Blog Archives - Writers cramp! ©

Day Twenty-nineA Commercial poem29th November 2013

29/11/2013

For today’s prompt, write a commercial poem. This prompt makes me think about the commercialism decried in Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown, but there are any number of ways to attack a commercial poem. I have complete faith in everyone here being able to take this prompt in wild, new direction,

HOPE FROM DESPAIR

Commerce is a double edged sword
Greed and profit our downfall,
My father and his father worked here,
We lived and loved our jobs,
Worked hard and made our lives here.
We gave our all and loved this land,
Growing food and sharing.

Sadly the friend who employed us
Passed away and left this world,
The land has been sold.
Big business has swallowed our jobs,
Digested the land and spat us out
Commercialization is a heartless beast
Our future is not commercial.

Where do we go from here?
The children we love are our future,
Learning new horizons the key.
A pathway forced us to re-locate
Take them out of this rut to learn.
To beat the beast that stole our lives.
Learn to become commercial.

By John Yeo~29th November 2013

Copyright Poem by John Yeo © 29/11/2013 All rights reserved

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT~~A Poem about birds~

28/11/2013

For today’s prompt, write a bird poem. Pick a bird, any bird, and write a poem about it. Or just write a poem that happens to have a bird somewhere in it. Or, well, you know the drill by now–use your imagination!

SHOOT TO KILL

Grey November, cloudy skies.
Men in rustic clothing
Carrying guns, primed to kill.
Dogs to chase the falling bag,
Many birds will die today
All part of the annual thrill.

Crows and Gulls gather
Flock to feed on the slaughter.
Dogs retrieve the balls of feathers,
Beaters create noise to scare the prey,
We will feast on fowl today.
All part of the annual kill.

Take aim, pull the trigger, fire!
Missed, nothing slaughtered, nothing falls.
Bang! Bang! The shotgun speaks again,
Blood spurts from gaping wounds
Invisible blood on the killer's hands.
I say! How many did you bag today?

We feed our friendly garden birds,
We have six feeders at home.
Robins, Blackbirds, Finches and Tits,
Beautiful creatures, almost tame.
We only eat game birds in season
They are just part of the annual kill.

Chicken on Sunday, roast to taste
Eggs for breakfast, boiled or fried?
Turkey for lunch in sandwiches,
During the season we’ll eat a brace
We are bird lovers after all
We take no part in the annual kill.

Written by John Yeo~~28th November 2013

Copyright Poem by John Yeo © 28/11/2013 All rights reserved

DAY TWENTY SEVENA local poem27th November 2013

27/11/2013

For today’s prompt, write a local poem. By local, I’m thinking of something that happens or has happened in your neck of the woods, but you know, I’m never against poets bending and/or breaking my rules. So feel free to play with the concept of local however you wish.

THE WHALES SING NO MORE

A very rural area is North Norfolk,
Green fields spread down to the sea
Tractors, pig farms and caravans.
Holidaymakers visiting the beaches,
Nothing much happens in Norfolk,
The North folk live life in peace.

Rough seas and high winds prevail.
The news of the day is alarming,
The sea has washed up a dead whale.
The second whale sadly to suffer
Unexplained death from the sea.
Two magnificent creatures will sing no more.

By John Yeo~~27th November 2013

Copyright Poem by John Yeo © 27/11/2013 All rights reserved

DAY TWENTY-SIXFREE (blank) and/or BLANK (free)26th. November 2013

26/11/2013

Take the phrase “Free (blank),” replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Example titles might include: “Free Bird,” “Freedom Isn’t Free,” “Free Offer,” etc.
Take the phrase “(blank) Free,” replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Example titles might include: “Fat Free,” “Stone Free,” “How to Be Free,” etc.

FREE SPIRIT
(A Villanelle poem)

The wind is a spirit set free,
Gusty and wild, without restraint
The wind will always be free.

Cool breezes, wafting, fanning,
A calm wind is a passive friend
The wind is a spirit set free.

The wild wind is a raging beast,
Angry power unrestrained,
The wind will always be free.

Dancing air-waves across the sea,
Gusting whirlwinds in the desert
The wind is a spirit set free.

We use the force of the powerful wind,
We harness the power not the wind
The wind will always be free.

The winds power is a force for good
Warm thermals softly gusting,
The wind is a spirit set free,
The wind will always be free.

By John Yeo 26th November 2013

Copyright Poem by John Yeo © 26/11/2013 All rights reserved

DAY TWENTY-FIVESHADORMAA re-mix of day 24's poem~~25th November 2013

26/11/2013

Take a poem you have written from earlier in the challenge, and re-mix it. Take a free verse poem and work it into a VILLANELLE or a SHADORMA. Rework numerous poems into a new one. Or take a line from one of the poems and write a response poem, or take it into an entirely different direction.

"YOU SEE, ONE LOVES THE SUNSET WHEN ONE IS SO SAD"
Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~~From "The Little Prince"

SUNSET

Shadorma style

“You see one
loves the sunset when
one is so
sad” Sunrise,
Happiness is rebalance
Rejuvenation.

Sun rises
A blaze of beauty,
Sunrise all
Round the world,
Children are born and breathe life.
The sunrise brings light.

Sun circles
the globe with real warmth,
People live
People love,
Soaked in rays of survival.
Intellectual growth.

Life begins.
The sun starts the day
Lighting clouds
Bringing joy.
Birth, joy, life, sadness, tears, death,
The cycle of life.

Sunrise, then
the sunset brings night.
One loves the
sunrise at
the dawn, when we feel happy.
After a deep sleep.

