In February, under the guise of love we had explored the use of various devices to inject “sound” into our poetry. The results were wonderfully expressed and presented, giving us a broader scope of how poetry stirs the senses.
If you were to ask someone what a poem is, it would elicit a number of responses. As poets, we have learned that poetry can be found in pretty much any place we look. A laundry list could inspire a poem, etc.
But to a general reader, they may say a poem is something that rhymes. We work with words, but sometimes despise the use of rhymes, yet surely they are not less important nor effective as any of the sound devices we used in February. Rhymes are certain sounds that help convey out thoughts. In March, we will delve into the use and reason for rhyme.
So, what are rhymes? Rhymes generally are words that differ only on their initial sounds. Sounds like true and blue, or leg and beg. Looking at that, we find that some words do not have an English word with which it rhymes: orange, month, circle, purple are some examples. Even a word that poets use a lot in our work, LOVE, has a limited number of rhyme words. There are subtleties to the rhyming process. These will be dissected during March.
The first thing we will incorporate in our works are the placements of rhyme. We are familiar with end rhymes. These words obviously come at the end of our lines.
Initial rhymes conversely come at the beginning of the lines.
(Free xxxx xxxx xxxx.
See xxxx xxxx xxxx)
Medial (middle) rhymes are a bit more complex. They can be “internal”, a rhyme between a medial word and the end rhyme.
(xxx thou xxx cow).
A “close” rhyme is an internal rhyme between words that are in close proximity to each other, neither at the end of a line.
(Smug xxx bug xxx).
“Interlaced” rhymes are words that appear internally in two consecutive lines.
(xxxxx door xxxx,
xxxx floor xxxx)
Be mindful of these rhyme placements as we use as many instances as we can in our poems this week when we take time to rhyme. Any subject; any form! Good luck!
hurray, hurray! 🙂 Walt, you have taught me so much about rhyme in both in your writing and ‘classes’! Can’t wait to see what we learn.
Sometimes rhyme can distract and lull
The reader from experiencing a poem in full
I’m sometimes a rhymer when I’d rather be
Free-spirited, free verse, conformity-free
But something within seems to grin and say
Come here, my darling and rhyme, rhyme away
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There is a draw to it for some of us, isn’t there? 😀
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… and I’m with Janet. Love learning from da man!
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rhyme, rhyme away… you make it look so easy… but I agree “I’d rather be
Free-spirited, free verse, conformity-free” but it won’t do to just be one sided will it?
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That’s pretty much how I feel: it all depends on the mood I’m in.
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This should be a song, methinks. I love it.
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I keep going back to this poem. I love how you’ve written a rhyming poem about the preference for non-rhyming poems. Nicely written, honest and fun!
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Janet, thanks for the compliments. We will learn all we can about rhyme, and even if we decide we don’t like to rhyme, it will be at our disposal when necessary. That’s a great little piece with which to start us off!
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Seconding that! Love your short, sweet piece, Janet! That last line just draws you in. 🙂
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That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
He can rhyme on a dime, for it’s just how he thinks
all the time. It’s sublime! See, he lacks forty winks –
Heavy eyed, the inside of his lids hold each verse
where they hide, then decide to profusely disperse.
Wish I had just a tad of this talent he owns.
I’d be glad if we had myriads of Walt clones!
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That coming from the better poet between us as of late. Thanks!
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Pffft. Yeah right. (But thanks for the compliment Pard.)
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Love the internal rhyming.
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Walt is great at his craft! (And you are certainly no slouch yourself, Marie)
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Marie, this is fantastic and hear! hear!!
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So would I, AND Marie Elenas. You can’t have too much of a good thing…
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Methinks Walt has been out-Walted here. This is such fun to say out loud.
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Love the way English’s newest word…out-Walted rolls off the tongue.
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I like that the rhymes hide in his eyes…sigh…poetic indeed! Great rhymes put to use in this Marie! 🙂
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Thanks for the sweet/generous comments, you guys! ❤
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I feel the same!
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Perfect in rhyme and context!
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A beautiful, playful, rhyme-filled, well-deserved tribute, Marie. Reading your poems is always a pleasure!
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You are all such sweeties.
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LOL… PERFECT! Love this one, Marie! 🙂
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[…] https://phoenixrisingpg.wordpress.com/THE REASON FOR RHYME This is a mess of wordiness but it does rhyme. […]
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I’m not crazy about end rhymes. I usually like internal or something more subtle.
https://swimspoems.wordpress.com/2015/03/02/a-dash-of-cardinal-red/
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Maybe I would have learned to soul-love a different style if Tennyson hadn’t hooked me as a young gal with these lines…I come from haunts of coot and fern, I make a sudden sally and sparkle out among the hern to bicker down a valley…
That poem and Longfellow’s The Wreck of the Hesperus, put rhyming in my blood, I think.
