Today is a big day here at POETIC BLOOMINGS! We celebrate the 100th Sunday prompt of this site. Congratulations to all the poets who have joined us each week to offer a taste of their tremendous talent. We have been blessed to build such a community; a family of words.You are all responsible for our success. Marie and I thank you for your dedication and love.
Over the course of time, we have stretched the muses and minds of our extremely talented family of poets, with our prompts and forms, interviews and projects. So for this venture, Marie and I ask you to write a “Celebration” poem. Celebrate your life, an anniversary, a birthday, an event… but do it in the form of a 10 X 10 poem (Ten lines times Ten words per line = 100 words – a century). Thus, we want you to write a Celebration in a Century (Celebration of the Century).
MARIE ELENA’S CAUSE TO REJOICE:
VOICES IN THE GARDEN
Come sit beside me in the shade of living canopy. Close your eyes. Soak in the rhythm, romance, and whimsy. Wrap yourself in the serene embrace of graceful, fluid form. Let the breeze of the lush and lyrical lift, and Carry you above the stress of sweeping strife and discord, For none can be heard in this garden of validation. You will find no boundaries, no borders, and no barricades. Come scatter your seeds, then watch them grow and thrive, Mingling with the bold, the melodious, the witty, the sober. Your voice is not only welcome, it is passionately celebrated.© Copyright Marie Elena Good – 2013
WALT’S CELEBRATION:
IN PRAISE OF POEMS AND POETS
Another Sunday arrives, and poets assemble to celebrate with words.
A hundred calls to write rhyme; an anniversary of verse,
from far and wide they step inside this verbal garden,
rending hearts and minds to find all the right words.
True to form and true to themselves, giving up pieces
to all who require passion’s fervent fire. Emptying the vault,
poetic promises well kept are offered to placate timeworn souls,
giving control to emotions, every notion of fantasy takes flight;
the right time and place to face your inner feelings.
Dealing with like-minded people; a family comes together to celebrate.
© Copyright Walter J. Wojtanik – 2013
CELEBRATING THE VOICES AND VISITORS OF OUR GARDEN!
The last 30 days, we have welcomed 7, 378 visitors from these 37 different countries (a fact that thrills and humbles!):
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, Cypress, Denmark, France, Germany, Honduras, India, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Macao, Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States of America
POETIC BLOOMINGS 
Responses
Walt and Marie, this is astounding news! I had no idea you two had gathered such a vast circle of poets around you. I am truly blessed to have found this poetic garden; thank you both for all the wisdom and guidance you have imparted to us!!
Amen, Erin!
Walt and Marie, congratulations on a wonderful accomplishment. I am one of the many thankful for your endeavor and for the great poets and poems I have encountered here. I’m raising the champagne glass high in a toast to you both.
Yeah, what Erin said. Cannot believe that you both contribute such wonderful poetry as a jumping-off point for the rest of us… and cannot believe you have kept track of all those stats; congrats! Love to you both, Amy
Thanks so much, ladies!
Amy, WordPress makes it easy … they keep track of it all for us. All we need to do is access it.
Marie Elena
Congratulations!
HAPPY ONE HUNDRED SUNDAY PROMPTS!!! And yes, I was shouting so you could hear me from way up here beneath all the late-Spring snowfall in the north…what a wonderful accomplishment! I am so privileged and proud to be a part of this garden and know so many other flowers who flourish under the guidance of two of the kindest, most hard-working gardeners on the planet. Thanks to all of you!
WHAT REALLY MATTERS
Boys and girls have made it a priority for all.
Men and women agree it is the scaffold for progress.
Parents and greandparents are startled by the plan’s obvious audacity.
Children and grandchildren don’t believe that it can ever work.
Cultures throughout the world have given this loads of thought.
World leaders have long resisted its pure simplicity of design.
No one has been able to accept the actual possibility.
Writers have written about it for centuries without much success.
But there is no truth more widely accepted by man:
Without peace, there can truly be no happiness on earth.
Sorry, when I posted, the formatting changed so the lines moved to more than one line. Sorry.
Lovely truths, Linda! I haven’t seen your work for a while, and it’s been greatly missed.
Thanks so much Erin. I am working a lot of overtime for three months but hope to be back soon. I was happy to be a part of the Century Celebration.
ME and Walt, it is you two we should be celebrating, and thanking for all the work you put into the garden. Walt, you’ve hit the nail on the head with “rending hearts and minds to find all the right words.”
Linda peace between peoples is my fervent desire, so your poem went straight to my heart.
It has always been mine as well Viv.
Linda, your poem is such a lovely celebration of the map Marie and Walt posted, too. All those nations, meeting here peaceably.
Indeed! Thank you, Linda, and a hardy amen.
Marie Elena
Amen…
Brava – could not have said it better myself!
Peace. Give Peace A Chance. Amen, sister. Amy
How Fleeting Is This Life
I measure the span of my life with the trees,
Ancient forest giants, standing here from long days gone by,
And realize how fleeting is this life I am living.
My fifteen years are small indeed compared to the
Hundred-year-old oak, the everlasting pine, and ancient willow.
I measure the span of my life with the trees,
I realize how young I really am, I’ve still got
A long way, and I wonder if this will all
Be the same in fifteen years; how much will change,
How much will grow, or die; how fleeting is this life.
© Copyright Erin Kay Hope – 2013
Erin, I never cease to be amazed by your wisdom. I am sure that your life and growth will be as lovely as the trees you describe.
Thanks so much, Linda! ❤
Goodness, yes. If we had only your words, thoughts, and world views, Erin, we would never guess your age.
Another beauty here from your old-soul muse.
Marie Elena
Thanks, Marie! You are the chief reason I can write good poems, if they are good poems. Thank you so much, my friend! 🙂
Erin, you are sweet and kind, and far too generous to me. Your poetry is good because it wells from a natural, God-given feel deep within you. You are blessed.
Marie Elena
Thanks! I am blessed…blessed to have all you!
Lovely. You had me at trees.
Thanks, Jane! Trees are wonderful aren’t they?
Oh yes, trees keep all their secrets, and only let one go when they are felled… their age. Trees are our witnesses, and we must protect them!
Yes!!