Depression.
Balance of the mind
is upset.
Day seems black.
Night brings sweet sleep and stilled thought.
Blank reality.

“You see one
loves the sunset when
one is so
sad” Sunrise,
Happiness is rebalance
Rejuvenation,

By John Yeo~ 25th November 2013

Copyright Poem by John Yeo © 25/11/2013 All rights reserved

DAY TWENTY~FOURA poem in response to a Quote24th November 2013

24/11/2013

Write a poem that responds to a statement. You can use any statement, quote, etc., that you wish.
"YOU SEE, ONE LOVES THE SUNSET WHEN ONE IS SO SAD"
Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~~From "The Little Prince"

"YOU SEE, ONE LOVES THE SUNSET WHEN ONE IS SO SAD"
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
From "The Little Prince"

SUNSET

The sun rises in a blaze of glory,
Sunrise
All over the Earth
Children are born and breathe Life.
The sun circles the globe bringing warmth,
People live, love, bathe in the rays
Of survival and intellectual growth.
A life begins as the sun starts the day
Lighting the clouds and bringing joy.

Birth, Life, Joy,
Tears, Sadness,

Sunrise, Happiness,
Evening, Sunset,

"You see, one loves the sunset when one is so sad"
One loves the sunrise at dawn when one feels happy.

Depression when the balance of the mind is upset,
The day seems black, nothing to feel,
Night brings sleep and stilled thought.
"You see, one loves the sunset when one is so sad."

Happiness, when the balance is in harmony,
The day full of joy with love and warmth.
The sun brings the evening and sadness aproaches,
"You see, one loves the sunset when one is so sad"

By John Yeo~ 24th November 2013

Copyright Poem by John Yeo © 24/11/2013 All rights reserved

DAY TWENTY-THREE"I shouldn't be here" poem23rd November 2013

23/11/2013

Write an "I shouldn't be here" poem. You decide where you shouldn't be. Maybe a place, a time, or maybe a state of mind.

I SHOULDN'T BE HERE

I shouldn't be here in this bubble of time,
A whirl of travel to new lands.
Impressive horizons full of beauty,
Our life lately has been unpredictable.
Since the day of the life-changing news
Delivered by our medical consultant.
"You have six months of life at the most".
I was numb with shock at the news.

I would live every day of my life left,
No time for sadness or looking back,
I will make the world my epitaph.

Except~~
It has been two years since the deadline,
My health has continued to improve.
We suspect a misdiagnosis I fear,
We content ourselves with our love.
Content in the comforting knowledge

"I SHOULDN'T BE HERE"

By John Yeo 23rd November 2013

Copyright Poem by John Yeo © 23/11/2013 All rights reserved

Day Twenty-twoA poem using three of six words 22nd November 2013

23/11/2013

Write a poem using at least three of the following six words~~~
IDEOGRAM~~ REMORA~~CASKET~~ECLIPSE~~SELFIE~~WRETCH.
Use the words in the title of the poem, the body of the poem. Feel free to play with the words make them plural etc..

THE FINAL EXIT

We were at the graveside in darkness
To lay our worthless Uncle to rest.
The wretch was laid out in his casket,
The family were gathered to mourn.

A solar eclipse was in progress
The sun was above the horizon.
It was quite a frightening event
The sun disappeared without warning.

The darkness that suddenly descended
Was considered a sign from beyond.
A magical event that scared everyone
Even the vicar looked startled.

The sun returned with warm welcome light,
The service completed, the last rites performed
We followed an ideogram of a pointed finger,
A sign indicating the way to the exit.

We tried to make sense of these two signs,
The darkness of the unforseen solar eclipse,
The ideogram as a universal sign
In our minds both depicted the Final Way Out.

By John Yeo~~ 22nd November 2013

Copyright Poem by John Yeo © 22/11/2013 All rights reserved.

Day twenty-oneA Secret message poem21st November 2013

21/11/2013

Write a Secret Message poem, maybe a message in a bottle, sign language, foreign language etc.

THE MESSAGE~~UNDER THE MAT

Your incoming signals tell me a truth,
My outgoing signals agree and respond.
How do we let each other know
Without including the outside world?
I have something sensitive to tell you
That is very private, just for you.

Your parents would never approve,
I come from a different world,
When we meet tomorrow, on our way,
They would certainly hear if I spoke.
My sister who is your very good friend
Will tell you to look under the mat.

This secret message will seal our fate,
We will leave together, elope
Make a new life somewhere far away
Our love will never fade.
Our non-verbal courtship signals
Will ensure our secret is safe.

By John Yeo 21st November 2013

Copyright Poem by John Yeo © 21/11/2013 All rights reserved

Day Twenty~An Always (blank) poem ~20th November 2013

20/11/2013

Write an Always (blank) poem~ Replace the blank with a new word or phrase. Make the new phrase the title of your poem~i.e."Always on my mind", "Always wrong", "Always writing poems that don't sound as good the next day"

ALWAYS EARLY TO RISE

I always get up with the lark,
My mind comes to life about then.
I always wake around four am
Before the sun has come up.
I pull back the curtains to greet the dark,
Always early to rise.

I stretch and switch on my computer,
Check on my e-mails and comments from friends
Around the world on the social media.
Chat to friends thousands of miles away,
Sharing messages, news and the gen,
Always early to rise.

I always brew the morning tea
Take a cup to my wife still abed
I have always been an early riser
Wide awake before dawn breaks
I always wake around four am
My mind comes to life about then
Always early to rise.

By John Yeo~20th November 2013

Copyright Poem by John Yeo © 20/11/2013 All rights reserved