poem every day for 21 days |
3/3/07 day 1 prompt: Any memory from childhood Ketchup in the Mac-and-cheese She’ll take some gooey mac-and-cheese Mix it with Heinz’s ketchup squeeze Stir to a pleasant orange-red Then slap it down atop her head! Her little mind gives not a care When Daddy smoothes it through her hair For she’s trying to get her tater tots Into the jar of applesauce Which is stationed far away enough To be safe from flying tater stuff But woe to objects in the path Of the little girl who needs a bath Take her Daddy over there Ketchup squirted everywhere Laughing through a mask of red Whipping ketchup off his head And spreading it in the curls Of his ketchup-happy little girl With a noodle perched atop her nose And baby food smudged in her cloths And who is simply quite appeased To mix ketchup with the mac-and-cheese 3/4/07 day 2 prompt: Train Trip The Train Implores the Leaves (attempting a sonnet) This lum'nous train has no clue where to go Beating down an endless winding road It’s humming to the trees a rushed epode Questioning the leaves like a steel chateau That’s speeding like a train that cannot slow But singing nonetheless a hurried ode Imploring that they solve for it the code But leaves no time to answer should they know “Oh leaves! I’ll quick, should I but hurry past For I’m a speeding train that cannot slow My wheels are mad and spinning far to fast Please answer if by any chance you know Where I should turn, or if I’m on the path? For I wander but I don’t know where to go!” 3/5/07 day 3 prompt: Wedding Day (as told from the point of view from anyone EXCEPT the bride or groom) Coffee Sometimes Helps A taxi pulled up to my front lawn this morning, Smashing several flowers I gave the driver quite a glair Then went to check the hour The clock proclaimed 'twas five am And to be sure I checked my watch And then I went and checked the date “You’re kidding…fifth of March?” Quite in a daze I rushed around Grabbed a the ‘bride’s maid’ dress Ran outside in the ‘bride’s maid’ heals A drunken sleepy mess The driver was a sweet heart And offered me his elbow Else I might have jumped Through the nearest window “TO THE CHURCH AND PRONTO!” I shook the driver’s seat He gave a greasy smile And we went racing down the street The first turn we made at 30 And I was thrown against the door The next I’d swear was 60 And left me sprawled upon the floor By the time we reached the church I was thoroughly beguiled And as I handed off a 20 said “Wow man, that was wild” But while fixing my composure I knew something wasn’t right A quick glance out the window proved There was not a soul in sight! 3/6/07 day 4 prompt: The Old West Listening to some memories The amber grass is rather dead Quite dead, and dry I brush a spot and rest my head And listen to it moan beneath me Brownish fields as far as I can see Stretch towards a setting sun They buzz like an angry bee And hiss at the passing wind I look around the place I’m in And spot a crooked ditch It’s a serpent that’s left its skin And wandered off to find more time This old land is scarred with crimes Muttering memories but It’s turning slower on the dime And leaning towards a setting sun This amber skin is rather dead Quite dead, and dry I brush a spot and rest my head And listen to moan beneath me 3/7/07 day 5 prompt: Worst Snowstorm the clever ones are the worst I gazed outside and did I see The ground distraught with ivory Laid down heavy, in the night. Here this man says he saw the fight “And when I woke I knew it’d came Winter like a burning flame Charging like maddened ox Yet clever as the sliest fox Oh, yes, in through my window came A curious breeze without a name It took its powdered ivory Into the little room with me And wrapped a bonnet ‘round my head A bitter cold to make me dead! But had not it howled in delight, And stirred me harshly up with freight That little wind I thought my friend Would have me meet my bitter end So ‘pon stirring from my sleep with freight I cast that wind out in the night! ‘Cause though charging like a maddened ox And clever like the sly old fox That little wind was rather weak, Oh, yes, to me that wind was weak.” 3/8/07 day 7 prompt: pop culture They’re Pretty Cool These monkeys play with baby food and rattles And hit the elephants in little monkey battles Still ‘bout the height of a little monkey latitude These baby’s think they’ve got some monkey ‘attitude’ What with their toys and colored-paper cash They’ll give the elephants a real bad diaper rash The elephants just hope they can communicate With these strange little monkey apostates But it’s in monkey knowledge understood That now they throw big kid words with baby food. And who’s to argue ‘bout their monkey diligence, In throwing mashed potatoes at the elephants? 3/9/07 day 8 prompt: Witness to a Murder The Laughing Men As they say, ‘What they don’t know, can’t hurt them.’ I say the opposite is true. See, the child shares mirth without comprehension, While his life might be saved if he knew. The children sat, drunkenly, seized with laughter. Their voices, mingling with their piers. As those twice as wise used large, clever words To manipulate the minds of the dears. “And do you know what else these children don’t know?” One said at a whisper to his brother. And with the suggestion of tears and mad laughter they shook, As one handed the drum to the other. Into the tub, its contents went, As clear, and as light as a powder. And as the blatant stench of it wafted the breeze, Their laughter only grew louder. “Come along in here!” the laughing man said, And with a splash, the drunk, happy children hopped in “now have some fun, and be sure to get wet!” The two of them said with a grin. So the children did, mad with hysterics. Having forgotten, that to the men, they held a past theft, “And do you know what else these children don’t know?” Laughing, they lit a match, dropped it, and left. |