Lovely and thoughtful, Erin. I hope you remember to reread this poem in fifteen years!
Thanks, Kate!!!
Gorgeous wisdom, my friend!!
Thank you, Hen! ❤
You are very welcome!! 🙂 ❤
Honestly Erin – you are an old soul, and way wise beyond your 15 years … what a lovely poem…
Beautiful Erin! Yes, you had me at trees as well. I also have a 15 year old who is an old soul. She writes lovely poetry as well.
Thank you, Michelle and Sharon! I think it’s just when I write that that part of me comes out…my family and friends always tell me I’m a crazy, wild girl. 😉
I am always amazed to hear your age. You seem to have an inner wisdom that is supposed to come along much later. This poem is beautiful.
Aww…thanks, Sara! I’m just glad I discovered the wonders of poetry at fifteen, instead of waiting. 😉 Thanks again!
How beautiful Erin!
You gave us (again) unfolded a fresh youthful view with a surge of sacred rich deep-rooted sap. A tree with a strong hold on the earth leafing new and green in the sweet early spring.
Thanks so much, Damon! You have such a way with words; even your comments breathe poetry and music…thank you!
Congratulations! 🙂 So exciting to be a part of your success.
Erin, the years from 15 to 30 bring probably the most changes to each life, and the most to celebrate. Enjoy!
Thank you, Viv. I will! 🙂
Devastation Celebration
A strange build-up to the year two thousand
all talk was of a millennium bug
which was going to send electronics wild.
Parties were planned and invitations sent
for a celebration to be enjoyed.
Than nature took a hand to spoil our fun.
The night after Christmas a hurricane
made matchwood of the northern half of France,
Power failure followed for days and days.
We fêted the Millenium in the dark.
I remember that “millenium bug.” Here, it fizzled. Your poem works, though! Words, syllable; eh, whatever…
Nice one, Viv. And you know what? I began exactly as you did … busily counting syllables. 😉
Marie Elena
Wow… that is SO LIFE!!
What’s that saying? God, or Nature, is what happens while we’re busy making plans? Indeed.
Life is what happens. Forces undetermined! I am reminded of the phrase, though: We plan; God laughs. Viv, I did not know about this occurrence, but then again, the Millennium didn’t really turn until Jan 1, 2001 (millennial purist here). So sad about your party not only being spoiled, but obliterated. A.
[…] Poetic Bloomings, 24.3.13 who want a 10 words x 10 line celebration poem for the 100th Sunday […]
PS I realise that I have muddled word count with syllable count. Too late now!
Oh, I was doing the same thing–syllable by syllable until I realized I needed WORDS!
Congratulations to Walt & Marie and to everyone who comes to the garden 🙂
To add to the fun, I decided to do mine in 5 rhyming couplets.
Metamorphosis!
(A celebration of the great change in my life in 2009)
Years ago, I never thought I would see the day
To have come so far and finally feel this way
So many long dark years of deep pain and fear
Drowning in self loathing, self pity, whisky, gin and beer
Always looking back in regret and never on till tomorrow
Sitting on the outside looking in, forever filled with sorrow
Then came a day when a switch inside was thrown
No longer afraid of being; me finally I had grown
I have found my happiness; my heart filled with joy
Confident as a man, for so long the frightened boy.
Iain
Wow, this is a masterpiece! Not only followed the Century rules but rhyme and content as well. Wonderful and uplifting.
You are incredible, Iain! I tried to do rhyming couplets on mine, but it didn’t work out. Well done!
Congratulations on the poem, and on the truths it narrates.
Hear, hear! Warm smiles to you, Iain.
Marie Elena
Ditto lain, glad you made it through to you.
I love the form and the content. The title says so much. Good one, Iain.
Nicely written, and congratulations on the metamorphosis, too!
Oh, Iain, I Love that you found your happiness!!
Bravo, Mr.Kemp – a testament to the man you are today … nicely done.
Iain, I delight in your ability to find your true self at last. Happiness is elusive, and things such as guilt, embarrassment, and the self-medication of self-loathing and fear only mask the ability to breach the divide. Good on you, babe. Amy
I love this Iain! You are brilliant as well! So glad you found your stride my friend.
That should be “you’re brilliant as always” – got to learn to rein in those flying fingers.
Wow! I’ve been so busy I hadn’t had time to check in.
Thank you all so very much ❤
You tell `em, Iain! Great voice here.
And in honor of the Christian celebration of Palm Sunday, a “Found” 10 x 10 poem:
A HIGH PRIEST WHO UNDERSTANDS ME (A Found Poem)
But God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit
of the tree standing in the middle of the garden,
neither shall you touch it, or else you will die.”
Know this: We have a great high priest who has
Passed through the heavens – Jesus, the very Son of God.
We do not have a high priest unable to sympathize
With our weaknesses, but tempted in every way we are,
Yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near
To the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy
And find grace to help in our time of need.
(From Genesis 3:3 and Hebrews 4:14-16)
Marie Elena
Another lovely poem by Marie today. I love the way you incorporated those scriptures, Marie! 🙂
Oh, well done! And we get two from Marie today… bonus! ❤
Thanks, Gals! 🙂
Marie Elena
Lovely, Meg…
Simply stated and simply grand – very nice Marie Elena…
I can hear the voice of God and feel His spirit through so many of your poems.
Marie, these blooms are what makes this garden extra-special! God bless and Happy Easter to all!
Truly, you all are wonderful!!
Marie Elena
That’s awesome Walt and Marie! Congratulations!
One Hundred! Yay!
Not asleep: not awake (not entirely). Anyway, I am celebrating.
Like a fisherman or busman on holiday, I am celebrating.
I had a fantasy, and it stays in my mind:
I play the lottery; I get rich; I am celebrating.
Blue jays and mockingbirds have no red-letter days,
but that’s okay. It’s the unspectacular that I am celebrating.
You remember the ads with Parkay pretending it’s butter?
No poets manqué in this patch where I am celebrating.
We may not have met, but we’re all buds here,
says the gray cat from Tennessee. Hurray! I am celebrating
Nice one, Barbara!
lovely fun. I take it Parkray is a margarine. In Europe it is a central heating boiler!
