Showing posts with label 2023. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2023. Show all posts

Sunday, December 3, 2023

Becoming (Poetic Remix)

 

Image by Florian Berger from Pixabay

becoming a star

become your true self.

seize each opportunity

rushing back to springtime days.

land of eternal summer

in a familiar setting

thankful I'm still here.

a mystery left behind

frozen and disconcerted

must face the winter.

seeking clarity

trying to refresh

cold weather sets in.

stones of green

heart like a still-life painting.

the luck of the draw

search for the fountain of youth.

days growing shorter

In a twist of the plot.

cold winds blowing from the north

small changes are best

for such small creatures

I celebrate the tiny triumphs and hold on.

when we show kindness

we bring relief to others

healing our own souls.

I always remember those Christmas scenes

summed up in four words

as old as me:

payments of magic money.


Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay




Saturday, December 2, 2023

Poetic Recipe for Catastrophe

 

Image by Dorothe from Pixabay

after Halloween

the fright fest continues on

when money is owed;

Story of my damn life.

my stuffed animals deserve better,

maybe I do too.

a lack of money

is the root of much stress.

I'll sing the Down Payment Blues with my man Bon

and Poor Boy with the Box of Frogs gang.

My voice may never make me a dime

but I've decided

I'm gonna use it anyway.

I catch glimpses of childhood in my dreams,

I was worried every day.

The anxiety doesn't go away 

Just because you turn eighteen

or twenty-one

or sixty-four.

There's no lady at the counter

to offer me a ride on the Snowman Line

in my time of need.

I'm breaking all the rules of poetry

but I don't give a damn.

I'm gonna write this mess around

just have a little fun for once

not care what anybody thinks.

Better not walk into the blizzard

even when you're buried in debt.

Celebrate the tiny triumphs and hold on.

For such small creatures

we are very destructive.

Don't set yourself up to fail

when the New Year comes calling.

Cold winds blowing from the north

in a twist of the plot,

a halo around the moon,

impossible dream.

One made a hero today

Becomes a pariah the next--

dark disappointment.

the first thought is stones of green

when cold weather sets in

trying to refresh--

lost in indecisive mists

even the sweet rose

must face the winter.

frozen and disconcerted

a mystery left behind

thankful I'm still here

in a familiar setting.

the cold air cuts to my bones

in this big old winter house.

if I could return

rushing back to springtime days,

lead a quiet life

rise above limitations,

upon my last night

I will take flight into space.

~Ornery Owl Has Mixed It~

Image by Layers from Pixabay


notes

Write a custom poem.

This prompt came on the 19th, but because I do a poetry remix every year, I decided to save it for the end. This competition always comes with a poetry rewrite too, so this year I'm going to do the remix and then turn the remix on its head. The result will either be poetry blended to perfection or a hot mess! 



Friday, December 1, 2023

Last Night Flight

 

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay



upon my last night
I will take flight into space
becoming a star

notes

Write a last night poem.

I decided against back-dating this one. 

This year I'm writing not one but two remix poems, the first one starting with my first poem from this year's challenge and the second one starting with the last. 

November was a stressful month. I'm not sure December will be much better, but I'll be striving to unfuck some fuckery. 

~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~

Image by Gerry from Pixabay


Free use image by Gordon Johnson on Pixabay

Legal Eagle's Corner



 BY: credit must be given to the creator.
 NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.
 SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms.

If you want to use this Haiga for commercial purposes, drop a comment with your contact information and I'll contact you.

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Get Free

 

Image by Martin Str from Pixabay


it's time to get free

rise above limitations

become your true self

notes

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2023-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-29

Write a (blank) free poem.

It's a good day for a simple Senryu.

I added text art to the base image using Pixlr.

New stickers with this design are available now at Ornery Owl's Underground. 

https://www.zazzle.com/get_free_sticker-256781550440488444

My stickers are currently $5.44 for each sheet of 20. The normal price is $7.25 per sheet of 20.


Free use image by Gordon Johnson on Pixabay

Legal Eagle's Corner



 BY: credit must be given to the creator.
 NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.
 SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms.

If you want to use this Haiga for commercial purposes, drop a comment with your contact information and I'll contact you.

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Seize the Day, Survive the Day

 

Image by Soufiene goucha from Pixabay

always go boldly

seize each opportunity

unforgettable


don't draw attention

always keep your own counsel

lead a quiet life

notes

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2023-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-28

Write a seize the day and/or survive the day poem.

Done and done.

Me no likey the changes Pixlr has made to their interface. I would much rather have the photo search option to find quality images on Unsplash rather than just the AI creator. Boo, stinky!

