Showing posts with label ghazal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ghazal. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

To Do

 I


The higher the humidity goes, the less I want to do.

walking to the pool, too long today, not something to do


Are you one who glances at books sideways, 

looking for hidden words? Is that something for you to do?


Amazing, to see what it is that attracts one's attention, that is 

jumping to the front to command, this is what you need to do


The motor sputtered, refused to start, the vehicle is now

awaiting time, and schedule, for service to do


No one pays attention to what goes on, until it starts 

happening to them, then all else goes aside, something's urgent to do


Walking down the dark slightly sloping aisle, carefully

selecting a seat, settled in, ready to get away from things to do



  II



Standing under a star filled sky, fireflies in the grassy field, 

rising, make their way to treetops, doing what they need to do


The choice is not “Do I fight? or do I give up?” The question to be 

making a real difference in life is, “What can I do?”


“Radical” doesn't always mean being out on the edge, primary meaning is

Being rooted, it should be what drives you to do what you do


When a word is used outside of its original meaning, it may be creative, 

or deviating, be aware of that, recognize what they do


When they recognize you but don't remember your name, 

recalling may be their problem, but is there something you can do 


What you fear is a great example of the power of imagination; 

accepting that concept, choose hope, see how much that can do


So Sherlock, when they hear it through the grapevine, something that is not 

happening, what is it that you really want them to do


Thursday, July 27, 2023

sherzal: Connecting the dots

  I


I grew up in Pawtucket but spend my time now

Creating Franklin info to help folk connect the dots


She struggled dealing with her brother's desire for what

he should have, it's no joke connecting the dots


Dot dot dot dash dash dash dot dot dot, maybe

You can lift the cloak to connect the dots


His dog groomer just canceled all the appointments, 

The dog needs help going broke to connect the dots


Ticket sales do matter, that's the key to fundraising 

Need to understand the money stroke to connect the dots


Slept on the screened porch when I came home from 

college in the shade of the oak to connect the dots


  II


Catching up to the horrible news out of Scituate

Made me choke as I connect the dots


A homeless, or rough sleeper, played a key role

In the novel where the bloke tried to connect the dots


Amidst dealing with the heat wave, need to deal with 

Canadian forest fire smoke to connect the dots


A new take on a old tale, likely to create conversation

As the changes prod and poke to connect the dots


Endless diet debate continues on the value of the

egg white versus yellow yolk to connect the dots


Emergency sirens would frequent my dreams

Before I woke to connect the dots


Sentence pattern resembles lyrics to a song

The words he spoke helped to connect the dots

Sunday, June 25, 2023

Celebrating With Pride

Shooed the bug away, realizing too late

It's a ladybug, real life is exhausting 


White pickup truck, moving slow revved powerfully, 

Trying to create strife is exhausting


Joy from youthful bubble chasers challenging

The rainbow globes half-life is exhausting 


Black pickup follows the white, slowly, other direction

Still looking for wildlife is exhausting 


Many chats, introducing folks, connecting the dots 

All good work, improving our whole life is exhausting 


Painting Venus, in shaded tent, renders the gazebo

Prideful colored as still life is exhausting


Ladybug returns, must be telling you something Sherlock 

You know reporting on goodlife is exhausting



Reflections on the pride celebration in Franklin, captured while on the Town Common, editing completed later that day, 06/25/23

Monday, April 10, 2023

Poetry Workshop: prompts and Responses - April 8, 2023

The first of two poetry events was held at the Franklin Public Library Saturday, April 8.  The second event, a Favorite Poem Reading is scheduled for April 29 will also be held at the Library from noon to 3 PM.

On Saturday, there was a choice of two workshops to respond to prompts and have some time to be creative and write. 

Camile Bernstein lead one group, Jamele Adams led the other group.

Camille's group worked on the concept of 'found poetry'. She provided bunches of textual material from which you could select your poems text and leave it in order or revise the order to make it work for you. You can find samples of her output on the Instagram accounts as follows:
Jamele's group worked from a series of writing prompts that he provided. He would give the prompt, set some time for us to write the response, then if we choose to share the response. The conversation around the responses was equally as good as the responses.

