Creation Saturday: Poems and Other Misdemeanors

All right, the title of this blog sounds like a good name for a poetry chapbook. I don't think that writing poetry is a "minor wrongdoing", but it does take up time. Writing poetry is also a good reason to procrastinate when it come to icky household chores such a cleaning the toilet. This is a job I never liked, but which is necessary to keep from embarrassing ones self when friend call. 

Do I hear gunshots 

Or just a car backfiring 

No sirens echoing 

That would be a good poem to include in a chapbook about poetic misdemeanors. I wrote that poem last night before going to bed. I never did find out whether they were gunshots or backfires. I have a good reason for not finding out. It was dark outside, even with street lights turned on, it was dark outside so I did not open the door to find out what was going on. The truth is I really do not care what was going on because if I was called to jury duty about whatever it was I would have to remember the incident and would be unable to serve on the jury. 

Trash collection day 

Garbage trucks are patrolling 

My neighborhood 

This is Saturday, which is trash collection day in my neighborhood. I hear the garbage trucks moving through the alleys and down the streets emptying trash receptacles. It's about 5:55 AM and they are out there making noise. Of course, the trash trucks are not the only ones disturbing the silence. Someone was playing their radio or something this morning about 4:30 AM, but then it is Saturday so what else does one expect. 

Friday Afternoon

Friday afternoon 

A few clouds cover the sky 

The birds are singing 

The birds are in a happy mood after the rain Thursday night. I enjoyed sitting in the house listening to the thunder roll across Las Vegas. After the rain it was cooler, in fact I had to sleep with a light blanket which is unusual during the spring and summer. 

Thursday thunder rolled 

Sent shivers through Las Vegas 

A beautiful rain 

I did check the weather report today because it doesn't matter to me whether it rains or not. I doubt it will because the cloud cover doesn't suggest rain. Clouds are nice just to look at or meditate upon. When I meditate on clouds I usually see the most beautiful and inspiring clouds shapes.  

Success Saturday: A good week for writing poems

A creative week
Seven days equals seven poem
Is not a record

I think seven poems is a low estimate. If I counted all the poems I posted in this blog and my writing.com blog it would exceed two dozen. I am not going to go through all the blog entries to count poems. The seven poems are those I wrote for a poetry writing challenge I am participating in on writing.com. Since April 15, when the challenge begin, I have completed nine poems. I will edit them after the challenge is completed.

Another story done
Thirty-five left to complete
A very good week

I finished story number nine of the forty-four story challenge for 2016. I will begin story number ten either this afternoon or on Sunday evening. I have not decided on a theme. I have not found a prompt. I have not considered a plot. I will have to find a prompt and decided on a plot before I begin the story.

Thankful Thursday Thoughts on nature and Las Vegas

On Thankful Thursday
I contemplate gratitude,
as I listen to traffic.

My front door is open so I can hear the traffic on the expressway echoing through the neighborhood. It's the sounds of modern civilization that come through my front door. Sounds that indicate a bustling and thriving city. I wonder how well human beings thrive when not in touch with the natural world.

Where are nature's sounds?
Sometimes I hear singing birds,
Cooing of pigeons.

Las Vegas a city spread across a desert valley in the Rocky Mountains. In the suburbs citizens can look out their front doors to see green grass, trees, or desert landscaping. In urban area apartment buildings we look out our front doors to see concrete, blacktop, and important palm, pine, or olive trees. Where is the joy of walking through an old forest? Not in the city of Las Vegas.

Tourist see the strip
they seldom leave the city
visit the suburbs.

Tourist and locals who remain in the city see very little of the natural world. There are places in and around Las Vegas that people can visit for a glimpse the beauty of nature. I wonder how many tourist visit Mount Charleston, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, or Las Vegas Springs Preserve. I wonder how many tourist think to go outside of the Casino Corridor to see what mother nature offers. I wonder how many locals have visit mother natures tourist attractions.

