Saturday, April 30, 2016

Day 30 - I've Been Quite Wordy





A post-apocalyptic surprise coming soon!




Finally. It's the end of the road. And I need a rest. Desperately.

So, without further ado, here is the last, and quite possibly the least, poem* for National Poetry Day. Published late because I was too tired to format, etc...



The Last Poem

I thought it would be easy.
I didn't know it would make me queasy
Thinking up a new idea each day.

It's also harder to do a rhyme
On time
With something meaningful to say.

But now it's done
And it was fun,
Though I surely need a rest

From writing all this inane stuff
And silly fluff
While making myself a Twitter pest.

So, you won't see me for a while,
And though that may bring a smile,
Rest assured, I shall return.

I will write some brand-new lines
That make you cringe and whine,
And possibly your stomach churn

From puns and silly jokes and such
For which you'll say, "Thank you very much,"
And I will say "You're welcome."


                     K.R. Smith




*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

 Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)
   Day 17 I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine (Of All Things)
   Day 18 As Words Careen (Swamped)
   Day 19 The Last Teen You'll Be Seein' (Haiku)
   Day 20 Poems? I've Got Plenty! (Sleeping On The Train)
   Day 21 A Poem For Fun (Drunk On Blogger)
   Day 22 One More For You (The Other World)
   Day 23 And Another Poem For Free (Downtown Rain)
   Day 24 There's Still More (Questionable Premises)
   Day 25 The Streak Is Still Alive (It's All For A Good Cosplay)
   Day 26 Another Poetry Fix (Haiku)
   Day 27 Til I'm Done, I Ain't Leavin' (My Poetry)
   Day 28 I Hope I Won't Be Late (My Dark Friend)
   Day 29 I'm Approaching The Finish Line (Fido)







© 2012-2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Friday, April 29, 2016

Day 29 - I'm Approaching The Finish Line





A post-apocalyptic surprise coming soon!




It's been a long grinds, trying to come up with a poem* each day. Many of them were short, a few good, a few bad, and most of them silly. Still, it keeps me writing even a little bit while I'm waiting for things to clear up and allow me time to get back into a my real projects.

Remember: there is only one more to endure after this.



Fido

Once upon a midnight dreary while I pondered, eyes all bleary,
Hoping to come up with a quaint and curious poem for National Poetry Month—
   While I wondered what was lacking, suddenly there came a yapping,
Also something gently scratching, scratching at my kitchen door.
"Must be that stupid dog again," I muttered, "yapping at my kitchen door—
   Only this an nothing more."

   Yeah, I think it was in mid-December,
Although I'm not sure I remember.
   Eagerly, I was eating marshmallows; I would have to get some more tomorrow
   And I, full of sucrose and not of sorrow, except, perhaps, for the wanting more—
Then checking the price on the name brand I'd gotten—
  I'll buy the generic brand, for sure...

   And then, my sad, old curtains of uncertain color rustled,
That thrilled me—filled me with terror I'd know too well before.
  I'd probably have to fight my way past the little mutt to get to the store,
  "It has to be that stupid dog again, yapping at my kitchen door—
The neighbor's stupid dog again," I muttered, "yapping at my kitchen door—
   Only this an nothing more."

   Presently, my soul grew stronger until I couldn't stand it any longer,
"Fido, or whatever your name is, quit your yapping at my kitchen door.
 I'm busy now, if you don't mind, so I don't have time for being kind."
  But still there was that awful scratching and, of course, that fitful yapping
Until, so disturbed was I, I opened wide the kitchen door—
  Darkness there and nothing more.

   Then from behind me I heard a rustle, the sound of plastic in a tussle,
And I saw that ADHD Jack Russel, who had sneaked past my opened door,
Licking up my few marshmallows like the hungriest of fellows,
  And, so, I picked the little critter up, setting it outside on all fours,
Where once again he took to yapping, all the time outside my door.
  Quoth from me: Never more.


