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
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
THE GREAT TASK
O’Shaughnessy had an ambition
that some folks would term a life’s mission:
to become a great priest
so he could, at the least,
save his drunken old pals from perdition.
Perfectly written and perfectly fun! 😀
And Perfectly Bill
You know it!
One must has a mission 😅
I’ll drink to that Bill! (I don’t really drink) A bit tongue in cheek. But I like it.
I am chuckling, William.
Beautiful interpretations of “Ambiton”!
Thank you, Nurit. ❤
What a heartfelt, stunning poem, Marie.
Thank you so much!
High praise coming from you, Nurit!
I usually arise in awe, especially on a Sunday, but Walt and Marie, today I awake in astonishment of how your lifeblood flows from your pens. What a lovely morning gift your two poems are.
I second this sentiment
Wow. Thank you. Both of you.
Just a sharing of that which we all we as poets have been blessed, Daniel! Very happy that we can give back to all you give us!
From the very first Poetic Bloomings prompt, and from the sensitive work of Marie Elena Good, entitled “Of Dandelions and Manicures””
“One scatters dandelion seeds,
Who understands a daydream’s needs.”
MEG
I think of her often,
living in a smallish place,
a friend to so many,
living vastly flung.
I choose to think of her
with a broad smile,
sometimes a loud laugh,
at all times huggable.
I never consider
the possibility of frowns
or headaches,
or any other form of discontent.
It’s my daydream,
and I’ll have in it what I want.
Also from the initial Poetic Bloomings prompt, and from the passionate work of Walt Wojtanik, entitled “A Touch”:
“It is desire of the highest power.
It has been left to burn unattended”
Maestro
There can be no turning back,
bridges blown asunder,
boats all sunk,
there is only forward in our plans.
It is not that we are brave,
simply that there is no choice,
courage not at issue,
as the fire rages at our backs.
We can cure the ills of the world.
We can.
We will.
We must
These are both beautiful and humbling and prat of why I love you and your words. Thank you, dear friend.
I love you too, and I mean that in the truest sense. Friends, sisters and brothers all and we share in every familial way, never having met. Thank you, Daniel.
Hear, hear!
These words are heartfelt, palpably so
I applaud, and agree with you.
Eyes on the Masters
“The Artist always has the masters in his eyes.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
If I could but learn to incorporate
a soupçon of what the masters can do,
if I could have a fragment of their view,
I’d own my world, and not impersonate
(what I feel is, at least, to a degree
the greatness of others who aren’t me.)
They inform, inspire and help me create
my art and words I hope will resonate.
Originality is a strange song
where answers aren’t only right or wrong.
To not grow means a risk to just stagnate
and that’s something I can’t let come to pass
which tells me I’ve need of a master class.
So, Ambition, I’m here now. Time won’t wait.
###
This form is called the Mabini Sonnet. I never tried it before, so perhaps it was an ambitious attempt…
I need to look up this form and give it a go. EXCELLENT work, RJ! So good to have you in our midst … a total master in my way of thinking. ❤ I'm sorry we missed your piece. Not sure why it went to the moderation folder, when you have been here before. It's not "set" to do that.
Thank you so much!
I’ve never heard of this form of sonnet, but I like it, and how you did it. In my opinion, you could teach a master class.
Thanks! (Blush!Blush!)
Ambitious, yes! Masterful? Indeed. I expect nothing less and am never disappointed! Anyone who rejoined after the reboot was treated like a new entry, so the first poem went into moderation. They shouldn’t get lost after this one. How about some particulars on the form, Randi? I can see it in our future!
I found it on The Poets’ Garret (http://www.thepoetsgarret.com), a favorite site of mine for poetic forms. Terry Clitheroe is the owner/moderator and he’s brilliant!
Anyway, here’s his info on how to write this sonnet:
Mabini Sonnet
This is one of the sonnet forms devised by Jose Rizal M. Reyes of the Philippines and it is celebrating Apolinario Mabini y Maranan (July 23 1864 – May 13 1903 who was a Filipino political philosopher and revolutionary who wrote a constitutional plan for the First Philippine Republic, and served as its first prime minister until May 1899.
The form consists of two, two, three line stanzas and joined by a couplet common to the first two stanza lines and then the last line of the second two stanzas.
a. b. b. a. c. c… a. a… d. d. a. e. e. a.
Thanks, Randi. Can’t wait to work with it!
Thanks RJ!
“Originality is a strange song “
Love that line, RJ.
I won’t go gently into that good night
Not when I’ve much work to do
Words pushing to be born new
Great play off of known-and-loved words.
Great interpretation of ambition, Darlene! Ever onwards, always upward!
Big smile here
My goal: to finish life with flair
To fight for every word and piece
To share myself with family
Until I have no more to spare
And I can quit my work with peace
My words will make a tapestry
But always I have more to say
Yes, even on my dying day
I’d better choose another dare
To live each moment of each day
To let my lips my love declare
To hear God’s voice and to obey
To give myself and always share
So when my time comes, I’m okay
Lovely, Darlene!
