Month: April 2016

Day 15 – The Poet’s Billow Challenge: All I dream about

by Chevvy, posted in Poetry

This challenge required that we compile a list of cliches and mix and match words from them to compose a poem. See how many of the cliches you can recognise:-)

Walk softly

between the lines-

can’t hide it.

It’s in the storm,

the flame,

wrenching pain,

quiet fear-

in the track of the ink,

that you can tell,

the floating feeling

I have with you.

Roller coaster,

heart-stopping

shivers down my spine,

Every time

you come across.

Like a dream,

then waking up,

lost track of time.

Damned if you do-

damned if you don’t,

head over heels

in love with you.

All I dream about!

Day 14: Poet’s Billow challenge: Pyramid of love

by Chevvy, posted in Poetry

Today’s challenge

Choose 4-5 books about varying things–a collection or two of poetry, an autobiography, a book about stones, a novel. Pick up a book, randomnly open to a page, glance down. The phrase your eyes catch: write it down. Pick up another book and repeat the process 10 times. Then, see what you have and revise it into a poem. You will be amazed at the way the universe’s synchronicity manifests itself in such an approach.

I chose the following  books: The soul of Rumi by Coleman Barks,Peaches for Mensiour le Carè by Joanne Harris,I know why a caged birds sings by Maya Angelou, Eat Mangoes Naked by SARK, Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock and Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch. Enjoy!

You knew that I was a bird with broken wings.

You saw the condemnation of five syllables:

Pandemonium, as it spread across an old sky.

With pampered politeness that tipped the scale,

you reminded me that pleasure can be found

tucked into pockets and corners of the mind

where burdens that were clogged, tipped the scale

relieved from feeling overwhelmed and besieged.

You’ve given me a motive to write, fulfil each moment

to fall in harmony and rise like pyramid mounds,

miraculous levitation of rocks which had obscured

my path to an airy enclosure, now my source of dreams.

You wake in my early morning and melt my meaning

as honey melts in milk. So let’s proceed in pleasure

dancing with the pits, not the side of hell but at the

morning staircase of  a life where everything just is.

Let’s join hands like interlocking polygonal blocks,

those which stood the test of time as archeology finds.

Fall in harmony with me for a while, since this experience

is not eternal. We both know the reality cannot be.

This rose never stays long enough for weeds to grow

Do not fear though, I’ll  see you everywhere.

 I’ll be there …..

Day 13 – Poet’s Billow Challenge: Recipe for a good marriage

by Chevvy, posted in Poetry

Today’s challenge asks to write on a poem in the form of a recipe. This poem doesn’t have to be about food but an abstraction like love, wealth,pride. I’ve chosen marriage. 

This recipe has been crafted from a combination of my own experiences and lessons learnt and observations from friends, family and colleagues and not to be read as an expert’s advice but a creative piece for reflection – your comments are very welcome.

Recipe for a good marriage

Ingredients

This recipe will require 4 key ingredients which are further broken down into other individual ingredients. Some proportions will vary according to personal taste and dietary requirements

(1) ¼ portion of mutual attraction

  • Physical – shop around a bit to determine suitable quantities you require in relation to beauty, physique versus sex appeal. Note that the sex appeal which exudes from your potential partner is not always to do with physical features (Note also that physical features do change with age so choose with this in mind)
  • Things in common – Buy enough common interest to enjoy together but get a sufficient bunch of individual and diverse pursuits to stay interesting and not be overly dependent on each other
  • Chemistry – feel the attraction through that magical click of mind, body and soul. This is often not a tangible ingredient. You’ll just know when you enter the store
  • Communication – buy a bunch of verbal and body language skills and a bottle of intuition
  • Intelligence – Try to find equally matched quantities of intelligence
  • Passion/romance – You might need to shop around for this special ingredient in the spice shop. A packet of mixed spice is recommended including mild, medium and hot
  • Companionship – If all else fails, this can be your saving ingredient, therefore it should be high on your shopping list

    (2)    ¼ portion of compatibility

Suggest you buy all these in bulk, you won’t always know when you may need it.

Try  to get a complete pack that includes all of these ingredients

  • trust
  • humour
  • space/freedom
  • respect
  • tolerance
  • patience
  • forgiveness
  • finance
  • values and beliefs

(3)   ¼ of satisfying sex

  • mind – A Bouquet garni of mind over matter is vital, and is good to include in a marinade before putting your dish in the oven
  • mood – A box of dinner treats, chocolates, wine, fireplace, music, dance, and thoughtfulness must be acquired according to taste and be added to the marinade
  • moves – Ensure that you buy a packet of liquorice all sorts here since you’ll need to vary your flavor as and when you choose and buy a box of headache tablets in case you need them

(4)  ¼ of family

  • children – This might be optional but if you consider it a crucial ingredient, decide on quantity and how you want to prepare it ahead of time since your meal will need to include it everyday like salt
  • extended family – Be sure to look beyond seeing this ingredient as a trimming since it can make your meal wholesome or spoil the taste completely
  • time – Buy plenty of time to make allowance for preparation, flavoring and shelf life of your meal. It is also important that there is enough time for everyone’s plate including your own

Method

Sift through portions 1 and 2 and mix and stir until all ingredients are smooth and creamy. Preheat the oven. Heat portion 3 separately until it has reached the right temperature and mix well with portions 1 and 2. Place in a large casserole dish and bake for as long as you can. You will need to keep basting your dish with portion 4. While portion 4 is very important, you may have to alter according to taste.

