The Shoe - Day 14

When the man with the size 10 shoe stepped on

Their trail, the ants were suddenly

Thrust into DEFCON ONE; red hot alert;

A panic of gigantic proportions.

Who do we follow? Who do we follow?

The wake of destruction: catastrophic!

Dead comrades covered 30 square inches

Of ground ahead of them. The casualties

Must be collected! The march must resume!

The work must continue! No time to mourn,

Or wait for the other shoe...to drop.

Caren E. Salas

Prompt today was "follow" 

Photo from:  http://fireant.tamu.edu/

Theater Student - Day 13

Dance practice: 5 hours a day - 3 days a week. Mandatory.
Voice lessons: 2 hours a day - 2 days a week. Mandatory.
Acting class: 1 1/2 hours a day - 5 days a week. Mandatory.
Help with set construction and costume crew: Mandatory.
Rehearsals: 4-5 hours a day - 5-6 days a week. Mandatory.
Other courses you need for your degree: Only when necessary.
Homework from said other courses: As needed.
Going out after rehearsals for booze and/or coffee (usually in that order): As often as possible.

Eating and sleeping. Optional.



Caren E. Salas


Today's prompt was to write a poem about something "optional" which made me think about my college days. There was always so much to do, I barely had time to eat and sleep!

The Pain - Day 12

There's a tremble in your stomach

And an ache you can't explain

An inability to speak

A tightness in your chest

Legs that falter, hands that shake

Constant thoughts that keep you awake

Tossing and turning

Staring out the window 

As time away tortures you

To your very soul.

You pray for relief

But you can't, won't release it

Because after all

You're in love.

Caren E. Salas

Day 12 Challenge: write about something "unseen" (as in an abstract idea, or something invisible, like wind.) Photo by Lauren Leslie

When - Day 11

Old man, old woman

Holding hands remembering

When they fell in love.

Caren E. Salas

Day 11 Prompt: write a "Timely", or a "Timeless".  I went with Timeless...and haiku.   My in-laws on the 60th wedding anniversary. (Next February it will be 65!)

Turtle Trouble - Day 10

When the boy down the street

Suggested our pond needed

A few small frogs, we thought, "Great!

A wonderful addition

To our turtle habitat!"

So he ran to get the frogs.

In a flash, he brought some back;

The cutest amphibians 

You can imagine, hopping

About, happy go lucky...

The trouble was, the turtles

Only thought of them...as lunch.

Caren E. Salas

Today's prompt was:  "______ Trouble". This is a sad. but true story. I honestly had no idea the turtles would actually eat the frogs. I literally gasped in horror when I saw it happen. I love my turtles, but...that was just not right. 

The Place to Be - Day 9

Southern California is the place to be

The sun shines all the time

No winter storms with snow or sleet

The weather is sublime.

It never rains to ruin your day

Hardly a cloud passes by

The problem is, when there is no rain

The place gets awfully dry.

The lakes diminish, the rivers narrow

And in case you were in doubt

They say water will be rationed soon

And we're in a full fledged drought

We don't get hurricanes, tornadoes or snow

And honestly earthquakes are few

But if we don't get a lot of rain soon

I'm not sure what we will do!

Caren E. Salas

Day 9's prompt was to write a poem based on something in the current news, Not wanting to get political, I figured I'd stick to something we in California have on our minds lately: The Drought.

Gone - Day 8

blind
spots
here, there,
everywhere
growing every day
until the sun no longer shines
first dim, then darker, until one day, all light is gone



Caren E. Salas

Prompt : "blind": physically mentally or emotionally

Candy Corn - Day 7

Every Halloween they call

To me: those yellow, orange, 

And white triangles from hell.

They're my addiction,

And I just can't help myself.

Candy corn is the devil.

Caren E. Salas

Prompt: write a "compulsion" poem. I know it's late for Halloween candy, but it is a recent compulsion, which I'm glad is over for another year. I know it's always around somewhere, but at least it's not down every aisle of the stores except during Halloween!

The Dark - Day 6

Sometimes you have to try and survive

The coldest and stormiest night,

To know how it feels when the sun hits your face

And the joy when dark turns to light.

Caren E. Salas

The prompt today was "Happy now" as in are you happy now, or are you HAPPY now? I went with the first option...

Keep this Heart - Day 5

Keep this heart of mine

Someplace safe, someplace quiet.

Don't make me regret

Having given it to you.

It's fragile; handle with love.

Caren E. Salas

Prompt for today was "Keep this ____"

A Date with Wonder Woman - Day 4

She's a beautiful heroine, strong and true                          

Dazzling in her outfit of red, white and blue
But out on a date, she hasn't a clue
About what she should do, about what she should do.

Because right from the start, she ties up the guy
With her Lasso of Truth, in case he might lie
And there's no chance of romance by the look in her eye
So he just says good-bye, he just says good-bye.

She stares at the dinner still left on her plate
And wonders if it's just her, or maybe it's fate
That she's loved throughout the United States
But she can't get a date, she can't get a date.


Caren E. Salas


photo: icollector.com

Prompt: Write a Hero or Heroine poem

The Mist - Day 3

The Mist

After the rain fell

A soft mist hugged the mountain

Like a mother's touch

A quilt over its shoulders

Comfort on a cold damp night.

Caren E. Salas

Day 3 of NOVPAD: Robert Lee Brewer's prompt for this one was a "blanket" poem. I loved how open this one was. It could mean a literal blanket, a blanket statement or even a blanket of mist...

My Long Lost Life Long Friend - Day 2 (NOVPAD)

It was strange.

One day she was gone;

My best friend

Confidant

Left no forwarding address,

Just a question mark.

The years passed,

And then suddenly

She was back!

All was good,

'Cause my long lost life long friend

Found her way back home.

Caren E. Salas

Today's prompt was a "together again" poem. Sometimes things happen in our lives that are beyond our control, but if we're really lucky, life has a way of restoring things.

Sunday Afternoon Optimism - Day 1 (NOVPAD)

Sunday afternoon

The week ahead all planned out.

With optimism

And a smile, I look forward.

Going to get so much done!

Monday morning comes;

Radio alarm sings out

Time to start the day!

However, motivation,

Sadly...has left the building.

Caren E. Salas

I have decided to accept the challenge of Robert Lee Brewer's "Poem a Day" for the month of November. Yes, I'm a little behind in posting, but I have been doing the writing. So this is the first day's prompt which was: a "game over" poem. It's in Tanka form.