Poetry

NaPoWriMo – Day 2 — The Locket

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

Day # 2 of NaPoWriMo gave us a prompt that called for a poem based on a myth. But I just couldn’t seem to get my muse in gear for anything mythical, so I hunted up a part of a poem that I started writing almost a year ago. For some reason, I just never could seem to finish it, but I decided that today was going to be the day. I guess my muse was okay with a poem about love, so here it is – just below the picture.

 

HEART NECKLACE - GOLD

THE LOCKET

 

I found a locket nestled 'neath a tree.
It sparkled, and it twinkle, and it surely winked at me.

It looked forlorn, forgotten, skimmed with dew,
And I felt an intruder as I wondered what to do.

At last I reached and plucked it from the grass.
The chain was fragile – I could tell – and had a broken clasp.

A lovey heart, engraved on back and front,
Showed me it was a gift of love that someone still would want.

I opened it with tender, loving care,
And found, all safe and snug inside, a single lock of hair.

The curly tress was of the darkest brown,
And I felt so entranced by this small mystery I'd found.

But I was in a quandary what to do:
How to locate the rightful owner I had not a clue.

Then finally I thought, “I'll advertise,
and if the owner sees my ad, there'll be a nice surprise.”

I tucked it in my pocket, nice and warm,
And, eager to relay my news, I headed quickly home.

I couldn't help but sing a little song,
So happy I could have a part in helping love along.


~~~


 


 


~~~


 


 


 

			

	


				
					


	

			
NaPoWriMo – Day 1 – Contemplations on “The Last Supper”
		

				

						 | Sandra Pavloff Conner					

				

		
THE LAST SUPPER - LEONARDO DA VINCI


This piece is part of my involvement with NaPoWriMo.  The site suggested a prompt for the very early hours of April 1st, aimed at those poets who live in countries where the day began many hours before it did for the hostess of the site.  I liked that prompt, so I decided to use it for my poem even though I live in the midwestern U. S., and April 1st came much later for me than it did for most of the world.


This particular prompt was to write an ekphrastic poem — a piece inspired by or about a work of art. It was a real challenge for me, and I enjoyed every minute of working on it.


You can check out the rules and jump into the fun here:  NaPoWriMo (The National Poetry Month challenge to write a poem every day for the 30 days of April).




Contemplations on Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper


Behold the blessed, holy convocation,

Preserved for us to ponder as we gaze.

In transient elements, the artist painted

Eternal substance; impartations that amaze.

We look upon the faces art has captured

As loved disciples try to understand

The Master’s words; He speaks of sacrifices

And of His blood and body freely given for man.


Their eyes – so full of love, yet consternation,

Trying to grasp full meaning of this meal.

All other Passovers remembered history,

But now the sacrifice sits here with them, so real.


In colors both subdued and yet alive,

The artist welcomes me to come join in

Our Lord’s last supper and His revelation:

He’ll now go forth to pay the price for all my sin.


~~~


~~~

			

	


				
					


	

			
Now My Heart Must Sing
		

				

						 | Sandra Pavloff Conner					

				

		
I’ve been going through some troubling situations lately and found myself feeling pretty low as a result. But in a time of prayer this morning, the Lord graciously reminded me of a poem He had given me almost two years ago. That poem was the record of another time in my life – many, many years ago – when things seemed very hard and very dark. But at that time, through means of a dream, the Lord showed me that I had nothing to worry about, and that He had worked everything out for me. So this morning, after being reminded of that poem, I sat down and read it again. It encouraged and cheered me so much that I decided perhaps I should share it on here again in case a few of my readers could use that same kind of encouragement today.


WILLOW TREE - credits


NOW MY HEART MUST SING


 


I woke to face another day,

No glad expectancy,

 For heavy disappointments were all

 Weighing down on me.




The day before had been so filled

With unsupportive words,

With problems piled four levels high

and everywhere closed doors.




The friends I’d counted on were not:

They came and went like rain:

All so enwrapped in their own lives

They couldn’t feel my pain.


It was just like so many days,

All running wearily,

So sad, with disappointments too,

All weighing down on me.


And though I knew I would survive,

That didn’t soothe my heart,

For sorrow deep and troubles too

Brought a longing to depart.




But then to Jesus I did run;

I saw it in a dream:

I stood below a gentle hill,

All carpeted in green.


When I looked up and saw Him there,

He stood beneath a tree,

And waited, smiling patiently;

He’d been expecting me.


I ran but didn’t feel the strain;

He grabbed me in His arms;

He wrapped them hard around me; held me

Strongly, safe and warm.


I’d never felt so light and free;

Engulfed with joy and rest;

No problem lingered to be weighed;

All I could feel was blessed.