 Anyway, I do have a set of stickers with this poem and image available from Ornery Owl's Underground. Click the link to buy 'em!

https://www.zazzle.com/sticker-256299140824968774


Free use image by Gordon Johnson on Pixabay

Legal Eagle's Corner



 BY: credit must be given to the creator.
 NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.
 SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms.

If you want to use this Haiga for commercial purposes, drop a comment with your contact information and I'll contact you.



Sunday, November 26, 2023

Return to Spring

 

Flowers by Mink Mingle on Unsplash


if I could return

rushing back to springtime days

would I miss winter?

notes

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2023-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-26

Write a time poem.

https://chevrefeuillescarpediem.blogspot.com/2012/11/carpe-diem-special-8-spring-peace.html

Prompt: spring peace

I added text art to the image using Pixlr.

This Haiga is available as a sticker from Ornery Owl's Underground.

https://www.zazzle.com/return_sticker-256804388677537448

Today is the last day to grab my sticker sets for just $3.63 for a sheet of 20. They return to the usual price of $7.25 tomorrow.

Sharing with



Free use image by Gordon Johnson on Pixabay

Legal Eagle's Corner



 BY: credit must be given to the creator.
 NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.
 SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms.

If you want to use this Haiga for commercial purposes, drop a comment with your contact information and I'll contact you.

Saturday, November 25, 2023

Dreams of Eternal Summer

 

White Trees by Atle Mo on Unsplash


a tropical beach

land of eternal summer

I wish I could go


the cold air cuts to my bones

in this big old winter house

notes

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2023-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-25

Write a response poem.

I am responding to the wickedly cold weather. It is twelve degrees Fahrenheit. A chinook wind is supposed to blow through and heat things up to a balmy 25 degrees.

https://chevrefeuillescarpediem.blogspot.com/2012/11/carpe-diem-51-beach.html

I've only been to the beach once in my life. At this moment I wish I was in beautiful La Jolla again rather than freezing my ass off in Colorado, which is where I was born, where I have lived all my life, and where I will, no doubt, end my days. 

~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~

Image by Alexa from Pixabay

This frigid weather has Ornery Owl feeling a little discombobulated.


New Sticker
You can get this Haiga as a sticker.


All my stickers are 50% off right now. Just $3.63 for a sheet of 20.


Free use image by Gordon Johnson on Pixabay

Legal Eagle's Corner



 BY: credit must be given to the creator.
 NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.
 SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms.

If you want to use this Haiga for commercial purposes, drop a comment with your contact information and I'll contact you.


Friday, November 24, 2023

Home Care

 

Comfort by David Mao on Unsplash


patients heal better

in a familiar setting

support in-home care

notes

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2023-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-24

Write a "home blank" poem.

Before my own health spiraled down the drain it had been swirling around for a while, I was a home health nurse. Prior to that, I was a nurse's aide for a cumulative of about 25 years, sometimes taking hiatuses to do other work such as bartending, waitressing, inventory service, or, in one instance, tech support. 

I don't think I was very good at tech support. Also, a lot of the people I worked with were straight-up weirdos, and not in a good way. But that's a story for another time.

I know it isn't always possible, but home health care is nearly always preferable to an institutional setting. Hospitals are for acute issues. Once a patient is stabilized, they will almost always do better in a familiar environment. 

I realize this is an oversimplification because there are issues that need to be addressed in order to assure that everyone has a suitable home environment. Sending someone back to a slum where they have no heat or water is not going to be a good thing. Nobody should have to live like that. Housing and utilities should not be considered luxuries. 

When I was doing my nursing clinicals, one of my patients was in the hospital for a severely infected toe. He was there for a week while the infection was treated so he wouldn't lose his foot. Upon discharge, he was given a voucher for a week stay at a motel. Guess where he was going after that? Back out on the street.

Home health care needs to be prioritized. It isn't a luxury, and it isn't fair to expect families to shoulder the burden of caring for sick family members without professional assistance. Home health care also allows nurses and aides to establish a personal relationship with patients living with chronic conditions. Allowing patients to receive care at home where possible is preferable.

~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~

Image by Alexa from Pixabay


New sticker from Ornery Owl's Underground!


In home care is an important part of the health care system.
Show your support with this attractive design.
All my stickers are 50% off right now. Just $3.63 for a sheet of 20.

Free use image by Gordon Johnson on Pixabay



Legal Eagle's Corner



 BY: credit must be given to the creator.
 NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.
 SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms.

If you want to use this Haiga for commercial purposes, drop a comment with your contact information and I'll contact you.