Yep. In the commercials, Butter sounded sort of stuffy and sullen, but the Parkay was bright and sassy (and a little bit snarky)
I love the repetition of “celebrating” throughout, and the rhythm–hurray indeed!
Oh, how I love you, Barbara! 😀 Thanks for this, and we sure are glad you are part of the celebration. And your “All buds here” makes me think of our little 2-year-old Sophie. She opens her arms wide and says, “all friends here!” HA! What a hoot she is.
As always, your words make me smile.
Marie Elena
Haha! I so wish I could meet you and your little Sophie!
Love this!!
I am celebrating right along with you Barbara…
Hear! Hear! I’ll toast to that, Barbara!
WE WISH TO CELEBRATE
All these lifted arms linked together, these numberless feet treading
so close! Who would have believed the day would come
When all mankind throughout the cosmos would opt for peace,
give up war forever? It’s time to celebrate, to lift
our angelic voices praise those peacemakers who changed our fate.
You spirits of soldiers who had died on bloody battlefields
down the march of time, arise from your troubled sleep!
Sing your songs; let ring joyous rhymes to the world!
At last the day of true freedom’s come to pass.
At last we can clasp our hands, dispense with tears.
#
The fulfillment of my every dream, Salvatore. Wonderful.
Wonderful!
From your mouth to God’s ears – the only way this will ever happen. Man is too broken to ever do it on his own.
Oh, I wish we were celebrating this today… I’m glad you chose to write as if the day had come.
Celebrating the Prince of Peace with you, my friend. BEAUTIFULLY penned.
Marie Elena
Yes, wonderful!
Oh Sal – what a great joyful song of peace – I love this one …
Beautiful.
That will truly be the best celebration of all!
There could be no bigger or better celebration. Well done, Sal.
CELEBRATION OF YOU!
“I’m good enough. I’m smart enough. And doggone it, people like me.”
–Daily Affirmation by Stuart Smalley
Here are some words of advice I’d like to impart,
while your journey through life’s not far from its start.
Take each day as it comes, plan less, enjoy more.
Don’t be too timid when chance knocks on your door.
There is no shame in sometimes failing at a task.
If you’ve done your best, that’s all I can ask.
Work hard, get good grades, don’t show off in class.
Be smart in your choices, don’t be a smart ass.
Some people won’t like you no matter what you do.
Ignore the naysayers, make each day a celebration of you.
Yay, great advice in a fantastic form. Thanks!
Good one!
Good advice, now to take it to heart ; )
Good advice! And rhyming, to boot…
Wonderful wisdom in words! So glad you are here to celebrate with us, lorwynd.
Marie Elena
Great words!!
I believe I’ll tack this above my desk … thanks!
Love this! I think I should share it with my children.
Wow! Thanks, everyone. And thanks Marie and Walt for providing another forum for me (us) to share our poetry. 🙂
Hurray and yes!
Yea!
Celebrate Each Day
I sit in bed and rub the remnants of dreams
from gritty eyes, yawn and stretch and face the dawning
day. Discerning there are just so many and no more.
A measured number known to God, meted one by one.
I’ve spent my life like a man with pockets full
of gold with no fear or thought of running out.
The days ahead stretched long and smooth, so I thought,
in foolish youth. Time laughed at my poor innocence.
Now with six decades beneath my feet and two besides,
I celebrate each day, by God’s good grace, a gift.
Yes! Celebrate each day! Wonderful advice, Debi!!
Yes! You’ve touched on how I, too, feel these days. Thank you!
Debi, this is an amazing write.
Marie Elena
Thanks, you all
“…by God’s good grace, a gift.” Yes!
I hear you Debi – been there, am there actually … good poem.
lovely
Love your line about how time laughs at innocence.
This is wise and wonderful! I also love the line about time laughing at innocence. Brilliant.
Congratulations Walt & Marie. Great accomplishment!
What a wonderful achievement, Walt and Marie, especially shared with poets from so many parts of the world. That makes me glad and shy, simultaneously ;). Congratulations on 100!
Teehee! I hear ya, regarding “shy.” 😉
Marie Elena
Congratulations, Walt and Meg!!! And, both poems are so wonderfully encouraging!!
Celebrate
By David De Jong
From depths of our heart; we celebrate, play our part
To honor, remember, rejoice; have fun, all with one voice
One unforgettable day with love, one immeasurable day without pain
Triumphant achievement, success; shared with joy in full contented bliss
Simple, carefree or extremely elegant; calm, quiet or stately pageant
A lifetime’s single moment; elated tears wash tears of lament
Spaghetti confetti, meat on a fire; feasts only gods inspire
Music, dancing, love and romancing; celebrating life’s gifts all enhancing
Realms of the earthly seasons, simplistic extravagance for children’s reasons
Celebrate today, tomorrow and again, life – be not in vain
All life’s gifts, indeed. Great attitude, well penned.
Marie Elena
Brilliant rhyming! And this line sings: “One unforgettable day with love, one immeasurable day without pain”
“Realms of the earthly seasons, simplistic extravagance for children’s reasons…” Lovely!!
I’m voting this best last line!
Celebrate Breath
We huddle together for warmth, our collars turned up against
an icy breeze, the beginnings of promised rain pattering down
on pavement. We mutter, ‘Burr!’ and shiver, questioning where spring
has gone, why sunlight hides in heavy clouds. She struggles
toward us, smiling, opening her mouth to catch sprinkles, laughs,
and shouts, “Bracing!” then tells us how beautiful this morning
is, this new day of hope. Each drop is blessing,
she says, each step a breath, each breath a loving
friend, reminding us to give thanks for every possibility, every
challenge, every chance to grow, learn, for all is God’s.
This is beautiful, Jane!! I love the rain most of the time. It always sounds so pretty.
Amen and amen! Thank you for this, Jane.
Marie Elena
Lovely! And, yes.
This is great – so much hope in rain!
We’ve been wondering where spring is too.
Beautiful, Jane!!
Such kind comments, friends. Thank you.
Jane,
oh, I love this.
Certainly, we are huddling poets, hearing again and again our whispered hopes, a familiar uttering among us…we wish and shiver together, our longings for spring an eternal yearning in us. Our shoulders touch, bringing a comfort and a warmth that comes from belonging here, together.
