July 31 – And so we return to our daily lives, refreshed and ready to resume where June had left us. What is the first thing you will do now that camp is over? Do you need a vacation from your vacation? What actually is normal? What is your normal? Write it.
We will be going back to our normal routine at Creative Bloomings as well. The Sunday Seed will be planted on August 2nd. The Inform Poets Wednesday feature will resume on August 6th. The Blooms will be chosen on Saturday. If anyone has not served as Guest Host and would like to take their turn (if you gratefully declined because you had plans when you were asked, please let me know) Otherwise, I’ll be flying solo from here on out until I figure the course to follow.
STAYING ON THE TRAIL
July 30 – “GOODBYE, FAREWELL AND AMEN”
July 29 – I DON’T WANT TO GO HOME
THANK YOU TO HANNAH GOSSELIN FOR HER CREATIVE BADGE FOR THE
CREATIVE BLOOMINGS CAMP GRANADA JULY P.A.D.
THE LESSON OF THE TREES
In the wood,
all is informal
and its good
understood;
hence I learned a new normal
to love, as I should.
copyright 2014, William Preston
Beautiful, William!!
Here, here!
I LOVE this, William, title and all…perfect thing to walk away from camp with. Beautiful truth.
This just might be my new favorite poem of yours!
LAUNDRY UP THE WAZZOU!
Surely someone is mistaken,
I’ve brought back more than I have taken.
T-shirts stained and smell like hell,
sort of musty if I can tell.
Loads of socks, without mates,
soiled undies, hope I’m not late.
Shorts and pants, a crumpled heap,
a daunting task, I take the leap.
I didn’t think I took all that,
I’m headed for the laundromat!
So, TRUE, Walt!! Fun little rhyme to capture the comedy of it, too! 🙂
I’d like to take a moment to extend my gratitude to you, Walt, for being such a wonderful host and tireless inspiration while we’ve been at camp. This has been the highlight of my summer, poetically speaking.
Thank you SO much!! :)’s to all the campers!!
I’d like to add an big “amen” to that.
Yes, thank you, so much Walt!!
Hahahahaha!
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Open the Front Door
Every waking day is a walking day
it’s a fresh breath and smile day
it’s a chance to breathe in wild
find your inner-grinning-child –
pick a flower, find a stone
(turn off that phone
and inner groan),
listen instead…
one foot
following
another.
Nature
whispers.
Copyright © Hannah Gosselin 2014
This poem is chock-full of wonderful sounds and imagery. Wonderful. It strikes me that one phrase, “turn off that phone,” is especially apt these days; it would’ve been almost meaningless when i was a child.
Thank you, William…yes, unfortunately it is true…it wasn’t for me either though. So glad…and it won’t be for my kids. 🙂
Just lovely, Hannah!
Thank you so much, Sara!!
STORY TIME
When camp ended that year
fifth-grade friend George Newman and I
resumed collaborating again
on our illustrated stories
that kind Sister Rita Damian
let me read at lunchtime
on rainy afternoons.
With so much going on in camp
I had no time to write.
All ideas for sci-fi and horror tales
I kept locked in my head,
ready to be jotted down
in my notebook as early as
the bus ride home from camp.
That April I’d written “The Dagger”
and after I read the crime story,
George walked up and down
the classroom aisles showing his art.
Next I wrote a war story; George drew
a battlefield about a future war
In Iraq (nearly 50 years before 911)
“Any story ideas about camp?”
George asked. “Nothing special,”
I was about to say, then I thought about
the day the tip of Freddie’s nose
was stung by a bumblebee
and we called him Cyrano De Bergerac
until the swelling went down.
#
That ending was set up beautifully.
I’m happy to say I managed to post a poem a day for all of July, despite computer problems and limited time to write. It’s a good feeling.
I’m so glad you made it through, Sal! It has been a joy to poem with you this month!
If you like, I’ve created a “badge” for us campers that took part in the 31 day challenge!The link is below. 🙂
Smiley! You forgot the link!
Oh…the link is in my comment below!! 🙂
http://wordrustling.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/a-badge-for-creative-bloomin-campers/
Great work Sal. Determination wins out every time!
Hello all of you Bloomin’ campers!!! I put together a special badge for you as a small token of appreciation for all that each of you have contributed! I hope you’ll feel free to come and collect it.
