Encounter in the Rose Garden (a cento)

For the final day of NaPoWrimo, I followed the prompt to write a cento, which takes lines from other poems to form a new poem. I changed capitalization and punctuation from original texts to better fit my poem, but I made sure to annotate where I found each line of poetry (scroll to the bottom of this post to see the annotated version.) 

Encounter in the Rose Garden

By Candace Shultz

The rose is a rose
It gives a lovely light
You turned in the light, your eyes
In icy fields
It feels cruel. Something in me isn’t ready

Though I have trouble imagining what that could be

The world is at least fifty percent terrible

This place could be beautiful

Making it easier for us to breathe

Open your eyes to water
Warm the earth
Here’s a new morning

Breathe

Encounter in the Rose Garden [Annotated]

By Candace Shultz

The rose is a rose

    [Robert Frost, "The Rose Family"] 

It gives a lovely light

    [Edna St. Vincent Millay, "First Fig"]

You turned in the light, your eyes

    [Rita Dove, "Happenstance"]

In icy fields

    [Naomi Shihab Nye, "300 Goats"]

It feels cruel. Something in me isn’t ready

    [Karina Borowicz, "September Tomatoes"]

Though I have trouble imagining what that could be

    [Chen Chen, "Self-Portrait as So Much Potential"]

The world is at least fifty percent terrible 

    [Maggie Smith, "Good Bones"]

This place could be beautiful

    [Maggie Smith, "Good Bones"]

Making it easier for us to breathe

    [Ross Gay, "A Small Needful Fact"]

Open your eyes to water

    [Lucille Clifton, "blessing the boats"]

Warm the earth

    [Nikki Giovanni, "BLK History Month"]

Here’s a new morning

    [Lia Purpura, "Resolution"]

Breathe

    [Lia Purpura, "Resolution"]

A Blessing and a Curse

Today's prompt was to write a poem about gifts I received at birth as well as a curse I've lived with (as inspired by the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty). I decided to write a tanka poem, and chose just one gift and one curse. 

A Blessing and a Curse
By Candace Shultz

A baby born, blessed

with her Mama's love, but cursed

to lose her father

at a young age, not through death

but through lack of him caring.

Anger

Anger

By Candace Shultz

To the anger rising

Let yourself feel it

Let your head hurt

Let your blood boil

Let your voice be heard

Don't bury it in darkness

Don't hide it inside yourself

Let it breathe

Then let it go

Release it gently

And fill yourself

With light

I Am the Author of My Life

Today's NaPoWriMo prompt is to write a concrete poem, or a shape poem.  

I Am the Author of My Life
By Candace Shultz

I 

a m

t h e

a u t h o r

of my life.

I  write the

r u l e s.   I

decide   who

 will   be  the   

characters 

in  my book.

When   life

throws     a

few curves,

I  turn it into

a  plot point.

From   there

I     choose

which  path

to       take.

And  when I 

make  some

  m i s t a k e s, 

after  all  I

am    only

human,  then

I   will  use

my   eraser

and     f i x 

t  h  o s e

  m i s t a k e s, 

I can always 

begin again 

b e c a u s e 

I   am   the 

author   o f 

  m y   l i f e.  

Succumbing to Sleep

Today I wrote a duplex poem. You can read about the NaPoWriMo prompt here, which tells you more about how to write a duplex poem and gives some examples of duplex poetry.

Succumbing to Sleep

By Candace Shultz

In the blink of an eye
Two hours have gone by.

Those two hours just disappeared,

Lost to the land of dreams;

Though I do not remember dreaming,

Only the brief moments of waking up.

I tried to wake up again and again.

My eyes blinked open, but my body stayed still.

My body did not want to move,

So my eyes closed once more.

When my eyes shut out the light

I drifted back into the void with no dreams,

And in the void two hours flew by

In the blink of an eye.

Cold Awakening

Today's NaPoWriMo prompt is to write a poem using an epic simile (long similes used over multiple lines).

Cold Awakening

By Candace Shultz

The warm blankets disappeared,

Pulled back by strong masculine arms,

And suddenly she felt so cold

As though she'd fallen into a frozen lake,

The ice solidifying once again

So she couldn't escape the frigid water.

Her body shook violently in the bed.

