In that drowsing time, my eyes may snap open and I have to
get to my computer or grab a paper and pencil and jot down my ideas. Sometimes
a poem or a story comes to me—or even a blog post. </span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then there are those folks whose bodies and brains don't kick into high gear until late evening. That's when they become most productive and do their best work. I have friends and family members in the "night owl" category. They accomplish just as much in their peak time as early folks do. One is not better than the other, just different.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Poetry Prompt: </b>"Early Bird" or "Night Owl" Which are you? How has being one or the other made an impact on your life or work? What are the advantages or disadvantages of punctuality, earliness, or tardiness?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Word Bank:</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Advantage</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Creativity </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Distraction</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Opportune</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Peak</span></span><br />
Tardy<br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Unexpected </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Photo Prompt:</b></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfp_lUG3ae-fxBinfkqAbPZlqXZP2bCzN_XUTdSodnYeZqqbYfX1aZFHiUls29noLbctZbMK6WVzaxIsGOYfeZGKoGPRxk0wxRDrkZV9ynGYg8s9WuXOEXAInMu95tT5QvELEcaUKi4_Y9/s1600/2017+Cuba+Annis+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfp_lUG3ae-fxBinfkqAbPZlqXZP2bCzN_XUTdSodnYeZqqbYfX1aZFHiUls29noLbctZbMK6WVzaxIsGOYfeZGKoGPRxk0wxRDrkZV9ynGYg8s9WuXOEXAInMu95tT5QvELEcaUKi4_Y9/s320/2017+Cuba+Annis+031.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Annis Cassells 2017</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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We would love to read your work, so please share your poem or provide a link to your website or blog in the comments below. Thank you, and happy writing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ01jiUFp4sky1zUjxuUpq1GE6AlLtFginxYgvIW9oGh58802bUAk6spfVgsKiBZB4soFeWFe-hWBwoH1PKYhfc5wBJtuS5553UHOGPhgKTDV6gSp4aPM9ZUWoA4TLSqWO2BBQT65jp5Nh/s1600/IMG_2648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="568" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ01jiUFp4sky1zUjxuUpq1GE6AlLtFginxYgvIW9oGh58802bUAk6spfVgsKiBZB4soFeWFe-hWBwoH1PKYhfc5wBJtuS5553UHOGPhgKTDV6gSp4aPM9ZUWoA4TLSqWO2BBQT65jp5Nh/s200/IMG_2648.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Annis
Cassells is a writer, poet,
life coach, and teacher. She divides her
time between Bakersfield, California and Coos Bay, Oregon, where she
conducts memoir writing classes for senior adults. She is a member of
Writers of Kern, a branch of the California Writers Club. See Annis’s
blogs at <a href="http://www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com/">www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com</a> and <a href="http://www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com/">www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com</a> and
her website at <a href="http://www.connectionsandconversations.com/">www.connectionsandconversations.com</a></span></i></span></span>Annis Cassellshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956658096326753578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-77362863914169156622018-06-11T00:00:00.000-04:002018-06-11T00:00:05.592-04:00Poetry Prompt - Commencement<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HOlwYWZuALelZOSgrht6_MGRrLiz7FKiXFfcTeaKsF9rSpgtqdKjjiZqRD8pC6ZD88GyXMK51_fswrTPSpHzW9cvVEU55A-ZXoZpZBysFJfMJKXDtcc-ocSgMzD2y8f7u-la-luCJAQ/s1600/Commencement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1461" data-original-width="1600" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HOlwYWZuALelZOSgrht6_MGRrLiz7FKiXFfcTeaKsF9rSpgtqdKjjiZqRD8pC6ZD88GyXMK51_fswrTPSpHzW9cvVEU55A-ZXoZpZBysFJfMJKXDtcc-ocSgMzD2y8f7u-la-luCJAQ/s320/Commencement.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Amy McGrath</td></tr>
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Yesterday, like many parents, I sat in an auditorium and bore witness to a rite of passage. My older son donned his cap and gown, processed to "Pomp and Circumstance", and walked across the stage to receive his high school diploma. It was the most bittersweet feeling I have ever experienced. I was simultaneously yearning to hang on to my little boy and bursting with pride at the kind, caring, talented man that he has become. </div>
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I remember watching him take his first steps when he was a toddler. I encouraged him, helped steady his balance, and cheered him on. When he stumbled or fell, I was there to help him back onto his feet. Now I am in awe as I watch him take his first steps into adulthood and my task as his mother is the same now as it was before. Encourage him, steady him, cheer for him, and be there to assist when he stumbles or falls. </div>
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<b>The Prompt:</b></div>
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Free write about beginnings or first steps. Use what comes up for you to create a poem.</div>
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<b>Word Prompts:</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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Graduation</div>
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Commencement</div>
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First Steps</div>
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Beginnings</div>
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Getting started</div>
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Please share the link to your poem (or post your poem) in the comments below. If you're on Facebook, you can share your poem in the Poets on the Page group. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ywGH_gy1HL9fIjX-58BzG6fR13nT_6PUFSPGHunzDQhZ-HscvCwSm7SGXtiU824C7V633SE4Io17NyE-u8jvyd_URF2CNuUFOzXKE3vdrtHv6OtYC2JGC7dNTHH-jzEz8i-PeSOH_6M/s1600/me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="689" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ywGH_gy1HL9fIjX-58BzG6fR13nT_6PUFSPGHunzDQhZ-HscvCwSm7SGXtiU824C7V633SE4Io17NyE-u8jvyd_URF2CNuUFOzXKE3vdrtHv6OtYC2JGC7dNTHH-jzEz8i-PeSOH_6M/s200/me.jpg" width="143" /></a><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;" /> Amy McGrath is a mixed media artist and writer in Virginia Beach. She is a regular contributor here and volunteers at The Muse Writer's Center in Norfolk. Her current writing project is a memoir about her experiences as an adoptee and about the journey to find her birth parents. </div>
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seekingmemehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554122629193372508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-24223946931411126072018-06-04T00:00:00.000-04:002018-06-04T00:00:02.538-04:00Poetry Prompt: What does it mean to be a socially responsible member of American Society?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the Public Domain</td></tr>
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Writers of Kern, the writing
organization of which I am a member, seeks to encourage writing among youth
through an annual essay competition for middle and high school students. The 2018 topic for the Young Writers of Kern Writing Competition was "What does it mean to be a socially responsible member of
American Society?"<br />
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“Socially responsible” and “socially responsible member of
American Society” hold many possibilities for thought and expression these
days. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Using these ideas for this week’s Poets on the Page
prompt, we are invited to investigate our feelings and thoughts: About social
responsibility. About being a socially responsible member of our society. About
whatever comes to mind when you see these words.</div>
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Do poets have a social responsibility for illuminating society’s
interests, ailments, accomplishments, wrongs? What do you see or think that
needs to be said?</div>
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<br /></div>
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How has American society changed? Developed? Presented
itself?</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word Bank Prompt:</b></div>
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Accountability</div>
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Citizen(ship)</div>
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Civic</div>
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Community</div>
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Culture</div>
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Patriotism</div>
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Rights</div>
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Social Justice</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Poetic Prompt:</b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">From “What Would
Gwendolyn Brooks Do?” by Parneshia Jones</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <i>
“Hold On</i>, she says, two million
light years away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She’s
right.<br />
Hold On everybody.<br />
Hold On because the poets are still alive—and writing.”<br />
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/what-would-gwendolyn-brooks-do?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Poem-a-Day%20%20May%2025%202018&utm_content=Poem-a-Day%20%20May%2025%202018+CID_61f434791e4016dc27066e38be8e7a82&utm_source=Email%20from%20Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=read-more">Read
and hear the full poem at Poets.org</a></b><br />
<br />
Share your poem or provide the link to your blog in the comments below<b>. </b>We'd love to read your ideas. Thank you. xoA<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIcccHCrQphyAja_E0RonM0CmT2UkmzxZrvJew22_dVDmiTpGlSQGK2JfD3PCGRIvwX8PFDWHjNKn29CcAGSwPGedPtAdM1X4cgqJvpUnCsGO_IVCY6ljQBJXxfG6PID54Hok2BHVvile/s1600/IMG_2648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="568" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIcccHCrQphyAja_E0RonM0CmT2UkmzxZrvJew22_dVDmiTpGlSQGK2JfD3PCGRIvwX8PFDWHjNKn29CcAGSwPGedPtAdM1X4cgqJvpUnCsGO_IVCY6ljQBJXxfG6PID54Hok2BHVvile/s200/IMG_2648.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Annis Cassells is a writer, poet,
life coach, and teacher. She divides her
time between Bakersfield, California and Coos Bay, Oregon, where she conducts memoir writing classes for senior adults. She is a member of
Writers of Kern, a branch of the California Writers Club. See Annis’s blogs at <a href="http://www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com/">www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com</a> and <a href="http://www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com/">www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com</a> and
her website at <a href="http://www.connectionsandconversations.com/">www.connectionsandconversations.com</a></span></i></span></span></div>
Annis Cassellshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956658096326753578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-75928208090967660022018-05-07T00:00:00.000-04:002018-05-07T00:00:02.364-04:00Mom<!--[if !mso]>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDfHkyFYkK8qg4EAXAEkwCj2Bh7_fFIYFioUXxJlQeuZAcV1uBJ0yYspH__zs9h629tiJPZLBKTnXse5Jv_Me_EbcTWHLSTspxJI5FlqqWpGTnsjIVPhlQmeEzs_h_s1ixPw61koZDJXU/s1600/Mom+Meme.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="419" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDfHkyFYkK8qg4EAXAEkwCj2Bh7_fFIYFioUXxJlQeuZAcV1uBJ0yYspH__zs9h629tiJPZLBKTnXse5Jv_Me_EbcTWHLSTspxJI5FlqqWpGTnsjIVPhlQmeEzs_h_s1ixPw61koZDJXU/s320/Mom+Meme.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaitlyn Stanford, <a href="https://mom.me/entertainment/13652-50-best-mom-memes/item/supermom/">"50 Best Mom Memes"</a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When we grew up in Detroit in the 1950s, our
friends thought the Cassells kids had “the coolest” mom. My buddy Saundra and I
have reminisced about the times my mother took us to the frenzied Rock
& Roll shows that were popular in those days. Mom was right beside us
as we found our thrill on Blueberry Hill with Fats Domino, did the twist with
Chubby Checker, and were all shook up with Elvis. Saundra said, “We
all wanted <u>your </u>mother.” </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Of course, to her own three kids, she was just
“Mom”. We knew without a doubt that she would be at home when we came running
in after school. She often had a plate of cookies or a cake sitting on the
yellow Formica kitchen table, and the television was always tuned to the
channel for Mickey Mouse Club. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Think about your mother. How did your
perception of her change over the years? What about your relationship? How are
you like, or unlike, her? Write about it. Discover your poem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Or, take out a photo of your mom, study it and free
write about the photo. From this piece, find your poem. Will it be in tribute?