Walt, if you wish to make it visible here you may do what you wish! Thank you again for being such an inspiring host!
http://wordrustling.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/a-badge-for-creative-bloomin-campers/
or the direct URL
Kind of excited! This is the first badge I’ve made and it translates in a WordPress sidebar in the widgets feature just fyi! :)’s Please feel free to snag this badge!
I did try to put it in my widget sidebar, but msg says I need to “configure” image. ? I don’t know what that means…
Hmm…mine didn’t tell me that…do you use word press?
Thanks again, Hannah, yes, my wordpress blog accepted it when I put in the correct url 🙂 !!
:)!!
😀 !!
Back Home from Vacation
Week One: Exhausted. Unpack. What was I doing before I left and why?
Week Two: Ah yes, I remember. It has caught up to me with a vengeance.
Week Three: Up to my ears in to-dos.
Week Four: Catching up a bit
Week Five: Start looking at travel brochures.
Week Six: Major project accomplished
Week Seven: Itching to go somewhere
Week Eight: Time for a vacation.
Yes, catch up after trips away are trying but then look…round the corner, time to vacation again!
I made a badge for all of us campers…if you’d like to have one you earned it…feel free snag it! 🙂
Oops…here’s the link ! 😉
http://wordrustling.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/a-badge-for-creative-bloomin-campers/
Camping again, no?
That made me smile – so real life.
Back in Line
Been gone for a while
Different surroundings
Different people
Different daily routine
Different mindset altogether
I’d like to say it’s good to be back
But I’d be lying to myself
This is where I’m supposed to be
Or at least that’s what I’ve been told
Thanks for holding my place in line
Time go get back to the grind
© 2014 Earl Parsons
Thanks, Walt, for doing this. It wouldn’t bother me if you did it again in a month or two or four or six or eight.
Challenges ARE a treat! It was nice to see you here Earl…I created a badge if you’d like to have one you earned it! 🙂
http://wordrustling.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/a-badge-for-creative-bloomin-campers/
I didn’t make all 31 days. . .I’ve had to focus on contracted stuff, much as I enjoyed the challenge–can I have the badge although I haven’t written every day?
BTW, Sunday is August THIRD, my birthday, so I ought to know.
And I consider myself too much of a newbie to be a Guest Host, but I’ll leave the decision up to you, Walt. I will write a poem today.
Happy Birthday to you and it was a great month writing with you!
I made a badge for us if you wish to have one! 🙂
http://wordrustling.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/a-badge-for-creative-bloomin-campers/
Thanks! I’ll put it on FB and my blog.
Yay!! Thank you Darlene!! You’ll have to click on the link I gave you to get to the picture…I realized after I shared it with you all in comments that I gave you the blog post URL …but you’ll find it there or above where Walt has posted it! 🙂 Thank you again.
I got it up. Ooh, wait, let me mention your name (duh)
Oh, thank you…if you’d like to that’s nice…I left it out but that’s kind of you to include it. 🙂
Happy Birthday :D!!
Thanks, Henrietta!
!! 🙂
Walt – let’s just say that you inspired this one! 😀
Aftermath – A Filthy Poem
“Normal is nothing more than a cycle on a washing machine.” ~Whoopi Goldberg
I’ve been away, so my clothing? P.U.!
I need the ‘Extra-Clean’ for all my stuff…
,,,in fact, ‘Extra-Clean’ is just not enough!
I feel like I’ve been in a dirt fondue,
and ‘though I really scrubbed, grime did not slough.
I’ve been away, so my clothing? P.U.!
I need the ‘Extra-Clean’ for all my stuff…
It’s amazing how much crud can accrue.
I am a mud magnet. I don’t rebuff
muck, sludge and yuck. I’m a grotty creampuff.
I’ve been away, so my clothing? P.U.!
I need the ‘Extra-Clean’ for all my stuff…
,,,in fact, ‘Extra-Clean’ is just not enough!
###
I love the quote you “spun” from, RJ!!
A badge for you if you like! 🙂
http://wordrustling.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/a-badge-for-creative-bloomin-campers/
😀
Ah, such a feelthy madrigal! “Dirt fondue” is precious.
Ooh, I love this. As a camping child from the start, I didn’t believe in washing except in a proper bathroom at home.
WHAT IS NORMAL?
