Category: dreams

  • Recent Writing Com Creative Writing

    Recent Writing Com Creative Writing

    Recent Writing Com Creative Writing

    40-Words

    April 2023 Dew Drop In Poems

    I have been a writing com member since 2016.  I have been actively posting in various challenges and contests since I began and have posted close to 998 pieces. I highly recommend this site as a warm, welcoming writing community and I have learned so much about the art and craft of writing from participating.  You can find my work at https://jcosmos.Writing.Com/

    Index

    Weekly Challenge

    #27. When Sam First Saw Maria

    ID #1062875

    #26. election cinquain
    ID #1062282

    #25. spider web
    ID #1061843

    #24. 24 Star Crossed Lovers
    ID #1061842

    #22. week 10 my faith journey
    ID #1061840

    #21. too many gunmen joy bell
    ID #1060903

    Writer’s Cramp

    End of Empires

    Quiet January Night With Cosmic Cat

    Lunch with Allen Ginsberg item 231151 Winner

    Dogs of War

    Hitler as an Artist winner

    Express It in Eight

    #19. Strange Places
    ID #1063026

    #18. Gateway In Central Asia
    ID #1063024

    #17. The perfect cup of tea
    ID #1063023

    #16. The Future Of The World At Stake
    ID #1063022

    #15. Warning Signs
    ID #1062873

    Poet’s Place

    #62. why do we write?
    ID #1062876

    #61. Guns Eleven Poem
    ID #1062627

    #60. morning routines Tanaga
    ID #1062284

    #59. names
    ID #1062273

    #58. More Guns Rondeau
    ID #1062048

    #57. The Whole World Out of Control Ronka
    ID #1062047

    40 Words

    01/31/2023-‘re-enter’
    ID #1062534

    #6. 01/30/2023- ‘rescue”
    ID #1062533

    #5. 01/29/2023- ‘old”
    ID #1062532

    #4. Unusual sway
    ID #1062531

    #3. Decency or fascism is your choice
    ID #1062530

    Stormy Lady

    Everything in Life is Foolish or Immoral For Stormy Lady
    ID #1059452

    #9. Barbados Dreaming on a Winter’s Day for Stormy Lady
    ID #1055645

    #8. o dark Hundred
    ID #1051150

    #7. Last night of High school memories
    ID #1049689

    #6. A Mother’s Luminous Tears
    ID #1048420

    Writers Cramp Entries

    Writer’s Cramp does a prompt every day with a daily winner. I have won quite a few of these and try to enter them daily.

     

    End of Empires

    38

    On February 2, 1901,
    Queen Victoria was laid to rest.
    Largest gathering
    Of European royalty ever assembled
    Attended the funeral.

    This was the height
    Of the British Empire.

    Few would have thought
    In a few short years
    World War 1 would begin.

    And then World War Two
    The Cold War
    Followed by the gradual
    End of the British Empire.

    The sun did set
    In the British Empire

    But in 1901
    It seemed like
    The British Empire
    Would last forever.

    Empires rise and fall
    Sometimes one sees the decline.
    Other times it comes as a surprise.
    In hindsight almost inevitable.

    What will be the end?
    Of the American Empire?
    Will America break apart?
    Into ten or 15 new nations?

    If there is a civil war
    It will not end up
    As proponents think.

    That is the nature
    Of civil war
    And war in general.

    it never ends as planned.

    “ War, Good God all, what is it good for?
    War has only one friend, the undertaker.”

    NEW (birthday week) PROMPT:
    On February 2 (2/2) 1901, the state funeral of Queen Victoria of Great Britain took place and was one of the largest gatherings of European royalty in history. Write a poem or story about this event. Use HISTORY as one of your genres.

    A Quiet January Night

    26 lines

    Sam Adams
    Was at home
    On a quiet January Night.

    Snowbound
    In his Capitol Hill Row house,
    Down the street from Lincoln Park
    In the heart of DC.

    All in all
    Sam felt at peace
    With the world.

    Having accepted
    As he was getting older,
    And having reconciled
    With his long-estranged siblings.

    He was playing the piano
    While his cat
    The Buddha Cat
    Was lost in his cat verse
    Deep in meditation.

    Soon he put on some
    Buddha bar meditation music
    And joined the cosmic cat
    In mediation.

    There is a new prompt up in “The Writer’s Cramp” – and if you write the best story or poem (and follow all of the rules) you just might win 10,000 GPs.

    ” WINNER & NEW PROMPT Due Sunday, January 21″ 16 hours 40 minutes 35 seconds
    Please use the following as the Title of your story or poem:

    “A Quiet January Night”

    Please select “Spiritual” as one of your genres.

    Make sure you create a new static item for your entry, and include your word count for stories (1000 words or less) or a line count for poems (40 lines or less) IN your forum post with the b-item link to your entry to be a qualified entry.

     

    Lunch with Allen Ginsberg (winner)

    39

    If I had a chance to go back in time
    and meet for lunch a famous poet
    I would go back to 1954.

    to my hometown, Berkeley, California
    to visit with and have lunch
    with one of my literary heroes
    Allan Ginsberg.

    I would knock on his door
    and tell him I came from
    from 2024, the future.

    And wanted to talk to him
    about the future world
    and we would go and have lunch
    in North Beach.

    And over wine and pasta, we would talk
    We would talk about his life and legacy
    and then talk about the future world.

    I would tell him that Donald Trump
    would become President
    and usher in an era of neo-fascism.

    H would be astonished.
    but finally concluded
    that he knew of the Trump family
    and could see that coming.
    They had bad juju he concluded.

    And then he would go home
    and write a series of poems
    about the future of the U.S.

    And perhaps we would have prevented
    some of the future from taking place
    perhaps it was inevitable
    as he would write,

    “the future is coming sooner than we think
    and it will be stranger than fiction.”

    Unfortunately, I can’t award a winner today. Please remember to select the appropriate genre if the prompt requires one. (Today’s prompt does not.)

    NEW PROMPT: Tomorrow, January 6, is National Take a Poet to Lunch Day. Write a story or poem involving lunch with a poet. The poet can be living, formerly living, imaginary, or even yourself. What’s on the menu, and what topics are discussed?

    The WINNER Is:

    Lunch with Allen Ginsberg   (E)
    Imagined lunch with Allen Ginsberg
    #2311511 by JCosmos (146)

     

     

    Dogs of War Unleashed

    dogs of war howling
    dogs of war howling

     

    dogs of war poster
    dog of war poster

     

     

     

     

    35

    Sam Adams
    watched from far-off Mumbai
    as the terrorists launched 9-11.

    Thanking the Gods
    that his wife was not working
    there at the Pentagon.

    He had a vision
    that the Dogs of War
    Have been set free
    Of their cages in hell,
    And are out
    howling at the moon.

    The Dogs of War
    Have been set free
    To wreck what havoc
    Might be.

    Yes, the Dogs of War
    The Hell Hounds
    Have bound out of their cages
    Sniffed about, smiled

    At the destruction, they saw
    They knew soon
    They would be in their element
    As the world descends into chaos,

    The world saw the face of pure evil
    That fine September morning

    A morning like any other morning
    Until a fateful moment
    When two planes came out of the sky,

    And Destroyed the center of world capitalism
    In an act of horrific violence, and pure evil
    That is beyond the comprehension
    Of mere mortal man.

    Dec 7, 1941, was the attack by Japanese warplanes on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, an event that propelled the United States into the forefront of World War II.

    For tomorrow, write a story or poem that is set during an unexpected military attack. (But broadly construed … could be like Pearl Harbor, could be a science-fiction space war, could be a gang war in NYC, could be an unexpected snowball attack by the neighborhood bullies, could be in fairyland, etc.)

    Focus your tale on the experiences of an “ordinary person” in this attack, rather than someone removed from the action (e.g. not military leaders in command-and-control centers.) Try to bring to life the confusion and emotions of the situation.

    Hitler as an Artist?

    20

    A Hitler historian
    was fascinated
    With Hitler’s failed attempt
    To be a painter,

    Hitler always blamed
    His failure as an artist
    Due to a cabal of Jewish painters
    Who were the arbiters of taste
    In Vienna right after World War 1

    One day he discovered
    A cache of lost Hitler paintings.
    Among the paintings,
    was one labeled
    “International Bird Painting Day”.