                     K.R. Smith




*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

 Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)
   Day 17 I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine (Of All Things)
   Day 18 As Words Careen (Swamped)
   Day 19 The Last Teen You'll Be Seein' (Haiku)
   Day 20 Poems? I've Got Plenty! (Sleeping On The Train)
   Day 21 A Poem For Fun (Drunk On Blogger)
   Day 22 One More For You (The Other World)
   Day 23 And Another Poem For Free (Downtown Rain)
   Day 24 There's Still More (Questionable Premises)
   Day 25 The Streak Is Still Alive (It's All For A Good Cosplay)
   Day 26 Another Poetry Fix (Haiku)
   Day 27 Til I'm Done, I Ain't Leavin' (My Poetry)
   Day 28 I Hope I Won't Be Late (My Dark Friend)







© 2012-2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Day 28 - I Hope I Won't Be Late




A post-apocalyptic surprise coming soon!




...in getting this posted. Listening to the Caps game tonight—priorities, you know.



My Dark Friend

The night has a personality,
Character, if you will,
Unique, and alive to those unafraid to listen.

It has a voice,
A distant voice,
That speaks to me in whispers.

Even on a busy street,
Surrounded by crowds and the lights,
I hear it calling from over my shoulder

Bringing comfort,
A protective shroud of darkness,
That puts my mind at ease.

But we are friends,
The night and I,
And most will never understand.

They can neither speak its language,
Nor see its subtle gestures,
Or even sense its presence.

But I can.


                     K.R. Smith




BTW - The Caps won.



*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

 Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)
   Day 17 I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine (Of All Things)
   Day 18 As Words Careen (Swamped)
   Day 19 The Last Teen You'll Be Seein' (Haiku)
   Day 20 Poems? I've Got Plenty! (Sleeping On The Train)
   Day 21 A Poem For Fun (Drunk On Blogger)
   Day 22 One More For You (The Other World)
   Day 23 And Another Poem For Free (Downtown Rain)
   Day 24 There's Still More (Questionable Premises)
   Day 25 The Streak Is Still Alive (It's All For A Good Cosplay)
   Day 26 Another Poetry Fix (Haiku)
   Day 27 Til I'm Done, I Ain't Leavin' (My Poetry)







© 2012-2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Day 27 - Til I'm Done, I Ain't Leavin'




A post-apocalyptic surprise coming soon!




And I know many of you wish I was done. "Another stupid poem? Dear God, save us from this freak!"

To which I reply, "It won't hurt a bit. And it will all be over soon enough."

If that doesn't scare you, I don't know what will. Besides, all my poems* aren't stupid. Some fall into the silly category. Still, they do help me to keep writing, and perhaps a few can be salvaged for later rework into something more acceptable.

Perhaps a brief explanation is in order.



My Poetry

My poems are crude,
My poems are scary.
Hardly ever literary.

Sometimes they rhyme,
Sometimes they don't.
Just like this.

But they're all mine
And that's what matters,
Not by Poe or some other mad-hatter.

I write them down,
I write them up,
And... I can't think of anything that makes sense that rhymes with up.

So, here's another poem
For another day,
And that's about all I have to say.


                      Burma-Shave, uh, I mean K.R. Smith




*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

 Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)
   Day 17 I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine (Of All Things)
   Day 18 As Words Careen (Swamped)
   Day 19 The Last Teen You'll Be Seein' (Haiku)
   Day 20 Poems? I've Got Plenty! (Sleeping On The Train)
   Day 21 A Poem For Fun (Drunk On Blogger)
   Day 22 One More For You (The Other World)
   Day 23 And Another Poem For Free (Downtown Rain)
   Day 24 There's Still More (Questionable Premises)
   Day 25 The Streak Is Still Alive (It's All For A Good Cosplay)
   Day 26 Another Poetry Fix (Haiku)







© 2012-2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Day 26 - Another Poetry Fix




A post-apocalyptic surprise coming soon!




The weather was in play today for anyone outside in my area—pleasant, though windy. And that's how today's poems* came to be.



