Poem: Hold the Lettuce

We went to Chicago a few weeks ago and I was a bit overwhelmed by everything about it. It's just so huge and there are so many people. It was, by far, the biggest city I'd ever been in and I was struck by the utter lack of plant or animal life. So I wrote a poem. Enjoy!

So many people.

Layers upon layers of humanity.

A giant smoldering mankind sandwich.

Hold the lettuce.

So little green.

So many lives. So little life.

Every religion, creed, race, color.

Except green.

Hold the lettuce.

Brick and concrete.

Shopping Meccas. Temples of consumption.

Sell everything imaginable.

Except green.

Hold the lettuce.

One of the Most Beautiful things I've ever Read

I found this over at isleofbooks, a wonderful blog by Shannon Fox. She's always posting poetry, stories, and book reviews and it's quickly becoming one of my favorite places to peruse.

Hope is the Thing With Feathers by Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers —
That perches in the soul —
And sings the tune without the words —
And never stops — at all —

And sweetest — in the Gale — is heard —
And sore must be the storm —
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm —

I’ve heard it in the chillest land —
And on the strangest Sea —
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb — of Me.

That is truly one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. In my opinion, hope is the most important thing we as humans have. Here's another one of my favorites.

"Hope is the last lingering light of the human heart. It shines when every other is put out. Extinguish it, and the gloom of affliction becomes the very blackness of darkness--cheerless and impenetrable."

-James H. Aughey (1828-1911)

National Poetry Month: My Writing Haikus

I didn't realize it but Vanessa Eccle over at The Writer's Block pointed out that April is National Poetry Month.

I dabble in poetry so I thought I'd share some writing inspired Haiku. Please let me know what you think. Please share if you like. Enjoy!

The Writer
Painting worlds with words
A blank page is my canvas
I am a writer

Rejection Letters Suck
The rejections flood
my inbox with seeds of doubt
only sewn by choice

Barnes and Nobel
I enter the store
My sweat and tears on a shelf
A dream that's come true

The Query Shark
Enter the waters
Your work in the chum bucket
The shark is hungry

Poem: Hope Thins

This is one of mine:

At times the hope thins
No longer buoyant
Supportive
It swirls in vapors
You grasp at it
Falling
It's all you have left
Reaching out for any wisp of it
Shadow of it
For it is strong
And if you could but catch just a little bit of it
The smallest bit
It could support your weight
And the weight upon you
For it is strong
Hope
You could climb back up
And out
If you could catch it