Goosebumps pricked her arms 

And the tiny hairs stood up on her skin

As she fought to stay warm

And escape the freezing waters

Of her half-awakened dreams.

Two Tanka Poems

Today I wrote two tanka poems. A tanka poem has 5 lines with a syllable count of 5-7-5-7-7. The first line has 5 syllables, the second has 7 syllables, the third has 5 syllables, and the last two lines each have 7 syllables. I hope you enjoy my poems!

The Gray Cat
By Candace Shultz

A gray cat goes out

To explore new sights and smells.

She sniffs a red wasp.

It stings her paw. The cat flips

In the air and runs inside.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Storm is Foretold

By Candace Shultz

Gray skies this morning

A smell of earth in the air

Rain will be here soon

A cool breeze blows through the trees

Whispering of storms to come

I Can't Write a Poem Today

Today is Day 24 of NaPoWriMo. Although I am excited to be writing poetry every day this month, some days feel harder than others. Today is one of those days where I feel uninspired. I started writing several poems and nothing felt right, so I deleted all of those attempts at poetry and decided to just let loose and be silly. Then I finally created this poem:

I Can't Write a Poem Today

By Candace Shultz

I can't write a poem today

because today is Sunday

because I wrote one yesterday

because the sky is gray

because I'd rather play

because I don't want to stay

and write and write away

for the 24th day.

Floral Planner

Today I attempted to write in the style of Kay Ryan. You can see the prompt I followed here and an example of Kay Ryan's poetry here.

Floral Planner

By Candace Shultz

Pink petals

on paper

decorate

my otherwise

bland planner.

Blue leaves,

not green,

form a banner

with the flowers

across the bottom

of the cover.

Being organized

doesn't mean I

have to be

boring.

Dancing in the Trees

Today's NaPoWriMo prompt said to use repetition, so in my poem I repeat the imagery of bright green leaves.

Dancing in the Trees

By Candace Shultz

Leaves green and bright

Dance in the sunlight,

Swaying to the sound

Of musical wind chimes.

The wind sighs at such a sight

And weaves through the trees,

Wanting to dance too

With the leaves green and bright.

The chimes sing louder

As the wind dances faster

Swirling, spinning, falling

With the leaves bright and green

Until they both settle on the ground

Breathless and happy.

The chimes fall silent

And all is serene.

Fading Friendships

I started this poem with the intention of following today's NaPoWriMo prompt ("first recall someone you used to know closely but are no longer in touch with, then a job you used to have but no longer do, and then a piece of art that you saw once and that has stuck with you over time. Finally, close the poem with an unanswerable question."), but I felt my poem was done before I even reached the "piece of art" part. So I only half-followed the prompt. I hope you enjoy my poem. 

Fading Friendships

By Candace Shultz

Her name is but a fleeting memory in my mind,

Though once she meant so much to me:

Childhood friends who did everything together,

Forming a bond we thought would never be broken.

But life has a way of moving forward,

Sometimes leaving the ones you love behind.

Moving from home to home you make many memories

With many different people. Some you love dearly.

Some you only give a passing thought.

I barely remember all the people I've met growing up

Except the few who left deep impressions in my heart,

And even those few have flitted away to years gone by.

I am walking on a carousel of my past

Collecting memories from my friends

Like collecting tickets from the park guests

But I still have to jump off that ride while it's moving

And as I pass them by, they blur and fade away

Leaving behind only their names and memories.

Sometimes I wonder what life would be like

Standing still in one place, one town, one home.

Never moving, never leaving, never losing the memories

Or the people who care about you in the moments of their lives.

But that is just a fleeting thought, as short-lived

As my fading memories of all the people I've left behind.

Queen Apple

The prompt today for NaPoWriMo challenged me to anthropomorphize a food in my poem, so I decided to write a haiku from the point of view of an apple.

Queen Apple

By Candace Shultz

I am beautiful.

I am round and clothed in red.

Treat me like a queen.

Do Not Sleep the Day Away

Today's NaPoWriMo prompt challenged me to start my poem with a command. Since I'm having a sleepy morning, I decided to start my poem by commanding myself to wake up. 

Mochi Mochi cats - Image from Google search

Do Not Sleep the Day Away

By Candace Shultz

Wake up!

Do not fall asleep.

Resist the pull of heavy eyes

And the temptation of your bed.

Come on, sleepyhead.