First prompt: you have a short period of time, what would you say to a person that you want to/need to…


Response as a ‘Long’ version (notes, plus)


First select the person

Then the setting

What is the stage

Purpose, reason


I am a poet cuz

Words matter; words

Convey ideas, thoughts

Reasons to be,

Reasons to strive


I write daily, more

Than multiple times

Within the day

Journalism is one

Path to my writing

Reporting on what

Matters, life matters

Life here in Franklin Matters 


Response as a sherku


Sherku: First prompt

poetry cuz

words matter

words convey

ideas, thoughts

journalism 

is one path


. . . . . .


Second prompt: What is your superpower? Write your superpower as a haiku


Response long version (notes, plus)


long distance runner

sweat no worry

shoes tied tight

socks smoothed 

one step, one stride

after another

joy in the doing



Haiku: distance runner


Shoes tied tight, socks smoothed

There is joy in the doing

Long distance runner


. . . . .


Write a Haiku of a superpower of another


Haiku: Jamele 


He's full of color

Brightly welcoming all folks

To comfy front porch



. . . . .


Jamele read one of his recent poems, "Believe" to which we were then asked to respond in whichever way we chose, haiku, or longer. I chose one of the new formats I am creating and working with. An almost complete version is shared here.


Part I (of 2)


Through the door

the window

walk or fly 

nothing possible

until you believe 


Mother child

mother daughter

relationship 

frames this life

until you believe 


The athlete

practices long

hard or not

will not succeed 

until they believe 


House cleaning advice

let the spouse

keep the memories

until you believe 


how do you 

tell someone a 

dream it's images

find words

Until they believe 


Two sides of the one coin

Two faces of one coin

Flipped still solid

Until you believe


When Part 2 is complete, it will be shared here as well.
For more about the event check out the Franklin Matters posting here ->


Tuesday, February 07, 2023

Ghazal: rough sleepers

I learned to consider both the upstream and downstream work as part of the process to understand what was being done in front of me

During my commute to Boston, de-training at South Station, walking into the Financial District, I found the rough sleepers in front of me

What approach does one take to write a poem to send to Europa, is their water like the tap water in front of me?

A melody can transport me back in time to a place, a point, usually significant for what was happening in front of me

The sounds of the street, traffic, voices, a symphony of life, even if a hard life, always for the rough sleepers in front of me

What will Europa make of the poem which will come to it, or will it be treated like the rough sleepers in front of me 

Saturday, February 04, 2023

Ghazal: trial balloon

The heat seemed to stop on what was the coldest 
day of the year, or ever, who's counting, 
And how do we figure out this human interface 

The thermostat has only 2 wires, White 1 and Red heat, to
Complete the circuit, yet the battery wasn't charging 
It should have be easy to make sense of the human interface

In the old days, you put logs on the fire and as the logs 
burned down, you added more, later it was coal, or gas, 
or oil, the flickering flame provided the human interface

The Nest has its own mind, located somewhere up in the cloud, 
the workers remote, diligent, but unreachable in this new 
hybrid world with a cryptic human interface 

The simpler device comes back from storage, gets wired,
Time set again, and programed for generating heat while
Suspicious minds work out the human interface 

Turns out the balloon has flown before, a few times, with
many not knowing of it; this time, it came down with a shot
We need to take back the human interface 

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Ghazal: is it live?

Don't say AI, say what it really is; artificial intelligence. 

yes artificial for sure, not really sure if it is 

intelligent yet. Is it live or is it Memorex 


Yet another shiny object catches attention, draws 

the media talking heads briefly and all too superficially 

discuss the latest. Is it live or is it Memorex


The daily writing or reflection time can center oneself 

in comfort and solitude, can allow for putting things 

into perspective  Is it live or is it Memorex


AI is an algorithm based upon data, the data set could be

Good to use or worthless depending upon what the data 

is trying to anticipate Is it live or is it Memorex


One talented individual with a high vocal range

Can hit the proper note, the proper pitch

To shatter fragile glass and ask is it live or is it Memorex


Kenyan proverb, the sun will rise tomorrow, simple in what 

It says and just as important in what it doesn’t say; 

Will we see the sun rise tomorrow? Is it live or is it Memorex


Monday, January 23, 2023

Ghazal: Thoreau's chairs

Part 1

Rectangular tables are an efficient use 
for maximizing space within the room where 
there can only be so many chairs

Why is it that sitting alone is the hardest
Thing to do, solitude can be so beneficial 
when there is only one chair

