A week ago today, I was wearing capris and a short sleeved shirt. I hardly even needed a jacket. Then last night, we get storms, and even a chance of snow! It snowed a little but it wasn’t enough to accumulate. This whole week, the weather will be in the 40’s and 50’s…

Just a week ago,  it was nearing the 70’s.  Spring is letting us know that she is ready to shed her wings and spread her love and color throughout the area-but darned old man winter just can’t let it go! Little bits of my plants from last year are starting to peak through, and my irises are  already trying to take over a flower bed that hasn’t even been weeded out yet!……

So while Spring has been teasing us with her warmth, and fighting with old man winter, I was busy writing some spring poetry.  I was hoping to get out of this late winter funk, and finally into spring.  I see Spring as a rebirth of mother nature, and everything new. Spring is magical…. In a way-it’s like Spring is being kissed by her prince-bringing beauty to everything and everyone around her….

Enjoy reading this birth of Spring poem, and perhaps, –you will be inspired for spring too…

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THE BIRTH OF SPRING

The rebirth of new life…
The sunshine shedding its blanket of warmth upon the fresh green grass
that is damp with the morning dew.Spring is emerging from the cocoon of winter
where it had been asleep for months,
hibernating in the frigid cold air.

Flowers sneak a peak from the ground,
excited to see a new season,
and scream with happiness
as their colors of pink, gold, orange, blues, and more.
Their stems arise from the soil, stretching for the clear blue spring sky.

Birds take flight overhead, singing with musical delight,
thieving food hungrily from outdoor birdfeeders,
and going on worm hunts thoughout the yard.

The quick and restless hummingbirds take sips from sugared water,
giving us some free entertainment from the porch…

Spring is born for another year,
and we take to the outdoors,
leaving the darkness of our homes,
ready to feed our paled bodies with the kiss of sunlight.

Time to be reborn
and start anew and fresh…

Turn over a new leaf in the magical worldy kingdom,
that our Lord
has created for us to live and play.

As everybody knows or has experienced, our economy has been slipping and slipping. Jobs are being taken away, disappearing as businesses close, and houses are being foreclosed on.  In fact, it is just quite plain scary-and while the economy has a lot to do with the way the United States seems to be running these days-we just can’t blame every single thing in our life on the economy. While we would like to place the blame on the one term-tis is not always the case. I wrote a poem in a joking sort of manner to relay on how some are blaming every aspect of their life on the economy.

Read it with a bit of humor inside-yet with a mindful manner of what is truly going on as well. I understand that a lot of our system is out of wack because of the economy-but when something in my personal life is hit the wrong way–indeed it will not always be the economy’s fault…. –If we don’t watch it-our children could be reacting out in anger..and perhaps they too-will blame that on the economy…..

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BLAME IT ON THE ECONOMY
 

Mind is wandering as my eyes grow heavy from yet another hectic day….
I think I’m gonna blame it on the economy….

 

My pen won’t write…
Frustrations have gotten the best of me.

 

Overworked and underpaid.
My nerves are completey fraid.
I’m gonna blame it on the economy…

 

Money is tight, and the wallet-
well it won’t put up a fight.-
Ain’t nothin in it anyway-
I’m gonna blame it on the economy.

 

Stores are a-closin,
Ain’t no more wedding jewelry-
Guess there won’t be anybody proposing-
Blame it on the economy!

 

People have lost their faith, their ways.

Some have even been blind to God.—
Where have their hearts gone?
Blame that on the economy?…

 

Or who is to blame….?

 

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……. As I was saying—people’s lost faith….or their disappeared trust in God—that is not the economy’s fault….. People still do have control of their own hearts…….

 

If you have become comfortable with your poems, and would like to share them with others, try hosting special poetry readings at locations around your hometown or local area. Speak with your public library, schools, churches, or even area nursing homes. Many health care facilities enjoy having visitors for the residents.  If you are a success with the residents, they will often ask you to come back as well…

In the summer time,  libraries often have summer reading programs.  If you have poetry that has been written for children, perhaps you could share it at their reading circles.

Just by asking public places around  your community, or even talking with your chamber of commerce, you can probably find a wide range of areas to perform your poetry.