An explanation? A description? A rebuke?</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Word
Bank Prompt</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unconditional
love</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Teachings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Home</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27tjf1O6IhYfef2jQZwlH0u5sT9G1W6bfEw2k2-TscS5SC5s_bSStNYf21xNojaPHDkmbpFpN-l7_9klUAIa4guM_nJbSWnLwsBQWA3tp_4WFNesHnZX5zMAEPwE8l-OjppCslFH1JjXO/s1600/Mom0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="874" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27tjf1O6IhYfef2jQZwlH0u5sT9G1W6bfEw2k2-TscS5SC5s_bSStNYf21xNojaPHDkmbpFpN-l7_9klUAIa4guM_nJbSWnLwsBQWA3tp_4WFNesHnZX5zMAEPwE8l-OjppCslFH1JjXO/s320/Mom0001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Ms. Ruthie Rides" photo by Annis Cassells</td></tr>
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<b>Reading Prompt </b><br />
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<b>In Ellen Bass's <i>Mules of Love</i> </b><a href="http://www.ellenbass.com/books/mules-of-love/for-my-daughter-on-her-twenty-first-birthday/">"For My Daughter on her Twenty-first Birthday"</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfViyNJdLyArjFywiBgI7X8Hnee-tb3N0bTj4DIaCQ2Rx1BBQExOCBZy2qFP2VeQ5udl6WX8N4Z_DW46IhabXaT_0Vf3zp1ePdpX2bJ5kdQ2BL6K1cwMcKaf4xMO5b6wr9SIESRvoGPU_/s1600/IMG_2648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="568" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfViyNJdLyArjFywiBgI7X8Hnee-tb3N0bTj4DIaCQ2Rx1BBQExOCBZy2qFP2VeQ5udl6WX8N4Z_DW46IhabXaT_0Vf3zp1ePdpX2bJ5kdQ2BL6K1cwMcKaf4xMO5b6wr9SIESRvoGPU_/s200/IMG_2648.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Annis Cassells is a writer, poet,
life coach, and teacher. She divides her
time between Bakersfield, California and Coos Bay, Oregon. She is a member of
Writers of Kern, a branch of the California Writers Club. See Annis’s blogs at <a href="http://www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com/">www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com</a> and <a href="http://www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com/">www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com</a> and
her website at <a href="http://www.connectionsandconversations.com/">www.connectionsandconversations.com</a></span></i></span></span></span></div>
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Annis Cassellshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956658096326753578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-43042008342067321482018-04-30T00:00:00.000-04:002018-04-30T00:00:55.049-04:00Poetry Prompt - The Finish Line<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfow1ZRKLLu9n6UCzhlSYSSu6Al2oRryodKLLDWiGsbyZSGnXs6dcfko_HxsvkG-FCpHiFuhfomzU8jpDPhSYnUqHE6YA7KEuDjl_cWeGwPBf5Jn7EbQQcSuHBPhWyBBOiOICb1uZx1rZ/s1600/1*nSxPpS7i2mjWh2YRuVLxPg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfow1ZRKLLu9n6UCzhlSYSSu6Al2oRryodKLLDWiGsbyZSGnXs6dcfko_HxsvkG-FCpHiFuhfomzU8jpDPhSYnUqHE6YA7KEuDjl_cWeGwPBf5Jn7EbQQcSuHBPhWyBBOiOICb1uZx1rZ/s320/1*nSxPpS7i2mjWh2YRuVLxPg.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The NaPoWriMo finish line is in sight - It has been a rough go this time around. I have struggled with the metaphorical equivalent of bonking (running out of steam) and also after taking a few wrong turns (too many obligations) I have spent half the month feeling lost and wondering if I would ever cross the line. Would I end up with that dreaded acronym by my name in the race roster - D.N.F.?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So I dig deep, pull my soul inside out and give it all I got. I can hear my triathlete friend yelling - "if you are not spitting blood, you can push harder". That's the thing though. I need to see the crimson flowing from my creative veins onto the page.</span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheering zone (prompts)</b></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Did you participate in the NaPoWriMo? If you did - write a poem based on the overall experience. Was it easy? Did you stay focused and write a poem a day or did you end up with poetry debt? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Write for 5 minutes about a time you decided to give up on a goal before finishing it - did you feel guilty? Relieved? Now write a poem explaining your decision (good or bad). Perhaps write a poem describing how you saved the world by making the decision (you are granted permission to embrace the absurd). </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">WORD/topic Prompts</span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Racing</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Determination</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Perseverance</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Quitting</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sprint</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Victory</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bragging</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNzzrBbaDjXe-zfzurkccd55a0CgDCFRwdHQ09pNLWczuyWFzV8WuYrdNpRbuH_rdpsp557M-LS1omt5Am6dz_6QfLIbJhoMpiKzLqcwg16Gf9BBmHxKFoeDwIUG9QZaZTbj2UE7dKca1/s1600/208425-Ernest-Hemingway-Quote-There-is-nothing-to-writing-All-you-do-is.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNzzrBbaDjXe-zfzurkccd55a0CgDCFRwdHQ09pNLWczuyWFzV8WuYrdNpRbuH_rdpsp557M-LS1omt5Am6dz_6QfLIbJhoMpiKzLqcwg16Gf9BBmHxKFoeDwIUG9QZaZTbj2UE7dKca1/s320/208425-Ernest-Hemingway-Quote-There-is-nothing-to-writing-All-you-do-is.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.850000381469727px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">Please share the link to your poem (or post your poem) in the comments below. And, if you're on Facebook, post it to Poets on the Page. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuWM1lGiBU5J5kK9RRzyj-3cQ8XX888bIObSxr2sUaLXtelCxaWSz7yzjtsYkXpIipOcvrRuIjJKaxMcWCDJz1N1te3XX5okzPxp4XIIoyryTWEcAXxthhW9dNH52nypeS6BSvMR7FLSo/s1600/me2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #8e7cc3; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuWM1lGiBU5J5kK9RRzyj-3cQ8XX888bIObSxr2sUaLXtelCxaWSz7yzjtsYkXpIipOcvrRuIjJKaxMcWCDJz1N1te3XX5okzPxp4XIIoyryTWEcAXxthhW9dNH52nypeS6BSvMR7FLSo/s200/me2.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="150" /></a>Jenny Astramowicz is a writer, poet and aspiring wellness coach. She resides in San Francisco where she works at the local university and trains for endurance events. Her long term dream is to live in France with her two cats.</span></div>
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<i style="color: #777777; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Not all who wander are lost...</span></i></div>
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<i style="color: #777777; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">#OctPoWriMo #NaPoWriMo #NaNoWriMo #Poetsonthepage</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Find her on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/109315915316272041180" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Google +</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/zenofjenny" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/zenofjenny/" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Instagram</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can read her poetry at <a class="" href="https://zwabisabi.blogspot.com/" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">h</a></span></div>
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Jenni Astramowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07047918534701099897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-90352330082746392622018-04-16T01:18:00.000-04:002018-04-16T01:18:30.753-04:00NaPoWriMo - Time<br />
We are halfway through NaPoWriMo, are you reading and writing poetry everyday or periodically like I am? I get so caught up in day to day life that I let things get in the way of my poetry. I was hoping I'd be better at it this time but I never seem to be able to do it every single day. Not berating myself though, just noticing.<br />
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Be kind to yourself on this journey of life.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQftEazl7us6LwscDIgf0kQGUZV5UmIqt5zCgDqvqHhAQBXSr-y78MLe3H3rFL_2OYvDK-9M-TGNISrYB0VpWUo27lBC4NQ0023eyzMRES1ooGOhsKwTN_SsYYFdvtBKlByU_FaL7_t4/s1600/sunrise+tree+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQftEazl7us6LwscDIgf0kQGUZV5UmIqt5zCgDqvqHhAQBXSr-y78MLe3H3rFL_2OYvDK-9M-TGNISrYB0VpWUo27lBC4NQ0023eyzMRES1ooGOhsKwTN_SsYYFdvtBKlByU_FaL7_t4/s320/sunrise+tree+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NaPoWriMo - Time<br />Photo by MDragonwillow</td></tr>
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diving into the depths<br />
words flow<br />
gently and<br />
explosively<br />
onto the page<br />
<br />
***<br />
<br />
broken questions<br />
between whispers<br />
begin a dance<br />
of a universal language<br />
exploring magic<br />
in a rainbow sky<br />
naked desire<br />
in a blazing heart<br />
soul prisoner<br />
love's searching<br />
time<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">~~~~~~~~~~~~</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
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If you write a poem on your blog for NaPoWriMo and would like to share it with us, place your link in the comments below. We look forward to reading your poems.
<br />
<br />
<br />
Peace,<br />
<a href="http://morgandragonwillow.com/" target="_blank">Morgan Dragonwillow</a><br />
Read, Dance, Write, Repeat.