Round tables use more space, yet no matter 
where you sit, you are on the same level
With the person in the next chair

At the breakfast table, I go fetch my phone
Because you asked for my schedule which 
we review when I sit back in my chair

The conversation will go around and round
The square meal when the whole family
Sits together in each their own chair

Take a walk to Henry's place, he will
Welcome your visit, and he will bring out 
for you to sit on, one of his chairs

Part 2

Without tone or body language it is
Just the words that are shared with the app
That you use while sitting in your chair

Emojis and photos are added to provide the
Thousand words left out inconveniently
By you sitting impatiently in your chair

The party game is now online, of course,
And when the music stops, who is the one
Left out when they don't find a chair

The rain continues after dark as the storm 
forecast comes true, water runs down the gutter
Filling the background while I sit writing in my chair 

I ponder at what age will the youth need a smart device
to get by in this digital world while you 
increase your device time sitting in your chair

What is more authentic, the auto-generated chat
Text, or me reaching across the table, to hold your hand
While I sit patiently in my chair

Sunday, January 08, 2023

Ghazal: street people

He walks with a swaying gait leaning

Forward, occasionally stopping to

Pick up a coin from the concrete sidewalk 


Coins used to be good currency 

For vending machines and toll booths; now

They seem to be tossed to the sidewalk 


What will become of 'Dropping a dime' 

When there are no functioning phone booths 

At the corner stores or along the sidewalk 


I considered it a lucky day when I would  

Find a penny, or a quarter, now it seems I can 

Hit a jackpot of coins along the sidewalk


Spending has become a plastic swipe

Coins will jingle only in pockets of the people 

Who pickup the coins from the sidewalks


What will become of the city street people

Who would ask for spare change as they

Mingled at the corner stores on the sidewalk

Ghazal: both sides now

Immigrants found themselves in the cold outside 
the Vice President's home on Christmas Eve; a cruel joke to
Bring the adjacent possible to both sides now

Providing inclusionary zoning or delving into zoning details
To create the right amount of affordable housing may
Bring the adjacent possible to both sides now

Not too many years ago the church had standing
Room at most Christmas services, this time plenty of space to
Bring the adjacent possible to both sides now

Indicator lights create a glow in the dark room
Light enough not to flip the switch to navigate and 
Bring the adjacent possible to both sides now

The holiday gathering was joyous for those present 
Those absent were missed in more than one way to
Bring the adjacent possible to both sides now

The two year old enjoys endless presents on 
Christmas day, sweet dreams are made of those to
Bring the adjacent possible to both sides now


Part 2


My father and his friend Jonesy were assigned
To check that the caves on Tinian were clear, that task
Brought the adjacent possible to both sides now

Why does someone need a board game to bring about a
Conversation across multiple generations; doesn't life itself
Bring the adjacent possible to both sides now

When she turns on the TV, I change rooms to 
Continue reading, or writing, a slow dance to
Bring the adjacent possible to both sides now

I wonder who the mysterious folks are who walk 
so that the area rug moves to a new spot
Bringing the adjacent possible to both sides now

Frustration grows when you tell me something 
that I already know, maybe because that won't help
Bring the adjacent possible to both sides now

Ah, the realization is that she is not happy unless
I am always working on what she wants
Brings the adjacent possible to both sides now

Monday, January 02, 2023

Ghazal: 3 words for 2023


I traveled 300 miles to bend over, cup my hands for snow crusted

at the driveway edge making the first snowball

of the season, cold and full of life


A straightened wire clothes hanger, same as my father taught me 

to use to fish something from a hard place, was lying 

on the edge of their driveway, cold and full of life


You can despair when the band of clouds hides what could be 

a glorious sunset, or turn and look the other way to see 

a white orb in the distance, cold and full of life


Just out of reach of the tree branches the white orb flies, 

an almost orb at same time, whole yet not completely 

revealed in this light, cold and full of life


I filled the 3 bird feeders, emptying 40 lbs of mixed seeds 

to nourish those winged ones in what's left 

of the light of this day, cold and full of life


SHARE, LEVERAGE, & EXPAND reveal themselves 

as my three guiding words for this new year providing nourishment

for this day which otherwise is cold and full of life



#my3words

picking up something I had dropped after 2015

Find the rationale behind the three words