"The
pantoum originated in Malaysia in the fifteenth-century as a short
folk poem, typically made up of two rhyming couplets that were
recited or sung. However, as the pantoum spread, and Western writers
altered and adapted the form, the importance of rhyming and brevity
diminished. The modern pantoum is a poem of any length, composed of
four-line stanzas in which the second and fourth lines of each stanza
serve as the first and third lines of the next stanza. The last line
of a pantoum is often the same as the first."
As
the weekend comes to a end,
My
to-do list remains incomplete,
Two
days is not enough time to spend,
There
are deadlines that I want to meet.
My
to-do list remains incomplete,
They
say good intentions “gang aft agley”
There
are deadlines that I want to meet,
weekend
chores done inefficiently.
They
say good intentions “gang aft agley”
Starting
the week right is the best way,
Weekend
chores done inefficiently,
Leave
us scrambling come early Monday.
Starting
the week right is the best way,
Lunches
have to be prepped the night 'fore,
We're always scrambling come early Monday.
To
find backpacks and boots by the door,
Lunches
have to be prepped the night 'fore,
Laundry
done, floors washed, menu penned,
Backpacks
and boots ready by the door,
As
the weekend comes to an end.
-Laura
Freeman-
April
6, 2014
Sunday, 6 April 2014
Saturday, 5 April 2014
A "Golden Shovel"
"Today’s prompt is a little complicated, which is why I saved it for a Saturday, in the hopes that you might have a little more time today than during a weekday. I think this is a very rewarding form, though, so I hope you’ll enjoy it! Today I challenge you to write a “golden shovel.” This form was invented by Terrance Hayes in his poem, The Golden Shovel. The last word of each line of Hayes’ poem is a word from Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem We Real Cool. You can read Brooks’ poem by reading the last word of each line of Hayes’ poem! (In fact, you can do so twice, because Hayes, being ultra-ambitious, wrote a two-part golden shovel, repeating Brooks’ poem). Now, the golden shovel is a tricky form, but you can help keep it manageable by picking a short poem to shovel-ize. And there’s no need to double-up the poem you pick, like Hayes did. Here are a few possibilities to work from:" - www.napowrimo.net
The poem I chose is called "Paperwork" and is NaPoWriMo 2014 offering by April Raines. (You can read her poetry here:
http://aprilraines.digitalnovelists.com/poetry/napowrimo2014/title)
Here's what I learned ... this is a very fast format for me to write! Probably because the darn thing won't rhyme. At all. Unless I use a poem that rhymes every second or third. So this kind of seems like free-verse. Which I am not a fan of. Unless it's funny. Anyway, this poem seems like cheating. Here it is, 10am and my poem for the day is done. Huh. Enjoy and see you tomorrow! :)
The poem I chose is called "Paperwork" and is NaPoWriMo 2014 offering by April Raines. (You can read her poetry here:
http://aprilraines.digitalnovelists.com/poetry/napowrimo2014/title)
Here's what I learned ... this is a very fast format for me to write! Probably because the darn thing won't rhyme. At all. Unless I use a poem that rhymes every second or third. So this kind of seems like free-verse. Which I am not a fan of. Unless it's funny. Anyway, this poem seems like cheating. Here it is, 10am and my poem for the day is done. Huh. Enjoy and see you tomorrow! :)
More Paperwork
Behind
a desk I sit, ceasing never
I tackle the to-do list without an ending
I dully fill in the waiting blanks
A chore that, at times, feels meaningless
Staring at the daunting empty lines
I know its purpose and
I dutifully fill the boxes
Ever planning and ever seeking
To
find the efficiencies with which to
Reduce what seems to be
Just time, waiting to be filled.
-Laura
Freeman-
April 5, 2014
Friday, 4 April 2014
Spring is Imminent - a Lune
I went with the prompt for today. Last night's bout of un-inspiration and lack of kid-free evening time encouraged me to choose something today that I could write on my coffee breaks instead of after the kids go to bed. As much as I am NOT a fan of the Haiku, I kind of think this works! I'm pretty pleased.