    Art historians all agreed –
    It was the worst bird painting
    Ever made,

    Proving that Hitler
    Would never have made it
    As an artist,
    Since he had no talent

    As an artist,
    Sadly, his depraved, evil
    malignant evil talents
    Lay elsewhere.

    NEW PROMPT: Tomorrow, April 8, is Draw a Picture of a Bird Day. Write a story or poem about someone with limited artistic talent attempting to observe this occasion.
    20

     

    Express it Eight

    Soling Bling is the host of the Express It In Eight Daily prompts. The goal is to write an eight-line poem. Here are my most recent entries.

    Jellyfish Lake and Other Strange Places

    Sam Adams was an explorer
    He had been to many strange places
    Among the Weider were the Jellyfish Lake
    Filled with jellyfish
    Snake Island off of Brazil
    Filled with the deadliest snakes in the world
    And the famous cannibal island
    where outsiders are forbidden in the Andaman seas.

    INTERESTING PLACE: JELLYFISH LAKE

    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/jellyfish-lake

    #19. Strange Places
    ID #1063026

    Gateway In Central Asia

    In an ancient town in Central Asia,
    Deep in the high mountains on the old Silk Road,
    There lays a weird church, mosque, and temple.
    With four doors, one to the church, the mosque, and the temple.
    The fourth door, hidden in the back rooms leads to an indoor patio.
    The fourth door reveals ten smaller green doors on top of each other.
    According to the sign above, each door opens a portal
    To other worlds, a one-way ticket for madmen only.

    Doors [#2308179]
    green doors

    #18. Gateway In Central Asia
    ID #1063024

    Perfect Cup of Tea

     

     

     

     

    Lately, I have been drinking
    Much more tea and less coffee,
    Particularly in the afternoon.
    My latest tea of choice is my wife’s secret blend.
    Bitter melon, jujube dates, ugly potato, wormwood
    With Earl Gray, green tea slims fast,
    Yogi detox teas are added to the brewing pot.
    Perfection in a soothing hot cup of heaven.

    SELF-CARE IDEAS

    BUY YOURSELF SOME FLOWERS

    DRINK A CUP OF HOT TEA

    #17. The perfect cup of tea
    ID #1063023

     

    The Future Of The World At Stake

    trump 4
    trump 4

     

     

     

     

     

    In the U.S. in November
    There is a noteworthy
    Looming election.
    An election that will determine
    In a comprehensive manner,
    The future of the U.S. and the world
    Will the U.S. choose fascism?
    Or will democracy and sanity prevail?

    LOOMING

    NOTEWORTHY

    COMPREHENSIVE

    #16. The Future Of The World At Stake
    ID #1063022

    Warning Signs

     

     

     

     

     

    the warning signs
    are everywhere
    will we heed them?
    will we wake up
    and see that Trump
    and the MAGA movement
    are fascists determined
    to destroy American democracy.

    POEM TITLES

    Warning
    by Jenny Joseph

    When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
    With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
    And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
    And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
    I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
    And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
    And run my stick along the public railings
    And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
    I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
    And pick flowers in other people’s gardens
    And learn to spit.

    You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
    And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
    Or only bread and pickles for a week
    And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

    But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
    And pay our rent and not swear in the street
    And set a good example for the children.
    We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

    But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
    So people who know me are not too shocked
    When suddenly I am old and start to wear purple.

    >< >< >< >< >< ><

    I Choose the Mountain
    by Howard Simon

    The low lands call
    I am tempted to answer
    They are offering me a free dwelling
    Without having to conquer

    The massive mountain makes its move
    Beckoning me to ascend
    A much more difficult path
    To get up the slippery bend

    I cannot choose both
    I have a choice to make
    I must be wise
    This will determine my fate

    I choose, I choose the mountain
    With all its stress and strain
    Because only by climbing
    Can I rise above the plain

    I choose the mountain
    And I will never stop climbing
    I choose the mountain
    And I shall forever be ascending

    I choose the mountain

    #15. Warning Signs
    ID #1062873

     

    Poet’s Place

     David Sneider is the host of Poetry Place.  He does a weekly poetry form challenge similar to what Writer Digest does.  I try to try my hand at both and between the two of them and Fan Story, I have tried over 150 poetry forms since 2016.

    Here are my most recent attempts

    Why do we write?

    40 lines

    A writer is often asked
    Why do you write?
    What motivates you?
    What keeps you going?

    How do you handle the constant rejections?
    The self-doubts
    What comes with the writer’s life?

    I write as many writers do
    Because I must
    Because the damn muse
    Will never leave me alone

    The characters in my head
    Demand to let their voices be heard
    Demand to be freed
    To tell their tales

    And I am a slave
    To my muse
    Who takes me
    Where she will

    No matter what
    I must write every day

    Usually starting my day
    Drinking coffee
    Watching the news unfold

    Writing my thoughts
    Letting the poetry flow
    Out of my soul

    Bleeding onto the computer screen
    The words waiting to be spoken
    To tell their tale
    Before the day is over

    That is why I write
    Because I can not write
    That is the Buddha nature
    Of being a writer after all.

    Most of us probably started writing to fulfill the requirements of our teachers in school. We wrote to pass the course and gain recognition through grade assignments.

    During some self-analysis upon leaving the Navy and starting my job search, I realized that the things I enjoyed the most and had the most success with involved writing of some sort. Therefore, a technical writing job seemed to be the perfect union of that interest with my engineering education. For the next few years, I wrote to instruct field technicians on how to implement retrofit modifications on aircraft.

    Later, in the business world, I wrote to enlighten co-workers, managers, and customers about procedures, policies, and systems.

    Nowadays, while I sometimes still write for those reasons (as I’m doing here), many more factors keep me engaged in this wondrous process. That’s probably the case with you, too.

    If you feel a need to express your most personal response to this mysterious, beautiful, and sometimes painful world in the shapes, colors, sounds, and smells of your imagination, creative writing can provide a powerful means of therapeutic release.

    The pure joy that comes with meeting the challenges of crafting the language into something meaningful, like molding a piece of clay with your hands, can be a refreshing recreational outlet.

    Many writers are driven to publish their work on the printed page. I can vouch for the exhilarating sense of satisfaction that comes with that first acceptance letter.

    Upon receiving a reviewer’s comment that one of my stories reminded him of a stand-up comedian’s routine, I realized that the desire to entertain/is also a driving force that keeps me motivated.

    For whom do you write?

    Many writers resist criticism and defend their writing with the claim that they write only for themselves. While some therapeutic or recreational writing may not be intended for sharing with an audience, writing is usually employed as a means of communicating with other people. Of course, the grocery lists and phone numbers you scribble on scraps of paper are probably intended for only you. However, those things within you that won’t rest until they are given voice–the burning memories that linger in your heart and the fanciful fugitive images floating around in your head–must be shared with someone else to satisfy the need for expression.

    When you sit down to write, you should keep your audience in mind. Whether it be your friends and family, a group of readers interested in a particular genre as identified here at WDC, or an editor for a specific publication, the language you use serves as a bridge between you and the reader. Choose accordingly.

    Your reasons for writing along with your prospective audience will influence the voice you use in your writing, as the relationship between the writer and the reader develops into a true collaboration in this wondrous experience.

    Today’s Practice Session: Write about your objective(s) as you continue on this marvelous journey.

    Then ponder the postings of your peers and exchange views about the various motivations that keep us all inspired in this venture.

     #62. why do we write?
    ID #1062876

    Guns Eleven Poem

     

     

     

     

    Guns
    so many
    people are dying
    Politicians offer useless prayers
    Death

    The Elevenie, also called Elfie in German, is an exercise in language distillation. Consisting of five lines with word counts of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 1, respectively, it captures a thought in only eleven words, as described and demonstrated in the following links:

    https://rolandsragbag.wordpress.com/2020/10/09/elfchen/

    Wikipedia defines an Elevenie, or Elfchen, as follows:
    “An elevenie (German Elfchen — Elf “eleven” and -Chen as a diminutive suffix to indicate diminutive size and endearment) is a short poem with a given pattern. It contains eleven words which are arranged in a specified order over five rows. Each row has a requirement that can vary.”

    A simple form, similar perhaps to Haiku, Senryu, or Tanka, in which the poet attempts to carry an idea within a set format of words and lines which imposes certain strictures of thought and form on the author.