Haiku #1

Winds come with a rush
Pushing the clouds on their way;
Spring is impatient

Haiku #2

The last dry leaves twirl;
More do-si-do than a waltz,
Dancing to spring's song


                      K.R. Smith




*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

 Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)
   Day 17 I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine (Of All Things)
   Day 18 As Words Careen (Swamped)
   Day 19 The Last Teen You'll Be Seein' (Haiku)
   Day 20 Poems? I've Got Plenty! (Sleeping On The Train)
   Day 21 A Poem For Fun (Drunk On Blogger)
   Day 22 One More For You (The Other World)
   Day 23 And Another Poem For Free (Downtown Rain)
   Day 24 There's Still More (Questionable Premises)
   Day 25 The Streak Is Still Alive (It's All For A Good Cosplay)






© 2012-2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Monday, April 25, 2016

Day 25 - The Streak Is Still Alive!




A post-apocalyptic surprise coming soon!




You know, after twenty-four poems* in the same amount of days you start to have trouble coming up with ideas. So, for number twenty-five I've enlisted the help of the Internet. I'm not sure this is a good idea, but I'm desperate.

I went to the Writing Forward web site, in particular, A Selection of Poetry Prompts from 1200 Creative Writing Prompts, and took a gander at #6 of 25 Poetry Prompts from 1200 Creative Writing Prompts. With that many to choose from how can you go wrong? These folks are professionals, right?

Here it is: 6. Use all of the following words in a poem: scythe, fresh, bloody, dainty, screaming, deadly, discovery, harrowing.

Piece o' cake.



It's All For A Good Cosplay

"So, just why were you out there using the scythe?"
He asked, his eyes narrowing.
"We've just barely gotten the seed in the ground.
You should've been doing the harrowing."

I hadn't planned on Dad
Making the discovery
Of me in my outfit
All gruesome and bloody.

And Sis,
Usually dainty and fresh,
Was looking more than a little bit deadly
And ready to rip off some flesh.

"We're going to the horror convention today.
There'll be so much to see."
Then, I, forcing a smile,
Asked to borrow the SUV.

I thought there was going to be screaming,
An ugly, unfortunate scene.
Then he said, "Why don't you take the old car into town.
By the way, I've named her Christine."


                      K.R. Smith




*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

 Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)
   Day 17 I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine (Of All Things)
   Day 18 As Words Careen (Swamped)
   Day 19 The Last Teen You'll Be Seein' (Haiku)
   Day 20 Poems? I've Got Plenty! (Sleeping On The Train)
   Day 21 A Poem For Fun (Drunk On Blogger)
   Day 22 One More For You (The Other World)
   Day 23 And Another Poem For Free (Downtown Rain)
   Day 24 There's Still More (Questionable Premises)






© 2012-2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Day 24 - There's Still More




A post-apocalyptic surprise coming soon!




I've been thinking of moving, so that's where this poem* came from...



Questionable Premises

Have you ever gone to an open house?
The kind where a house is for sale?
Have you ever looked at how people have lived
And considered their tortuous tale?

Did you ever wonder why that wall is blue,
Or why there is no wall at all?
Remember when that hue was all the rage
And how it's now so banal?

Don't you think every sink and discolored tub
Should have all it's hardware replaced
Since they're so out of style and hopelessly old
They should have their questionable ancestry traced?

And just what is it the kitchen is missing
Besides a replacement for everything there,
And if they didn't have pet dogs or cats
Why is there so much hair?

And should the floors all be sanded down,
And are they of oak or of pine?
Don't you doubt how the house could possibly sell,
And worst of all, why is it mine?


                      K.R. Smith




*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

 Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)
   Day 17 I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine (Of All Things)
   Day 18 As Words Careen (Swamped)
   Day 19 The Last Teen You'll Be Seein' (Haiku)
   Day 20 Poems? I've Got Plenty! (Sleeping On The Train)
   Day 21 A Poem For Fun (Drunk On Blogger)
   Day 22 One More For You (The Other World)
   Day 23 And Another Poem For Free (Downtown Rain)







© 2012-2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Day 23 - And Another Poem For Free




A post-apocalyptic surprise coming soon!




