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.

I Am Afraid to Drive

I entered another writing swap at swap-bot. This one required me to find a writing prompt or two and create something for my partner to read. I found a poetry prompt at Poets&Writers about insecurities that inspired me to write a poem.

Here is the prompt:

Insecurity
posted 8.6.13

Writing poetry is an act of empowerment. Sit quietly at your desk. Think about what you’re most insecure about in life: being a good parent, making enough money, not being able to love fully. Write a poem about how you plan to overcome that insecurity.


Here is the poem I wrote:

I Am Afraid to Drive

By Candace Shultz

I am afraid to drive.

My heart beats faster at just the thought.

So long have I walked, so long have I ridden,

But I just have not driven.

I stay at home and worry.

How do I get to the store?

How do I make new friends?

How do I take care of my child?

How do I survive if I do not drive?

I must get over my fears and take the wheel.

I must take a deep breath and just take the test.

And I must always remember I am not alone.

Others have gone before me.

More will go behind me.

My husband will sit beside me,

And my daughter will drive me on.