Excited

Today is the last day of NaPoWriMo 2023! The prompt today is "to write a palinode – a poem in which you retract a view or sentiment expressed in an earlier poem." My palinode retracts the sentiment I expressed in my poem "Afraid," which I will write again here so both poems can be seen on the same page. My palinode poem is titled "Excited."

Afraid

By Candace Shultz

She stopped dead

Anxious

Afraid

to see him

to leave him

not to leave him

Not daring to stay

She ran

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Excited
By Candace Shultz

She ran towards him
Happy

Excited

to see him

to be with him

always to be with him

Not wanting to leave

She stopped

She wrapped her arms around him

And rested her head

Hot Dogs, Beans, and Macaroni

Today's NaPoWriMo prompt is as follows: write a "two-part poem that focuses on a food or type of meal. At some point in the poem, describe the food or meal as if it were a specific kind of person. Give the food/meal at least one line of spoken dialogue." At first glance, I felt this was a very challenging prompt, but I decided to give it a try. I chose to write about a meal my mom used to make called hot dogs, beans, and macaroni. She'd boil the macaroni noodles, boil the hot dogs and then slice them up, and heat up the baked beans. Then she would mix them all together in one pot. I still love this meal even as an adult, and I introduced it to my children who love it as well. 

Hot Dogs, Beans, and Macaroni
By Candace Shultz

1.

Hot dogs, beans, and macaroni:
Some people would say they
Are better eaten alone, individually,
Hot dogs with their buns,
Baked beans on the side,
Macaroni with its cheese.
But one day, it's like they said,
Hey, let's mix it up and party!
Hot dogs ditched their bread.
Macaroni left the cheese behind.
And baked beans just dived right in.
The beans always do just go with the flow.
They coat everything with their sauciness.

2.

Hot dogs, beans, and macaroni.
They are a resilient mix.
They are like a poor man
Making the best of a hard situation.
Many people don't like it
When these foods mingle together.
Some won't even try it,
The idea too unfathomable.
But for others, they carry fond memories
Of eating dinner with their mom and siblings.
They carry on the tradition
With their own children
To the consternation of their spouses
With more refined tastes.
But when they ask their children
What they want for dinner, they say,
Hot dogs, beans, and macaroni!

Chocolate Index

The NaPoWriMo prompt for today was to write an index poem, whether found in an actual index or one I invent on my own. I wasn't inspired by the few indexes I have at home, so I decided to make up my own index poem. 

Chocolate Index
By Candace Shultz

Awesome flavor
Beware of heat
    melts in hands
Candy bar favorites
    Almond Joy
    Kit Kat
    Reese's
    Snickers
Delicious
Eat it when
    depressed
    happy
    hungry
    in the pantry
    kids aren't aware
    watching TV
Fudge
Gives joy 
Hot cocoa
I want to eat chocolate now
Just one piece
Kisses
    Bite sized
    Can't just eat one
Let me have some now!
Melts in your mouth
Never leave home without it
Out of chocolate
    Ask a friend
    Go to store
    Send husband to get more
    Trick-or-treating
Pairs well with
    graham crackers
    marshmallows
    mint
    peanut butter
    strawberries
    try it on everything
Questions
    Do I savor it for myself?
    Do I share?
Rich taste
Scrumptious
Tempting
Unwrapping
    Fast if eating it all at once
    Slow if saving some for later
Voracious appetite
Will love it forever
Xocolatl
    Aztec hot chocolate
    slightly bitter
    spicy
Yummy
Zealous for chocolate

Now that I've finished my poem, please excuse me while I go into my pantry and eat some chocolate.

Nature's Tranquility

Nature's Tranquility
By Candace Shultz

We're always rushing, running, moving, never stopping.

Let's slow down time, take notice, and enjoy life.

Do you see the spider spinning its web

Between the two wooden slats of your porch?

Do you see the yellow butterfly fluttering its wings

As it settles on a flower in the grass?

Feel the soft breeze as it caresses your skin

And the sunshine as it warms your body.

Listen to the birds' greetings in the morning

And the crickets as they call out to each other,

A constant buzzing sound that fills the air.

