Unsold Poems from the July 5, 2016 Poetry Fishbowl
The following poems from the July 5, 2016 Poetry Fishbowl are currently available. Poems may be sponsored via PayPal -- there's a permanent donation button on my LiveJournal profile page -- or you can write to me and discuss other methods.
There are still verses left in the linkback poems "The Tornado Blew Away," " Unfamiliar Feelings," and " Tour Guides for All of Knowledge." Linking to this page will reveal new verses in whichever poem you request.
"As the Creeper That Girdles the Tree Trunk"
A Moon Door prompt on DW inspired the free-verse poem "As the Creeper That Girdles the Tree Trunk." Randie struggles with her wolf's emotions. The changes to the yard are nice, but Randie is an introvert who feels baffled by her sudden captivation with other people.
138 lines, Buy It Now = $69
Randie loved the changes
to her yard more than she
really wanted to admit.
They had begun by clearing
the brush away, and in the process,
had discovered a fallen tree and
an old bird bath which became
the heart of the log garden.
"Get Over That Old Doubt"
Your first prompt inspired the poem "Get Over That Old Doubt." Ansel talks Turq into permission to look for the foster family that Turq misses so much. It's an ouchy conversation, but it ends in a good place.
314 lines, Buy It Now = $157
The weather was cold and blustery,
but the company was good.
Ansel enjoyed doing yardwork
with Janie, and Turq more than
pulled his own weight.
"A Man with Decoration"
A mudita prompt contributed to the free-verse poem "A Man with Decoration." Cuoio, Chiara, and Salvo go clothes shopping together. Salvo is nervous and excited, not used to sharing his love of dresses with anyone else. But it works out okay anyway.
466 lines, Buy It Now = $233
Salvo felt nervous and excited
as they approached The Mosaic.
He had rarely gotten the opportunity
to go shopping with anyone else,
and never quite like this.
"Meraki"
A DW prompt inspired the free-verse poem "Meraki." Tolliver brings a set of fine steel billets for Shiv to make a simple knife blade.
392 lines, Buy It Now = $196
"Special delivery for you,"
Tolliver said to Shiv as
Mr. Vanburen unlocked
the craft room for them.
"What did you bring?"
Shiv asked, bouncing on
his toes. Tolliver always
brought amazing things.
"And where's Simon?"
"More Hurtful Than Anything That Bleeds"
Your prompt about Vagary and Cal inspired the free-verse poem "More Hurtful Than Anything That Bleeds." Their struggle to balance freedom and interdependence devolves into a fight, followed by recriminations and guilt.
422 lines, Buy It Now = $211
Cal drove home from work in
a foul mood, because the bond had
been a sharp chest pain for three days
and only this afternoon faded down
to a deep, unpleasant twinge.
"Picking Up the Litter"
This inspired the free-verse poem "Picking Up the Litter." Way up in northern Louisiana, a lady winds up dealing with the fallout of the berettaflies when her prize bitch delivers bug-eyed puppies. Amelia is not happy about this.
118 lines, Buy It Now = $50
Amelia Dunbar stood in the parking lot of
Popcorn Puggles Kennel and Canine Academy,
holding a four-week-old puppy for comfort and
trying not to freak out over all the cop cars.
The Madison Parish police had shown up,
along with a SPAZMAT team, after she had
reported the birth of some bizarre puppies.
"shinrin-yoku"
Riffing on Waldeinsamkeit got me thinking of a related concept, which led to the free-verse poem "shinrin-yoku." It's about forest-bathing.
10 lines, Buy It Now = $5
"Shrovetide"
Your egg nog prompt inspired the free-verse poem "Shrovetide." Victor and Igor deal with the issue of overindulgence.
172 lines, Buy It Now = $86
In the village, everyone
came out for Shrovetide and
made a festival of the season
before the long privation of Lent.
