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Showing posts from April, 2012

Z is for Zebra, Zero, Zed, Zzz

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In the A to Z Challenge, we are writing about something to go with each letter of the alphabet, one letter a day through the month of April.  Today we're on the letter Z.  How sad!  We are at the end!  But I'll still be here.
My theme is poetry for ages 4 to 104.  In addition to writing at least one poem, I'm also incorporating a Tagxedo image with a font having the same letter, and the Tagxedo theme beginning with the same letter.  It isn't so easy with these last letters, so sometimes I have to get creative with where the letter is found!
You can check out my other posts listed on the side.  Then head on over to check out those of other writers by clicking on the top tab "A to Z Participants"!

I said at the beginning that as the rate I was going, I might have 26 poems for Z.  Fortunately, I don't!  I do have 5 though.  And that's quite enough for today!
Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I might put these together into a book? I'd li…
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Y is for Yellow Yadu

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In the A to Z Challenge, we are writing about something to go with each letter of the alphabet, one letter a day through the month of April.  Today we're on the letter Y.
My theme is poetry for ages 4 to 104.  In addition to writing at least one poem, I'm also incorporating a Tagxedo image with a font having the same letter, and the Tagxedo theme beginning with the same letter.  It isn't so easy with these last letters, so sometimes I have to get creative with where the letter is found!
We are close to the end now!  But you can check out my other posts listed on the side.  Then head on over to check out those of other writers by clicking on the top tab "A to Z Participants"!

Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I might put these together into a book? I'd like to do that, and maybe add some extras for some of the letters, or just edit it down to just one per letter.  Any ideas on which way is best?  Suggestions?  Encouragements?  H-h-e-l-p?

 yyy…
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X is for X

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Font: Hoefler Text  Tagxedo Theme: SoapboX Parade - a word with an X Poetry Form:  (Extreme) Shape poem - the shape of the letter X!
And even though the letter x is not at the beginning of the words, you would need the letter x to write this poem:
X is for X

          Watch how this                                   extraordinary fox              Examines  how                               to exit this box.                He tripped a trap                         with his hi-jinx,                   And calls for help                  from Mr. Lynx.                      The extra help is                not  enough                       This box it seems          is really tough.                        Exhaustion requires    an extra hand.                         Who’s the strongest  in the land?                          Here comes the famous Mr. Rex                          His excellent muscles he will flex.                             He  tries and  tries to  no avail.                  …
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W is for Whale, Wow and Wubble-you!

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Font: Webdings - Yes, I thought that would be funny!  You can't read what I wrote, can you?  You need a webding translator, hah!  Maybe I didn't even write whale words this time!  How would you know?  Extra points for anyone who can read one and tell me where it is and the color (so I know you didn't just cheat and guess!).
Tagxedo Theme: Wonderful Tirzah
Poem Form: Waka - or Tanka ("short poem") is a type of classical Japanese poetry, earlier known as waka ("Japanese poem").  It consist of five units usually with the following pattern:
5-7-5-7-7. Traditionally it has no rhyme.

Waka for a Whale

giant seafarer
lumberer of the deepest
breathing watered air
traveling the salted roads
at home where we cannot go

© 2012, Donna JT Smith



Information about whales here. 
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
In the A to Z Challenge, we are writing about something to go with each letter of the alphabet, one letter a day through the month of April.  Today we're on the letter W.
My …
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V is for Valley

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In the A to Z Challenge, we are writing about something to go with each letter of the alphabet, one letter a day through the month of April.  Today we're on the letter V.
My theme is poetry for ages 4 to 104.  In addition to writing at least one poem, I'm also incorporating a Tagxedo image with a font having the same letter, and the Tagxedo theme beginning with the same letter.  It isn't so easy with these last letters, so sometimes I have to get creative with where the letter is found!
We are close to the end now!  But you can check out my other posts on the side.  Then head on over to check out those of other writers by clicking on the top tab A to Z Participants!

Font: Verdana
Tagxedo Theme: Vague Butterfly
Poetry Form: Visual
The visual arrangement of text, images, and symbols to help convey the meaning of the work. Visual poetry is sometimes referred to as a type of concrete poetry.

Read more about 55 Types of Poetry Forms here.
I used the syllable pattern of 8/5…
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U is for Umbrella

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In the A to Z Challenge, we are writing about something to go with each letter of the alphabet, one letter a day through the month of April.  Today we're on the letter U.
My theme is poetry for ages 4 to 104.  In addition to writing at least one poem, I'm also incorporating a Tagxedo image with a font having the same letter, and the Tagxedo theme beginning with the same letter.  It isn't so easy with these last letters, so I'm getting creative with where the letter is found!
We are close to the end now!  But you can check out my other posts on the side.  Then head on over to check out those of other writers by clicking on the top tab A to Z Participants!