Listen to the wind chimes with their gentle tinkling tone.

Smell the sweet fragrance of purple mountain laurel

(If it doesn't make you sneeze)

Or the warm and floral scent of blue bonnets in the spring.

Take a deep breath of fresh air,

Slow your footsteps, and quiet your mind.

Let nature bring its peace as you unwind.

Candle

Candle

By Candace Shultz

My mother is a candle,

A light in the darkness

That leads me to the right path.

I  need not fear what I can't see,

What I don't understand.

She is a light burning bright,

A beacon to always lead me home.

With her, I am never alone.

Silence in the Waiting

Silence in the Waiting

By Candace Shultz

There is silence in the waiting,

But it's a loud silence.

Even though their mouths don't move,

Their thoughts still shout.

Their tense bodies tell a story.

A foot tapping, arms crossed,

Brows furrowed with worry,

Someone pacing the floor,

Others sitting with their phones out,

Drowning their thoughts with distractions.

The silence is broken when a doctor appears.

Expectant faces look up.

A name is spoken.

A woman stands up and rushes forward,

Questions already on her lips.

They disappear through a door.

Faces look back down at their phones.

The man paces the floor.

A hush falls in the room.

There is silence in the waiting once more.

A Drummer Review

The NaPoWriMo prompt for today is to write a review on something that isn't normally reviewed in the form of a poem. Since I've had a headache for the past two days, I decided to write my review on just that. 

A Drummer Review

By Candace Shultz 

A drummer has taken up residence in my head.

Sometimes she keeps a low steady beat, 

but, more often than not,

her cymbals clash discordantly,

leaving a wince on my face.

The best part of her performance

is when she pauses or stops playing,

leaving a peaceful silence,

which is a beautiful sound to my ears

and a brief respite to my brain.

Alas, I cannot say I enjoy this

drummer's talent, or lack thereof,

and I think it best if she vacate

the premises. If not, she should

at least take on a different profession.

Perhaps relaxing yoga? 

Thunderstorm

 Thunder booms, rumbling
footsteps hurry, and lightning
reveals a scared face.

In a Lull

 No inspiration
today, just a rocking chair
lulling me to sleep.

Coffee - a Cinquain

 Coffee,

It keeps me sane

in the early morning.

Don't talk to me until it wakes

me up.

Courage

The prompt for NaPoWriMo today had me choose an abstract noun from a list, use that word for my title, write only short lines in my poem, and use at least one word that I invented. I chose the word courage for my title.

Courage

By Candace Shultz

Take a tiny

step 

then 

another

One foot

in  

front

of the 

other

Until 

you 

make 

progress

No 

matter

how 

small

Be 

brave

Be

thoughtacting

- Only 

good

thoughts -

Open 

the 

door

Step 

outside

Even 

with

pounding 

heart

And

racing 

pulse

Be 

courageous

And 

face 

The 

world!

For Lease

I had a dental appointment today, and since I was a little bit early, I decided to sit in my car for 10 minutes. While sitting in my car, I noticed a For Lease sign on one of the shop windows. It was dark and empty in the middle of all these other shops bustling with activity. And thus, my poem was born.

For Lease

By Candace Shultz

Amidst the brightness

of the sun, it's bathed

in darkness, empty,

alone, waiting 

for someone to

turn on the lights,

to fill it with purpose.

It wants to be wanted.

It needs to be needed.

If only for a little while.

Rather a brief moment 

of happiness than forever

empty and alone.

The Pathway to Forever

The Pathway to Forever 

By Candace Shultz

The story that leads to forever

is of the One that brings you life.

Others may guide you on your path

and encourage you when you fall,

but sometimes you'll feel alone

and despair will bring you to your knees.

Brambles will block your way.

They will cut you, and you will bleed.

But if you prevail on your path,

your soul will rejoice and flourish

as you continue to believe.

He will always be beside you,

the forever that you need.

Blackout Poetry - Afraid

I am sharing a blackout poem I created today. I used page 225 from Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly. 