"Tidefeel and Undertowen"
Your whale prompt inspired the free-verse poem "Tidefeel and Undertowen." Irene helps Steel deal with his difficult memories, and Aquariana tries to translate cetacean feelings into human speech.
430 lines, Buy It Now = $215
Aquariana watched Irene
as the Bilimbi rode the waves
in search of their whales.
Irene had offered to help Steel
with his difficulties, and surprisingly,
the great whale had agreed.
"Tocka"
A DW prompt inspired the free-verse poem "Tocka." It compares this emotion with anxiety as a formless misery.
13 lines, Buy It Now = $10
"tsundoku"
A DW prompt inspired the free-verse poem "tsundoku." It explains one logical rationale behind this phenomenon.
4 lines, Buy It Now = $5
"Valence"
Your second prompt inspired the free-verse poem "Valence." It explores how Bexley and the Falconwing feel about each other -- and how a ship got feelings in the first place.
300 lines, Buy It Now = $150
"People are hard," Bexley grumbled
as she slogged through the articles about
the Lacuna that Falconwing had suggested.
The place sounded interesting, but it was
so weird that she had difficulty putting
all the pieces together in her head or
even figuring out how she felt about it.
"wabi-sabi"
I finally got around to writing a poem for "wabi-sabi," which uses tanka verses. In a bow to etymology, it examines the meaning of each half separately, and then what they imply together.
15 lines, Buy It Now = $10
"Waldeinsamkeit"
A DW prompt inspired "Waldeinsamkeit," a musing on the contradiction of solitude and connection.
8 lines, Buy It Now = $5
There's a batch on Shiv thinking about his future, organized in sequence:
"The Responsibility of Tomorrow"
Your Shiv prompt inspired the free-verse poem "The Responsibility of Tomorrow." Shiv finally convinces Dr. G that educational plans are not helpful, so Dr. G switches to a new idea for helping Shiv move forward.
320 lines, Buy It Now = $160
Shiv watched glumly as Dr. G
took out a stack of worksheets
about education. Again.
He sighed. "Do we have to
keep doing this crud?" Shiv said.
"I have enough on my plate already
with the reading and the metalwork
and ... when you keep pushing
the school stuff, it just makes
everything else even harder."
"Unless You Are Prepared"
Your Shiv prompt inspired the free-verse poem "Unless You Are Prepared." Shiv shows the Finnlings some of his art and fumbles through a talk about the future.
132 lines, Buy It Now = $61
Morning brought Dr. G's safety call,
which he had continued even though
the former warden was gone. Apparently
he'd considered that promise binding
despite the change in situation.
When the screen opened, though,
Shiv found himself facing not just Dr. G
but also a small crowd of Finnlings.
"Silent and Vital"
Here's another in the batch of Shiv considering his future, "Silent and Vital." It's about trust, and visiting Dr. Bloch before transferring from the private wing to the standard wing.
654 lines, Buy It Now = $327
After his call with the Finns,
Shiv just had time to put away
his artwork before hearing
a knock at the door.
Mr. Vanburen walked him
to the infirmary. "Slow down,"
the guard said. "Don't get
so far ahead of me."
"The Purpose of Power"
Your future prompt inspired the free-verse poem "The Purpose of Power." Shiv pushes himself a little too far, and Ambrose talks with him about the importance of balance and what superpowers are for.
370 lines, Buy It Now = $185
Shiv was pushing himself,
trying to get ready for the move
by spending more time in public --
taking most of his meals in the cafeteria,
joining small groups in the gym, and
even visiting the social room.
It wore on his nerves, and
before long, Rosie noticed.
"Leaving and Not Knowing"
Your Shiv prompt inspired the free-verse poem "Leaving and Not Knowing." Moving out of the private wing is difficult for Shiv.
146 lines, Buy It Now = $73
Shiv wanted the transfer to go smoothly,
so he made sure that he had everything
packed by the time Mr. Vanburen arrived.
