Shawn L. Bird

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

poem- Muffin Pantoum December 10, 2017

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 3:25 am
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Here’s another pantoum poem, written as a demo with a class on Poetry Friday.  This was last block of the day, and one of the students wanted to go get a muffin…  Another laugh filled class as we created this poem together!

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Muffin Pantoum (C block)

Josie and Ally want a muffin;

They can’t work on empty stomachs.

Without food, they won’t do nothin’.

How about crackers and hummus?

 

They can’t work on empty stomachs

How can we ask them to?

How about crackers and hummus?

As we watched, their hunger grew.

 

How can we ask them to?

A muffin’s not too much to ask!

As we watched, their hunger grew.

They couldn’t do their tasks.

 

A muffin’s not too much to ask!

A morsel would be fine!

They couldn’t do their tasks

Oh, please! Please, let them dine!

 

A morsel would be fine!

They only need a bit of food;

Oh, please! Please, let them dine!

Josie gives us attitude.

 

They only need a bit of food

Without food, they won’t do nothing

Josie gives us attitude:

Josie and Ally want a muffin!

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(This is quite literal. When we were done, they went off and got ONE muffin that they shared).  🙂

 

poem- poem vs ink December 8, 2017

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 10:50 am
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A poem, found in the comments of NUDGE. By Shawn and Chris

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Your mind, has to be much better.

You ‘re not getting shock treatment too?

Are you?

Not electro-shock, at least

They’re trying to make me look crazy.

Every time i go to the hospital

Strapped to a bed…

You may be fine, but

perhaps the drugs are crazy?

Drugs are how i am…

Where does one end and the other begin?

Is a place ahead

separate from that identity?

desired?

willed?

(Is this a poem?)

No,

drugs are part of the poem

Life is the poem;

drugs are just your ink.

 

poem- honey December 2, 2017

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 4:11 pm
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Sculpting honey?

Pointless.

Shapes dissolve in moments,

dissappear in the gleaming

sweetness of now–

much like

memories

of you.

 

poem- dusting December 1, 2017

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 9:28 am
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Falling from the sky

in perfect crystals,

dusting trees, fields, and me

with peace of the season.

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Falling through the screen,

pixilated dots

dusting poetry

with peace of the season.

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(Every year on Dec 1, it begins to snow on my blog.  It makes me ridiculously happy every time!  If you would like snow to fall in your blog, add it in your settings.)

 

 

poem-tricked November 21, 2017

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 12:58 pm
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That sunny day

beguiled.

Promises of warmth.

Such trust to place

in rays,

those sparkling

reflections on the snow.

Liars.

Every

one.

 

poem- lips November 12, 2017

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 2:22 am
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laughing eyes

begin to smoulder,

leaning in

gentle touch,

lips spark

in the darkness

electricity

between us

 

 

 

poem- dreamt October 10, 2017

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 9:07 am
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I was dreaming a poem,

consigning rhymes and arguing assonance.

This is the metaphor:

even my subconscious searches

for the words.

 

poem-contemplating September 25, 2017

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 10:59 am
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I’m wondering

about the tension between your eyes.

Those two deep, etched furrows

creased vertically above your nose

that appear when you smile

that tight lipped smile

below eyes that do not laugh.

You say,

you can’t help the furrows;

they happen every time,

and yet

look:

in the moments when your mouth is agape,

grinning widely,

when laughter is visible,

erupting from your face

see

the furrows are absent.

I wonder,

why you hold yourself back from laughter,

why your eyes show only tension,

that you plough into your forehead,

when you could be planting joy.

I wonder

what hurts.

I wonder

whether I can guide you back

to joy.

 

poem- Jingle Pot Road. Nanaimo July 18, 2017

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 11:19 am
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Jingle Pot Road.

You make me want to belly dance

along your length,

as you meander back and forth

across the highway–

a serpentine of signposts–

Shimmy! Jingle! Pop! Road.

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I actually performed this piece, bellydancing to the words, at When Words Collide in Calgary, August 2017.  I definitely need to improve my choreography and have the piece properly memorized to do the concept justice, but it does add a fun touch to a poetry presentation! 🙂 

Web post about how Jingle Pot Road got its name.

 

 

poem- leavings July 15, 2017

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 2:29 pm
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Reaching inside the chair

.     deep in the cushions

.     I am sliced by a workman’s

.     lost staple pack

.     sharp edges up.

.     It tears my flesh,

.     leaves my blood on the leather.

Sometimes, behind us

.     we leave words

.     meant for construction.

Sometimes,

.     our leavings

.     bite.