Monday Meanderings

It's Monday again. All right this day comes around every week about this time. The work week appears to have gotten off to a good start. I'm going to presume it's a good start anyway. This morning, I had to turn my phone off vibrate because I didn't do that last week when I went to a meeting. The problem is that I go to so few meetings that when I do remember to turn the phone onto vibrate then I forget to turn vibrate off.

Muse Meanderings
Skipping through various themes
Looking for something to write

Today I managed nine reviews on writing.com. I also responded to two blog prompts. I still have another blog prompt and a poem to write before I go to bed tonight. All right, maybe bed is the wrong word. I don't sleep in a real bed. I sleep on a recliner because it helps to relieved the pain in my back and prevents my legs from swelling. I've had the recliner for a couple of months and it's helping both problems.

A used recliner
No use purchasing one new
When a used one works as well

 

Midweek Reflections on Wind and Rain In Las Vegas

When will the wind blow
Today is calm and sunny
Without any clouds

Today's forecast is mostly sunny with temperatures in the low 80s. Tomorrow's forecast is mostly sunny with wind and temperatures in the high 70s. Friday's forecast is a few showers with wind and temperatures in the low 70s. A few showers usually means it might rain somewhere in the Las Vegas valley.

Will the rain return
Cooling the late spring air
Making it muggy

We had several nice rain showers here on Monday and Tuesday. Monday we received quite a bit of rain in my neighborhood. When I talked to my sister this morning, she said it rained so hare din Searchlight that should could not leave her house on her days off. I can understand that because several neighborhoods in Las Vegas experienced flash floods.

This afternoon winds
Will increase in Las Vegas
Will the wind bring rain

Motivational Monday: Not A Blue Monday

Not a blue Monday
A day spent on reviewing
And encouragement

I don't know why people call it blue Monday because I haven't been depressed all day. I spent most of the day reviewing on writing.com. I also made an entry to my writing.com blog Melting Snow. My online name is Prosperous Snow, so I give my blogs names that contain references to snow.

Not a blue Monday
With a mostly cloudy sky
Promising more rain.

This morning I went to Smiths Food and Drug Store to pick up a prescription. After that I stopped at another store to pick up a brand I couldn't purchase at the grocery store. The sky was mostly cloudy with very little blue sky peeking through. I enjoyed clouds because the mean rain and rain is needed here in Nevada.

Success Saturday: At the End of a Productive Week

At the end of a productive week
I say a prayer of thanksgiving
for all the writing I've accomplished.

This week I responded to several blog prompts, wrote several poems, a 1,000 word plus short story, and reviewed numerous items. Today I opened a bottle of water easily. Now this may not seem like much of an accomplishment to some, but to those of you who have arthritic fingers know what a triumph it is to open a bottle of liquid on the first try.

For the coming week
another 1,000 plus word story
and several more poem.

 

Success Saturday: The first Saturday in April 2016

It's the first Saturday in April
a day of bright sunshine
a to celebrate of achievement.

This week I finished story seven of the forty-four stories I committed to write this year. I have thirty-seven left to write before December 31, 2016. I begin working on story eight on Thursday and completed about five hundred words. I still have over a thousand words left to write.

On the first Saturday in April
I contemplate
all my achievements for the week.

I did a good job of writing this week. In the coming week I want to achieve more then writing. I want to clean off my computer desk and the stand by my recliner. The problem is that I get so focused on writing that the let other things go by the wayside. Therefore, next week (starting on Sunday) I designate a specific time to clean of the side stand and the desk.

Presidents' Day 2016

I can remember
celebrating the birthdays
of Washington and Lincoln
in February.

I grew up in an era when we didn't need a three day holiday to celebrate the presidents of the United States. We would celebrate the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln on separate days by learning about the men or their presidencies in class if those dates fell on a weekday. If the dates fell on a Saturday or Sunday then the class would learn about them on either Friday or Monday, but they weren't combined into one day and, I don't remember, taking the day off from school unless it was a weekend.

On Presidents' Day
the third Monday in February
we celebrate all
United States Presidents
and remember their contributions
to history.

