Musings on life, love, and healing past trauma
I have a dream
Of all earth’s children
Cherished and loved
Fed and clothed
Happy and safe
Free to fantasize and play
Allowed to dream
Educated to think for themselves
Regardless of gender, faith or colour
Free to choose whatever their hearts desireFree to laugh
©RedCat
Free to love
Free to live
This year poetry month has an extra day. A May Day Special.
To read all poems inspired by Kerfe Roig’s artwork Full Of Children go to The Wombwell Rainbow.
As fickle April turns to green May
Winter’s cold, dark and snow are finally gone
We light bonfires to celebrate the returning sun
Rejoice in the lengthening hours of Nordic daysTo the Goddess within we give our trust
In joy filled hymns we our voices raise
Green springs abundant fertility praise
As our hearts fill with awakened lust©RedCat
Last years Witches Walpurgis Night Preparation.
Goddess of water and star filled heaven
Nurturer of the awakening soul
Guide me in my journey through the seven
Lead me towards wisdom to make me wholeShower me in the water from your bowl
Cleanse me with every colour of starlight
Show me how to define a new life role
Grant me creative visions that shines brightLet my passions soar the heavens in flight
Ignite and burn this nest of abuse thorns
Teach me to understand mystical sight
Help me to in hope and faith be rebornBless me as my inner fire flame and glow
©RedCat
As stars above reflects soul sparks below
Also shared to Open Link #296 – LIVE Edition.
I can’t believe how fast April has gone. Last year I struggled to write something every day. This year, with the ekphrastic challenge to guide me, the only struggle has been finding enough time to write as much as I’ve wanted. Some days I’ve even written and posted more than one poem. Will sit myself down to reflect and praise myself this weekend, and think about where to go from here. The praising part is one that I have real struggle with, normally I discredit my work and move on to the next thing. So will endeavour to change that this time.
The last ekphrastic poem became another Spenserian sonnet, with the linked rhyme scheme of ABAB BCBC CDCD EE.
I had to laugh a bit when I wrote it. I’ve stayed away from trying the Spenserian one because I thought the Shakesperian ones were hard enough. But it turns out the linked rhyme scheme, reminiscent of Terza Rima suits me much better.
Actually really pleased with this one. Feels like ending GloPoWriMo on a strong note.
I have loads of books, some say too many, but in my opinion you can’t have too many. So when reading up on the symbolism of Tarot trump XVII – The Star, I went browsing my esoteric books and chose the following two as sources, both by the author Naomi Ozaniec.
The Aquarian Qabalah: A Contemporary Initiation Into A Secret Tradition
The Watkins Tarot Handbook: The Practical System of Self-Discovery
To see all art and read all poems for today go to The Wombwell Rainbow.
And just to let you know. There will also be a May Day Ekphrastic Special tomorrow.
Kerfe Roig A resident of New York City, Kerfe Roig enjoys transforming words and images into something new. Her poetry and art have been featured online by Right Hand Pointing, Silver Birch Press, Yellow Chair Review, The song is…, Pure Haiku, Visual Verse, The Light Ekphrastic, Scribe Base, The Zen Space, and The Wild Word, and published in Ella@100, Incandescent Mind, Pea River Journal, Fiction International: Fool, Noctua Review, The Raw Art Review, and several Nature Inspired anthologies. Follow her explorations on her blogs, https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/ (which she does with her friend Nina), and https://kblog.blog/, and see more of her work on her website http://kerferoig.com/
As the blackbirds dusk sings
Breathing the last rays of light peace brings
Stills my always racing busy mind
So I can the inner center find
Flooding my heart with love and hope
The sustenance I need to with life’s difficulties cope
©RedCat
Monday’s Haibun prompt, telling us to focus our writing on the present moment made me realise deep in my bones how much I (once again) lost my meditation practice and need to regain it. So a little walk tonight in the twilight to breathe and collect my thoughts after a busy day. And as always when I manage to do that words spill out of me demanding to be written. Another reason to get back on the meditation track.
I have not altered the light, in either picture, that is Swedish spring twilight. The first one cherry blossoms shortly before nine pm yesterday. The other was taken down by the water about two months ago.