Here is my blackout poem as it looks on the original page:

This is how I would write my poem:

Afraid

By Candace Shultz

She stopped dead

Anxious

Afraid

to see him

to leave him

not to leave him

Not daring to stay

She ran

Haiku Poetry Day

April 17 is International Haiku Poetry Day, so I wanted to share a haiku I wrote today.

Swaying side to side

Flowers in a gentle breeze

Baby falls asleep

Picking Strawberries

Today is Day 17 of NaPoWriMo! I followed the prompt to write a poem involving "a specific variety of edible plant," using at least one repeated phrase, and comparing the lifespan of the plant with my own lifespan. This seemed a daunting task for me, but I think I mostly met the requirements of the prompt.

Picking Strawberries
By Candace Shultz

Years ago under a hot Pennsylvanian sun,
I walked through rows of June-bearing
strawberries, careful not to step on even one.
My brother and sisters kneeled nearby,
their fingers plucking strawberries from leaves,
placing their prizes in half-filled baskets.
Our mom stood close, watching our endeavors,
sweat glistening on her forehead from early summer heat.
At last I spotted a bright red strawberry nestled
under green leaves. I plucked it carefully
and placed it gently in my basket, warmth
on my skin and in my heart, and I continued
to search for the next sweet strawberry among the leaves.

Fifteen years later, three times the life of that 
June-bearing strawberry plant from years ago,
I stood under a hot English sun, watching
my daughter walk through a different field,
so many rows of Vibrant strawberries ready
to be plucked by small eager hands. She kneeled
nearby me with her basket half-filled with sweet
red strawberries, her blue-brimmed hat shielding
her young face from the burning June sun.
Sweat glistened on my forehead from early summer heat.
I felt the familiar warmth on my skin and in my heart
as I watched her place another strawberry
in her basket and as she continued to search
for the next sweet strawberry among the leaves.

Love

Today's prompt was to write a poem that "describes something in terms of what it is not...like." I decided to write two tankas to form my poem. A tanka poem is similar to a haiku except it has 5 lines with the syllable count as 5/7/5/7/7 for each line.

Love 

By Candace Shultz

Love is not anger.

Love is not fear. Love is not

ignoring the needs

of your beloved. It's not

jealous, hateful, filled with greed.

Instead, love is kind

and patient. It's listening

to your beloved,

trusting in their words, caring

about all the little things.

Left at Sea

I am not sure if I followed the NaPoWriMo prompt exactly, but my poem is definitely inspired by the prompt to write about a person who is supposed to be admirable, but who I've always had my doubts about. My poem is about my father who passed away last year. 

Left at Sea
By Candace Shultz

He was supposed to be my hero,
My compass in the sea,
A man to judge all men by,
The one who'd stand by me.

He was supposed to be my father,
A constant in my life,
A man who'd always love me
And never cause me strife.

But how can he be my hero
When he left me out at sea
To navigate the waters
Alone as I could be?

How can he be my father
When he was never even there?
For many years I've wondered,
Did he even care?

A father should be with his daughter
And watch her as she grows.
He should love her and guide her,
But he didn't want to, I suppose.

Time stretched between us
Until one day he did die,
And sometimes I still regret
We never said goodbye.

Did he ever love me?
I guess I'll never know,
But I've decided to forgive him
And try to finally let him go.

Nothing Dark Can Stay

I followed the NaPoWriMo prompt today to write a satire or parody of a famous poem. My poem is inspired by Robert Frost's poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay." I will share his poem here first, followed by my poem. 

Nothing Gold Can Stay
By Robert Frost

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Nothing Dark Can Stay

By Candace Shultz

The day turns into night,

Black, the absence of light.

But we use that time to sleep;

Only hours does it keep.

Then light begins to shine,

The day renewed, divine.

So night turns back to day.

Nothing dark can stay.

Original Sin

Today I followed a prompt to write a poem that "follows the beats of a classic joke." I'm not sure I succeeded or even understood the prompt, but here is my attempt at it.

Original Sin
By Candace Shultz

Knock Knock.

        - The door is locked.

Who's there?

        - Say a prayer.

Original sin.

        - Don't let it in!

