PROMPT #244 – MOTIVATION: HUMILITY

If you think yourself to be too great for small tasks, then you are too small for the great ones.

A person should know their limitations. Confidence is a great thing, but over-confidence can rub people the wrong way and be your undoing. We are merely poets, only human. We are each subject to the same ups and downs as the next person. We were all given degrees of talent, but no one is truly so high up that they cannot fall. In this humongous fish bowl in which we live, we are merely plankton. But, plankton with potential. Where others strive to put themselves above everyone else, some choose to let their “greatness” be determined by others. In the meantime, we offer our words for those we know will read and enjoy them. We show our paintings to the ones who would appreciate our work. We play our songs for those who are in tune with our music/lyrics. We all find our niche with humility, remembering the old movie adage, “There are no small roles, only small actors!” Here at POETIC BLOOMINGS we have come to realize similar sentiments. We have become a community, a family with no regard to age, or ability, just a likeness of mind. There are no small poems/poets. There are just poems and poets, and in that embrace, we will all find our greatness in those who matter.

Write of humility. Humble in your life or in the world. We are all better for it.

MARIE’S SIMPLICITY:

MARIGOLD

I bring to the garden my birth-month flower,
And admit to being drawn to her modest, unassuming style.
She seems unconcerned that she is common.
She simply embraces her meaning:
Winning grace.

© Marie Elena Good, 2019

 

WALT’S HUMBLENESS:

FINDING MYSELF

I found my poetry, and as such
I found myself. I discovered I had a heart
that rhymed in compassion and beat to the meter
of a well worded verse. The course of my thoughts
followed in kind, for my mind searched for
the emotions that corresponded to those
tendrils of imagining. I admitted much to myself,
knowing my indiscretions through the words
I used to express them. Humility came in the
release of such things and they would bring me
to each new revelation. It has become my
salvation; made me a better man.
I stand here today, no worse for wear
for there I have revealed the true me.
A humble self-discovery through poetry.

© Walter J Wojtanik- 2019

PROMPT #243 – MOTIVATION: TRANQUILITY

Find peace in the reflection of still waters

Vocabulary.com Dictionary interprets the sense of tranquility as such:

Tranquillity* is a sense of peace and quiet. It is the feeling you have while sitting under a starry sky, listening to the crickets. The aura of tranquility comes from the calm in the world, which makes you feel you are without a care (in the world).

By definition, tranquility is quiet, peace, stillness, serenity, placid, relaxed … I think you get a sense (as if you didn’t know already!). Write a scene or circumstance that you would deem tranquil. And to paraphrase Mr. Trebek, make sure it is in the form of a poem!

* Apparently, it can be spelled with a double “L’ as well.

 

MARIE’S SERENE SURROUNDINGS:

FIRE

Fireplace captivates –
holds my eyes in place; my heart
releasing its race.

WATER

Night sky’s silent moon
presides over a serene
song of sluggish waves

WIND

Perched in autumn’s tree,
color floating around me
as my book leaves turn.

© Marie Elena Good, 2019

 

WALT’S TRANQUILITY:

DRAWN TO THE WATER

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky  ~John Masefield from “Sea Fever”

I am drawn to the water,
a sanctuary dank and deep,
where Neptune’s sleep is unsullied
and tranquil. I will go there

where a sailor’s son should roam,
a second home for a weary traveler,
a reveler in life’s safe harbor.
Looking towards horizons and distant

spaces, of  foreign faces that grace these places
and dreams of adventure of which there are many.
Anyone who is so drawn is a son of the sea,
a welcomed one who is asked but one thing,

“What will you bring to the sea?”
for treasures that abound are found deep within,
and in their discovery we find ourselves.
I am ever-drawn to the water

a sanctuary dank and deep,
where the son of a sailor finds eternal sleep.

© Walter J. Wojtanik – 2019

ART FOR POETRY’S SAKE

Today over at Poetic Asides, Robert Lee Brewer asks us to complete this title and write your poem.

“The Art Of_____________”

Think of an art (process) or a work of art as an inspiration and give Robert’s prompt a slight twist!