And all the disappointments, though

So heavy they had been,

Took flight, and sadness too was gone,

Ev’ry conflict, ev’ry pain.


All threats and fears and torments sore,

All guilt, defeat, and shame –

In love so glowing and so strong,

All were dissolved away.


Then suddenly I saw a truth –

It caught me by surprise –

That Jesus’ joy exceeded mine;

I saw it in His eyes.


I’d known He would accept me, that

He’d made a place for me,

But never had I even guessed

How happy He would be.


He was so thrilled to have me there;

He laughed so loud and strong,

That all things not of joy and life

Just vanished in joy’s song.


And when I woke to this new day,

His laughter still did ring;

His arms still held me close and warm,

And now my heart must sing!




~~~




 


 


 


 




 




~~

			

	


				
					


	

			
Poet on the Loose – 12/8/13 – anything goes
		

				

						 | Sandra Pavloff Conner					

				

		
Welcome to the second installment of “Poet On The Loose” poetry writing challenge. This time around, anything goes: You can write a poem with meter and rhyme, a poem with rhyme but no meter, a poem with meter but no rhyme, or free verse. Take your pick – or try all of the forms.


Basics Rules:

Write a poem based on the picture below. Post your poem on your own blog and then post the link to it in the “Comments” section on this page. We’ll let the challenge run until next Sunday, December 15.


I’ll try to come up with one of my own, but to get us started, I decided to post a poem my mother wrote many years ago. It has always been one of my favorites, and it fits this photo very well. It’s below the picture. This particular photo is not mine, but is from a purchased collection. I’ve always found it charming, especially the way the sunlight warms the whole scene.


Here’s your prompt. Have fun.


CAT # 1


WISH I WERE A BUMBLE BEE

~

Now I’m safe high up in this tree

Or could he be fooling me?

He’s gone away far too soon;

Hardly ever leaves ’til noon.


Oh, to bark or snarl or chase

Would take that grin off of his face.

Or if I were a bumble bee,

Bet that cat would be afraid of me!


One little wren don’t have a chance

When that arched back starts to prance.

But I will figure how, some day,

To make him prance the other way.


Oh, for two horns – like a bull;

I’d show him just who had pull.

Or if I were a bumble bee,

Bet that cat would be afraid of me!


Just like a snake in the grass,

Lie and wait for him to pass.

Or to buzz around his ears

Would show up some of his cat fears.


Oh, to sting him on the nose

Sure would keep him on his toes.

Yes, if I were a bumble bee,

That darn cat would be afraid of me!




© Vera Faye Pavloff


~~~


 


~~~

			

	


				
					


	

			
Goin’ Fishin’
		

				

						 | Sandra Pavloff Conner					

				

		
This stained glass fishing boy, created by a very dear artist friend of mine, has inspired more than one poem for me. But this one is my favorite.  Hope you enjoy it.


Exif JPEG


 


GOIN’ FISHIN’


Barefoot boy goin’ down the road

On his way to the fishin’ hole.

Faded overalls and an old straw hat,

‘Cross his shoulder a wooden pole.


Beat-up tin can filled with worms

Dug from the sun-warmed earth.

Bulge in his pocket says cookies for lunch.

A water canteen on his arm.


New beagle pup pads alongside,

Turnin’ off to sniff now and then;

An off-key tune whistled soft and low

Drifts away as the boy rounds the bend.


I can see again how it was with me,

When I didn’t have cares by the load,

When I was a barefoot farmer’s son,

Walkin’ down that fishin’ hole road.


Dagnabbit! I think I’ll grab my hat,

And hunt up my old cane pole.

I just might help him whistle that tune

When I meet him at the fishin’ hole.








~


~~~


 

			

	


				
					


	

			
Wishin’ — My Take on the ‘Poet On The Loose’ Poetry Challenge
		

				

						 | Sandra Pavloff Conner					

				

		
Here’s my first attempt at meeting my own poetry challenge. Hopefully, before the week is up, I can come up with something a little more substantial. But, if not, at least I made sure it has meter and rhyme.


Exif JPEG


Wishin’


Just sittin’ here awishin’

That I could go fishin’;

That way I’d be missin’

Doin’ all this here work.


But iffen’ I was fishin’,

There’d be no commission;

Room and board I’d be missin’;

So this work I can’t shirk.


~

Check out the post with the rules for this challenge here:

https://sandraconner.wordpress.com/2013/11/14/poet-on-the-loose-poetry-challenge/


~

			

	


				
					


	

			
Poet On The Loose:  Poetry Challenge 11/14/13
		

				

						 | Sandra Pavloff Conner					

				

		
Hey, I’m in the mood for some fun today, so I’m issuing a new poetry challenge. The picture below is of a stained glass creation by a very dear friend of mine, Dorothy Mercer, who is now 92 years old. 