Yes
The flow and sentiment of this touch me, Darlene.
We pray your silence is a long time coming, Darlen. A loving poem. Thank you.
Marie, your magnificent poem made me pause, and also look up the name. I have a friend named Dana, and much of what you wrote, fits her. Wonderful piece.
Thank you so much, Bill. My daughter is actually Deanna, which, when I found it years ago, was said to mean “Bright as Day.” Very close to Dana, for sure.
Wonderful poem, Walt, from one of those like-minded minions.
Indeed you are!
Glad to march the minion march with you, William. As the saying goes, “do not walk behind me, I may not lead. Do not walk before me, I may not follow. Walk beside me and be my friend. We will all arrive together.
I see my poems ended up as replies instead of comments. So if you hunt for them you’ll find them, lol.
Mountains and Valleys
The terrain of my life for as far as I can see
So many ups and downs wait out in front of me
Some hills and dips that will be easy to navigate
It’s the mountains and valleys that cause me to hesitate
Oh, I could take the easy way
Put things off for another day
But what, then, would my spirit say?
So often the mountaintop is out of my view
Fog laden
Snow covered
Oxygen deprived
Seemingly impossible
Yet I start my climb with intent and fire
Treasures at the top feed my heart’s desire
Though I might not realize the ultimate goal
The drive that I feel comes from deep in my soul
I’m prepared for every climb
I just hope I have the time
I will, if it’s in God’s design
But there’s a disappointment at the mountaintop
No more up
One way down
Valley waits below
How deep will I fall?
So many that I’ve known let their valleys win
They gave up or gave in to the offer of the valley’s sin
Even knowing the next mountaintop might be their best
They chose not to make the climb and wallow with the rest
The valleys will not defeat me
The mountaintops I must see
Even if the climb kills me
© 2019 Earl Parsons
Keep climbing, Earl!
Deep thoughts, creatively expressed in mountaintop and valley. Well penned!
Indeed so
As I’ve said earlier, Earl. Ever upwards. You appear to be following the right path. It will get you to the peak. Love this piece.
A Different Ambition
Ambition is a tricky thing –
Arm outstretched with golden ring
A prize for you to reach, to catch
Then suddenly you find it’s snatched
Away and you are left to try
For other diamonds in the sky
And of those diamonds that I see
I choose the ones that best suit me
Some kindness and tranquility
A garden plot, a cup of tea
Beautiful. And there is, again, your piece of peace. ❤
Thanks, Marie. 😊
Your poetry has taken on a whole new dimension which is quite impressive, Candace. Another superb piece.
Thanks so much 😌
Wonderful
Love this restfulness in this poem.
Pingback: An Act Of Sabotage | purplepeninportland
An Act of Sabotage
Ambition–
mine is sabotaged
by myself.
Why is that
do you suppose? Frightened of
failure or success?
The introspection is personal, but the poetry looks successful to me.
Thanks, William.
I had been there at one time, Sara. It was debilitating and restrictive. Can you imagine my thoughts, my words, my songs and poem locked in a file cabinet for my eyes only? Silly, but it was true. Sucking up “courage” is submitted a poem to a Poem-A-Day challenge, and after three day was prepared to declare myself a non-poet. Thanks to the encouragement of a lady from Maumee, Ohio, I stayed the course. And here I am. And so are you. Fear of failure is striving for success. Fear of success is self-denial, and we all know better than that. If all that know your poetic magnificence are the few at these poetry sites we frequent, then you are well received and successful. None of us are getting rich on our words. But we are being enriched by each others words. Stay the course.
Hugs, hugs, hugs. And that road went (and continues to go) both ways, my Pard.
Sara, your voice never disappoints.
That’s a lovely thing to say, Marie. Thank you.
You’re welcome!
Thanks so much, Walt. I appreciate this.
DIRT ROADS
The drive
toward success
is hardly ever smooth,
but fresh tires help drivers survive
duress.
Clever truth!
Hi all! RJ’s poem got caught in our moderation folder, for some unexplained reason. It is above, and worth scrolling up to read. RJ is a total master of poetry, IMHO.
Yes, indeed.
Ambition
I aim to do good and do it well.
But things aren’t clear as a bell
My goal’s to excel
And not fail
How?
Lord, I need ambition to propel
Something in me to compel
My goal’s to excel
And not fail
Now
So let Your Holy Spirit indwell
And help me not to rebel
My goal’s to excel
And not fail
Wow!
Wow, indeed! And phew! And amen! 😀
Good use of the form, Connie. And you did do it well! Wow indeed.
This form is not so simpole as it looks. Excellent execution. in my opinion
Well, spelling should be simpoler than that.
lol
Thanks, all!
“Bright as Day” truly inspires and touches something inside. The brilliance of that day lives within you, Marie, and I am glad we’ve found each other’s words at the exact right moment in time. Thank you for all you do!