October Poetry Writing Month, Day One: Fiery Skies

October Poetry Writing Month is back! Hopefully this month will help me get out of the creative dry spell that I've had since November of last year.

So the poetry prompt for today is clouds. Well, it rained all day, and the skies were a flat shade of grey (ooh, a rhyme! Unintentionally though!), I unfortunately I could not draw inspiration from it. Although, I am sure that many of the participants of OctPoWriMo could write a lovely poem about it! :-)

I decided to refer a photo that I had taken of a sunset from 2013, and draw inspiration from that.
Like I had mentioned, I am still trying to break out of the Writer's Block that had plagued me in November, so I had to listen to a lot of Mae Moore (one of my favorite musical artists) to obtain some creative inspiration. I hope you guys enjoy it.
 Critiques are welcome. I'm trying to improve on my writing as I get back into it.

Fiery Clouds

Now gone are the clear blue bright skies
The sky is on fire, fiery skies shift by
Clouds shift slowly but the flames stay still
Shades of yellow, orange and pink the sky it fills
Burning the remnants of today and minutes before
A way it makes for what tomorrow has in store

- LWV

National Poetry Writing Month Day Five - Sunset

Stumped again. I thought that I'd write a short poem for today.

Sunset

The sun sets tonight
Closing its eyes as I await
Its return tomorrow

- LWV

OctPoWriMo Day Five - Autumn's Sonnet

Today's prompt was to write a poem about the Autumn Season. While I waited on my ride to take me to the second session of General Conference, I spent a lot of time looking out of my window. Now Autumn may be here in my town season-wise and weather-wise, but visually, it's not quite here yet. Most of the leaves are still green. But I saw some (a few, rather) in the parking lot of my complex fly and swirl as the wind blew. I thought, why not write up Autumn as a person, and that moment where the leaves had flown could be caused by her blowing kisses? Why not write about how the daylight comes later during the Autumn season and make it seem like Autumn is sleeping late?

So here's my attempt.

Autumn's Sonnet

The Summer seems to sleep very little
During her time here quite long are her days
Leaving discretely before the air becomes brittle
Just as quietly Autumn makes her way
The Autumn sleeps a little later than the Summer
Her light for the day may come a little slow
But, oh is she still quite the stunner
Coming dressed in dazzling colors to show
Colors that flow and sway with the wind she brings
She blows gentle kisses so those leaves can fly
Slowly dancing along with the windy song she sings
She offers us those delicate moments we cannot buy
Yes, the Autumn does awaken a little late
Maybe it's so that her beauty we can appreciate

- LWV

Sending a big thanks
To you, Hyde Park Poetry
It was a great week! :-)
-L. Verella

Diamond Falls...and an Update!

Well clearly I didn't make it through NaPoWriMo since a couple of things had come up during the month of April. Luckily, the prompts are still up on their website, so I can write poems inspired by those prompts and catch up. I hope to fare better during OctPoWriMo.

Today, I thought that I'd share one of my older poems, "Diamond Falls." That poem was inspired by a 2007 trip that I had taken to Pennsylvania to see the waterfalls at Ricketts Glen and Bushkill. Under the sunny sky the the waterfalls seemed like diamonds as they were glimmering under the sunlight. I thought that I'd post it because it will be published in the anthology, "The View from Here: Poetry to Help You Soar" this fall which has me excited and humbled. With that, I plan to publish a book of poems sometime in the next couple of years. We'll see how that goes.

Enjoy!


Diamond Falls

Little diamond rivulets falling down
Making such a peaceful sound
From rocks to shallow waters it hits
Falling down little diamond rivulets

They shimmer beneath the sun
Traveling down the stream one by one
Kissed by the sunlight as they glimmer
Beneath the sun they shimmer

A placid picture all around
From the falls to the stony grounds
To the trees on a canvas of azure
All around a placid picture


© 2008 L. Verella

Upon Narrow Roads

 This poem was inspired by the April 2007 day trip that I had taken with a friend to the Eastern Shore. The narrow roads by the water, and the hold-fashioned houses were very inspiring. I wanted to draw a picture of the area but did not get around to it. Instead, I painted a picture with words. This poem had placed 28th in the Shadow's Ink Poetry Contest, and was published in Shadows Ink Chapbook Series 2, Volume 5.

Upon Narrow Roads

Feeling the chill of the morning breeze
While driving upon these narrow roads
Listening to the songs of the salt seas
As they dance upon sands of gold

Their songs puts my soul at ease
Such a peaceful sound to behold
Feeling the chill of the morning breeze
While driving upon these narrow roads

Passing by me are many lovely scenes
Small towns with buildings of old
Each with a classic story to be told
To this place I'll again make more journeys
Feeling the chill of the morning breeze

© 2008 Lita Verella

A photo of Hoopers Island by the Eastern Shore, Maryland

Beautiful Transitions

This was written back around Easter of 2007 just after Spring had begun in Odenton, Maryland where I used to live. Trees were blooming with sakura blossoms, and the field had daffodils in bloom, and then one morning we get a snow shower which covered those flowers. Something that I had never seen before.

This had placed 24th in the Shadow's Ink poetry contest, and was published in Shadows Ink Chapbook Series 2, Volume 5. 

Beautiful Transitions

Flowers begin to bloom with many names
   Their colors brightened by the suns warms rays
Signs that Springtime has come again
   And we bid adieu to cold winter days

Just after we bid adieu to winter days
   At the break of day returns the freeze
Snowflakes again travel their way
   Following the direction of the breeze

They rest upon all that lies in its way
   And blossoms with colors so bright
A confusing game that nature plays
   And yet still a beautiful sight

But short lived is the visit of snow
   The sun's rays return sending it on its way
Now this way a warmer wind blows
   Once again bidding adieu to winter days

© 2008 L. Verella