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That is wonderful. The red riddle, indeed. Love it!
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The colors you employ in this are a treat, Debi! I’m with you on end rhymes…not crazy about them…even still your poem was a joy…of course, one of my favorite topics…birds.
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A beautifully painted landscape with great rhyme!
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Poeming on the Go
Just a quick rhyme
When I don’t have the time
With the duo in the morning
And the new day adorning
In sunshine and snow
We’ll soon be on the go
Time to get some tea
And breakfast for them and me.
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I love the sheer happiness of this. Thanks.
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Life lived in rhyme! Love it. 🙂
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Nice little piece of your morning!
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A wonderful slice of life. Very nice!
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Quick and sweet and perfectly titled!
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[…] https://phoenixrisingpg.wordpress.com/2015/03/01/the-reason-for-rhyme/ […]
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Just a little something…
https://juleslongerstrandsofgems.wordpress.com/2015/03/02/a-lovely-little-challenge-with-some-odd-rhymes-3-2-s/
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I love it, especially with the plover.
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I agree with William!
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Good one, Jules. Clever.
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Fun piece, Jules! Nicely done!
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LIFE ARTIST
A fellow I know is a mighty good mime:
he imitates folks most all of the time.
To tell you the truth, I think he’s sublime;
his whole entire body is one flowing rhyme.
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For William P.
And it is an art indeed to Mime –
Once I dressed as one and would not speak –
Hubby joked that though t’was for one night
Might have been better if it t’were a week 😉
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The being as a poem itself…that’s what stood out, for me.
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Very cool!
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Love it, William!
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Sublime rhyme in mime time! Love it, William!
1
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A YOUTH TRUTH
When people are small they will crawl with their all
until they attain what their brain wants to gain.
Once we are older, we’re colder to shoulder
the blame or the shame when intentions are lame.
It might be a sign to consign our decline
to the child who stays mild when ruffled and riled.
The stage of a sage isn’t tied to its age.
© Susan Schoeffield
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That last line sums it up beautifully.
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I agree with Debi. Great closing. 🙂
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Mighty impressive use of rhyme per line!
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Agree with Debi. Last line is excellent!
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Brilliant. the rhyme scheme and the message!
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Wow. Triplettety rhyming. Well done, indeed!
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[…] for the 3/1/15 post at the Phoenix Rising Poetry Guild to write a rhyming poem on any topic in any […]
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[…] THE REASON FOR RHYME – Exploring the placement of rhymes…I employed a few different […]
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I played with rhyme placement in this one. Thank you for all the variations you mention Walt and for the direction in rhyme as well.
Happy rhyming poets. 🙂
https://wordrustling.wordpress.com/2015/03/02/de-composition/
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Very well done, Hannah!
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Your rhyme placement works well in this thought-provoking gem. Very nice, Hannah!
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The placements lend a musical quality, as I hear it, and the title is fascinating, almost tongue-in-cheek. Wonderful.
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Thank you for your reading and apt comment, William!! 🙂
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Commented on site. At the time, I didn’t realize it was in response to this prompt! ❤
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Thank you, Marie!! ♥
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Wonderland Wildness
Alice showed no malice toward
the red-faced Queen of Hearts.
Roses had been painted red,
Fuming, the queen said, off with her head,
all besides the issue of those stolen tarts.
The white rabbit was late
so it was his fate
to have tea time begin
without him.
The Cheshire cat had vanished,
dormouse was clearly drunk,
Hair and Hatter spoke gibberish
leaving Alice in a funk.
She’d grown too tall,
shrunk too small
after her fall,
with no one to call,
found herself sprawled
on the ground near a wall.
Alice sought advice
from a caterpillar, smoking
a device that blew letters in air,
promptly setting her choking.
Her curiosity caused a dream,
that’s what the family said.
When Alice woke under a tree,
ow! a bump on her head.
Alice kept her thoughts unspoken, smiling
at a piece of broken mushroom, a token beguiling.
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You touch on so many rhyme and near-rhyme schemes! love it and suddenly I want to watch the movie:)
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You should!
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Lovely, in content and form!
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Thanks, Nurit!
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It’s hard to improve a classic, but I think you’ve done it! Love this!!
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Thanks, Susan!
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This is lovely and whimsical, and the ending carries it on to infinity. Marvellous.
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Thanks, William!
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WOW!!!!!! This is outstanding, Sarah!!! OUTSTANDING!!!
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Thanks so much, Marie. Guess you could tell I had a ball with this one!
