Farewell

Today is the final day of National Poetry Month. I followed NaPoWriMo's prompt of writing a farewell poem, which seems appropriate for a final poem. This poem concludes 30 poems in 30 days, though I'm sure I'll be writing more poetry (and short stories) in the near future.

Farewell 

By Candace Shultz

The date is set.

Soon you'll go.

What we'll do without you,

I don't know.

My heart is aching.

I don't want the time to pass.

I just wish our days with you

Would forever last.

But the weeks move quickly,

The day is near

When you'll board that plane

And disappear

For months on end

While we stay here

Praying for your quick return,

Wishing you were near.

Who will kiss our daughter goodnight?

Hold her close, read her a book?

Who will swing her high in the air?

Without you, there will be no proper cook.

I will do it, but it's not the same.

There will be no one to cuddle with me at night.

No boots to trip over or uniform to hang.

No one to make our bed just right.

Who will I talk to when I'm sad and alone?

You always make my world feel brighter.

I'm not ready to say goodbye.

Hold me longer. Hold me a little tighter.

Just know that when you're gone from home,

Two people love you: your daughter and your wife.

And when you finally return to us,

We'll be waiting, happy with you in our life.

If I Were a Pony

Today is Day 29 of National Poetry Month. My poem is inspired by the TV show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

If I Were a Pony
By Candace Shultz

If I were a pony, I wonder who I'd be.
A fashionista like Rarity?
No. I can't sew clothes or mend any tears.
A party thrower like Pinkie Pie?
No. I don't want to plan parties, bashes, or fairs.
An animal lover like Fluttershy?
I love cats and dogs, but I'd be scared of a bear.
And I couldn't be like Rainbow Dash flying through the air.
If I were to run or fly, I'd just crash, I bet.
Could I work on a farm just like Apple Jack?
Getting dirty on a farm? That you can forget.
Could I be like Twilight Sparkle, reading stack
After stack of books, studying all the time?
I love to read, but her magic is just not for me.
No, not one of these ponies could I mime.
After all, a pony I am not meant to be.

But if I were a pony, this is what I'd do:
I'd join the Cutie Crusaders, be one of their crew.
I'd write them each a story about an inner gift:
A carpenter, a singer, and a scooter rider.
Sometimes I think those fillies just aren't too swift.
So when they read my stories while drinking apple cider,
Maybe, like me, they'd understand their spark,
And then we could all earn a cutie mark.
I wonder what my mark would be?
Pencil? Paper? Typewriter? Scroll?
I think I already know what I would see.
Fountain pen? Blog page? I'm on a roll.
No. On my flank I'd see a book.
I love to read. I love to write.
Knowing my talents is all it took.
Day after day, night after night,
I like to create a story, poem, or tale.
I might not write for the Foal Free Press,
But I am surely an author without fail.
In this I certainly feel blessed.

Blackout Poetry - River of Darkness

Today is Day 28 of National Poetry Month. My sister Cassandra prompted me and our fellow poets in No Direction Home, a Facebook group of poets and writers, to write a blackout poem based off of page 74 in George R. R. Martin's book A Game of Thrones. You can find my sister's blackout poem on her blog. Here is a copy of the original page before I wrote my blackout poem:

And here is my blackout poem:

This is how I imagine my poem would look written out:

River of Darkness

By Candace Shultz

The stars came out.

Silver bells rang softly.

It was full dark

at a place beside a small stream.

She felt as fragile as glass,

as weak as water.

Helpless and trembling,

she began to cry.

He towered over her,

a river of darkness,

unmoving,

silent.

The night air was chilly.

She was afraid.

Asleep

I decided to write a haiku for Day 27 of National Poetry Month. There's only 3 more days to go!

Asleep

By Candace Shultz

My eyes are closing

of their own accord. Your voice

is fading and I'm...

