Poetry

Tickle Me Tuesday – Week 3 — ‘The Way to a Woman’s Heart’

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

Okay, it’s Tuesday again, folks, and time for “Tickle Me Tuesday.” If you want to play along, just post a funny, light-hearted, or downright hilarious story, poem, picture, joke, or non-fiction piece on your own blog. Hop over here and paste the link to your own post in the “Comments” section on this post (any time this week). Then we’ll come over and enjoy yours as well. Remember my site is for general audiences, but that’s the only rule you have to follow.

Here’s my cute (I hope) little story told in a series of limericks.

THE WAY TO A WOMAN’S HEART

BAKER WITH ICINGNow, Henry the baker was shy.
But he wanted to marry Miss Fry.
So with icing he wrote
On her cake this brave note:
“If you’ll have me, then I am your guy.”

But Miss Fry was too shy to say “yes.”
So that still left poor Henry a mess.
But he baked some eclairs
To show how much he cared
And delivered them to her address.

Now this courting went on for a year.
And each day Henry thought her more dear.
Though she gained fifty pounds,
In the end she came ’round,
And their wedding day, at last, is here.
WEDDING CAKE

~~~

Love In A Dead Language

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

Latin is often referred to as a dead language. And while it’s true that no culture actually uses Latin on a daily basis as their primary means of communication, the fact remains that so many modern languages owe their very existence to the root words derived from classical Latin. Moreover, many of the systems that are important parts of modern life in any culture — medical science and the legal systems, for example — still derive the vocabulary that makes each system unique from that primary language that has given so much to the world. I studied Latin in high school, and I learned a great deal about my own language and about the history of the world in general through that language. So, in honor of a language that I still love — and in honor of love in general — seeing as how it’s Valentine’s Day — I offer this little bit of verse in defense of Latin.

BOOK & INKWELL - w. TEXT - moderate sepia

Amo: I love.
Amas: You love.
Amat: He loves.
If Latin is a language dead, what gives?

Amamus: We love.
Amatis: You love.
Amant: They love.
With this much love, then surely Latin lives!

♥

Digging Through My ‘Love’ Archive

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

HEARTS - COLLECTION W. BLUEIt’s Valentine’s week, so I thought it was time to make another visit to my archives. This time I sifted through all the ordinary stuff and dug around until I found the posts that had something to say about LOVE.  I found bunches of them, but I chose 14 of my favorites to share one more time. (The number 14, of course, is in honor of Valentine’s Day being the 14th of the month.) I’ve posted the links to them below. Hope you find some of them to your taste and get a little shot of love to help you celebrate Valentine’s Day:

# 1:  For Love of Bernadette

# 2:  The Flood

# 3:  Love Will Find a Way

# 4: Hatred & War Cannot Quench Love

#5:  Love Song 

#6: Blessed Invasion

#7: Love Through The Eyes of Opie Taylor

# 8: Touched

# 9:  Love Letters: 574 and counting

# 10: Valediction to a Passing Love

# 11: Love On The Line

# 12: Behind the Scene: One Act Play

 # 13:  Focused: A One-Act Play to Lighten Your Day

# 14: Birth of a Hero

~

The Only Beauty

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

I just had to share this piece by Scott Thomas Summers. It’s one of the most beautiful poems I’ve read in years. In fact, it has inspired me to write a whole article relating to the theme. I’m working on it now, but I don’t want to say anything else about it because I don’t want to interfere with the power of the poem itself.

What? Valentine’s Day Just Around the Corner???

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

Oh my word!!!  Look at that calendar.  Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and here I am without a valentine to call my own.

The truth is that I’d like to fall in love again, but I’m just not sure I want to have to deal with all the responsibility that comes with it. Life is so much more complicated when you’re in love, but then it doesn’t shine quite as brightly when you’re not.  I may need to do some soul-searching during this “season of love.”

Well, in the meantime, let me be the first to wish everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day!  Here’s a little poem from my archives to get you in the mood.

HEART WITH WINGS - PINK W. BUBBLES

LOVE’S FREEDOM

I turned to Love and said, “I must be free.”
And Love said, “Surely. Take your liberty.”

I asked, “In truth? You set me free to roam?”
Then Love replied, “Just please remember home.”

And so I flew to north, south, east, and west.
And, finally, back to home I came to rest.

Then turned to Love and said, “You were so brave,
To let me try my wings.  So much you gave.”

Love smiled and said, “Refusal to set you free
Would mean I loved — not you — but only me.”

♥

Of bachelors, spinsters, and wasting time on ridiculous questions . . .

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

For some reason — and I have no idea what that reason is — my mind has been grappling this morning with a bemusing question.

WOMAN SILHOUETTE, PONYTAILThe dictionary definition of the word spinster is as follows: An unmarried woman of gentle family; a woman who has never married, especially one past the “usual” age of marrying.

MAN PROFILEThe dictionary definition of a bachelor is as follows: A man who has never been married; a man who is not married or cohabiting, but who lives independently.

So let me get this straight: A bachelor is a man who has never married, and by the use of the word “never” one understands that he is well along in years and has passed the “usual” time of marrying. A spinster is a woman who has done the same. Yet the term bachelor carries absolutely no negative connotations with it — and in fact, some people even consider it a mark of distinction. Yet the term spinster — at least here in the U.S. — carries a very decidedly negative connotation. In fact most dictionaries give the term “old maid” as a synonym for the word spinster.

Now for the question: WHY THE DIFFERENCE???

Anyway, while cogitating on this bemusing question, I also got to thinking about a poem that was written by a great friend of mine, Lila Colloton. Lila is now a perky little lady of 82, a widow, a mother, a grandmother, and still an active poet and reporter for a local newspaper. She wrote the following poem when she was 16. I’ve shared it once before on this site, but not for a very long time. Thought you might enjoy it today.

AN OLD MAID

Being an old maid would be fun I guess:
No diapers to wash or children to dress;
You may go shopping whenever you can;
Don’t have to sit home and wait for your man.
Yes, being an old maid would be fun I suppose:
Just one person’s dishes and your very own clothes.

But just stop to think before you continue:
Don’t you feel sort of funny within you?
Kind of an empty feeling I bet.
Just suppose Mom and Dad hadn’t met.
Where would you be?
Nobody knows:
Probably just part of the breeze that blows.

So stop debating before it’s too late;
When he calls up, don’t break that date!

© Lila Colloton


(By the way, if anyone can answer my question, be sure to let me know.)