<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
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Morgan Dragonwillow, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Morgan-Dragonwillow/e/B00C14XIL6/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1474889855&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow</a>, is a writing rebel, foodie, urban gardener, recovering perfectionist, facilitator of magical circles and poet who (mostly) doesn't let her fears get in the way of her passion for writing and creating. When she isn't working with clients, writing or dancing, you can find her encouraging and supporting her writing community at <a href="https://twitter.com/StoryDam" target="_blank">@StoryDam</a>, <a href="http://octpowrimo.com/" target="_blank">#OctPoWriMo</a>, <a href="http://poetsonthepage.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">#PoetsonthePage</a>, and <a href="http://morgandragonwillow.com/" target="_blank">Playing with Words</a> on her blog.</div>
</blockquote>
Yes she is on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MorganDragonwillow/about/?rel=author" target="_blank">Google+</a> too!<br />
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Morgan Dragonwillowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17147836851533669779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-16391294129342432722018-04-09T00:00:00.000-04:002018-04-09T00:00:04.464-04:00NaPoWriMo - The Loneliness of Pretty<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://headlessbill.deviantart.com/art/Come-With-Me-82310585" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSbd8IiYna7MQH25qB-coULdFxrJt4yNyT3lpiR8ICqpeYhurDnAfD3Q804uC9z_GGjpYdZMoL_YNeO79tb9I52sDyGb0-meapkKpgeufMrTUMuaXr0AUZWVWWOBuS6VFFSFGwG_zm50/s320/Come+With+Me.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://headlessbill.deviantart.com/art/Come-With-Me-82310585" target="_blank">Image by John F. Ashton-Keller</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Beauty’s
only skin deep they say, <br />
So peel off my skin.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><br />
If your right hand offends you then cut it off.<br />
Remove me from you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">You who made me a
part of you<br />
Then turned your back on me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">You who professed forever,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">
Then dwindled to sometimes,<br />
Then occasionally,<br />
Then rarely,<br />
Now never. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">You curse me<br />
Blame me.<br />
Fine.<br />
I remember <br />
when you said,<br />
“Mine.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Selfishly, then,
you’d cling to me<br />
In the white hot embers of afterglow.<br />
Selfishly, now, you blame me for seeking<br />
What you promised to give, but forgot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Was the promise
forgotten?<br />
Or was it only me? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">You were my
everything – <br />
My present and my future.<br />
I depended on you.<br />
I wanted you.<br />
I needed you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Though we were
together, I found myself alone,<br />
Aching and desperate to be needed again – <br />
To be important again,<br />
To mean something to someone again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "courier new";">Opportunity</span></st1:place><span style="font-family: "courier new";"> merely knocked.<br />
I hesitated at first, <br />
wanting you to stop my outstretched hand, <br />
to take it into your own and claim me once again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">The hand that took
mine was not yours,<br />
But the hand of <st1:place w:st="on">Opportunity</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";">I only wish you’d
have knocked first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><br /></span></div>
<i>Amy McGrath is a mixed media artist, a writer, and a performer. She lives in Virginia Beach with her husband and is the mom of two amazing young men. </i>seekingmemehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554122629193372508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-73187569877636975222018-04-03T11:30:00.000-04:002018-04-03T11:30:11.420-04:00NaPoWriMo - Untitled Reflection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://ak1.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/5949071/thumb/3.jpg?i10c=img.resize(height:160)" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://ak1.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/5949071/thumb/3.jpg?i10c=img.resize(height:160)" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It is darkest before the dawn</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">my space is warmed by soft light </span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">sounds and scents </span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">rendered sweet</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">there is comfort here</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">of care</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">a willingness </span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">to practice what supports</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">instead of distracts</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">it is a place</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">a state of being</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">that I share </span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">with a minion of thoughts</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">all vying for my attention</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">it is ok</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I do not mind</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I like company at the table</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">as my words wake</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">bit by bit</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">with every stretch</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">scratch </span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">and scrawl</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">the darkness </span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">makes my windows</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">a mirror</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> so instead of seeing outside</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I see myself</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">as I am sitting here</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">but the image is transparent</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">spiritlike</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">ephemeral</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">she rests her face in her hand and looks back at me</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> accepting we are one</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">the streets are flooding</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> with the sounds of rain soaked roadways</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">and early commuters rolling</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> through the intersection</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> of night and day</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">it is the urban ocean wave</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">crashing on the sidewalk shore</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">without rhythm</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">or pattern</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">only the continuation</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">as they come</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">like moments</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">the breath</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">and being</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">we are here together</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">waiting for the sun</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">as the earth turns over</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">in her bed</span></div>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">towards the start </span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">of a new fresh day</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.napowrimo.net/" target="_blank">NaPoWriMo/GloPoWriMo 2018</a> - Day 3</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.850000381469727px; text-align: start;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14.850000381469727px; text-align: start;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.850000381469727px; text-align: start;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14.850000381469727px; text-align: start;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuWM1lGiBU5J5kK9RRzyj-3cQ8XX888bIObSxr2sUaLXtelCxaWSz7yzjtsYkXpIipOcvrRuIjJKaxMcWCDJz1N1te3XX5okzPxp4XIIoyryTWEcAXxthhW9dNH52nypeS6BSvMR7FLSo/s1600/me2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #8e7cc3; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuWM1lGiBU5J5kK9RRzyj-3cQ8XX888bIObSxr2sUaLXtelCxaWSz7yzjtsYkXpIipOcvrRuIjJKaxMcWCDJz1N1te3XX5okzPxp4XIIoyryTWEcAXxthhW9dNH52nypeS6BSvMR7FLSo/s200/me2.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="150" /></a>Jenny Astramowicz is a writer, poet and aspiring wellness coach. She resides in San Francisco where she works at the local university and trains for endurance events. Her long term dream is to live in France with her two cats.</span></div>
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<i style="color: #777777; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Not all who wander are lost...</span></i></div>
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<i style="color: #777777; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">#OctPoWriMo #NaPoWriMo #NaNoWriMo #Poetsonthepage</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Find her on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/109315915316272041180" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Google +</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/zenofjenny" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/zenofjenny/" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Instagram</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can read her poetry at <a class="" href="https://zwabisabi.blogspot.com/" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">https://zwabisabi.blogspot.com</a></span></div>
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Jenni Astramowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07047918534701099897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-15145804474920826682018-04-02T02:38:00.000-04:002018-04-02T02:49:34.164-04:00NaPoWriMo - Simplicity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70kyB1iHSl3fq2tXbpC-oQ_0fcLQoZyaMXd5Xw9DyELjDpCsHX-VHN10Cv0rCA0YueDcFOYpC7luIFRvshb7Boad8VNseEbVGyvmoMam04k9FTX_OhMZJyvW-Xer-_LINNr0beV9QGAs/s1600/IMG_20180318_070809_302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70kyB1iHSl3fq2tXbpC-oQ_0fcLQoZyaMXd5Xw9DyELjDpCsHX-VHN10Cv0rCA0YueDcFOYpC7luIFRvshb7Boad8VNseEbVGyvmoMam04k9FTX_OhMZJyvW-Xer-_LINNr0beV9QGAs/s320/IMG_20180318_070809_302.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NaPoWriMo - Simplicity<br />
Photo by MDragonwillow</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Simplicity </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Simplicity of a flower that's a weed </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Weed out the choking emotions that stop you</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You stay silent when your heart is screaming</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Screaming for you to pay attention to your needs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Needs of many and needs of one</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">One is a number that doesn't have to stand alone</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Alone in a crowded room filled with those who don't understand</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Understand what true love looks like</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Like a person with a voice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Voice of purpose and passion</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Passion sliding along your skin </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Skin set on fire by your touch</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Touch as soft as your breath</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Breath that brings you back to the center</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Center of your being, of simplicity</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Simplicity</span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">~~~~~~~~~~~~</span><br />
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If you write a poem on your blog for NaPoWriMo and would like to share it with us, place your link in the comments below. We look forward to reading your poems.
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Peace,<br />
<a href="http://morgandragonwillow.com/" target="_blank">Morgan Dragonwillow</a><br />
Read, Dance, Write, Repeat.
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Morgan Dragonwillow, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Morgan-Dragonwillow/e/B00C14XIL6/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1474889855&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow</a>, is a writing rebel, foodie, urban gardener, recovering perfectionist, facilitator of magical circles and poet who (mostly) doesn't let her fears get in the way of her passion for writing and creating. When she isn't working with clients, writing or dancing, you can find her encouraging and supporting her writing community at <a href="https://twitter.com/StoryDam" target="_blank">@StoryDam</a>, <a href="http://octpowrimo.com/" target="_blank">#OctPoWriMo</a>, <a href="http://poetsonthepage.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">#PoetsonthePage</a>, and <a href="http://morgandragonwillow.com/" target="_blank">Playing with Words</a> on her blog.</div>
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Yes she is on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MorganDragonwillow/about/?rel=author" target="_blank">Google+</a> too!<br />
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Morgan Dragonwillowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17147836851533669779noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-35394710020778453442018-04-02T00:00:00.000-04:002018-04-02T00:00:03.306-04:00Life's Seasons<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzqY4G5znQ0TVo8B8BsD_uaPvmXx2aipf43p3YR2KXO_Eqzpnh88XHpEZCltDEyKyRqCDpJc2C4T8j0rrxpKH27d1Uoki6mMlPD-WF1tuEsxSBGRzVMVX0ucplZ1Ymy8uMErA8lp4WhKu/s1600/Alexandria+Tulips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzqY4G5znQ0TVo8B8BsD_uaPvmXx2aipf43p3YR2KXO_Eqzpnh88XHpEZCltDEyKyRqCDpJc2C4T8j0rrxpKH27d1Uoki6mMlPD-WF1tuEsxSBGRzVMVX0ucplZ1Ymy8uMErA8lp4WhKu/s320/Alexandria+Tulips.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Annis Cassells</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">“All seasons have something to offer.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>―<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3275.Jeannette_Walls"><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Jeannette
Walls</span></a><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2944133"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">The Glass Castle</span></a></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring. We can count on the seasons
like clockwork to follow each other. We can compare and predict. “It’s going to
be a cold winter.” Or, “We had a shorter spring and went right into summer.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Life’s seasons,
though, are non-linear. They may be sudden and random. And we can never predict
their duration. The seasons become a metaphor, a symbol, for how our lives play
out. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With regard to Life’s seasons, within days or even
hours, we can experience each one. They often catch us by surprise, and though
we deal with them, we may not see the seasons as a metaphor at the time. That
insight comes later, upon reflection, but life’s seasons correspond to
weather’s.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Summer </b>– When we are carefree and relaxed,
when experiences and places are welcomed and enjoyed.<b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Fall </b>– We’re in contemplation and
preparation, harvesting ideas or gathering skills or insights we’ll need.to carry on. Or
move on.<b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Winter </b>– Which we find challenging, even
difficult, yet filled with blessings. Blessings that we may not see until
Spring.<b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Spring</b> –
The season that always follows winter with light and new life, with hope,
renewal, and possibilities. We catch our breath and reflect on the wonder and
blessings Winter provided. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Life’s seasons may change as often or as fast as the
wind. We wake up in Summer – all is great and we are happy. Life is going our
way. Within hours, there’s a SNAFU and
we feel the ice of Winter. Then we’re in Fall as we react, marshal our
resources, figure out a plan, and begin executing that plan. Sometimes, we have
to come up with alternate ideas before we reach Spring. But soon Summer is on
the way again, and we bask in its goodness. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Prompt </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Think about what season you're in right this minute. What got you there? Was it the rocky-ness of life or a smooth path? Make a list of all the words that come to mind as you think about your seasons -- now and past. Come up with a first line using some of those words. Then let your free verse or haiku or couplets flow.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>OR</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Write a poem about your favorite OR your most dreaded season of the year. Maybe this will take you back to your younger days. Maybe it will take you to looking forward.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Word Bank</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">cycle</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">change</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">growth</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">dormant</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">awakening</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">light</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">harvest</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Photo Prompt</span></span> </b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rAZyIKlk9NGY6dBCkBMSU89EOefdR9rhM5gt3k6YCQDtFt_rH0HhlpBcT_Tc9LhDplCHehXDe58ZqtIUJBEiS8j19z9x6ksBXkJ-oPH0H9CJzAkec5CkiL_AsdrBeIrtQOr3FwC6FTwA/s1600/2012+NY.Switz+A10+054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rAZyIKlk9NGY6dBCkBMSU89EOefdR9rhM5gt3k6YCQDtFt_rH0HhlpBcT_Tc9LhDplCHehXDe58ZqtIUJBEiS8j19z9x6ksBXkJ-oPH0H9CJzAkec5CkiL_AsdrBeIrtQOr3FwC6FTwA/s320/2012+NY.Switz+A10+054.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Annis Cassells</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Please
share the link to your poem (or post your poem) in the comments below.