What a great place, this garden,
where we keep each other’s collars
turned up against the wind.
oops, the longer lines broke up. sorry.
I think everyone’s did. 🙂
This one attempts to rhyme, so if the lines fold, you can still tell where it should have been. Great celebrating today, friends.
Rainy Day Meditation
Something about staying warm inside while a wintry mix falls
adds to the peacefulness of the day. Drowsy desire calls
us to make choices between napping (as a cat mauls
our laps with its treading, then purrs into furry balls),
or maybe writing or reading a chosen book that stalls
time and launches us into fictional lives, destiny that brawls
across our imaginations. Now, dinner’s smell beckons us, promise crawls
across our palates, savory and sweet, assurance wandering the halls
of our hungers. The piano or dulcimer or guitar drawls
come, play, as cold rain falls. Inside warmth is all.
I love how you made it a monorhyme, Jane! That is lovely, and very clever.
Yes, and not easily accomplished. Nice!
Marie Elena
It is, indeed, and now I know that’s called a “monorhyme.” (Thankee, Erin!)
You’re welcome. 🙂
Oh, what a Lovely indoor day… (and now I am going to go listen to Gordon Lightfoot’s “Rainy Day People”), Thank you, Jane!! 🙂
Thanks, Erin, Marie, Katie, and Hen. Good choice of music for a rainy day, Hen.
!! 🙂
This is very peaceful Jane – Love it!
This is a warm flow of words, Jane.
I’m stealing your couplet idea, Iain.
Timing
A one and a two and a three and go,
he tried to keep time for us and to show
us that we did not need him if we learned
to count for ourselves, to read the music, to discern
and honor key signatures. We waited for his down beats
little caring for the lesson as long as our bleets
of song departed and arrived more or less together, marched
stumbling measure for measure, like lost soldiers in deserts, parched
for the pulse and swell of water, of harmony aflow.
Now older, we long to keep time. We didn’t know.
Three excellent pieces penned in such a short time. Impressive!
Marie Elena
I keep rereading this and laughing. Thank you for that, Jane.
Oh the patience they had…
wow Jane – I stand in awe – these are excellent!
Thanks, friends. Katie, to this day, I have trouble with timing (and I mean that in so many ways).
I just reread this, and this time I got another meaning from the last line, “we long to keep time… ” I love when that happens!
Yay! I hoped people would get that. I’m glad you did. I like it too!
Marie, Walt, thank you for your poems of celebration! I was guessing there’d be something special for the 100th prompt.
Here’s my addition to the party:
Party! Yes! We’ll have a party! Bring your pointy hat,
Cake and ice cream, chips and Cheetohs. bright-red punch that
Has surprises floating in it—little poets, maybe, dressed in
Life preservers. Oh, and let’s have bubble wrap, and spin
The bottle; rabbits, too, especially the ones with elegant ears,
And fur that tickles the bottoms of their feet. Cheers
For the poets, jugglers of words! There’s a great bowl
Of words here, too, in batches of one hundred. Dole
Them out; toss them up into the air, confetti, now.
Catch! We’ll turn them into songs; we’ll clap and bow!
Katiepie, this is sooooooooooo you!! Fun, fun, fun!! 😀
Marie Elena
Thankee, Marie Marie! Have a rabbit.
Oh.
Well, I …
See, the last two you sent my direction kind of …
multiplied …
How lovely for you!
How cute, Kate!! Of course you want bunnies at your party. 😉
Adorable!!
Thanks, Erin and Henrietta! Rabbits for you, too.
🙂
This is great fun! Nice…
I just had a vision of words like m&m’s, separated by colors, plus bubble wrap and bunnies. Whoopee!
Hee, hee…
Rabbits for Sharon and Jane, too! There can never be too many rabbits. (But, dang… I forgot the M&Ms. Ah, well. Next time.)
Thanks all. Sorry for the formatting going askew. The poem’s the thing. They will show better on the celebratory page that will be assembled from your works. But Marie and I are very pleased and humbled by your contributions and participation. This was just a great idea when it was proposed. It was the seed of all of you that has made this place pop with such bountiful blooms. This concept is what makes us a special group. It has never been about any one of us.It is about us all.
ABSOLUTELY and well stated. 🙂
Marie Elena
“…us all.” !!! 🙂
[…] their prompt was “energy,” and if this doesn’t fill the bill, I’m in big trouble. ALSO, Poetic Bloomings is celebrating 100 posts, and they wanted a “celebration of self.” Oh, yeah, […]
Hey, y’all, I’m leaving a link because there’s a really HOT pic of me back when I was hot… er… you know… CONGRATS on the Big 100! You two are doing wonderful work. Will post poem per se in a bit, but hoping you will bop over to see the full “show”!! Love, Amy
My-oh-my!! Hoping y’all hop on over there to see Her Hotness in action, and the celebration poem with it. 😀
So glad to have you here celebrating with us, Ames!
Marie
Ha, ha, I knew you’d love the killer mini, back when I had gym-trained legs!!
Just WONDERFUL, Amy!! You Always make me smile!!
Henrietta, thanks for traveling over! Amy
:)!
(A prose poem)
A Celebration of Springtime Wonders
With the coming of Spring, there’s a mockingbird singing. Or,
does a mockingbird sing? Is it his song if it
belongs to someone else? Or is that then karaoke? Lip-syncing?
With the coming of Spring, there are bunnies hopping. Are
they all the Easter Bunny? Do they carry little baskets
Filled with colorful eggs, chocolate, jelly beans, and marshmellow peeps?
With the coming of Spring, are my Granddaughters wearing pastels?
And did they throw off their pretty, little shoes to
run barefoot in clover, peeking under stones for songs of
the mockingbird singing someone else’s song, and Easter Bunny’s baskets?
Ah! Mockingbird karaoke, bunnies, and barefoot clover… my favorite kind of poem! Well done.
🙂 Thank you, k… !
How sweet! I loved the part about pastels and barefeet. 🙂
Hee, hee, yes… my little angels are lovely… Thank you, Erin :)!
Ah Hen … so very sweet, and so very much the grandma at Eastertime. Love this!
Meg
Aww… Thank you, Meg, from one Gramma to another :)!!