It's raining today, so a short thought about the rain in the city fills my post for Day 23 of National Poetry Month*.




Downtown Rain

There is something about the city when it rains softly.
The road glistens,
The noises are muted.

There are fewer people about.
They amble along,
At peace in their own world.

The night brings an explosion of reflective fireworks
From every surface
Now shiny and wet.

The lights are somehow more comfortable and inviting seen through the mists—
Not harsh,
Not glaring.

And in the morning, a flower may bloom,
Rising from the cracked walkway
Or beside a tree.

I know it can't rain all the time,
But there are days
When I wish it could.


                      K.R. Smith




*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

 Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)
   Day 17 I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine (Of All Things)
   Day 18 As Words Careen (Swamped)
   Day 19 The Last Teen You'll Be Seein' (Haiku)
   Day 20 Poems? I've Got Plenty! (Sleeping On The Train)
   Day 21 A Poem For Fun (Drunk On Blogger)
   Day 22 One More For You (The Other World)







© 2012-2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Friday, April 22, 2016

Day 22 - One More For You



Human 76: A post-apocalyptic surprise is coming!



Google says it's Earth Day, so it must be true.

I saw a Tweet from Beth Rhodes asking what we (or me, for this blog post) did to protect the Earth.


It brought back some memories. I "participated" in the first Earth Day. Yes, I'm old enough to have done that. In fact, I'd been around for a few years prior to that (April 22, 1970). Our school had a big to-do about it, and us kids, we didn't have a clue what was going on. I still don't have a clue about much of anything to this day—at least that's what most folks will tell you. It's something I'm good at.

What did we do? They had the police block the road with a patrol car while we all weeded dandelions from the edge of the road. Tied up traffic for some time. All those V-8 engines idling away burning leaded gas. I'm sure that helped save the world...

Allow me to pause for a brief wheeze.

I grew up spending every moment in the woods, or by the water, or both. I get good feeling when I'm in a natural environment, and that's becoming increasingly difficult to find in the Mid-Atlantic area. Of course, many kids spent time outdoors in the woods or fields when I was young. I don't see that interest in the younger folks these days, but I don't want to generalize too much. I haven't done any research into this that would stand up to scientific scrutiny. But when I go on hikes with local groups, it looks like we all came out of a retirement (nursing?) home. Just an observation.

I hear a lot of people are into recycling. That's nice as far as it goes, but it's probably better to buy/create things that don't need to be recycled so often, things that last longer before that recycling process has to start, or can be repaired. Recycling takes time and energy. Like some electronic devices that get shipped half-way around the world to a facility that handles them (and often in a not very environmentally friendly fashion). Do you really need that latest (fill in this part with the name of your latest gadget/item), or do you just want it? If you don't buy it, it doesn't need to be recycled. Take a moment to think about what you want and what you really need. That might protect the environment as much as anything, and it will certainly protect your wallet.

There are a lot of little things you can do if you want to make a difference. Right now I'm wearing pants (or trousers, if you're in the United Kingdom) that are made (partly) from recycled polyester. I know that sounds a little disgusting and perhaps a bit weird, but if they can stand up to the abuse my fat backside inflicts, they can't be all bad. And it might save a little bit of oil. Okay, with the size of my backside, a lot of oil.

I also like to garden, grow some of my own food, and I've done my share of composting when in a situation to do so. I'm not sure how much it helps the Earth, but it helps my mental state.

Just one more item - I really don't like the new plastic egg cartons. While they are easily recycled, they don't protect the eggs as well as the old paper ones. It doesn't help anyone if the product isn't as good. The paper ones could be recycled just as easily. They could even be composted. I want my paper egg cartons back. Or else.

Anyway, enough of the soap box, here's today's poem*. Then I'll go back and republish yesterday's poem when I get a chance. Had to edit it. That's what I get for trying to do all these poems in between working overtime, or on the train commuting. This has been a busy month (or three).



The Other World

Between the patches of trash-strewn ground,
Away from the walls of graffiti,
Are bits of the Earth that somehow survive
In an alternate-world reality.