Original sin who?

        - Don't be a fool!

Would you like some fruit?

        - Stay resolute.

What is Poetry?

The prompt for today at NaPoWriMo is a "challenge...to write a poem that addresses itself or some aspect of itself." My poem doesn't exactly address itself, but it does reflect on what poetry means to me. 

What is Poetry?

By Candace Shultz

My dreams

My desires

My devastations

My observations

My playful creations

My hopes

My memories

My musings

My stories

My songs

My fiction

My truth

Poetry

Is whatever

I want it

To be

A Four Year Old to Her Father

I followed today's prompt at NaPoWriMo to write a poem about something funny I overheard. My poem was inspired by a memory from years ago.

A Four Year Old to Her Father

By Candace Shultz

I sneak in your bag sometimes, she says.

To put stuff in it? Her dad asks.

No, she denies.

Then why? He replies.

To try to fit in it, she smiles,

Then sits on the ground in his duffel.

Black Tea of the Sea - a Limerick

Black Tea of the Sea

By Candace Shultz

There once was a man of the sea

Who delighted in drinking black tea.

He filled up his cup

And said, "Bottoms up!"

Then he sipped from the salty Black Sea.

Language of Love

Day 9's prompt to write a sonnet - challenge accepted! This poem took me almost all day to think about and write, but I did it!

Language of Love
By Candace Shultz

I feel his love in just a little thing:

A cup of cappuccino in our room

That when I'm sleepy he makes sure to bring,

In which its warmth does make my heart abloom.

At times he rubs my feet though I don't ask

And buys me lotion for my dried out hands.

He tries his best to meet my every task,

And when we fight he shows he understands.

But does he feel the love I have for him?

Are all the little things I do enough?

My cup of love for him is to the brim,

But knowing his love language can be tough.

Our words of affirmation - I love you - 

Are one of many things that prove love true.

Shine Bright

Shine Bright
By Candace Shultz

You should shine so bright

that when the dark clouds block you,

they can't dim your light. 

The rain won't stop you

from dancing and soaring high.

Be a butterfly.

Spread your wings and fly.

Be bold and be beautiful

and always be you.

A List Poem of Flowers

It is officially a week into NaPoWriMo! Today I followed a prompt to write a list poem. I also made it into an acrostic poem.

Flowers
By Candace Shultz

Fox glove, fire pink, forget me not, fairy duster,
Lavender, lupin, lilac, lily of the valley,
Oxeye daisy, old man cactus, orchid, oleander,
Wallflower, wisteria, wild indigo, winterberry,
Emilia, everlasting, English bluebell, eryngo,
Ronunculus, Russian sage, rue, and rose.
So ends the list of flowers I've composed. 

I am Free

I am Free
By Candace Shultz

You might try to scare me, but you'll never win

Because I know who is by my side.

You can try to deceive me, try to pull me in,

But I know the one who has never lied.

You can try to steal my health, make me sick,

But I know He who can heal me.

You can throw at me one trick after trick,

But through the word of God, truth I will seek.

You will not destroy me. You will not succeed.

Because even though I'm human, even though I bleed,

Jesus is my savior, and through Him my soul is freed.

Behind Closed Doors

Today I wrote a poem based on a prompt to include laughter at an inappropriate time. 

Behind Closed Doors

By Candace Shultz

Behind closed doors, a mother cries,

Hiding from her little one's eyes.

She tries her best to mute the sobs

Even as her heart breaks and throbs.

Outside the room, a little girl stands near,

Her head pressed against the door as she tries to hear.

She knows her mom is sad today,

But she doesn't know how to take her pain away.

Across the street in another house,

A woman snuggles with her spouse,

Watching her children play on the floor

As they laugh together like never before.

A Halo of Light

I wrote a second poem today! This one just came to me after I wrote my triolet. This poem has four stanzas, and each stanza is a haiku.

