Why not
take the chance
go for it
make the best of it
take your time
have fun
take a risk
go against the grain
make it the time of your life
take the plunge
have the guts to do it all
you miss all the shots you don't take
so don't look back
no regrets
live in the now
don't ask how
the future isn't set
time is of the essence
life is for living
restraint is the past
you are here
it is now
go.
This is a carpe diem poem that I wrote for February. That was the month where I started branching out more, making new friends, being more sociable. In the first stanza, the first word of the lines repeat: take, go, make, take, have, take, go, make, take, have. The repetition gives the poem more structure and drills in the idea of rising to a challenge and not worrying about the past. There is a rhyme scheme of abccb in the second last stanza which makes the poem flow better and a little rhythm. For the longest time, I was easily intimidated and was always staying within some safe little boundaries I set up for myself. It was rather boring and monotonous and not good because I never tried anything new. I sheltered myself and as a consequence, did not have many different experiences. I think that trying new things is very important, may it be new foods, activities, or even just making new friends.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
June--The Grind
............stroll
.......peaceful, quiet
persistently, relaxed, smoothly
slopes, steps, rocks, obstacles
.heavily, lagged, monotonously
........slow, endless
.............hike
This is a diamante poem I wrote about the Grouse Grind. Every summer, as part of my aerobic training regimen, I walk up Grouse Mountain. Essentially, it is a 3 kilometer-long staircase with an elevation gain of about one kilometer. The first half of this trail is a nice stroll, but between the three-quarter mark and the end, the hike seems to last forever. In lines 3 and 5 when using participles, I alternated -ly and -ed endings to add tension to the poem. The periods in front of lines 1,2,5,6,7 are used to show the unique diamond shape of the diamante poem.
.......peaceful, quiet
persistently, relaxed, smoothly
slopes, steps, rocks, obstacles
.heavily, lagged, monotonously
........slow, endless
.............hike
This is a diamante poem I wrote about the Grouse Grind. Every summer, as part of my aerobic training regimen, I walk up Grouse Mountain. Essentially, it is a 3 kilometer-long staircase with an elevation gain of about one kilometer. The first half of this trail is a nice stroll, but between the three-quarter mark and the end, the hike seems to last forever. In lines 3 and 5 when using participles, I alternated -ly and -ed endings to add tension to the poem. The periods in front of lines 1,2,5,6,7 are used to show the unique diamond shape of the diamante poem.
Friday, May 14, 2010
April--It's All Invented
Good morning. How are you today?
The man in the story sees only obstacles when he speaks of the countless starfish
To follow the usual route of reproach and blame
And NO MISTAKES
They find nothing and, bitterly disappointed, abandon the search
Downward spiral
Nothing more than to run away and crawl in a hole
Surviving in a world of scarcity and peril
Too many starfish, not enough time, not enough staff or resources, results too difficult to track…
I berated myself for not being able to handle my own anxiety
What assumption am I making,
That I’m not aware I’m making,
That gives me what I see?
What might I now invent,
That I haven’t yet invented,
That would give me other choices?
We can ask ourselves, what now do we want to create?
It certainly makes a difference to this one
The new assessment, like a box, defines the limits of what is possible between us
Recasting the tight pattern of scarcity
Into a widespread array of abundance
Such a notion is almost unthinkable
This is my first white sheet
Through all my nervousness I had to laugh
It’s all invented
In the universe of possibility, you set the context and let life unfold
The mind constructs
Let your thoughts and actions spring from the new framework and see what happens
These are moments where we forget ourselves and seem to become part of all being
Before you know it, the word “perfect” may just pop out
And you will be smiling
And suddenly it was all true
I can’t wait for tomorrow because I’m in love with today, hard work, and reward… what can be better?
It’s all a matter of invention
I became a new person
And with that, she sailed out into a universe of possibility
It's All Invented is a found poem that I wrote. All of the words are from the book, The Art of Possibility by Benjamin and Rosamund Stone Zander. This poem fits in with April because that is the month of the junior and senior squash nationals. Over the past three years, I have struggled with confidence in my squash game that is always magnified during important matches. In April, it is more important for me to always remind myself of how I create and put pressure on myself when I could be thinking from so many other more positive perspectives.
In this poem, there is mention of countless starfish. The story is that there were hundreds of starfish that were swept and stranded too high on shore and were all dying. There were two men who wanted save the starfish. The first man, only sees all of the creatures he will not be able to save because there are simply too many of them. There are too many starfish, too few people, and too little time; he does not even bother because it would not matter if he could only save a few. The second man, however, was unperturbed and started relocating the starfish into the water. Asked by the first man as to why he even bothered, he said that it made a difference to all the starfish that were saved.