PROMPT #241 – MOTIVATION: ADVENTURE

Undertaking an unexpected exploration is a worthwhile endeavor

We are word explorers. Always on the hunt for the right thought to inspire and the right word to achieve our goal: write a cogent poem. Even if we do not head out with that in our sights, we find ourselves taking the chance to write the next fabulous verse. There is a sense of adventure in taking on that trek. We respect the art of expression and put ourselves out there to take others along for a ride. In the jungle of creative endeavors, we forge ahead to write this poetic adventure.

MARIE’S ADVENTURE:

Root of the matter:
Life is no small potato,
so keep your eyes peeled.

© Marie Elena Good, 2019

 

WALT’S EXPLORATION:

BEYOND THE SEA

We are two, adrift in open waters,
sailing as ships in the night.
We remain within each other’s wake,
as we chart our course long and uncertain
by the stars above. No shore
can define our route, only starlight
and stiff breezes. And here we seize
this very moment to please
and satisfy our sense of adventure.
I sends you a signal, a bright flare,
one heart’s semaphore to say
all that my flags can convey.
Turning into the wind,
we are two who began as friends,
finding our hearts beyond the sea.

© Walter J Wojtanik – 2019

 

**

Tomorrow starts “National Poetry Month” and presents the multiple challenges to write a poem a day. In the past, we here at POETIC BLOOMINGS backed off on our usual regimen to give our poets free reign to accept this adventure. This year will not be the case. We will proceed with our Sunday Seed prompt, our POETIC BLOOMINGS READING ROOM and our Friday Form/Exercise. Maybe these will provide a bit more inspiration in your endeavors to combine prompts write a diverse poem from both. Good luck in where you choose to contribute.

PROMPT #240 – MOTIVATION: HARMONY

Synchronize with the nature order of life

When we think of harmony we usually think of sound, music. The tight connection, when right, is very pleasing to the ear. But as we’ve seen, harmony can be a synchronicity. It can be a balance of the cosmos where all the planets align. It is the syncopation of two hearts making one sound (again with the sound!). Harmony can be a point/counter-point, or it could be a precise mating of two things, true and equal. Think of how harmony comes into play in your world and write that thought into a poem!

 

MARIE’S HARMONY:

CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH CLASS (a Naani)

Countless countries,
make-ups, cultures, and creeds
learning the language
through laughter and love.

© Marie Elena Good, 2019

 

WALT’S HARMONIOUS HAIBUN:

SUNSET SONATA, by Walter J Wojtanik

The moon has long since crested, ready to rest in the bosom of day. Silence is the aria of morning, forming in crisp harmony with the symphony of coming light. Night creeps undercover in hopes of recovering her vigor. She has held aloft to guide stars in their journey, keeping pace on her cycle and spurning the tides to dance. But this is her chance to revive for the next new evening to arrive. The sun comes slowly to tuck her in, a great relief, perchance to sleep.

Crystal water sleeps
as life awakens beneath.
The day is new born.

 

PROMPT #239 – MOTIVATION: NURTURE

Grow and develop through encouragement

The caring in a mother’s caress. The wisdom in a father’s smile. The support of a friend or mentor. All contribute to our sense of growth and confidence. There is a positive gentility to being helped along by others who have our interests in mind. As we grow in maturity (or battle the oldness of our age), we still find comfort in those moments we hold so dear. Write a nurturing poem, or of a moment that had contributed to your growth.

MARIE’S NURTURE:

She searches in prayer.
He nurtures her there, and sets
her pen to poeming.

© Marie Elena Good, 2019

 

WALT’S COMFORT:

AND NATURALLY, SHE COMES

And she comes to me silently
a respite in a world gone wild,
offering her pointed shoulders
and ears meant to hear every
anguished breath from my chest.
She is the best at easing an anguished heart,
pleasing my sensibilities with
whispered words that build to
crescendo, and a blown kiss that serves
as a memento of her caring.
And she comes to share in every
good word she’s ever heard come
from his soul; she’s come to know his heart.
And from the start she’s felt the love
and caring, and therefore dares to care
and love even more. Love is a seed.
You plant many, but not all will blossom.
And it is natural to nurture these in the purity
of the warmest caress the sun can give,
and you will live in its blooming beauty. It is your duty
to return all she gives. The balance is simple.
You live to love and be loved. You offer your heart,
and naturally, she comes.