A Halo of Light
By Candace Shultz

The darkness has come
There's no star, no moon, no light
I can't find my way

A glimmer of hope
A shooting star and a wish
My hand reaches high

Your hands hold on tight
A feeling of joy and peace
A halo of light

The sun has risen
It shines and radiates love
And fills me with life

Food Temptation

Today I attempted to write a triolet, a poem with 8 lines in iambic tetrameter with a rhyme scheme of abaaabab where the first, fourth, and seventh lines have exactly the same words and the second and last lines have exactly the same words (but different from lines one, four, and seven). You can find the prompt I followed here. 

Food Temptation

By Candace Shultz

I lost the fight with food today.

It made its way into my hips.

A snickers bar? Oh yes I may.

I lost the fight with food today.

A bag of chips came out to play

And conga danced into my lips.

I lost the fight with food today.

It made its way into my hips.

A Black, Black Rose

I followed a prompt to rewrite someone's poem by replacing it with words that mean the opposite. My poem today was inspired by Robert Burns' poem "A Red, Red Rose." The first poem I will share is Robert Burns' poem. Then you will see my poem "A Black, Black Rose" in response. 

A Red, Red Rose
BY ROBERT BURNS

O my Luve is like a red, red rose

    That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve is like the melody
    That’s sweetly played in tune.

So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
    So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
    Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
    And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
I will love thee still, my dear,
    While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only luve!
    And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my luve,
    Though it were ten thousand mile.




A Black, Black Rose
By Candace Shultz

Oh, your hatred is like a black, black rose
    That's been dead since December;
Oh, your hatred is like the discordant noise
    That no one wants to remember.

So horrible are you, your ugly soul,
    So shallow your hatred shows;
And yet your hatred clings, oh dear,
    Until, well, no one knows.

Until no one knows, oh dear,
    And your heart freezes overnight;
Your hatred remains, oh dear,
    Until you give up the fight.

I hope your hatred goes away
    And dies a sudden death!
Because if it doesn't go away,
    You'll never catch your breath.

Shadows from the Past

Today I followed a prompt to choose 5-10 words from a list (found here), turn them into questions, and give one-line surreal answers using images. I tried my best to follow the prompt, but I'm not sure I succeeded.

These are the questions and answers I gave based on 10 words:

1. What is salt? The sweat glistening on my skin
2. What is longing? A wilting flower dropping its petals into the parched dirt
3. What is elusive? Breaking free of the ropes of the past
4. What is a gutter? The empty spaces and pregnant pauses between words spoken
5. What is a miracle? Waking up every morning, being alive
6. What is a ghost? A memory of my past self, a girl whispering her doubts into my ear
7. What is mercurial? A girl laughing only to sink to her knees and cry torrents of tears
8. What is thunder? A mighty warrior clashing swords with his enemy in a field of war
9. What is a song? A siren luring men to their deaths
10. What is an acorn? A small baby who changes the world

I used these definitions to create my poem titled "Shadows from the Past."

Shadows from the Past

By Candace Shultz

A shadow of a girl appears

and whispers words of doubt into my ear.

Empty spaces between expressions spoken

fill with pregnant pauses,

and she laughs as I sink to my knees.
I cry on the parched earth,

like a flower losing its petals,

screaming out for the water of life.

She is a siren luring me to my death,

but I will not let her defeat me.

Like a mighty warrior, I clash swords

with the enemy within me. 

I struggle, and sweat glistens on my skin.

I might be small, but I can change my world,

and I can break off the bindings of my past

to be free - to be alive - to be me.

Brain Fog

Today is the first day of NaPoWriMo 2023! I will be following along with this NaPoWriMo website as I write my poetry. Sometimes I will use their prompts, and sometimes I will find inspiration elsewhere. Today I followed the prompt to write a poem inspired by a book cover found here. I chose this book cover:

Jacques Futrelle. The Thinking Machine. New York: Dodd, Mead and Co., 1907
 

Brain Fog
By Candace Shultz

My mind's in scrambles

Like scribblings on the wall,

A ball of yarn unraveled

And tangled on the floor.

I can't think clearly.

Fog has settled in.

My eyes just want to close.

Sleep sounds good.

I'll let the dark settle in

And cover the wall with ink,

Like a night sky with no stars.

It's still and quiet,

And peaceful within.