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Nice rhyming summation. (and I do like the ending… thoughts unspoken, smiling – proof at least to herself)
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Moment-hulls
What just a few short hours ago
Was burgeoning and full
Has dropped its petals to the snow
Like autumn’s emptied hull
There is no rewind button, oh
No ‘redo’ or ‘retrace’
When all is said and done, my love
Our only hope is grace
The after-math of moments, dear
Flows far beyond our reach
Their stumbles keep us humble with
The lessons that they teach
And were it not for tears that flow
Our laughter would be dull
Thus is the touch-taste-have-and-hold
Of every moment-hull
We cannot press into the pod
The seed that falls away
Each moment is a gift, to God
The glory, come what may
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Lovely, Janet. So wel penned.
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“Well” penned.
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Lovely.
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So very lovely, as your work always is … lovely, uplifting truth, always. (touch-taste-have-and-hold is perfection!)
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thank-you all:)
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Masterpiece in the Making
We crawl, sprawl, fall; thought’s ether hall
Compels us to inspire touch
And thus we dare to care, bear; share a prayer
For all life’s broken shards and such
We hope; grope faith’s impalpable rope. The slope
Of future rising where
Only thought, fraught with want’s intangible lot
Climbs its phantom stair
We breathe, bequeath to heaven’s unseen Hand beneath
Our stumbling steps and pleas
He holds, scolds, molds our folds of grays and golds
Into His masterpiece
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Wow; a veritable tour de rhyme.
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Indeed, and more beauty and truth from one I’ve come to expect it from.
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YES… I GUESS… UNLESS…
By: Nurit Israeli
Is this a memory, or is this a dream?
Is this his laughter, or is this his scream?
Is this hereafter, or still a before?
Should I ignore it, or try to explore?
Is this for real, or does he pretend?
Should I contend, or is this the end?
Does he displease me, or put me at ease?
Is this a bliss, or a fatal disease?
Trust it’ll be pleasure, or will it be pain?
Just a bad measure, or is it a gain?
Will it perish too fast? Is it going to last?
Still a present to cherish, or already past?
Would this be good, or could it be bad?
Should I be happy, or should I be sad?
Is he my soul mate, or only a friend?
Is it too early, or is it too late?
What should I do? If only I knew…
Will it fall through? Should I bid it adieu?
Yes… I guess… Unless…
What a mess!
* Thank you very much, Walt, for your creative, thoughtful, hard to resist prompts and for the opportunities to dissect, to incorporate, to learn, to improve… Truly appreciated!
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This was so enjoyable I read it again and found
rhymes I missed the first time around;-)
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Oh, the second guessing drives us crazy! Such a fun poem with delightful rhyme.
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What a blessed mess that poem is!
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Nurit, this is such a joy to read, and captures so much of what both enthralls and derails us! Excellent!
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For Those Who Think They Drink Too Much…Ink
Eventually we hit a funk
Both Muse and magic go ker-plunk
‘I think I thunk too much’, Thought growls
Word-drunk on consonant and vowels
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This is perfect!!
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I love this, and for some reason it reminds me of Phil Harris, a bandleader with a reputation for drinking, who once remarked, “If you don’t drink, do you realize that when you wake up, that’s as good as you’re going to feel all day?”
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lol. maybe he’s never woken up without a hang-over?! 😉
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Yes oh yes oh yes yes yes!!! 😀 !
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LOL Oh YES! Love this one, Janet!
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If case the weather forecasters are right and the next named winter storm pays us a visit, I’m ready for him.
WHY I ABHOR THOR
I don’t adore Thor. He’s a bore, and what’s more
I deplore the sight of his might dressed in white.
No delight do I know from this snow. It can go
back to where I won’t care if it dares to ensnare
with its not very nice slice of hard frosty ice.
You’re a chore, Mr. Thor. Take your roar out the door!
© Susan Schoeffield
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I hope you’ve been harsh enough to dissuade him. I’m repeating your poem as loud as I can. : )
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I think my tirade fell on deaf ears. I just saw a weather map that puts us in either the 5-8″ or 8-12″ range. Still, I’ll stand on my front porch, waving my snow shovel and ice melt in his direction just in case I catch him in a weak moment.
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Makes me smile, as I out the window at the white flakes coming down, yet again…
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THORoughly enjoyable.
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Teeheehee! Good one! I especially grinned at “I deplore the sight of his might dressed in white.” HAHAHA!!
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Excellent! And I know some folks who couldn’t agree more. 😉
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[…] poem written for the 3/1/15 post at the Phoenix Rising Poetry Guild to write a rhyming poem on any topic in any form. If the weather forecasters are right and the […]
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A River
A river carries me
It’s choices that I’ve made
Oh, who is in control?
I’m helpless in its flow
At times I feel betrayed
And set adrift at sea
Adrift, lost and alone
And then the cold winds blow
Oh, where is my reprieve?
Am I a hopeless case?
In this, I am set free
In Him, I’ll be made whole
A river carries me.
Oh, who is in control?
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Connie, I love this. I read it through again, and soaked it in.
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Connie this is great!
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Connie, this is lovely!
