Friday, March 13, 2015

Of Arches and Shoes

https://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2015/03/13/sol15-day13/

It's Friday, so I am posting for Poetry Friday at Laura Shovan's Author Amok with my poem "Arch Overhead" with the word "arch" in it for Heidi Mordhorst's March challenge words.
This is also a post for March 2015 Slice of Life at Two Writing Teachers.  Lots of good posts about daily life and memories if you go there to check it out.

And for all who cast a vote for my poem Fowl Call in the March Madness Poetry 2015 Tournament, Thank You!  I'm in for another round!  I must admit I was overwhelmed and shaky about going up against some - no all - of the poets in the tournament.  New word comes tomorrow night.  36 hours of writing a poem.  Voting late Sunday night, all day Monday, and Tuesday until just after 12 Central time.  Hope you can make it back to vote for more poetry one of those days.

If Diarrhea Dog doesn't keep me up Friday night, I'm sure I'll be up anyway.

Arch Overhead

 Sighing for long Winter to end 
 Loving hands twining,        and spring to arrive,
  Some reaching strong,                         when white gloves toss
Clasping in prayer,                                       dust flakes aside,
           wherever I go;                                                            and tender buds prosper
Arch overhead                                                                      as branches upraise
              gloved in snow                                                                               their green fingered hands
       Fingers of trees                                                                                             softly swaying sweet praise

 ©Donna JT Smith, 2015

If there is one thing I like to take a picture of, it is hands and shoes.  Wait, that's two.  Okay, if there are two things I like to take pictures of they are hands and shoes.  (I also like to take pictures of trees and ocean and animals...nevermind.  I like to take all kinds of pictures.) I have no idea why I began liking to take pictures of shoes except that is what I sometimes notice about people.  And not in a critical way, just interested.  What kind of shoes can you tolerate for wearing all day?
I think I got interested in hands when I my grandson was born.  Such sturdy hands - wide with short fingers.  Then my granddaughter came along with loooonnng, slender hands.  It was intriguing.  Such different features for a brother and sister.
So for hands - Are you a nail polish wearer.  Do you go get pedicures?  Do you have animals or small children, so it makes nail care of a fancy nature impractical?  Hands and feet often kind of go together.  They aren't right beside each other and they don't get the same attention usually, but I'll bet if I had ten pictures of shoes and ten pictures of hands, I could match them up.  I've never tried this, but it just came to me as I was typingI

If your hands do hard work, your feet probably do, too, so practical shoes, practical hands, high pointy shoes, high maintenance hands...I think it makes sense.
And someday I think I will test my theory further.  When I test it on myself it works anyway.
I, myself, am a plain Jane when it comes to almost anything.  I have self/almost unmanicured hands.  Sometimes I treat myself to a bit of hand lotion to smooth those dry spots in the winter.   But that's it.  No polish ever.  No emery board because they give me chills when I try to use them.  I'm always breaking nails, so they are usually short.

So there's more than you wanted to know about me!

Oh, wait.  Can't forget the shoes.  I know you want to know about my shoes.

To compliment my hands, I wear:

My indoor slipper shoes - lined Crocs for winter.

My comfy tennis shoes if it isn't snowy outside.
My LLBean boots if it is snowy or rainy or I just feel like it.
I also have one prettier pair of shoes, very unlike me.  But they are so comfortable when I HAVE to dress up.
My Cinderella shoes - so soft and comfortable.
It's all about the arch.

24 comments:

  1. Congratulations on MMPoetry. I look forward to reading more. Love the shape poem of arches. I am impressed with your poetry prowess. Hands and feet would make a good subject for a duel. See "Dashthebook" for more about this.

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    1. Thanks, Margaret. I checked out the "Dashthebook", and yes, they would make a good duel. I'll have to give it more thought.