This was sweetness in words. Now I need a Cadbury bunny. The whole poem was charming, and you made ME smile, Hen! Peace, Amy
Oh, I am so glad… Yes, I am on my way out to find those Cadbury eggs this morning, Hugs to you Amy!
makes me smile. Thanks, Hen.
!! :), Thanks, Jane!!
Sweet poem Hen! 🙂
Thank you, Michelle 🙂 !!
Awe. So many visuals here!
😀 !! Yes… I snapped pics of some of them… ❤ !! Thank you Jlynn!
Opps, “marshmallow”, but, actually, “mellow” truly works for me too…:) !!
Henrietta, I love this–so many wonderful memories of Easter–hopping around–the pastel dress and pulling off shoes to run in the grass 🙂 Wonderful.
“One Hundred Syllables”
“Marie Elena” is a garden name
but Walter’s name is plain; he’s not a dame!
No matter, both these flow`ring people grow;
they’re intercontinental, don’t you know.
Their garden emulates that happy state
where even buzzing bees do not berate.
Oh, celebrate this poem of a site
whose garden’s filled with words of such delight.
I celebrate the gath`ring of such blooms
that grow a peace among our many rooms.
Yes!
So kind of you. Thank for this, Jacqueline! So lovely!
Marie Elena
Yes, the idea of finding a place to plant all our blooms, connecting our various projects. That’s what Marie and Walt are all about, and I applaud them for sticking with it. You pointed out the best part of Poetic Bloomings. Amy
“…that grow a peace among our many rooms.” !!! 🙂
This is sweet, Jacqueline!!
Celebrating Poetic Bloomings in its Glory
What is God’s glory? Who He is. His manifest presence.
His divine express image. His magnificent splendor. His holy essence.
His nature is revealed in creation with its own glory.
Each work of His hand is part of His story.
Glory—when majestic snowcapped mountains stand boldly against blue sky.
Glory—the miraculous function of a foot, hand or eye.
Glory—when a fruit tree is full of ripe fruit.
Glory—when nature is doing what it’s meant to do.
Glory—when poets are overflowing with dreams, passion, and creativity,
and grace the world with beauty and understanding in poetry.
Amen
Wow. So lovely, Connie!
Marie Elena
Connie, this is beautiful. Loved how you brought a spiritual aspect to the celebration, like a blessing before dinner. Amy
Beautiful!!
It’s obvious that God touches your soul and moves your thoughts. Write on for the King of Kings.
Thanks, all. Amy, nice analogy. Earl, that is my prayer. Thank you. It’s good to se you on PB.
Beautiful!!!
i remember when
you began the garden
time turbo charged
has whirred by
blossoms and bulbs
have come and gone
but the fragrance
still lingers
Welcome, Cressida! How very kind of you to grace us with your lovely message in poem. Please feel free to visit and post whenever you wish. 🙂
Marie Elena
Cressida, it’s like “the melody lingers on,” and I loved this facet of the celebration. Peace, Amy
Yess…
Love the picture sweet little poem paints. Especially love the last two lines.
Exactly!! This is wonderful, Cressida!
Perfectly described.
Blessed Life
Born naked and cold in a house on Main Street
Destined for greatness? Or at least a few great moments
Grew to be a man in the frigid cold Northeast
No future there, so the military provided me an escape
And escape I did. To roam the world for years
Serving the nation, and enjoying the ride of my life
Found my true love, and made the ride even better
Kids filled the home with laughter, love, and great memories
Grew to be fine adults and gave us beautiful grandchildren
A life so blessed that I cannot thank God enough
Copyright (C) 2013 Earl Parsons
Amen…
And your thankfulness is a blessing in itself.
Earl, if I’ve never said it before (but I believe I have), THANK YOU for your service!
Marie Elena
You have. And, once again, you’re very welcome. It’s the least I could do for this great country and the wonderful people that live here.
This is great, Earl! A true expression of thankfulness…I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed reading this. 🙂
Congratulations Walt and Marie!
Starting With Two Seeds
Two lovely people on opposite sides of a great lake
joined minds, hearts, and love of poetry forging a bond
to provide their readers with intriguing prompts and beautiful blooms.
They dug a garden; everyone came and planted their seeds.
Flowers of all varieties vied for space, spread their petals,
and grew to hued heights like rainbows arcing after a storm.
The garden began with only two seeds. They were mighty–
encouraging, praising, sprinkling us with laughter, watering us with tears.
We, the flowers, celebrate one hundred plantings, and countless buds
all hoping for many more bountiful seasons in this Eden.
Yes, it feels like New Eden. You know, without the Tree of Knowledge and the temptations… poetry is plucked from the tree, not of knowledge, but of questions, of uncertainties… this is lovely. Amy
Oh I Like that: “New Eden” !! 🙂
Thanks, Hen.
Thanks, sharp woman. Btw, did u once mention a site for people who write abou mental illness? I know someone who would b interested.
Thanks, Amy!
Aww! Sara, this is soooo touching and sweet! THANK YOU. SO MUCH.
Marie Elena
Well deserved
You voice my own sentiments precisely, Sara! Wonderful poem!
Thanks, Erin!
Sara, what a beautiful poem! So true too, lots of growth and love here 🙂
Thanks, Sara!
The Stray
He showed up at our door, so small and cute
Poop stuck to the fur of his tail and legs
Where had he come from? No one had a clue
But the two fur balls inside would not welcome him
So we gave him some food and closed the door
That was a mistake. For the next day he returned
And being a soft hearted soul, I fed him again
After three days, the wife said to let him in
We bathed him, fed him and he loved us back
Now it’s as if he’s always been in our family
Copyright (C) 2013 Earl Parsons
Aww… I Love this! 🙂
Tearing up. Such a simple, tender tale.
Marie Elena
Our “two fur balls”, Scratch and Sniff, have since passed on, one from diabetes, and one from old age. And now this little poopy butt is the only one left. We’re glad we took him in.
Aw…how adorable!
BLESSED BLOOMS
In a garden that I know, poets go
To plant their poems in soil so rich
They can’t help but flourish under the care
Of the gardeners tending this special place
Two extraordinary poets who
Nurture each piece with tenderness and love
In this garden of poems blessed from above
Now it has been over one hundred prompts
Enjoyed by poets from ’round the world
An international garden of verse!