Font Style: Euphemia font - sorry, it has a "u" and is pronounced "you" at the beginning!
Tagxedo theme: You Make my Day - again, the first word has a "u" in it and the word "you" is for "u"!
Poetry Form: Eulogy - okay can you guess why I did a Eulogy?  Yes, there were no…
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T is for Turtle

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Font: Little Trouble Girl Theme: Timothy Poem type: Triolet - A triolet consists of 8 lines.  The 1st, 4th and 7th lines repeat, and the 2nd and 8th repeat also.  the rhyme is ABaAabAB, with the uppercase letters being the repeated lines. T is for Turtle


That turtle with the stripy legs With shell to pull her head into Digs a hole and lays her eggs That turtle with the stripy legs. Swims in ponds above the dregs Tortoise is the next of kin to That turtle with the stripy legs
With shell to pull her head into.

© 2012, Donna J.T. Smith


TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
Turtles tuck their heads into the shell upon their backs
The snail does the same thing, too, but four feet is what he lacks.

Turtle have hard scutes that keep his inner body safe
So as he scoots on rocks and sand his tummy will not chafe.

Peering up from deep below the light shell blends with bright
Looking down the dark shell is as water dark as night

Faster than a poky snail, but slower than the hare,
If you look away and…
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Bonus: Little C

A very dear friend has just had her third baby.  She has become my friend through my daughter, and I enjoy her company and her family very much.  She has been like another daughter to me, and as time has gone on, just as with my true daughter, an adult peer friendship has developed.  And so, I feel much like a grandmother to her children, and especially this new life so close in age to our first grandchild.  I wrote this poem for this new life.  Such a special time of new beginnings lately.  It makes my heart want to burst with love, and it brings tears of joy to see these lovely ladies, once tea party friends, become such wonderful mothers.

To Little C.

Beautiful girl
without a curl
except
your butterfly lashes,
where are you going
in this world?
Who will you come to be?
We are anxious to see.
But if I could,
I’d delay
that "someday",
And I’d keep you,
Little C,
by me!
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S is for Squirrel

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Font: SF Slapstick Comic
Tagxedo Color Theme: Slow Motion
Poetry Form: Sedoka

The Sedoka is a poem that does not rhyme.  It is made up of two three-line stanzas with the
syllable counts: 5/7/7, 5/7/7.  A Sedoka may address the same subject from different perspectives.


S is for Squirrel

Upside down hanger
Seed stealer at bird feeders
Home wrecker in the attic

Selfish protector
The first to complain loudly
And warn about intruders

© 2012 Donna J.T. Smith

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
I watched through the kitchen window, the red squirrel, like a dog with a tug toy,  head low jerking to and fro her back legs braced strong jaws clenched her whole body straining, ripping at the loosened fabric
of an old tarp
that no longer protected
the long neglected mower. The stubborn fibers
 at long last surrendered
to the zealous squirrel.
She joyfully popped down
to the ground, her mouth stuffed overfluffed
with extravagance for the newborns' nest.
© 2012 Donna J.T. Smith

I'm writing poems through …
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R is for Rooster

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Tagxedo Color Theme: Red Tops
Imported Font to Tagxedo: Times New Roman
Poetry Format: Rondeau = a French poetry form of 15 lines of three stanzas: a quintet (5 lines), a quatrain (4 lines), and a sestet (6 lines). Its rhyme scheme is: aabba aabR aabbaR.
Lines 9 and 15 are short, made up of a refrain (R) being of a phrase taken from line one. The other lines are longer and all of the same metrical length.

R is for Rooster

He rouses us from sleep
His mission is to keep
The neighborhood awake;
With crowing he will wake
Us from our slumber deep.

Without a yawn or peep
To bedroom door I creep
His crow I cannot take
Rousing us

The stairs seem pretty steep
When I am half asleep
There is a lot at stake
This rooster needs a shake
This creep’s in trouble deep!
Rousing us

© 2012, Donna JT Smith

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
R is for Rhinoceros

It is just too preposterous
To think a rhinoceros
Could be easily led
by his rhinocer-head.

It would be much too dangerous
And way too adventurous
…
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Q is for Queen, Quilt and Quatrain

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Tagxedo Font: ClassizismAntiqua
Tagxedo Theme: Quiet Morning
Poetry Form: Quatrain - A Quatrain consists of four lines of verse with a rhyming pattern.  Examples of some possible rhyming patterns are:
#1) abab
#2) abba -- envelope rhyme
#3) aabb
#4) aaba, bbcb, ccdc, dddd -- chain rhyme

Q is for Queen

She wears a crown and fancy clothes
And strikes a very regal pose.
A queen requires you genuflect
To her it shows your true respect.