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I have fashioned new skin
Bulky and hot tattoo
Layered to protect feelings within
Methylene blue
Sticks and stones bruise
But quick judgment can also abuse
Respect shrinks and hides
What is the ultimate prize?
Under my guise
There is no need to compromise
Who I am or where I’ve been.
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Nice!!
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This poem made me pause and read several times, especially savoring “quick judgment can also abuse.” Quiet power lives here, in my view.
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Thank you so much! I’m still trying to find my voice as a writer.
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Deduction
Sherlocky spurlocky
Benedict Cumberbatch
plays the intrepid sleuth
clever and smart.
Bad guys and villains will,
egomaniacally,
take on our hero but
those he will thwart.
###
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This left me laughing athwartquips.
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Oh my word! I love both your poem and Bill’s response! 😀 !!
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I was having fun with what I started, and this is the result (thus far):
LIFE ARTIST
A fella I know is a mighty good mime:
he imitates folks `most all of the time.
To tell you the truth, I think he’s sublime;
his whole entire body is one flowin’ rhyme.
He rhymes with his fingers and he rhymes with his toes;
he even goes posing with a rose on his nose.
I tell you, this bloke’s never in repose:
he throws moves and music like a model shows clothes.
If there’s a poets’ heaven, he’s sure to be there,
chortling at the portals on the cusp of the air.
He’s walking inspiration and the death of despair:
a poem come to life with a lifetime to share.
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Wonderful … especially the last stanza and MOST especially your final line. Love it!
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Oh yeah… I love how this version just took off and bloomed from the prior budding version. 🙂
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It just keeps getting better!
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Beautiful tribute!
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PERSONAL BEST
Another sunrise crests the treetops,
another day to celebrate life
expressed in words and rhymes
and at times, a song or two.
Memories of friends met and connected
to, a slew of poems to remember them,
to hold them in heart when their presence
starts to fade. A parade of word warriors
seeking to hold the flank and to thank the gods
above for the love and guidance; a space dance
of a free and easy spirit. The music of life plays,
I hear it in every rustled leaf, in the coo
of a newborn infant who can’t help but make it.
I take it as another day of life afforded to me.
I see the new dawning with fresh eyes.
It is wise to greet each brand new day,
breaking your own record; your personal best.
All the rest is gravy!
© Walter J. Wojtanik, 2015
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And you’re breaking your own record every day, Walt (and you keep raising the bar!) Nice work!
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I keep coming back to this one. So satisfying.
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Your personal best is truly impressive, Walt!
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EYES ON THE PRIZE
Man stands on the edge of the precipice to
scan the horizons before him.
Can he see a future in its vision?
Fan the flames of tomorrow, the
panoramic scene inspires you.
Plan to keep moving forward, these
random thoughts require you to!
© Walter J. Wojtanik, 2015
Phoenix Rising Poetry Guild – The Reason For Rhyme: Initial Rhyme
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What a wonderful paean to life.
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Love the message, metaphors, and rhymes (particularly the initial rhymes).
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Meeting You Again
She put a nickel in a pickle
and gave it to her love true.
He ate the pickle and the nickel
and now he feels a bit blue.
He dropped a worm in her shirt and watched her squirm
while he laughed full belly laughs.
She continued to squirm until she dropped that worm
plotting, and we’re not talking graphs.
She dangled a carrot for that sneaky ferret
hoping to trip him in mud.
But he is a sneaky ferret and didn’t fall for her carrot
leaving her seeing blood.
Over time, she forgot the little slime
as she blossomed into a beauty.
And he, outgrew the slime, over time
as he fought, doing his duty.
She was dancing when she saw him advancing
and recognition tickled her brain.
He was advancing through the room when he saw her dancing,
yanking his invisible chain.
He cut right in and said, “I have a nickel, can I buy you a pickle?”
as a slow grin spread across his face.
She smiled and said, “I’d love a pickle but I have a nickel”,
and she walked into his embrace.
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Sweet! Reads like a romance novel, Michele! 😉
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From beginning to end and everything in between, I truly enjoyed this! Well done!!
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This is utterly delightful, and it doesn’t matter that I could see the punch lines coming. The rhyming makes this all the sweeter, as in old bookends.
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Thoroughly enjoyable, Michelle!
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Hmmm… think I was on the same page as Susan and Thor… http://wanponpopix.blogspot.com/2015/03/winter-white-again.html
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Understandable, Pamela. There seems to be plenty of Thor to go around! Love your poem. It has such a gentle quality to it … unlike Thor.
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Thanks, Susan! Winter’s certainly hanging on this year — that’s for sure.
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This is a little delight, and “alabastered mess” is wonderful.
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Thanks, William! 🙂
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Truly enjoyed reading this, Pamela (and, yes, she is still at it, and if she wasn’t as beautiful as she is when all dressed in white, I would get even more upset…)
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