The guard made a quick, cursory check of
Shiv's baggage except for the container
of therapy materials. "Would you like for
Ambrose to check this, or someone else?"
There are still verses left in the linkback poems "The Tornado Blew Away," " Unfamiliar Feelings," and " Tour Guides for All of Knowledge." Linking to this page will reveal new verses in whichever poem you request.
"As the Creeper That Girdles the Tree Trunk"
A Moon Door prompt on DW inspired the free-verse poem "As the Creeper That Girdles the Tree Trunk." Randie struggles with her wolf's emotions. The changes to the yard are nice, but Randie is an introvert who feels baffled by her sudden captivation with other people.
138 lines, Buy It Now = $69
Randie loved the changes
to her yard more than she
really wanted to admit.
They had begun by clearing
the brush away, and in the process,
had discovered a fallen tree and
an old bird bath which became
the heart of the log garden.
"Get Over That Old Doubt"
Your first prompt inspired the poem "Get Over That Old Doubt." Ansel talks Turq into permission to look for the foster family that Turq misses so much. It's an ouchy conversation, but it ends in a good place.
314 lines, Buy It Now = $157
The weather was cold and blustery,
but the company was good.
Ansel enjoyed doing yardwork
with Janie, and Turq more than
pulled his own weight.
"A Man with Decoration"
A mudita prompt contributed to the free-verse poem "A Man with Decoration." Cuoio, Chiara, and Salvo go clothes shopping together. Salvo is nervous and excited, not used to sharing his love of dresses with anyone else. But it works out okay anyway.
466 lines, Buy It Now = $233
Salvo felt nervous and excited
as they approached The Mosaic.
He had rarely gotten the opportunity
to go shopping with anyone else,
and never quite like this.
"Meraki"
A DW prompt inspired the free-verse poem "Meraki." Tolliver brings a set of fine steel billets for Shiv to make a simple knife blade.
392 lines, Buy It Now = $196
"Special delivery for you,"
Tolliver said to Shiv as
Mr. Vanburen unlocked
the craft room for them.
"What did you bring?"
Shiv asked, bouncing on
his toes. Tolliver always
brought amazing things.
"And where's Simon?"
"More Hurtful Than Anything That Bleeds"
Your prompt about Vagary and Cal inspired the free-verse poem "More Hurtful Than Anything That Bleeds." Their struggle to balance freedom and interdependence devolves into a fight, followed by recriminations and guilt.
422 lines, Buy It Now = $211
Cal drove home from work in
a foul mood, because the bond had
been a sharp chest pain for three days
and only this afternoon faded down
to a deep, unpleasant twinge.
"Picking Up the Litter"
This inspired the free-verse poem "Picking Up the Litter." Way up in northern Louisiana, a lady winds up dealing with the fallout of the berettaflies when her prize bitch delivers bug-eyed puppies. Amelia is not happy about this.
118 lines, Buy It Now = $50
Amelia Dunbar stood in the parking lot of
Popcorn Puggles Kennel and Canine Academy,
holding a four-week-old puppy for comfort and
trying not to freak out over all the cop cars.
The Madison Parish police had shown up,
along with a SPAZMAT team, after she had
reported the birth of some bizarre puppies.
"shinrin-yoku"
Riffing on Waldeinsamkeit got me thinking of a related concept, which led to the free-verse poem "shinrin-yoku." It's about forest-bathing.
10 lines, Buy It Now = $5
"Shrovetide"
Your egg nog prompt inspired the free-verse poem "Shrovetide." Victor and Igor deal with the issue of overindulgence.
172 lines, Buy It Now = $86
In the village, everyone
came out for Shrovetide and
made a festival of the season
before the long privation of Lent.
"Tidefeel and Undertowen"
Your whale prompt inspired the free-verse poem "Tidefeel and Undertowen." Irene helps Steel deal with his difficult memories, and Aquariana tries to translate cetacean feelings into human speech.