    The usual format requires a short verse of eleven words in five lines in the form – 1, 2, 3, 4, 1. An order which I have reversed in my last of the 4 Elfchen below . . .

    #61. Guns Eleven Poem
    ID #1062627

     

    Hot Coffee Tanaga

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Hot coffee starts my morning.
    watching the news mid-morning.
    Too much coffee is a warning,
    a migraine a forewarning.

    Afternoon I drink hot tea.
    Contemplating to be.
    What is to become of me?
    Turning on music filled with glee.

    As the sun sets, I drink red wine.
    With my wife, all is just fine.
    While looking at the moonshine,
    As we sit down start to dine.

    The Tanaga is an ancient Filipino form that has evolved from a complete poem to a series of stanzas. The structure consists of four mono-rhymed lines with seven syllables per line, as described and demonstrated in the following links:

    https://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/topic/2191-philippines-ambahanawit-tanaga/#tana…

    #60. morning routines Tanaga
    ID #1062284

    My Name

     I was born John Cosmos Aller
    But for most of my life
    I called myself Jake Cosmos Aller
    Nowadays, I call myself J Cosmos Aller
    or Cosmos As my pen name

    the name Cosmos has nothing
    to do with me being born
    in Oakland
    growing up in Berkeley

    no one buys that story though
    Cosmos being such a Berkeley-like name

    My great-grandfather wanted
    an English translation
    of the family’s last name
    Aller
    looked it up in a German English dictionary

    had two choices
    Cosmos
    or Universe
    chose Cosmos
    and thus I am the last
    of the Cosmos Aller’s

    The universe would have been
    an equally good Berkeley name

    But I have had other nicknames
    The kids nicknamed me Allergy
    And pretended to sneeze
    When I passed them by

    The name  Jake came about
    From a dream I had
    As a boy scout

    I was riding a horse
    Named Jake

    I would scream
    Whoa Jake
    Slide aside Clyde
    Turn around Verdiack

    I started saying these words
    When I walked about Campus
    And people thought I was a bit mental

    So, people simply started calling me
    The Whoa Jake kid,
    Later simply became Jake

    After I left school
    I liked the name, Jake
    Better than John
    Too many Johns
    In the world, I thought

    When my wife became an army officer
    We would sometimes get invites
    To things addressed to Captain Lee and Mr. Lee
    Got tired of trying to explain
    We had different last names
    So, I became Jake Lee

    Later when I was in the military hospital system
    As a dependent getting operations
    The doctors just assumed I was a major
    And called me Major Aller

    I did not correct them
    Liked having been promoted
    To the rank of Major!

    When I started trying to become
    Professional writing and blogger
    I thought using my middle name
    Would be a nice pen name

    So now I am either J Cosmos Aller
    Jake Cosmos Aller
    John (Jake) Cosmos Aller
    or just Cosmos

    No longer Jake Lee
    Or Major Aller though.

    unless you are Maya Angelou, Stephen King, or some other famous writer whose name alone is enough to draw an audience, the title is one of the most critical elements of a poem. As the only thing a prospective reader will see while scanning the list of items in a writer’s port or the Table of Contents in a book, it serves as the door that must be opened to enter the realm of the poet’s imagination. If that entrance does not generate some kind of interest, that browser will likely move along to the next item, or maybe even the next author.

    Like the names of your children, a title gives the poem a specific identity. Of course, some poets eschew such traditions and leave their work without any identifying reference. Emily Dickinson did not put titles on her poems, even though her editors often did before publication. Frank O’Hara often applied simple, nondescript titles, such as Poem. Would you let your child go through life without a name? Then, why would you ever think of not naming your brainchild or tagging it with some irrelevant label?

    Because many poems are so short in comparison with other forms of literature, their names should capture the underlying essence of the expression as it sets the tone and prepares the reader for what is to come. Mark Twain once said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug,” and I believe the same advice would apply to titles for a poem. This can be a struggle in many cases. Sometimes the title comes to the poet out of the blue as inspiration for an entire composition, and sometimes it hides within the shrubbery of the text.

    Here are a few suggestions to aid you in your search for the perfect name:

    1. Start with the title and let it propel you into the poem.

    2. Use the first line of the poem as your title.

    3. Provide a brief description of the poem’s theme.

    4. Find a phrase or image within the poem that can represent the whole.

    5. If you are writing a narrative poem, an action verb may help engage the prospective reader with the experience being described.

    6. Use your imagination to pluck lightning from the phantasmal cloud of cosmic pixie dust swirling around in your head.

    Your assignment: Write a poem about the concept of NAMES.

     #59. names
    ID #1062273 entered on January 11, 2024, at 7:16 pm   [Edit]   [5 views]

    More Guns Roundeau

    gun
    gun

     

     

     

     

    More guns killing people today.
    Is it just another day?
    Politicians offer prayer.
    All the dead gun ghosts don’t care.
    Have we completely lost our way?

    To the gun ghosts, what do we say?
    Our prayers are just another cliche.
    Will the guns continue to flare?
    More guns.

    Will we continue to pay?
    Will our country be able to stay?
    Will hatred continue to stare?
    Will there be an end to this nightmare?
    Do we have any words left to sway?
    More guns.

    : aabba aabR aabbaR. Lines 9 and 15 are short

    The Rondeau is a French form of fifteen lines with an intriguing pattern of rhyme and repetition, as described and demonstrated in the following links:

    http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/rondeau.html

    #58. More Guns Rondeau

    trump jpg
    trump jpg

     

     

     

     

     

    I wake up with the morning dawning sun.
    Turn on my TV watch the news,
    drinking a hot snarling cup of coffee.
    thinking dark gloomy thoughts as the snow falls.
    Bombs, war, inflation, end-of-the-world.

    The Ronka is another spinoff from the Japanese Haiku and Tanka forms devised by Ken Ronkowitz. The structure consists of five unrhymed lines with seven words per line. The theme should “focus on observations of the day as seen in the outside world and the inside worlds of dwellings and the mind,” as described and demonstrated in the following links:

    https://writingtheday.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/trying-the-ronka-form/

    ID #1062048 entered on January 8, 2024, at 1:46 am   [Edit]   [5 views]

    #57. The Whole World Out of Control Ronka
    ID #1062047 entered on January 8, 2024, at 1:41 am   [Edit]   [4 views]

    40 words

    Rupali Goswami is the host of the 40-word challenge – to write a 40-word poem or micro story based on the daily prompts.  Here are my latest attempts.


    01/29/2023- ‘old”

    Watching the news
    I feel the old-age blues
    I turn off the barking, deranged,
    talking heads,
    had enough of them all
    for a lifetime
    turned off that snarling noise box.
    And have another cup of coffee.
    With my lovely wife.

    #5. 01/29/2023- ‘old”
    ID #1062532 entered on January 17, 2024, at 4:22 am   [Edit]   [2 views]

    01/28/2023-‘unusual’

    Donald Trump
    Is the biggest con artist
    carnival barker, grifter,
    Flimflam man
    That ever lived.
    He has an unusual
    Sway over his cult-like
    MAGA Followers
    Who thinks he is God’s Anointed
    Some call him the orange Jesus
    The Messiah!

    #4. Unusual sway
    ID #1062531 entered on January 17, 2024, at 4:17 am   [Edit]   [12 views]

     

    01/27/2023-decency’

    The next election
    Boils down to this
    Will we choose decency?
    represented by Biden
    And Democracy
    Or will we choose hatred?
    And Fascism?
    Represented by Trump?

    © Copyright 2024 JCosmos (UN: jcosmos at Writing.Com). All rights res

    #3. Decency or fascism is your choice
    ID #1062530

     

    Darius Smith, V Poems about the assassination of a Wall Street conman

    see the Assassination of Darius Caesar Smith, V for the complete set.

    01/31/2023-‘re-enter’

    When
    Sam Adams
    Bought the 3-d print Glock
    He tested security several times.
    Smuggling the gun in
    And re-entering the building.
    Where he administered justice
    To his lying scumbag frat bro
    Darius Smith, iv.

    #7. 01/31/2023-‘re-enter’
    ID #1062534

    01/30/2023- ‘rescue”

    When Darius Smith, IV
    Sam’s College frat bro
    stole 100 million dollars
    2 million from him
    he prayed that someone
    would rescue his soul
    as he blew him, Darius, away
    as he ate dinner. with Sam’s
    estranged wife.