© Walter J Wojtanik – 2019

PROMPT #238 – MOTIVATION: CHALLENGE

Face the “impossible” with the ability to accomplish it

We all face challenges in our lives. Either financial, emotional, creative, or familial, we all have our crosses to bear. Crosses? Maybe it’s a spiritual challenge. But whatever it is, it is there that we find our resilience and our strength. How one faces a challenge says a lot about that person. Do we ignore it? Do we shy away? Do we charge forward into the breech? We each have to decide the tact we take. Make no mistake, challenges can be hard and daunting. But if they weren’t, they’d be called easies! Write about challenge, personal or general. Even poets face challenges in the form of a difficult prompt, or in the form of a form that vexes them. Pick up the double-dare and poem!

MARIE’S CHALLENGE:

POEM-A-DAY

Stamina is good.
Essential. Even crucial.
But not poetic.

© Marie Elena Good, 2019

 

WALT’S GAUNTLET:

ON THE OCCASION OF THE POET’S BEING CHALLENGED, by Walter J Wojtanik

My muse was defenseless,
a senseless ramble that was
slower than half-fast, as I’ve discovered.
But it’s another day and I’m tired, 
dumbfounded, uninspired
and the desire to poem has been sold
down this river of dreams, or so it seems.
I have uncovered my major flaw.
And it gnaws at my muse, my words.
Such challenges should be left unheard.

PROMPT #237 – MOTIVATION: PERSPECTIVE

Be open to a new point of view

Today, we look at the idea of perspective as a motivation. As poets, we can all look at a scene or situation and compose many different views of what we are presented. And all will be our own true and correct representations of what we each see. Can we give the visions that another poet offers a fair chance to sway our thinking or touch us in any way. We are working within the realm of point of view, the perspective we all capture in our own poetic eye, our own poetic voice. It is your choice. Write of the concept of two perspectives. Or take a poem offered by one of our poets or one of a favored famous poet and try to put a different view to work there (identifying and crediting said poem/poet). Be open. No two people see things exactly the same. But we can try.

OR

Write from two points of view on your subject (a pro and con, a different focus for each)

OR

In your poem, write one stanza with someone else as the character. Then in the next, yourself as the character.

OR FINALLY

Write on the concept of perspective itself.

 

MARIE’S P.O.V:

TRI-ANGLES

I.

They say we shouldn’t talk politics or religion
so, religiously,
we blind our eyes,
plug our ears,
close our minds,
and open our mouths.

II.

They say we shouldn’t talk politics or religion
so, religiously,
we shun politics
while we de-bate what hooked us
and dragged us to our knees.

III.

They say we shouldn’t talk politics or religion
so, religiously,
we set our jaws, and type
with furious fingers –
too often the same fingers that have
never cast a ballot,
raised themselves to seek answers to questions,
nor folded themselves to silently seek the
One
we religiously shun.

© Marie Elena Good, 2019

 

WALT’S PERSPECTIVE:

MIDDLE AGE SPREAD, Walter J Wojtanik

E. Joseph Cossman theorized that middle age is when your broad mind and narrow waist begin to change places.

But, what Cossman fails to tell us is this: Logic dictates that somewhere in this mutual migration, we are the same thickness all over for a brief moment. Thus, the concept of “Middle Age Spread” comes into play. At this juncture, all you can possibly do is maintain.

Drink beer. Lots of beer. Your mind will still be narrow, but as you lose control over the volume of your speech, you are labeled obnoxious, and no one listens to you anymore anyway. Your point of view is rendered irrelevant. And as your waistline expands, you have more surface area on which to balance the cheese doodles. Victory from the jaws of defeat.

your nature is skewed
from the way you’re always viewed.
two sides of your coin

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.

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