~~~

LOOKING BACK: DIGGING THROUGH THE ARCHIVES OF ‘IN LOVE WITH WORDS’

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

I’ve posted a ton of articles/stories/poems/photos on here the past 3 years. And as I’ve progressed into 2015, I realize that there are a few of those “old” posts that keep pushing their way back into my thoughts even though I’ve moved on. They were the ones I enjoyed writing and sharing so much that they keep drawing me back to read them myself — even though I already know what they say. But every writer has that experience from time to time, and I have to admit that I enjoy looking back.

WOMAN AT WINDOW LOOKING BACK
As a result, I got to thinking that there may be some of my readers — especially those who have come on board the past few months — who may not have had an opportunity to read some of those oldies from previous years, and they might enjoy them as well. So I’ve put together a list of 13 (certainly not all) of my own favorites from the past, and I’ve included the links — with a tiny blurb of explanation. That way, if any of them sound interesting to you, they’ll be easy to find, and you can travel back in time with me.   ENJOY!

 

LOVE WILL FIND A WAY — a modern-day short story that borrows some of its plot from the legend of Kaw-Liga, the wooden Indian who fell in love but never made his move. Don’t know why I like this story so much, but it’s been one of my favorites ever since I originally wrote it in May of last year.

BIRD ON MY TREE AT SUNSET — a photograph that is a special treasure to me — mainly because I can almost never get a good picture of birds. They move too much.  But this particular evening, I captured this bird with the light just right, and it will always be one of my favorites.

2014: THE YEAR OF THE AUTHOR – PART 2 – the second installment in a 4-part series about writing. I enjoyed writing this whole series, and I use this material all the time in my creative writing classes, but this particular post was about publishing in today’s writing market, and it has some very helpful information and advice, especially for new writers. It’s my favorite article of the series.

