California Fever

NaPoWriMo

etch

i didn't feel it while
it was happening didn't
even notice the marks
like a Mehndi on my
heart you've etched
your patterns into my
being they may not look
like anyone else's they
may not conform they
may not fall into proper
form but they're there
and i can't deny them
the traces of desire
the lattice of words that
want to come out the
bones of my essence
shifting beneath the
urge to stay with you
the urge to keep you
at my side you bring me
comfort now and ease
you let me be playful
you let me be unleashed
but most of all you just
let me be

Today brings us to the end of NaPoWriMo.  I was hoping to close out the month using the last daily NaPoWriMo prompt at Poetry Thursday, but today's prompt isn't up yet.  So I used a prompt from their new "Random Prompt Generator."  That's right--a prompt generator filled with hundreds of prompts!  (See the link in the middle column of their site.)  Every time you refresh the page, you get a new prompt.  The prompt I got was "etch."  And that seemed appropriate because if it hadn't already, poetry has really etched itself into my being during this past month.  I didn't write 30 poems this month, but I did write 29.  When the prompt wasn't up yet the other day, I used the PT group poem as my NaPoWriMo poem, so at least I wrote one line that day.  I don't know why it mattered so much to me to stick with NaPoWriMo this month, but it did.  And as I said in a comment at Poetry Thursday, through everything I experienced in the last month (my aunt's death, the unexpected road trip, Spring break when I spent days in bed and work kicking my butt these last two weeks), I held onto poetry...and it held onto me.

I don't know where poetry will fit into my life in the coming days...I just know that it will (fit).  Although I wasn't always prompt about doing so (sometimes forgetting for a day or two), I did cross-post all of the poems to my poetry-only blog, Moojo Cafe.  (A couple of of poems might be out of chronological order there.)  I posted only the poems--no prompt info, no photos, nothing else.  I wanted to see if the poems could stand on their own with no explanation, no image references. 

With everything that's happened, I didn't stay with everything I wanted to do this month.  I've only done a handful of Wreck This Journal pages, but I plan to continue with the project.  And I didn't do very many shadow self-portraits for Patti's 37 Days group, although I see I'm not the only one who's fallen by the wayside there.  ;)  (I imagine Patti would welcome images from any of us at any time, outside of any deadline.)

I'm quite behind in reading blogs, but I tried to spend as much time as possible away from the computer this weekend.  I really needed to recharge.  I slept, walked a lot, enjoyed the sun, checked out a bunch of ceramics exhibits, rode my bike, read a couple of novels, watched a couple of movies, just took it easy and slow.  I even managed to keep the house tidy and paid a few bills. Jeffrey got home from his weekend road trip about 2:00 yesterday afternoon.  I have to be at work early every day this week (our second week of STAR testing); it's going to be another hectic week.  J's schedule this week:  rehearsal in Oakland tonight, a gig at Santana Row in San Jose tomorrow night, and then he heads out Friday morning for another weekend on the road--Friday night in Santa Monica, Saturday night in Fresno, returning home on Sunday.  Then he's at home for another week before hitting the road for a month.  Maybe it's good that he has these weekend road trips before the tour, so I can get my road legs back--so I can remember what it's like when he's gone (because he hasn't been gone much during the last decade). 

One last thing...  I drank 'real' (caffeinated) coffee at work all of last week (and believe me, I needed it!), but stayed with my usual decaf all weekend.  And the weirdest thing happened--I didn't get a caffeine withdrawal headache!  It really makes me wonder if all the exercise and staying away from lots of sugar helped with that.  Because I realize now that when I drink 'real' coffee, I often accompany it with something sweet.  I didn't do that last week.  But I have been doing a lot of walking at work--the room where our STAR materials are secured is way the hell and gone from the office, not to mention all the walking I do to and from testing rooms.  And I walked home from work on Friday (it was very warm and I just felt like it).  I picked up a pedometer yesterday.  I'm always joking at work that I should be wearing one because there are some days I feel like I've walked miles on that campus.  We'll see how much of an exaggeration that is.  ;)

