Shawn L. Bird

Original poetry, commentary, and fiction. All copyrights reserved.

poem- waking May 19, 2014

Filed under: OUTLANDERishness,Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 11:24 am
Tags: , , , , , , ,

I woke this morning

pleasantly foggy and

imagined my day.

What workshops will I attend?

Yes.  That one. This one.

Then I stretched my mind

into clarity and realized

conference is over;

everyone has gone home.

It was a melancholy moment,

before the smile,

savouring memories.

.

.

.

.

A memory like this one.  My dear husband, grinning broadly with Diana Gabaldon beside him outside the conference banquet.  This is the first time he’s met an author whose work he admires.  I’m laughing because I just had to sprint down the hall to get into the photo.  Despite being with Diana all weekend and snapping many photos of her with/for other people, this moment was the only one I had taken with her myself this year.

John-Diana-Shawn1crop

P.S. The counter says that this is my 1400th blog post.  Nice to celebrate with two of my favourite people! 😉

 

poem-dysmorphia

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 12:43 am
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

In the mirror

the girl is slender,

waist defined

perfect proportions.

In the photograph

the girl is round,

an hour glass balloon

widely distorted.

 

In the mirror

the girl is round

an hour glass balloon,

widely distorted.

In the photograph

the girl is wraith-like

ribs defined.

Such visual contortions!

 

 

poem- ending May 18, 2014

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 5:22 pm
Tags: , , , , , , ,

The skies weep on the airport

bidding melancholy farewell

to the time of aggregation.

On my return drive, troubled skies glower,

containing their tears while

eagles, ospreys, and hawks wheel

on rising wind born of wistful  anamnesis.

At home a beam of sun light

glows at my door, grateful

illumination:

recollecting joy.

.

.

It is always bittersweet on the last day of a gathering, as participants return home.  Graduation celebration, weddings, funerals, conventions, conferences, camp.  The greater the anticipation of the event, the more melancholy the ending.  

I will treasure fond memories of Word on the Lake 2014.  43 hours of conference, anticipated for 572 days = 1.2 days of anticipation per hour of experience! 🙂

Sometimes, the ending remains a clear memory, while the middle disappears.  Do you have any poignant endings that you hold in your heart?

 

 

 

poem- satisfaction May 17, 2014

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 1:54 am
Tags: , , , , , ,

Waiting

Dating each moment

Painting future memories

Rating satisfaction

Creating

.

.

.

I counted down for 572 days.  Here we are!  Incredible how quickly hours fly by when they’ve been anticipated for 572 days!  But each hour so anticipated is to be savoured and enjoyed for 572 days to come, and then beyond.

 

poem- opportunity May 16, 2014

Filed under: Poetry,Writing — Shawn L. Bird @ 10:55 am
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

You need imagination

to grab opportunities.

You have to be open

to the unfamiliar.

You have to trust that

something new could be great

and that all learning

has worth.

You have to be willing

to be out of your comfort zone

to have faith in yourself

~alone~

that every experience

will enrich you.

You have to accept opportunities

to empower your imagination.

.

.

”

Risk for writers: “If it doesn’t kill me, it’ll make a great story!”

As teachers we wonder why our students don’t grab at the amazing opportunities that are available to them. I was just pondering this today.

 

cannibal art May 15, 2014

Filed under: OUTLANDERishness,Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 7:48 pm
Tags: , , , ,

cannibal art.

I’ll be referencing this in one of my introductions of Diana Gabaldon this weekend.  Workshop? Key note? Banquet? Come to Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in the Shuswap this weekend and find out which!

 

 

poem- change

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 12:50 am
Tags: , , ,

I would name you

Summer Sun,.

gift you with warm days,

laughter,

joy.

I would take away your darkness,

fill you with light,

give your words flight,

embrace hope

in your future.

 

micro poetry- hour May 14, 2014

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 5:50 pm
Tags: , , , , , ,

An hour is

60 minutes

3600 seconds

a lifetime.

 

haikus- pass May 13, 2014

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 11:32 am
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pass word needs 8

characters, a symbol, a capital,

and a number.

.

For your own security

Don’t write  down your

user name or  pass word!

.

Remember everything

even if you only use the site

once a year.

 

poem- A Candystripers’s Duty May 12, 2014

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 2:31 pm
Tags: , , , , , , ,

A candystriper’s duty:

 *to smile a warm hello and assure a frightened face

    that the hospital isn’t really a terrible place

*to smile in reassurance that the food isn’t bad

*to return a smile to a face that is sad

*to smile when we’re happy and smile when we’re not

*to leave our smiles with a lingering thought

*to smile all the time ‘til the end of our shift

    and then when we’re done we can frown if we wish

    But somehow the smiling we’ve done that day

    keeps us smiling and we’re glad we smiled that way.

.

.

My father asked me to find this poem, because he’ll be speaking at a candystriper recognition evening this week in the extended care facility where he lives.  I wrote it when I was 15 for a display.  I volunteered at our local hospital and an extended care facility as a candystriper from grades nine through twelve, accumulating nearly 700 hours (close enough that I was given the charm for it).   I worked surgical, medical, and pediatric floors, as well as admitting.  We filled and distributed water jugs, distributed food trays, helped feed patients, ran errands, delivered flowers, etc.  I was only vaguely interested in nursing, and my hospital  time quickly informed me that I didn’t want to pursue a career in nursing, but I loved working at the hospital, helping people who needed my smiling face.  I will try to scan in the photo of me with the display.  I had to borrow a microscope to record the poem! lol