And, if you're on Facebook, post it to Poets on the Page. We're looking
forward to reading your work.</span></span></span><br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OOmT4l1MC3HrnXEhdCisSwTRPNfp2SyYfsTy7-gFCTzUR_58qvmjy_NdGebQKqjWJfxQjL4g5VKgeHOnuJFvZND87Sgx747MG-8dEkG55aXlJ6dV9MXMlAMUzvv3Ql1dTsBPrPzh_Xuj/s1600/IMG_2648.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="568" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OOmT4l1MC3HrnXEhdCisSwTRPNfp2SyYfsTy7-gFCTzUR_58qvmjy_NdGebQKqjWJfxQjL4g5VKgeHOnuJFvZND87Sgx747MG-8dEkG55aXlJ6dV9MXMlAMUzvv3Ql1dTsBPrPzh_Xuj/s200/IMG_2648.jpg" width="170" /></a></b></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Annis Cassells is a writer, poet,
life coach, and teacher. She divides her
time between Bakersfield, California and Coos Bay, Oregon. She is a member of
Writers of Kern, a branch of the California Writers Club. See Annis’s blogs at <a href="http://www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com/">www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com</a> and <a href="http://www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com/">www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com</a> and
her website at <a href="http://www.connectionsandconversations.com/">www.connectionsandconversations.com</a></span></i></span></span></div>
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Annis Cassellshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956658096326753578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-82738637707902213602018-04-01T15:44:00.000-04:002018-04-02T02:41:53.835-04:00NaPoWriMo - RememberToday kicks off the National Poetry Month, NaPoWriMo. We are not doing daily prompts for this but we, the volunteers at Poets on the Page, will be sharing some of our poetry with you.<br />
<br />
I am struggling with what love means, love as in LOVE. I've started dating again after a two year hiatus. It is a struggle for me. When I find someone that I care about, my heart gets involved pretty quickly. It's all or nothing for me. I think it has to do with being an empath, I tend to feel things quite deeply. Probably why I chose not to date for two years. I will be exploring what love means to me through my poetry this month. Here is my first exploration through loop poetry. I chose loop poetry as it helps me dive deeper into my thoughts.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NaPoWriMo - Remember<br />
Photo by MDragonwillow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />
<br />
remember<br />
remember to find that special someone<br />
someone that is the other half of me<br />
me on the inside is being pulled out<br />
out of the dark and into the light<br />
light expanding outward brighter than the sun<br />
sun rises in the morning, shining through the darkness<br />
darkness crushes the internal light of hope<br />
hope springs upward for all to bathe in<br />
in the beginning everything looks bright<br />
bright like a shining star that died a millennium ago and<br />
and you snuffed out the light as that star dies<br />
dies to the possibilities of you and me together<br />
together will never be today or tomorrow<br />
tomorrow there may be hope if I allow myself to bloom<br />
bloom like the flower seeds that are buried in the earth<br />
earth walking toward my inner being<br />
being myself is the only way to find happiness<br />
happiness is possible if I remember who I am<br />
I am a spark of divine creation<br />
creation is the ultimate of being here now<br />
now is bright with possibilities if I allow myself to remember<br />
remember<br />
<br />
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />
<br />
My heart aches but maybe writing about love through poetry I'll be able to transform how I'm feeling now into glowing from the inside out with my own inner love and light. How are you using poetry this month? Are you reading poetry as well?<br />
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<h3>
What I'm reading: </h3>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Ashes-Samreena-Ashraf-ebook/dp/B06ZYQLXLK/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhli0SrFGQQef0rEUcHBuQigHLKrktQLuErhyphenhyphenglfA66kF4HDbGCkrSre5GbKZfm3iJUiZd-fNiMZ8PdJ5kM4Y6GsDPfD9IAlCnJ5inDc_9j_1ZlUX9MbnuX1SVGbz3WthVeuurlFAeEauQ/s200/Blue+Ashes.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.napowrimo.net/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="61" data-original-width="397" height="48" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSthO1sKSl2kBwE9TgNeomtDi_FCt4iWGmTriqw7QxTZthAeyuUdhpk2tiL06vKcFzQtsVPMhxZXKdIsiRbtUT4Dqism-VzCV8188yLrf0T2atfcO7pAl7eZuWmuzdIlNNgdw9RjkvkI/s320/logo-napowrimo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you write a poem on your blog for NaPoWriMo and would like to share it with us, place your link in the comments here and/or on the posts with our poems. We look forward to reading your poems.
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Peace,<br />
<a href="http://morgandragonwillow.com/" target="_blank">Morgan Dragonwillow</a><br />
Read, Dance, Write, Repeat.
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Morgan Dragonwillow, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Morgan-Dragonwillow/e/B00C14XIL6/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1474889855&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow</a>, is a writing rebel, foodie, urban gardener, recovering perfectionist, facilitator of magical circles and poet who (mostly) doesn't let her fears get in the way of her passion for writing and creating. When she isn't working with clients, writing or dancing, you can find her encouraging and supporting her writing community at <a href="https://twitter.com/StoryDam" target="_blank">@StoryDam</a>, <a href="http://octpowrimo.com/" target="_blank">#OctPoWriMo</a>, <a href="http://poetsonthepage.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">#PoetsonthePage</a>, and <a href="http://morgandragonwillow.com/" target="_blank">Playing with Words</a> on her blog.</div>
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Yes she is on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MorganDragonwillow/about/?rel=author" target="_blank">Google+</a> too!<br />
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Morgan Dragonwillowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17147836851533669779noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-7824776622736564582018-03-26T00:00:00.000-04:002018-03-26T00:00:14.523-04:00Puddle Jumping<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Image Courtesy of Scooter Lorimore</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It has been raining for days these first weeks of Spring in San Francisco. The streets are slick with oil leached up from the pavement and the sidewalks strewn with pink cherry blossoms battered off the trees by the storms. And the puddles - they are everywhere. Street corners, stairwells and random low lying intersections flooded with rain water and detritus. </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I put on my work uniform - a simple sweater, skirt, tights and navy blue Hunter- Wellington rubber boots - and head out to face the day's duties. Meetings, spreadsheets and that gnawing sense that no matter what I do, I will never be finished soak me before I cross the street to the building. And that is when I do it. While everyone is rushing through the 4 way stop, tightly gripping their umbrellas, briefcases and intentions, I decide to stomp wildly through the deepest of the puddles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I see a few people scowl. I make my way across the street puddle jumping as though I was a stone skipping across a calm lake. I see a few people giggle. One man looks at me as he passes and says "I wish I had those boots so I could do that!" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It would rain the rest of the day and well into the night. My mood however remained playful and bright.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Studies have shown the importance of play in child development. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play "allows children to use their creativity while developing their physical, cognitive and emotional strength"<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Psssst - can you keep a secret?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">It's not just for kids!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">Coloring books, ball pits, scavenger hunts, trivia night - are all ways "adults" play. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">According to </span><a href="http://www.helpguide.org/articles/emotional-health/benefits-of-play-for-adults.htm" phx-track-event="" style="background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 49%, rgb(0, 0, 0) 50%); background-position: 0px 90%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; background-size: 2px 2px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; line-height: 1.6em; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) -2px 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -1px 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 1px 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 2px 0px; transition: all 0.25s ease;" target="_blank">research</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">, play can relieve stress, boost creativity, improve brain function, and improve our relationships with other people by fostering trust with others. Sounds like a good thing to me!</span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resources</b></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.nifplay.org/science/pattern-play/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Play Science: The Patterns of Play</a> – Learn about the different ways human beings play, the roles these different patterns of play serve, and how we benefit from them. (National Institute for Play)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGAYZW5tWFZIZ-254e9-zZ2kpXYi8RxeJDJ5M0cpmkPK9uS5NLDJ8Msx-Y_hSsQmqHNBuUlepaC4_sFOLWs515p7qpRnc2ixYlcDPDLLRbJu1zHZwJyfpelmJ4YlnTWjCzKNq9WRMh6Tu/s1600/41b3%252B9DzqIL._SX324_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGAYZW5tWFZIZ-254e9-zZ2kpXYi8RxeJDJ5M0cpmkPK9uS5NLDJ8Msx-Y_hSsQmqHNBuUlepaC4_sFOLWs515p7qpRnc2ixYlcDPDLLRbJu1zHZwJyfpelmJ4YlnTWjCzKNq9WRMh6Tu/s200/41b3%252B9DzqIL._SX324_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="130" /></a> <b>Play</b>- By Stuart Brown M.D.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">We've all seen the happiness on the face of a child while playing in the school yard. Or the blissful abandon of a golden retriever racing across a lawn. This is the joy of play. By definition, play is purposeless, all-consuming, and fun. But as Dr. Stuart Brown illustrates, play is anything but trivial. It is a biological drive as integral to our health as sleep or nutrition. We are designed by nature to flourish through play.