My poetry club that I have in my area is completely non-profit, and we have read in restaurants during the Christmas season, the library, my church, and the nursing home.  I will warn that during your first readings that sometimes the crowd might be small, but if you can create awareness, perhaps more will come.  Be sure to share your dates with newspapers, friends, family, and to post fliers.

Below is a link to an article that can help you host a poetry reading at a library…Perhaps it will give you some insight on hosting your own public poetry reading….

How to Host a Poetry Reading at a Public Library

 

Sometimes I do something kind of fun with the members of my poetry club.  When we need a “poetry pick me up,” or need some type of motivation to get us going-I do this:

I hand everybody a piece of paper and a pencil. And then I set the timer for about 10 minutes.  Then I tell everybody to write. –Sometimes I give them a subject, and sometimes I don’t. Everybody gets 10 minutes to try to write a poem. Sometimes this is fun, because it can be somewhat humorous, or even inspiring to see what others can come up with.

You can do this in the comfort of your home, or even with a group of friends who enjoy writing.  It’s also a great ice blocker for any kind of writing workshop.  While some may moan or groan-or even say it’s impossibe-It actually is not.  It doesn’t  necessarily doesn’t even have to be a poem…

This 10 minutes it your time for some fun inspiration. If you find yourself feeling out of words, or just need that “rush,” —try this fun “10 minutes to a poem” trick. 

Once everybody has gotten finished writing-share them with the group if you’d like. You may either all end up laughing–or even wowed by your own personal talent..

—for more tips on writing a poem in 10 minutes, try reading the article below on

“How to Make a Poetry Writing Game.”

The winter chills doesn’t thrill my cool blue winter mood

The sun shining outside lies to me, trying to present warmth,

when all I feel outside is coolness.

A ray of sunshine sparkles through my window,

playing with my head, while I try to warm up under the covers in my bed.

I really wish Spring would come already….

Winter seems so long,

so dreary…

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Winter is still playing with my area…. Athough today, temperatures are supposed to get around 40 degrees. I really hope the weather gal wasn’t kidding. Last week, temperatures fell below zero… Some of the coldest since 1994 where I live. One day, I spent in sick, with awful sinus problems. The winter makes it hard to get motivated, to write, and to want to get out and shout out to the world sometimes. When it’s cold, I’d rather lay in the blankets where its warm and curl up with a good book—when I really should be curling up with my journal writing something captivating! ….I apologize for the missed posts…But winter just isn’t my time— I dearly hope that February passes through without too much more of this bone chilling cool weather—While I could be wishing my life away by hoping February is over soon—-All i really want is to get outside, sit on my porch with an iced tea, and write away-and then of course, go play in the dirt in my garden!!….—Heres waving my hats to all of you who seem to be “mourning in the cold winter…”

In my part of the country, weather seems to be just…”blah.”

The sun hasn’t been shining too much (although it was a nice sunny day yesterday-first time in ages!) and it just doesn’t provide much for inspiration for me as a writer.  When it’s bleak, dark, and cloudy-it’s hard to come up with something cheerful to write about.  I realize you don’t always have to write cheerful poems, but it would be nice to write about something to cheer me up! 

So on the way to trying to get past this so called January writer’s block, I am going to list some possible ideas that you can use to write some poems about -that is-if you find yourself in the same boat that I am currently in!!!…

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—Ideas for poems in January

- Be inspired from work if you are currently employed outside the home.                                                          Write about the things that annoy you-or make you feel good about the job that you do.

-Look outside.  Write about the “sadness” in the trees and the plants. Seems like all of the flowers and trees are just in a deep sleep without their colorful petals, or dancing leaves that sway in the wind. We are just left with dull lifeless sticks..—Hoping to come back to life.

-Dreams and Inspiration… What are your upcoming dreams or inspirations for the new year?  What are your hopes  or plans for the Spring? (one of mine are to get all of my flowers planted so I can see them in all of their beautiful color again!!!)

-The Cold Winter Weather… If you are like me and live in a winter weather area, then there is plenty of cold chills shivering down your spine!  What do you do to warm up?… How do you feel about the cold weather? … What are some of your favorite things to do indoors?… Let the cold guide you to something warm in your writing!

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 Hopefully these ideas and topics can guide you to something in your writing–as well as mine. Hope to have a winter poem for you soon!….  

