11 July, 2015

PHOENIX RISING JULY P.A.D. TRAVELOG – DESTINATION: POETRY (GRAND CANYON)

Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the state of Arizona in the United States. It is contained within and managed by Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Tribal Nation, the Havasupai Tribe and the Navajo Nation. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of preservation of the Grand Canyon area, and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.

The expanse, the color spectrum, the depth. Nature is all-inspiring and awesome! Write from the Grand Canyon!

10 July, 2015

PHOENIX RISING JULY P.A.D. TRAVELOG – DESTINATION: POETRY (NIAGARA FALLS)

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the international border between Canada and the United States; more specifically, between the province of Ontario and the state of New York. They form the southern end of the Niagara Gorge.

From largest to smallest, the three waterfalls are the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls. The Horseshoe Falls lie mostly on the Canadian side and the American Falls entirely on the American side, separated by Goat Island. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls are also located on the American side, separated from the other waterfalls by Luna Island. The international boundary line was originally drawn through Horseshoe Falls in 1819, but the boundary has long been in dispute due to natural erosion and construction.

I’m claiming “home field advantage” on this one! Your charge today on this visit is to write a poem of, about or inspired by Niagara Falls. You can include the “Cave of the Winds”, the “Maid of the Mist”, the spectacular lighting effects used to highlight the wonder of Niagara. Even the roar of the water is highly poetic. Choose your viewpoint and let your words cascade!

9 July, 2015

PHOENIX RISING JULY P.A.D. TRAVELOG – DESTINATION: POETRY – THE TAJ MAHAL

TAJ MAHAL

The Taj Mahal from Persian and Arabic, “crown of palaces”, is a white marble mausoleum located on the southern bank of Yamuna River in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–1658) to house the tomb of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and is widely recognized as “the jewel of Muslim art in India”. It is one of the world’s most celebrated structures and a symbol of India’s rich history.

Today, we ask you to use the magnificent Taj Mahal as inspiration for your poems. They could be about someone’s final resting place written in maybe an Elegy, or you could incorporate an Indian form of poetry (Naani, comes to mind). Any adventure you can muster based on this stop on our itinerary is most welcome!

8 July, 2015

PHOENIX RISING JULY P.A.D. TRAVELOG – DESTINATION: THE LOUVRE

The Louvre or the Louvre Museum is one of the world’s largest museums and a historic monument in Paris, France. A central landmark of the city, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement (district). Nearly 35,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are exhibited over an area of 60,600 square metres (652,300 square feet). The Louvre is the world’s most visited museum, and received more than 9.7 million visitors in 2012.

Some of the famous pieces of art housed in the Louvre include:

Venus De Milo

Mona Lisa

Roman, portrait of Marcus Agrippa,

Italian Renaissance painting, Portrait of an old man and his grandson, Ghirlandaio,

In Ekphrasis style, use one of these works of art as your muse and write its poetic equivalent.

7 July, 2015

PHOENIX RISING JULY P.A.D. TRAVELOG – DESTINATION: ARC DE TRIOMPHE

The Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It stands in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle (originally named Place de l’Étoile), at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. It should not be confused with a smaller arch, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, which stands west of the Louvre. The Arc de Triomphe (in English: “Triumphal Arch”) honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars, with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I.

As we visit this grand “City of Lights”, we begin by writing a triumphant poem honoring Parisian achievement!. (Be aware, this will not be the only site we will see in France during our month long excursion!)

6 July, 2015

POETIC/CREATIVE BLOOMINGS HAS RETURNED AS PHOENIX RISING POETRY GUILD

TO ALL CONTRIBUTORS AND FORMER CONTRIBUTORS TO THE CREATIVE BLOOMINGS (POETIC BLOOMINGS) POETRY SITES:

After a brief absence and reorganization, these sites have been transformed into the PHOENIX RISING POETRY GUILD. We continue to offer weekly prompts and exercises meant to instruct and hone our poetic skills. Currently we are in the midst of our annual JULY P.A.D.

The theme for 2015 is DestinationPoetry – TRAVELOG.

Our worldwide junket has visited the Tower of London and Stonehenge in the UK, Washington D.C. and Times Square in the U.S. so far. Today, we visit the Calgary Stampede in Canada. If you’ve been away, please join us again.

It’s not too late!

6 July, 2015

PHOENIX RISING JULY P.A.D. TRAVELOG – DESTINATION: CALGARY STAMPEDE

The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth”, attracts over one million visitors per year and features one of the world’s largest rodeos, a parade, midway, stage shows, concerts, agricultural competitions, chuckwagon racing and First Nations exhibitions.

Wrap your poem around the idea of a rodeo, exhibition or a festival and “Gitty-up!”

5 July, 2015

PHOENIX RISING JULY P.A.D. TRAVELOG – DESTINATION: TIMES SQUARE

Times Square is a major commercial intersection and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets. Brightly adorned with billboards and advertisements, Times Square is sometimes referred to as The Crossroads of the World^, The Center of the Universe, and the heart of The Great White Way. One of the world’s busiest pedestrian intersections, it is also the hub of the Broadway Theater District and a major center of the world’s entertainment industry. Times Square is one of the world’s most visited tourist attractions, drawing an estimated fifty million visitors annually.

New Year’s Eve is one of the busiest times for many of these visits as thousands of tourists come to the Square to watch the ball drop and ring in the new year. Write a Times Square moment, or a New York City memory maker for that matter. If you can make it there…

4 July, 2015

PHOENIX RISING JULY P.A.D. TRAVELOG – DESTINATION: WASHINGTON, D.C.

Today is July 4th, Independence Day in the United States. So, our stop over is in the Nation’s capitol in Washington, D.C. The District of Columbia is rife with many great and famous monuments to celebrate the country’s historic past. From the Washington Monument, to the Jefferson Memorial in Monticello, the Iwo Jima Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial and there are many more sites to provide inspiration. Choose one and wax poetically with your verbal fireworks.

3 July, 2015

PHOENIX RISING JULY P.A.D. TRAVELOG – DESTINATION: STONEHENGE

We continue in the United Kingdom for our next destination.

Stonehenge is a Pre-Historic monument located in Wiltshire, England. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is the remains of a ring of standing stones set within earthworks. It is in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.

There is an aura of mystery surrounding this structure and your imagination could play a key role in your poem as to its origin, reason for existence and its purpose as you see it. Write about these monolithic legos!

Phoenix Rising Poetry Guild

"Poets reborn; Rising from the ashes!"

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