The hyperbole used in the first few lines is used to show how the negatives can be grossly magnified so easily. My poem is about how perspectives can change so easily and quickly and that it is all in the head. It is about how important perception and thought process plays a huge role in how a person thinks and how that can be changed.
The man in the story sees only obstacles when he speaks of the countless starfish
To follow the usual route of reproach and blame
And NO MISTAKES
They find nothing and, bitterly disappointed, abandon the search
Downward spiral
Nothing more than to run away and crawl in a hole
Surviving in a world of scarcity and peril
Too many starfish, not enough time, not enough staff or resources, results too difficult to track…
I berated myself for not being able to handle my own anxiety
What assumption am I making,
That I’m not aware I’m making,
That gives me what I see?
What might I now invent,
That I haven’t yet invented,
That would give me other choices?
We can ask ourselves, what now do we want to create?
It certainly makes a difference to this one
The new assessment, like a box, defines the limits of what is possible between us
Recasting the tight pattern of scarcity
Into a widespread array of abundance
Such a notion is almost unthinkable
This is my first white sheet
Through all my nervousness I had to laugh
It’s all invented
In the universe of possibility, you set the context and let life unfold
The mind constructs
Let your thoughts and actions spring from the new framework and see what happens
These are moments where we forget ourselves and seem to become part of all being
Before you know it, the word “perfect” may just pop out
And you will be smiling
And suddenly it was all true
I can’t wait for tomorrow because I’m in love with today, hard work, and reward… what can be better?
It’s all a matter of invention
I became a new person
And with that, she sailed out into a universe of possibility
It's All Invented is a found poem that I wrote. All of the words are from the book, The Art of Possibility by Benjamin and Rosamund Stone Zander. This poem fits in with April because that is the month of the junior and senior squash nationals. Over the past three years, I have struggled with confidence in my squash game that is always magnified during important matches. In April, it is more important for me to always remind myself of how I create and put pressure on myself when I could be thinking from so many other more positive perspectives.
In this poem, there is mention of countless starfish. The story is that there were hundreds of starfish that were swept and stranded too high on shore and were all dying. There were two men who wanted save the starfish. The first man, only sees all of the creatures he will not be able to save because there are simply too many of them. There are too many starfish, too few people, and too little time; he does not even bother because it would not matter if he could only save a few. The second man, however, was unperturbed and started relocating the starfish into the water. Asked by the first man as to why he even bothered, he said that it made a difference to all the starfish that were saved.
The hyperbole used in the first few lines is used to show how the negatives can be grossly magnified so easily. My poem is about how perspectives can change so easily and quickly and that it is all in the head. It is about how important perception and thought process plays a huge role in how a person thinks and how that can be changed.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
December--Tie
by Anonymous (Prism of Poetry pg. 65)
.....IT USED TO BE
.....THE GUY WHO
.......WORE THE
..........TIE
........BUT NOW
.......GIRLS BUY
.......TIES, NOT
.....JUST FOR GUYS
....FOR THEMSELVES
...THEY BUY TIES WITH
..POLKA DOTS,TIES WITH
SPOTS, TIES WITH POP ART
..TIES WITH WORDS ON
...THEM, TIES WITH A
....BIRTHSTONE,TIES
.....WITH PICTURES,
......STRIPES AND
........CHECKS.
.........TIES
This poem uses ties to talk about gender equality. It is a shape poem, which is also called a calligram. The periods used before the words are not a part of the poem. When they are spaces instead of periods, the tie-shape of the poem cannot be shown. I chose this poem because I have a bit of a tie-hobby. Every December, there are winter concerts. Every December, I find differently shaped and coloured ties to wear at the winter concerts. I like that the ties that I may or may not wear and the message of this poem are the same: equality means that girls can wear ties, they are not just for guys. The poem comments on how times have changed and that many old-fashioned or traditional ideas are being swept away by modern ideas and more freedoms. I think that discrimination is a big issue that is still being dealt with, and that this poem expresses some of the triumph that I feel towards the women of today.
.....IT USED TO BE
.....THE GUY WHO
.......WORE THE
..........TIE
........BUT NOW
.......GIRLS BUY
.......TIES, NOT
.....JUST FOR GUYS
....FOR THEMSELVES
...THEY BUY TIES WITH
..POLKA DOTS,TIES WITH
SPOTS, TIES WITH POP ART
..TIES WITH WORDS ON
...THEM, TIES WITH A
....BIRTHSTONE,TIES
.....WITH PICTURES,
......STRIPES AND
........CHECKS.