Have a good one!

split

Photo copyright Jenny Rollo (via stock.xchng)

you don't know how long
you've been here like this
face-down in the sea but
surely it's been awhile
judging by the moss that's
attached itself to your back
you used to be so majestic
you used to be so beautiful
as you soared through the
sky they don't understand they
don't even know what you
are and they'll probably never
figure it out because they're
all about weight and gravity
they don't understand that
wings are all around them
yours just happen to be made
out of granite but if they'd
take a look around a really
close look they'd recognize
that familiar split in the least
likely places they'd find
unexpected reminders
everywhere that flight doesn't
happen just in the sky

Today's NaPoWriMo prompt at Poetry Thursday is "split."  And this week's Sunday Scribblings prompt--in honor of the publication of Laini's book!--is "wings." 

Yesterday was a great day.  J's on the road; he'll be home probably late this afternoon.  I was going to go with him, but desperately needed some downtime after a stressful week at work.  I finished a novel, slept late, went for a lovely walk in the UC Davis Arboretum, and bought some bargain books at Borders and the thrift store.  CCACA, our country's largest ceramic art conference, is here this weekend.  And since we live downtown, I was able to walk to exhibits of ceramic art by students at several colleges and universities.  I saw shows by College of Marin (hosted at my bank--they'd been setting up the show when I was in there after work on Thursday), Solano College, Cypress College, Mendocino College, Academy of Art University, San Jose State University and California State University-Chico.  I also saw the exhibit for the California Clay Competition at The Artery and a wonderful exhibit by Daphne Gillen and Susannah Israel at Pence Gallery. Pence is just a block from the house.  They always have wonderful ceramic art in at least one of the galleries.  Ciara loves Pence--it's not every 9-year-old who asks to go to an art gallery.  :)  There are many exhibits I haven't seen yet (including one by the students at my junior high!) and I plan to continue my art stroll today.  The weather is glorious--in the upper 80's.  Just the way I like it...

circle

gently ease yourself off
that hammock of tears
open wide to let out that
scream the one that's been
making your throat raw now
bend down low to gather up
your shiniest self and reach it
up to the sun and let it
bleach your bones dry and
cleanse you from the inside
out let the clouds whisper
serenity across your mind and
the trees embrace your
heart while you pick the
fruits of your soul to place
upon the altar of self-love
light a candle of joy and
inhale its rosy perfume close
your eyes not to forget but
to remember all that is
and always will be

improper

it would be improper of me
to say that you're an asshole
it would be improper of me
to say that you're full of shit
it would be improper of me
to say your ego's out of control
it would be improper of me
to say fuck that noise
so i'll just say this
your behavior?  is very improper.

poetry-palooza

Work has been KA-RAZY.  I've been working long hours and I haven't been home a lot outside of work in the last week.  And we'll be out of town this weekend (for gigs).  I'm feeling quite behind in all things blog-related.  Oh well.  I'll get caught up eventually. So if I haven't been by your blog in awhile, please know it's only because 'real' life has been taking up my time.

By the time the NaPoWriMo prompt at Poetry Thursday was up yesterday, I was already at work.  But Dana put up a great feature there yesterday which enabled us to write a collaborative poem in the comments.  She said in her PT post that she was going to consider that her NaPoWriMo entry for the day.  I think I will, too, since by the time I got home last night and saw the daily prompt I was too fried to write.  The comments on the group poem are open until midnight tonight, so you can still play along!  The idea is to leave ONE LINE of poetry in the comments on that post, related to the line directly above it.  (Leave your poetry line only in the comments of the group poem post--not in today's post.)  It'll be interesting to read the resulting poem. 

