THE POETIC BLOOMINGS READING ROOM #30

A short while back, Marie Elena properly introduced us to a voice we’ve loved for years. It’s funny how putting a face to the words of a favored poet raises them to even more esteem by their sheer presence. We’ve known her as Candy. But I have always bristled at nicknames, thinking that one so talented should flaunt their accomplishments in their own name. (Yes Marie, there are times I’m not one to practice what I preach.) Candace Kubinec graces many of the more popular poetry sites, but today her words are ours to share with you in this edition of the POETIC BLOOMINGS READING ROOM. Our selection is entitled: “Falling In Love All Over Again” by Candace Kubinec.

 

FALLING IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN, by Candace Kubinec

It’s happening again
My love affair with summer
Is beginning to wane and
My heart is being slyly stolen

By cool nights made for reading
And warm apple cider
The trees are hinting at the
Changes coming – reds and
Vibrant yellows and mellow oranges
A show of true colors that
Make my soul pause in adoration
It’s happening again

To this devotee of the sun’s
Brilliance – this lover of nights
Perfumed with honeysuckle
I am seduced by this changeling

and I’m falling in love all over again

 

Submitted for Prompt # 217: Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen

 

Candace’s blog Rhymes with Bug Is where you can find more of her work.

And of course, Candace’s interview with our Marie Elena Good is linked here.

PROMPT #236 – MOTIVATION: CREATIVITY

Express or redefine what is and what can be

And as always, we gather as poets – steeped in our words and bound by the magic we wield. Creativity is the application of the skills we possess fueled by our seeing things just a bit differently than others. If we can get others to see things from our perspective, then we have created something that the masses can embrace. And maybe it will spurn them on to tweaking our processes to another new creation. Things are ever-evolving and we have been witness to many amazing things. Creativity helps us grow in our thoughts and deeds. What is and what can be! Tell us of creativity in your own special way.

MARIE ELENA’S CREATIVE RECOGNITION:

ENDOWED, ALL

When I consider He who made all things,
In awe, I bow before this King of kings –
This One whose creativity’s arrayed,
And in whose image, we have all been made.

Creator, He, and so creators, we.
He gifted us with this ability.
So all creative ways point to our God.
Let us then recognize, give thanks, and laud.

© Marie Elena Good, 2019

 

WALT’S CREATIVE CREATION:

SHE DRAWS WHAT MY MIND ENVISIONS, by Walter J Wojtanik

She draws what my mind envisions,
from draft through many revisions
translating with sketch pad and pen.
Her artistry draws me to see
her wonder as written by me;
my muse is excited again.
Collaborative creation,
our kinship in celebration.
The poet, the artist; the friends.

INFORM POET – CHOKA

One of the most intricate Japanese Poetry forms is the Choka. Also referred to as a “Long Poem,” the Choka often tells a story. It does not rhyme, and offers a choice of syllabic form structure, as follows:

5 – 7 – 7 – 5 – 7 – 7, etc.

~or~

5 – 7 – 5 – 5 – 7 – 5, etc.

The poem is as long as you make it, adhering to your chosen structure.

WALT’S CHOICE OF CHOKA:

THE MUSIC OF YOUR HEART,  by Walter J Wojtanik

Hearts beat in rhythm,
a song of true love’s making,
never forsaking
the message it gives.
It lives to keep us dancing
for hearts are that way.

We chose how we step,
a waltz of passion’s fire.
What we desire
keeps moving our feet.
It’s the music of your heart
in this life’s slow dance.

 

 

THE POETIC BLOOMINGS READING ROOM #29

I consider this next featured poet, a poet’s poet. Along with Earl Parsons and the late Salvatore Buttaci, he is also truly one who lets his heart fill the page, driven by his love of life and his unwavering faith. He fits in well with the dynamic we’ve created at POETIC BLOOMINGS. Daniel Paicopulos has earned much respect through his work and the story of his life journey is rather intriguing and worth paying attention to (see link to his interview with Marie Elena below). He gives us a glimpse at his view of this poetic life in his piece entitled, “Source Material”. It is a heartfelt testimony to the gathering of like-minded souls here in our “Garden”. Daniel is a beautiful bloom!

