The lake is charcoal flannel serge
bound with an ermine edge
beneath a quilt batting sky.
poem- truth about pink shirts March 6, 2014
On anti-bullying day
five students are in the office
for having a fist fight
in their pink shirts.
.
.
.
I have a love/hate relationship with Anti-bullying Day. First, because anything that’s ‘anti-‘ or ‘not’ the brain skips the adverb, and latches onto the verb- so they’ll see ‘bullying day’ as revealed in this poem. I’d much rather the day promoted positive action than decrying negative action. Say what you want to see. Put those words out there: Be kind day! Smile at a new kid day! Bite your tongue before you speak day! etc.
Further to this, you might enjoy last year’s Pink shirt poem, which features Shane Koyzcan’s infamous “To This Day” poem/ youtube video
poem- march away! March 5, 2014
Winter
marching
heavily through spring.
Winter
march
away,
and take
all this falling snow
with you.
.
.
Heavy snow today, making the highway treacherous. Fun drive to work. We’re ready for less white and more warmth in the air!
poem-exploding you March 4, 2014
Oh, belligerent woman
at the gas station.
You know you are wrong.
You see the arrows.
Instead of backing up
You drive forward,
and make obnoxious remarks.
The other ten of us
can follow directions.
One of these things is not
like the others.
You’re embarrassed.
I get that.
So apologize, and back up.
Don’t yell at me.
I’m going the right way.
I am an author, though.
So while you rant,
I have the satisfaction
of seeing the bomb
the terrorists have set
that you accidentally trigger
by going the wrong way.
As your car explodes in a fiery
conflagration,
the ten cars that are secure
in our rule following
are protected by our bubble of sanctity.
We smile contentedly
knowing karma is at work,
as the litter of your dissatisfied life
rains from the sky,
bouncing off of us and
our aligned automobiles.
As you back out,
muttering a chastened,
“Sorry,”
I am glad that imagination
trumps aggravation
every time.
.
.
It’s a popular saying, “Don’t mess with authors. They will put you in their novels, and kill you.” Today, I discovered the poetic equivalent. 😉
poem-tending roses March 3, 2014
I should have
warned you about our bud.
She’s thorny
but she’s precious.
Touch her brusquely
and you’ll bleed from flesh
torn by her thorns.
They are sharp, but they protect
a precious bud.
Some day, if we tend her well
she will blossom into a glorious rose,
for now she is a thorny stalk
with a tentative bud,
doubtful of blooming.
She will need to be coaxed,
but someday, her unique beauty
will amaze you.
She will show the world
talent, insight, and vision.
She’ll be a complexity of
colour, scent, tenacity.
For now, she is a thorny stalk,
but we have faith
the guarded bud
will bloom
poem- snow falling March 2, 2014
Snow falling
a white world
Pure motives
clean character
Love calling
to warm bed
longing
laughing
falling.
.
.
(This is my 1300th blog post! Hurrah!)
quote-John Green on love March 1, 2014
I believe in true love, you know? I don’t believe that everybody gets to keep their eyes or not get sick or whatever, but everybody should have true love, and it should last at least as long as your life does.
~John Green The Fault in our Stars p. 75
I’m completely with John on this one. I know that most people don’t have that experience, but should is an optimistic word. Loyalty to someone is a beautiful thing. It’s powerful when it’s reciprocated.
poem- bird bouquet February 26, 2014
Usually too territorial to rest together,
twenty Red winged blackbirds,
tremble upon the tips.
One bush, in early spring,
a yellow, red and black bird bouquet.
.
.
Such a strange sight as I was driving home from Vernon last weekend! And hey! Red winged blackbirds are the first sign of spring! YAY!
poem-learning to listen February 25, 2014
A roomful
of opinions
opinions
opinions
everyone shouting
no one hears.
I think!
I believe!
I!
I!
I!
Wait!
Sit.
Listen.
Ask a question.
Listen to the answer.
Really listen.
Hear.
Think.
Learn.
Grow.
.
.
.
Another poem for the very inspiring Robin with whom I teach. So honoured to work in a school full of such amazing masters. So wonderful to watch kids learn how diverse our world is, how full of shades of grey, how their opinions aren’t the only ones in the world. 🙂
poem-Newton’s first law of writing February 24, 2014
It’s not about writer’s block
It’s about writer’s inertia
An object at rest, stays at rest;
A writer not writing, remains not writing.
Something must get it moving.
An object in motion, stays in motion;
A writer writing, remains writing,
Unless an outside force acts upon it.
Seek the energy to start the motion
And stay in motion
So the book gets written.
.
.
Diana Gabaldon once said that she tries to write every day, because if she doesn’t, an inertia develops and it’s hard to get to it. I have found this true! Since the frenzy of drafting two novels in November, it’s been hard to do more than outline recently. I know that if I just get into the rhythm of the writing, it will propel itself, but the novel writing rhythm is proving elusive these days. I’ve been having no trouble keeping up the blog though, providing a poem for your daily reading. That’s better than nothing!
Shawn L. Bird 