Lyrics and Melody by Lori Lipsky Rich lyrics marry striking melody United, they entice persuade strike with power to convince the one who wears headphones ********** To leave a comment, click on the title of the post and scroll down. Thanks for stopping by the patio. Lori
Monthly Archives: April 2012
Wisdom in the Berry
Wisdom in the Berry by Lori Lipsky Wisdom in the berry Bursts forth with one bite No folly do the skies hold In cloud, moon or stars And at the beach, majestic Waves and timely tides proclaim Creative force, brilliant thought And wisdom have aligned *******
photo credit: Sue Vick Finley
Sue Finley’s photos are on display in the case at the E.D. Locke Library in McFarland, Wisconsin through April 30, 2012.
You may view some of Sue Finley’s photography work on Facebook at Tree-Hollow Cottage Photography or Sue Vick Finley. Also, Sue Finley on Google+.
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Thanks for stopping by.
Lori
Poem in Your Pocket Day
April 26, 2012 is National Poem in your Pocket Day.
Here’s the poem in my pocket today. One I’d like to get to know better. In the process of sharing it I hope to commit it to memory.
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My Heart Leaps Up by William Wordsworth
My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky;
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old;
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.
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Have you put a poem in your pocket? Please share it with all of us in the comments.
Thank you. Happy Poem in your Pocket Day!
Lori
A Small Stone about Raindrops
Plump raindrops Leave spots behind On clean windows * Lori Lipsky
~ published by a handful of stones, December 8, 2011
Here’s a link to the stone above.
According to Fiona Robyn, editor of a handful of stones, “a small stone is a polished moment of paying proper attention.” You may enjoy checking out the site.
Why not write your own stone or stones? If you feel brave, share one in the comments here, or follow the submission guidelines and submit your own stones. Be sure to read and follow all guidelines carefully.
Whether you like to write or not, take some time today, look carefully, and pay attention.
What do you notice?
Lori
The Widow
The Widow by Lori Lipsky The two hold hands Each evening As they stroll By her home From her kitchen window She sees them pass And remembers A better time ******* ~published by Sparkbright Magazine,issue 7, December, 2011photo credit: iStockphoto, Don Bayley Someone asked me how to leave a comment here on WordPress... Just click on the title of the post, then scroll down to see the comment option. Sign up to follow by email and you won't miss a post. Do you have a widow in your life?
Dating (Mathematical Poetry)
Dating by Kaz Maslanka
Interested in a blend of the “aesthetics of poetics and mathematics?”
Kaz Maslanka blogs over at Mathematical Poetry. To learn more about Mathematical Poetry, scroll down and check out the links in the right column of his page under the words “start here,”or just explore the blog. There’s a wealth of information (no, I don’t understand some of it) but it’s intriguing and easy to lose track of time as you explore.
Kaz Maslanka’s “Dating” poem appears here on the Poetry Patio by permission of the author. This poem fit marvelously with the week’s marriage theme, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to share it here.
For more about Kaz Maslanka, click here to see his website and here to view his Blogger profile.
Wouldn’t this poem fit well in a pre-marital counseling packet?
Step One Toward a Failed Marriage
Step One Toward a Failed Marriage by Lori Lipsky Let’s get wed, Dunderhead And you can call me Dolt or Swine None of this Dear or Sweetheart trash Moron suits you just fine. Let’s not wax sentimental Sappy names annoy and grow old Rather than Darling or Honey You'll be my Ugly Slime Mold. *****
Note from Lori:
Many editors won’t consider rhyming poetry anymore. They’ve been so overwhelmed with doggerel that it’s easiest to eliminate rhyme altogether. Once in a while, though, I’ll spend the time just for fun.
Someone once told me she found names like Sweetie, Honey and Dear annoying. Memories from that conversation sparked the idea for this poem.
How about trying out a new name on someone? Not Dolt or Dunderhead, though. Make it a nice one.
Do you have a favorite nickname that someone special has used for you?
Lori
Devotion
Devotion
Devotion is better measured by time than enthusiasm ******* Lori Lipsky
photo credit: Santino Ambrogio, istockphoto
The Colosseum in Rome: Corroded Counsel
Corroded Counsel by Lori Lipsky We suffered the queue for two hot hours In shade near the underbelly of Rome’s Great Colosseum To pay and climb steps up and higher In order to view the rotted and decayed remains Of a site that was once both Grand and grotesque Privileged at last to stand on that platform Near fellow beings of centuries ago Who shouted and cheered against sufferers As a mob of frenzied haters I wondered how a populace grew So merciless and cruel— it seemed Unthinkable such events could occur But the putrefaction Of the Colosseum innards Shouts to us its silent warning Be kind, be kind ~published by The Penwood Review, fall 2011, volume 15, number 2
photo credits: Colosseum interior from istockphoto
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Notes: The final destination of our August 2010 family vacation was Rome, Italy. My biggest surprise of the Mediterranean trip was how much I loved Rome. Everywhere you look, the ancient and modern co-exist. Fascinating.
Standing inside the Colosseum and seeing the rotted remains for the first time impacted me in an unexpected, powerful way.
“Bless Their Hearts”
Bless Their Hearts
At Steak ‘n Shake I learned that if you add
“Bless their hearts” after their names, you can say
whatever you want about them and it’s OK.
My son, bless his heart, is an idiot,
she said. He rents storage space for his kids’
toys—they’re only one and three years old!
I said, my father, bless his heart, has turned
into a sentimental old fool. He gets
weepy when he hears my daughter’s greeting
on our voice mail. Before our Steakburgers came
someone else blessed her office mate’s heart,
then, as an afterthought, the jealous hearts
of the entire anthropology department.
We bestowed blessings on many a heart
that day. I even blessed my ex-wife’s heart.
Our waiter, bless his heart, would not be getting
much tip, for which, no doubt, he’d bless our hearts.
In a week it would be Thanksgiving,
and we would each sit with our respective
families, counting our blessings and blessing
the hearts of family members as only family
does best. Oh, bless us all, yes, bless us, please
bless us and bless our crummy little hearts.
#347 from American Life in Poetry
BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE 2004-2006
American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation (www.poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2009 by Richard Newman from his most recent book of poetry,Domestic Fugues, Steel Toe Books, 2009. Reprinted by permission of Richard Newman. Introduction copyright © 2012 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction’s author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.
Lori’s Notes: I read this Richard Newman poem over at the American Life in Poetry site a few weeks ago and have not forgotten it. Some good poems stick like that.
“We bestowed blessings on many a heart that day.” We can be tricky with our tongues, can’t we?