The Way to My Heart

Today is Day 26 of National Poetry Month. Only four more days to go! Based on NaPoWriMo's prompt for today, I wrote a curtal sonnet. It's a shortened form of the sonnet, having 10 1/2 lines (the 1/2 line is the last line) instead of the usual 14 lines. The rhyme scheme is abcabc for the first stanza of 6 lines and then dbcdc for the last stanza of 4 1/2 lines. I found this type of poetry challenging, but fun. 

The Way to My Heart

By Candace Shultz

Forget the roses and the flower pots

unless you want to see the flowers die,

the petals falling one by one, the dirt

so dry, the leaves so brown for want of lots

of water days after we say goodbye.

I'm just not good with flowers. Don't be hurt.

I'm telling you to get me chocolates:

Muddie Buddies, Hershey Almonds, or pie.

A Hershey Kiss? You'll see a smile. I'll flirt

with you all day. But a Cadbury gets 

you a dessert.

A Mom's Goodbye

Today is Day 25 of National Poetry Month.

A Mom's Goodbye

By Candace Shultz

A son left home to go to college,

Waving to his mom goodbye.

Saddened, she let him go,

Knowing that he needed to fly,

And as she watched him drive away

She willed herself not to cry.

Then she walked into her home

And waited by the door,

Hoping that he forgot a book,

A picture, clothes from his drawer.

But she knew that he wouldn't be back,

So she let herself sink to the floor.

Yet, as she looked out the door

To her freshly mowed front yard,

She knew that her son would be okay

And that goodbyes were always hard.

So she stood up and closed the door,

Sending a silent prayer to the Lord.

Then she looked up at her wall

And saw a picture of her son.

She touched his face, then continued down the hall,

Stopping to gaze at each picture, one by one,

Watching as her baby grew up to be a man,

Realizing a new chapter in both their lives had begun. 

Brick by Brick

Today is Day 24 of National Poetry Month! I decided to follow NaPoWriMo's prompt for today: write a poem about walls, stones, bricks, etc. I decided to use bricks and walls figuratively in my poem.  

Brick by Brick

By Candace Shultz

Brick by brick,

I build a wall

around my crumbling heart.

Brick by brick,

I build it up tall

so you can't tear it apart.

Brick by brick,

I build this wall

Until you can't ever get in.

The stones you throw

may chip the brick,

but they'll never pierce my skin.

Then years from now,

when my heart has healed,

I will tear the wall down.

The bricks will tumble,

one by one.

A new person will be found.

Until then,

brick by brick,

I continue to build the wall.

Until My Dying Day

Today is Day 23 of National Poetry Month. I dedicate today's poem to my husband. 

Until My Dying Day

By Candace Shultz

Thank you for your morning kisses

And the kisses before you leave.

Thank you for all the cuddles

And the hugs that I receive.

Thank you for cooking all the meals,

For tasty popcorn too.

Thank you for making the bed

Because I rarely do.

Thank you for working hard

Each and every day,

For the house and food and luxuries

Supported by your pay. 

Thank you for encouraging me

To be a better writer.

Your words of praise and appreciation

Make my dreams burn brighter.

Thank you for your optimism

Even in times of stress.

When I want to cry, you make me laugh.

You make me feel blessed.

Thank you for the precious gift

Of our darling daughter Lily,

For loving her and teaching her

And for being silly. 

Thank you for being you.

There's nothing I would change.

I love you for who you are

Even though you're strange.

And when we get old and gray

I know what I will say:

I love you now and forever

Until my dying day.

More Nursery Rhymes

Today is Day 22 of National Poetry Month, and I'm writing more nursery rhymes! NaPoWriMo's prompt for today is to write a nursery rhyme or a poem for children. The rhythm and rhyming for my first poem is based on Little Miss Muffet (I do like that nursery rhyme.) whereas my second poem follows the rhythm and rhyming scheme of Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear.

Little Miss Lily
By Candace Shultz

Little Miss Lily

Was feeling quite silly,

So she got out her color green.

She colored her ball.