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">Play is essential to our social skills, adaptability, intelligence, creativity, ability to problem solve and more. Particularly in tough times, we need to play more than ever, as it's the very means by which we prepare for the unexpected, search out new solutions, and remain optimistic.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~ Penguin Books</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is a link to his <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_brown_says_play_is_more_than_fun_it_s_vital?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare">TED Talk</a></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Poem Puddles</b></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Think of a time you did something incredibly playful, silly, unexpected - perhaps it was rolling down a grass hill in front of a coastal inn or puddle jumping on your way to work (thank goodness for those rain boots!) or dancing in a department store - did you feel giddy, unable to keep from laughing? Free? Self conscious? I can tell you from personal experience it was everything! Write a poem about that experience; jump into the memory with both feet!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Words to Play with</span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tiddlywinks</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">gobsmacked</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">playdough</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">belly (laugh, button, jelly)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">hiccup</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">George Bernard Shaw</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">Please share the link to your poem (or post your poem) in the comments below. And, if you're on Facebook, post it to Poets on the Page. Come out to play with us!</span></span></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuWM1lGiBU5J5kK9RRzyj-3cQ8XX888bIObSxr2sUaLXtelCxaWSz7yzjtsYkXpIipOcvrRuIjJKaxMcWCDJz1N1te3XX5okzPxp4XIIoyryTWEcAXxthhW9dNH52nypeS6BSvMR7FLSo/s1600/me2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuWM1lGiBU5J5kK9RRzyj-3cQ8XX888bIObSxr2sUaLXtelCxaWSz7yzjtsYkXpIipOcvrRuIjJKaxMcWCDJz1N1te3XX5okzPxp4XIIoyryTWEcAXxthhW9dNH52nypeS6BSvMR7FLSo/s200/me2.jpg" width="150" /></a>Jenny Astramowicz is a writer, poet and aspiring wellness coach. She resides in San Francisco where she works at the local university and trains for endurance events. Her long term dream is to live in France with her two cats.</span></div>
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<i style="color: #777777; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Not all who wander are lost...</span></i></div>
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<i style="color: #777777; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">#OctPoWriMo #NaPoWriMo #NaNoWriMo #Poetsonthepage</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Find her on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/109315915316272041180" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Google +</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/zenofjenny" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/zenofjenny/" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Instagram</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can read her poetry at <a class="" href="https://zwabisabi.blogspot.com/" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">https://zwabisabi.blogspot.com</a></span></div>
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Jenni Astramowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07047918534701099897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-51483759461017585882018-03-12T00:00:00.000-04:002018-03-12T00:00:16.284-04:00Poetry Prompt - Blessings, Curses, or Limericks?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=244245&picture=clover-shamrock" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="1600" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9B3XTd2QInvg5vgMEdDenWfBg5t5pDAlv4Wd_30nsxL8l1M8c63B9Ee5kWKEfUYa0jf3-rrPy535Y1m1IkUTpuJYDepjGt8ix-Yzc_QzojMKYJ2sxQ15uKuWMoQMP2ugmoVSzVMgwpOg/s320/clover-shamrock+by+Karen+Arnold.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=244245&picture=clover-shamrock" target="_blank">Image by Karen Arnold</a><br />on PublicDomainPictures.net</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tis that time of year, my dears! The wearing o' the green and the celebrating of St. Patrick's Day is not limited to those of Irish descent. On March 17, we can all take part in the festivities. For our prompt this week, I offer you a choice - blessings or limericks!</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Please share the link to your poem in the comments below. Or go ahead and post your poem. We're looking forward to reading your work</span><span style="background-color: white;">.</span></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I wish you words,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Amy McGrath</span><div>
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The Prompt:</h3>
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Write your own version of an Irish blessing or, if you're so inclined, try your hand at writing a few <a href="http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/limerick.html" target="_blank">limericks</a>. Here are examples of both to inspire you...</div>
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Blessings:</h4>
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May you live a long life<br />Full of gladness and health,<br />With a pocket full of gold<br />As the least of you wealth.<br />May the dreams you hold dearest,<br />Be those which come true,<br />The kindness you spread,<br />Keep returning to you.<div>
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #000033;">May the road rise up to meet you.</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #000033;">May the wind always be at your back.</span><br style="color: #000033;" /><span style="color: #000033;">May the sun shine warm upon your face,</span><br style="color: #000033;" /><span style="color: #000033;">and rains fall soft upon your fields.</span><br style="color: #000033;" /><span style="color: #000033;">And until we meet again,</span><br style="color: #000033;" /><span style="color: #000033;">May God hold you in the palm of His hand.</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">An Old Irish Curse:</span></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">May those that love us love us;</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">And those that don't love us, </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">May God turn their hearts;</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">If he can't turn their hearts,</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">May he turn their ankles, so we'll</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Know them by their limping.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">And some limericks:</span></span></h4>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There once was a man from Nantucket,<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /> Who kept all his cash in a bucket,<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /> But his daughter, named Nan, <br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Ran away with a man, <br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />And as for the bucket, Nantucket.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;">
There was a girl from Rabat,</div>
<div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;">
Who had triplets, Nat, Pat and Tat;</div>
<div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;">
It was fun in the breeding,</div>
<div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;">
But hell in the feeding,</div>
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</div>
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When she found she had no tit for Tat.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><b>And finally, by Ogden Nash</b> - </i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>A wonderful bird is the pelican,</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 1em;">
<i>His bill can hold more than his beli-can.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 1em;">
<i>He can take in his beak</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 1em;">
<i>Food enough for a week</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 1em;">
<i>But I’m damned if I see how the heli-can.</i></div>
</span></span></div>
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seekingmemehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554122629193372508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-67247441309769390522018-03-05T00:00:00.000-05:002018-03-05T00:00:03.588-05:00Focus<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXQfeg8kk6WLVXskSyWiZI-Xsf77UUuxssc0g1K4b3Y3Y6pcBvUV6Sp82z4MMf8OhXvcaNoFJOSUVFsM3stsBMsRiU9d3CnC3mieC98XizpcZZGHw2Fpt0xZZvHt0paNYROV0glfJJmz6/s1600/Bobbi%2527s+Bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXQfeg8kk6WLVXskSyWiZI-Xsf77UUuxssc0g1K4b3Y3Y6pcBvUV6Sp82z4MMf8OhXvcaNoFJOSUVFsM3stsBMsRiU9d3CnC3mieC98XizpcZZGHw2Fpt0xZZvHt0paNYROV0glfJJmz6/s400/Bobbi%2527s+Bird.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Bobbi Emel Wilmoth. Used with permission.</td></tr>
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Concentrate enough on one thing and the background becomes a
blur. Sometimes that’s healthy and productive. Staying focused provides clarity
and helps you accomplish tasks and reach your goals.
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In 2016 I participated in Ellen Bass’s and Pam Houston’s "A
Glint of Light on Broken Glass" writing retreat near Hope, Canada. No phones, no radio, no
television, no Wi-Fi. With time dedicated to writing in the peaceful setting of
the Inn at Lake Connamarra, I learned new techniques, sharpened skills,
and wrote three new poems and a piece of flash fiction. Meeting accomplished writers and making new friends added to my perspective and growth.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Focus can be a positive distraction. In a lengthy MRI
session, unable to move for an extended period of time, a golfer I know
replayed whole rounds in her head. (Amazing how golfers can recall every
stroke.)</div>
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Sometimes, being so focused is not helpful. All manner of things
can be happening around you, and you never realize it. You just don’t see it
because you’re preoccupied. I’m reminded of a friend who was shocked when his
wife found someone else. He was so intent on his career, he neglected home and
family.</div>
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Focusing on the negatives means you often miss out on the positives.
