Mainely Write

I am combining my first Thursday of the month, Spiritual Thursday's post hosted by Irene Latham, and Poetry Friday with Tanita as hostess!  You can read the Spiritual Thursday's writers' posts about their OLW "One Little Word" for 2019 - a recap of the words that directed lives this year, and poetry for a Friday. Thank you, Michelle Barnes, for sharing my poem today at Today's Little Ditty.  You have so much on your plate that is delicious and savorable!  And I am so pleased to have contributed to your newest anthology!  I'm enjoying the reading and rereading!
I have not been up to speed on my blog, but I blog when I can, and when there's inspiration. Here's today's time and inspiration.  Perhaps you can guess what my One Little Word will be for next year.

Wordless?

I did not
    have a word.
But I did have
days and weeks of
    treading;
fortnights and months of
    searching;
hours of waking;
minutes of sleeping;
    pacing
       witho…

Time goes by, and I realize I have not put much online lately.  It isn't that I haven't been writing, but because I have.  And I have been busy with life.

I don't know if anyone has invented this poetry form or not.  I will have to research it.   I would call it a Shuffle.  I have written the poem to have alternating lines.  The first Stanza is non-rhyming, the second has the same rhyme throughout, then the lines are alternated to make the third stanza.   Better understood after reading it!

Time and Space

So much time,   .
Wait... short the time,  
Something's wrong -
Each battered soul  
Desires as I     
      
A contented walk  
No stress or grimace

      
Though time runs short     
In joyful Autumn   
I dare to linger 

   so little space
   but long the race
   confounded pace
   in need of grace   
   to find a place
   without dark trace
   clouding face
   so much is chase
   such a fickle embrace
   ere sweet flakes of lace.




So much time,
   so little space.
Wait.…

Michelle H. Barnes of Today's Little Ditty interviewed sloth fan, Rebecca Herzog, who gave the poetic challenge of writing about what a monster might be afraid of.  I started with one thing in mind, and it grew and twisted by the end.  Hope you had a scareful Halloween!

Scareful

Upstairs in my darkened room
I love to scatter dust with broom,
Then eat a snack of lovely bugs
Like beetles, worms and slimy slugs.
I pet my rat, I catch my bat;
Content with where each web is at.
And I am hummy-glum in gloom…
   Until…
I hear the dreadful chilling sound
   Of children -
     Up the stairs they bound
With awful, joyful sounds of giggling -
Their bodies, hands and lips all wiggling -
A disgusting and revolting sight
Made worse when they turn on the light!
I shiver-hide behind a box
Avoiding sounds of happy talks
Trying not to be so scared
Of children with their shiny hair.
Why don’t they have a webby do?
Why do they scream a silly “boo!”
When will they all just go away?
Spider wants to…

I had little time to write this week, but I did go buy beads for a couple more necklaces and bracelets that my grandchildren want to make.  We made some this past week with beads and supplies that I always have, but I got a hankering to get a few more beads, so my granddaughter and I headed to Jo-Ann's for some sparklies (and some not quite so sparkly for her brother).

As the background image for my words, I have the 4 strings she picked out for beading.  I wish I had a recording of her voice as she looked at all the beautiful beads to choose from!  I was surprised that it didn't take long to choose them - after we inspected every shimmering facet and glittery swirl of every bead in the store anyway!

As my 5 year old granddaughter says matter-of-factly, no hint of ego or vanity - "I'm pretty on the inside, because I like to be kind to people."  And that she is.

When a kindergartener on the first few days of school was crying as she waited for the school doors to …

This was written a week and a half ago... and I updated the tense... life continues to be ever so slightly busy and off kilter...

"Yesterday" was a chaotic day of trying to decide if we had time, and could that time be stretched to cover all the bases.  It was decided that time would tear if stretched that far unless we used two people.
So my husband went alone to his dying mother's side, he was already more than half-way there in Southern Maine.  I'm glad that we could stretch it that far.  But I missed supporting my mother-in-law and my husband in this hour. 

She was not one to stand on ceremony and would tell you that you didn't need to attend any old funeral for her.  But I know in her heart she still would care.  My daughter and I made the 11+ hour drive to Presque Isle a week and a half ago for her service.  It was a long but leisurely drive once we got into Maine.  Half of the trip is outside of Maine, half is just Maine.
Northern Maine has no…

I had a late start to summer...like I'm starting it now.  I could have just skipped it, but theoretically and in reality, it doesn't stop until autumn begins, and that isn't for a while yet...especially if you aren't a student or a teacher, or a parent of a student.  I was all of those things (or people), but now I'm retired and seasons according to the rulings of a school district don't apply.  For most of my life they have applied, and it is very freeing to think about summer extending as long as it feels like summer and at least as long as the actual calendar says it is summer and not autumn.

So today, I am celebrating summer and the deliciousness of summer swaps (thanks, Tabatha!).  I received some awesome and encouraging swaps this summer.   The words sent me have been beautiful and just what I needed to remind myself to keep on swimming, riding, being strong.

in no particular order, I received the following precious poetic packages:

From Linda Mitchell:


S…