THE TRIAL OF MARYBELL WESTMORELAND – a short, short story that didn’t come from a plan to write. I just started writing, and, next thing I knew, Marybell was on trial — and with a surprise testimony to offer.

TELL ME A STORY WRITING CHALLENGE: ‘THROUGH GEOFFREY’S WINDOW‘ – a short story based on a totally unique picture by my Portland Oregan friend Bob Mielke. The reason this is one of my favorite posts is that the story was literally born out of the picture — which is an original graphic creation of Bob’s, using his own photos. I couldn’t seem to stay away from that photo. It kept calling me to write it’s story, and I loved doing it.

WHERE DID I MISS YOU? –– a searching look at how simple choices can affect our entire life and how “finding” a person at the “wrong” time can be frustrating yet rewarding at the same time.

SNOWCHILD – a poem about my terribly ambivalent feelings concerning snow.

TRIBUTE TO AN ORDINARY POET –  a personal tribute to my mother and her poetry.

LOVE ON THE LINE – a light-hearted poem based on the true story of a WWII sailor and his very, VERY difficult task of proposing to his girlfriend while home on leave.

AZALEAS ABOUNDING – a slideshow of my glorious azaleas from the spring of 2012. The original slideshow was created using a different theme for this blog, and unfortunately, now that I’ve changed to this current theme, the pictures don’t show up as large. I’m just too busy with other things to take time to re-make the whole gallery to fit this theme correctly. However, I still enjoy going back to look at them again and again.

SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN (‘I AM A RAINDROP’) — a post containing my original poem, “I Am A Raindrop,” and a video. This was one of the most fun poems I’ve ever written, and I often re-read it just to re-live the fun.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A CHRISTIAN TO CALL ON JESUS – an encouraging look at Jesus and His commitment to loving, forgiving, and restoring every human being who will come to Him for help.

A QUIVER FULL OF ARROWS – an entire novel — one of three of my novels that I have offered for free reading online. I am a fan of every novel I’ve ever written, of course, but I have to say that A Quiver Full of Arrows is one of my favorite favorites. I originally posted the story one chapter a day until it was complete, and readers commented on it one chapter at a time. However, this link takes the reader to the page that hosts the novel in its entirety.

 

~~~

 

The Treasures of Christmas

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

CROSS, MNGR MESSAGE -- NEG BLUE BCKGRD
Gingerbread and stockings …
Christmas trees and holly …
Loving friends and family …
Peace and hope and laughter —
These belong to Christmas.

God’s rich love for mankind …
Word made flesh incarnate …
Coming for one purpose:
Dying that I could have life.
Christmas belongs to me!

~

Healing Holiday

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner,
And I am set to have a lovely time.
First I’ll make a jaunt to church and, kneeling down,
I’ll thank the Lord for all His blessings kind.

And then I’ll journey farther to meet kith and kin.
We’ll hug and laugh and tell each other news.
Then next I’ll help dish up the yummy treats in store;
So many dishes, all from which to choose.

Then after eating more than I could ever need,
And going back again for one more pinch,
I’ll sit by fireplace warm and cuddle little ones,
And soon we’ll be asleep; it is a cinch.

Oh, my, how dear Thanksgiving is to all of us.
It gives us one whole day when we can part
From all that pulls and presses us and wounds us sore,
And give ourselves to healing, loving hearts.

~~~

If you enjoy Thanksgiving poems, you may also enjoy these from previous years:

“Ah, Thanksgiving, How I Love You!
“What’s For Dinner”
“A Lesson In Thanksgiving”

`

My Heart Belongs To Autumn

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

Exif JPEG

Leaf by tender leaf,
I watch this stately monarch
Dressing up for fall.

Gold, russet, yellow,
And brilliant red — her choices,
For she loves them all.

Hour by passing hour
The change begins subdued – but
Then bursts into flame.

I revel in the site.
My heart belongs to Autumn.
It’s joy calls my name.

The troubles that have pressed
Throughout the year now ending,
Though they’re present still,

Are restrained by the power
Of Autumn’s golden glory
To subdue all ill.

My heart belongs to Autumn.
Indeed, it always will.

