Limerick - My Cat

My Cat

I have a cat that is very rude.

She jumps on the counter and eats my food.

She breaks all my things.

She steals all the strings

And walks around my house in the nude.

Dirty Dishes

For Day 19 of NaPoWriMo I was challenged to write a funny rant about something that gets on my nerves. I do not like washing dishes. I much prefer to use the dishwasher than to hand wash, but even when using the dishwasher, the dishes still end up in the sink in a sticky, stinky, food-encrusted pile of mess, which I then have to touch. If I were more on top of things, the dishes would be put in the dishwasher after every meal and snack, but often I don't get to it until after dinner time, and by then the sink is completely full as well as the counter. If only magic existed and I could snap my fingers and the dishes would be instantly clean and put away. Alas, that is not the case. Instead I've decided to write a poem that rants at the dishes to wash themselves so I don't have to do it. 

Dirty Dishes

By Candace Shultz

You filth-encrusted pot,

You sticky syrupy plate,

You foul-smelling cup of old milk,

Rinse yourself off

And wash away the grime.

You drunken glass of wine,

You yeast-odored beer stein,

Pick yourself up out of your stupor

And clean up your mess.

And you there!

All you lying haphazardly in a pile,

Just diving into the sink with no care,

Form a line and walk yourselves 

To the dishwasher if you don't want to scrub

Each tine of the fork,

Each curve of the spoon,

Each sharp point or serrated edge of the knife.

All you dirty dishes just lazing all about,

Take a bath and wash yourselves.

Don't forget to dry.

Then go home to your cupboards 

And settle neatly on your shelves.

I'll see you in the morning

When it's time for breakfast.

Snowflakes

For today's NaPoWriMo prompt, we were asked to write a poem based on a chapter title from Susan G. Wooldridge's Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life with Words. I chose the title "snowflakes and secrets" from chapter 20 for my inspiration. 

Snowflakes
By Candace Shultz

Snowflakes

* * * * *

fall

softly

* * * *

silently

* * *

kissing

the earth

* *

whispering

sweet

secrets

to

the

peaceful

night

*

Sleep

I am so excited! My poem from yesterday, "There's a Mouse Inside My House," was featured on NaPoWriMo.net today! I had a lot of fun writing that poem, especially using the Skeltonic verse. I feel so honored and grateful to be a featured poet. 

Now, for today's prompt we are to write a poem involving the moon. Today is also National Haiku Poetry Day, so I decided to write a haiku involving the moon.

Sleep

The new moon beckons.

My eyes drift closed in full dark.

Sleep invites me in.

There's a Mouse Inside My House

My poem today is in Skeltonic verse. You can see the prompt requirements here. 

There's a Mouse Inside My House
By Candace Shultz 

I saw a mouse
Inside my house.
I screamed and ran away.
I got my cat without delay
To make her catch her prey,
But I was just betrayed
Because my cat only stayed
While her tail swayed
And the mouse, afraid,
Ran under the dishwasher.
My cat began to purr,
Not a hunter, for sure,
So I yelled at the mouse,
"You can have this house!"
And I moved shortly thereafter
To the sound of teeny laughter.

 

A Cup of Tea

This poem is dedicated to my mom who loves tea, though I'm not sure she ever gets a chance to relax. 

A Cup of Tea

By Candace Shultz

A cup of tea, never coffee

She doesn't like the taste of coffee

English tea

Earl Grey

Irish Breakfast

As long as it's black

With lots of sugar

And some milk

Make sure the mug is oversized

Big enough to fit sixteen ounces

She'll sit and savor her tea

And then she'll sip some more

Relaxing and rejuvenating

In the stillness around her

And the caffeine within her

Kandake

Today I wrote a poem about the meaning behind my first name, as prompted by Day 14 of NaPoWriMo. I learned that my name originated from the Bible in Acts 8:27 where the term kandake (pronounced kan-dak'-ay) is mentioned. Kandake means queen or queen mother in Kush, an African kingdom. It was later Latinized into Candace.

Kandake

Can you really know a person by their name?

Am I innocent and pure?

Never sinful?

Do I look like a glowing queen?

Am I regal? Beautiful?

Can you really know me by my name?

Early connotations fade when faced with reality.