 

Tomorrow is Valentines Day

Send a single rose
A beautiful scarlet rose
In a crystal vase

Tomorrow is Valentines Day when many people send roses, chocolate heart shaped boxes of candy, and teddy bears to those they love and desire. If someone can't afford a gift then that person can go to any dollar store to find a beautiful red or pink heart shaped Valentines card for the sunshine in his or her life.

Write a poem for
the passion in your life
on Valentines Day.

Other people will purchase diamonds or a cruise for that special someone. However, there are less expensive ways to show love to another human being. If finances are a problem then a less expensive and more genuine ways to express love and passion for the important person in one's life. Some of these ways are writing a poem, fixing a meal, or taking a long romantic walk. I sure that there are other ways to express one's love on Valentines day besides purchasing expensive gift and acquiring more debt.

Sunday Morning Writing in Las Vegas

It's Sunday morning in Las Vegas. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the neighbors are outside doing whatever it is the doing. The sounds I hear suggest that they are happy and I suspect it's the nice weather making them happy. I suppose I should get up and go outside this afternoon. It might brighten my muse and give me something to write about.

Sunday writing
I have nothing planned
except to finish a short story.

This is the first day since Thursday that I felt like venturing out of the house. It's take me half a day to wake up and smell the coffee. We don't have any roses growing in this neighborhood so I can't wake up and smell the roses. I limited myself to one carafe of coffee today because when I woke up I didn't feel like drinking any more then that. I think the rest of the day I will drink water and juice. I need to drink more water anyway.

Water, Cool Water
brings back memories
of my grandparents.

Cool water sounds like a good title for a story. I remember one of Grandpa Frank's favorite songs was titled Cool Water. I'll have to check on YouTube to see if I can find it. I think I'll listen to it while I write a short story next week. I'm supposed to be writing forty-four short stories this year. When I finish the one today I only have forty-two short stories remaining.

Friday Writing Through Depression

Another Friday,
but today I am depressed:
Why am I depressed?

I can't answer that question this early in the morning. I wasn't depressed when I woke up. I managed to get up out of bed and zombie walk out of my bedroom. I managed to take one of my morning pills, but the other I forgot to take. Since I have to take it on an empty stomach, I'll have to wait until Saturday morning to take it. The pill I forgot is a once a week pill I have to take, on an empty stomach between 4:30 and 5:00 AM. The only excuse I have for not taking is is that I didn't check my daily schedule after I got out of bed.

Another Friday
I'm writing through depression
I'm writing toward a smile.

I think I'm going to start printing my daily scheduled goals and appointments off the night before so that I have a hard copy in front of me. All though the pill I can put in my datebook which I take to the bedroom with me when I go to bed. I put the pill on the schedule I make for the week, but I didn't put it in my date book. I know that isn't an excuse and I'm not sure whether it's a good reason.

Another Friday
planning next week's schedule
transferring to my datebook.

 

Monday Motivation: 44 Short Stories in 2016

I've accepted the challenge to write 44 short stories in 2016. This means I have to write a 4 short stories a month between February and December. If I decide to do NaNoWriMo this year it could be more; however, I don't think I'll participate in National Novel Writing Month. I could change my mind as November approaches, but right now my plan is to write the 44 short stories plus several poem.

Forty-four stories
Each of five hundred plus words
I'm pushing myself

I didn't find out about the challenge until January was half over. When I discovered it on writing.com, I had to think about whether I would accept it. After some meditation and contemplation, I decided to accept the challenge. In addition to the challenge I have a novel I want to finish and one I want to edit. If I change my mind about NaNoWriMo then I will finish the one of the unfinished novels I have started rather then beginning a new novel.

I'm pushing myself
beyond my perceived limits
into the unknown.

 

Success Saturday: I Survived the Third Week in January 2016

Survival success
A reason to celebrate
I am a survivor.

That title certainly sounds as if I had a chaotic week. While I wouldn't call the week chaotic, I wouldn't say it was boring either. The week feel somewhere between exciting and interesting. This is the second week I have slept in my bedroom on my mattress. I think I'm getting more sleep, but I don't know how well I'm resting. I think the problem is the pillow. I'm used to sleeping on a couch so I've been using the arms for my pillow and putting my feet up on the magnetic pillow I have.

Sleeping on a bed
With my pillow under my head:
Does it encourage rest?

Now that I'm using the bed and sleeping on the mattress, I'm using the magnetic pillow for my head. The problem is that I don't have anything to put under my feet when I sleep. I think I would get a little more rest is I put something under my feet or my legs to raise them a little. I can't put my pillow because I can't sleep with my head on my mattress, I have to have a pillow or something under my head and something under my feet or legs to raise them.

Pain interferes with sleep
My lower back and osteoarthritis
Life is not pain free.

I hope this entry makes some sort of sense because I'm almost falling asleep while I'm writing. The problem is that if I sit or lay down to take a nap I'll be wide awake and unable to sleep. Oh well, I figure something out by the end of the month. Since I just put out close to $100.00 to renew my license plat, I can't afford to purchase another pillow until February.

Survival success
A reason to celebrate
I am a sleepy survivor.

 

Success Saturday: The Week of December 13-19

It has been a good week. I wrote five or six poem, two or three stories, and an essay. I purchased a black ink cartridge for my printer and I saw a specialist. All right, I am 68 years old so seeing a doctor or a specialist is not a big deal. I have an appointment with another specialist on Monday and then, I think I stop seeing doctors this year.

I am not sure what else I have to do this coming week. I know I have a flash fiction story to write. However, since I have not received the picture prompt for that I cannot start it. I will receive the prompt on Sunday, December 20. After that I will begin to write the story. Since December 24 is my birthday, I might write birthday story.

Success Saturday: The Last Saturday in November 2015

This month I've encountered setbacks and success. I didn't finish my NaNoWriMo novel. I did finish several poems and stories. I did some port housekeeping in my writing.com portfolio. I reviewed numerous items on writing.com. I made responded the several blog prompts and posted several blog entries. I ate turkey, dressing, and cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving. November was a month filled with successes and failures. November was a normal month.

Black Friday: Holiday Shopping Begins

Thanksgiving is over
it's time to do some Christmas shopping
this year I send holiday cards.

Today the malls will be packed with people doing holiday shopping. Normally I don't do holiday shopping, but this year I have one gift to purchase. I think I'll purchase a box of chocolates because chocolate is always an appropriate gift. Chocolate is something that is seldom regifted and it's a gift that doesn't take up space all year long or have to be dusted.

Thanksgiving is over
Black Friday is here
with all the malls packed
to overflowing.

 

Success Saturday: Two Poems and a Short Story

This week I wrote two poems and a short story. The poems are titled Remembering Winter in Oklahoma, a mirror refrain, and Christmas Eve Birthday Memories, a free verse poem. The short story is titled The Permission Slip. I still have one poem, a song, to write. I think I have passed the issues that haunted me over the past couple of months. It feels good to be over the writing problems because now I can focus on catching up on my NaNoWriMo novel.

Writing about Falling Down and Getting Back Up

“Falling down is part of life. Getting back up is living.”
—Unknown

I have fallen down many times in my 68 years on this planet. I have always gotten back up and pushed forward. Sometimes it took me a few minutes to get up. Sometimes I needed help getting up. However, I always got up and moved forward even if that moving forward meant changing the direction I was traveling.

Now I am incorporating those falls and risings in my poems and stories. I have a lot of experience and wisdom to share with younger folks. I know that they will not always listens because the youth and young people of today have to make their own mistakes. The only way we humans learn is by making mistakes, by falling down, and by getting up again. This does not mean that I cannot share my wisdom when asked directly or by writing it into stories and poems.

We senior citizens of today have a duty to leave our wisdom behind. At death our souls and bodies separate; our bodies go into the ground and our souls ascend into the next world. The only thing we leave behind is our written wisdom. Even if we incorporate that wisdom into fiction or poetry it still remains behind for the youth of today and tomorrow to read.