And since today is Thursday, Poetry Thursday, of course, had a weekly prompt for today.  Unfortunately, it was one that made my head spin just trying to think about it.  (The mere thought of form has me running for the hills...)  But if you did tackle a villanelle, be sure to leave your comment on today's post.  I, on the other hand, am taking the easy way out due to my overworked, tired status and the fact that every prompt at Poetry Thursday is optional.  Today's Poetry Thursday NaPoWriMo prompt is "glimpse."  I'm going to write a poem using a method I've done before, but not for awhile.  I'm going to give you a glimpse into the search strings that have brought surfers to my blog.  (It tickles me that some were poetry searches.)

glimpse

at the palm desert rock
concert sascha baron cohen
was screwing a girl on
the balcony of a 1900's
craftsman while she recited
things in california that
start with J i wrote a few
of them down for my
purse poem while i thought
of tom hanks in darfur
lyrics and bistro 33 poetry
my treasure map dreams
and chocolate love had
me throwing on my pj's
and climbing into bed at
the buckhorn bar listening
to brian regan on itunes
while barefoot celebs wrote
poems about roads and
in portland oregon they
reupholstered a couch when
lenny kravitz drank pachamama
coffee on a luau parade
float while performing t-shirt
surgery in an asshole fever
video i got youtube bebop
fever while searching secret
fishing holes which led to
circular thinking and reddi
whip affirmations so i yanked
my retro skirt off the antique
clothesline and stuck a few
funny absence poems in
my cowboy boots and headed
for safe passage

For any of you who feel awkward commenting on poetry (Can you see my raised hand?), there's an interesting discussion going on in Neil's post at Poetry Thursday.   I never know what to say in a comment after reading someone's poem, other than the lamest possible thing..."I really liked it."  Duh. 

AND, see Liz's post here--in honor of National Poetry Month, tomorrow is Poem in Your Pocket day in New York City. How freaking cool is THAT?!  A CITY-SPONSORED poetry event!  It's "intended to celebrate the       versatility and inspiration of poetry by encouraging New Yorkers of all ages to carry a poem in their pockets to share with friends, classmates, coworkers and family."  Come on, let's all do it tomorrow!  After all, it's yet another way to do a little guerrilla poetry.

Have a good Thursday.    

sheen

the protective sheen
has become dulled by your lies
the truth wanders by

pluck

your doppelganger's on
the loose and it's not
a pretty sight people are
starting to wonder starting
to take notice you've
become lost in your own
world you can hear that
distant tinny plucking
of your heart strings you're
sure of it but sometimes
it's so hard to follow
the sound with all that
noise in your head
distracting you with that
laundry list of duties
sometimes you just want
to form your hands into
a "T" and declare
timeout!

rooted

for just a few hours
we rooted and cheered our team
all worries misplaced

The Sunday Scribblings prompt today is "rooted" and today's NaPoWriMo prompt at Poetry Thursday is "misplaced."  I'm afraid all I can come up with at this point is this little haiku.  With my folks' unexpected arrival this weekend, I've been out and about most of the weekend.  Jeffrey had to do two back-to-back gigs in Sacramento today--at a church and then a jazz gig at the central branch of the Sacramento Public Library.  So he was gone most of the day.  My folks came over from (their hotel in) Dixon to pick me up this morning and we joined my brother, Marty, Ciara and Zak for breakfast in downtown Dixon.  (Chelle's in Cozumel at the moment.)  Then my brother took all of us to the Sacramento Rivercats game; they're a AAA team in the Oakland A's system.  They were playing the Las Vegas 51's (and ya gotta love a AAA team named after an alien land); they're a farm team of the L.A. Dodgers...which means we have to automatically hate them.  ;)  The Rivercats won 6-4.  They play at Raley Field in West Sacramento which is only about 15 minutes east of our house and just west of the I Street Bridge leading into downtown Sacramento.  This is Kayla's week at her Mom's in Vacaville, but she joined us at the game, along with her best friend, Amanda.  Zak brought along his best friend, Casey.  A good time was had by all.  Ciara even caught a foul ball, with a little help from her big brother.  ;)  Afterwards we went to Applebee's in Davis where Jeffrey joined us for an early dinner.  And Ciara was able to get her all-time favorite dessert, Triple Chocolate Meltdown...which she reluctantly shared with her sister.  (If you're wondering why C. is resembling Mike Tyson in these photos, it's because her Dad took her to the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz on Saturday where she got her face painted...in a color that matched her fingernail polish.)