Loving
Grieving
Healing
Growing
Summer to fall, loving, grieving wheel
Change is normal, healing, growing life
This is a tough form, in my view. Excellent.
Farewell Campers
The party’s over,
this camper’s on her way home
all poemed out
but happy to have spent a month
at the Granada Camp for Wayward Poets.
Now for real life.
A big thank you to the host at the Granada Camp for Wayward Poets but I shall be glad to be home and writing something different.
Oh, yes…real life, sigh…summer’s so short.
It was a joy to poem with you this month, Viv!
Here’s a badge that I created if you’d like! 🙂
http://wordrustling.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/a-badge-for-creative-bloomin-campers/
Yes, Viv… I could barely “eek out” today’s final poem, and my wordle needs to finish itself, as well as “this ‘n that” days… but, emotionally, I am spent…
(Sigh)… yes, now for real life. Well said.
Reality
After drifting
outside the box
and breathing
in rich languages of air
I circle back
to my square world
floating a rooted
lightness in my shadow
glitterings in my nails
a new red in my heart
and a haunting in my smile
Reality has grown a beautiful tint
in my absence
Hope its presence lasts–
A hearty thank you to all the counselors and campers –
And to you as well, Priti!! Here’s a token of appreciation if you’d like one! 🙂
http://wordrustling.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/a-badge-for-creative-bloomin-campers/
Thanks Hannah- a treasure
You’re welcome, Priti!
I think this is wonderful, especially the last three lines.
Old Habits
A day,
a week,
won’t be long
camp will be a dream.
My routine,
my new song.
A day,
a week,
will be too long
until I see you again.
Your face
a refrain in my song.
A day,
a week,
they all will fly
and then it will be July.
Back to camp
my favorite song.
I love this,
“Your face
a refrain in my song.”
It was so wonderful to be @ “camp” with you this summer, Michelle!
I’ve made a badge for us all…feel free to snag it!! 🙂
http://wordrustling.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/a-badge-for-creative-bloomin-campers/
I love this, pure and simply. It has echoes of an old song, for me anyway: The Day After Forever:
Thank you Hannah! You too!
I tried to snag the badge by copying and pasting the image URL but it didn’t work. 😦
Uh oh…well…the link I shared with you was to my site where the badge is featured with a little note of gratitude to you all or at the top I JUST noticed that, Walt has placed the badge in this post…hopefully one of those will work for you. 🙂
I’ve got it! Thank you Hannah! 🙂
Oh GOOD!! 🙂 So glad, Michelle!
Thanks William!
REBOOT
I’m back and I lack, I admit.
I type lots of tripe. Might quit.
I slog through a bog, perplexed.
What’s next?
Long days in a haze. I’m scared.
Can’t think. On the brink. Impaired.
I’m fogged in the smog. I’m vexed.
What’s next?
It’s time for a rhyme or two.
I’m fine. Write a line. It’s due.
I jog, clear the clog, wipe specs.
That’s next!
© Susan Schoeffield
This is such a delight; it feels like 120 cadence, too; had me marching right along!
Love this perfectly titled poem.
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Oh, I’ve made a confusing mess of things! :O! I copy/pasted the link to my site where I posted the badge and thank you note but this is actually the correct URL:
OR Walt has placed it at the top of the post, (thank you, Walt!!).
Sorry you guys for making the last day of camp so confusing! 🙂 My intentions were good. 😉
No worries, Hannah, I Love my badge ❤ !!
Yay!! I’m so happy you’re pleased!! ♥
😀 !!
(Poem w/image: http://lettheballoonssailmeaway.wordpress.com)
(Every day is different, yet I try to “keep the Drama on the page”)
Unpredictable
I took my shadow for a run
Early in the morning sun
She ran ahead along the way
But when we turned around, she stayed.
It was the first thing that I did this morning, after our Camp 🙂 !!
Wonderful!
😀 !! Thank you!
Summer Skips Off
I prefer to think
of summer as the “norm”
but it falls in the context
of a long hot dream.
Now the stores are filled.
Notebooks, lined
backpacks, shelved.
School supply sales have begun.
Nature starts to fade.
With autumn coming, I’d say nature will be glorified, in the northeastern states, anyway; sort of a cooling bath after a long, hot dream. Love that phrase.
Thanks, William. Actually October is my favorite month!
It has been a blast rooming with all you other campers out there!
Thanks for a wonderful month, Walt.