Day 5 ~ Cinquain Poem (Pattern 2) for #NationalPoetryMonth and "30 poems in 30 days"

I’m a huge fan of Cinquain Poems. Now, before you rush off to write one, let me tell you a few things. I have seen several very specific variations on this poetry form. Some stress the number of words per line; others, the numbers of syllables per line; and even others give a specific purpose for each line.

American poet Adelaide Crapsey invented this five-line poetry form. Cinq is French for “FIVE.” However, Adelaide took her inspiration from the Japanese haiku and tanka (which we did yesterday).

Since there is more than one style of cinquain poem – we’ll call this one “Pattern Two.” For this version, pattern 2, we will be counting WORDS and not syllables. 

This short five-lined poem doesn’t have an actual title; rather, the FIRST line (one word) becomes the title.

It does not need to rhyme and in this version, you count the number of words per line and each line has specific requirements for what kinds of words to use:

1^st line ~ one word – the subject (or title) or your poem

2^nd line ~ two words that describe the title/subject

3^rd line ~ three words that express action

4^th line ~ four words that express a thought or feeling

5^th line ~ one word synonym for title (restates your subject using a different word)

Service

Helping others

Let’s work together

Bearing one another’s burdens

Love

                                  

                                 © 2011 Stephanie Abney

Love

Getting married

Having some kids

Working things out together

Family

                                                © 2019 Stephanie Abney

Okay, YOUR TURN!! Remember, it's all about the NUMBER of WORDS, not syllables. Go!

PLEASE REMEMBER ~ any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission, other than sharing it as an example in a lesson or to read it to someone. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments of this blog or elsewhere online as a result of this challenge. They are the creative property of the person who writes them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them without their permission. It is understood that they own the copyright to them as soon as they post them. Thanks so much!

Also, if you choose to post your poems on your own blog ~ that’s awesome. But PLEASE don’t just copy and paste my daily instructions, but rather post your poem on your blog or your FB wall or wherever AND LINK BACK TO THIS BLOG POST for others to come here to read the instructions. I’ve spent considerable time researching the poetry forms and writing them up to share with you. Thanks for respecting my work and the creative work of others.

Image of service: Pixabay image by Mohamed Hassan

Image of family: OpenClipart-Vectors by Pixabay

Day 8 ~ “Octopoem” for #NationalPoetryMonth “30 Poems in 30 Days”

Perfect for Day 8: let’s try a fun little poem that has 8 lines. It’s called an “Octopoem.” It looks pretty easy to write:

Pick a topic of your choice and describe it in EIGHT lines. Each line can be as long as you choose and does not need to rhyme or anything of that nature.

HOWEVER, the only thing you DO need to follow is the order of the descriptions you use for each of the 8 lines about your poem.

An octopoem has 8 lines describing the topic (or pet or person, whatever):

line 1: color
line 2: season
line 3: place
line 4: weather
line 5: clothing
line 6: furniture
line 7: TV show
line 8: food

Here are a couple of examples I have written ~

He’s just a good ol’ boy ~ my Jim

His eyes are blue and they twinkle.

Any season that is warm makes him happy.

He loves to be anywhere that his family is nearby.

He’s an Arizona boy because he likes it hot.

He’s not a fussy dresser – in fact, I struggle to get him to buy new clothes.

Our rocking chair is his favorite place to sit, but lying on the couch is a close second.

Any TV show is fine because he’s going to be asleep soon anyway!

He’s not a food snob. The man will eat almost anything I offer.

      © 2018 Stephanie Abney

My Grandson, My Friend

His favorite color is green.
He is a breath of fresh Spring air.
He loves to be wherever I am.
We love to play in the rain.
If it's green, it's clean and ready to wear.
When I can't find him he's usually hiding behind a chair.
If “Wild Kratts” is on, we are good to go.
He likes to eat everything as long as it is a peanut butter sandwich.

© 2015 Stephanie Abney

PLEASE REMEMBER ~ any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission, other than sharing it as an example in a lesson or to read it to someone. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments of this blog or elsewhere online as a result of this challenge. They are the creative property of the person who writes them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them without their permission. It is understood that they own the copyright for to them as soon as they post them. Thanks so much!

Also, if you choose to post your poems on your own blog ~ that’s awesome. But PLEASE don’t just copy and paste my daily instructions, but rather post your poem on your blog or your FB wall or wherever AND LINK BACK TO THIS BLOG POST for others to come here to read the instructions. I’ve spent considerable time researching the poetry forms and writing them up to share with you. Thanks for respecting my work.

Day 30 ~ “Free Verse Poems” about family history for “30 Poems in 30 Days” #NationalPoetryMonth

OK, so today is the LAST day of #NationalPoetryMonth ~ so, so sad, BUT – you shouldn’t stop writing poetry – I hope this little journey has shown you that you CAN write ALL KINDS of poetry.

I have one friend who wrote her journal entry each day last year as a little poem or one sort or
another. Very cute idea.

As I said – today I thought it would be fun to create a poem about something or someone that has to do with your family history – you choose. If that doesn’t resonate with you – just write about whatever comes to mind. AND, today, YOU CHOOSE the poetry form you wish to use – any we have tried out or just do one in free verse.

I thought I would address (in the simplest of terms) the difference between “blank verse” and “free verse” and you’ll see why I am suggesting you use “free verse” if you don’t want to use a previous poetry form.