Hidden by scrapyards
Stacked high with remains
Of yesterdays treasures
Now in disdain

There still is a place
Where a trout-lily blooms
And irises show off
Their tall purple plumes,

Where birds fly above
The tops of the trees
And dragonflies flash
Their blues and their greens.

Yes, this is where
I've been spending my day,
Though if anyone asks
I'd rather not say.

For if others discover
This wondrous display
They'd enjoy it so much
It would all go away.


                      K.R. Smith




*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

 Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)
   Day 17 I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine (Of All Things)
   Day 18 As Words Careen (Swamped)
   Day 19 The Last Teen You'll Be Seein' (Haiku)
   Day 20 Poems? I've Got Plenty! (Sleeping On The Train)
   Day 21 A Poem For Fun (Drunk On Blogger)







© 2012-2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Day 21 - A Poem For Fun



Human 76: A post-apocalyptic surprise is coming!



Sometimes Blogger doesn't cooperate as well as I'd like...

I refuse to say anything more.



Drunk On Blogger

I was trying to write
A poem* here on Blogger
But the format came out
Looking like I was snoggered.

I took an old backup
And pasted it in.
When that didn't work,
I tried it again.

Nothing would line up,
Nothing would stay,
I'd type it all in
Then it'd all go away.

Opening the post
In pure HTML,
I soon realized
I'd descended into—well,

Let's just say
It was not a nice place.
I felt like slapping
My own stupid face.

Somehow, I'd pulled in
Formatting from Word
That tended to make
My vision go blurred.

So, I started typing
Right from the beginning.
I foolishly thought
I was finally winning.

Then I hit the button,
The one that says, "Save,"
Then hit it again
Like a Bloggerly knave,

But each time I tried
It came back with this text,
"An error has occurred."
I believed I was hexed.

I tried and I tried,
But the message came back.
I cursed the PC;
I gave it a whack.

And somehow that worked.
My file had been saved.
And you see it here,
Dutifully displayed.


                      K.R. Smith




*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

 Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)
   Day 17 I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine (Of All Things)
   Day 18 As Words Careen (Swamped)
   Day 19 The Last Teen You'll Be Seein' (Haiku)
   Day 20 Poems? I've Got Plenty! (Sleeping On The Train)







© 2012-2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Day 20 - Poems? I've Got Plenty!



Human 76: A post-apocalyptic surprise is coming!



Good poems? Not so much, but this is more of a writing exercise (and to show support for National Poetry Month*) than to win a prize. The point is to keep writing even though I don't have the time or energy to spare.

And now, for something completely different...



Sleeping On The Train

There are always seats when I get on;
I'm at the far end of the line.
They are not seats one could love,
The way they twist my spine,

And yet I find
A way to sleep,
More like a nap, though,
Not too deep

Until the daily journey ends
When I, and many others rise,
Trudging off to jobs
We despise.

Why do we do it
And suffer so?
Every morning
We get up and go

When we could easily find
Some other way to pass the day
Without having to ride
To some distant point in order to earn our pay.

I really think it is the train,
Although that may sound slightly insane
To think those seats that give us pain
Could somehow entice us back again.

But I would miss my naps.
And even if I could sleep in
It's not as much fun as waking up
In some place other than where you've been.


                      K.R. Smith




*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

 Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)
   Day 17 I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine (Of All Things)
   Day 18 As Words Careen (Swamped)
   Day 19 The Last Teen You'll Be Seein' (Haiku)







© 2012-2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Day 19 - The Last Teen You'll Be Seein'



Human 76: A post-apocalyptic surprise is coming!



I can't wait for day twenty...

Since the summer is approaching, and I've just finished some lawn work, I thought I'd use that as inspiration for today's poem. Being about nature and such, I figured haiku would be appropriate. Or not.

I think three is enough. Probably more than enough.



Haiku #1

The grass trimmer whirs,
But the weeds ignore its song;
I am out of string.


Haiku #2

I pull the rope again
And curse the stubborn engine;
The sounds of summer.


Haiku #3

Sweat drips from my brow
As the rake grooms the green lawn;
I miss the winter.