If you'd like a 'proper' poem for this SS prompt, I just wrote one on Thursday in response to the NaPoWriMo prompt "root."  It's here.

10 items or less

the manzanita trees were beautiful
the transistor crackled with static
i lost my class ring in the dirt
zorro was my fantasy
the rocking chair was white
nightmares brought panic
who told you that?
no one knew
dull knife
stuck

Today's NaPoWriMo prompt at Poetry Thursday is "10 items or less."  I used syllable count in descending order.  (I'm easily entertained.)

I'm continually amazed at the connections I make online.  When I returned home from work yesterday after a crazy day and checked my email (webmail is blocked at work), I found MySpace friend requests from this group and this guy.  Both made me smile...because poetry and Japanese drumming?  Surely two of my favorite things.

My folks are in town.  I had no idea they were en route--I thought they were going to spend most of April in Palm Desert, where one of my stepbrothers had rented a condo for the month.  They left for their trip the day after we left for ours, and ironically, they were traveling through much of the same area--just a day behind us.  They visited two sets of friends in the Phoenix area and then went on to Palm Desert to hang out with our stepbrother and his family for awhile.  They arrived in Dixon last night and it sounds like they'll be here through the weekend.  Meanwhile, Chelle flew to Cozumel yesterday for a rendezvous with some girlfriends, so my brother's bach'ing it with the kids.  (It's hard to keep up sometimes.)  Jeffrey's got a rehearsal in Sacramento today for a gig tomorrow morning.  (He has two gigs tomorrow.)  My folks are coming to Davis to have lunch with me today.  Maybe we'll go here.  This is the place that has poetry open mic's every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month.  I still haven't been to one--every time I've wanted to go, something's come up.

And you?  What are your plans for the weekend? 

Virginia Tech

fishing hole

as i cast my line
in water of our shared lives
let me find kindness

My school will be joining in the national day of mourning today for Virginia Tech.  We will be wearing maroon and orange, and ribbons, as well. 

We were put on high alert yesterday when schools in two neighboring counties were put on lockdown.  There was a guy (who's apparently a meth addict--one news story quoted his mother as saying he's been strung out on it for months) claiming that he was going to go on a rampage that would make the one at VT look "mild."  An email was sent to staff and we locked all exterior doors.  We were given his description and that of his vehicle, since he was thought at first to have been mobile.  In early afternoon the district sent an email that the suspect had been apprehended.  It wasn't until J and I were watching the 11:00 news last night that I learned that he hadn't been apprehended yesterday afternoon--he turned himself in late last night.  That sent a chill.  Because for those of you who remember reading about our lockdown last Fall, we were told that the suspect in that incident had been apprehended when he hadn't. The story of yesterday's event is here.

Thank you to Liz and Dana at Poetry Thursday for the daily prompts during this National Poetry Month.  And thank you to them for this week's "guerrilla poetry" prompt.  I've really enjoyed reading what others have done in response. 

When I first saw their prompt for today ("fishing hole") I couldn't imagine how I could possibly use it when I was in the mood for something much more somber (with my thoughts on VT).  But then that little haiku came to me.  And then I thought about yesterday's guerrilla poetry efforts.  So I'd like to make a suggestion on this national day of mourning for VT...

That you take one of your poems today (I'm going to use this fishing hole haiku) and share it with people today.  As a way to connect with those who cross your path...as a way to remind us that we're all connected...that we're all in this together.  Hand over a little poetry to those who might least expect it...your barista...your toll taker...your bank teller...your coworkers...your fellow pedestrians...your grocery checker...your gas station attendent...your mail carrier (clip one to your mailbox)...your doctor or pharmacist...your children...your mate.

Let us be kind to each other today.  And let us remember why we're wearing maroon and orange.