"Today’s optional prompt is to write a lune. A lune is a sort of English-language variation on the haiku, meant to better render the tone of the Japanese haiku than the standard 5-7-5 format we all learned (and maybe loved) in elementary school. There are a couple of variants on the lune form, but just to keep things simple, let’s try the version developed byJack Collum. His version of the lune involves a three-line stanza. The first line has three words. The second line has five, and the third line has three. You can write a poem that consists of just one stanza, or link many lune-stanzas together into a unified poem. Happy writing!"
"Today’s optional prompt is to write a lune. A lune is a sort of English-language variation on the haiku, meant to better render the tone of the Japanese haiku than the standard 5-7-5 format we all learned (and maybe loved) in elementary school. There are a couple of variants on the lune form, but just to keep things simple, let’s try the version developed byJack Collum. His version of the lune involves a three-line stanza. The first line has three words. The second line has five, and the third line has three. You can write a poem that consists of just one stanza, or link many lune-stanzas together into a unified poem. Happy writing!"
Rain splatters pavement
Iceways form as I slumber
Spring is
imminent
Sunshine hides behind
Dark and dreary cloud cover
Spring is imminent
Mud puddles pooling
Along roads and on sidewalks
Spring is imminent
Blue sky northerly
The clouds slowly blowing south
Spring is imminent
Brilliant clear overtakes
The clouds dissipate to wisps
Spring is imminent
Coat in morning
Shirt by the midday outing
Spring is imminent
Winter blues lifting
I feel happy and hopeful
Spring is imminent!
-Laura Freeman-
April 4, 2014
Gravity
Okay, this one's a stretch. But it was a rough evening. Brooklynn climbed the change table and fell off of it. When I picked her up she vomited all over both of us and then she proceeded to cry in my arms until she fell asleep. I only just put her to bed an hour ago, not wanting to leave her alone in her crib. She's seems fine, no sign of bumps or bruises but I didn't want to take the chance so we snuggled for two hours. She's such a tough little dare devil. But she's also her own worst enemy because she has no clue what the consequences could be of her climbing addiction. Most of the time I catch her in the act before she gets hurt, but this time I didn't.
Anyway, here's the "inspiration" for my late night writing stint.
Anyway, here's the "inspiration" for my late night writing stint.
Gravity
Grasping furniture, she climbs with drive,
Relentless in her quest to reach new heights.
At the summit, she waits 'til I arrive,
Very often, to my heart-stopping fright.
I, helpless, do not get there quite on time,
To rescue her from the possibility.
Yes, my baby learned what happens when she climbs...
The awful truth about the law of gravity.
-Laura Freeman-
April 3, 2014
Wednesday, 2 April 2014
The Hurricane
This poem follows the Terza Rima format because... well, because I like rhyming poems, what can I say?
"Definition:
Terza rima is poetry written in three-line stanzas (or “tercets”) linked by end-rhymes patterned aba, bcb, cdc, ded, efe, etc. There is no specified number of stanzas in the form, but poems written in terza rima usually end with a single line or a couplet rhyming with the middle line of the last tercet. Dante Alighieri was the first poet to use terza rima, in his Divine Comedy"
"Definition:
Terza rima is poetry written in three-line stanzas (or “tercets”) linked by end-rhymes patterned aba, bcb, cdc, ded, efe, etc. There is no specified number of stanzas in the form, but poems written in terza rima usually end with a single line or a couplet rhyming with the middle line of the last tercet. Dante Alighieri was the first poet to use terza rima, in his Divine Comedy"
The Hurricane
She leaves destruction in her joyous wake,
Spins past them, tossing aside their treasure,
Showing no mercy, nor reprieve, nor break.
Debris cast away with random pleasure,
Chaos reigns in the quaking domicile,
At her will, the damage goes unmeasured.
Once again, they begin a task, futile,
Of cleaning up the gleeful destruction,
Wreaked by a toddler full of cheerful guile,
They've lovingly dubbed, “Hurricane Brooklynn!”
-Laura Freeman-
April 2, 2014
She leaves destruction in her joyous wake,
Spins past them, tossing aside their treasure,
Showing no mercy, nor reprieve, nor break.
Debris cast away with random pleasure,
Chaos reigns in the quaking domicile,
At her will, the damage goes unmeasured.
Once again, they begin a task, futile,
Of cleaning up the gleeful destruction,
Wreaked by a toddler full of cheerful guile,
They've lovingly dubbed, “Hurricane Brooklynn!”
-Laura Freeman-
April 2, 2014
Tuesday, 1 April 2014
NaPoWriMo anyone?
It's April again. Which means its National Poetry Writing Month again! To be honest, I am not sure that my heart is in it this month. I'm so overwhelmingly busy with work and kids and too many pots in the fire. But, I want to give it a whirl because I enjoy this and reading back over last year's poetic output, there are actually some gems in there among the rubble.
So, on this, Day 1 of NaPoWriMo, feeling uninspired, I turned to the daily prompt at http://www.napowrimo.net which in turn directed me to a wacky website called the Bibliomancy Oracle which generates random quotes from literature (unless you actually fall for crap like that, then of course the quotes are divinely inspired.)
My randomly generated quote (okay, it was the fifth time I refreshed the page, the other four quotes were stupid), and the inspiration for today's poem, was:
My poem is a bit dark, I'll admit, but it's been a crazy two weeks. My children have been suffering from a nasty virus that apparently is wiping the floor with all sorts of Vanderhoof folk. Alex has come through the other side a little paler and possibly a little thinner, but otherwise unscathed. The other three are still in the throes of it, but I am hopeful that we can salvage a little bit of their spring break soon. Anyway, here's what I am titling: "Ode to the virus that's been kicking my children's butts..." for now. Should I ever compile an anthology for publication, I'll probably revise it! :)
So, on this, Day 1 of NaPoWriMo, feeling uninspired, I turned to the daily prompt at http://www.napowrimo.net which in turn directed me to a wacky website called the Bibliomancy Oracle which generates random quotes from literature (unless you actually fall for crap like that, then of course the quotes are divinely inspired.)
My randomly generated quote (okay, it was the fifth time I refreshed the page, the other four quotes were stupid), and the inspiration for today's poem, was:
Something above is showing great indifference.
Something will happen eventually.
From “A Story Meant to Teach” by Lizzie Lee
Lenson
My poem is a bit dark, I'll admit, but it's been a crazy two weeks. My children have been suffering from a nasty virus that apparently is wiping the floor with all sorts of Vanderhoof folk. Alex has come through the other side a little paler and possibly a little thinner, but otherwise unscathed. The other three are still in the throes of it, but I am hopeful that we can salvage a little bit of their spring break soon. Anyway, here's what I am titling: "Ode to the virus that's been kicking my children's butts..." for now. Should I ever compile an anthology for publication, I'll probably revise it! :)
The gods of pestilence,
Have cast their grievous blow,
Showing great indifference,
To the fateful few below.
A plague, in torrential rain,
Falls down upon their heads,
With despair, inflicting pain,
The infestation spreads.
The weak, downtrodden masses fall,
Succumbing to the plight,
Struck down, the young and small,
In seeming endless night.
Ever slow, the illness wanes,
It lifts then falls again in place,
The elusive end to the torrential rains,
Comes at an agonizing pace.
The weary few, in chorus sing,
Hope comes tentatively,
knowing in their hearts, something,
Will happen eventually.
Laura Freeman
- April 1, 2014 -
Anyway, that's one down, 29 to go! Enjoy reading them and I'll see you on the other side of April!
Thursday, 6 February 2014
I'm no less of a Mom than you!
The house is dark and quiet. My offspring are asleep. I tucked in the last one (again) ten minutes ago. It's well past ten, nearing eleven, and it's finally my "me-time". I'm wasting it messing around on the computer. I always have a mental to do list of things that I should be doing instead of checking Facebook or reading blogs, and when I "waste time", I feel guilty. I guess that guilt is the "Mom thing."