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  2. We have so much in common. Wait no, I don't usually write poetry but, I love taking pictures, in fact, I'm just back from a walk on the beach with my iPhone in hand. Can't wait to mine the treasures. I love your focus on shoes. I have that now in my sights.
    Have a great day. Hope spring comes soon.
    Digital Bonnie

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    1. These newer cameras on the iPhone are spectacular and allow me to feed my addiction so well!

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  3. Those tree arches are so magical -- like a natural portal. I think a concrete poem was a idea.

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    1. I just love trees!
      It wasn't easy to make the format stick, but I really wanted it....I guess I'm a little teensy bit OCD?

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  4. I am always amazed by anyone who can write poetry. Finding just the right words...saying so much is so few words...painting such exquisite pictures with words. Not one of my skills as my post today proves. I will check out the poems and vote.

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    1. Voting late Sunday night and all day Monday, ending Tuesday morning...check for the second round of poems then! I'm glad you are going to check them out. 32 more poems for your enjoyment and voting pleasure!

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  5. I love the idea that you could line up a set of shoes and a set of hands and probably match them up. People are funny that way, aren't we! If you took a picture of my hands you would see a very chipped manicure, along side a picture of very beat up (but originally very pretty) shoes!

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  6. Love the arch poem - which makes me think of green buds and Spring. I also love those indoor crocs - I need a pair of those!

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    1. These crocs have been just so perfect this winter. The lining keeps my feet nice and toasty. The only problem with them is that the puppy thinks they are toys - hey are holding up well as long as I get them from her quickly.

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  7. You're having a poetrific week! Congrats on the move to the next round and the best of luck in the remaining rounds!

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    1. Thanks, Diane! Finally submitted my next poem. I've tried to lie low until I was finished. Now I'm back up for air!

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  8. Love the arch poem, like everyone else, those "fingers of trees". And I love the idea of looking at hands. I often talked to one of my grandmothers about hands, but we talked about their use, piano hands, carpenter hands, and on. I like hearing about your grandchildren's hands, another poem?

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    1. Congratulations on the mm moving to round two. You wrote an awesome poem for it!

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    2. Thanks, Linda! It's hard to find good amounts of time to work on anything lately, but it's still fun!

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  9. I never thought about how hands and shoes matched each other! Mine sure do! I'm in my comfy New Balance hikers and typing away with carelessly-kept fingernails (and nursing a deep winter crack in the tip of my right thumb).

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    1. I never thought about it till then either! I wore my tennis shoes today for the first time in ages! There was still snow, but it was frozen over. However, there are a few patches of dirt showing in our driveway now. The rest of the place is still under feet of snow, but someday! If the driveway can do it, so can the rest of the yard!

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  10. I love your poem Donna. I'm thrilled to have finally found my way to your blog. I'm not sure how I've missed it! I loved your first round MM poem. Kudos to you for using your word and your challenger's in the poem. Good luck in round 2!

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    1. Thanks, Tricia! I see you are moving on to round 2 also! Best of luck to you too! Your Indeterminate mathematics was very creative - loved it...and voted for it, too.

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  11. Donna, I love your poem for Fowl Call in the March Madness Poetry 2015 Tournament and voted for you, of course. This poem for Heidi's challenge is so interesting. Shall I place it in my upcoming gallery? It is so unusual that I think others will find it engaging. It sounds like a song of praise, worship, and appreciation of nature.

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    1. Thanks, Carol! And sure. Do you want to do a frame with the verse and the picture? I could do it if I find some time. I'll try, but if I don't, could you? And you are right about what I was trying to accomplish with the poem.

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  12. Love your arch poem, Donna! "...green fingered hands/softly swaying sweet praise" is such a beautiful and powerful way to end it. I'm a hand fan myself – feet not so much, but it would be a cool exercise to try to match hands and feet up. Good luck in March Madness!

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    1. Thanks, MIchelle! You look to be doing pretty fine in the competition! Got my vote! I'm just a few votes shy so far, but I feel good about the attempt no matter how it comes out!

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