    #6. 01/30/2023- ‘rescue”
    ID #1062533

    Stormy Lady Contest

    Stormy Lady is the host of a monthly contest where she does the poetry newsletter duties.  Here are my most recent entries, some of which won.

    Everything in Life is Foolish or Immoral For Stormy Lady

    Oscar Wilde once said

    “Everything in life I love
    Is either foolish, immoral
    Or fattening”

    But for me
    I am filled with crazy desires
    Walking down the river at sunset

    Watching the moon rise
    Over the canal in Gimpo
    Casting its reddish glow
    Over the romantic waters

    Stopping to smell the fall flowers
    Softly inhaling their sweet fragrance
    That fills the air with the scent of love
    Bad craziness takes me over

    Filled with love I pick the chrysanthemums,
    the daisies, marigolds, poppies, purple flowers
    and the red and purple cosmos flowers

    Putting them into a bouquet
    Of autumn wildflowers
    To give to my wife

    Who is always walking by the side?
    As the moon shines on
    Filling us with a deep love

    We stop and enter a wine shop
    Having a glass of wine
    Looking down the hallway
    As the canal flows on by

    We stop and laugh
    And howl at the lunatic light
    Of the full moon

    Foolish
    immoral
    desire
    daisies
    hallway
    softly
    fragrance
    air

     #10. Everything in Life is Foolish or Immoral For Stormy Lady

    ID #1059452

    Barbados, West Indies – March 4, 2007: A beach scene on the Caribbean Island of Barbados with a yellow lifeguard station and people enjoying the beach and the water.
    On a winter’s day
    In cold, dismal snowy DC
    My thoughts often turn.
    To Barbados.And the three wonderful years
    I spent serving my country.
    In Barbados, and the Eastern Caribbean.Recalling blissful days
    Hanging out at the Hilton Hotel
    With the love of my wife by my side.Sunday brunch then hitting the beach.
    Drinking rum sours while watching people
    Frolicking in the Blue Sea.

    Visiting my other islands
    once a month
    Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts,
    St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines

    Meeting political leaders
    Liming with the locals.

    Listening to the steel drum band
    Play as the sunsets
    Over my secret Caribbean paradise.

    Comment: My best tour in the Foreign Service was when I served as Deputy Pol/Econ Chief in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines) from 2007 to 2010. Liming is local jargon for having a drink.

     

    #9. Barbados Dreaming on a Winter’s Day for Stormy Lady

     

    ID #1055645

     

    O Dark Hundred

     

     

     

     

    0 dark hundred
    Just before dawn
    Insomnia comes over me

    My mind filled with
    Haunting whispers
    Degrading the air

    troubled rumors
    of distant places
    of ancient times

    traveling afar
    extinguishing

    the rage
    I feel against the coming
    Dark Night of the Soul

    Note: o dark hundred is a military/intel word denoting the early morning hours just before dawn when soldiers often wake up to go to battle

    #8. o dark Hundred
    ID #1051150

    Last Night of High School Memories

     

    free roaming berkeley
    free roaming berkeley

     

     

     

     

     

    One of the most memorable nights
    In my life
    Was my high school
    graduation night
    In Berkeley in 1974.

    We had all gone out
    To numerous graduation parties
    Partying all night
    Until dawn.

    Then heading
    to Berkeley’s Tilden Park
    Inspiration point
    Where we ran into
    Numerous friends,

    This was a BHS tradition
    Dating back to whenever
    We all ended up there
    On the morning
    After graduation night.

    We all shared a moment
    Enjoying the rare sunlit morning
    Usually foggy but that morning
    The sun lit up the distant horizon
    With dramatic hues.

    As the sun rose
    over the mountain tops.
    Of the Berkeley Hills and Mt. Diablo

    We all stared at the sunrise
    Looking at the beauty all around us
    Contemplating the tranquil mood
    We were in.

    Then we left
    Ending up at IHOP
    Enjoying the lumberjack breakfast

    Bacon, eggs, pancakes, sausage
    Lots of hot coffee to wash it down
    Heavenly first breakfast
    As an official adult
    Member of society

    Getting home at about noon.
    Knowing that one stage
    In our life was over

    Waiting for the next stage
    To begin.

    Knowing that we may
    Never see our friends again
    As our paths
    would soon diverge.

    But I will never forget
    That magical night
    When I officially
    Became an adult.

    © Copyright 2023 JCosmos (UN: jcosmos at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.

    #7. Last night of High school memories
    ID #1049689

    #6. A Mother’s Luminous Tears

    An old Mother
    Embraces her daughter
    And son-in-law

    Luminous tears
    Flowing down her face

    As she looked
    At her children
    Filled with love

    A devoted humble
    Guiding loving spirit
    Smiling at her

    These are the rules:

    1) You must use the words I give in a poem or prose with no limits on length.

    2) The words can be in any order and anywhere throughout the poem and can be any form of the word.

    3) All entries must be posted in your portfolio and you must post the link in this forum, “Stormy’s poetry newsletter & contest” [ASR] by May 13, 2023.

    4) The winner will get 3000 gift points and the poem will be displayed in this section of the newsletter the next time it is my turn to post (May 17, 2023)

    The words are:
    A mother embraces luminous tears devoted spirit humble guiding

    #6. A Mother’s Luminous Tears

    ID #1048420

    The End

     

     

     

  • COSCTCO Has My Number

    COSCTCO Has My Number

    COSCTCO Has My Number

    COSTCO
    COSTCO

     

     

     

     

    0regon Reflections

    https://theworldaccordingtocosmos.com//

    I have been a COSTCO member since 1998.  I love COSTCO. It is one of the best corporations in the world and always does things right.  In short, they have Soul.  My home COSTCO was the Springfield, VA COSTCO, and the MEDFORD COSTCO and here in Korea, the Ilsang COSTCO and before that the SONGDO COSTCO, but I have shopped at many other COSTCO’s over the years.

    Here are some of my Ode to COSTCO poems.  I will send it to COSTCO HQ and report back if they respond.

    BING AI provides some background to start us off.

    COSTCO is an American multinational corporation that operates a chain of membership-only big-box retail stores, also known as warehouse clubs or wholesale clubs. COSTCO sells a wide range of products, from groceries and electronics to furniture and clothing, at discounted prices. COSTCO also offers services such as gas stations, pharmacies, optical centers, travel packages, and more. COSTCO is known for its Kirkland Signature brand, which is its private label of products that are often of high quality and low cost. COSTCO is also famous for its rotisserie chicken, hot dogs, and pizza, which are sold at its food courts.

    COSTCO’s history dates back to 1976, when Sol Price, a pioneer in warehouse club retailing, opened the first Price Club in San Diego, California. Price Club was the world’s first membership warehouse club, a place where efficient buying and operating practices gave members access to unmatched savings. Price Club targeted small business owners, who could buy items in bulk for their use or resale. Price Club expanded rapidly, opening stores across the US and Canada.

    In 1983, James Sinegal and Jeffrey Brotman, two former Price Club executives, opened the first COSTCO in Seattle, Washington. COSTCO followed a similar business model as Price Club but also catered to individual consumers as well as businesses. COSTCO also differentiated itself by offering a wider selection of products, including fresh produce, meat, seafood, bakery, and deli items. COSTCO also introduced its Kirkland Signature brand in 1992, which soon became a hallmark of its quality and value proposition. COSTCO grew quickly, opening stores in various states and countries.

    In 1993, Price Club and COSTCO merged to form Price/COSTCO, a company that combined the strengths and expertise of both warehouse clubs. The merger created the largest membership warehouse club chain in the world, with over 200 locations and 22 million members. In 1997, the company changed its name to COSTCO Companies, Inc., and in 1999, it adopted its current name, COSTCO Wholesale Corporation.

    Today, COSTCO is the third largest retailer in the world and the largest retailer of choice and prime beef, organic foods, rotisserie chicken, and wine. COSTCO has over 860 warehouses worldwide, serving more than 127 million members in 14 countries. COSTCO’s mission is to continually provide its members with quality goods and services at the lowest possible prices. COSTCO’s vision is to be the most respected and successful warehouse club in the world.