Brew a cup of coffee.

Walk around the block.

Go out to meet a friend.

But do not sit in your comfy chair

Because sleep will find you there.

Resist the urge to nap.

Pull open the blinds,

And let the morning light in.

You just need to try.

Don't let life pass you by.

Let Nature Be Your Guide

Today I followed the prompt to provide 5 answers to a single question without revealing the question. Can you guess the question?

Let Nature Be Your Guide

By Candace Shultz

Listen to the breeze

Whispering in your ear.

It will tell you.

Feel the warmth of the sun

As it kisses your upturned face.

Can you feel it?

Smell the blossoming flowers.

Observe the beauty of their petals

And partake in their offered peace.

Taste the fruits and veggies of the Earth.

Let the bounty of all creation

Nourish your beautiful body.

Look at your reflection in a river.

Toss a pebble and watch the ripples.

When the water clears, then you will see.

To the Friendly Dog on the Pecan Colored Fence

Today's NaPoWriMo prompt has me writing about dogs. This particular poem is about a dog that loves to sit high on a fence and bark at everyone, whether they are driving a car, riding their bike, or walking nearby. I like to think this dog is friendly and just wants to say hello. 

To the Friendly Dog on the Pecan Colored Fence

By Candace Shultz

Sometimes you startle me when I walk by you

On my way to take the kids to school.

The loud noises you make can be surprising.

Sometimes you make me smile to see you there

On top of the fence every day greeting me 

And everyone else who walks by your yard.

You must love people, or maybe you are lonely?

Do you want a friend to say hello to you?

You never try to jump down from your high perch.

You never chase the kids or the cars.

You never bite or growl.

You just sit there on the fence

And bark to all who will listen.

Well, friend, I hear you, and I say hello. 

Early Rising

Today's NaPoWriMo prompt was to write a curtal sonnet, which has 11 lines (the last line being shorter than the others) and a rhyme scheme of ABCABC DBCDC. I tried my best to use iambic pentameter like in traditional sonnets.

Early Rising

By Candace Shultz

She woke in bed to hear a noisy thing.

She turned her head to look with bleary eyes

And grabbed her phone to check on her alarm,

But not a sound was made. She heard no ring.

She really didn't want to wake and rise

Until a little hand did hold her arm.

"I'm hungry!" sang the voice of her dear son,

And even though he woke before sunrise

She knew she'd never want to bring him harm,

So up from bed she rose and watched him run

With energetic charm.

A Sleepy Haiku

A Sleepy Haiku

By Candace Shultz

I sat at my desk

lulled to sleep by the sounds of

a 3D printer

Blackout Poetry - Dance to Remember

Today I wrote a blackout poem. Blackout poetry is when you find a page from a book, article, newspaper, etc., and then black out certain words on the page. The words you can still see become your poem. This is a type of found poetry. I chose page 148 in the book Hocus Pocus & The All-New Sequel written by A. W. Jantha.

After I blacked out the words I didn't want in my poem, the page looked like this:

The words you see on the blacked out page are now my poem. I rewrote the poem below to show how I'd format it on a page, adding punctuation and changing capitalization, and I added a title. 

Dance to Remember

By Candace Shultz

I whirl and jump.

I was there - 

Being remembered,

Fluttering,

Dancing.

Yes, 

I remember it

Like it was yesterday.

Grinning.

Dancing a spell.

I turn,

Try to concentrate,

And wander off softly.

 

You Are Enough

For Day 13 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt wanted me to write a poem about good fortune or the possibility of good things in the future. This is my take on that prompt.

You Are Enough

By Candace Shultz

I'm just not feeling it today.

I can't chase the blues away.

I'm glassy-eyed.

I just want to hide

in my bed and sleep

or maybe just steep

in all my sorrows.

Would anyone care

if I'm not there?

I'm alone anyway,

a castaway

shipwrecked

and bedecked

with fears.

Will You hold my hand

so I can stand

under the weight of my own mind?

Will You be so kind

to pour from Your loving cup

and lift me up

with words of affirmation?

Lord, on days like these

when I can't see through the trees

and I feel no light shining on me,

I just pray to be happy.

Please dispel my fears

and heal my tears

and remind me of my worth.

Through You I can do anything.

I can dance. I can sing.

I can write words of poetry.