SOURCE MATERIAL, by Daniel Paicopulos

Some writers
find their words,
buried in the compost of bitterness,
in a field of anger and resentment,
sown by sorrow, raked with regret,
fertilized by vengeance for abandoned love,
ironically giving birth
to beautiful blooms

Other writers
find beauty in everything,
in their children, of course,
and family, friends, and lovers,
but also in the catalog of daily living,
in the exotic rose,
the mundane marigold,
the common fern,
predictably giving birth
to beautiful blooms.

Most writers
have a sadness muse,
prompting great works
of love and loss,
replete in their integrity,
they open their veins,
water their seedlings with blood,
painfully giving birth
to beautiful blooms.

All writers
know, regardless the source,
no matter the topic,
the truth will come out,
honesty triumphs,
love trumps cuteness,
every time,
each wonder-filled heart
generously giving birth
to beautiful blooms.

 

Written for Prompt #53 – Returning to the Soil

 

Find Daniel’s work at his blog Daniel, Living Poet

Read Daniel’s conversation with Marie Elena here.

PROMPT #235 – MOTIVATION: DETERMINATION

Have the will to succeed and overcome obstacles

They say to “keep your nose to the grindstone.”  There’s a “stick-to-it” mentality that works hand in hand with the ability to achieve your goals. George Carlin once said, “Ya gotta wanna” to succeed. Do you wanna? Only you can determine if you have the gumption to attain the pinnacle. Are you driven? Write of the motivation pursuant to determination. “Never give up, never surrender!” ~Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen’s character in the movie Galaxy Quest) Keep on, keeping on and write your poem! 

MARIE’S DETERMINATION:

My words are complete
-ly determined to not end
short of praising God.

© Marie Elena Good, 2019

#seventeeninnineteen

 

WALT’S DETERMINATION:

THE SEEDS OF IDEAS

Inklings of a thought
meant to flourish into something bigger.
The formula is time-worn!
A dash of inspiration,
a jigger of determination,
a teaspoon of perspiration
and a whole lot of time
for it to germinate and grow.
You know what you want to do,
now the rest is up to you succeeding.
Your cartoon is one light bulb too short
to be seen. But your ideas are driven,
they continue to feed your dreams. 

© Walter J Wojtanik – 2019

INFORM POET – BREVETTE

The Brevette, consists of a subject (noun), verb, and object (noun), in this exact order. The verb should show an ongoing action. This is done by spacing out the letters in the verb. There are only three words in the poem, giving it the title Brevette.

Each of the three words may have any number of syllables, but it is desirable that the poem have balance in the choice of these words. Unlike haiku, there are no other rules to follow.

The Brevette was created by Emily Romano.

 

WALT’S BRIEF BREVETTES:

desire
e n f l a m e s
hearts

poetry
e n r i c h e s
souls

friendship
e n c o m p a s s e s
companions

 

THE POETIC BLOOMINGS READING ROOM #28

The sky’s the limit for this week’s highlighted poet in the POETIC BLOOMINGS READING ROOM. Damon Dean is a genuinely gifted poet whose expressiveness and point of view span the spectrum of life in a very keen way. His work is always a destination, whenever and whatever prompt is offered; you know the quality of work you will discover there. He continues to share his thoughts and splay his heart for the world to take a piece and be enlightened by it. Here I give you Damon Dean’s poem, “Rising”

RISING

Something rises in my heart
but then I know, not only heart,
but mind as well.

And then I know, it’s in my senses
too, and in the things I’ve known
as well as wondered,
and the blend of
thought
emotion
word
constrained,
no, not constrained, but trained,
by syllable and rhyme,
converge, sometimes
like ripples leaping rocks
or gasses from a geyser
or lava from a cone of porous stone,
or like the sigh of morning wind’s first breath
on tender meadow grass,
the early kiss that moves
dew drops to quiver–
and a poem appears.

And poems appear,
like nature’s voice
like commentary on the warmth
or judgment on the cold,
or tunes hummed by the middle seasons,
autumn, spring,
as if they were two grandmas holding
children in their laps,
and poems appear,
and like a kiss,
like lava from the heart
the poet feels
a satisfaction
in the rise.

And something settles in my heart,
but then I know, not only heart,
but mind as well.
A poem appears.

