This Poetry Thing

This Poetry Thing

I think this poetry thing
Is going to my head
Since now I can’t even think
Without putting my thoughts into stanzas
Without inserting needless line breaks
Without rhyming random words

I think this poetry thing
Is going to my head
Since now I can’t look at anything
Without hearing the whisper of the trees
Without seeing the story of the clouds
Without smelling the adventures in the kitchen

I think this poetry thing
Is going to my head
Since now I can’t write anything
Without making it a poem
Without chopping it into formats
Without putting it on my blog

I think this poetry thing
Is going to my head
Since now I’m supposed to be doing everything else
But, of course, I’m writing poetry

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July 3rd – Heat

Ok so … it’s REALLY hot today. REALLY hot. Like, I’m trying to hold a pencil and it keeps slipping. So, again, today’s poem is rather ugly, but HEY, it’s a poem, right? Hopefully this marks the day I get back on track with A Poem A Day at least!

Heat

It’s too hot today
To do anything
Even the pencil in my hand
Is slick with sweat
And begging my burning fingers
To release it
So instead of torturing it
And you
And me
I’m giving up on everything,
Going down to the lake,
Running at it,
Jumping,
And screaming
“Cannonball!”

July 2nd – The Hike

So, yesterday, two great things happened. One: MY BLOG HIT 1,000 HITS!!! Thanks SO much guys–you are all amazing! Two: I went on a fun hike with some friends. Of course, the thing was that it was very muddy and not very fun at times but … well, I’ll just let you read the poem to see what I thought about it!

The Hike

As I’m trudging up the mountainside
I stop and take a breath
Grimacing at my white sneakers
Now caked in black mud
Which, as I look up the path,
Appears all this trail will ever be
Besides a near vertical climb
My group is pushing on without me
Still optimistic and believing
This mountain has a top

It’s hot
I’m thirsty
My water bottle’s empty
My legs are scratched
My shoes are dirty
And my only option
Is to keep trudging through the muck
So I climb and I sigh
And I sigh and I climb
Until, at last, the top is in sight
And I bound up the peak
With a burst of energy
And gasp

There’s not a cloud in the sky
And the sun is shining bright
So one can see for miles and miles
As I sit on the warm rock
And rest my feet
I no longer question
If the hike was worth it

June 26th – Talent

On this day so long ago, I went to an art museum with my friends and had the thought that appears in the first three lines of this poem. That, obviously, spiraled out into the entire poem and gave me one of the longest poems of the trip!

Talent

I wish I had the talent
To paint pictures
That look like photographs
Or move my body like the wind
And dance with fluid grace

I wish I had the ability
To climb the highest mountains
And celebrate from their peaks
Or win a million awards
For something that comes easily

I don’t

But I have the talent
To paint pictures
With vibrant words
And move my pen like the wind
To write down my dreams

I have the ability
To climb the highest mountains
With my characters
And win a million awards
For them too

All I need to do
Is never give up hope
And remind myself each day
That for each thing I can’t do
There’s something that I can

June 25th – The Camera

So, apparently, all these poems from my trip are rather short … oh well! Here’s the one from June 25th, which was really inspired by my friends that day 😀

The Camera

I held the camera
As you wrestled on the beach
And the ocean sprayed us all
He dunked you in
I laughed so hard
Clicking away as fast as I could
And I captured the moment
You stood on the ladder
And decorated the sky
Then we went
And danced the night away
And I made someone else
Hold the camera

June 24th – I Miss You

Hello blogosphere, I’m BAAAACK! You miss me? 😀 I know I missed you guys! Forgive me for being slow to update my blog with the days of poetry I couldn’t post–my jet lag is rather ridiculous… But here is the poem I wrote way back on the 24th of June as I was flying in an airplane!

I Miss You

If you were to look up
Right now
I wonder if you’d see me
As I dance through the sky
And build castles with the clouds
I wish I could tell you
To give it a try
But the space between us
Is too great
Maybe someday
I’ll invite you
To my palace of sunbeams and mist
But for now
All I can do is build
And every once and a while
Send you a shooting star
To say
I miss you

June 19th – My Life

Before I get to today’s poem, I need to make a very special announcement. This week in Jingle’s poetry rally, I was nominated by Jingle for the Perfect Poet Award and now I am very honored to say that I was awarded it. As per the acceptance rules, here is the award (below) and my nomination for next week is none other than the amazing Jingle. Here is a poem from Jingle –> http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/06/16/thursday-poets-rally-week-23-poem-post-perfect-poet-award-acceptance/

http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/06/18/the-perfect-poet-award-4-thursday-poets-rally-week-23/

Now, for today’s poem, I was reading all these poems about people’s lives and it was really depressing! So I set out to write a poem based on my feelings about my life that were POSITIVE! And here it is:

My Life

The sun is shining
The birds are singing
A gentle breeze is blowing
And as I look out the window
I smile when I realize
It’s one of those mornings
I can’t believe this is my life

There are cookies downstairs
A whole plate full
In the shape of a daisy
With raspberry jelly in the middle
I ate three for breakfast
With my mom’s permission
I can’t believe this is my life

I’m going hiking today
Up just one of the mountains
That cover my area
And it’s hotter than an oven
But the view will be worth it
Besides, my friends will be with me
I can’t believe this is my life

It’s one of those days
Where the darkest teenager
Couldn’t find a thing to complain about
There’s sparkles dancing on the water
And not a cloud in the sky
And not a frown to be seen for miles
Yeah, this is my life

June 6th – Rain

As you may have noticed, today’s poem is inspired by rain. I woke up this morning to the sound of it, and by the looks of the forecast I need to get used to it. And not just a sprinkle–non-stop, downpour rain. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate the rain, immensely, but I’m not against its inspirational qualities!

Rain

It’s one of those days

When you wake up in the morning

And it’s so cloudy

It’s still dark out

And you can’t get yourself out of bed

And the rain isn’t sprinkling

But pounding on the ground like a migraine

Making your front lawn a giant puddle

And you manage to move

But have nothing to do

Except snap at those closest to you

So you do

Until you fill up with enough rage

That you throw on your raincoat

And head outside before you burst

But the rain is so fierce

That you still find yourself

Soaked to the skin

And you start to cry in frustration

Until your fed up mind says

To hell with this

And you throw off your coat

To feel the clouds’ tears on your skin

And dance

June 1st – Home

Happy June 1st!! I can’t believe we’ve nearly reached the halfway point of 2010!! June is a huge month for me for various reasons, and I’m SO excited! …I think I’m done with the exclamation marks now. Today’s poem is, again, from a Honors World Lit assignment, but I like it the best so far. It was supposed to be about nature and express personal feelings and I think it does so. Enjoy!

Home

I wake in the morning

To the sun on my face

As it streams through the window

And paints rainbows on the walls

–

Then the robin sings his greeting

Trilling his “Good morning”

And his choir joins in

And they fill the air with melody

–

I take a step outside

Bathed in light and warmth

I enjoy the earth beneath my bare feet

I revel in the wind in my hair

–

Down the dirt path is my favorite place

The sandy beach that edges

A lake as calm and clear as glass

With majestic mountains behind it

–

Here I can sit until the sun goes down

Listening to nature’s music

As the lapping waves keep time

And the insects enjoy a dance

–

Then the sunset fills the sky

With vibrant colors that paint

A watercolor on the clouds

That I do not dare frame

–

Then I must return

So the moon guides me back

As the stars blink a sleepy

“Good night”