I can be free

of the devouring dark

and rekindle the spark

of my humanity.

I will rise and I will know

that there is always a tomorrow.

Even if I'm sad today,

these feelings aren't here to stay.

I won't hide in my bed.

I'll tell myself instead,

"You are enough."

Bon Appétit

In following with the prompt to write about a very small thing, I decided to write a limerick about a bug today. 

Bon Appétit

By Candace Shultz

There once was a bug on the floor.

It hid in the dark by the door.

My cat found it quick

And gave it a lick,

Then looked in the corner for more.

Big Ego

Today for NaPoWriMo, the prompt challenged me to write a poem about a very large thing, so I chose to write about a very large ego. 

Big Ego

By Candace Shultz

You are so full of yourself.

You talk about how good you look,

How you're a gift to all women,

How brilliant you are,

How you're smarter than anyone you know.

But I just see a body bulging

With an air of self importance.

Your brain is so full 

Of the words me, myself, and I

That your head has gotten too big.

If I prick you with a needle, will you pop?

Will your ego fall to the floor?

Will you scramble to pick it up?

Be careful of your reflection

Or you too shall fade away

While pining for yourself.

When Lovers Say Goodbye

Today's prompt is a love poem. 

When Lovers Say Goodbye

By Candace Shultz

A lingering kiss

A soft sigh

A warm embrace

A sweet goodbye

Tears hidden 

She needs to hold on

One last glimpse

Then he's gone

Her tears fall

Down her face 

Her heart breaks

In that place

Time doesn't heal

the hurt in her heart

But she keeps it together

She won't fall apart

Months down the road

She will see him once more

Her happiness will return

Her heart will soar

A warm embrace

A lingering kiss

A soft sigh

A moment of bliss

Paint with Love

Today's prompt is to write a nonet, which is a poem with nine lines. The first line has 9 syllables, the second 8 syllables, and so on until the last line that has 1 syllable. I had a lot of fun splatter painting with my family today, which inspired me to write this poem.

Paint with Love

By Candace Shultz

Our love is like a splatter painting:

messy, but bright and beautiful;

full of colors, full of life.

The more we add to the

blank canvas, the more

vibrant it will

be. Paint your

love with

me.

The Garden at House 666

Inspired by National Poetry Month, my daughter decided to write a poem of her own. 

The Garden at House 666

Spiky vines 

blanket the ground,

A Venus fly trap 

the size of a car,

Black tomatoes 

way past their date,

The willow tree 

moans at night,

Weeds cover 

the grassless dirt,

Brown mushrooms 

move themselves to the nearest corner,

Piles and piles of shriveled up apples,

And to make this horrifying scene even worse,

Fuzzy caterpillars and moths roam

all over.

Sloth

I felt tired and sluggish this afternoon, which inspired me to write this short and sweet couplet poem. 

Sloth

By Candace Shultz

Sleepy little sloth up in a tree, 

In another life that would be me.

Rain

Rain

By Candace Shultz

Gray clouds and raindrops

Feet hurry over sidewalks

A trampled flower

Dance with a Fire in Your Heart

Today I wrote an acrostic poem, but instead of spelling out a word with the first letter of each line, I inserted a quote with the first word of each line. You can see the prompt I followed here. The quote is well known, but I'm not actually sure who said/wrote it because there were several different answers on Google.

Dance like no one's watching.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Sing like no one's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

____________________________________

Dance with a Fire in Your Heart

By Candace Shultz

Dance with passion in the rain
Like there's a fire in your heart that
No one can put out but yourself.
One's own dream should not be quenched by those
Watching and waiting for you to fail.

Love every victory and even the failures.
Like that they bring you closer to your goal.
You've worked so hard to fan the flames.
Never let your fire go out even if the storms have
Been beating you down into embers. Don't let them
Hurt you forever. Rise up again.

Sing about your successes in all places,
Like in the shower alone or in a crowded street.
No matter if you're surrounded by people or if no
One's there, be proud of yourself and your dream.
Listening to your heart will bring you closer to the stars.

Live with joy in your heart and peace in your mind,
Like a steady flame that does not flicker.
It's only a matter of time before
Heaven fills your soul with satisfaction
On a dream achieved. We have only one time on
Earth. Let yourself dance, love, sing, and live.