Zeroing in on the positives can change attitudes, actions, and productivity.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Prompt</b></div>
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Write your poem this week thinking about where your focus
lies. How has staying focused affected your life? What sidetracks you? Consider
what you have observed about the benefits and the damages from being focused.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word Bank</b></div>
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Clarity<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
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Nucleus</div>
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Pinpoint</div>
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Purpose<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
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The main thing</div>
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<b>Visual Prompt</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Gnr5mnMuo5xPkw1qjGza6ax3zriLb-J_L4LKg4cnYxU4SgHRXLILtQ2CLKLFKuhjjCWq5s2QGUscp0veLNdyW9cOth-rfHJHdpgk258jOY9IrGSxdms4G5nq6-XdksuHA7eq8Axbc6dV/s1600/Your+focus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Gnr5mnMuo5xPkw1qjGza6ax3zriLb-J_L4LKg4cnYxU4SgHRXLILtQ2CLKLFKuhjjCWq5s2QGUscp0veLNdyW9cOth-rfHJHdpgk258jOY9IrGSxdms4G5nq6-XdksuHA7eq8Axbc6dV/s320/Your+focus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Please share the link to your poem (or post your poem) in the comments below. And, if you're on Facebook, post it to Poets on the Page. We're looking forward to reading your work.</span></span><br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OOmT4l1MC3HrnXEhdCisSwTRPNfp2SyYfsTy7-gFCTzUR_58qvmjy_NdGebQKqjWJfxQjL4g5VKgeHOnuJFvZND87Sgx747MG-8dEkG55aXlJ6dV9MXMlAMUzvv3Ql1dTsBPrPzh_Xuj/s1600/IMG_2648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="568" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OOmT4l1MC3HrnXEhdCisSwTRPNfp2SyYfsTy7-gFCTzUR_58qvmjy_NdGebQKqjWJfxQjL4g5VKgeHOnuJFvZND87Sgx747MG-8dEkG55aXlJ6dV9MXMlAMUzvv3Ql1dTsBPrPzh_Xuj/s200/IMG_2648.jpg" width="170" /></a></b></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Annis Cassells is a writer, poet,
life coach, and teacher. She divides her
time between Bakersfield, California and Coos Bay, Oregon. She is a member of
Writers of Kern, a branch of the California Writers Club. See Annis’s blogs at <a href="http://www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com/">www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com</a> and <a href="http://www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com/">www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com</a> and
her website at <a href="http://www.connectionsandconversations.com/">www.connectionsandconversations.com</a></span></i></span> </div>
Annis Cassellshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956658096326753578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-66855138211637263992018-02-26T00:00:00.001-05:002018-02-26T00:00:03.624-05:00The Thin Line<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIiSINjkD3v-PwzoMMYWl3aVJMx-raqrjOP8lBbOYQEOB5jCBV4NGr8oV2osgG1nulOidV8G2hbMJrWJagzD106viCJEY6_wlQhLHm5s9JtQEUvuv-Pjg-flz3LMb8DWVuuLnIqL0FvKQ/s1600/heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="712" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIiSINjkD3v-PwzoMMYWl3aVJMx-raqrjOP8lBbOYQEOB5jCBV4NGr8oV2osgG1nulOidV8G2hbMJrWJagzD106viCJEY6_wlQhLHm5s9JtQEUvuv-Pjg-flz3LMb8DWVuuLnIqL0FvKQ/s320/heart.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h1 class="quoteText" style="color: #181818; font-weight: normal; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">“Love me or hate me, both are in my favour. If you love me, I'll always be in your heart... If you hate me, I'll always be in your mind.”</span></h1>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">― </span><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/947.William_Shakespeare" style="color: #333333; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">William Shakespeare</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Love and hate. Opposite (yet equally intense) emotions that drive us to act irrationally, cloud our thinking and render judgement null and void. Throughout history love and hate wreaked havoc on cultures, ignited wars and also inspired great works of art and poetry. They both make our hearts beat fiercely in our chest and our palms sweat. Opposite but perhaps not so different in the end.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As the saying goes "The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I invite you to explore this thin line, to walk the edge of it with your words, to seek out the places that cut through the skin of expectations. Perhaps consider what lurks on the other side.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Word & Topic Prompts:</b><br /><br />Passion<br />Intensity<br />Red<br />Duality<br />Limits (pushing)<br />Consuming<br />Indifference</span><br style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14.850000381469727px;" /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.850000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14.850000381469727px;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.850000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Please share the link to your poem (or post your poem) in the comments below. We're looking forward to reading your work.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDe5r0VfTRXFPADf0jbqE43swEAnZY_LNx5cQ7J-qW_X9eHc6pnAOatc04UDbXFug38_BOhSXlUhSzDn-VJkyFfZCWN-IWsxwnoNEMNvDTqaxp5bhqUxdx0YtF-vgCkSdveYr2lHGhPtp/s1600/0C496354-01F7-48F3-83B2-B3ADA66D4615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #8e7cc3; float: left; font-size: 14.850000381469727px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDe5r0VfTRXFPADf0jbqE43swEAnZY_LNx5cQ7J-qW_X9eHc6pnAOatc04UDbXFug38_BOhSXlUhSzDn-VJkyFfZCWN-IWsxwnoNEMNvDTqaxp5bhqUxdx0YtF-vgCkSdveYr2lHGhPtp/s200/0C496354-01F7-48F3-83B2-B3ADA66D4615.JPG" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jenny Astramowicz is a writer, poet and aspiring wellness coach. She resides in San Francisco where she works at the local university and trains for endurance events. Her long term dream is to live in France with her two cats.</span></span></div>
<div class="" style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<i style="color: #777777; font-family: georgia, serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Not all who wander are lost...</span></i></div>
<div class="" style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<i style="color: #777777; font-family: georgia, serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">#OctPoWriMo #NaPoWriMo #NaNoWriMo #Poetsonthepage</span></i></div>
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Find her on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/109315915316272041180" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Google +</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/zenofjenny" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/zenofjenny/" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Instagram</a></div>
<div class="" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16.334999084472656px;">
You can read her poetry at <a class="" href="https://zwabisabi.blogspot.com/" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">https://zwabisabi.blogspot.com</a></div>
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Jenni Astramowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07047918534701099897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-15426827370574620752018-02-12T00:00:00.000-05:002018-02-12T00:00:23.216-05:00Poetry Prompts: Habits and Routines<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Morning-Not-So-Obvious-Guaranteed-Transform-ebook/dp/B00AKKS278/ref=pd_sim_351_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=DTZENPWRY6AP8TP8SV9H" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="223" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLcKP-TJppzzTMz2pzJgHEDsI9GFssmdshjjwGJFuKd6aNy0oXKZFJq0RBfFKX0Xh58aBW78rdVocYI_kPH096ZBxzYeDBoHWfq2es8OpWN570dIf3DJwceel5U8n7rt8ECCN4cIyv6k/s320/The+Miracle+Morning.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click the image to view the book on Amazon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As 2018 began, I (like many people) began examining my habits and looking for ways I can improved. I'd been watching as a former student of mine posted photos throughout the past couple of years of her bullet journal. (If you're not familiar with bullet journals, you can read about them <a href="http://bulletjournal.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.) After a bit of serious reflection, I came to a singular conclusion. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have no idea how to set goals.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am really skilled at ACHIEVING goals, but they have rarely been goals I set for myself. They have been imposed on me by my parents, my teachers, and my bosses. When faced with setting my own goals, I have looked back to what was comfortable, what was familiar. I went back to school. I took a class online or at my local community college. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I decided to start a bullet journal as a way to teach myself to set goals and create habits to help me achieve them. While perusing lots of bullet journal ideas on Pinterest, I came across a spread labeled "My Level 10 Life". It was colorful and graphic and piqued my curiosity, so I googled the phrase and discovered it originated in Hal Elrod's book "The Miracle Morning". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not one to believe in coincidence, I knew I had to get my hands on this book and read it. What I found there made so much sense to me and was written in a way that appealed to my current frame of mind. I am going to take a chance and give his method a try. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Prompt:</b> What habits are ingrained in you? Are you building any new habits? What is your morning or evening routine? Is there a ritual that you practice that works for you? Write about your habits and routines and see where it takes you. There's bound to be poetry hidden somewhere in our routines!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Word Prompts:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">habit</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">routine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">ritual</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">practice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">goals</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Please share the link to your poem in the comments below. Or go ahead and post your poem. We're looking forward to reading your work</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">.</span><br />
<br />
I wish you words,<br />
Amy McGrath<br />
<br />
**Note: As I was hunting down the image for this prompt, I found a variation of Miracle Morning that is now next on my reading list. I'll share it here because some of you may also find it of use.<br />
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<img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMz5P7QP1QGl18VaxlzZy_toSLZkOC_GBb5oPTzPXRqixFFbQNJeypOu_xxF8PcSTxElPXLTgBZ71EQr4tdTH63VQbrewm3YKXZ6eF3koO_qWNVevPAQ2Tn53qc6E53Lk1FH21qqDktk/s320/Miracle+Morning+for+Writers.jpg" width="206" /></div>
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Click the image to view the book on Amazon</div>
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<br />seekingmemehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554122629193372508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-45657362953931627932018-02-05T00:00:00.000-05:002018-02-05T00:00:23.768-05:00From the Heart<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--></span>Every sixty seconds, the heart pumps almost five quarts of
blood through the body. This hard-working, fist-sized, ten-ounce,
blood-filled muscle has been romanticized by songs, poems, and expressions, and has become the universal symbol for love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Heart
references take on multiple meanings that reveal more about one’s temperament,
mood, and behavior than about the physical heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The emotional side of the heart has become an
integral part of our vocabulary.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">She
was there in a heartbeat.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He
has a heart of gold.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You’re
all heart.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We
had a heart-to-heart talk.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I
had my heart set on it.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Have
a heart!</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cross
your heart?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I
love you with all my heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heart of hearts;</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">heartbroken; heartfelt; change of heart;
heartrending; heart throbbing; heartened; fainthearted; pure of heart;
cold-hearted. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Historically, the heart has played an important part in the
beliefs of many cultures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In ancient
times, the Chinese related it to the center for happiness. The Greeks were
convinced it was the seat of the spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, though no one is certain of the precise origin of the heart’s association
with love, the Egyptians believed that both intellect and emotions originated
from the heart.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Poetry Prompt:</b><br />
Write a poem that uses the heart as a metaphor or symbol. And/Or tell a story of love. Include some of the heart references above if you wish. You may even want to present your poem to your Valentine.<br />
<br />
<b>Suggested Form:</b><br />
From <i>Shadow Poetry</i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">, </a>try a Constanza, which was created by <a href="mailto:connieauras@yahoo.com">Connie Marcum Wong</a>.<br />
"Five or more 3-line stanzas. Each
line has a set meter of eight syllables. The first lines of all the stanzas can be read successively as an
independent poem, with the rest of the poem weaved in to express a deeper meaning. The first lines
convey a theme written in monorhyme, while the second and third lines of each stanza rhyme together.<br />
<br />
