Will I Belong?

For Day 7 of NaPoWriMo, I wrote a tritina: a poem with three stanzas each with three lines and a final line. The rhyme scheme is ABC, CAB, BCA. There are three "end" words at the end of the lines of each stanza that also appear in the final line. For a better description, you can see the prompt at http://www.napowrimo.net/day-seven-3/.

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Will I Belong?

We pack our things and move away

to unknown places and strange faces,

worried if we will ever belong.

Will it take ten long months to belong

like last time? Will other people turn away

like strangers passing by with blank faces?

I could put on many different faces

to different people hoping I'll belong

to their fold and not be sent away,

but then I'd be away because I don't belong to those faces.

Savor a Snickers

The NaPoWriMo prompt for Day 6 was to write about food, so I wrote about Snickers, which I happened to be eating while writing my poem.

Savor a Snickers

He brought me a Snickers home.
That seems such a minor thing.
But with a baby screaming for his dinner,
His unwanted squash all over my shirt,
And another child running back and forth
Like her life depended on never stopping
While yelling at me to keep watching,
Well, I needed that Snickers.
I needed to let the chocolate melt in my mouth,
To hear the peanuts crunching in my teeth,
To taste the salty sweetness on my tongue.
I needed to be alone with my chocolate.
I wanted to take that Snickers and run
And hide so I didn't have to share with little hands.
No, bringing home chocolate was not a minor thing.
My sanity saved, I savored the Snickers upstairs
And let the kids run wild with their Daddy downstairs.

Tigerlily

Soft and majestic,

your orange spotted petals

flourish in a ditch. 

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Today's haiku is inspired by the prompt for NaPoWriMo Day 5: "Today, I challenge you to spend some time looking at the names of heirloom plants, and write a poem that takes its inspiration from, or incorporates the name of, one or more of these garden rarities." I didn't exactly follow the prompt, but it inspired me to write something about my favorite flower, the tigerlily.

January Blues

For Day 4 of NaPoWrimo, I followed the prompt to write a poem about what I think is the cruelest month and why.

January Blues

It's after Christmas, and the New Year has settled in.
The days are short. The nights are long.
The cold seeps into my bones.
I shiver. I shake. My muscles ache.
And my heart isn't far behind.
I feel lonely and trapped inside these walls,
Too cold to want to go outside,
Too tired to try to socialize,
Too sad to make an effort.
There's no sun to give me warmth.
It's trapped behind the clouds.
The snow doesn't fall here often,
So I miss building snowmen
And snowball fights and sled riding.
I'm a loner in the winter months,
Preferring to stay inside under heavy blankets
Rather than taking walks with friends
Even though being alone makes me sad.
January is a cruel month.

A Good Night's Rest

I've fallen a little behind on NaPoWrimo, so I'll be posting 3 poems today. For Day 3 of NaPoWriMo, I went off prompt and wrote a poem about sleep deprivation.

A Good Night's Rest

I just need a good night's rest.
No more crying. No more screaming.
No more "I wet the bed."
No more night time feedings.
No more diaper changes,
Especially the ones with poop.
No more "I need water"
When you can reach it yourself.
No more asking for stuffies on the floor.
Seriously, get it yourself.
No more crawling in my bed at night.
No more waking me up at 2 am
And 3 am and every hour after.
No more cute wide-awake smiles
And wanting to play in the dark.
I just need a good night's rest.
Please go back to sleep.

Family Portrait

Here is my poem from Day 2 of NaPoWriMo. I followed the prompt to write a poem in the form of a family portrait.

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Family Portrait

Gray eyes like the calm after a storm,
Arms full of strength and comfort,
A goofy smile and kind heart,
A loving father of two:
My husband brings laughter and peace to my world.

Gray eyes and a face like her father's;
Bright blonde hair, an angel by sight
Though full of mischief and a stubborn will;
Full of questions, of why's and how's;
Playful and curious and kind and smart:
My daughter brings wonder and light.

Light brown hair and brown eyes like mine,
A giggle that brightens our days,
A voice that refuses to be ignored,
A not-so-good sleeper with a strong will of his own,
Hair puller, toy thrower, and slobbery kisser:
My son brings joy and sleepless nights.

Brown hair, brown eyes, big heart.
Always cleaning. Sometimes singing.
Wipes away tears and boogers and dirt.
Answers questions. Tickles feet.
Feeds others before she can eat.
Plays and holds and hugs and kisses.
Folds clothes, washes dishes, and brushes teeth.
Reads books and colors and cuddles.
Usually tired, sometimes grumpy, but still happy.
Just trying not to screw things up:
I bring love and unity to our beautiful mess.

NaPoWriMo 2016

NaPoWriMo 2016 begins! I'm following NaPoWriMo.net for the daily prompts. Today I'm writing a lune, a poem with three lines having a 5-3-5 syllable count.

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A little girl asks

her mother.

Will you play with me?