~

Limerick Writing Challenge – 10/26/14

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

PLMBER2 - dumb plumber
Since I’m teaching a Writing Poetry class this term, I have, naturally, been thinking about how many different kinds of poems there are. And today I got to thinking about limericks. We all know pretty much what a limerick is: A poem generally written in fun, which has 5 lines of anapestic meter (da-da-dum  da-da- dum  da-da-dum) and with a rhyme scheme of AABBA.  The first, second, and last lines generally have 3 feet of anapestic meter, and the third and fourth generally have two feet.

In the early beginnings of limericks, according to history, most of the themes were fairly absurd and often bawdy or naughty. However, most of us are familiar with lots of limericks that are just good, clean fun.

So, bearing in mind that this site is a G-rated site, I’d like to invite everyone out there to write a limerick — or 2 or 3 — and share them with us. They can be on any subject.

Please post your limericks on your own blog and hop back over here to post the link to them in the ‘Comments’ section below. That way everyone else can find them as well.  We’ll keep this challenge open until midnight next Sunday, November 2, 2014 (central standard time, USA).

I generally comment on your own site after reading your submissions, rather than replying to your comments on my page.

Below is one of my own limericks to get us started:

PLUMB REJECTED  

There once was a girl, name of Summer
Who fell madly in love with her plumber
And each day down her drains
Shoved ridiculous things,
But he never caught on. What a bummer.

~

~

Friday Fictioneers – 9/12/14 – Narcissus

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

I’m going to try to jump back into Friday Fictioneers today with a poem. If you’d like to join in and write your own 100-word story/poem based on the picture below, hop over and check out the details. Today’s picture is courtesy of Janet Webb.

ff

NARCISSUS

It’s true you quicken heartbeats when you enter rooms.
And every girl around competes for you.
The wilting sighs escape when you are passing by,
And “gorgeous” comes to mind describing you.

Your smile – it’s dazzle ‘lectrifies fair maiden hearts,
Your voice – it has a timbre all its own.
And when you stay away, we girls all miss you so;
That you return to find our love has grown.

But all our smiles and sighs have no effect on you.
And year by year you manage to stay free.
Well, I, for one, know why you never choose a love:
You’re lost in love with what your mirror sees.

~

 

~~~

Hideaway

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

BRILLIANT AUTUMN FOREST, TABLE - SMALLER, crazed credits

Give me a private hideaway,
Where quiet is amplified,
No harsh intrusions of busy worlds,
Just nature, satisfied.

Give me a private hideaway,
With warm, sun-dappled light,
Where solitude croons to my soul:
There I’ll find myself aright.

~

 

~~~

A Mouse Is A Mouse — Or Is It?

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

I originally posted this poem about 2 years ago, but I got into a conversation last night which brought me face to face with the fact that I have never yet solved this dilemma. The experience reminded me of the poem, so I thought I’d drag it out of the archives and back into the light today.
MOUSE 3

Is it mouses, or is it mice?
I’ve asked this question more than twice.
As I sit before my monitor,
I’m quite sure I am just not sure.

When two computers I must use,
All the appendages come in two’s.
I shuffle keyboards, arrange them nice, 
But then I must hook up the … mice?

My only other choice is “mouses.”COMPUTER MOUSE WITH COLOR EDITED
My sensitive nature that arouses.
For an English teacher I’ll always be,
And “mouses” chafes and nettles me.

Surely “mice” should be allowed,
But then I start to laugh out loud.
Confound that name! How did it start?COMPUTER MOUSE WITH COLOR 3
Bill English and Doug Engelbart!      

It’s all their fault; they must admit.
And foolish names are such a hit.
And dictionaries help not at all;
They make it an individual’s call.

So back again to where I was,
More frustrated now because
As I struggled to name the counterfeit,
Its namesake from my sandwich bit.

~~~

Waters of Rest

| Sandra Pavloff Conner
TERRY'S PIC - PERRY CREEK - brightened
“The Lord is my shepherd;  I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside the still waters of rest;
He restoreth my soul … .”

(Psalm 23:1-3)
Thanks to my friend Terry for this perfect picture of peace.

 

~~~