When the world outside is quiet and calm
The choir of voices singing in my head
Fills my being with the singing of psalms
The echo sounds of dreams I long thought deadPassions stubborn spirit refuse to shed
Visions burning clear in my thirds eye’s sight
My core even though abuse has me bledMy walls can no longer contain the light
The choice becomes, slowly die or shine bright
Trust there’s life time left for another choice
Spread my battered wings and let dreams take flight
Believe there’s stories to tell with my voiceLet truth be my shield and my words my spear
©RedCat
My pen the fire that burns away all fears
This is my fourth Sonnet in April. And my first ever Spenserian sonnet, which has a linked rhyme scheme of ABAB BCBC CDCD EE.
I still feel sonnet’s are harder than some other forms, or I’m more intimidated by them. Due to their Shakespearean connection. Meaning I feel like a novice poet like myself has less right to venture into such prominent territory. Such are the silly traps my mind makes for itself. I mean I have no problem venturing into other classical forms.
This is the first time the pentameter felt natural and not overly forced, although keeping all the feets iambic still eludes me. I also had an instructive fun time reading up on the Great Comets of 1811 and 1819. Especially the first of those, that was visible to the naked eye for 260 days must have been a real marvel. Leaving many impressions in culture, for example in William Blake’s miniature painting The Ghost of a Flea (below).
To see all art and read all poems for today go to The Wombwell Rainbow.
Also shared to Open Link Night at dVerse.
Kerfe Roig A resident of New York City, Kerfe Roig enjoys transforming words and images into something new. Her poetry and art have been featured online by Right Hand Pointing, Silver Birch Press, Yellow Chair Review, The song is…, Pure Haiku, Visual Verse, The Light Ekphrastic, Scribe Base, The Zen Space, and The Wild Word, and published in Ella@100, Incandescent Mind, Pea River Journal, Fiction International: Fool, Noctua Review, The Raw Art Review, and several Nature Inspired anthologies. Follow her explorations on her blogs, https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/ (which she does with her friend Nina), and https://kblog.blog/, and see more of her work on her website http://kerferoig.com/
Re-post comment:
Welcome to another Wandering the Archives Wednesday. This month is all about GloPoWriMo. So here’s the fourth most read post from April 2020.
Enjoy!
Casanova comes closer
© REDCAT
Celebrated curves charm
Lips cherry colored
Cobalt eyes cajole
Clothes, composure convey carefree confidence
Concealing clingy charcoal chemise
Careful charisma conspire
Channeling close connection
Compassionate carnal company
Clarion cavalry call
Come cherished cupid
Come closer
Come conquer
Come champion
Come climax
Time for Quadrille #101 – a poem of precisely 44 words – at dVerse poets pub. Really love playing around with this format. :-)
DAY 1 – Build a New Start
DAY 2 – Beloved Bookstore
DAY 3 – Sunshine and Hail
DAY 4 – Isolation Dating
DAY 5 –Staring out a Windowpane
DAY 6 – Casanova Comes Closer
DAY 7 – Swirling Colors of my Mind
DAY 8 – White – Red – Black
DAY 9 – Different World After
DAY 10 – Spring Hay(na)ku
DAY 11 – Love – Hay(na)ku
DAY 12 – Make Art – Triolet inspired
by Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell
DAY 13 – What did you think would happen
to a child left on my doorstep?
DAY 14 – Ballad of the Lost Poet
DAY 15 – Writer’s class – Hay(na)ku
DAY 16 – What is a Nomad without a Tribe?
DAY 17 – Pale Spring, Here Again, Nature Awake
DAY 18 – Spring Day in the Garden
DAY 19 – Close Couplets
DAY 20 – Lost in Love’s First Flush
DAY 21 – She Tasted Like Memory
DAY 22 – Struggling Mind
DAY 23 – Written in the book of dust
DAY 24 – At the end of every week, Friday-Cozy!