430 lines, Buy It Now = $215
Aquariana watched Irene
as the Bilimbi rode the waves
in search of their whales.
Irene had offered to help Steel
with his difficulties, and surprisingly,
the great whale had agreed.
"Tocka"
A DW prompt inspired the free-verse poem "Tocka." It compares this emotion with anxiety as a formless misery.
13 lines, Buy It Now = $10
"tsundoku"
A DW prompt inspired the free-verse poem "tsundoku." It explains one logical rationale behind this phenomenon.
4 lines, Buy It Now = $5
"Valence"
Your second prompt inspired the free-verse poem "Valence." It explores how Bexley and the Falconwing feel about each other -- and how a ship got feelings in the first place.
300 lines, Buy It Now = $150
"People are hard," Bexley grumbled
as she slogged through the articles about
the Lacuna that Falconwing had suggested.
The place sounded interesting, but it was
so weird that she had difficulty putting
all the pieces together in her head or
even figuring out how she felt about it.
"wabi-sabi"
I finally got around to writing a poem for "wabi-sabi," which uses tanka verses. In a bow to etymology, it examines the meaning of each half separately, and then what they imply together.
15 lines, Buy It Now = $10
"Waldeinsamkeit"
A DW prompt inspired "Waldeinsamkeit," a musing on the contradiction of solitude and connection.
8 lines, Buy It Now = $5
There's a batch on Shiv thinking about his future, organized in sequence:
"The Responsibility of Tomorrow"
Your Shiv prompt inspired the free-verse poem "The Responsibility of Tomorrow." Shiv finally convinces Dr. G that educational plans are not helpful, so Dr. G switches to a new idea for helping Shiv move forward.
320 lines, Buy It Now = $160
Shiv watched glumly as Dr. G
took out a stack of worksheets
about education. Again.
He sighed. "Do we have to
keep doing this crud?" Shiv said.
"I have enough on my plate already
with the reading and the metalwork
and ... when you keep pushing
the school stuff, it just makes
everything else even harder."
"Unless You Are Prepared"
Your Shiv prompt inspired the free-verse poem "Unless You Are Prepared." Shiv shows the Finnlings some of his art and fumbles through a talk about the future.
132 lines, Buy It Now = $61
Morning brought Dr. G's safety call,
which he had continued even though
the former warden was gone. Apparently
he'd considered that promise binding
despite the change in situation.
When the screen opened, though,
Shiv found himself facing not just Dr. G
but also a small crowd of Finnlings.
"Silent and Vital"
Here's another in the batch of Shiv considering his future, "Silent and Vital." It's about trust, and visiting Dr. Bloch before transferring from the private wing to the standard wing.
654 lines, Buy It Now = $327
After his call with the Finns,
Shiv just had time to put away
his artwork before hearing
a knock at the door.
Mr. Vanburen walked him
to the infirmary. "Slow down,"
the guard said. "Don't get
so far ahead of me."
"The Purpose of Power"
Your future prompt inspired the free-verse poem "The Purpose of Power." Shiv pushes himself a little too far, and Ambrose talks with him about the importance of balance and what superpowers are for.
370 lines, Buy It Now = $185
Shiv was pushing himself,
trying to get ready for the move
by spending more time in public --
taking most of his meals in the cafeteria,
joining small groups in the gym, and
even visiting the social room.
It wore on his nerves, and
before long, Rosie noticed.
"Leaving and Not Knowing"
Your Shiv prompt inspired the free-verse poem "Leaving and Not Knowing." Moving out of the private wing is difficult for Shiv.
146 lines, Buy It Now = $73
Shiv wanted the transfer to go smoothly,
so he made sure that he had everything
packed by the time Mr. Vanburen arrived.
The guard made a quick, cursory check of
Shiv's baggage except for the container
of therapy materials. "Would you like for
Ambrose to check this, or someone else?"