Each month this blog will feature a word of the month to stimulate a poem. Anyone who wishes to share a poem is invited to participate. The point is to enjoy the challenge of writing a poem inspired by a single word. It doesn’t matter if this is your first poem or five hundredth. It’s all done for the fun and exercise of writing.
Cutoff for posting the current Word of the Month poem is the last day of the month.
On the first day of each month, a new word will be posted to challenge your imagination for that month.
Please post your poems on this page, so everyone can find the poems easily.
Thank you and have fun!
David
PS: The word for October is CHANGE.
The Forever
by Linda Boyden ©2021
We walk through this life
on this Earth we walk,
going here or there
not looking,
not listening,
always in a hurry.
Go outside. Sit.
Look at the river.
What’s inside?
What do you see?
Wait and watch.
Use your body,
use your gifts of
taste touch smell sight.
The river carries life and death.
Watch fire. Wait.
See the wood transform
into warmth
feel the power of the change.
Fire carries life and death.
Sit outside. Listen to the wind.
Hear its roar, its mewling.
Close your eyes.
Listen with your body.
Let your senses open your soul.
Know these gifts
are not yours forever.
Forever is where life continues.
Live as if you have one foot
in the Now,
the other in Forever.
Go outside and sit:
listen, touch, see, smell,
change.
Linda, I could feel myself slowing down and relaxing as I read your poem. You could say I felt a change inside. Thanks.
Thanks so much, Susan!
CHANGE
Leaves of October
Awe-tumn turn change
B e a u t i f a l l paintings―
Hues brilliant
W a r m
Bold
Orange
Red
Yellow―
Purple
And
Gold
Cory Corrado (2021) ©
Cory, I love the new words you coin.
I like the fun of this one, the word play!
Autumn leaves are on their way
Changing colors day by day
Bringing forth a crisper air
Blowing hats and blowing hair
And when autumn leaves are gone
And winter snow has crept upon
Don’t feel sad
And don’t pretend
Autumn leaves will come again
Autumn leaves are on their way
Changing colors day by day
Bringing forth crisper air
Blowing hats and blowing hair
And when autumn leaves are gone
And winter snow has crept upon
Don’t be sad and don’t pretend
Autumn leaves will come again
Like this one a LOT, Vincent. Perfect rhyme and meter plus a lovely sensibility!
Jane Y
This is lovely, Vincent. Weird, it didn’t appear here when I posted my poem later that day. Glad to see it now!
I liked the rhyme and rhythm of this one, Vincent!
Change?
His eyes,
red and watery,
plead for change
as he lifts his cup.
I pat my pockets.
Empty,
but for the “phone”
which can send funds
from my bank to yours,
to a retail website
or your Venmo.
I give a shrug,
a half smile,
maybe a fleeting prayer,
as my heels
click the sidewalk,
past his worn ones.
Change?
Some things have changed.
Some things haven’t.
(c) 2021 Susan Bickel
Susan, homelessness is such a problem. Thanks for this poignant poem.
A Different World
By Marge Waldschmidt
I long for a world where peace is the norm
Where weather is calm, no destruction by storm.
I want guns to be silent, causing no harm
All oceans clean, not sounding alarm.
I’d like racism to fade and all to be fair
Only quality schools with teachers who care.
In everyday life, no need for negative voices
I want all to be free to make their own choices.
But if there’s only one change, that I could make,
I’d eliminate hate, that’s all it would take.
Then everything else would fall into place
Remove ONE word to save human race.
And maybe this is not a dream
We could all join the No Hate team.
Say loving words instead of mean,
Find a positive in every scene.
Don’t say hate, it is too strong
Simply dislike when something’s wrong.
Find ways to help instead of complain
Support each other when in deep pain.
We can reach every person, one by one
Let them know love, acceptance, and fun.
Change happens one decision at a time.
Will you take a step because of my rhyme?
Raises hand! I will sign up for that!!!
🙂
Love these thoughts! I’ll take a step!
Thanks so much!
Such excellent advice in this thought provoking poem.
Hear, hear!