The Road – a Byr a Thoddaid poem

I hear its voice at the window.
Siren songs it sings in the willow.
The road keeps calling — echoes on the wind,
and winds on until dawn.
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POETIC FORM:
Byr a Toddaid – a 4-line stanza Welsh form consisting of a single quatrain or a series of quatrains, each divided into 2 combined couplets.  One couplet is 2 lines, eight syllables each with an AA end rhyme. The other couplet is 2 lines, one with 10 syllables and an end rhyme NEAR the end, and the other line with 6 syllables with a link to the end word of the 10 syllable line, then an end rhyme that corresponds to the end rhyme in the same 10 syllable line. The link is near the front of the 6 syllable line, and can be rhyme, alliteration or some other clever device to link the two words.  Couplets can alternate, so there are 2 main options indicated in the outline a below:
Option. 1:
xxxxxxxA
xxxxxxxA
xxxxxxxBxc
xcxxxB
Option 2:
xxxxxxxAxb
xbxxxA
xxxxxxxC
xxxxxxxC
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New Feathers – A Quatern Poem

 
I hope to fly, perhaps I’ll fall.
I’ve got new feather’s coming in.
They strain my shoulders, itch my skin.
I feel off balance, wearing thin.
 
It’s a growing season, you see?
I hope to fly, perhaps I’ll fall.
and no one knows it more than me.
This life is not always carefree.
 
We each must stretch, must reach and grow.
Although difficult winds may blow–
I hope to fly, perhaps I’ll fall.
The struggle’s worth it all, I know.
 
Before I leap, I understand–
I’ve got you here, to hold my hand.
I’ll make the jump, as I have planned.
I hope to fly, perhaps I’ll fall.
 
—–
 
POETIC FORM:
 
A quatern is 16 lines broken into 4 quatrains. Each line has 8 syllables. 1st line is refrain. In 2nd stanza, refrain appears in 2nd line; 3rd stanza, 3rd line; 4th stanza, 4th (and final) line. No rhyme scheme.
 
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Advice for Travelers

image

The road away from your door
will always sing a siren song.
There’s no use resisting.
So load your guitar and two
extra tires onto your bicycle.

You may miss your chance
to climb the distant tower,
but slip a stone into your pocket,
and you’ll find the right path–
one step and rock at a time.

Trees will no doubt invite you
to gaze into a magic mirror,
and renew some old promises.
Listen to the voice with the map —
it will nudge in the right direction.

Follow wings that swim circles,
and you may dance on the sand.
with an enchanting water-witch
–wet your bare toes in the scent
of rain on the summer wind.

When your bohemian feet grow tired,
gather up four corners of your heart.
Shake tangled doubt from your hair.
When you hear rhapsody on the road,
trust your voice to sing you home.

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Good Morning, Gorgeous

boots truck (2)

Good morning, gorgeous!
Your day is waiting for you–
see the way the morning sun
wraps her arms around you,
and the coffee in your cup
spills out laughter with you?

Grab your boots, put them on
They are waiting too —
to give your feet direction,
foundation for standing strong.

Look! The road ahead unravels
offering purpose and adventure,
while the wind lends you music
to sing you there and back again.

Good morning, beautiful!
The world waits for you–
Go and be amazing, please!
And when your work is done
your compass heart is waiting too
–she’ll lead you right back home.

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Fuck Off (a #NaPoMo #APRPAD rondeau poem)

judging
Tell me, who do you think you are,
and who do you think I should be–
you who have turned judgment on me,
blowing smoke like a bad cigar.

Casting your blame and pitching tar,
you cannot stand that I am free,
telling all how perfect you are,
and just how you think I should be!

You can’t wear my shoes and walk far.
Watch how I laugh, and I simply
enjoy my life — live it carefree.
I am happy, head in the stars.
I don’t care, what you think or are.

