U is for Ukulele and an Ubi Sunt

It's April, so the Blogging from AtoZ Challenge is in full swing. My theme is Watercolor and Words.  This year I am painting a watercolor to go with each letter and composing a poem to accompany it with a type of poetry that starts with the letter of the day.  I am mostly experimenting with the watercolors still, so don't expect perfection....

Clicking on the letter of the day will bring you to the main site which has links to get to other participants if you would like to go on an alphabetical adventure!

 

Ubi sunt comes from the Latin meaning “Where are they?” The phrase “ubi sunt” begins many medieval poems, most of which are a meditation on death and mortality,  but has come to mean any style of poem that tone, and using a similar rhetorical questioning device. 

There is a sense of nostalgia, the idea of the transience of life, and a pessimistic tone; that all things end, all things die, and things were better back long ago. The format is not the issue in this type of poem, it is the sentiment. 

After writing this I decided to make it a shape poem also.  Lol!  'cause why not? And after way overworking and overthinking and overpainting.  I stopped and said, "Enough already."  No exclamation point.  Just a firm period. And order.  It's a uke. Take it or leave it. You should have seen the first one.  And I thought this would be easier than a turtle.

 

Ukulele

Where

did our

small

"my

dog

has

fleas"

makers of joy go? Did

they have all four strings? 

Were they supposed to? 

Were they in

tune? Did it really

matter?  Did anyone care? 

"Bicycle Built for Two" is the 

best song ever. We will sing it 

forever. Do you want to

ride bikes?

by Donna JT Smith ©2025 

History of me and ukuleles, and this poem:

When I was young, a friend and I used to play ukuleles in the summer. I doubt that we were anything to sing about, but we had fun. I decided to get a uke a few years ago. I thought it would be something to do. It would occupy some very alone times that were coming.

I took it with me to the nursing home when I was there recovering from a fortunate fall down a full flight of stairs (fortunate because I should not be here, but am). It fit in my wheelchair I had to use for a while, and I took it to the next room. And I was able, even with braces on both wrists, to strum the chords to a couple of hymns and play and sing to the 96 year old woman next door.

I now own 10 ukuleles. And I play weekly with the Skidompha Strummers. I’m not good at it, but I don’t need to be. I’m having fun.