One Stop Poetry’s Sunday Photo Challenge

Posted on May 22, 2011 by SallyJ

Today’s Onestoppoetry.com challenge is to write about this photo taken by Walter Parada. As usual it  is a beautifully evocative image. On first sight of the photo one word popped into my head – nobility.

Photo by Walter Parada

Nobility

See me, see my nobility-
tall, pillar-straight; strength
of stone; sheen of polished marble;
each muscle sculpted; each foot
firmly planted, sure my journey
follows the right path; my righteous
spear upholds freedom’s banner.

Follow my example

Yet – out of sight, know
my reflection ripples
with uncertainty, warped by
world’s flaws; spear no longer
flies true, banner wavers.
Where is the truth? Make
up your own mind. I am
on my journey. Find
your own my friend.

Two quotations helped this thought along :
‘Real nobility is based on scorn, courage and profound indifference.’ (Camus)
‘There is no nobility in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.’ (Proverb) 

Posted in inspiration, One Stop Poetry, poet, poetry, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

At last – a short story!

Posted on May 21, 2011 by SallyJ

I have been concerned recently that my ideas for writing fiction had completely abandoned me. It has been so long since an idea tapped me of the shoulder and said ‘write me.’

Poems have come calling – some more easily written than others – but fiction has quite left me alone. It took a prompt from the Byfleet writing group and a stern ‘get on with it’ from our esteemed leader, but today, I have actually written it – a 1400 word story, from beginning to end.

As chance would have it, next week is the closing date for entries to the writing competitions being run by the 31st Winchester Writers’ Conference, so I shall tidy it up and submit it.

As for the conference, as usual I will be going along. For any writer who has never been, I would say it is a must. The workshops are brilliant and cover all aspects of being a writer from the writing itself to finding an agent, writing a submission letter, even self publishing. The speakers are all professional people from the literary and publishing world and there is a rare chance for one-to-one sessions with agents, publishers and writers. If you are serious about writing, then it is a weekend not to be missed.Apart from that it is also great fun. To find out more go to  http://www.writersconference.co.uk/

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Close shave

Posted on May 18, 2011 by SallyJ

Close shave

Exquisite, bold
squirrel, cheeks full of acorns,
Evades watchful dog

I’m no haiku writer, but this begged to be written.

Posted in dogs, natural world, poet, poetry, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Improved ‘Warrior’ octain and one more

Posted on May 17, 2011 by SallyJ

Thank you Caudia for helping me to sort the octain I wrote for One Stop Poetry’s Monday Form.

I have added a syllable to the first/last lines and changed the 5th line to put the internal rhyme in the correct place as you suggested.

You said that lines 2 and 3 should rhyme…I have rhymed rifle with faithful…maybe not a completely accurate rhyme, but I have yet to find a way around it… suggestions welcome!

Here is the latest version, subtly changed but hopefully more accurate:

Warriors
We train them to be strong soldiers
Give them uniforms, a rifle
then expect them to be faithful.

We tell them they are warriors –
they swear a vow, solemnly know
they are their country’s saviours-

We must be for ever mindful
we trained them to be strong soldiers.

In the same vein, I have penned another octain… once again I have taken licence and rhymed bloom with June, and rhyming turn/pattern may be stretching it a bit!

Our Fault
It’s May, and the roses in bloom
clash with the tulips, the iris –
I really don’t understand this.

Roses usually bloom in June
It’s not their turn – seasons’ pattern
now follows a different tune.

Let’s face it, we are not blameless
so – it’s May – the rose is in bloom.

Posted in natural world, One Stop Poetry, poet, poetry, Uncategorized, writer, writing | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

One Stop Poetry – Monday form – Octains

Posted on May 16, 2011 by SallyJ
Afghan National Army NCO Graduation

Image by isafmedia via Flickr

This has every element that I struggle with – meter, rhyme, the works. I really like the form when I read other people’s poems. I take on board Luke Prater’s, (the inventor of the Octain), words that it is challenging and leads to a great sense of achievement when one is successfully completed. So, I have had a go. I think the idea in my mind was too large for the form, but I persisted. As ever this is a first effort, and I intend to keep trying, so hopefully the results will improve. However, this, ‘Warriors’, inspired by a blog from the front line in Afghanistan about the successful training of a kandak (regiment) of Afghan National Army soldiers, this is my very first octain.

Warriors
We train them to be soldiers
Give them uniforms, a rifle
then expect them to be faithful.

We tell them they are warriors –
they swear a solemn vow and know
They are their country’s saviours,

We must be for ever mindful
We trained them to be soldiers.

Posted in Afghanistan, One Stop Poetry, poet, poetry, war, writer | 6 Comments

More poetic prose than poetry!

Posted on May 15, 2011 by SallyJ

Thanks to Fee Easton for the photo prompt for the One Stop Poetry Photo Challenge

This is not a poem really – much more like prose, but this is the way it came to me when I looked at this picture. Thank you Fee for the great prompts, and One Stop Poetry.com for giving me something to do on a dull Sunday afternoon…

It makes me think, when I sit by the sea.
Its vastness, its strength – how small are we
in comparison. The salt on my tongue,
sticky breeze in my hair, the whisper of waves
on the sand. Let’s just rest here, take a moment
together. The warmth of your arm touching
mine reminds me how lucky I am –
I have you by my side and we’ll gaze, hand in
hand, count the buoys, watch the swell, share our
secrets, dream our dreams,
in silence.