She has led a most interesting and happy life, traveling the world and serving her hometown community in many beneficial roles. Making stained glass ornaments was a favorite hobby of hers for many years, and she has made pounds of it for family and friends. This piece is very dear to me, and I thought to capture it in a photo the other day as it hung on my kitchen wall.


Exif JPEG


But today, because I’m in a playful mood, I’ve decided to work at creating a poem about this piece. With that decision came this thought: why not invite everyone else to come over and play as well? So I’m inviting all my readers to jump in and have some fun with me.


Here’s the challenge:


Write a rhyming, metered poem based on this stained glass ornament. It can be about the piece itself or about some idea, dream, memory, or event that it brings to your mind. You may use any meter and rhyme scheme that you wish – but – IT MUST HAVE BOTH A DEFINITE METER AND RHYME.  No blank verse allowed.


Once you’ve written your poem and posted it on your blog, hop over here and leave your link in the comments section — along with any comments you want to make. I’ll share them all with Dorothy next time I get to visit her. 


Feel free to download the picture and use it with your poem on your own site.


This challenge will close on November 28th.


(Now that I’ve issued this challenge, I hope I can come up with a poem. When I do, I’ll give it its own post and come back here and put the link in the comments section with the rest of them.)


I’m looking forward to some good poetry reading. 


~~~


~~~

			

	


				
					


	

			
Friday Fictioneers — 11/1/13 – Eating Fish Will Increase Your IQ
		

				

						 | Sandra Pavloff Conner					

				

		
Friday Fictioneers has swum around again, and if you’d like to participate, just plop over to Rochelle Wiseoff-Fields’ blog to learn how.


The picture this week comes from Doug MacIlroy.


Now, I have to warn readers before they drop below the picture to read my submission that I have been working way too hard lately, and as a result, whimsy just overpowered me when I started thinking about a story for this prompt. I couldn’t seem to help myself. So for better – or for worse – the end result is below the photo.


Doug's Koi


EATING FISH WILL INCREASE YOUR IQ


The most intelligent animal is a fish.

And I’m so proud to say that I am one.

To merit such acclaim all others wish,

But fish win out when all is said and done.


How do I know my claims are proven fact,

Especially since there are no written rules?

Why, others live in herds and flocks and packs,

But fish have brains enough to live in schools.*


 


*Before a fish is allowed to graduate from college, he must memorize the entire text of Moby Dick. It’s part of the curriculum that teaches the fish species’ superiority to man.


~~~


 


~~~


 


 

			

	


				
					


	

			
CHICKEN
		

				

						 | Sandra Pavloff Conner					

				

		
Public domain image from www.public-domain-image.com


I want to be a wild thing,

But I don’t think I know how.

I want to be a wild thing,

But maybe just not right now.


I want to be a wild thing,

And my reputation blow;

I want to be a wild thing,

But I’m such a timid soul.


I want to be a wild thing,

To throw caution to the wind;

I want to be a wild thing,

Want to shock all of my friends.


I want to be a wild thing,

In wild living take my part,

But I can’t fly like wild things

‘Cause I’m chicken in my heart.


I want to be a wild thing,

But this longing’s bound so tight

The wildest thing I’ll do is

Claim this poem’s copyright.


~~~


 


 


 


 

			

	


				
					


	

			
Thankful Hearts: A Gift From Our Heritage
		

				

						 | Sandra Pavloff Conner					

				

		
 


FIRST THANKSGIVING - PUB DOMAINA LESSON IN THANKSGIVING


Pilgrims reached the blessed shore,

But bitter winters were in store.

Death and anguish played their part.

Still, ’twas with a thankful heart

That they gathered to expound

Upon the God whose gifts abound.


We, who in their footsteps trod,

Though they lie beneath the sod,

Now do take the lesson learned

From their lives, and, in our turn,

We prepare to thank and praise;

To that same God our anthems raise.


And just as they faced troubled days,

Through hardships grievous made their ways,

So, now, such grievous times we face,

That ne’er before have taken place.

Yet from their lesson we take heart

And lift our songs with grateful hearts.


We will not bow to troubled thoughts,

Nor in the throes of fear be caught,

We have too rich a heritage.

So with forefathers we engage

To praise and sing and laugh and play

And celebrate Thanksgiving Day.


~~~

			

	


				
					


	

			
100 Word Challenge for Grownups — Silence
		

				

						 | Sandra Pavloff Conner					

				

		
Julia’s prompt this week is one word: “Silence.”  Her instructions say that she does not want us to use the word itself, but just write about it. However, as soon as I saw the prompt I was reminded of a poem I wrote last April that is so perfect for this one word. The word “silence” is used in my poem, so I am going a tiny bit astray, but I like this little poem, so I’m submitting it as my offering for this prompt anyway.