Sharon, you bring out certain aspects of this little garden, including those who toil in poetic soil. Our admiration for Marie and Walt is set into this verse, as well as a reminder of the power of Cyberspace, the international components. Really fleshed out the concept, Sharon, thanks. Amy
Yes, well done!
Thanks all – and Amy – your poem rocks – for those who haven’t been to Amy’s blog, go, go, go — it’s wonderful and worth the click/trip…
Another sweet, kind, humbling poem. Thank you so very much, Sharon. “International garden of verse” is just fabulous.
Marie Elena
I love this! Very well written, Sharon!
Well said, Sharon.
And now, for those who could not make it to my blog, you’re missing a super hot picture of Wild Amy back in the day… but the energy of those days, the celebration, is for you all.
WILD CHILD
From Day One, I was
a wild child.
Well-schooled but wayward.
Never pleaded for parental pardon.
Worldly wise wisp
wrapped in ribbons,
wants to be unspooled,
twirled, awhirl with
winsome, wastrel wiles.
Wishes for what she wants;
wants more than she gets;
gets what’s coming to her,
all the while knowing
there’s way more in store.
Her wickedly wanton waylays
wend their way into herstory.
© 2013 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
:)!!
Yep … what she said!! 😀
Marie Elena
Adding my congratulations to our PB hosts, Walt and Marie!!! Amazing!
And now my attempt at this week’s celebration prompt.
“One Week of Celebration”
Palms, cloaks, a dusty road, hosanna, a donkey, a king.
We gift Lenten peace be with you, dear humble friends.
An afternoon shower in twinned baby blue. A mother’s womb.
We gift booties, oak cradles, quilted kisses, old birth stories.
Another candle, another cake, (still amazed I wake), I wish,
they gift, this quiver of mine, of ours. I cry.
A cross, a crown of thorns, a nail, a mother’s
tears of lily white, a crimson stain, a shaken earth,
He gifts, we sing, hosanna to a heavenly King. One
week of blessing song. Four giftings. Four givings. Forgiven. Forever.
Bittersweet loveliness…!
One of my favorites of the day, Janice. Bless you!!
Marie Elena
I guess the formatting split my lines, too.
Oh lovely! This is so appropriate, J…well done!
thank you!
On becoming a doctor
You never did make a backup plan like
your chemistry professor suggested.
He meant well. But he hadn’t given birth
three times, hadn’t stopped fights out in the street,
fought drowning in a desert, hadn’t sown
the night for sixteen months with tears of hope.
It was time to birth again, and you knew
there was no terror in anatomy –
just new skin, new eyes, a new name for love,
a cat curled on the hearth, at home at last.
Andrew – you write the words written on the inside of my eyelids…this is magic…
Magic, indeed, and so is your comment, Sharon.
Marie Elena
Especially Love your last line!!
Oh wonderful!
In Love with Words
Loving words rolling off the tip of my tongue, tripping
through bouquets of similes and metaphors, while alliteration arrives to
take us to new planes of poetic paradoxes, sipping serenity
and musing over the georgical meadows of a missing spring.
Agog for the arrival of the next day, next chapter
on the carousel of life, striving to be better, kinder
than I ever thought I could be, seeking strength and
words resonating through my soul, chasing mortification out the door.
Celebrating being here, with you, partying with lyrical words, intent
on absorbing the harmony, melodies of the here and now.
Yes!!
Oh-so lovely and poetic, Michelle!
Marie Elena
Lovely, Michelle!
Thanks Hen, Marie Elena and Erin!
Absorbing the harmony is exactly what we do here. Love this, Michelle.
Crossing the Line
Another night of concerts with the same group of friends
Standing, clapping and singing ‘till the concert neared its end
Before the invitation started, I would make my way outside
The souvenirs were calling me; I’d be first at tableside
But the audience prevented me from my every concert flight
Guess I’d be present for the invitation this very night
“I Wish We’d All Been Ready” softly filled the air
Perspiration started beading through my skin and in my hair
“The King is Coming” filled the auditorium and my soul
That night I crossed the line and gave God control
Lovely crossing…
I can completely picture this, Earl. Wonderful!
Marie Elena
Such a powerful last line! This is amazing.
What we Will Always Remember
One hundred years ago this month, our area was flooded.
No one had ever seen the rivers rise and spread
Over the fertile farmlands and the streets of the towns.
The new century had brought amazing machines that replaced animals
But there was no machine that could stop the water.
People still drowned while trapped in their houses and barns.
Brave men dove into the water to save the helpless.
Some of those men also drowned trying to save others
Today the names of these men and their brave deeds
Are still remembered for no machine can replace courageous humans.
Sadness… and courage…
As we’ve come to expect from you — a very unique take on the prompt, and excellently expressed.
Marie Elena
Sadness… 😦
Thank-you for reminding us of the different types of ‘celebration’. Powerful!
I had to let this one sit and ferment in the hind brain for a while to find the perfect subject for this prompt. This is what came in from the back burner of my mind. I hope you all enjoy it. I hadn’t thought of it in years and now wonder why.
Independence Day
Upon evening’s twilight, my journey toward adulthood began in earnest;
Invited to accompany an older friend on a family outing
To celebrate the country’s birthday, complete with a firework’s display,
I departed, anxious in this new role as companion to
One lonely for friendship, for acceptance by peers without need
To explain whys and wherefores; this too, would be my
Independence Day. To attend a carnival without parental hand holding,
To experience a real rodeo and sit with experts to
Teach about sights, sounds, causes, realities that made up pageantry,
Finalized by fired waving flags, waterfalls, golden sparkled sky balls.
An evocative and lovely read, Claudsy!
Thanks, Kate. Appreciate it.
Oh, Clauds, you took me there…
That’s what I like to hear, Hen. Thank you.
!! 🙂
Yes … I agree with both Kate’s and Hen’s comments. I can envision this, complete with sights, scents, and emotions. Well done!
Marie Elena
Thanks, Meg. I know it’s not one thinks of when looking at poetry and celebration, but it was for me.
I was almost there…lovely feeling to the poem
Thanks, Debi. I’m glad.