                      K.R. Smith




*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

 Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)
   Day 17 I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine (Of All Things)
   Day 18 As Words Careen (Swamped)







© 2012-2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Monday, April 18, 2016

Day 18 - As Words Careen



Human 76: A post-apocalyptic surprise is coming!



Yes, they are just flying out across the Internet in the general direction of my readers... some of them may actually make sense, but don't count on it. I'm referring to my words, not my readers. Well, in this particular case...

Free-form again, as inspired by my daily commute.



Swamped

I look out the window.
It's early morning as the train passes
The marsh.

Mists, illuminated by the sun
Peeking over distant trees,
Hover above the dark waters.

I wonder how many secrets
Are hidden
Within it's shallow rivulets,

Or, owing to the proximity of civilization,
Empty beer cans
And rusted tricycles.

Still, my imagination
Calls forth cat-o-nine-tails
Red-winged blackbirds,

Frogs croaking,
And minnows swimming
In the shallows.

I hear
One of the other passengers
Say something about a swamp.

True,
An accurate description,
Even though it doesn't sound as nice,

For a marsh
Is just a swamp
Putting on airs.

As that forlorn patch of soggy ground
Disappears behind me,
My thoughts linger there.

On a higher level, of course,
In the marsh
And not the swamp.


                      K.R. Smith




*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

 Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)
   Day 17 I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine (Of All Things)



© 2012-2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Day 17 - I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine



Human 76: A post-apocalyptic surprise is coming!



I really think I am. Getting the routine, I mean. I'll probably have it down pat by day thirty.

Another free-form poem—to counter-balance the title, of course.



Of All Things

Of all the things
That make up a person,
Memories are the hardest for me to understand.

Not how memories saved within my brain
Or how they are recalled,
But which ones seem to come back so easily.

Why is it
That I can remember the exact smell
Of my grandmother's kitchen?

The toast,
The eggs fried in lard,
The blackberry jam she always had on the table

Are as fresh and clear
Today
As they were a half-century ago.

Why are the fragrances of fishing
Along the bay's backwaters
As pungent as it was when I was a child?

The brackish water,
The small white perch,
The breeze from the reed-covered shore

Are still so strong
Today
I can almost will myself backwards in time.

These aromas, and many others
Are locked into my subconscious,
Ready to erupt at the slightest prodding.

Nothing important happened
During those times,
There was no historical event

That occurred,
No milestone
Reached,

Except,
Perhaps,
That I was truly alive.


                      K.R. Smith




*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

 Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)


© 2012-2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Day 16 - And I'm Full Of Beans



Human 76: A post-apocalyptic surprise is coming!



No, I have no idea what the blog post title is supposed to mean.

But it does rhyme.

Sort of.

And, no, the poem* for today will not be about a musical fruit.

Unless, of course, I get very, very desperate.

Instead, I went a little steampunk.



Steel Circles

 The man walked towards the worker.
"The gears must not be allowed to stop," said the supervisor.
"I understand," the workman replied.

"And I believe I have found the problem
 As gear set B-28 must be replaced.
 It splits the power from gear AJ-183
 And reverses the direction
 Before splitting it among two other sections."

"Can this be done without stopping the gears?"
"If I can by-pass the power
 Via a temporary drive belt
 To the other axle."
"Then do so, for the gears must not be allowed to stop."

 As the worker unpacked the parts,
 He looked up at the huge mass of machinery whirring,
 Then, something within him stirring, turned to his supervisor.
"I hope this in not irreverent,
 But I have a question, sir."

"I have never been out of this compound
 Since I was old enough to work.
 I see inputs and outputs and shafts of all sizes,
 And pulleys and cogs and the belts that comprise this.
 May ask what it is all for?"

 There was a long pause,
 A very long pause,
 Then he stared straight at the workman
 His eyes narrow,
 His expression burning.

"That is not your concern—that is only for those at the top,
 But the gears must not be allowed to stop."
 And then he walked away.


                      K.R. Smith




*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

 Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)



© 2012-2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved