Day #9 - ISLAND

I had little trouble with the prompt for Day #9:  island.  At some point, every day, I find my thoughts driving to a tropical location with white sand, warm sun, and gentle breezes.  Instead, I'm sitting in my office, staring out a window at summer thunderstorm skies, waiting for the downpour.  Thank goodness for dreams!

ISLAND TIME

The sun sitting over the ocean.
The sound of an island steel drum.
The seagulls above gently soaring.
My glass filled with rich, island rum.

The ocean is doing its bidding.
It’s calling my name loud and clear.
But swimming takes way too much effort.
I’m more inclined just to sit here.

From here, I can watch all around me.
From here, are the sounds of the sea.
From here, is the fresh smell of ocean.
And all come together for me.

Renewing the best that is in me,
the pace of this place never stops.
The days of unwinding are endless.
The dress code requires flip-flops.

Bring me one more bottle of lotion.
Bring me one more drink with a lime.
With sand in my toes, I’ll keep dreaming
of more days in sweet island time.

Day #8 - HECTIC

Our prompt for Day #8 is:  hectic.  Sometimes, our lives seem jampacked with things that must be done.  We run from here to there and back again.  How do you interpret the prompt?  If you're like me, you're well acquainted a daily, hectic schedule.  Here's my offering for today's prompt:

HECTIC PACE

I thought I was retired.
A magazine to prepare,
A radio show to write.
One book to promote,
another to create.
And what about the poetry prompts?
Mercy, mercy, me!
Should this hectic pace continue,
I’ll need to retire from retirement.
But what can I do
when those things that take so much time
are the things I so love doing?
Hectic my life may sometimes be,
but it’s a life I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Day #7 - GOWN

Seven days into the Poem-A-Day Challenge brings us the next poetry prompt:  gown.  This is one of those prompts that caught me staring at my computer, confident that I would never be inspired.  But somewhere, from my inner muse, the following found its way onto the page.

THE WEDDING GOWN

The gown, itself, was lovely.
A beauty to behold.
It brought to mind the future
and dreams that would unfold.
But something stole the moment --
a hidden lie ungloved.
The gown hangs in a closet now,
abandoned and unloved.

Day #6 - FRAGILE

As we come to the prompt for Day #6, we are faced with a variety of choices for inspiration.  Many things are fragile:  glass and china, to name but a few.  But, perhaps, the most fragile thing of all is our heart.  Which is where I drew my inspiration for today.

THIS FRAGILE HEART

My heart was often broken,
Its pieces cracked and chipped.
In seeking out relationships,
my quest was always gypped
from finding what I looked for,
until you came my way.
And now this fragile heart of mine
grows stronger every day.

Day #5 - ELITE

The A Muse Fuse Poem-A-Day Challenge greets Day #5 with the poetry prompt “elite.” Of all the things I could be called (and there are a great many!), elite is certainly not one of them. Which is why, I guess, I’m on my poor man’s soapbox, waxing poetic about the haves and have nots, with my offering for today.

NOT THE ELITE

I’m not one of the elite.
I’m really kind of ordinary.

No private education.
No six figure income.
A house and bank account
that both show signs of wear.

In my life, I find contentment
through the simple act of being
with the love I cherish,
and enjoying the abundance of blessings
that are showered upon me daily.

I’d rather look up toward the heavens
than look down at the earth below.

Day #4 - DELUGE

Day #4 of the A Muse Fuse Poem-A-Day Challenge brings us the poetry prompt "deluge."  After so many days of record-breaking heat, without a rainy cloud in sight, it seems an appropriate choice.  Let your inspiration pour down from the skies as you create from this prompt.  Preoccupied with our lack of rain, here's my offering for today:

DELUGE NEEDED

Brown grass and dead plants.
A deluge might be welcome if
it would revive us.

Day #3 - COWBOY

On the third day of our Poem-A-Day challenge, we find ourselves saddled with the prompt:  cowboy. When we think of cowboys, we often think of the wild west, the romance of riding toward the sunset, gunslingers and herding the cattle. Rustle up whatever images come to your mind. Let the cowboy infuse your muse!

THE COWBOY ALONE

Out in the wide open spaces,
a place that the cowboy calls home,
he rides through the plains and the mountains.
To an unknown location he roams.

To some, he might seem like a drifter.
To some, he’s a scary, old man.
But the cowboy has lived several lifetimes
with the aimlessness part of his plan.

For the cowboy has always been better
with his stallion, his heart and his gun
in the battles that somehow escaped him,
and that battles he artfully won,

than he ever would be in the city
where society’s habits seem strange.
So he rides all alone on the prairie
and he rides all alone on the range.

Day #2 - BRAG

Day #2 of the A Muse Fuse Poem-A-Day Challenge brings with it the prompt "brag." Sometimes, we have much to brag about; sometimes, not so much. I found myself rather introspective on this one. See how your own, inner muse responds to this prompt. Here's my attempt:

SOMETHING TO BRAG ABOUT

Do I have anything to brag about?
I could talk for hours about myself:
what I’ve done, where I’ve been,
where I’m going.
In the overall scheme of things, though,
my accomplishments are few.
For example, as an author and poet,
I’ve written things I’m proud of
and things that were best left unread,
not to mention, left unwritten.
My achievements are better defined
if I’ve been there for a friend;
if I’ve heeded the call of a worthy cause;
if I can lend a hand to a stranger.
And if I can do all those things,
without the need for self-promotion
without expecting something in return,
that would be something to brag about.

Day #1 - ALONG

Hello, everybody! Today, we start our 26-day journey through the alphabet with our Poem-A-Day Challenge. We welcome all who choose to participate, as well as those who just drop by to read our words. We hope you have fun on this trip. Let the creative sparks fly as you infuse your muse!!

As a reminder, the prompt does not have to be part of your title, but it must be included in your poem. Also, if some prompts work better for you pluralized or in another tense, you can certainly alter them as the need arises. We’re pretty flexible here at A Muse Fuse! The idea is to write a poem per day, or at least as many as you can.

So, let’s get started on our poetic, alphabetical odyssey. The first prompt is “along.” Here’s my offering for Day #1:

ALONG THIS ROAD

We travel along down this road
that winds throughout unchartered land.
Our thoughts and emotions explode
when pencils and pens are in hand.
United in poetic voice,
we eagerly set the muse free.
The style and the meter our choice,
these poems define you and me.

PROMPT #18 - RELY

RELY ON MOTHER NATURE

This past winter,
we were blasted with a record-breaking snowfall.
Holed up inside, our only outings
were from the front door to the sidewalk,
as we shoveled our way through
the mounting piles of snow.
Longing then for the lazy days of summer
beneath winter’s frozen blanket.
This week, temperatures soared into the 90’s,
and continue rocketing upward.
Holed up inside, our only outings
are to bring in the trashcans and collect the mail.
Longing now for a breath of arctic air
to relieve the oppressive humidity.
We can always rely on Mother Nature
to make us grateful for what we had after it’s gone.