I read a blog post tonight. My cousin-in-law shared it on her Facebook page. And my sister-in-law commented that she loved it. And somebody else liked it. And somebody else shared it. But I didn't. I didn't like it or share it or comment or even poke it. It just didn't work for me. And it shouldn't have annoyed me, but I guess its because I couldn't identify with it the same way that they could. Both of them have something in common. They have two children. Their husbands have professional jobs and work long hours so they can have comfortable lives. And they stay home with their children.
They are stay-at-home moms.
It was an interesting read, and at first glance, was very empowering and flattering to the stay-at-home mom. But as I absorbed it, it bothered me. I suppose I'm not used to reading things that call me out for the choices I've made. Namely, the choice NOT to be a stay-at-home Mom.
I work for a living. I have since I was 15 years old (13 if you count my paper route.) But I've also dabbled in domesticity. I've had almost four years worth of time off for maternity leaves. I've treasured that time with my children and used it to hone my household abilities. But it certainly never came naturally to me and I'd find myself bored and wasting time doing things that didn't make me happy. I like working outside the home. Using my brain for things other than playing with blocks and reading books with one word per page. Or singing along to the Wiggles while I scrape dried yogurt off the chair legs. I'm not saying that's all there is to the life of a stay-at-home mom... but for me, that's pretty much all there was.
Maybe if my stay-at-home years extended beyond babyhood, I'd find them more interesting. With all of my children immersed in the public school system, I'd have the time to do all the things I wish I could do for them. I could volunteer at my children's school as a playground monitor or hot lunch cook. I could attend every sports day and be their best cheerleaders. I could sew funky costumes for them to wear in the school Christmas concerts and I could adorn my house with decor that seasoned pinterii would drool over. I could grow my own produce and serve them sandwiches made from bread I'd kneaded myself.
Instead, we eat a lot of packaged foods, we step over the clutter, my kids live out of laundry baskets full of clothes that rarely see the inside of their drawers, and my daughter frequently leaves the house with a jumbled rat's nest of hair on her head.
That's just how we roll, Monday to Friday.
I've been asked how I do it. How I can possibly work outside the home with four young-ish children (although my oldest is getting pretty independent these days) to look after. And I can sense the disdain. I know I'm being judged for my selfish decisions. We live in a community that is very traditional, very religious, and dare I say it, somewhat narrow minded. There are a lot of families that believe that the woman's role is to raise the children while the heads of their households go out and earn a living for them. Those are the women I get to know when I'm on maternity leave. Those are the ones that sing the praises of being home all day raising their children. The ones that cast their judging glances or pitying stares when they assume that I drop my children in a daycare every morning.
When I'm not on maternity leave, and I'm living in my working world, I meet the other women. The ones that don't have children or those like me who've turned our backs on what is the expected norm in our town. Those like me that chose to juggle a career and family. Although I'm not really juggling. I do both at the same time with a minimal amount of fumbling. My career and my family, they co-exist. They are both halves of what makes me a whole. The mom-me and the professional-me.
And these other moms raise their eyebrows when I tell them that my children are not in daycare. That my children are not even being baby-sat. They're home with a parent every day. Because I can hold down a career while raising my children at the same time. That's what I do. And that's what my husband does too (although arguably he would NEVER say that his job was a career). I work during the day. He works during the night. We share the childcare duties. Neither of us is a stay-at home parent, but one of us is always home with the children. It's a good system; not without its flaws, to be sure, that's been working for us so far.
Our daughters are going to grow up knowing that they can marry and have children if they want to, or they can have a career; or they can do both at the same time. Our sons are going to grow up knowing that its okay for them to take their toddler to story time at the library and sit cross-legged in a circle and sing "Row Row Row Your Boat" with gleeful abandon with all the other daytime parents.
So I'm going to say it. Yes, your life as a stay-at-home parent is rewarding, rich, and busy. You are raising the future generation and you are doing the most important work that there is to do.
But so am I.
Just because I work outside of the home, doesn't make me any less of a mother than you. We have chosen different paths, temporarily, but we're going to end up at the same place, watching our children walk down that aisle to pick up their diploma and turn and thank us for being there for them when they were younger (kids do that, right?).
What's so bad about that?