.........TIES
This poem uses ties to talk about gender equality. It is a shape poem, which is also called a calligram. The periods used before the words are not a part of the poem. When they are spaces instead of periods, the tie-shape of the poem cannot be shown. I chose this poem because I have a bit of a tie-hobby. Every December, there are winter concerts. Every December, I find differently shaped and coloured ties to wear at the winter concerts. I like that the ties that I may or may not wear and the message of this poem are the same: equality means that girls can wear ties, they are not just for guys. The poem comments on how times have changed and that many old-fashioned or traditional ideas are being swept away by modern ideas and more freedoms. I think that discrimination is a big issue that is still being dealt with, and that this poem expresses some of the triumph that I feel towards the women of today.
October--Snake
I hate the snake
I hate the snake
I hate the way it trails and writhes
And slithers on its belly in the dirty dirt and creeps
I hate the snake
I hate its beady eye that never sleeps
I love the snake
I love the snake
I love the way it pours and glides
And esses through the desert and loops necklaces on trees
I love the snake
Its zigs and zags, its ins and outs, its ease.
I hate the snake
I hate the snake
I hate its flickering liquorice tongue
Its hide and sneak, its hissiness, its picnic-wrecking spite
I hate its yawn
Its needle fangs, their glitter and their bite.
I love the snake
I love the snake
I love its coiled elastic names
Just listen to them: hamadryad, bandy-bandy, ladder,
Sidewinder, asp
And moccasin and fer de lance and adder
And cascabel
And copperhead
Green mamba, coachwhip, indigo,
So keep your fluffy kittens and your puppy-dogs,
I'll take
The boomslang and
The anaconda. Oh, I love the snake!
by Richard Edwards
October is one of the months when I take the ferry to Galiano Island and go camping at a private waterfront property that a family friend owns. On this property, there are many wild garter snakes. Garter snakes are a commonly-found snake in North America, and are the only species of snake that can be found in Alaska. They eat almost all small creatures that they are capable of overpowering, and generally do not bite people, although they are found to be very mildly venomous. Every summer and up until the weather gets colder in November, I go on a snake hunt and keep a lookout for any garter snakes as they are very interesting to watch when hunting, eating, or even just slithering around in the grass.
This is an opinion poem. Lines 4 and 6 of every stanza rhyme. With exception to the last one, every stanza begins with two lines of "I hate the snake" or "I love the snake" followed by "I hate/love" and a reason for the hate or love that is expressed towards the snake.
The constant change in feelings towards snakes in this poem relates to how I feel about many things. There are days where I will feel a certain way about things and then there are also days where I feel the opposite of how I felt before. Although I generally like snakes, the symbol of snake represents all of the things that my feelings change towards. The use of the snake also represents animals or people who are misunderstood, which is partly why there are mixed feelings towards them.
I hate the snake
I hate the way it trails and writhes
And slithers on its belly in the dirty dirt and creeps
I hate the snake
I hate its beady eye that never sleeps
I love the snake
I love the snake
I love the way it pours and glides
And esses through the desert and loops necklaces on trees
I love the snake
Its zigs and zags, its ins and outs, its ease.
I hate the snake
I hate the snake
I hate its flickering liquorice tongue
Its hide and sneak, its hissiness, its picnic-wrecking spite
I hate its yawn
Its needle fangs, their glitter and their bite.
I love the snake
I love the snake
I love its coiled elastic names
Just listen to them: hamadryad, bandy-bandy, ladder,
Sidewinder, asp
And moccasin and fer de lance and adder
And cascabel
And copperhead
Green mamba, coachwhip, indigo,
So keep your fluffy kittens and your puppy-dogs,
I'll take
The boomslang and
The anaconda. Oh, I love the snake!
by Richard Edwards
October is one of the months when I take the ferry to Galiano Island and go camping at a private waterfront property that a family friend owns. On this property, there are many wild garter snakes. Garter snakes are a commonly-found snake in North America, and are the only species of snake that can be found in Alaska. They eat almost all small creatures that they are capable of overpowering, and generally do not bite people, although they are found to be very mildly venomous. Every summer and up until the weather gets colder in November, I go on a snake hunt and keep a lookout for any garter snakes as they are very interesting to watch when hunting, eating, or even just slithering around in the grass.
This is an opinion poem. Lines 4 and 6 of every stanza rhyme. With exception to the last one, every stanza begins with two lines of "I hate the snake" or "I love the snake" followed by "I hate/love" and a reason for the hate or love that is expressed towards the snake.