Then she colored the wall

Until no white could even be seen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Marshmallows, Marshmallows
By Candace Shultz

Marshmallows, marshmallows
In a cup!
Marshmallows, marshmallows,
Eat them up!
Marshmallows, marshmallows,
I see a peep!
Marshmallows, marshmallows,
Cheep, cheep, cheep!

Marshmallows, marshmallows,
Sweet and yummy!
Marshmallows, marshmallows
In my tummy!
Marshmallows, marshmallows,
I love so much!
Marshmallows, marshmallows,
Mine! Don't touch!

Listen to the Wind

Today is Day 21 of National Poetry Month. I wrote a concrete poem, which took me longer to format than to actually write it. Anyway, I'm sharing the concrete poem as well as the way I wrote it originally. 

Listen to the Wind

By Candace Shultz

Listen

Listen to

Listen to the wind.

It's calling your name.

Shh...

Can you hear it?

Run.

Run like the wind

and never look back.

Happy Easter

Today is Day 20 of National Poetry Month. Happy Easter! 

I wrote a tanka for today's poem. A tanka has 5 lines with the syllables for each line following a 5-7-5-7-7 pattern.

Cadbury World seemed
so fitting for an Easter
day trip. However,
in retrospect, I'd rather
stay home with my family.

Note: I edited this post. I originally wrote an Easter tanka, but after getting some sleep I didn't really like the way my poem turned out, so I rewrote it entirely. I hope everyone had a Happy Easter. God bless. 

Easter Egg Hunt

Today is Day 19 of National Poetry Month. I decided to write a nonet poem in which there are 9 lines with 9 syllables in the first line, 8 syllables in the second line, 7 syllables in the third, and so on until the last line that only has one syllable. 

Easter Egg Hunt

By Candace Shultz

I wrapped my arms around her until

the man said, "Go!" Then she ran and

grabbed an egg. Turning, twisting,

and bumping into kids,

she grabbed three more. Then

she opened them, 

but they were

empty

eggs.

A Child's Hug

Today is Day 18 of National Poetry Month, and today's poem was inspired by NaPoWriMo's prompt to write a ruba'i (four-line stanza with an AABA rhyme scheme). I went a little further and wrote a rubaiyat (a ruba'i with multiple stanzas).

A Child's Hug
By Candace Shultz

My toddler said she wished to play
With kids she heard outside that day.
She never met these kids before,
But in the house she would not stay.

I told her that she could not go
With older kids I did not know.
She hurled herself upon the ground.
A horrid tantrum she did throw.

And by the time the whining stopped
The kids were gone, the sun had dropped.
My nerves were frayed, my anger high.
If not for love, I would have popped.

But then she asked me for a hug,
I picked her up from off the rug;
She wrapped her arms around my neck
And hugged me tight, warm and snug.

My daughter whispered in my ear,
"I love you, Mama." I filled with cheer.
The anger gone, I held her close,
"I love you too, my daughter dear."

I Was Sleeping

Day 17 of National Poetry Month

I Was Sleeping

By Candace Shultz

To my dear husband,

if you don't stop bothering

me, I will pinch you.

It's past 11 pm here. I fell asleep on the couch, so my husband woke me up to either write my poem or go upstairs to bed. Sometimes if he wakes me up from a nap I get quite contrary and grumpy until I'm fully awake. So I dedicate today's poem to him. (No husbands were harmed in the making of this poem. I didn't pinch him.)

Poems That Lie

I Always Lie

By Candace Shultz

I am drawing a picture.

The sky is green.

The grass is blue.

Up is down

And down is sideways.

The earth is square.

Mountains are flat.

The sun is cold.

Antarctica is hot.

My drawing has spiders in it.

Today is Day 16 of National Poetry Month, and I followed NaPoWriMo's prompt (who in turn got this prompt from Daisy Fried): write a ten-line poem where every line is a lie. I actually wrote two poems for this exercise. After writing my first poem, the last line inspired me to write the second poem.

I Love Spiders

By Candace Shultz

I love spiders.