DAY 25 – Slip, Crack, Shatter
DAY 26 – Humans Really Don’t Know
DAY 27 – April Rain
DAY 28 – Greeting the Watch Horse
DAY 29 – Letter of Hope
DAY 30 – Witches Walpurgis Night Preparation
Somewhere in the golden dusk a tawny owl calls
From another direction wooden wind chimes makes a dull sound
Over at the pub there’s cherry voices
Comforting homely noises
I lean against the ancient stone wall
Exhaustion pulling me to the ground
I’m just gonna rest my eyes for a minute~I’m awakened by a trumpet~
Over the hill comes the crest of a centurions helmet
©RedCat
The air fills with the sound of marching feet
The rattle and clang of weapons and armour
I scramble for my bow and arrows
They fill the air like a flock of sparrows
The romans have come to another tribe uprising meet
Certain their might will make them the victors
I learned the Puente form just yesterday, and as I so often do, had to write another one as soon as possible to get a feel for the form.
It can be both rhymed and unrhymed, both mine and rhymed, but with different rhyme schemes. This one has the following rhyme scheme: abccabd d defggef.
Inspired by all three works of art for today. To read all poems go to The Wombwell Rainbow.
Jane Cornwell likes drawing and painting children, animals, landscapes and food. She specialises in watercolour, mixed media, coloured pencil, lino cut and print, textile design. Jane can help you out with adobe indesign for your layout needs, photoshop and adobe illustrator. She graduated with a ba(hons) design from Glasgow School of art, age 20. She has exhibited with the rsw at the national gallery of Scotland, SSA, Knock Castle Gallery, Glasgow Group, Paisley Art Institute, MacMillan Exhibition at Bonhams, Edinburgh, The House For An Art Lover, Pittenweem Arts Festival, Compass Gallery, The Revive Show, East Linton Art Exhibition and Strathkelvin Annual Art Exhibition. Her website is: https://www.janecornwell.co.uk/
John Law “Am 68. Live in Mexborough. Retired teacher. Artist; musician; poet. Recently included in ‘Viral Verses’ poetry volume. Married. 2 kids; 3 grandkids.”
Kerfe Roig A resident of New York City, Kerfe Roig enjoys transforming words and images into something new. Her poetry and art have been featured online by Right Hand Pointing, Silver Birch Press, Yellow Chair Review, The song is…, Pure Haiku, Visual Verse, The Light Ekphrastic, Scribe Base, The Zen Space, and The Wild Word, and published in Ella@100, Incandescent Mind, Pea River Journal, Fiction International: Fool, Noctua Review, The Raw Art Review, and several Nature Inspired anthologies. Follow her explorations on her blogs, https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/ (which she does with her friend Nina), and https://kblog.blog/, and see more of her work on her website http://kerferoig.com/
Always felt other and wrong
Never truly felt like I belong
Never felt unencumbered and free
Allowed to just be me
Perpetual cycles of pain and abuse
Always guessing which persona mask to use
Living with nagging doubt, maybe I’m just insane~Can a diagnosis everything explain~
Help me to equilibrium gain
©RedCat
Teach me what I need to know
To at functioning life have a go
Give me hope of fitting in
Break my minds eternal tailspin
Show me how to reach good mental health
Allow me to fully use my minds idea wealth
Sitting here wondering if I really dare to post this. Afraid to expose myself. Afraid to overshare. Afraid to be rejected once more. At the same time feeling like I need to share how much upheaval there is right now. And why.
I’ve had bouts of depression on and off through life. And I’ve been told to view them and every other issue as stemming from the abuse I’ve gone through. That my struggles depend on that only and if I can somehow overcome them I will be as everyone else.
Cue a new psychologist.
Who started to ask questions I’ve never got before. Who administered not just the really short screening tests (that apparently typically don’t catch female sufferers) but longer fuller tests that screen for Adhd/Add and Autism spectrum disorder. The last months have been test upon test. There are a few left but the first of the two is by now a given, the second one in some kind of high functioning way very probable.
I don’t know how to feel about either. And I don’t know if it will really help in any practical way.
I’m still me, as I’ve always been.
Will this alter others’ perspective of me?
Written in the Puente form for tonight’s Poetics: Build a Bridge at dVerse.
Rhyme scheme: aabbccd d deeffgg
The world according to RedCat
The world according to RedCat 