NaPoWriMo

NaPoWriMo Day 4: My Chanel Boots

~ Just L ~ Leave a comment

Leather Chanel boots made in Italy
They are my most beloved pair ever
All black quilted lambskin up to my knees
Classic with all the signature details
The small silver bead circles at the heel
Cap toe with large Chanel logo stitching
I wear these boots September through April
Perfect with jeans, dresses, always sexy
Zip up shiny palladium hardware
Slip in lined black leather interior
Strut the high fashion runway if you dare
Couture shine outsoles need yearly repair
My cobbler a pro at restoration
Informed me this will be their last season.

~ Just L (NaPoWriMo, April 4, 2019)

NaPoWriMo 2019, Day 4 Prompt: write your own sad poem, but one that achieves sadness through simplicity.

Author’s Note: I wrote a sonnet about my boots. Really sad.

NaPoWriMo Day 2: Truth or Fiction?

~ Just L ~ Leave a comment

Maneuvering Vallarta’s sidewalks without a care in the world,
My bar owner friend beckons, “Come over here girl!”

“Lori this is Mark, Mark this is Lori”
Certain she had launched a great love story.

I’m a sucker for all seven types of artists;
With destiny did I make a tryst?

Perched on the barstool breeze at my back,
Heart full, plans ahead, I have no lack.

Swearing off dating a musician just last year,
Anticipation hangs in the thick, warm air.

Seduced by confidence, and sound of his laughter,
Can sharing a glass of wine turn into ever after?

~Just L (NaPoWriMo, April 2, 2019)

 NaPoWriMo 2019, Day 2 Prompt: write a poem that resists closure by ending on a question, inviting the reader to continue the process of reading (and, in some ways, writing) the poem even after the poem ends.

NaPoWriMo Day 1: How to Honor the Visible and the Invisible

~ Just L ~ Leave a comment

You may know her by her dazzling, infectious smile
Or breasts to die for, “the best money can buy”
(she’d quip)
In reality, this is only how you might recognize her
Her carefree brazenness masked depression inside.

Her kind, compassionate words; heartfelt, honest talks
A lifetime of experiences that made her hard, yet soft
Her volunteer work was far and above
Whether giving advice from a barstool or art from her loft.

Her imaginative paintings reflected her vibrant soul
Whimsical, off-kilter landscapes that seem exactly right
For those among us who’ve traveled a winding path
The colors of Puerto Vallarta are not as bright tonight.

Far too many brilliant stars are seen and not heard
Lest you think painting in the buff is obscene
(she often painted in the nude)
Know she’s in the heavens now, naked and unafraid
Paint the sky any color you want, my dear Francine!

~ Just L (NaPoWriMo, April 1, 2019)

Read Francine’s story here.

NaPoWriMo 2019, Day 1 Prompt: write a poem that provides the reader with instructions on how to do something.

Author’s Note: In loving memory of Francine Peters who lost her battle with depression on the eve of International Transgender Day of Visibility 2019.

A sunset celebration of Francine Peters life is scheduled for Thursday, April 4, 2019, 6:30pm at Langostinos on Playa Los Muertos, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. All are welcome.

“Do not assume that [s]he who seeks to comfort you now, lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words that sometimes do you good. [Her] life may also have much sadness and difficulty, that remains far beyond yours. Were it otherwise, [s]he would never have been able to find these words.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke

NAPOWRIMO Day 28: Postcard to My Love from the Train

~ Just L ~ Leave a comment

NAPOWRIMO Day 28: Postcard to My Love from the Train 1EF31F79-32B7-422D-B336-092D15CD27F4

I am on the train now, my  Love. I already miss how your neck smells. The way you look at me and whisper, “You are mine.” Your laugh thrills. I forgot my book. I have only the memories of our time together to keep me. In my top ten, the picnic on the museum grounds will forever be. That, and the mountain with the clouds above. Hopefully, this photo will serve as a reminder. It was my favorite. Now, I am counting the hours until we see each other – 2,059. Hours since I last kissed you – 4. Hours before I arrive at my destination – 6. Hours I will love you – Forever more.

~Just L (April 28, 2018)

Author’s Note: NaPoWriMo Prompt – Draft a prose poem in the form/style of a postcard. If you need some inspiration, why not check out some images of vintage postcards?

NAPOWRIMO Day 27: Here Kitty Kitty

~ Just L ~ 1 Comment

NAPOWRIMO Day 27: Here Kitty Kitty…

Oh how I love thee at my feet, Shadow

You are my faithful companion

Watchful, finicky, lovable

I love thee quiet self-assurance

Mysterious and fierce, yet playful

I love you freely, as the world is at war

I love thee purely when you purr

We, creatures with independent spirits

Our classic good looks attract admirers

You shall have a jeweled collar, yellow

To match my robe and sunflower

Care to share these sweet and nutty seeds?

I love thee a delicious healthful nibble

That ensures my locks and skin stay radiant

I love that thee call me lively, querent

Did you notice my wand is growing leafy?

My, this crown is a heavy responsibility

Lighter without two lions sitting on my skull

I shall but love thee better in my lap, dear fellow.

Just L (April 27, 2018)

Author’s Note: NaPoWriMo Prompt –  Pick a card (any card) from this online guide to the tarot, and then to write a poem inspired either by the card or by the images or ideas that are associated with it.

I selected the Queen of Wands.