Don’t make fun or disrespect her
Bow down like a hem inspector.
If your behaviour’s deemed as good
Her Highness may bestow knighthood.

She rules the kingdom as a king
And wears the royal ruby ring
She has a splendid robe of furs
And everything she sees is hers.

With diamonds, silver, emeralds, gold,
She has more wealth than she can hold.
Her servants bring her what she needs,
And gardeners will keep out weeds.

She has a bed ornately carved;
And one could hardly say she's starved
She eats the finest foods around;
Her stuff’s the best that can be found.

When s…
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P is for Pear and Popcorn

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Okay, this was not as easy as it seemed it would be.  I should have stuck with the Pantoum like I'd planned!  But here's the Palindrome Poem for Pear, anyway.  I hope you like it more than I do!  Besides, I had this post all ready to publish, but when I checked it last night, it had vanished.  Not good.  I had the Pear poem saved in a Pages document, so that was okay (except that I didn't like it, so I rewrote it), but the Popcorn one I'd written directly in the blog, so didn't have a copy.  I rewrote that too...all at 11:45ish pm.  Gotta be more careful with my stuff!


Tagxedo Color Theme: Pi Palette
Tagxedo Font: Paper Cuts 2
Poem format: Palindrome -
A palindrome, is a word, phrase, verse, sentence, or even poem that reads the same forward or backward. The carefully placed words form a phrase or sentence, whether it is read forward or backward.  
Pear,
sweet and yellow
fruit, ripe and juicy,
eating for enjoyment,
...mmm...
enjoyment for eating
juicy and ri…
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O is for Onions and Osprey

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I'm more than half-way through the alphabet with poems in alphabetical order, for kids of all ages...and today is brought to you by the letter O.  There are not too many onions poems out there, so I thought I'd write a couple o' onioems.


Tagxedo Theme: Ocean Five
Tagxedo Font: Cairo - okay, it has an O at the end...I couldn't upload the font I wanted.
Poem style: Ottiva Rima - This is written in 8 line octives of 10 or 11 syllables in each line.   The pattern of rhyme is abababcc.

I love you onion white and odorous, Though lacking character when you're oblate. Many people may think you odious, As you lie peeled and sliced upon my plate. But how your power becomes obvious In this sliced up, finely diced up pungent state. Your overreaching flavor can make me smile, As I am eating and I'm crying all the while.
© 2012 Donna J.T. Smith

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Onions
Onions always make me cry But I don’t know why They don’t hurt my feelings But they pick on my eyes
Th…
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N is for Nine

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Font: Chunkfive Theme: Necktie Poetry form: Naani: Naani originated in India, and consists of 4 lines, the total lines consists of 20 to 25 syllables.


N is for Nine
Three times three, Four plus three plus two, A dime less a penny spent, Or what it takes to make a baseball team.

© 2012 Donna J.T. Smith

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
No, Please!

No, I don't want carrots,
No, I don't want liver,
No peas, no, please, no peas -
 They make my stomach quiver.

No, I don't like meatloaf,
No, I don't like beets,
No beans, no, please, no beans -
I'll turn as white as sheets!

No, I won't eat broccoli,
No, to corn on the cob,
No cheese, no, please, no cheese -
It makes me start to sob!

But yes, I'll eat a hot dog,
And, yes, to pickles, too,
Yes, pie, yes, please, yes, pie -
And I'll even share with you!

© 2012 Donna J.T. Smith
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

One day when I was nine I got a camera and I took pictures with that Brownie and then I was able to see just how great I looked with my…
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M is for Mouse

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Font: MKorsair Theme: Miaka Poetry Form:  Minute Poetry - Minute Poetry has 12 lines of 60 syllables written in iambic meter. Its format is 3 stanzas of 8,4,4,4 syllables each.  The rhyme is aabb, ccdd, eeff.
M is for Mouse
A tiny creature is a mouse Who likes a house And eats a crumb To fill its tum.
It has a tail and tiny toes A little nose, Big eyes, some fur, Small ears for sure.
It stays away from cats and hawks Ignores door locks Lives in the wall Avoiding all.

© 2012 Donna J.T. Smith
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM  I am a mouse Why don't you like me In your warm house?
I am so small I don't take much space In your big wall.
I am quiet I make soft noises Not a riot.
When food's in sight I don't take too much Just a wee bite.
I can run fast But I'm very careful As I scoot past.
So won't you please Give me a chance here? I'll give you cheese!
©2012, Donna J.T. Smith
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L is for Leaf

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L is for Leaf
Font: Lino Chisel Tagxedo Theme: Limeade on Ice Poetry format: Lanturne This poem is a Lanturne which is composed of 5 lines, with its syllable pattern being 1, 2, 3, 4, 1 for those five lines.  It gives the appearance of a Japanese lantern.

