Creativity
Creative expression occurs when we imagine, construct and memorialize original ideas of artistic value. That 'value' may be appreciated by our fellow man or may have been fostered for ourselves alone.
The form of our creations can be varied but are indeed a component of the vision itself, whether it follows recognizable norms or are of a construct completely out-of-the-ordinary and perhaps even daring.
The end result is what we present to the world.
While much of my creative writing involves being a hooman, not all of it does. I also delve into more human stretching with my compositions, reaching into other parts of my psyche for creative expression, including pictorial visualization of the words I've set to paper. I truly enjoy this addition of
graphic emphasis for my work.
Promising more to come in future days,
I humbly offer imaginings from my human side here.
metaphor
Using metaphors in poetry creates vivid imagery and deeper meaning by applying characteristics of one thing onto another. Without using "like" or "as," language employing metaphors transforms abstracts into concrete images which appeals to our search for understanding, congruity, and emotional depth. I hope you are transported airborne as the big blue ball's mission is realized in
GUSTS OF DREAMS.
free verse
The more modern format, free verse, does not use consistent rhyme or meter patterns, but instead relies on speech rhythms and natural intonations. In my poem, I experimented mixing expressions of today's speech with days of yore. Sending apologies to Oliver Goldsmith, I had fun with anachronisms in my piece,
I STOOPED TO CONQUER.
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HAiku
The popular haiku comes to us from Japan. Its short structure is identified by a 5-7-5 syllable count with a three-line structure. My poem was inspired by summer days in my backyard pool... when I would dare to open my eyes after a refreshing dive. The sight, so unique, I describe in
SPECTRUM OF A PLUNGE
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elegy
An elegy is a poem of reflection on loss, grief and sorrow. By tradition, it is serious in tone and follows a structure of lamentation, admiration, and acceptance, often using pastoral imagery. My elegy for Cassie smoldered during our final week together: that time when I was hoping for miracles and trying not to accept that her eyes were telling me she knew it was time to leave. The sight of her abandoned playthings, perhaps, was my inspiration for my essay and poem
HER TOYS ARE JUST FOR LOOKING NOW
Her Toys Are Just For Looking Now
Some years ago, I published My Hooman and Me, a memoir telling of the challenging years with a sweet-natured boxer mix named Cassie. I rescued her not long after losing my Bella and at the time had no idea about the menace cooking deep inside of Cassie. The discovery of her malignancy would feed our five years together. Her story is one of courage, tenacity and resilience which are not words often attributed to a household pet. More common words used for our canine companions—loving, playful, goofy and, yes at times, naughty—applied to Cassie as well. In many ways throughout her dis-ease she was a normal pup… and fought hard to be so. Despite batches of medicines, she’d happily play as cancer continued to boil inside, resistant to even the spiciest of potions. The tumor was not of her body’s making, it was explained to me: the mass did not grow from compromised tissues nor mis-firing genes. It had been injected—literally—into Cassie. The fact that she wasn’t responsible for this misery made her stubborn embrace of joy even more profound. Her fight became my fight too. How could it not? Months became years of clinical stewardship offering noxious attempts at cures and relentless disappointments until, finally, we found our miracle. Remission. As I set about recounting her tail-wagging gumption, my love for Cassie flowed chapter after chapter. During the next months together, introspection and melancholy chronicled frustrating trials-and-errors leading up to, finally, our happy ending. Thereafter, we relished settling into the everyday: a grand time which was, alas, short-lived. To my dismay, only two years later, that toxic mix from the past stirred to compromise her heart. We then faced the most difficult time of all.
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Ode
An ode is a formal lyric poem of praise with Greek origins. Characterized by intense emotion and a dignified tone, its subject is of a person, place, thing, or idea. Reflecting often on intellectual or personal themes, its structure is complex and passionate.
I hope you appreciate my ode,
OUR ROUTE ALONE.
Villanelle
The villanelle is a highly structured poem with 19 lines, characterized by 5 three-line stanzas followed by a concluding four-line stanza. Of French origin, what is unique to the villanelle is the repetition of the two thematic lines throughout the poem and again at the conclusion. Here is my villanelle entitled
THEY SHARED MY HEART RESHAPED MY WAYS
poem & after poem
An After Poem is the poet's response to another original Poem. Generally, the After Poem echoes the same themes as the original, with a purpose to look at it from a different angle and to respond in homage. Both of my poems were written in the format of a 'villanelle,' the highly structured old French styling. I tried to treat both pieces honestly, detailing a very personal time of medical angst. Perhaps you can identify going
UNDER THE KNIFE, A DIAGNOSTIC DIPTYCH
Another Reply Poem
My friend and fellow hooman, Joan, also a poetess in her own right, sent me her poem entitled,
PLAY WITH THE BIG DOGS AT THE DOG PARK.
Her delightful free verse is written from a small-sized dog’s point of view, lamenting that time of year when the city reseeds the small dog play area, forcing the little ones to romp the big dog section for a week or so while their new grass germinates. As a big dog hooman (and in homage to Christopher Marlowe and Sir Walter Raleigh,)
I felt compelled to respond with
A REPLY TO THE SMALL DOGS AT THE PARK
Contact
I would love to hear your thoughts! Your voice matters just as much as the stories I share. Via the email link, I'm hoping you will join the conversation and share what my pages may stir in you!