Apr 28, 2016 #Couplets, Original Poetry, Rhymed couplets
In response to The Daily Post’s Daily Prompt: Solitude
Haunted by Solitude
©April 28th, 2016
By Vijaya Sundaram
And where I go, she goes
And everything she knows.
And when I sing, she sings
The song of beginnings
And when I play, she plays
She never goes away
And when I smile, she smiles
(Please leave me for a while!)
And when I cry, she cries
She’ll be silent when I die.
She’s always by my side
She stamps out all my pride
My muscles knot and twist
And dreams I can’t resist.
And she, my shadow-self
Stares from her shadow-shelf
Wills me to stay awake
Bids me my thirst to slake
Somewhere within, she lurks
And I, her puppet, jerk.
So, why am I alone
Holding sadness like a stone?
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Tags: #OriginalPoetrybyVijayaSundaram, #RhymedCouplets, #Solitude, #TheDailyPost, #TheDailyPrompt
Apr 26, 2016 NaPoWriMo, Original Poetry, Rhymed couplets
Down-River
©April 26th, 2016
By Vijaya Sundaram
Float down-river, see me shiver.
I see you from afar, O Friend.
Come, draw me clear away from here
Why should I heed you when you plead?
Oh, take me where no one will stare
But if I do, you’ll see me true.
Oh come, dear friend, from out your dream,
And why should I, O voice who calls?
Come float me down this silver stream.
But it will end in a waterfall!
I cannot wait, the hour’s late
I’ll hold a place for you, O friend.
I’ll jump in now, come through somehow.
Then, you will see me at the end.
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My second response to today’s NaPoWriMo prompt (Day 26 )
And last, but not least, our prompt (optional, as always). Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that incorporates a call and response. Calls-and-responses are used in many sermons and hymns (and also in sea chanties!), in which the preacher or singer asks a question or makes an exclamation, and the audience responds with a specific, pre-determined response. (Think: Can I get an amen?, to which the response is AMEN!.). You might think of the response as a sort of refrain or chorus that comes up repeatedly, while the call can vary slightly each time it is used …
… The call can be longer than the response, or vice versa. But think of your poem as an interactive exchange between one main speaker and an audience. Happy writing!
Tags: #CallandResponsePoem, #OriginalPoetrybyVijayaSundaram, #RhymedCouplets
Apr 22, 2016 NaPoWriMo, Original Poetry, Rhymed couplets
Happy Earth-day – A Ragged Ditty
©April 22nd, 2016
By Vijaya Sundaram
Good day, O Earth!
Emerged at birth
With storms and light
And endless night,
You burst to life
From bloodless strife.
And then, life grew,
And plants all new
Arose and filled
Your carbon mill
With pure air sweet,
Until our feet
Tromped far and wide,
With steps of pride.
And now, a shroud
Of methane clouds
From humankind’s
Polluting minds
Covers your world.
Still, you unfurl
Your petals fair,
And everywhere
Life grows and blooms,
Grows old in gloom,
And dies in time,
While sunny climes
Burn stridently,
And frozen ones
Melt silently.
Perhaps, She’ll live
And She’ll forgive
Our transgressions,
Our aggressions,
Our ignorance,
Restore balance
And leave us out –
Without a doubt
The one mistake
She will not make
This time around.
(In shame we’ll drown.)
But still I walk
These shaded woods
And still I talk
With hopeful “shoulds”
And still I hear
The bubbling streams
While I ignore
My troubling dreams.
For time is short
And life will end
Make space for creatures,
Be Earth’s friend
Love all of life,
And all that’s here
May peace and love
This planet steer.
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P.S. Not my best poem, but I wanted to write one anyway.
(I’m a little tired, and need to sleep)
This is NaPoWriMo‘s prompt for Day 22:
And now for our (optional) prompt. Today’s prompt comes to us from Gloria Gonsalves, who also suggested our prompt for Day Seven. Today, Gloria challenges us all to write a poem in honor of Earth Day. This could be about your own backyard, a national park, or anything from a maple tree to a humpback whale. Happy writing!