With the economy having some troubles this past year, there are many of us looking for ways to supplement our income. Here at Today.com , they offer you some ways to earn extra money that you can use to supplement your income right from home. If you enjoy writing or speaking to the people via the internet, perhaps Today.com is right for you. You can write whenever or wherever you would like!… Find a subject or topic that is suitable for you, and begin creating your writing voice. It is free to join, and you can have a cool blog just like the one here that you are on right now!…

Also, there is a forum where you can meet other great bloggers like yourself –You can talk and learn about blogging, share news about your area, get your questions answered, or just talk about whatever may be on your mind -(keep it clean though!,,haha)…

Or if you are a poet like me and want to share your poetry with the internet world–then this site is for you too! It’s hard to get paid for your poetry-so why not try Today.com !..and get paid for sharing your most precious works….

Sign up for free ….click on the banner below:

I just wanted to reach out and say Happy New Year to all of those who have read my blog or who come by on a regular basis. I plan to have more posts for 2009, and hope for this to be a successful poetry blog.  Keep your dreams alive, and try to make at least one resolution come true this year. I know we all make resolutions, and sometimes they seem to falter, but just make it something reasonable. I have a feeling there is tough year ahead of us, but with some prayer, hope, and plenty of contact with our family and friends, we can make it through the hard times….

Here’s a “virtual toast” to all those readers as we welcome in 2009!…..

As they say on an old show…”May the force be with you.”

 

It’s that time of year when I have written all of the holiday poems-Christmas, Thanksgiving, and preparing for the new year.  I’m all tired out from shopping, the parties, and then-i am just plain, “pooped.” And the weather is cold outside, and all I want to do is stay inside, curled under my favorite blankie, and just watch movies all day.  Writing sometimes takes time to the back burner and I feel guilty. It’s not that I don’t want to write-I just find myself blank. Especially during my annual Christmas break of 2 week vacation that I take every year to be at home with my daughter during her Christmas break from school….

While I find myself blank from writing….and kinda “dried up” with ideas, I do have ways to get “the pot stirring again.”

There are ways to get ideas, and actually I do them at my club meetings during writing activities. I have a favorite one that I like to do .

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*Grab a few envelope and label them with subjects like, “Spring,” “Fall,” “Love,” “Winter,” “Children,” “Nature,” or anything that you love to write about.

*Fill the envelopes withsub-categories written on slips of paper. For example: Love: heart, heartbreak, first love,valentines day, etc.  Spring: new plants, baby birds, baby kittens, sunshine, gardening, walking outdoors,Easter.

*Then pick an envelope. Draw a slip out of the envelope, and then begin writing about that sub-category. That usually can get the creative juices flowing again My poetry club actually liked this idea, and we use it quite often…

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So  if you find yourself dried up and stuck inside “winter’s spell,” or just too lazy from vacation….gather your envelopes and slips of paper, then get your pen–Perhaps you too…will write again

This year, try a  new trend.  My poetry club has done it for a couple years.

Go “Christmas Poetry Caroling,” instead of singing Christmas carols. 

Write a few original Christmas poems or find some of your favorites.  Go to nearby businesses, friend’s homes, nursing homes, or anybody who is willing to listen.  Take some time read some Christmas poems to share the spirit of Christmas.

Gather a group of your friends who enjoy to write, like reading poetry, or just like spreading Christmas cheer.  Get all dressed in your favorite warm clothing and be sure to wear some comfy shoes.  Begin heading out to the places that you plan to read.  (it’s probably a good time to call businesses or health-care centers ahead of time to let them know you are coming).  Introduce yourselves, and then take turns reading 1-2 Christmas poems a piece.  Spend at the most 15 minutes at most places.

At the end of your readings, you can gather at someone’s house for some warm hot chocolate or a small dinner.  

My poetry group always had a great time.  While it was a brand new activity in our area, we didn’t have a large audience always, but we always were received with great pleasure… It’s definitely a great new tradition to try if you think it would go in your town or neighborhood…

Or if you are a little iffy on going caroling in your neighborhood, you could always gather a group at a family’s house when you have Christmas dinner or gather together. Christmas poetry can bring inspirational Christmas spirit….