Unseen

I was trying to follow a prompt to write a poem about a mythical person doing something unusual for their character, and this is the poem that I wrote while thinking about Harley Quinn. Joker can be so cruel to her, yet she still loves him. I can imagine sometimes she'd feel so alone and unloved by him.

Unseen

By Candace Shultz

She sits alone on a bench,

Hiding in the shadows of her thoughts,

Feeling unworthy and unloved.

Her downcast eyes stare unseeing.

Her hair covers her face and hides her tears.

She hears his hateful voice ringing in her ears.

Soon the sun descends as the darkness rises,

And she still sits there alone,

Feeling unseen.

A Poetry Prompt in April

Today I was challenged to write a poetry prompt at napowrimo.net as inspired by the poet Mathias Svalina on Instagram. I enjoyed writing this poem! I hope you enjoy reading it too. 

 

A Poetry Prompt in April

By Candace Shultz

Dig a hole in your backyard.

Then sprinkle it with seeds.

Cover the hole with earth again.

Then give it what it needs:

Lots of sun, water too,

Conversation, and some food.

For if you take good care of it,

There will be a multitude

Of flowers growing in your yard.

And when the pollen is set free

Your ideas will be released

And turn into poetry.

Why Didn't I Stop to Take a Rest?

Today I have written a glosa (you can find more information about how to write a glosa here) as prompted by Day 3 of NaPoWriMo. My poem was inspired by Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for Death." 

Why Didn't I Stop to Take a Rest?

By Candace Shultz

 

Because I could not stop for Death –
He kindly stopped for me –
The Carriage held but just Ourselves –
And Immortality.
- Emily Dickinson

I didn't want to stop and rest

I didn't even try

Because there was too much to do

I barely closed my eyes

I moved from task to task nonstop

Not caring for my health

From work to school to home again

Just living for my wealth

I did not pause to take a breath

Because I could not stop for Death –

One morning I could not get up

I couldn't rise from bed

A heavy stone lay on my chest

My heart filled up with dread

My body ached from head to toe

The pain I couldn't flee

And when I tried to raise my head

A shadow I did see

Not stopping for Death guaranteed

He kindly stopped for me –

He stepped closer to me in bed.

I closed my eyes in fear,

But then he spoke to me so kind, 

"You'll be okay, my dear."

I dared to look at him again,

Not feeling like myself

As my hand took his and he lifted

Me, walking past my bookshelf.

He carried me to the car himself.

The Carriage held but just Ourselves –

Life didn't flash before my eyes,

Only my question why

Didn't I stop to take a rest.

Why didn't I even try?

Why did I care so much for wealth?

I was too blind to see.

I looked at Death right by my side

And he looked back at me.

In his eyes I saw sympathy

And Immortality. 

Sundust

Today's NaPoWriMo prompt was to "write a poem based on a word featured in a tweet from Haggard Hawks." I chose the word sundust for my poem.

Sundust

By Candace Shultz

Sundust shines in a beam of light,

Whirling, dancing, floating on air.

I catch a glimpse of them

When the bright sun casts a spotlight

Through my window into my bedroom.

Then a cloud passes over, casting a shadow,

And the motes disappear from my view,

Silently swirling away unseen. 

Just Beautiful

Today is the first day of NaPoWriMo 2022! Every day in April I will be writing a poem, sometimes following prompts from napowrimo.net and sometimes coming up with a poem all on my own with no prompts. Today I followed a prompt to write a prose poem about the body, involving two people, some spoken dialogue, and at least one crisp image. My prose poem is about a mother's self body image. 

Just Beautiful
By Candace Shultz

She stepped out of the shower, her body glistening, water droplets clinging to her skin. She grabbed her blue towel and dabbed at her face and breasts, then dried her arms and legs and back. She bent over letting her wet hair dangle towards the bath mat. She wrapped her hair tightly in the towel and stood straight, her body now dry and still naked. She walked to the bathroom door and stood in front of a full mirror. She looked at her breasts, not as perky as they used to be. She looked at her stomach, one big pouch full of tiger stripes. She looked at her thick thighs and wide hips and... "Mama?" A young girl's voice broke into the woman's thoughts. "Yes?" She replied. "Don't we look pretty?" Her daughter asked. So she looked at her daughter dressed in pajamas with her hair in a towel turban, and she smiled. "Yes, baby, just beautiful, you and I."