© Damon Dean

Written for PROMPT #219 – THE RISE (AND FALL) OF POETRY

Read Damon Deans work at

https://sevenacresky.com/

An interview with Damon Dean by Marie Elena Good

https://poeticbloomings2.wordpress.com/2013/10/17/poet-interview-damon-dean-sevenacresky/

PROMPT #234 – MOTIVATION: AMBITION

Strive to climb higher and go farther!

We all have an idea where we’d like to be in this life. But how badly do we want to get there? Do you have the ambition to achieve that which you desire? Ambition is a great motivator, but does it come at a cost? Does it tread on the toes of another to get what we want? If we can gain a better place and in the process, lift others up (instead of dumbing everyone down), we can indeed climb higher, go farther, all for the betterment of the human condition. Get fired up, stoke your ambition, and write your poems on how you believe your ambition motivates you!

“BRIGHT AS DAY”

It’s the meaning of her name,
and I claim there is something to it,
as in days of old testament.

But multiple impediments seized her
mind

energy

sight

voice.

Her very soul.

The whole of her,
splintered.

The light of her,
wintered.

But her God is not flawed,
nor silenced.
As her spirit returns
and yearns to be,
I see her flame ignite,
and hope shines
Bright as Day.

© Marie Elena Good, 2019

 

BLIND AMBITION

Call it obsession; compulsion,
a drive that keeps me alive to do what it is
I am meant to do. What I am bound to.
I’ve wanted for so long to belong
to a group of like minded minions
expressing the things that live within us.
Nothing and no one can take that away.
Not a soul can control what I am to do!
There is no obstacle that can stand in
my path paved in my intentions.
Blindly committed to my ambition,
a condition to my compulsion,
my obsession. No roadblock to my success.

 

© Walter J Wojtanik – 2019

INFORM POET – TRIQUINT

Triquint is a poetry form which consists of 3 verses of 5 lines each. Lines 3 and 4 of verse 1 (Refrain) repeat in verses 2 and 3. The declining syllable count for each stanza is 9, 7, 5, 3, 1 and has an aaAAb rhyme scheme.

WALT’S TRIQUINT:

SILENT ECHOES

He heard her whispered call as he slept,
into his mind she had crept.
He had to accept
she had stepped.
Gone!

When the sadness got so strong, he wept,
it made him feel so inept.
He had to accept
she had stepped.
Done!

How he wished that he could intercept,
such a roving heart, windswept.
He had to accept
she had stepped.
None!

© Walter J Wojtanik – 2019

THE POETIC BLOOMINGS READING ROOM #27

Another of the long string of contributors here at POETIC BLOOMINGS is Connie Peters. She had joined us from the very beginning after we first “met” her over at Poetic Asides with Robert Lee Brewer during the April P.A.D. Challenge in 2009. She, the master of Acrostic poetry, has a vision quite refined and defined by her strong faith and her heart for humanity. Connie is also one with an interesting story told in snippets of her poetic wile. She continues to be a strong voice in this poetic community. I am presenting two of Connie’s works, showing her clear vision and her appreciation of the gifts apparent in this life we share. Here are “The Moon” and “Clarence and Marie” by Connie Peters.

The Moon

The moon sat on the mountaintop,
as if it were going to camp there.
Reluctantly, it disappeared,
perhaps searching for poets to inspire
for a romance to rekindle,
or a lake to admire its own reflection.

from PROMPT #192 – THE NIGHT, THE MOON AND THE MUSIC

##

Clarence and Marie

“Tell me what you’ll need,
and I’ll show you how to do without it,”
said the kind old man
who lived across the road.

But he and his wife did a lot for us
(a young couple and a baby)
living far away from home,
our friends and relatives.

They became our second parents,
inviting us over for holidays,
running us to Bible Studies,
offering us help and encouragement.

We lost each other over the years,
but we’ll always be grateful for them.

offered for PROMPT #176 – “THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS”

Find Connie’s work at 

http://enthusiasticsoul.blogspot.com/

Marie Elena’s interview with Connie Peters is at

https://poeticbloomings2.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/web-wednesday-connie-peters/

A link to Connie’s Memoir Project Chapbook, “The Party’s Started”