This serves a maximum of two as a main course. Dessert is optional and dependant on whether you have a sweet tooth. Note that dessert if not considered carefully, can ruin your meal.

Day 12 Poet’s Billow Challenge: In light and shadow

by Chevvy, posted in Poetry

Today’s challenge is to be a Flâneur! As Bijan Stephen writes on the Paris Review blog:

“The figure of the flâneur—the stroller, the passionate wanderer emblematic of nineteenth-century French literary culture—has always been essentially timeless; he removes himself from the world while he stands astride its heart…the flâneur heralded an incisive analysis of modernity, perhaps because of his connotations: “[the flâneur] was a figure of the modern artist-poet, a figure keenly aware of the bustle of modern life, an amateur detective and investigator of the city, but also a sign of the alienation of the city and of capitalism,” as a2004 article in the American Historical Review put it.

What is this despairing, despondence choking my heart?

Turning it into a block of stone, a magnetic force-field

that draws me through narrow, forlorn streets of Paris,

a place I call home, but increasingly feel I don’t belong.

Like a tourist, I wander through the streets at night

sometimes, at anytime of the day – when I feel restless,

Longing for the wonder I see in their eyes, now lost to me!

A city of my birth in which I no longer feel wild and free.

Standing beneath an arcane lamp post across the street,

I light up another cigarette and watch the snaked queue

outside the Moulin Rouge. It’s eleven o’clock, a bustling night.

The snake slithers and curves around shops, decrepit and sleazy.

There is an air of marvel, mixed with impatience as foreigners meet.

I hear the American voices above the din, bold bitching, words

about poor service followed by explosive laughter, contrary to

the lilting pitch of locals’ exchanged greetings, Bonjour, ça va?

I take my place in the queue, snaking my way to the entrance,

In tow,up the stairs of red carpet opulence, duping these visitors!

The casino-style ambience, black-clothed tables, champagne on ice,

a splendid show, well worth the price for the captivated audience.

After the show, resuming my place, beneath a shadowed lamplight,

watching the dispersing champagne crowd, voices ever so loud,

delaying returning to my narrow abode in its narrow cobbled street,

watching the city’s light and its shadow, a return of lonely discontent!

Stubbing my cigarette, I sigh: the mirror has two faces, c’est la vie!

Day 11 of the Poet’s Billow challenge: Through the window

by Chevvy, posted in Poetry

In this challenge we had to study an audio rendition of a a foreign language poem and try to replicate its tone and mood . I used a poem written in Czech by Miroslav Holub.

Fog-

Fog surrounds me

scowling, smothering and dense

stifling, suspended haze over space,

then suddenly, it lifts, it dawns on me!

A recognition,admission,

of what I’ve seen and heard everyday.

Flashing, racing, sprinting, mounting-

memories, conversations, revelations

that we’ve shared.

They come together as the mist disappears.

This is what we’ve wanted all along.

A taste of freedom.

Day 10 of the Poet’s Billow challenge:What’s in the tea leaves?

by Chevvy, posted in Poetry

In this challenge we had to write about  fond memories of a particular experience with a sibling, recreating the context and world we lived in. I’ve dedicated this to my brother who is two years younger than me.

Fragile and fearful,

they saw you as weak.

But you were the one

who made me feel strong,

since I took the pain

all the emotional strain

with love in your defence,

protector against violence.

Yet most of all I well recall,

the tea leaves and the wood.

Fresh tea leaves from a teapot

well drawn, it never tasted so good.

Try though as I might, I can’t

recreate the taste buds

of a child of five, save the

certainty of satisfaction

of a brewed cup of tea,

plenty of sugar,lots of milk

and enough bread to dunk.

Remember, how we used

to scoop the soggy bread out

of the cup with a teaspoon?

Funny how that lonesome

memory still lingers with me.

Then the sheet of wood,

the one that was symbolic

of making our own little house,

for escape when the

world became a terrible place.

It would be our roof, our shelter

from monsters and pelting rain,

A dividing wall,when we needed

to extend our imaginary playhouse.

You treated me with such admiration.

Though we’re much older now,

I don’t think you’ve changed your view.

Of course, I’m still two years older than you

and I’m just sorry we lost that piece of wood.

We all need an imaginary wall sometimes!

Day 9-Poet’s Billow challenge: Clothed and Lonely

by Chevvy, posted in Poetry

Today’s challenge asks that we write a poem which has a title that includes a physical adjective,conjunction and mental or emotional adjective. An added challenge was to have assonance in the two key words of the title. So here we go and enjoy:

A modern condition

an epidemic plague

despite all their clothes

in love they are naked

Platinum rings

warm fur coats

layered smiles

still leave them cold

The warm body

next to you

is somewhere else-

promise broken,

Unto virtual worlds do we part!