    If you want to learn more about COSTCO, you can visit its official website1 or read some of the articles below:

    COSTCO | History & Facts | Britannica

    COSTCO – Wikipedia

    About Us | COSTCO

    COSTCO Wholesale History: Founding, Timeline, and Milestones – Zippier

    COSTCO History and Founding: How the Wholesale Club Redefined Retail – Business Insider

    COSTCO Poems

    Shopping At COSTCO Always an Adventure

    Lost Shopping Cart in Songdo

    Lost Shoe in Medford

    Close Encounter with Potential Killer On Richmond Highway

    Ode To the COSTCO Workers Around The World

    Ode To COSTCO Old Poem

    COSTCO People Watching

    COSTCO Blues

    I Love COSTCO

    COSTCO People Watching

    I love my COSTCO.

    I love going there to shop.

    But most importantly

    I love people-watching.

     

    Looking at people as they walk by

    Wondering what their stories are.

    And covertly checking

    Out the beautiful girls

    As they walk on by.

     

    And when they smile at me

    It makes my day.

     

    Yes, I love my COSTCO.

    And COSTCO loves me back.

     

    Extracting my money

    From my wallet.

     

    I go in for one simple thing

    And walk out

    Having spent 500 dollars.

     

    Yes, COSTCO has my number

    And loves me too

    Long live COSTCO

    Shopping At COSTCO Always An Adventure

    I have been a COSTCO member

    Since 2000 or so

    And have shopped all over

     

    Springfield Virginia

    Was my home COSTCO,

     

    Until we moved to Medford, Oregon.

    Also shopped at the DC COSTCO,

    The Richmond Highway COSTCO

    COSTCO in Richmond, California

    Or Fairfield California

    When we are in the Bay Area.

     

    COSTCO in LA

    COSTCO in Ilsan,  Korea

    Is now our home base.

     

    Wherever we went

    We always felt

    Welcomed, safe

     

    And the staff

    Were always friendly

    And helpful.

     

    But shopping at COSTCO

    Always is an adventure

    Here then are our COSTCO misadventures

    Lost Shopping Cart In Songdo

    Shopping at COSTCO

    In Songdo Korea

    In the COVID era,

     

    We encountered

    A strange phenomenon

    We thought that someone

    Had stolen our shopping cart.

     

    We alerted the COSTCO staff

    And they found

    Our lost shopping cart.

     

    The COSTCO staff

    Were helpful as always.

    And we left, shaken up

    But finally satisfied.

    Lost Shoe In Medford

    In Medford, Oregon

    We shopped at COSTCO

    Bought thousands of dollars

    In-home improvement products

    As we renovated our rental properties.

     

    Also of course food and clothing

    And sundry items

     

    Always walking out

    After spending hundreds of dollars.

     

    COSTCO knows

    How to extract money

    From their grateful customers.

     

    But one day

    We had a strange thing happen

    While trying on shoes

    Somehow, I lost my shoes.

     

    Someone had stolen

    My shoes

    Or so it seemed.

     

    We searched high

    And low

    But never found

    Our shoes.

     

    The manager was apologetic

    But there was little to be done

    Just another misadventure

    In COSTCO land.

    Close Encounter With Potential Killer On Richmond Highway COSTCO

    In all my years

    Of shopping at COSTCO

    Only once did I feel

    Threatened or unsafe.

     

    It happened so suddenly

    My wife was

    Accosted by someone

    Claiming we had cut in line.

     

    She was holding my spot

    As I brought the cart over.

     

    An angry black woman

    Got real personal

    In her face

     

    Using abusive language.

    And making a huge scene

    My wife told her

    To buzz off.

     

    This all occurred

    While I was in the restroom

     

    Came back to find the woman

    Cursing at Angela.

    Then we left

     

    She was waiting for us

    At the exit.

    We felt uncomfortable

     

    Went to the manager

    Who escorted us

    To our car.

     

    We felt that woman

    Who was high

    Probably on speed

    Or crack cocaine.

     

    Might have gone

    To get a gun

    To blow us away.

     

    But fortunately

    She left

    And we left.

     

    Shaken by the close

    Encounter with a random act

    Of senseless violence.

    Ode To The COSTCO Workers Around The World

     

    Before COVID shutdowns

    I always liked going to COSTCO.

     

    Liked the sampling

    The bustle,

    Checking out new products.

     

    Checking out the other customers

    The staff were always friendly

    Helpful and courteous.

     

    But with the COVID shutdowns

    COSTCO has become

    Even more of a lifesaver

     

    For many people

    Around the world.

     

    And we all feel

    That COSTCO has our backs

    As we navigate the new normal.

     

    COSTCO was one of the first corporations

    To mandate mask use throughout their stores

    Before it was required.

     

    They had senior hours

    To protect the most vulnerable.

     

    COSTCO workers

    Are my heroes

    In these dark times

    We are living in.

    Ode to COSTCO

    I love my COSTCO

    I love going there to shop.

    But most importantly

     

    I love people-watching.

    Looking at people as they walk by

    Wondering what their stories are.

     

    And covertly checking

    Out the beautiful girls

    As they walk on by.

     

    And when they,

    Smile at me

    It makes my day

     

    Yes I love my COSTCO

    And COSTCO

    Loves me back.

     

    Extracting my money

    From my wallet.

    I go in for one simple thing

     

    And walk out

    Having spent 500 dollars.

     

    Yes COSTCO has my number

    And loves me too.

    COSTCO Blues:

    This poem is about the narrator’s frustration with the long lines and crowds at COSTCO, and how he wishes he could escape to a more peaceful place.

    I Hate Going to COSTCO.

    The lines are always too long.

    The people are always rude.

     

    The carts are always full.

    The prices are always high.

    The products are always cheap.

    The samples are always gone.

     

    The parking lot is always full,

    I wish I could go somewhere else.

     

    Somewhere quiet and serene.

    Somewhere with no lines,

    And no crowds.

     

    Somewhere with no carts

    And no samples.

    Somewhere

     

    With no prices.

    And no products.

     

    Somewhere like heaven

    But I can’t.

     

    Because

    I need to buy toilet paper.

    And rotisserie chicken

    And Kirkland Signature vodka

     

    And a giant teddy bear.

    And a 65-inch TV.

     

    And a lifetime

    Supply of batteries.

     

    And a coffin,

    For when

    I die of COSTCO blues.

    COSTCO Love:

    This poem is about the narrator’s love for COSTCO, and how he finds everything he needs and wants there, including his soulmate.

    I love going to COSTCO.

    The lines are always worth the wait.

    The people are always friendly.

    The carts are always full of goodies.

     

    The prices are always low.

    The products are always high-quality.

    The samples are always delicious.

     

    The parking lot is always spacious.

    I don’t want to go anywhere else.

    COSTCO is my paradise.

    COSTCO is my home.

    COSTCO is my everything.

     

    I find everything I need.

    And want at COSTCO.

    Food and drinks

    And clothes and books.

    Gadgets and toys,

    And tools and furniture.

    Jewelry and flowers,

    And art and travel.

    And most importantly,

    Love.

    COSTCO Wedding

    I met my soul mate

    while shopping at COSTCO

    in suburban Virginia.

     

    We were both reaching

    For the last rotisserie chicken.

     

    We locked eyes

    and smiled.

    sparks flew

    from heart to heart

     

    we shared coffee

    and pizza

    and talked

    until they kicked us out

     

    We decided

    To share the chicken

    And our lives.

     

    We got married at COSTCO,

    In front of the giant teddy bear.
    the store general manager

    We exchanged rings

    From the jewelry section.

    We cut a cake from the bakery.

    the general manager

    officiated the ceremony

    attended by customers, family
    and friends
    shown on ZOOM

    at every COSTCO
    as this was the first
    COSTCO Wedding!

    We toasted with

    Kirkland Signature champagne.

     

    We danced to the music

    From the electronics department.

     

    We spent our honeymoon

    At COSTCO in Spain.

    In a tent

    From the camping section.

     

    We made love on a mattress

    From the bedding section.

     

    We cuddled under a blanket

    From the home section

    We dreamed of our future

    At COSTCO.

     

    Raising our kids,

    And growing old together.

    Shopping,

    And saving

    And living and loving

    At COSTCO.

    note:  Not a true story, although we both love our COSTCO.

    Lost Bag Nightmare

    I am at a crowded cafeteria and a college campus I am an underground agent for the government and we are tracking the movements of a potential terrorist who has threatened to kill Palestinians and or Jewish kids at this college,

    I put down my bag on on a counter and we went to track down the terrorists when we finished arresting them, avoiding a huge incident when we finished arresting the terrorists. I go back and find that my bag is completely gone.

    I don’t know what to do. I lost my laptop and my phone and some money in it, and a library book.

    I was devastated as I had lost my bag.  I also realized I was stupid for leaving the bag unattended so I called my wife who was out of town. And she agreed I could go to COSTCO to replace the phone and the computer.

    I arranged to do that but I missed my computer and missed my phone and I am upset at how stupid and careless I had been.

    COSTCO Goes Green

    thoughts while walking through COSTCO one day.

    COSTCO announces a bold new strategy to combat climate change. They will put in every COSTCO warehouse and office building around the world solar panels and mini wind turbines to generate enough power to run their warehouses off the grid and to sell the power back to the local utilities if there is any excess power.

    They also in some areas agreed to install geothermal water heating and solar water heating everywhere.

    They also agree to fund local bus service so people can get to and from COSTCO from the nearest metro subway systems and they challenge Walmart, Sam’s, Target, and other large big box stores worldwide to follow suit.  Most of them agreed to do so and join COSTO in forming the Green Business Alliance which will bring together the Corporate sector to jointly work on climate and renewable energy initiatives with governments and the academic sector, vowing to hold a COSTCO Foundation Green Energy annual summit bringing together business, academic and Government leaders to make concrete progress.

    COSTCO said that saving the planet is the most important thing that they could do and that they would be fully supportive of a new Green Deal. They also will sell COSTCO renewable energy supplies and they will set up a renewable energy research corporation to help companies and individuals install renewable energy systems.

    The progressive left hails COSTCO and conservatives denounce COSTCO for going “woke”. The public slides with COSTCO’s reputation and sales go way up.

    Letter to COSTCO

    Dear COSTCO

    I have been a member since 1998. I have long admired your corporation for being a great corporation with progressive values. You are a leader in so many areas, not to mention that you are a great company to work for, sell great products at a great price, and have the best customer service in the world.

    You do so many things you do right , and thank you for that, for all the good that you do every day. I would like to suggest that you do much more to combat climate change and become a leader in combating climate change, which as you are no doubt aware is an existential crisis. Climate change and the need to shift to a new Green Deal are imperative if we want to save the entire planet.

    There are many things that corporations could do and it’s time for COSTCO to step up to do their part. At a minimum, I would recommend that you commit to putting in every single COSTCO warehouse worldwide solar panels on the rooftops and in shading over the car lots, and mini wind turbines so that each COSTCO will be carbon neutral and self-sufficient in terms of energy. This should also include setting up water harvesting systems so that all the water will be self-generated and solar water heaters as well.  Excess power could be sold back to the local utilities at cost.  I would also greatly expand electric vehicle charging stations.

    COSTCO is unfortunately not that accessible to people without public transit. This is something that COSTCO should address. At a minimum, they should set up a free shuttle bus system going employees, visitors, and members taking people from the nearest metro subway stop to COSTCO and this should run during COSTCO business hours starting about 1/2 an hour before the opening of business ending a half an hour after the close of business. It should be free to the public and should run every half hour. This would be a very simple and cost-effective way to make sure that people can easily access COSTCO corporation shops and COSTCO should also consider contributing money to the local public transit companies to expand bus service in the COSTCO neighborhoods that they serve.

    I would suggest you call upon your colleagues in the big box industries around the world to do the same, committing to addressing climate change, transit accessibility, and water conservation policies in every store worldwide. If COSTCO steps up and takes the lead, Walmart, Target and the other big market companies will feel they need to do the same.  This commitment will  make a tremendous difference around the world and it would not cost her much to do so in fact it would save money on energy for all your COSTCO operations worldwide

    I’m asking you to commit to making every single COSTCO a green energy building do it for the sake of the planet thank you.

    I have blogged about my positive experiences with COSTCO here and feel free to publish any of my COSTCO poems on your website and your magazines. Thanks again for doing everything you do.

    Long Live COSTCO.

    The End

  • Writers Digest April 2023 Poems

    Writers Digest April 2023 Poems

    Writer’s Digest April 2023 Poems

    April 8, 2022 Poems2022/04/09
    April 7th Poems2022/04/08
    April 6th, 2022 Poems2022/04/08
    April 5 2022, Poems2022/04/08
    April 4th 2022, Poems2022/04/08
    2022 April Poetry Madness April 1 to 3 poems

    This is my 7th year to participate in the April poetry challenge.  This year I am just doing two prompts, Writer’s Digest and Writing com Dew Drop Inn.  Last year I wrote over 300 poems in one month, this year’s much more modest goal is about 150 poems, of which I will post about 90.

    i will post them here,  and on all poetry, poetry soul,  writing.com, and Writer’s Digest. Medium, Watt pad, Substack, and FB.

    Index

    Life Is A Dream Of Chocolate Covered Trees
    Margo Taylor Greene’s Word Salad
    Dreams Do Come True If You Believe In Dreams
    Marjorie Taylor Greene, WTF’s Wrong With You?
    Cosmic Cat From Berkeley
    Healing Touch
    The End of Time
    Donald Trump the anti-Christ
    The sound of Korean
    The Tearing of the Social Fabric Homophone Poem
    End of Time
    The sound of Korean
    Tower of Power
    How Will It End?
    The rule of ten
    Finding Pleasure in Small Things
    Favorite Korean Food
    Madness in the United States
    Many virtual connections, few real friends
    Movie Choices Writer’s Digest
    April’s Fool Day
    Anticipation

    Life is A Dream of Chocolate Covered Trees

    Life is a dream
    A dream of chocolate-covered trees
    To see what can’t be seen
    To hear what can’t be heard
    To live in order to die
    And to die in order to live.

    Note: one of my oldest poems was written circa 1970 when I was 14

    2023 April PAD Challenge: Day 27
    Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write an anapodoton poem.

    Margo Taylor Greene’s Word Salad

    While defending
    The Pentagon document leak suspect
    Marjorie Taylor Green

    Tweeted a typical nonsensical
    paranoid
    World salad

    The USG is gearing up
    To censor patriotic white
    Christian American anti-war

    Targeting
    Political prisoners

    Who dares to stand up
    And tell the truth

    Against the communist
    Radical left-woke Marxists
    Who is taking over the government

    Greene claimed that Americans
    Are on the verge
    Of losing more freedoms

    In the wake
    of the government’s
    Efforts to pass

    The restrict act
    All part of the evil

    Fascist communist Marxist
    Plot against patriotic
    White citizens

    2023 April PAD Challenge: Day 26
    Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a response poem.

    Dreams Do come true if You Believe In Dreams

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Sam Adams
    Met his wife
    In a dream

    He saw the most beautiful woman
    In the world
    Talking to him
    In a strange Asian Language

    He yelled out
    “Who are you”
    She faded away
    As he fell to the ground
    During a boring physics class

    For eight long years
    She haunted his dreams
    Coming to him weekly

    Then one day
    He was teaching in Korea
    When he had the last dream

    She told him
    “don’t worry, we’ll meet soon”

    That night she walked off a bus
    Out of his dreams
    Entering his reality

    Entering his life
    Six weeks after becoming his wife

    Dreams do come true
    If you believe in dreams.

    2023 April PAD Challenge: Day 25
    Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, we have our fourth and final two-for-Tuesday prompt.
    For today’s prompt, we have our fourth (and final) two-for-Tuesday prompt, which means you get two prompts, and they are:
    1. Write a dream poem, and/or…
    2. Write a reality poem.

    Healing Touch

    My wife says
    I have a superpower
    I am very hot
    To the touch

    Radiating outward
    Chi
    Infrared heat

    Every night
    For forty years
    I have been warming her up
    As she is cold-blooded

    Almost like a reptile
    Always cold to the touch
    And my touch warms her up

    Just my duty
    Of love
    At the end of the day.

    2023 April PAD Challenge: Day 24
    Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a touch poem.
    We’ve already written poems related to smell, sound, and taste, so let’s keep hammering away on the senses.
    For today’s prompt, write a touch poem. For the senses, I’m thinking of touch as a hand reaching out, though it could also be a foot or just bodies pushed close like in a concert or public transportation. But that’s just when thinking about the senses.