Blank Verse is generally unrhymed verse BUT it has a rather detailed fixed metrical pattern. I don’t plan to go into that today. Whereas Free Verse is more random, with NO fixed metrical pattern of any kind and no need to rhyme although you are welcome to and it doesn’t need to be any systematic pattern of rhyming if you even choose to use rhyme – no need to count syllables or to worry about much of anything – just let it come. But free verse is actually tricky to make it flow, but once you get it just how you want it – you will be most happy with it.

A couple of other things: I’m currently writing a book, “Writing Poetry, Step by Step.” I hope to be able to have it published within the next 30-60 days – when it’s ready – I’ll post the links to it here on my blog and elsewhere on social media ~ please watch for it. This has been fun – be sure to check back next year. 

Since I’m mired in schoolwork of my own (taking a couple of college English classes this semester), I don’t have time to prepare my own free verse poem for today – when I finally get around to it – I’ll come back and add it in, but that could be weeks away. So, just go ahead and take the reins ~ YOUR poem, YOUR way on our very last day!! Cheers!! I’d love your feedback on what this month has meant to you – feel free to leave such comments here on the blog. Thanks!!!!

PLEASE REMEMBER ~ any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission, other than sharing it as an example in a lesson or to read it to someone. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments of this blog or elsewhere online as a result of this challenge. They are the creative property of the person who writes them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them without their permission. It is understood that they own the copyright for to them as soon as they post them. Thanks so much!

Also, if you choose to post your poems on your own blog ~ that’s awesome. But PLEASE don’t just copy and paste my daily instructions, but rather post your poem on your blog or you FB wall or wherever AND LINK BACK TO THIS BLOG POST for others to come here to read the instructions. I’ve spent considerable time researching the poetry forms and writing them up to share with you. Thanks for respecting my work. 

Forty-three years and COUNTING!! Happy Anniversary to US!!

Today is Aug. 5th ~ 

43 years ago, at the tender age of 19 (I know, I look about 14 in my wedding pictures), with only a year and half of college under my belt, I made the most important decision of my life – I married James Alex Abney on August 5, 1970 in the Los Angeles LDS Temple for “Time and All Eternity.” The rest . . . as they say . . .  is history!

We met in a college (BYU) snowball fight in November of 1969, started dating the end of January, 1970, got engaged, April 20^th and married August 5^th (all accomplished in less than a year). Were we crazy or what? Luckily, things have turned out well. Not that it’s been all sugar and spice. It’s been darn hard, but for where we are today, so worth it.

Thought I would share the story of the bright flowered bridesmaid dresses; a story I don’t think many of my family members have heard over and over, if at all. 

Back in 1970 the style was for bridesmaids to all wear the same pastel color, floor-length empire style dress, usually made with flowing sheer rayon voile fabric. Nope. That would never work for me. I LOVE color – I mean I REALLY love lots of BRIGHT vibrant colors – just go to my Pinterest Board (Color Splash – I LOVE Color) and see what I mean.

My mom and I decided to go to the fabric district in L.A. so we could have a large selection. Holy Cow! Too many stores with rows and rows of fabric. It was dizzying. I told my mom that I at least wanted to find a floral voile fabric. She had her doubts but we began to search the shelves of material.

And then, it happened. My mom didn’t MEAN for it to happen. She was trying to make a joke. She saw a bolt of the brightest yellow fabric with crazy colored daisies (one of my favorite flowers) on it. Mom picked up the bolt, showed it to me and said, “Here you go. This one has flowers on it.”

My eyes lit up and I reached for the flowered material as my mother tried to snatch it back out of my grasp. “This is perfect, Mom! I LOVE it!!”

“Yes, but I was only kidding.”

“I’m not. Let’s buy the bolt.”

And THAT is how we got my very BRIGHT bridesmaid dresses. I think my sister was always secretly glad that she was the maid of honor, and as such, her dress was solid yellow (her favorite color) with only a band of the floral print. (And the band for the bridesmaids was solid yellow).

People went through our receiving line with their eyes WIDE open!! It was such fun!! I LOVE these dresses.

Fun dresses at the wedding are no guarantee, that’s for sure. We’ve had plenty of struggles, financially and otherwise. We buried our youngest son nearly 13 years ago when he was just 16. We’ve each buried both of our parents. In fact, for Jim – his dad, Kenneth Abney, died in a plane crash when he was only 9. Then his step-dad who had been part of his family since Jim was 11 died in 2000; same year as my dad, his mom and our son (my mom passed away at Christmas time in 1998). Those were all some challenging times. And there have been other things that might surprise someone looking in from their vantage point, but that’s just life. We’ve weathered lots of things but where we are today, is a very wonderful place to be. Many wonderful experiences as well to round out the edges of our life together. So, here’s to many more years with Jim. Cheers!!

Today we have been married FORTY-ONE years!!!

41 years ago, Jim and I were sealed in marriage for "Time and All Eternity" in the Los Angeles Temple. We're still kickin' and loving life. It's been good, bad, wonderful, hard, funny, sad ... you name it, but it has all been worth it and that's what matters. 

Here is a cinquain poem I wrote years ago - still applies: 

Comfort
Feeling secure
Where judgment has no place
Wrapped in the safety of your arms
Husband

Stephanie Abney ~   © 1998

I couldn't hope to "re-cap" 41 years so I posted what has emerged as our "theme song" ~ "Through the Years" by Kenny Rogers. Enjoy - I'll be busy ...