Shawn L. Bird

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

poem-chance September 26, 2015

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 5:44 pm
Tags: , , , , , ,

I bought my chance,

pocketed the ticket and imagined.

Studied local real estate listings

picked out the house,

Sent the note to hubby with the link:

When we win, can I buy this?

He said, I’m surprised you like that fake rock wall.

I said, At 3.5 million the rock isn’t fake.

I still hadn’t figured out which room will be my office,

where I’ll install the dozen book cases.

But when the numbers came up

some guy in Brampton

had taken my 60 million pieces of a dream.

so all my planning was for naught;

I guess for now I’ll have to be content

with what I’ve got.

.

.

.

Hubby approved the location, despite the rock wall.  Here’s the house that won’t be mine: http://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Single-Family/15507510/16233-Commonage-Road-Lake-Country-British-Columbia-V4V1A8  (Not very common, I must say!)

 

poem- murder May 6, 2015

Filed under: poem,Writing — Shawn L. Bird @ 4:57 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

It’s awkward

all this repeated death.

Everyone has the solution

to remove the trouble maker

Everyone has a special skill

that will do the necessary damage.

How would you…?

Count down.

3, 2. 1.

You could…

From every department

something new.

Murder is not hard to do

if it imaginary, and there’s

not practical follow-through.

.

.

I am presently writing a collection of short stories set in a high school.  The staff at my school keeps coming up with suggestions about the next murder.  It’s been quite entertaining!    I had no idea that apparently all teachers can come up with a scary death related to their subject area in under 3 seconds.  How about you?  My husband, (a Youth Probation Officer…) is appalled.  lol

UPDATE: This project became Murdering Mr. Edwards and was published by Coffin Hop Press April 2018 https://coffinhop.com/crime/murdering-mr-edwards/

 

 

quote- magic of creation April 30, 2015

Filed under: Quotations,Writing — Shawn L. Bird @ 11:13 pm
Tags: , , , , , ,

We all have magic, it’s all around us as well.  We just don’t pay attention to it.  Every time we make something out of nothing, that’s an act of magic.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a painting or a garden, or an abuelo telling his grandchildren a tall tale.  Every time we fix something that’s broken, whether it’s a car engine or a broken heart, that’s an act of magic.

And what makes it magic is that we choose to create or help, just as we can choose to harm.  But it’s so easy to destroy and so much harder to make things better.  That’s why doing the right thing makes you stronger.

If we can only remember what we are and what we can do, nobody can bind us or control us.

Charles de Lint  The Mystery of Grace p. 235

I was reading this book tonight and was struck by this passage.  I will share it with my Creative Writing class tomorrow.  This is what it’s all about.  The magic of creating something from nothing.  It’s about crafting worlds from electrical charges firing in the brain, such sparks are magic in its purest form: undeniable..

 

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.

 

poem-exploding you March 4, 2014

Filed under: Poetry,Writing — Shawn L. Bird @ 5:20 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

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- swirl January 16, 2014

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 11:39 pm
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Reality spins

into imagination

awakening dreams

long forgotten.

Reality whirls

through intimations

of what seems

downtrodden

Reality curls

into foundations

revealing themes

all new again.

 

poem- dreaming December 15, 2013

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 5:28 pm
Tags: , ,

and so you live

in dreams

twitching at imaginary foes

muttering speeches

you will not remember in the morning

as I will awaken

and forget

you.

 

poem- swimming against the current August 2, 2013

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 6:56 pm
Tags: , , , , , ,

I dive into a dream

through sloughs of doubtful inheritance

with sure strokes I slice the pool

of the possibility.

Doubts ride the boat beside me

but I swim in imagination

toward the shore of a tomorrow

where anything

can be

 

the fundamental fiction July 13, 2013

Filed under: OUTLANDERishness,Reading,Writing — Shawn L. Bird @ 2:01 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In love with a fictional character?

Honey.

Don’t you know that

ALL

objects of our desire

are fundamentally fictional?

Courtship

is a time of great performance,

convincing the other,

showing the best face,

doing things you’ve never done

(and won’t do again)

pretending you love each moment

to impress the object of your desire.

Love is always

fictional.

We love what we wish

it to be.

If we’re lucky,

when rose lenses are lost,

what we created in dream

bears enough

resemblance to reality

that truth

becomes better

than fiction.

.

.

In response to a Tweet about all the wild Outlander fans in a tizzy about Jamie Fraser coming to life.  I was thinking how we fictionalize real people all the time.

 

Poem-book journeys July 11, 2013

Filed under: Poetry,Reading,Writing — Shawn L. Bird @ 7:30 pm
Tags: , , ,

MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA

I’ve travelled roads I’ve never walked

Leapt chasms I’ve not seen

Met madmen, trolls, and dreamers, and

watched lovers, lairds and queens.

I’ve journeyed to the future, friend

and I’ve explored the past

I’ve heard the thoughts of robots, dogs,

slaves, aliens and rats.

I’ve been around this great wide earth

and fantastic worlds, too

I’ve lived a thousand lifetimes, and

I’ve swum in oceans blue

A magic travel agency’s

in pages if you look.

Explore lives you’ve not imagined,

Come sit  and read a book.

 

 
%d bloggers like this: