While doing my "daily writing" action (15 minutes, stream of consciousness) I reflected on how intense daydreams have begun invading my mindfulness meditations (another daily action). In mindfulness training, daydreams are treated as a distractions, so I must repeatedly return to the clear and simple focus of meditation. Ironically, I'm currently ( Read more... )

In a dream about Hogwartz, I was Harry Potter, but I was also omniscient and knew things my character didn't know ( Read more... )

It's time I gave some thought to how I'll shape 2016 for myself ( Read more... )

Today's prompt from NaPoWriMo was to write a poem in the form of a review. I was so pleased with what I wrote, I decided not to publish it on social media. It's time I started submitting to poetry journals again.

Today's prompt from NaPoWriMo was to write a poem about a bridge. This simple stanza is completely true.

New BeginningTwo middle-aged gay men ( Read more... )

Today
for NaPoWriMo
this double hay(na)ku.

~~~

Life
is short.
Must stay awake.

Thinking
brings misery.
Read a book.

Today's challenge for NaPoWriMo was to write a persona poem, one written in the voice of someone else. I decided to use the fictional voice of my great great grandmother, Clara (Armstrong) Ford (1862-1944). This photograph shows her posing in front of a painting she painted, and which I have in my possession. In the 1890s her husband, a plumber, ( Read more... )

The daily challenge from NaPoWriMo didn't interest me, but I found another poetry prompt: to form kennings (compound words or compact phrases) for commonplace things and write a poem about them. I tried turning a simple afternoon excursion into something more remarkable.

Conservation landWe leave our steel chariots ( Read more... )

Today's challenge from NaPoWriMo was to write a parody or satire based on a famous poem. I chose the only Canadian poem I could immediately recall, Apple Jelly by Margaret Atwood. I had no desire to poke fun at this lovely poem. Instead I turned to bitter satire. Economics is draining from our food system the good things Atwood's poem evokes.

( Read more... )

Today's challenge from NaNoWriMo was to take a card from a deck, free write for five minutes, then turn it into a poem.

Herbal Tarot: VI The LoversNew lovers point and gesture free ( Read more... )