I adore their beady eyes 

and their eight hairy legs.

I delight in them 

creeping about my house.

Spiders are my friends.

I'm happy with their webs 

clinging to my windows

and the corners of each room.

I get excited when they drop 

down with their spider silk, 

floating in front of my face.

I really enjoy their company.

I secretly hope they crawl 

all over me in my sleep.

I'd never squish them 

or throw them out the door.

I truly love spiders.

Teardrop

Today is Day 15 of National Poetry Month, and I decided to write a concrete poem. I hope you enjoy it. 

Teardrop

By Candace Shultz

A

single

 tear drops

from her lash

onto her cheek and

trails down to her chin,

pausing for just a moment,

before falling onto the dry

dirt. It splashes and soaks

into the ground, leaving no

trace, until the day a tiny

blue flower grows

in its place.

Questions from a Toddler

Today is Day 14 of National Poetry Month, and I followed the prompt from NaPoWriMo; write a poem where every line is a question except for the last one. I decided to write a short and lighthearted one about my daughter.

Questions from a Toddler

By Candace Shultz

Milk?

Snack?

Show?

What's this?

Ponies?

Potty?

Tablet?

Cat?

What's this?

Sticker?

Diaper?

Color?

What's this?

Bubbles?

Walk?

Shoes?

Help?

Outside?

What's this?

Juice?

Thank you!

Alone Without You

Day 13 of National Poetry Month

Alone Without You

By Candace Shultz

There are days that I'm alone,

I look for you and wonder 

where you are.

So far away, like worlds apart,

even though the internet

keeps us together. 

When you're gone for too long

I start to worry. Are you okay?

I wait to hear from you.

And when you do message me back,

I sigh with relief as my heart

beats again.

I count down the days until your return,

wishing that time would speed up

so I can be in your arms again.

At night I cannot sleep because

the bed is empty and cold

without you.

I sit at home and miss you so.

Where did you go?

I'm alone.

It's Time for Haiku

Day 12 of National Poetry Month

It's Time for Haiku

By Candace Shultz

It is 10 o'clock

at night and I still don't know

what I want to write.

My cold hands are poised

over the keyboard, waiting 

for thoughts to emerge.

I stare at the screen

as the cursor blinks on the

white page. I blink too.

It is 10:15

and I am still struggling

with all of my words.

I think about my

daughter's excitement over

the Easter Bunny.

I think about the

birds landing in my backyard

to eat the spiders.

It's 10:25.

I'm looking at a picture

of Bengal tigers.

I listen to my 

husband crunch on chips as he

plays a game on Steam.

I still taste the sour

cream and onion flavor from

my bag of Lay's chips

It is 10:30

and I am finished writing 

poetry tonight.

A Bird's Gift

Day 11 of National Poetry Month

A Bird's Gift

By Candace Shultz

A little blue bird

Lands on the brown fence

In my backyard. 

It rests for just a moment,

Then flies away,

Leaving a white stain in my grass.

The Grumbles of a Hungry Woman

I wasn't feeling very inspired today, but I was feeling hungry. So for Day 10 of National Poetry Month I wrote about how frustrated I am by my diet.

The Grumbles of a Hungry Woman

By Candace Shultz

I want to eat a lot today

Instead of feeling hungry all day.

1200 calories isn't enough.

A prolonged diet is too tough.

I don't want to exercise anymore.

It just makes my body very sore.

Checking my weight makes me mad.

Weeks without progress make me sad.

These last ten pounds are clinging tight.

I'm ready to give up the fight.

I don't want to hop, hop, hop.

I just want to stop, stop stop!

And eat some chocolate.

Read a Book

It's Day 9 of National Poetry Month.


Read a Book
By Candace Shultz

Read a book, I say to you,
If you have nothing to do.
You say you are bored,
Yet those books are ignored.
A book will take you somewhere new.

You can climb a mountain or dive down deep
Or comfort the lady who doth weep.
You can battle trolls, giants, and ogres
Or visit Rome and wear some togas.
Soon you'll never want to sleep.