The constant change in feelings towards snakes in this poem relates to how I feel about many things. There are days where I will feel a certain way about things and then there are also days where I feel the opposite of how I felt before. Although I generally like snakes, the symbol of snake represents all of the things that my feelings change towards. The use of the snake also represents animals or people who are misunderstood, which is partly why there are mixed feelings towards them.
May--The Credo
by Robert Fulghum
All I really need to know
about how to live and what to do and how to be
I learned in kindergarten.
Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain,
but there in the sandpile at Sunday School.
These are the things I learned:
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life--
learn some and think some
and draw and paint and sing and dance and play
and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world,
watch out for traffic,
hold hands,
and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.
Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup:
The roots go down and the plant goes up
and nobody really knows how or why,
but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice
and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup--they all die
So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books
and the first word you learned--
the biggest word of all-LOOK.
Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.
Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.
Think what a better world it would be if
we all--the whole world--
had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon
and then lay down with our blankies for a nap.
Or if all governments had as a basic policy
to always put things back where they found them
and to clean up their own mess.
And it is still true,
no matter how old you are--
when you go out into the world,
it is best to hold hands and stick together.
This poem is for May because it is the month that our government has finished revising its budget proposal. Personally, I have no faith in our government, it's members, or its intentions. Robert Fulgham's cynical view towards government reflects my own. The Credo is a list poem. It is a list of childhood rules that one learned at a young age. However, Fulgham gave it a deeper meaning by commenting on how adults (such as those in the government who make important decisions) do not abide by these rules which they were taught at a very young age.
The periods after every line in the second stanza serve to stress each rule more than the lines in stanzas without the extra punctuation. They make the rules feel more obsolete and more important. It gives the obvious blunders of the people mentioned later in the poem more weight. Fulgham's uses punctuation to put emphasis on different ideas and to give the poem a dynamic structure.
I liked best how this poem is open to all readers, but has hidden meanings and comments which can be understood by older or more educated readers.
All I really need to know
about how to live and what to do and how to be
I learned in kindergarten.
Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain,
but there in the sandpile at Sunday School.
These are the things I learned:
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life--
learn some and think some
and draw and paint and sing and dance and play
and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world,
watch out for traffic,
hold hands,
and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.
Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup:
The roots go down and the plant goes up
and nobody really knows how or why,
but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice
and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup--they all die
So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books
and the first word you learned--
the biggest word of all-LOOK.
Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.
Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.
Think what a better world it would be if
we all--the whole world--
had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon
and then lay down with our blankies for a nap.
Or if all governments had as a basic policy
to always put things back where they found them
and to clean up their own mess.
And it is still true,
no matter how old you are--
when you go out into the world,
it is best to hold hands and stick together.
This poem is for May because it is the month that our government has finished revising its budget proposal. Personally, I have no faith in our government, it's members, or its intentions. Robert Fulgham's cynical view towards government reflects my own. The Credo is a list poem. It is a list of childhood rules that one learned at a young age. However, Fulgham gave it a deeper meaning by commenting on how adults (such as those in the government who make important decisions) do not abide by these rules which they were taught at a very young age.
The periods after every line in the second stanza serve to stress each rule more than the lines in stanzas without the extra punctuation. They make the rules feel more obsolete and more important. It gives the obvious blunders of the people mentioned later in the poem more weight. Fulgham's uses punctuation to put emphasis on different ideas and to give the poem a dynamic structure.
