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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Stumbling Into Spring: NaPoWriMo 2021 - 1. April 1st - April 6th

My first installment for this year. Some poems were written in response to prompts, others just welled up in my head. I'll be back with more another day.

April 1st

April First

means the creek is awash

with bright-faced, black-booted fishermen;

the slate-grey morning sky greets their optimism

with laughter reserved for the hopeful,

and snow squalls white enough

for the fool.

 

 

April 2nd

Moonlight parts the clouds

to show the constellations

peering at bare trees.

 

Owls call before dawn

deep amongst the tall hemlocks

recounting the night.

 

Silent deer scatter,

leaping across the meadow

when the wind changes.

 

 

April 3rd

My students stopped caring

about what I’m wearing;

I’m reasonably certual

it’s because we went virtual.

~~~ * ~~~

Picture, picture on the screen,

vision of what might have been,

mock you now my present state,

large of paunch and bald of pate?

Did you feel it? Could you tell

that I just now tripped and fell?

Was I not once tall and fair,

light of foot and debonair?

Am I asking far too much

if my self I could retouch?

 

 

April 4th

This poem

starts with three syllables,

followed by lines of six, nine and twelve,

which allow perceptions to develop and grow

before phrases of nine, six and three

bring their paradoxes

to a stand.

 

 

April 5th

Kindness smiles

like February sun

which warms old bones despite winter’s chill,

and enchants the snow with its perfect cloud-brushed teeth,

calling the silent, somnolent earth

to embrace everyone

in its joy.

 

 

April 6th

I sing the comfort of a cat

when Lady Fortune’s been a brat

and every cloud seems made of rain,

enough to drown Mount Ararat.

 

My feline friend looks with disdain

o’er puddles forming on the plain,

but yawns in lieu of loud meow

with bearing regal and urbane.

 

His dignity must yet allow

the needs of hunger to avow

by loitering with nonchalance

near cat food dish devoid of chow.

 

But meeting my aloof response,

he’ll on my lap his bulk ensconce,

at peace within the place he sat,

content with slumber, for the nonce.


Thank you for reading these. If you have any comments or thoughts, I'd be very glad to see them.
Copyright © 2021 Parker Owens; All Rights Reserved.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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I wonder how many will count as I did, when reading April 4th. Lol.

It’s a wonderful start to poetry month. Always a pleasure to read your poems, Parker.

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I see you're reinventing the English language again, dear friend.  😉😄 'Certual'? You had me checking, just in case. You had rather backed yourself into a corner though. 🤔 I loved the rest of that poem. Your night time writing is always amongst your best. April 5 is also very you. 'Perfect cloud-brushed teeth' - 😘

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43 minutes ago, Defiance19 said:

I wonder how many will count as I did, when reading April 4th. Lol.

It’s a wonderful start to poetry month. Always a pleasure to read your poems, Parker.

I’m afraid it was irresistible to try a literal approach to a prompt to start the poem with the words: “this poem.” Thank you very much for looking in on this first installment. There will be more.

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38 minutes ago, chris191070 said:

Great start to the poetry month. 

Thank you! I enjoyed the first six days. 

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25 minutes ago, northie said:

I see you're reinventing the English language again, dear friend.  😉😄 'Certual'? You had me checking, just in case. You had rather backed yourself into a corner though. 🤔 I loved the rest of that poem. Your night time writing is always amongst your best. April 5 is also very you. 'Perfect cloud-brushed teeth' - 😘

I rather liked certual as a neologism. If reinventing words was good enough for Ogden Nash, I figured it could work for me. I’m glad you liked the three night haiku, too. I’ll be back with more in a few days. Thank you for your thoughts! 

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Great start to the month!  I always enjoy seeing our different takes on the prompts.  I laughed at "certual" and liked the play on 'mirror mirror'.  I was with you in the forest on the 2nd.  Of course you counted syllables for the 'this poem' :gikkle:  I quite enjoyed the cat poem as well.  I'll be posting my first week tomorrow :)  

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38 minutes ago, Valkyrie said:

Great start to the month!  I always enjoy seeing our different takes on the prompts.  I laughed at "certual" and liked the play on 'mirror mirror'.  I was with you in the forest on the 2nd.  Of course you counted syllables for the 'this poem' :gikkle:  I quite enjoyed the cat poem as well.  I'll be posting my first week tomorrow :)  

Thank you for reading the first sextet. I reckoned that 30 days in April divides nicely by six, so I started a day early. I’m glad you liked the cat poem; I hoped to evoke scenes of cats I have known. I’m going to work on the next one tonight! 

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54 minutes ago, Headstall said:

Wonderful poems as always, Parker. 

Thanks, Gary. I wondered if you could hear the owls too. 

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I'm so glad you decided to partake this round of NaPoWriMo. I'm looking forward to the next parts.

My favorite is April 3rd, might be because I can relate, never went to class in checkered pajama pants. 

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On 4/7/2021 at 3:04 PM, aditus said:

I'm so glad you decided to partake this round of NaPoWriMo. I'm looking forward to the next parts.

My favorite is April 3rd, might be because I can relate, never went to class in checkered pajama pants. 

April 3 is a fun quip, and it resonates too. I began the pandemic by dressing for class in coat and tie... that didn’t last! 

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10 hours ago, Parker Owens said:

April 3 is a fun quip, and it resonates too. I began the pandemic by dressing for class in coat and tie... that didn’t last! 

No one saw the pants yet, thank God, but my cats have many new admirers now.

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