You painted such a lovely picture in my mind: Independence Day! It always brings tears to my eyes when I see the fireworks and hear the Star-Spangled Banner sung. You already know how I feel about your poetry, Claudsy, but I’ll say it again: you are one of my favorites!!
Bless your heart, Erin. You’ve so kind. So many first took place on that day. My first real rodeo, my first freedom at a carnival, going with people I hadn’t known before that day–an older friend’s senior parents–seeing fireworks like I’d never seen before, and knowing that tis outing was as much a special treat for my friend as for me, for this was the first time she’d had a friend to take along on this kind of outing. I look back on it now and can cry for her as much as I did then, for hers was an odd upbringing and a lonely life. I’ve always been glad that I had that evening and the many other outings with her and her parents, even though I never saw her again after she graduated high school three years before I did.
I learned a lot from that Independence Day experience. I’ve been grateful for it since. I’m glad that you enjoyed this poem, Erin. Thank you again.
Claudsy, poetry at its best. It touches all the senses.
Thanks, Janet.
Claudsy,
loved this…the sweetest form of independence is giving your yourself as a friend to someone who needs one…thanks for this beautiful reminder.
I’m happy that you liked this one. Thank your so much. And I think it’s true that only when you give yourself away in friendship do you find your personal worth.
That is sweet to hear on this wonderful Easter day, Clauds. Blessings in the fullest to you, dear one.
Thank you, Seven. I’ll take all the blessings I can get any time. I try to count them each night before bed, I never stay awake long enough to finish the list. It’s far too long.
And blessings to you as well, my friend. And to all who congregate here. We are all blessed to have this place and each other, and the sharing we do with both words and sentiments.
How absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much, Walt and Marie! ♥
Here’s my [10×10] poem of celebration, dedicated to the two of you…
Dazzled
So, make a joyful noise? Is that what you said?
I can do that, based on all that I’ve read
from the talented people who make their written words known.
I read their poems to myself and I’m never alone.
So, make a joyous noise? What else would you expect?
Through the magic of our collective experiences, we somehow connect
and learn and grow and become better by this association.
We may be worlds apart, but love needs no translation.
So, make a joyous noise? Yes! And thus I’m defined:
our metrics and rhythms, like the stars, are dazzlingly aligned.
###
Thank you so much, RJ. This made me smile, huge!
Marie Elena
Yes!
Smiles all round!!
“…through the magic… we somehow connect…” !!! And, Love your title!!
Love this RJ–always been a fan of “joyful noise” ever since a friend who had a beautiful voice described her husband’s singing talent as “he makes a joyful noise” Love that 🙂
Gor. E. OUS!!! This one makes the heart sing and dance with joy. there’s no place like ‘home’ in a poet-garden.LOVE this; ‘Through the magic of our collective experiences, we somehow connect’…oh, yes.
I am smiling, RJ!
It is so exhilarating to be dazzingly aligned!
I am so enthralled to be with other poets so entwined!
There’s a roots-entangled nearness of the heart and soul and mind
that excites my sap, unfurls my leaves, forms buds of every kind
that will bloom with fellow bloomers as spring promises unwind.
What a wonderful, enthusiastic poem–You gave me such huge smiles while I read your words–Love “that roots-entangled nearness of heart and soul and mind” Your rhyming is fabulous 🙂
Thanks Sara, glad you enjoyed the comment. This site has been so wonderful for my own poetic wakening. Hope to be reading your poems more often.
The Magic of Frost
Poetry used to be all nonsense and silliness to me,
Little things that people wrote when they had nothing better
To do. Oh I’d read Shakespeare and Eliot and Stevens,
It still made no sense to me. But one day,
Thirsting to know the why and wherefore, the reason behind,
I read that one poem, and everything changed, the genius
Behind that poem awoke an inner spark of yearning in me,
A hunger for more; Since then I’ve come to love
Poetry passionately: Tennyson and Wordsworth astound me; it’s all due
To the magic of Frost and his “Stopping by Woods…”
© Copyright Erin Kay Hope – 2013
I’m not even saying that that one poem is the best, or my favorite, poem. But it definitely turned me round and upside down. 🙂
I Hear Ya…!! 🙂 !
😀
Definitely and well said, Erin!!! 🙂
Thanks, Hannah! Ever since then I’ve been eagerly devouring all the works of Tennyson, Frost, and Wordsworth that I can get my hands on. They are, in my opinion, the most amazing poets that ever lived!
My sister just performed a Tennyson for our faith community…it was beautiful and prayerful…keep up the good work and reading, Erin! 🙂
Oh how fun! Which poem was it?
Hmmm…I can’t remember the title but it was about going to the woods as a sanctuary…I’ll see if I can find out. 🙂
That is just so cool, Erin! Funny how that can happen. It’s the flip of a switch.
Marie Elena
That’s exactly what it’s like! Glad you liked it, Marie! 🙂
Standing ovation, Erin. that is why we poets must write…to preserve what has been written.
Thanks, Janet!! : )
Erin Kay,
yes, you touched my heart with this…wise and gentle-worded Robert Frost cast his wordspell on me some 50 years ago. And helped by Wordsworth, and WC Bryant, and Emily Dickenson, and others.
Yes! There is such a wonderful magic in every one of his poems. I love “After Apple-Picking” and “The Road Not Taken”. And Wordsworth is amazing, of course, and Emily Dickinson. I have never read WC Bryant…thanks for the tip! Another of my all time favorites is Lord Byron. His poems are pure genius!
Anyway, thank you for reading and liking my poem. Bless you on this wonderful Easter Day (and every other day ;))!
[…] CELEBRATION OF THE CENTURY – PROMPT #100 […]
Big day indeed!!! It really amazes me…the variety of poetical peeps that arrive in the garden each week! It is exciting and I’m so blessed to be here…roots roiling in fertile poetic soil. Inspired by you all, fellow poets.
Some really wonderful writing here this week…smiles to everyone!! 🙂
I Crave the Taste-the Surge of Purity
I wish to affix, a while, summer to my soul.
I want to anchor to amethyst crystal the carefree clouds.
I long to bond to my step the boisterous bounce-
the very energy behind absolute amazement and a child’s eyes.
I wonder if I could embody a butterfly’s wing momentarily;
experience the silken dust and trust in its falling flight.