Rhyme scheme: <b>a/b/b, a/c/c, a/d/d, a/e/e, a/f/f.........etc."</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/constanza.html">Click here for examples.</a><b><a href="http://shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/constanza.html"> </a></b><br />
<br />
It would make our hearts sing if you share the link to your poem in the comments below. Or, if you'd prefer, post your poem in the comments. We're looking forward to reading your work. With all our hearts.<br />
<br />
~ xoAnnis ~<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQJBU3wvUqyl5cqcU1IXtepsCI8gIRBxv_eZF3yzOpzgcxrG8XPiDylz9zZs_TlQ_xkH2fyL_99ugn_6YSbmCA8jw0Y3ojWebv7vKny0HVvN_G0fgOFXIQTS0pPhEFIuq-DEuNkVX0kRa/s1600/IMG_2648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="568" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQJBU3wvUqyl5cqcU1IXtepsCI8gIRBxv_eZF3yzOpzgcxrG8XPiDylz9zZs_TlQ_xkH2fyL_99ugn_6YSbmCA8jw0Y3ojWebv7vKny0HVvN_G0fgOFXIQTS0pPhEFIuq-DEuNkVX0kRa/s200/IMG_2648.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Annis Cassells is a writer, poet,
life coach, and teacher. She divides her
time between Bakersfield, California and Coos Bay, Oregon. She is a member of
Writers of Kern, a branch of the California Writers Club. See Annis’s blogs at <a href="http://www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com/">www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com</a> and <a href="http://www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com/">www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com</a> and
her website at <a href="http://www.connectionsandconversations.com/">www.connectionsandconversations.com</a></span></i></span></div>
<br />
<br />Annis Cassellshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956658096326753578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-76751501827164015732018-01-29T00:00:00.000-05:002018-01-29T14:23:47.903-05:00Once in a Blue Moon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/150000/velka/mond-1451578860BpN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/150000/velka/mond-1451578860BpN.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We have all heard and undoubtedly used the expression, "once in a blue moon" to signify the rare, unlikely or even absurd. I was however disappoin</span>ted to discover that the moon does not typically take on cerulean glow. Well...Unless there happens to be a volcanic eruption leaving the sky full of large dust particles that refract red light making the moon appear blue (there were reports of blue moons caused by the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The second full moon in a month, referred to as a "blue moon" occurs every two to three years.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This month however we are treated to a rare lunar event...</span><br />
<div style="color: #121212; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px;">
<div style="font-family: "guardian text egyptian web", georgia, serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "guardian text egyptian web", georgia, serif; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodfreephotos.com/albums/astrophotography/blood-moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="800" height="260" src="https://www.goodfreephotos.com/albums/astrophotography/blood-moon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: "guardian text egyptian web", georgia, serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://www.goodfreephotos.com/albums/astrophotography/blood-moon.jpg</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "guardian text egyptian web", georgia, serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a class="article__img-container js-gallerythumbs" data-is-ajax="" data-link-name="Launch Article Lightbox" href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jan/28/super-blue-blood-moon-stargazers-gear-up-for-rare-celestial-event#img-1" style="color: #e00000; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; text-decoration: none;"></a></span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "guardian text egyptian web", georgia, serif; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: "guardian text egyptian web", georgia, serif;">
<span style="font-family: "guardian text egyptian web" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">a super blue blood moon...</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "guardian text egyptian web", georgia, serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 2px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>"</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">A rare celestial event will grace the skies during the coming week when a blue moon and lunar eclipse combine with the moon being at its closest point to Earth, resulting in what is being called a “super blue blood moon”.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 2px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The trifecta will take place on 31 January and will be best visible from th<span style="font-family: inherit;">e w</span>estern hemisphere. The last time the three elements combined at the same time was in 1866</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 2px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A “super blue blood moon” is the result of a blue moon – the second full moon in a calendar month – occurring at the same time as a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/gallery/2017/dec/04/supermoon-skies-your-best-photographs"><span style="color: #e4af0a;">super moon</span></a>, when the moon is at perigee and about 14% brighter than usual, and a so-called blood moon – the moment during a lunar eclipse when the moon, in the Earth’s shadow, takes on a reddish tint."</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 2px;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="font-family: "guardian text egyptian web", georgia, serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">*Courtesy of Guardian News & Media Ltd https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jan/28/super-blue-blood-moon-stargazers-gear-up-for-rare-celestial-event</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "guardian text egyptian web", georgia, serif;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #121212; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">So will this bring out the wild ones who frolic in the burnished glow? Or will the Orb tickle the muse's fancy and run amok with her frilly unmentionables? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">One thing that is sure to happen, and only happens once in that proverbial blue moon - both star and cell phone gazers alike will not be able to resist watching the sky.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Prompt: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Take a few moments to look at the full moon in a few days, watch the eclipse if you can. Let the earthshine inspire some words... </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>or..</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Peruse the lunar glossary for some terminal inspiration</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><a href="http://www.moonconnection.com/moon-glossary.phtml">Moon Glossary</a></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Word Prompts:</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Lunacy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Blue Moon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Blood Moon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Eclipse</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Tides</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Eruption</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">fantasy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Please share the link to your poem in the comments below. Or go ahead and post your poem. We're looking forward to reading your work.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDe5r0VfTRXFPADf0jbqE43swEAnZY_LNx5cQ7J-qW_X9eHc6pnAOatc04UDbXFug38_BOhSXlUhSzDn-VJkyFfZCWN-IWsxwnoNEMNvDTqaxp5bhqUxdx0YtF-vgCkSdveYr2lHGhPtp/s1600/0C496354-01F7-48F3-83B2-B3ADA66D4615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #8e7cc3; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDe5r0VfTRXFPADf0jbqE43swEAnZY_LNx5cQ7J-qW_X9eHc6pnAOatc04UDbXFug38_BOhSXlUhSzDn-VJkyFfZCWN-IWsxwnoNEMNvDTqaxp5bhqUxdx0YtF-vgCkSdveYr2lHGhPtp/s200/0C496354-01F7-48F3-83B2-B3ADA66D4615.JPG" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 16.334999084472656px;">Jenny Astramowicz is a writer, poet and aspiring wellness coach. She resides in San Francisco where she works at the local university and trains for endurance events. Her long term dream is to live in France with her two cats.</span></div>
<div class="" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16.334999084472656px;">
<i style="color: #777777; font-family: georgia, serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Not all who wander are lost...</i></div>
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<i style="color: #777777; font-family: georgia, serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">#OctPoWriMo #NaPoWriMo #NaNoWriMo #Poetsonthepage</i></div>
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Find her on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/109315915316272041180" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Google +</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/zenofjenny" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/zenofjenny/" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Instagram</a></div>
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You can read her poetry at <a class="" href="https://zwabisabi.blogspot.com/" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">https://zwabisabi.blogspot.com</a></div>
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Jenni Astramowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07047918534701099897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-40761901602163761242018-01-15T00:00:00.000-05:002018-01-15T00:00:37.254-05:00Poetry Prompt: "Well, That Didn't Go As Planned"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=159876&picture=background-wallpaper" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1302" data-original-width="1600" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvDeJA3_fYCQ1lhxh0gcs5K-mm7Hc_KsNhBzG2-vdwal1d74Iar-5i1EyK2StMbyXy46A4IUAJvbsL6vumvChm3JE25tZjuqI5jzRfp75RufTCX_sU0TEddyM9g7VCTqmlLdj7FNGIVk/s320/Magician%2527s+Hat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Image by <span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">kai Stachowiak</span> on Public Domain Photos</div>
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I don't know about you, but the final weeks of 2017 and the first weeks of 2018 have been full of surprises! We were planning to move to a new space in February, but things happened very quickly and we had to move before Christmas. I also received a financial settlement this past week that I'd been waiting five and a half years for. I've also had several days where I made plans for myself only to find out my husband had made plans that included me.<br />
<br />
The unexpected, the unplanned can affect us in different ways. We can sometimes get angry or upset that want we wanted didn't happen (or didn't happen as we envisioned). Or we can embrace the chaos as just a part of live, roll with it, and trust that the Universe is working in our best interest.<br />
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<b>The Prompt:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
What unplanned or unexpected things have happened in your life? How did you react/respond? What was the ultimate outcome? Free write for 10 minutes about the unexpected, unplanned things that have occurred and see what comes up. Look back through what you've written and see if something appeared on the page that you didn't anticipate. (See what I did there?!?) Turn something you find into a poem<br />
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<b>Word Prompts:</b><br />
<br />
Unplanned<br />
Unexpected<br />
Surprise<br />
Chaos<br />
Magic<br />
<br />
<br />
I wish you words,<br />
Amy McGrathseekingmemehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554122629193372508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-34471910693085564002018-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:002018-01-01T00:00:08.578-05:00What Did You Actually Do?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQl-B75fsagrAOSnmE-NVdRMRSs3jqkTa9BNfuHm4XhIigwfhU4ly7VQVdSH40EXMtqDW3BVNQFf-vrl1vwnXuLbj4Kp_sDMBFA0foHFBDSOpIGNAcFmF50tU73yy2m0D4ftCMqQ4xD4Sd/s1600/AAlaska1+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQl-B75fsagrAOSnmE-NVdRMRSs3jqkTa9BNfuHm4XhIigwfhU4ly7VQVdSH40EXMtqDW3BVNQFf-vrl1vwnXuLbj4Kp_sDMBFA0foHFBDSOpIGNAcFmF50tU73yy2m0D4ftCMqQ4xD4Sd/s320/AAlaska1+033.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juneau, AK zipline bridge<br />
Photo by Annis Cassells</td></tr>
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It’s that time again. The time in our lives when we review
the past year and evaluate how we did. Most often, we lament the things we
didn’t accomplish. We can tick them off, especially if we dared to write “New
Year’s Resolutions.” Focusing on those
things is a real drag.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we begin the New Year, I invite you to recount the things
you DID accomplish in 2017. Regardless of life getting in your way from time to
time, I can imagine there are many successes. Make a list.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Maybe you fulfilled a dream or wish—or at least took action
toward making it a reality. Maybe you undertook a new job or hobby, or finished
a project. Perhaps you began taking even better care of yourself and now see a
difference in how you feel or your “numbers” at the doctor’s office. Maybe you
stepped outside your comfort zone and learned that it wasn’t so uncomfortable
after all. Make your list.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>This week’s poem
suggestions:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Write your poem about a 2017 accomplishment (or several). </li>
<li>OR
make your list into a poem. </li>
<li>OR free write “Though I didn’t _____, I _______ed”
and find the poem within.</li>
</ul>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Word Bank Prompt:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Success<o:p></o:p></div>
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In spite of<o:p></o:p></div>
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Achievement<o:p></o:p></div>
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Elated<o:p></o:p></div>
