Daily Spark Word: Paper

An object today, rather than a feeling. Enjoy!

breakfast

she used to bring him the
paper every day but
he never looked her in the
face or said her name or
touched her hand but
every time she'd see on
his cold, thin lips a
smile

Daily Spark Word: Warm

In celebration of blue skies and the hint of Summer in London, today's spark word is 'warm'. Don't forget that, if you haven't already, contributing a poem to a daily challenge is as simple as either posting your poem as a comment, or commenting on the post with a link to wherever the poem is stored. Have fun!

the warmth of a sun

there is little in this world
as engulfing
as time vaporising
as critical
as a day spent in the sun

Daily Spark Word: Splash

Today's spark word is 'splash'. I look forward to seeing what people come up with!

swimming

as a child
i knew how to swim
but i didn't dive in.

i sat on the fence
and watched my brother's friends
running wild.

Daily Spark Word: Ache

In celebration of my rubbish back and the fact that it has made me bed-ridden for the day, today's spark word is 'ache'. Enjoy!

ache

two women sit at a bus stop
one says
'i can't feel my fingers
or my toes'
the other says
'i can't feel my body at all'

Daily Challenge: Acrostic

I remember writing acrostics a lot as a kid at school, but it's a form that can actually be quite cleverly done. Acrostics are, in their simplest form, a poem where the first letter of each line reads a known word top to bottom. My favourite example of this is a poem by Australian poet, Gwen Harwood, who wrote a beautiful poem about Abelard and Heloise, with an acrostic down the side spelling out a amusingly nasty secret message to the Bulletin newspaper.

Looking at the Wikipedia entry, it seems that acrostics don't need to be just the first letter, but can also be the first syllable or word. So, I thought maybe it would be fun to attempt an acrostic that is a little more than just the first letter. Enjoy!

the working person's lament

weakening cells in cells of cells and
ends of capillaries expand and
are breathing through
never-ending honeycombed pores
longing for respite in
enough air in air of air

10 For 10

This was a challenge issued to me by Kat of Poetikat fame. The idea is to do ten verses about me, and then issue the challenge to ten others. Considering I don't usually write about myself, this will be a real challenge (and makes a difference from me always challenging you!). After I've done this, I'm going to be challenging ten of you in return!

10 for 10

i'm afraid i don't know where to start
my life is not far along
i guess i'll just write from the heart
and hope it doesn't go wrong

i currently live in london
i've lived here for two years
though i miss the aussie sun
i don't miss the lack of careers

i don't think myself a poet
i prefer writing tales
i just like to have a go at it
and i don't mind if it fails

i go out of my way to find animals
and dream of seeing a puffin
but i have less luck than most fools
and usually only find nothing

i love to watch flicks
of every shade and style
my music is an eclectic mix
and i sing all the while

i spend my spare time abroad
i've been to a few strange places
but sometimes i feel like a fraud
for not going through touristy paces

i love doing quiz nights
but i'm not particularly good
i love to see the local sights
and eat hearty food

i resent the need to exercise
but i've always loved to swim
i'm not too bad at tying ties
but on someone else, it looks grim

i spent my youth working in pubs
and now i prop them up
i've never really been one for clubs
and i've never bought a toilet Chupa Chup

i think that's me all done
i've nothing more to say
perhaps i'm just a boring git
but hey, that's just my way

Daily Spark Word: Late

To acknowledge my lateness in getting a daily challenge up (today has just slipped away from me!), today's spark word is 'late'. This started me thinking about watches, and inspired the below poem.

time

when i try to sleep in the night
i hear my watch
tick
against my ear
a micro maestro keeping beat
to an unheard
tune
which sounds to me
of a song my mother once sang