Ear 2ECOUTER


Silence.


Nothing stirs the air.


Nothing breathes.


No vibration oscillates.


No frequency receives or carries movement.


No sensation touches auditory nerves.


There is no deafness;


There simply is no hearing,


Because there is no sound.


There is only


Silence.


~


http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2013/09/02/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week-3/#comment-17104

			

	


				
					


	

			
WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: The Sea # 3
		

				

						 | Sandra Pavloff Conner					

				

		
When I think of the sea, I think of how it seems to call me, and how I could literally sit for hours and hours on end watching it and feeling one with it.


SUNNY OCEAN AND PALM


INVITATION 


The sea

Beguiles me so:

Its hue, its scent, its song,

Its movements that caress my soul.

I go.


~

© 2013 Sandra Conner


Take part in the fun. Get the directions HERE.

			

	


				
					


	

			
Along The River
		

				

						 | Sandra Pavloff Conner					

				

		
When I chose the photo for my submission to this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge — Focus — I couldn’t resist looking through several other photos of a second river that I enjoyed during the same trip last fall. As I thought about that river, I also thought about the poem I wrote last April that shared some of my thoughts and feelings connected with it. So I went back and read the poem again, and I enjoyed it even more than when I wrote it. It goes without saying that I love this poem, mostly because it so honestly describes my response to the beauty and power of God’s creation and its ability to influence us. So — I decided I’d just re-post it and share it with my readers again. After all, many of you were not a part of my blogging family way back in April. Any of you who aren’t into poetry reruns can feel free to skip this post with my blessing.


Exif JPEG




ALONG THE RIVER


The sun is playing hide and seek with clouds

Along the river.

The clouds are gray, but friendly, soft, and free

Along the river.


I move unhampered by the flirting breeze

Along the river,

Breathing deeply of the moistened earth

Along the river.


Quiet now invades my mind and soul

Along the river.

I’m letting go of tumbling, troubled thoughts

Along the river.


My past recedes; my future quiet rests

Along the river,

And water speaks to waters deep within,

Along the river.


I sit and contemplate historic days

Along the river:

The generations served by this same stream

Along the river.


And sense that I belong to something great

Along the river:

A part of something bigger than myself

Along the river.


And far beyond my power to understand,

Along the river,

An elemental knowing I am known —

And I am loved —

By the Creator of the river.


~~~


 

			

	


				
					


	

			
WordPress Daily Prompt: Green-eyed Monster
		

				

						 | Sandra Pavloff Conner					

				

		
I wasn’t in the mood to write a letter, but I did feel a little poetic, so here’s my response to the “green-eyed monster” challenge:


BORED GIRL - GREENGREEN WITH ENVY


She has everything I want:

Beauty, money, love, and fame.

And, honestly, she’s such a dunce;

Can’t learn a simple game.


So why should she have all the fun

Of life’s most cherished joys and gifts

While I get stuck with life’s old scraps?

Through left-overs I sift.


If I were her, and she were me,

Life would be good; yes, right as rain,

For I would have what I deserve,

And she’d feel envy’s pain.


~

Join the fun. Get rules here:

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/08/03/daily-prompt-green/

			

	


				
					


	

			
100-Word Challenge for Grown Ups – Week 92
		

				

						 | Sandra Pavloff Conner					

				

		
CLIP ART SUNSET


YELLOW


Yellow sun, yellow moon,
Yellow ribbon on yellow balloon;


Yellow crayons for coloring,
Yellow bird that chirps and sings.


Yellow squash ripe on the vine,
Yellow daffodils — all mine. 


Yellow hair, with cheeks so pink,
Yellow lemonade to drink;


Yellow duckies, yellow chicks,
Yellow grapefruit freshly picked;


Yellow butter drips and drops
From tender, yellow corn-on-cob. 


Yellow curtains, crisp and bright,
Yellow anti-bug porch light; 


But yellow has its ugly side:
Yellow fever; could have died;


Yellow-bellied, yellow streak,
Yellow-livered, backbone weak.


And sometimes yellow can’t be seen:
It hides in blue and turns to green.


~~~


I have to admit I sort of cheated, because I originally wrote this poem a few weeks ago as part of the National Poetry Writing Month challenge. But it just seemed to fit this prompt from Julia so perfectly that I thought it would be a shame not to use it. And with 97 words, what more could I ask for?


Join the fun by going to Julia‘s site for the details.100 WORD CHALLENGE LOGO