I would love nothing more than to immerse myself fully,
sink into the lengthening layers of the sun’s brilliant color.
I desire the fill of emerald-green, the vibrancy of life,
for chlorophyll to spill into my veins-lifeblood of mother-nature.
Copyright © Hannah Gosselin 2013
Ahem…I hyphenated…that makes it one word right? 😉
Oh, dear!! It really was ten lines on my page!! 🙂
Yay! Hannah posted! I’ve been impatiently waiting… 😉
This is very beautiful, Hannah. Your last two lines are astounding, giving me such a clear picture of your desires. And hyphenating definitely makes one word in my book! 😉 And keep on wishing; it gives us such amazing poems. ❤
Erin!!! Thank you so much…you sure know how to make a writing gal feel appreciated!! ♥
You’re welcome, Hannah. 🙂
Oh-so-very beautiful!! Thank you for this, Sweet Hannah, and for all the “likes!” The didn’t go unnoticed.
Hugs!!
Marie
I’m SO glad that you enjoyed this one, Marie!! Thank you.
Yes, I was due for a stroll around the various nooks of the garden…I have missed much in my hustle and bustle day to day…I’m glad the “likes,” found,” their way to you…I wished I had more words to go with them but sometimes presence is more than enough.
((hugs)) to you my friend! ♥
Oh, Hannah… this is soo Beautiful…!!!
Thank you my friend!! ♥
You are so very welcome, dear friend!! ❤ 🙂 !!
Hannah, each line in this poem is stunning on its own! So gorgeous…you drew me in with the first line.Yes!
Beautiful Hannah…
my favorite line:
“experience the silken dust and trust in its falling flight.”
Hi! And congratulations!! That is very exciting–so, I started in a totally different direction here, but ended up with… well, you’ll see 🙂
Where Poets Bloom
When a poem strikes, you never know whether it will
Whither or grow, needs proper love, care, feeding and light
The glow from other poets you know, or just discover
Uncover, in the sharing of this poetic sprout peeking out
Opens its leafy heart to the part-y of vowels, sounds
Joy abounds with each read, creeps further from the seed
Grows in confidence, strength of stem, no longer a whim
It’s reached its height, sturdied its stalk can talk of
Green and color, scent and other buds not so blessed
With roots and room, loam and love–here poets bloom
Love to you and everyone here, where poets bloom ❤
So good to see you here, Sara! Thank you so much for the lovely poem. 🙂
Marie Elena
Hi Marie Elena! Thank you for the welcoming place to post it 🙂 Happy 100!
“When a poem strikes, you never know…” 🙂 !!
Hi Henrietta, it is funny how that happens, isn’t it? 🙂
LOVE this. Thank-you for planting it in this garden, Sara!
Janet, thank you very much, it’s a joy to be with all these wonderful poets 🙂
This is a very successful plant, Sara. Wonderful.
Hi Sara!! Perfect compliment–thank you very much. Enjoyed your poem as well 🙂
Sara,
“With roots and room, loam and love–here poets bloom…”
What a perfect description of this garden!
It could be a sub-title for the site!
That is quite a compliment, thank you so much! 🙂
Muse
I catalog our firsts– date, dance, kiss, phone call, talking
into the early hours of the morning, both well aware
the price we’d pay when the alarm sounded too soon.
My faint pencil wisps on pocket calendars saved for years
keep a tally of those occasions momentous only to us.
I don’t expect cards or flowers. I don’t even sulk
when you don’t remember too. Instead , I announce Guess what
today is? not giving you a chance to confess forgetfulness.
I’ll be your Mnemosyne, the muses always steering you clear
of Lethe’s oblivion, writing an ode to the beautiful ordinary.
!!!!! ~ ❤ ~ !!!!!
What a milestone to celebrate! Better late than never:) I can’t wait to return to read some more if my internet co-operates!!
My Life-wish Celebration
I want to live so that when my Hour comes
I will not lie on a deathbed of sad regret
But peacefully then I will relinquish my final, farewell breath
Content to know that in life’s brief, mystic moment flow
I fully danced and freely dreamed and laughed and wept
Daring to fly with faith buoying me above fear’s crypt
So that when the last everlasting sleep steals over me
And sets me free from demons of doubt and want
I will surrender, reaching to Him with weary, ready arms
Satisfied to let go, surrendering softly to heaven’s eternal embrace
© Janet Martin
Celebrating US
We are a band driven by a common, luring thirst
Battling through highs and lows of feeling blessed and cursed
As we suffer blissfully the divine endowment of word vexation
Knowing at any moment we may be perplexed by temptation
In the curves of consonants joined perfectly with certain vowels
Dangling and taunting they whisper, falling from thought’s dripping jowls
As we stir soup or wander among children, women, men
Suddenly, the searing surge to grasp the frond of pen
Consumes our bearing and we cannot substitute or coldly mediate
With anything but written word; we are poets; we celebrate
© Janet Martin
OH SO YESS!!!
Janet,
love this celebration of our ‘temptations, in the curves of consonants, joined perfectly with certain vowels.”
How beautiful.
Janet, you certainly know how to Celebrate!! I love those last three lines, beautifully written and the meter in the whole poem is perfect!
Double Wow!
[…] by Poetic Bloomings Prompt #100: Celebration of the Century. Posted for day 28 in 100 Days of Spring – […]
CAUSE (AND EFFECT) FOR CELEBRATION
So often life seems to get the better of me.
I go through the motions of eating, working, and sleeping
(that is, when I am able to sleep at night).
As the morning dawns, I am given the chance to
decide how my day will unfold: whether good or bad.
It is, after all, a choice. A decision I make.
Day after day I begin with the choice of “good,”
yet the daily obstacles of life trip me up and
I don’t finish the day where I started. However…I
celebrate the mercy of being given a new chance daily.
2013-03-29
P. Wanken
Yes…
His mercies are new every morning!
(Lev 3:23) Well worded, PM.
Thank you…and…you cited the reference well. 😉
Pinks and green, pea pods
Baby soft
Twirls and curls, black hair
(One of the highlights of my life that I continue to celebrate daily, the birth of my 1st grandchild, Emma)
Oh, soo precious… and I Love the name Emma!! 🙂 !!