    Fear of Communism

    Watching right-wing politicians
    And news pundits
    One can’t help

    But wonder
    If we are living
    In a strange alternative universe

    For to hear
    The line of Marjorie Taylor Greene
    It is 1955 all over again

    Communism is on the march
    Marxists out to destroy America
    Radical left-wing demons
    trying to cancel
    Normal patriotic white Americans

    Who dares to stand up
    To the communists
    All around us

    And they fill the airwaves
    And the internet
    With constant fear
    And paranoia

    About the alleged
    Communist Pedophile Satanic
    LGBT conspiracy to turn us all gay

    And the black life matters folks
    And Antifa
    Coming to kill white people
    And to take away our guns

    And other fear-mongering memes
    24/7
    Be Afraid be Afraid
    The commies are after you.

    2023 April PAD Challenge: Day 23
    Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a fear poem.ing out on the last piece of the piece or the fear of dying.

    Marjorie Taylor Greene, WTF’s Wrong with You?

    What’s the fuck’s wrong with you?

    I mean, seriously, Marjorie?
    Where have you been
    These last 50 years?

    Hiding under a rock,
    Living in a cave.
    Did you just wake up
    From a 50-year-old coma?

    Are communists out to get us?
    Marxists everywhere?
    Acting like the Cold war
    Never ended?

    It ain’t the 50s anymore
    The Communists lost the war
    There are no more communists.

    Except perhaps
    In my old hometown
    Of Berkeley
    Where it is always 1969.

    Communism is dead
    Has been for almost 50 years
    Did you not get the memo?

    I mean enough of this BS
    Did the John Birchers
    Take over your body?

    Do you even know
    WTC you are talking about.
    Do you even care?

    That the entire world
    Think you are bat sh..t crazy
    Even too crazy for Fox News?

    Communism my ass
    Marxists are out to get us
    Please dear

    Just do us all a favor
    STFU already
    About the communists.

    For today’s prompt, take the phrase “What (blank),” replace the blank with a new word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles might include: “What Are You Doing Here,” “What a Great Time,” “Whatever You Say,” and/or “What Kind of Poem Are You Going to Write?”
    So make a decision: Is your “what” poem leading to a question or a statement (or maybe both?).

    The Cosmic Cat from Berkeley

    evil cat
    evil cat

    I next encountered the divine
    Many years later in Berkeley, California
    I had gone home to be with my Mother

    While taking leave from my job
    in the Foreign Service

    I had two weeks there by myself
    My wife came later
    near the end of the trip

    every morning I woke up
    had coffee
    Did yoga

    Spoke to my mother
    Who was sliding into dementia?
    Day by day losing her reason

    Then I would go out
    And explore the city
    Go to a museum
    Go to one neighborhood
    And just be there

    Rediscovering the Bay area
    After years of being away

    Having dinner with old friends
    Seeing movies etc

    Every morning a black cat came to visit
    The cat was friendly and waited for me
    And then would join me in my morning rambles
    Following me to the bus stop

    I started talking to the black cat
    He looked at me
    with a spark of divinity

    In his dark eyes
    I called him the cosmic cat

    He seemed to like that
    He would look at me
    And I opened up to me
    Told the cat all my dark secrets

    As I walked the streets
    Of the old neighborhood

    Every morning and every evening the cat
    Would be there to greet me
    And to carry out our endless conversation

    Then I had to leave
    And in our final conversation
    I asked the cosmic cat

    Say, Cat are you just a cat
    Or are you a demonic cat
    Are you possessed by God?
    Or by Satan

    The cat looked at me
    And I realized that God
    Was indeed residing in the cat

    But that god was residing everywhere
    All I had to do was open my mind
    And the rest would follow

    So I said Goodbye to the cosmic cat
    And he purred and came up to me
    And I felt the comforting presence of the divine

    As I said goodbye to the cosmic cat
    And said goodbye to my mother
    As this was the last time
    That we would be able to talk

    I told my mother about the cosmic cat
    She smiled and said that the cat
    was there for me and her
    to comfort us both in our hour of need

    and that the cat was indeed
    a cosmic cat

    2023 April PAD Challenge: Day 20
    Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write an animal poem.

    The End of time writer’s Digest

    My dear
    When I met you
    I knew

    That I was fated
    To love you

    Until the end of time
    And beyond

    That was just my fate
    That we would meet

    On that date
    I embraced my fate

    And that is the end
    Of the beginning
    Of our cosmic journey

    Together
    Until the end of time
    And beyond.

    Day 16 Blank of a Blank
    For today’s prompt, take the phrase “The (blank) of a (blank),” replace the blanks with a new word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles might include: “The Beginning of a Story,” “The Wrong Side of a Situation,” “The Apple of an Eye,” and/or “The Latest Excuses of a Continuing Problem.”

    What is Love?

    What is love?
    Is it nothing
    But biochemistry?

    Is it madness?
    Is it just
    A search for connections?

    In a cold cruel world?
    That does not care
    For us at all?

    It is all of that
    And none of that

    Those who know
    What Love is
    Do not tell

    That is the Zen
    Of Love

    Day 18
    For today’s prompt, we have our third two-for-Tuesday prompt, which means you get two prompts, and they are:
    Write an everything poem, and/or…
    Write an anti-love poem.
    As longtime participants know, this is my favorite prompt, which is why it returns every challenge. Write a love poem, or write a not-love poem.

    https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/10-best-love-poems-ever

    Donald the Anti-Christ

     

     

     

     

     

    It is easier to
    Be consumed
    With revenge

    The desire to get back
    At those who trespass
    Against us

    Especially so
    For the MAGA nation

    Followers
    of the King
    Of revenge politics

    The Donald
    The Anti-Christ
    Than to follow

    The wisdom
    Of Allah, Buddha, Christ,
    Jesus, and Mother Mary

    And let it be

    2023 April PAD Challenge: Day 13
    Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a forgive poem.
    For today’s prompt, write a forgive poem. The poem could be about forgiveness in general, or it could focus on a specific instance of forgiveness or grace. There are times when we are called upon to forgive others, and times when we ask others to forgive us. And sometimes that includes forgiving ourselves. Be forgiving as you poem today.

    The Sound of Korean Writer’s Digest

    I have been studying Korean
    For almost 45 years
    First heard back in 1979

    In the Peace Corps
    I still struggle daily
    But Korea is no longer
    A stranger

    Korean is my second language
    And I hear it all around me
    In my retirement home

    I study Korean daily
    On Duotrope
    And while watching K Drama

    The language at first
    Sounded harsh
    As if everyone was yelling
    And screaming

    Later, I learned
    Some Korean songs
    And the language
    Became less discordant

    To this day though
    I find a Korean woman
    Speaking Korean
    To be incredibly sexy

    Packing so much emotion
    And sexual tension
    In every word

    I suppose I will study Korean
    And speak it
    Until the day I die.

    2023 April PaD Challenge: Day 12
    Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a sound poem.

    Tear in the Fabric of Space and Time

    Donald-Trump-Talking-out-of-both-sides-of-his-mouth-Car
    Donald-Trump-Talking-out-of-both-sides-of-his-mouth-Car

     

     

     

     

     

    With every word
    The former president
    Causes a tear
    In the basic fundamental
    Political order

    Leading to many people
    To tear up
    In fear

    Which is no doubt the object
    His followers do not object
    To inflict pain and suffering

    In their endless quest
    To own their hated enemies
    The radical left Marxist radical
    Demonic Deep state libtards

    Who are conspiring to turn
    America into another communist
    Dystopian nightmare

    Only the great leader Trump
    Can save America’s Democracy]

    Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a homograph poem.
    Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. Sometimes they are pronounced the same, but that’s not always the case. Click here to find a list of homographs, though there are many more homographs than these to use.

    Ode to the Tower of Power

    The greatest funk band
    There ever was

    You are the epitome
    Of funk and soul music
    The very definition of funk

    Multi-racial
    Multi-cultural
    Multi-talented
    Mult-gendered

    The best horn section
    In the universe
    Just sublime

    Formed in the East Bay
    In the turbulent 60s
    Playing that funky music
    For almost 50 years

    Their love song
    You’re still a young man
    Is perhaps the greatest
    make out song
    Of all times

    The first song
    I slowed danced to
    Back in high school
    A song I played
    To seduce my wife

    I wonder how many babies
    Were conceived because
    Of this classic soul song.

