Celebrate!

Oh, my goodness...WORD and I are sitting with feet up enjoying a cozy cuppa as we wind down the final days of 2023.

There is never enough writing time or time to think about writing. This year was no exception. But, we've done what we could.

I am delighted to share gifts received from Carol Labuzzetta in our recent Winter Poetry Swap. Thank you, Tabatha, for keeping this tradition. I so appreciate your organization of this annual event.

Pretty, pretty jewelry from Carol looks nice with my winter scarf & mittens

What a beautiful poem...if I can live up to these words in 2024
I will be satisfied. Carol inspires me --her jewelry matches the poem!

Isn't Carol's handmade jewelry exquisite? Her time, attention to detail, and word choice are much, much appreciated. I am always glad for a mentor text that I see in this poem. Thank you, Carol. I enjoy the sparkly necklace, earrings, and poem immensely.

Next Friday, I'll be traveling. I'll probably skip posting. However, I have WORD #51 and #52 on the padlet. It has been quite a journey for WORD and me. We began 2023 as strangers but are now besties.

WORD has given me permission to let go and choose a new O-L-W for 2024. I'll introduce it in early January. 

For now, poetry friends, thank you for your friendship. Thank you for all the beautiful words of 2023. Keep healthy, safe, and strong until we meet in 2024.

Thank you, Jone, for hosting our Poetry Friday round-up this weekend. 

Cento...or mash-up

 Hello Poetry People,

My goodness...what a week! I came out of the Covid-cave because the CDC (thus my employer) says that after six days, you return to work. Ta-da! 

However, I've been pretty pooped.

Thank goodness my family has been taking care of me and don't mind when I go to bed at 5:30 in the afternoon. I'm fine...getting better every day and very thankful for the wonders of Paxlovid. 

This was a perfect time to play with form ala Susan at Chicken Spaghetti. Last week, she alternated lines from Seuss' One Fish, Two Fish and, a Shakespeare Sonnet. Her work and the idea hit me just right. I loved it! I started playing around with different poems for mash-ups. I think, technically, these poems are centos. But, mash-up sounds better to me.

I'm sharing two...just because I can't choose which one I like more. 

Word and I have been playing with Elfchen's...practice #2 is on the padlet.

Thank you, Janice Scully, for hosting the round-up this week at Salt City Verse.

Light and Dark

Greetings Spiritual Thursday Writers and Poetry Friday Friends,

Thank you, Jone McCullough for the wonderful prompt, Dark and Light. She's managing some tragic news unexpectedly. And, thank you Patricia for a rich Poetry Friday poem and post. You inspire me at Reverie.

I have a dark and light experience going on right now. I'm in bed with a case of covid. YUCK! But, my family just adopted two adorable kitten brothers that are keeping my spirits up. This is after our last cat was suffering more bad days than good and was put to sleep just after Thanksgiving.

Life comes fast and furious sometimes. These drafty draft poems are event-specific from where I am isolating. I might work them into something later. For now, they are the Light and Dark of me.

Light and Dark

Dark is war
rumors of war

bits of shrapnel
bomb dust everywhere.

A December day

weighing Autumn’s coin

against Winter’s bill 

now due.

Dark is an airport terminal

of canceled flights.

No arrival tonight. Dark is seawater filling tunnels.

Death erasing life.
Grief gushing in. Each reading eye

picks up shards

of dark

both dull and sharp again.

How to spend
dark currency?

If only I could buy light
to drive away this fear
before we all fall asleep. Light is scent

of cookies baking.
Or, Kittens snuggled
at my side. Light is a gift of

handknit socks
perfect on my feet.

Light is a December smile.

Secrets without long
to wait.

Candles lit and glowing

overcoming grief with cheer. Sounds of carolers

singing in the street
laughing off forgotten words
still keeping up a beat. Light is as

Snowflakes,

Wishes,

Peace.
 

Peace finding everyone,
finding everyone before
we fall asleep.

Drafty-draft Linda Mitchell 12/8/23

I'm practicing elfchens based on the Poetry Pals December invitation. There's one on Word's padlet.