Two Poems for Day 6

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Not My Poem

Outside the cabin, the wind howled through the trees, while inside, the old woman's fire was nearly out.

This is a story about deception and it means nothing.

The old cabin had blue trees growing outside.

This poem was found online,

written by line generators,

then edited by Photoshop.

I know there’s no such thing as blue trees, but I believe that’s where the old woman lived

and I still believe I wrote this poem.

Some people can be naive that way.

The Menu

Cooking is easy. 

Once you have your mise en place of herbs, vegetables and spices,

once your meat is sizzling and your pots are steaming,

you can choose to follow the recipe or riff off it.

As I stare at this page, still blank, trying to think of something to make, 

something different from what we had yesterday, 

I wonder if I can cook at all.

GloPoWriMo Day 6 - the poetic line

The Voice of Things

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The Voice of Things

Just a ragged wind,
whining about
the passage of time,

lusting for things as they once were,
its fingers on their skin, its voice
their voice.



GloPoWriMo Day 5 - the procedure is a little involved, but you can find the prompt description here.  Inspired by this photo (All Rights Reserved, so I couldn't embed) and this poem.

The Job

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The Job

My textbook is falling apart.
The letters are fading and
I have lost the page with the key to
Exercise 7.
I forgot the word for “dog” the other day and
I misspelt “yolk” on the board.
I told my students they shouldn’t give me their seat if they see me on the bus.
There will be time for that.
Maybe one day I’ll carry a walking cane and I’ll forget more words.
Hopefully they will still be able to laugh with me or at me, as long as there is laughter in my classroom
as I grow old in this job which is for young people only.
If I worked at Hogwards at least I would be able to turn myself into a cat
and sew missing buttons onto my robe with a wand.
Because the eyes are the first to go and the job needs to be done.


GloPoWriMo Day 4 - concrete nouns and specific details

The Other Way

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The Other Way

The end of time,
Generation 5,
bread and salt,
a fallout shelter,
a white button.



GloPoWriMo Day 3 - a list of band names. I used the names of ex-Yugoslav rock groups found here. The name translation is mine.

The Book and The Reader

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The Book and the Reader

I

I don’t know when and where I got the book.
I can’t remember the time before I had it.
It has claws and teeth, it bites and kicks.
It is always hungry.
Every day I hunt to feed the book.
Every night it opens for me. I read.
It keeps getting thicker and thicker.
New chapters show up all the time.
Now I know I will never finish it.
This is the only life I'll ever have.
No, I won't tell you if I am happy.
And I can't tell you what the book is about.
Some things are better left unsaid.

II

I don’t know how I came here.
Someone must have sold me to this person.
She takes me out at night.
She opens random pages, searching for something.
She scribbles silly verses on my margins
and draws candles and spider webs in corners.
She changes the order of my chapters, tears me asunder,
then puts me together in random ways.
She sticks duct tape all over me.
Oh, the liberties she takes!
She interprets me,
adding new sections and changing the ending.
I can no longer remember my real name
and I cannot tell you what my story is.


GloPoWriMo Day 2 - rewriting an existing poem in a different voice

Truth or Dare

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Truth or Dare

Yes, I stepped on his toes.
And, yes, I did it on purpose.
He refused to move.
He just stood there.
He was blocking my only exit.
He did it because he could.
Old people are often like that.
I really needed to get out.
He wouldn't move,
so I stepped on his toes.
I did it because he was old.
You do that to old people and one day
someone will do that to me.
Because they can.
Because I could.
That's why I did it.
I didn't really hurt him.
No, I didn't look back to see,
I just walked out.
You can't crush someone's bones that easily,
even when they are old.
I am a good person
and I don't like your game at all.
Who gave you the right to absolve me?
I never stepped on your toes.
One day, when I am old,
someone will do that to me.
Someone always does.
Someone nice.
It's always the nice ones who do this.
I hope you are around when they ask my forgiveness.
What do you think I will say?


GloPoWriMo Day 1 - a secret shame

A Cup of Joe

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A Cup of Joe

I was asleep when you came along.
Your bittersweet kiss awakened me.
Your warm embrace made me feel alive.
Now I am helpless without you.
Wherever you go, I will follow.


GloPoWriMo Early Bird Prompt - a love letter to an object