—–

#NaPoMo INFO:
Poetic Asides #April Poem-A-Day Challenge – PAD #11:

For today’s prompt, write a defensive poem. The first thing that springs to my mind is getting defensive about an accusation, which may or may not be true. The next thing I think about might be people or animals defending themselves. Or defense in sports. Or defense in the court room. Or well, there’s a lot to defend in this world.

http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-11

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POETIC FORM INFO:
The poetic form focus for my PAD 2016 Challenge is the Rondeau — 13 lines in 3 stanzas; rhyme scheme: ABba/abAB/abbaA (uppercase letters are refrains) Usually 8 syllables per line. For info: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/personal-updates/help-me-rondeau-help-help-me-rondeau-another-french-poetic-form

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Escape to Neverland (a #NaPoMo #APRPAD rondeau poem)

2016-04-19-13.17.30.png.png

She said lost boys like her are free.
She smiled at me, offered her hand,
invited me to Neverland.
I asked myself how this could be.

She promised me that love’s the key.
This kind of thing happens, unplanned.

She said lost boys like me are free.
She smiled at me and squeezed my hand.

Behind her eyes I found the sea.

We flew and left behind dry land,
straight on till dawn, past two stars, and

I’ll never be the same — not me,
because lost boys like us are free!

—–

#NaPoMo INFO:

Poetic Asides #April Poem-A-Day Challenge – PAD #9:

For today’s prompt, write a hide out poem. When I was a kid, we’d build “hide outs,” I guess from our parents or other kids. An assortment of criminals (fictionalized and real) have their hide outs. But maybe there are other hide outs, like a “man cave,” “she shed,” or the local pub. Heck, maybe it’s the library. Give it a thought, and I’m sure you’ll find the right hide out poem for you.

http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-9

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POETIC FORM INFO:
The poetic form focus for my PAD 2016 Challenge is the Rondeau — 13 lines in 3 stanzas; rhyme scheme: ABba/abAB/abbaA (uppercase letters are refrains) Usually 8 syllables per line. For info: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/personal-updates/help-me-rondeau-help-help-me-rondeau-another-french-poetic-form

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Manifesto

fly

 

I believe in fairy tales,
in love,
and lust,
in the honey beneath a lover’s tongue,
in the full moon,
and a sky brimming with stars,
in a good cup of coffee,
that poetry is necessary to keep society from falling apart.
I believe we were truly meant to fly.
I believe in the right to love whomever I choose,
radically and extravagantly
and that every relationship is unique.
I believe there is pleasure in pain,
that vulnerability is a well of strength,
in trusting my heart, even if the world spins backward —
and I believe in the taste and sound of words —
in my mouth, my ears, and inked into the skin of a page.
———-
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Tethered – After Rise Against, Satellite (a golden shovel poem)

hawk
I will always be beside you. I’m 
sure you know by now, as the world is passing 
in it’s blur, you will catch me looking over 
at you, smiling to remind you 
that you are my choice– like 
a child chooses the green ball from a
red topped dispenser. — I’ll be your satellite 
spin around in your own space. So 
don’t worry with my need to fly– you won’t catch 
me slipping free of my jesses. You’ll find me 
at the end of these leather leads, and if 
you always want me, I always promise
will dive from the sky — trust you to catch me as I fall. 
———-
POETIC FORM:
golden shovel – Take a line (or lines) from a poem you like. Use each word as an end word in your poem. Keep the end words in order. Credit the original poet, ie. “-after (poet)”.
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POEM A DAY NOVEMBER 2015 – PROMPT:
For today’s prompt, write an open letter poem.
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It Was a Claws and Teeth Night — After Evanescence, Bring Me to Life (a golden shovel poem)

woman in black

The darkness returns, and if I die before I wake
it was all a vivid dream of you chasing me. 
I still see it when I close my eyes, looking up 
at moon and stars, earth at my back as you bid 
me fight — remind me of the strength that is my 
birthright. Bare your teeth and your need for blood! 
I feel my body thrum, alive — pungent with desire to
feed the wolf in you. I will hold my breath and run 
— knowing you’ll give blessed chase, just before 
I lose myself in this clotting darkness. When I
hear your growls echo in distant trees, I’ll come 
clawing this earth with my howling — I’ll be undone.
———-

POETIC FORM:

golden shovel – Take a line (or lines) from a poem you like. Use each word as an end word in your poem. Keep the end words in order. Credit the original poet, ie. “-after (poet)”.

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POEM A DAY NOVEMBER 2015 – PROMPT:
For today’s prompt, take the phrase “It Was a (blank) and (blank) Night,” replace the blanks with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem.
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