Posted in One Stop Poetry, poet, sea, writer, writing | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

Rhyming, double dactyls and now pantoums.

Posted on May 14, 2011 by SallyJ

This week has seen me chopping and changing between different forms of poetry. On Monday at One Stop Poetry Gay Cannon had us looking at and trying rhyme schemes. I posted English Seaside (https://sallyjblackmore.co.uk/2011/05/09/playing-with-rhyme/). I had some great feedback, as always, from other One Stoppers.

On Wednesday with Byfleet Writers we dabbled with double dactyls…mind boggling stuff. My one finished attempt is posted under my Daily (almost) Poems (https://sallyjblackmore.co.uk/napowrimo/dastardly-dactyls/).

And today I have been attempting to rewrite an old poem as a Pantoum in the hope that restating it within the form would improve the poem. It is still awkward in places and there are a few small diversions from strict pantoum form(!), but it is improving I think.

All comments are welcome in the interests of making it better!

Who then, if not me?
Who then if not me I think.
The express train runs smooth and fast.
Once again my spirits sink,
fingers clenched, my eyes downcast,

This express trains is much too fast –
A flash of yearning, hard to swallow
At warm, bright windows flashing past.
I press my nose to grimy window.

A flash of yearning, hard to swallow.
I won’t go home. I can walk right by
the darkened house, its pall of sorrow.
I’ll pretend I’m late. I’ll tell a lie.

I won’t go home, I’ll walk right by,
say hockey practice made me late.
The hard cut hedge fields my sigh.
I quietly snick the glossy gate.

Can’t say something made me late.
I step into the chilly gloom.
Still and pale, she sits, she waits.
Misery crowds the darkened room.

I step into the chilly gloom,
pill bottles form an orderly line.
Why must I always be first home?
When did this problem become mine?

Pill bottles form an orderly line –
once again my spirits sink.
How could this problem become mine…
Who then – if not me?

Posted in Family, One Stop Poetry, poet, poetry, Uncategorized, writer, writing, writing groups | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Now I understand!

Posted on May 11, 2011 by SallyJ

The book signing on Saturday went really well. I sold seven copies in store and also there was an enormous amount of support for Help for Heroes with wristbands and badges ‘selling’ well.

‘Army Bear’, a delightful teddy was the subject of a Guess the Bear’s Name contest and more than paid for himself. He found a good home with a little girl who was the closest, guessing ‘Thomas’. I had named him Tommy, as a nod to the nickname of British soldiers, especially in the First World War, though the logic seemed to pass most people by! The best guess at a name, one I would have given a prize had I been able, was Strawberry. I just love the idea of a  Corporal Strawberry. Oh to think like a small child again.

Since Saturday I have felt down and out of sorts. I attributed this to a mixture of exhaustion and anti climax. Today however I had a writing assignment to complete and so had to ‘get a grip’.

I made a ‘naughty but nice’ frothy coffee, settled myself at my desk in a patch of warm sun, and started a free write to get me going. As each word was scratched from pencil to paper, my mood began to lift.

It was as if a layer of cloud was being burnt away by the simple act of writing. The coffee, a  much anticipated treat, went un-drunk and ended up in the dogs’ bowls, much to their delight.

The writing was not stunning in itself, but now I understand that I just have to write. It is good for me. The feeling I had was one of need rather than malcontent.

Next time I feel out of sorts, I now know that the remedy is in my own hands – I am being called to write.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Playing with rhyme

Posted on May 9, 2011 by SallyJ

The One Stop Poetry task for today is to explore the use of rhyme and so I have a villanelle (ish) to offer…

English Seaside

Ceaseless, surging, the ebb and the flow
Of icy water assaulting the sand –
Salty, tangy, lip-licking glow
Of face and finger, nose and toe.
Seaweed, old plastic, afloat in a band –

Ceaseless, surging, the ebb and the flow.

Seagulls that skirmish, they swoop to and fro
Skimming the wave tops, dive bombing the strand.
Salty, tangy, lip-licking glow
On the knuckles of bait diggers hunkering low
Filling old rusty buckets with shovel and hand –

Ceaseless, surging, the ebb and the flow.

Posted in Uncategorized | 17 Comments

Soldier – the short listed poem

Posted on May 6, 2011 by SallyJ

This is the poem that was short listed for the Fish competition. I wrote it after I realised that when I saw D in his uniform, amongst a load of others similarly dressed, I couldn’t pick him out from the crowd.

Soldier

I don’t know the man who stands
Camouflaged, in green battledress,
Feet apart, straight back, still hands,
Unwitting, not dressed to impress.

Camouflaged in green battledress,
Hard-cropped head turned away,
Unwitting, not dressed to impress,
Despite glossed boots, badged beret.

Hard-cropped head turned away
Exposing bare, vulnerable neck,
Despite glossed boots, badged beret,
Braced shoulders – a flawed effect.

Exposing bare, vulnerable neck,
Pulse rippling beneath soft skin,
Braced shoulders, a flawed effect,
Veiled gaze, attention within.

Pulse rippling beneath soft skin,
My son’s rifled brow, drilled with lines,
Veiled gaze, attention within –
Then blue eyes lift, smile into mine.

My son’s rifled brow, drilled with lines,
Feet apart, straight back, still hands,
Then blue eyes lift, smile into mine
And I see the boy within the man.

Posted in poet, poetry, Uncategorized, war, writer | Tagged , , | 21 Comments