You'll find magic, romance, vampires too
And other creatures with skin that's blue.
You can learn to knit or fly a plane
Or find some help to keep you sane.
You can read a story or one that's true.

You can learn about history
Or pick up a new mystery.
Read about the nature of birds.
Read anything with words.
How about The Old Man and the Sea?

So when you say that you are bored,
Please don't leave those books ignored.
Expand your mind. Have some fun.
Read a book out in the sun.
And soon those books will be adored.

I Am Not Fine

I followed NaPoWriMo's prompt for Day 8 of National Poetry Month: rewriting a famous poem with my own spin. I chose Langston Hughes' poem Life is Fine.


I Am Not Fine
By Candace Shultz

I went down to the basement,
I sat down on the floor.
I tried to see but couldn't
Because someone shut the door.

I stood up and I hollered.
I stumbled towards the stairs.
If I hadn't known where a flashlight was
I'd still be unawares.

It was Dark in that basement! It was dark!

I climbed to the kitchen
Ten stairs above the basement.
I opened the door to see
The ghost of my mean old aunt.

I turned around and hollered!
I ran back down the stairs!
If I hadn't opened the door
I'd still be unawares.

But she's so scary! She's so scary!

So since I'm still here sitting,
I guess I will just starve.
I could've run outside,
But I didn't have the nerve.

Because no one will hear me holler
And my life has gone awry,
My aunt will surely make me
Stay here until I die.

Let me out! Out from here! Let me out!

Blackout Poetry - Hurry

I joined another swap at swap-bot that involved writing blackout poetry. The theme for this poem is ENERGY. And since it is National Poetry Month, I decided to use it for today's post.

I based my blackout poem on L. Frank Baum's book The Wizard of OZ, more specifically page 88.

My poem is titled "Hurry."

This is how I imagine the poem would look if I'd written it out.

Hurry

By Candace Shultz

"Hurry," he said.

She forgot 

where

she was

and fell fast asleep.

He was troubled.

He bounded forward

as fast as he could

and picked up the dog,

then made for the sand.

Nursery Rhymes

My husband told me to write a nursery rhyme, so I attempted two. I based my rhyming scheme and rhythm on nursery rhymes like Little Miss Muffet and Jack and Jill.

Daisy the Lion

By Candace Shultz

Daisy the lion

Just wouldn't stop crying.

She stubbed her pinky toe.

A mouse scurried by,

Bravely gave comfort a try,

And wrapped her paw in a bow. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lily the Child

By Candace Shultz

Lily the child

Went very wild

And ran around the room.

Her mom calmed her down

With a fierce frown

Until Lily yelled, "Vroom vroom!"

The Sound of Water

I attempted to write a "golden shovel" poem based on the Day 5 prompt at NaPoWriMo. You can find out more information about this type of poetry at the NaPoWriMo website. My poem was inspired by "Old Pond," a famous haiku poem written by Matsuo Basho. The last word of each line in my poem is a word from Basho's poem:

The old pond-

a frog jumps in,

the sound of water.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Sound of Water

By Candace Shultz

I see my daughter splash in the

puddle and remember the old

days when I splashed in a pond;

So I ask her if she wants to go to a

pond, and she says, "Can we see a frog

that might be a prince?" We arrive, and she jumps

like the frog, landing in -

side the water. At least she didn't kiss the

frog and imagine the sound

of a hungry snake in fields of

poppy flowers. She's happier in the water. 

Let the Day Begin

Day 4 of National Poetry Month

Let the Day Begin

By Candace Shultz

Every morning when I wake

I have just a few breaths to take

before I hear your crying voice,

giving me no other choice

but to get out of bed to pee

and then go to your room to see

your PJs off and diaper down,

"Mama, up" your only sound.

I clean you up and get you dressed.

Then I hold you to my chest.