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Unexpected<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Photo Prompt:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uCeip6nM6ew88bKXLjKkmzUr04x7LViIzssrS8WvmCX1PBU8HNFrnSW5VdjTIXXPKDIQh3EezqqJKrr0zDfBUaWykzvekfyY27bfNEk1pewUbFKJJxpTJjR5-P7oa7sBh_xqJoB-1SF5/s1600/IMG_1027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uCeip6nM6ew88bKXLjKkmzUr04x7LViIzssrS8WvmCX1PBU8HNFrnSW5VdjTIXXPKDIQh3EezqqJKrr0zDfBUaWykzvekfyY27bfNEk1pewUbFKJJxpTJjR5-P7oa7sBh_xqJoB-1SF5/s320/IMG_1027.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coos Bay, OR Prefontaine Memorial Run<br />
Photo by Annis Cassells </td></tr>
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Please share the link to your poem in the comments below. Or go ahead and post your poem. We're looking forward to reading your work.<br />
<br />
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<b>Poetry Guide:</b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<i><b>The Poet's Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry</b></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2EB3gptEyRIS9kIYgRxnMFNtOqss27TxpTeRnMlHFapXlnVZD2QiyKaKLYs5Tb8KxdQxLhhyphenhyphenId8iCMFGHKRc7zZ7JaEhvETuA3T4jM0uzaaA3MgfErKG0HKHRqHfR26SJ6i1wZyxqLHHy/s1600/Poet%2527s+Companion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="334" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2EB3gptEyRIS9kIYgRxnMFNtOqss27TxpTeRnMlHFapXlnVZD2QiyKaKLYs5Tb8KxdQxLhhyphenhyphenId8iCMFGHKRc7zZ7JaEhvETuA3T4jM0uzaaA3MgfErKG0HKHRqHfR26SJ6i1wZyxqLHHy/s200/Poet%2527s+Companion.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">ISBN-13: 978-0393316544<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">ISBN-10: 0393316548<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">From the nuts and bolts of craft to the sources of inspiration,
this book is for anyone who wants to write poetry-and do it well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">The Poet's Companion</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> presents brief essays on
the elements of poetry, technique, and suggested subjects for writing, each
followed by distinctive writing exercises. The ups and downs of writing
life—including self-doubt and writer's block—are here, along with tips about
getting published and writing in the electronic age. On your own, this book can
be your "teacher," while groups, in or out of the classroom, can
profit from sharing weekly assignments. (Amazon.com)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Annis Cassells is a writer, poet,
life coach, and teacher. She divides her
time between Bakersfield, California and Coos Bay, Oregon. She is a member of
Writers of Kern, a branch of the California Writers Club. See Annis’s blogs at <a href="http://www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com/">www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com</a> and <a href="http://www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com/">www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com</a> and
her website at <a href="http://www.connectionsandconversations.com/">www.connectionsandconversations.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Annis Cassellshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956658096326753578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-81100286533842591752017-12-25T00:00:00.000-05:002017-12-25T00:00:27.129-05:00Peace be with You<br />
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<a href="http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/20000/velka/christmas-light-decoration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/20000/velka/christmas-light-decoration.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My happiest childhood holiday memories were of Christmas Eve at my grandparents house on Snake Pond. Do not let the location scare you - this place was filled to the rooftop with laughter and love all year round. Yet on Christmas Eve, magic happened. Family I had not seen for months all gathered in the parlor to drink cocktails (or hot chocolate in my case), exchange gifts and share stories which would leave the adults bent over in laughter and the kids scurrying about the plush carpet with new toys. Eventually we would head downstairs for dinner - fish chowder, herring and homemade macaroni and cheese with crispy butter soaked croutons baked on top. I would fight my uncle for the celery stuffed with cream cheese and my sister would slide under the table with our cousins to avoid having to try the fish.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But before heading downstairs to the feasting, my grandmother would bring out an envelope with white, sometimes pink wafers. We would take one and make our way to everyone in the room, break off a piece from theirs, say "Peace be with you" and kiss on the cheek. The wafers, Oplatki as they are called in Polish, tasted of sweet paper, melting in your mouth before you could chew it. I was told it was the same as communion wafers (which the adults would have as part of the midnight mass capping off the evening). Though to me, I thought of these as magic slices that kept our family together.</span><br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Oplatki.w.koszyczku.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Oplatki.w.koszyczku.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_wafer">Opłatki</a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif;">From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As time passed, the relatives moved further away and the traditions I grew up with dissolved like a wafter in the snow. Now as an adult I craved something I could could call my own, a tradition I hoped to share with my own chosen family. This includes a bike ride up to the summit of Mount Tamalpais near where I live, peppermint hot chocolate on the way back and a delectable evening feast someplace with a view.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This warmed my heart (and truth be told, froze my toes) but I felt something was missing. I wanted open my heart to those I cared for, to wish them peace and love. So I wrote the church my grandmother Sophie attended so many years ago to request an envelop of wafers which I hope to share. And in my own way I have found a place of light, love and good tidings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">PROMPTS:</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Take five minutes to remember your happiest holiday memory - where were you? What were you wearing? Who were you with? What scent filled the air - Christmas tree?, warm mulled cider? your grandfather's cologne? Write an ode to that memory. Did your holidays not follow a traditional path? Write about what that meant to you, describe all the nuances that made it special or different. If none of that tickles your fancy - describe the perfect holiday celebration as you would have it - no-holds-barred, this world, other world, what ever! Go wild! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Word Prompts:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Tradition</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Family</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Peace</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Illumination</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Comfort</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><i>May this time bring you laughter and joy however you celebrate it - Peace be with you.</i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;">Share your links to your poetry in the comments below.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDe5r0VfTRXFPADf0jbqE43swEAnZY_LNx5cQ7J-qW_X9eHc6pnAOatc04UDbXFug38_BOhSXlUhSzDn-VJkyFfZCWN-IWsxwnoNEMNvDTqaxp5bhqUxdx0YtF-vgCkSdveYr2lHGhPtp/s1600/0C496354-01F7-48F3-83B2-B3ADA66D4615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDe5r0VfTRXFPADf0jbqE43swEAnZY_LNx5cQ7J-qW_X9eHc6pnAOatc04UDbXFug38_BOhSXlUhSzDn-VJkyFfZCWN-IWsxwnoNEMNvDTqaxp5bhqUxdx0YtF-vgCkSdveYr2lHGhPtp/s200/0C496354-01F7-48F3-83B2-B3ADA66D4615.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 16.334999084472656px;">Jenny Astramowicz resides in San Francisco where she works for the local university, trains for endurance events and writes. Her long term dream is to live in France with her two cats.</span></div>
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<i style="color: #777777; font-family: georgia, serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Not all who wander are lost...</i></div>
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<i style="color: #777777; font-family: georgia, serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">#OctPoWriMo #NaPoWriMo #NaNoWriMo #Poetsonthepage</i></div>
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Find her on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/109315915316272041180" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Google +</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/zenofjenny" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/zenofjenny/" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">Instagram</a></div>
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You can read her poetry at <a class="" href="https://zwabisabi.blogspot.com/" style="color: #8e7cc3; text-decoration: none;">https://zwabisabi.blogspot.com</a></div>
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<br />Jenni Astramowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07047918534701099897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4992984897639825337.post-760373041639925992017-12-18T00:00:00.000-05:002017-12-18T00:00:13.195-05:00Poetry Prompts - Fantasy Land<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I really feel the need to create an alternate world, a vision of what might be magical and beautiful and fantastic about being human. ~Shary Boyle</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBb1vXpUtYzpHH2s1v7tKAyT8ZALzp_IaVWDhn_UEfJKoSeMbY6bH_nDSOKUWCbixc806mXSphCqlOvHfYoAvzKzMcyVLW_SLLmHeD8-mFA8uhgiZBzjbtlCHVAoCwl1o8jvObAHksoo0/s1600/Wild+Whimsy+Muse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBb1vXpUtYzpHH2s1v7tKAyT8ZALzp_IaVWDhn_UEfJKoSeMbY6bH_nDSOKUWCbixc806mXSphCqlOvHfYoAvzKzMcyVLW_SLLmHeD8-mFA8uhgiZBzjbtlCHVAoCwl1o8jvObAHksoo0/s320/Wild+Whimsy+Muse.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poetry Prompts - Fantasy Land <br />Art by Morgan Dragonwillow</td></tr>
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My five year old granddaughter and I started talking about what an 'Emily World' would look like. She said that everything would be made out of candy except the trees would be made out of Brocoli and the grass would be made out of Twizzlers.<br />
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If you lived in a fantasy world, what would it look like?<br />
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Word Prompts:</h2>
Fantasy<br />
unusual<br />
polka dots<br />
moonbeams<br />
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Poetry Ebook Spotlight</h3>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Aggravated-Felon-Poetry-Poems-liberate-ebook/dp/B01I925G54/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxn4xnRoeFnEbRDpaiPxmqtgZb1jEnT6thzW0Od-Dyy5NJ25bDWmoLGzDhInDCqy6ucTURCO0QNFAxJy9oMqpMHOXbESV2uZtzDkIoPqMQXmY3wZaRr8qpVprI521l8PKrOYY3ZgFojw/s200/Aggravated+Felon.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Aggravated-Felon-Poetry-Poems-liberate-ebook/dp/B01I925G54/" target="_blank">Aggravated Felon - Poetry to Liberate the Soul by Wendy Grela-M'Poko</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Description from Amazon:</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In this collection of poems, Wendy turns an experience that should have broken her spirit, into one that ended up setting her free spiritually. In the mist of deportation the only thing that really understood Wendy was The Pen and Paper. </span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="67fhp-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">When Wendy started utilizing the tools at hand something magical happened. What started off as an escape turned into a passion. Using words to bring to life colorful experiences from delicacy and wonder, to pure heartache. Wendy's poems are fearless and leave nothing unexplored, no words wasted. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="54jck-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">This diverse collection stands on no equal ground with anyone else’s works, and establishes her as an important poet needed for this generation. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="f066c-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Sunny is here to bring back poetry! </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="cacrt-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">“POETRY IS NOT DEAD!"</span></div>
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Play with your words until you breathe life into them!<br />
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Share your links to your poetry in the comments below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlBZxlbeednXwls5OHPesOYC62RMnSHavHjqIyIoMWvFqfQU6YddxeB1RvQrEOQn7NVF04Sm35iFtxcLuEl_51BJuqOX8c-Ay0chORhtQKbNJrXoky5UKc1Qt_wG9ALpe3kNXeygy_k4-/s1600/Me+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #b299cc; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="80" data-original-width="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlBZxlbeednXwls5OHPesOYC62RMnSHavHjqIyIoMWvFqfQU6YddxeB1RvQrEOQn7NVF04Sm35iFtxcLuEl_51BJuqOX8c-Ay0chORhtQKbNJrXoky5UKc1Qt_wG9ALpe3kNXeygy_k4-/s1600/Me+8.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" /> </a></div>
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<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">
Morgan Dragonwillow, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Morgan-Dragonwillow/e/B00C14XIL6/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1474889855&sr=8-1" style="color: #002a77; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow</a>, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of <a href="http://octpowrimo.com/" style="color: #002a77; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">#OctPoWriMo</a> & <a href="http://poetsonthepage.blogspot.com/" style="color: #002a77; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">#PoetsonthePage</a>. Collaborate with your soul and get your words on the page. <a href="http://morgandragonwillow.com/wild-woman-writing-retreat" target="_blank"><span style="color: #002a77;">W</span>ild Woman Writing Retreat</a>.</blockquote>
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Yes, she is on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MorganDragonwillow/about/?rel=author" style="color: #002a77; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Google+</a> too!</blockquote>
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Morgan Dragonwillowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17147836851533669779noreply@blogger.com0