Day 295: An Ode to Women in History

The last one was another response to the poem "Ode to Holy Women."  I really liked learning about the women I included.  I encourage you to look a few up.

An Ode to Women in History

1. Jael, the ideal hostess, drove

      A tent spike into Sisera’s temple,

Rescuing Israel from oppression.

2. Women have risen to the height

       Of power as queens- Hatshepshut,

Esther, Wu Zetian- revered for their deeds

3. Ludington, the Female Revere,

   Beat Paul at the race to sound          

The alarm, all at mere age sixteen.

4. An advocate of national pride and

Preservation, one First Lady braved

the flames from that once White House.

 5. Harriet Tubman and Clara Maass devoted

Their lives to promote the greater good-

      One giving freedom, the other her life.

   Medieval Lyric form, written by Notker Balbulus

Day 294: Lament over Procrastination

This poem type is called the subhasita.

Lament over Procrastination

As time drips through the hour glass,

And dark stains the daylight,

So does the opportunity for doing

   homework steals away,

Leaving my soul cracked from regret.

Day 293: Amateur's Guide to Writing Poetry

This was a response to a Lu Ji's ideas about the labors and rewards of writing.

Amateur’s Guide to Writing Poetry

When I read a poem by Rita Dove or Shakespeare,

I wonder how my scratching scribblings can compare

to their masterpieces? Even now, I pause

to choose the most effective word but think

Lu Ji’s crafting far surpasses mine. But,

I take heart at this advice: use vivid words,

For vividness engages the imagination.

Phrases must not be cliché- should be precise.

Remember that you stray before you make it.

Ideas should not be stolen, for what is the point

of writing without originality? Sometimes,

writers feel apprehension for sharing their poems,

but they must be brave. There is always

another like-minded person out there.