I breathe the scent of your baby skin,

just pausing a moment to take it all in,

until you squirm and demand to eat,

so I set you back on your feet.

Throughout the day I cook and clean.

I flick off boogers from my jeans.

I wipe you down from head to toe.

Where all the dirt comes from, I don't know.

We play with blocks and puzzles and dolls.

I try to prevent you from taking falls.

We dance, we sing, we jump, we spin.

Then I take the garbage to the bin.

I read to you a hundred times,

Dr. Seuss with all his rhymes.

When you whine or throw a fit,

I still love you. I'll never quit.

But I want to get some rest,

to calm down, and to be my best.

Perfection I will never attain,

but I need to fill your brain

with knowledge, love, morals too.

What's a mom supposed to do?

At the end of the day, I tuck you in.

I give you kisses with a grin.

I turn out your light and say goodnight

while you talk until I'm out of sight.

And though I'm tired, I still try to clean.

I think about my little queen.

Did I do right by her today?

Did we get enough time to play?

Was I nice or was I mean?

Did I let her watch too much screen?

I pray to be a good mom for her.

I hope to be the best for my daughter.

And when I finally go to bed,

I close my eyes and rest my head.

I fall asleep in my husband's arms

only to wake to the next morning's alarms.

Then I hear a little voice say "Mama."

I go to your room and see no pajamas.

I clean you up and get you dressed.

Then I hold you tight to my chest. 

I pause a moment to breathe you in.

Then I let the day begin.

A Charm to Put Your Baby to Sleep

For today's poem I followed the prompt from NaPoWriMo (If you are interested in writing poetry or in participating with National Poetry Month, you should check out the NaPoWriMo website.) - I wrote a rhyming poem in the form of a charm. 

A Charm to Put Your Baby to Sleep

By Candace Shultz

Jammies with some kitties,

Milk from many cities,

A book you've never read,

And a stuffed animal for the bed -

A hug and kiss will do,

With some pleading thrown in too.

A Pill is My Salvation

A Pill is My Salvation

By Candace Shultz

It stings.

It hurts.

It makes me want to cry.

It burns.

I blink.

My tears fall off the brink.

I rub my eyes,

heave a sigh,

and then I get a drink.

A pill is my salvation.

My allergies are bothering me a lot today.

April - National Poetry Month 2014

It's April, and that means it's National Poetry Month! Last April I shared a poem a day to celebrate National Poetry Month. I'd like to do that again this year.

Here is my first poem of the month:

Gnomes or Holmes

By Candace Shultz

Hooray, I say!

Let's end the day

with a poem I've written for you.

Hurrah or pshaw,

whether fun or blah blah,

the choice is up to you.

Let's write some poems

about gnomes or Holmes.

Who cares? Just as long as you do. 

March - A Month of Madness

I have been so busy lately that I haven't posted anything recently. Let me tell you what I've been working on.

I'm super excited to announce that I'm self publishing my first children's book. It's called Copycat Baby, and it's about a baby who acts like a cat. Right now it's in the proof stage, but I hope to have it published by the end of May. 

I also prepared some of my poems to be published in a poetry anthology. I'll tell you more about the anthology when it's closer to being published.

I mentioned the story about friendship a few months ago. My sister and I put it aside for a little while to concentrate on publishing some of our other stories, but I'm working on it again, so hopefully you'll be hearing more about that story soon.

I've begun a new poetry project inspired by a prompt from my poetry group No Direction Home: I have to choose a song and write different lyrics to it while keeping the same title. I've chosen On My Own from Les Miserables.

In addition to writing, I've also been editing again. I've been working on Cassandra Miller's stories and poetry. She's also self publishing some of her work. 

If that's not enough to keep a person busy, I'm also learning how to drive. I got my provisional license and am searching for a driving instructor. I hope to start lessons soon. In the meantime, I've been studying to prepare for the theory test.

March has been a busy and exciting month. April will be just as busy, especially since it's National Poetry Month. I will be sharing new poetry with you! Look for new posts soon.