A Green leaf Showing its Underside means Rain
© 2012 Donna J.T. Smith LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
... and L is for Laughter naturally joyful a young child's laughter springs forth  without being taught
© 2012 Donna J.T. Smith LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
L is for Lion, too!

Lions

Lions are big cats with manes to frame their faces
They prowl in the savanna, which a lion's favorite place is.

A lion has a loud, fierce roar - a scary, dreadful sound
Elephants and hippos hear their roars from miles around

They would like to eat a zebra or giraffe from off the plains
They drag the meal to give their cubs, and stop their hunger pains.

Mama lioness does the hunting, while papa lion guards the pr…
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K is for Kangaroo

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K is for Kangaroo Font: Kwokol Tagxedo Theme: Koi Carp Poetry Form: Kyrielle Sonnet
A Kyrielle Sonnet is made up of 14 lines (three rhyming quatrain stanzas and  a non-rhyming couplet).
It has a repeating last line or phrase as a refrain.   Each line within the Kyrielle Sonnet has eight syllables. French poetry forms often link back to the beginning of the poem, so they may use the first and last line of the first quatrain as the ending
couplet, reenforcing the refrain of the poem. So the rhyming scheme for a Kyrielle Sonnet would be:
AabB, ccbB, ddbB, AB -or- AbaB, cbcB, dbdB, AB.


Oh, marsupial with long legs,
Your baby joey sits and begs;
He’s patiently waited, meek and mild,
You need to feed your hungry child.

He wants to leave the jumping mob
A flyer needs to do her job;
Let him in out of the wild,
You need to feed your hungry child!

You’ve grazed on grass and jumped around,
But now your pouch your baby’s found;
He wants to eat, don’t make him riled,
You need to feed your hungry child…
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J is for Jazz and Jazzetry and Jabber!

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J is for Jazz!


Tagxedo color theme: Jus hangin
Tagxedo font: Justus
Poetry form: Jazzetry - poetry recited to jazz music accompaniment - really, I found this!  I didn't make it up.


BEFORE you read the poem, you should go to: FreePlay Music and listen to the Preview of Number 6:  Straight from the Heart the 2:19 second song there as you read the poem...for the effect of Jazzetry.  You may have to try it a couple of times to get the rhythm just right.  Wait a few seconds into the music...after the intro to start reading the poem to the music...Let me know if you got it!
I would have made it play here, but it is copyrighted and I can't just publish the music here.  You can do it though.  I know it's a lot of trouble and all, but really, once you have played the music in its own window, and had the poem beside it...you can really even sing it...get down...enjoy...sing it to your hairbrush, in the mirror...to your baby! And I'm not giving you any more poems for J today, so you h…
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I is for Ice Cream

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So 4 poems for i today...take your pick!  But I pick "Ice Cream"!

Tagxedo Font: Impact
Tagxedo theme: Inequality
Poetry form: Imagery Poetry/Image Poem - Imagery intensifies the impact (hey, "Impact" again, like the font!) of the poet’s words as we are shown with words rather than the poet just telling us what he/she feels.



I is for Ice Cream

smooth
melt-in-your-mouth
sweet taste,
cold lips,
cold tongue,
head aches,
but you lick again
that shivery goodness
with crunch at the end.
A flavor-tipped
nose
makes you laugh
at the thought
of your reflection.
warm sun begins
the dripping,
slipping,
sliding
down your fingers,
running
to your wrist
sticking
to your elbow.
drippy splots
appear as dots
on your shirt
as you
savor
every last
melty, spongy
bite.
you wipe
your nose
your mouth
your fingers
your wrist
your elbow
but
not your clothes
that disclose
the close
encounter
with a
cone.

© 2012 Donna J.T. Smith
Overheard down at Five Islands Wharf by a tourist informing another…
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H is for Horse

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H is for Horse One of my favorite animals.  I've always loved horses, but had to wait until I was married to actually get a horse of my own.  I think we owned 10 at one time.  They were mostly Arabians, with a couple of Appaloosas and Quarter horse blends mixed in to keep everyone humble.
Journée de Huit - day 8 Tagxedo Theme: Happy Brights Font: Franchise (okay, I'm fudging a bit - it has an "h" in it!)
Poetry Form: Haiku: 
A Haiku is a type of poem with three lines consisting of 5, 7, 5 syllables - 17 syllables in all.  Variations of the number of syllables seems to be fine.  But I'm sticking with the 5-7-5 format.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
(a totally h haiku...) High hooved heraldic Hurtling highest hurdles -
Humble humans hail. 

© 2012 Donna J.T. Smith HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
(favorite spring scene on the farm) Mane and tail flowing
Streaking across fields, kicking,
Squealing, snorts of spring. 

© 2012 Donna J.T. Smith
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
(Do you recognize this…
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