Queen of Wands

NAPOWRIMO Day 26: Tile Park PV: A Celebration of Puerto Vallarta’s 100th Birthday

~ Just L ~ Leave a comment

NAPOWRIMO Day 26: Tile Park PV: A Celebration of Puerto Vallarta’s 100th Birthday 

At first I feel a little nervous and sweaty
It’s 83 degrees in April and the morning air is perspiring, too
I take a gulp of latte with my pineapple pastry
Common props for this not morning girl
Wishing now I had asked for an iced coffee
Already much of the plaza has been transformed by color
Themed mosaics cover the once gray concrete pillars
I’m excited to be participating in this art installation – Tile Park PV
Today we are working on the four elements, fire, water, air…
Two friends and a stranger are assigned earth, our team of three
Sifting through the tiles and beads before me
Conchas Chinas Beach comes to mind
When I first visited  I thought of Yachats, Oregon, immediately!
Lava rocks encircle tide pools surrounded by soft sand
Small agates appear where the waves break
Enveloped by a great expanse of a cheese-cloth covered sky
The only difference here is the water is warm
It invites you to kick off your shoes and wade
The other teams are talking with their hands
As they plan how they’ll integrate their designs
I grasp my first tile; it feels cool to the touch
Dip my scraper in the mortar and begin to lose track of time

~Just L (April 26, 2018)

Author’s Note: NaPoWriMo Prompt – Write a poem that includes images that engage all five senses. Try to be as concrete and exact as possible with the “feel” of what the poem invites the reader to see, smell, touch, taste and hear.

I skipped the last three days of NaPoWriMo as I was in Lazaro Cardenas Park in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, making history. Find out more about the project here: https://www.parqueazulejospv.com/

NAPOWRIMO Day 23: The Romantic Zone: A Street Symphony 

~ Just L ~ Leave a comment

NAPOWRIMO Day 23: The Romantic Zone: A Street Symphony 

In the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, working and mating sound the same —

Outside my terrace, construction workers are using jackhammers
The locals are lining up to grab a few tacos al pastor from a street food stall
The man selling el gas competes with the mattress salesman
While in my casa headboards of lovers bang against the wall
The funicular toting laundry to the rooftop hums off and on
And the Great-tailed Grackle who gathers at the pool is the loudest of them all!

~Just L (April 23, 2018, a rewrite of NAPOWRIMO Day 19)

Listen to the sounds of the gas truck here.

Listen to the sounds of the mattress truck here.

Author’s Note: NAPOWRIMO Prompt – We challenge you to honor this idea with a poem based in sound. The poem, for example, could incorporate overheard language. Perhaps it could incorporate a song lyric in some way, or language from something often heard spoken aloud (a prayer, a pledge, the Girl Scout motto). Or you could use a regional or local phrase from your hometown that you don’t hear elsewhere, e.g. “that boy won’t amount to a pinch.”

NAPOWRIMO Day 22: The Sun Rises in the West

~ Just L ~ Leave a comment

NAPOWRIMO Day 22: The Sun Rises in the West

The sun can’t rise in the west, they say
Yet, I saw this very thing happen one day

Near the South Pole
Flying faster than the earth rotates its axis
Because every single hour
The earth rotates 15 degrees

And every 24 hours the sun shines
At the same angle and location
Flying westbound after sunset
I caught up with the sun

~Just L (April 22, 2018)

Author’s Note: Prompt – Take one of the following statements of something impossible, and then write a poem in which the impossible thing happens:

The sun can’t rise in the west.

A circle can’t have corners.

Pigs can’t fly.

The clock can’t strike thirteen.

The stars cannot rearrange themselves in the sky.

A mouse can’t eat an elephant.

NAPOWRIMO Day 21: The Reflecting Pool Talks Back

~ Just L ~ Leave a comment

NAPOWRIMO Day 21: The Reflecting Pool Talks Back

You can only hope you transform into a flower after pining away at your reflection in a pool –
You, Narkissos, are handsome, but in your arrogance are a fool.

You shall not be let off so easily for the untold suffering to those you abuse –
You, Narkissos, are a spirit crusher, you take an individual and control and confuse.

You torment with a bewildering array of verbal and physical weaponry over time –
You, Narkissos, withhold love just to gratify your insatiable, egotistical mind.

You hurt me in ways that pushed them ever closer to the brink of the abyss –
You, Narkissos, have forever changed my life in ways that I will have to terms with.

But –
You did not break me.
You no longer have a place in my heart, and that’s your loss.
You taught me a lesson that I needed to learn.
You will never love; I can only pity you, Narkissos.

~Just L (April 21, 2018)

Author’s Note: Prompt – After reading the myth of Narcissus, try writing a poem that plays with the myth in some way. For example, you could imagine that imagine the water is speaking to you, the narcissus flower. Or you could write a poem in which the narcissus berates the Kardashians for stealing their neurosis. Or a poem that comments on the narcissism of our time, i.e. beauty and body obsession, etc.

NAPOWRIMO Day 20: Why wait for Memorial Day to wear white?

~ Just L ~ Leave a comment

NAPOWRIMO Day 20: Why wait for Memorial Day to wear white?

It is April 2018 and I am wearing [gulp] white pants!
I am breaking a hard and fast rule
Ripped jeans, done right, look fashioned forward and cool
Distressed jeans in any color, my mother would be aghast

It started in the ‘30’s with the ultra-rich wearing only white in the summer
Light clothing gave the look of leisure
This idea expanded in the 50’s among the middle class
GRITS (Girls Raised In The South) held to no white before or after Labor Day

Before you scoff
Fashion rules are meant to be broken for those who can pull it off!

~Just L (April 20, 2018)

Author’s Note: Prompt – Write a poem that involves rebellion in some way. The speaker or subject of the poem could defy a rule or stricture that’s been placed on them, or the poem could begin by obeying a rule and then proceed to break it (for example, a poem that starts out in iambic pentameter, and then breaks into sprawling, unmetered lines). Or if you tend to write funny poems, you could rebel against yourself, and write something serious (or vice versa). Whatever approach you take, your poem hopefully will open a path beyond the standard, hum-drum ruts that every poet sometimes falls into.