I liked best how this poem is open to all readers, but has hidden meanings and comments which can be understood by older or more educated readers.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
January--A Simple Poem
from Bullets & Butterflies: queer spoken word poetry
I want you to continue writing
because I will not always be around
With lips that will never touch mine
read your poems out loud
so that the words are left engraved on the wall
make me feel your voice rush through me
like a breeze from Oyá
I want to hear about Puerto Rico
about sisters with names like La Bruja
about educating youth about AIDS
I want to hear about life in the Boogie Down Bronx
surviving on the Down Low
don't leave out stories about men
you have loved and still love
I want you to write poems that you will never read
press hard on the paper so that the ink runs deep
hold the pen tight so that you control the details
prove to me that I inspire you
reveal yourself between the lines
hear my praise with each flicker of the candle
Write a poem for me
Do not choose a fresh page from a brand new journal
use paper that has been crumbled and tossed
thrown out by a spineless father only to be recycled
Save a tree for future poets to write under
Rewrite me into someone more attractive
stronger than life has made me
make me tough and sexy, aggressive like a tiger
stain the pages with cum, lube, the arousal you find
at the sight of naked boys, draw me sketches
bring the words to life with images
make me a man with this poem
Read it in front of the audience
with hidden messages just for me
be real and tell me why
I am only worth a haiku
Your epics are meant for others
I already know,
use red ink to match the blood from these wounds
with brutal honesty
let me die with your last sentence
Then resurrect me with rhyme
read from your gut
let me hear the wisdom of mi abuelo in your voice
let me find my father in you
remind me of all the men that left me broken promises
In your eyes I want to see a poem
when you bring me to tears
with painful memories
buried beneath your thick skin
Between teeth gapped like divas,
I want to hear quotes from books
I never read
Make me believe you want to be a poet
Make my heart break,
tell me why you could never love me
with just a few words
leave me lost and insecure
feel the admiration of others
bask in their desire
forget that I am there
Pound your fists in the air with passion
go off about politics, poverty, machismo and hate
scream poems that don't give a fuck
about traditions, slamming or scores
save your whispers for those who make love to you
Write a poem for me that makes me want to puff a joint
A poem that loses control
unafraid to be vulnerable
for once just make me believe
it is all worth letting go
when the smoke clears
I will understand
the reason
I am just another face
in the crowd
I want you to continue writing
because I will not always be around
by Emanuel Xavier
This poem is about making things matter. About making poetry inspirational. After reading about Emanuel Xavier's biography, his poem is more impactful and touching. It is written in free verse and meant to be spoken-word. Not intentionally loaded with poetic devices and imagery, instead, A Simple Poem focuses on manipulating words to invoke emotions instead. The imagery that Xavier is real and true and realistic and that makes the poem easy to relate to. This poem makes me want to be an inspiration. New Year's is the month of resolutions. Every year, one item on my list includes personal achievements and being a role model and an inspiration.
I want you to continue writing
because I will not always be around
With lips that will never touch mine
read your poems out loud
so that the words are left engraved on the wall
make me feel your voice rush through me
like a breeze from Oyá
I want to hear about Puerto Rico
about sisters with names like La Bruja
about educating youth about AIDS
I want to hear about life in the Boogie Down Bronx
surviving on the Down Low
don't leave out stories about men
you have loved and still love
I want you to write poems that you will never read
press hard on the paper so that the ink runs deep
hold the pen tight so that you control the details
prove to me that I inspire you
reveal yourself between the lines
hear my praise with each flicker of the candle
Write a poem for me
Do not choose a fresh page from a brand new journal
use paper that has been crumbled and tossed
thrown out by a spineless father only to be recycled
Save a tree for future poets to write under
Rewrite me into someone more attractive
stronger than life has made me
make me tough and sexy, aggressive like a tiger
stain the pages with cum, lube, the arousal you find
at the sight of naked boys, draw me sketches
bring the words to life with images
make me a man with this poem
Read it in front of the audience
with hidden messages just for me
be real and tell me why
I am only worth a haiku
Your epics are meant for others
I already know,
use red ink to match the blood from these wounds
with brutal honesty
let me die with your last sentence
Then resurrect me with rhyme
read from your gut
let me hear the wisdom of mi abuelo in your voice
let me find my father in you
remind me of all the men that left me broken promises
In your eyes I want to see a poem
when you bring me to tears
with painful memories
buried beneath your thick skin
Between teeth gapped like divas,
I want to hear quotes from books
I never read
Make me believe you want to be a poet
Make my heart break,
tell me why you could never love me
with just a few words
leave me lost and insecure
feel the admiration of others
bask in their desire
forget that I am there
Pound your fists in the air with passion
go off about politics, poverty, machismo and hate
scream poems that don't give a fuck
about traditions, slamming or scores
save your whispers for those who make love to you
Write a poem for me that makes me want to puff a joint
A poem that loses control
unafraid to be vulnerable
for once just make me believe
it is all worth letting go
when the smoke clears
I will understand
the reason
I am just another face
in the crowd
I want you to continue writing
because I will not always be around
by Emanuel Xavier
This poem is about making things matter. About making poetry inspirational. After reading about Emanuel Xavier's biography, his poem is more impactful and touching. It is written in free verse and meant to be spoken-word. Not intentionally loaded with poetic devices and imagery, instead, A Simple Poem focuses on manipulating words to invoke emotions instead. The imagery that Xavier is real and true and realistic and that makes the poem easy to relate to. This poem makes me want to be an inspiration. New Year's is the month of resolutions. Every year, one item on my list includes personal achievements and being a role model and an inspiration.
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