I read a blog post tonight. My cousin-in-law shared it on her Facebook page. And my sister-in-law commented that she loved it. And somebody else liked it. And somebody else shared it. But I didn't. I didn't like it or share it or comment or even poke it. It just didn't work for me. And it shouldn't have annoyed me, but I guess its because I couldn't identify with it the same way that they could. Both of them have something in common. They have two children. Their husbands have professional jobs and work long hours so they can have comfortable lives. And they stay home with their children.
They are stay-at-home moms.
It was an interesting read, and at first glance, was very empowering and flattering to the stay-at-home mom. But as I absorbed it, it bothered me. I suppose I'm not used to reading things that call me out for the choices I've made. Namely, the choice NOT to be a stay-at-home Mom.
I work for a living. I have since I was 15 years old (13 if you count my paper route.) But I've also dabbled in domesticity. I've had almost four years worth of time off for maternity leaves. I've treasured that time with my children and used it to hone my household abilities. But it certainly never came naturally to me and I'd find myself bored and wasting time doing things that didn't make me happy. I like working outside the home. Using my brain for things other than playing with blocks and reading books with one word per page. Or singing along to the Wiggles while I scrape dried yogurt off the chair legs. I'm not saying that's all there is to the life of a stay-at-home mom... but for me, that's pretty much all there was.
Maybe if my stay-at-home years extended beyond babyhood, I'd find them more interesting. With all of my children immersed in the public school system, I'd have the time to do all the things I wish I could do for them. I could volunteer at my children's school as a playground monitor or hot lunch cook. I could attend every sports day and be their best cheerleaders. I could sew funky costumes for them to wear in the school Christmas concerts and I could adorn my house with decor that seasoned pinterii would drool over. I could grow my own produce and serve them sandwiches made from bread I'd kneaded myself.
Instead, we eat a lot of packaged foods, we step over the clutter, my kids live out of laundry baskets full of clothes that rarely see the inside of their drawers, and my daughter frequently leaves the house with a jumbled rat's nest of hair on her head.
That's just how we roll, Monday to Friday.
I've been asked how I do it. How I can possibly work outside the home with four young-ish children (although my oldest is getting pretty independent these days) to look after. And I can sense the disdain. I know I'm being judged for my selfish decisions. We live in a community that is very traditional, very religious, and dare I say it, somewhat narrow minded. There are a lot of families that believe that the woman's role is to raise the children while the heads of their households go out and earn a living for them. Those are the women I get to know when I'm on maternity leave. Those are the ones that sing the praises of being home all day raising their children. The ones that cast their judging glances or pitying stares when they assume that I drop my children in a daycare every morning.
When I'm not on maternity leave, and I'm living in my working world, I meet the other women. The ones that don't have children or those like me who've turned our backs on what is the expected norm in our town. Those like me that chose to juggle a career and family. Although I'm not really juggling. I do both at the same time with a minimal amount of fumbling. My career and my family, they co-exist. They are both halves of what makes me a whole. The mom-me and the professional-me.
And these other moms raise their eyebrows when I tell them that my children are not in daycare. That my children are not even being baby-sat. They're home with a parent every day. Because I can hold down a career while raising my children at the same time. That's what I do. And that's what my husband does too (although arguably he would NEVER say that his job was a career). I work during the day. He works during the night. We share the childcare duties. Neither of us is a stay-at home parent, but one of us is always home with the children. It's a good system; not without its flaws, to be sure, that's been working for us so far.
Our daughters are going to grow up knowing that they can marry and have children if they want to, or they can have a career; or they can do both at the same time. Our sons are going to grow up knowing that its okay for them to take their toddler to story time at the library and sit cross-legged in a circle and sing "Row Row Row Your Boat" with gleeful abandon with all the other daytime parents.
So I'm going to say it. Yes, your life as a stay-at-home parent is rewarding, rich, and busy. You are raising the future generation and you are doing the most important work that there is to do.
But so am I.
Just because I work outside of the home, doesn't make me any less of a mother than you. We have chosen different paths, temporarily, but we're going to end up at the same place, watching our children walk down that aisle to pick up their diploma and turn and thank us for being there for them when they were younger (kids do that, right?).
What's so bad about that?
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