    Another classic song
    What is hip
    Which poised
    An unanswered question

    And inspired this triolet

    What is love, tell me if you know
    Love is what it is
    Do you know what love is, Joe?
    What is love, tell me if you know
    And how can you make it grow?
    Madness is what it does
    What is love, tell me if you know
    Love is what it is

    The Tower of Power
    No doubt
    Will still be playing
    That funky music
    White boy

    A hundred years
    From now
    For funk
    Will never die

    For once you get funk
    In your soul baby
    You can never go back
    To boring vanilla
    white boy music

    because you got soul, now.
    Because you got
    That soul vaccination baby

    And need to go
    Down to the nightclub
    And play that funky music
    White boy
    Until the day you die.

    Based loosely on the classic Tower of Power Song, “What is hip?”

    What Is Hip Lyrics

    [Verse 1]

    So ya wanna dump out yo’ trick bag
    Ease on in a hip thang
    But you ain’t exactly sure what is hip
    So you started to let your hair grow
    Spent big bucks on your wardrobe
    Somehow, ya know there’s much more to the trip

    [Chorus]
    What is hip?
    Tell me, tell me, if you think you know
    What is hip?
    If you’re hip
    The question, “Will it show?”
    You’re into a hip trip
    Maybe hipper than hip
    What is hip?
    [Verse 2]
    You became a part of a new breed
    Been smoking’ only the best weed
    Hangin’ out with the so-called “Hippie set.”
    Seen in all the right places
    Seen with just the right faces
    You should be satisfied, but it ain’t quite right

    [Chorus]
    What is hip?
    Tell me, tell me, if you think you know
    What is hip?
    If you’re hip
    The question, “Will it show?”
    You’re into a hip trip
    Maybe hipper than hip
    What is hip?

    [Break]
    Come on

    [Refrain]
    Hipness is. What it is
    Hipness is. What it is
    Hipness is. What it is
    Sometimes hipness is, what it ain’t

    You’re Still a Young Man, Baby

    You’re still a young man
    Baby, Oo oo, don’t waste your time
    You’re still a young man
    Baby, Oo oo, don’t waste your time

    Down on my knees
    Oh, heart in hand
    I was accused of being too young
    But I’m not so young
    I could make you happy
    I’m not a bad man
    You’re too young to love (If you and I could be together)
    You’re too young to love (I’ll never leave you alone baby)
    You’re too young Ooo Ooo (No I won’t sweet lady)
    Don’t waste your time

    The damage is done
    You see that you were wrong
    You wake up wondering just
    How well I’ve done
    Well I’ve done alright
    Yes there are some girls but you know
    I dropped them on sight
    Just for you
    Because I love you

    You’re still a young man
    Baby, Oo oo, don’t waste your time
    (Someday you’ll understand just what it means when a man
    Comes to you with his little heart in his hands
    Just to love you)
    Don’t waste your time

    You better listen to me
    Sayin that I’m loving you yeah hey now baby tryin to tell
    You that it’s you you you you you you you you talkin to you
    Baby, I’ll never never never never I’ll never do you
    No wrong no no lady if you would check my stuff out one time haha
    Just to hold you, to squeeze you and all I wanna do is to
    Get next to you and please please please you baby
    See where I’m coming from!

    Written by legendary sax players Emilio Castillo and Stephen Kupka, the song portrays a young man at the wrong end of a breakup. The situation is bleak because his lover pins the break-up on an age difference. In an interview with Songfacts Castillo said:
    It’s based on a true story. I had a girlfriend that was six years older than me. I was 18, she was 24 and that’s actually what happened. She had kind of cut me loose because of the age difference thing and the whole plea in the story is the young guy’s saying, ‘I’m not too young, I’m not wasting my time and I do love you as a man can truly love a woman.’”
    The song would go on to be the band’s first major hit defining their sound with a prominent horn section inspired by Curtis Mayfield:
    “On that album, there’s a song called “A Woman’s Love” that starts with beautiful trumpets high. When we heard that we wanted to write a song with a great trumpet intro like that. – TowerofPower.com

    Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, we have our second two-for-Tuesday prompt.
    For today’s prompt, we have our second two-for-Tuesday prompt, which means you get two prompts, and they are:
    Write a form poem, and/or…
    Write an anti-form poem.
    I wrote the above “Ode to the Tower of Power” my favorite funk band.

    How Will It End?

     

     

     

     

    How will the madness end?
    How will America wake up
    From the madness all around us?

    The former guy continues daily
    Gaslighting the country
    Beguiling us all

    With his lies, his hatred
    His evocation of fear
    His calling for a civil war
    Destruction and death

    How will it end my friend?
    That is anyone’s guess
    But I doubt it will end

    When the former guy
    Meets his maker
    For then, he will become
    The martyr for his followers

    Who believes he is the Messiah
    perhaps he is just a con man
    or maybe the antichrist
    revelations warn us about

    time will tell the tale
    of how it will end
    at the end of the Trump
    will we find redemption?

    Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a Noun in a Location poem.

    Small Things In Life Brings Great Pleasure

    They say
    That one should take
    Pleasure in the small things in life

    Things that matter
    Like taking a walk
    Enjoying the springtime
    sunshine and flowers

    With the love of your life
    By your side

    For today’s prompt, write a small poem. Yesterday, you were tasked with writing a smell poem, but today, we’re going small. The poem itself could be concise, but it could also be focused on something or someone small.

    Many virtual connections, few real friends

    In this hyper-connected era
    Many people have thousands
    Of virtual friends
    But few have any real friends

    Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a connection poem.

    Rule of Ten

    The rule of ten
    Applies to so many aspects
    Of life

    Writing

    It goes like this
    For every 100 people
    Who wants to write a novel
    Ten will finish it

    Of those ten
    Ten percent will publish it

    Of those ten
    Ten percent will
    make some money

    Of those ten
    Ten percent
    will make a living

    Of those ten
    Ten percent will
    become a best-seller

    In other words
    In a land of 350 million people
    There are probably only 3,500
    bestselling authors

    Drama

    the rule of ten applies
    to the drama world
    only 2 percent
    make a living
    of the thousands of actors
    only a few movie stars

    music

    of the thousands of musicians
    only a few superstars

    modeling
    – only a few supermodels

    to sports
    only a few hundred NFL players
    out of millions who played the game

    to politics

    only one president
    out of thousands
    who want to be

    to Business

    of the thousands
    of busineses
    only a few CEO’s

    most small businesses
    fail within one year

    the rule of ten applies
    to life in general
    most people fail

    in achieving their life goals
    but one should not give up
    because who knows

    you could be the one
    who wins in the end
    despite the rule of ten.

    Write a number poem
    For today’s prompt, write a number poem. You can include a number in the title of the poem, or drop a number somewhere in the middle or end of the poem. Count sheep, a poem by numbers, or 10 ways to write a poem. There are several ways to come at this one.

    Favorite Korean Food April 2023 Poems

    Korean Food
    Korean Food

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I love Korean food
    Fell in love with it
    And all things Korean

    Back in 1979
    When I first went there
    In the U.S. Peace Corps

    Korean food is somewhat like
    Chinese, Japanese,  Vietnamese, and Thai
    With some American influences as well

    But it is all done
    in a unique
    Korean K Food style

    Everything is cooked with special spices

    A mixture of chili paste, garlic, fish sauce,
    Onions, scallions, soy sauce,
    salt, Tofu, Panjang sauce, and soju (liquor).

    Often cooked with beef, chicken, clams, eggs, fish,
    kimchi, intestines meat, mushrooms, mussels,
    oysters and/or pork,

    Every meal consists of rice, kimchi
    (pickled vegetables usually cabbage)
    The main entry is either beef, chicken, fish, or pork,
    Rice
    And multiple vegetable side dishes
    Often Including western style salad

    The entire meal
    a feast for the eyes
    Nose and mouth

    with a delicious unique
    aroma, fragrance,
    Taste and texture
    Uniquely Korean.

    All washed down
    with Korean beer, liquor (soju) or
    rice wine or Western wine

    My favorites include

    Bulgogi chongsik (with all the side dishes)  불고기 총식
    Kalbi chongsik (with all the side dishes)  칼비 총식
    Calamari  오징어
    Fried Chicken 닭 튀김
    Chuncheon Chicken ribs 춘천 닭갈비
    Dumplings 만두
    Fried rice   볶음밥
    High-rice카레라이스
    Korean curry rice 카레라이스
    Kimpop rice wrapped in seaweed  김팝
    Korean soups 한국 수프
    My favorite army stew 군대 스튜
    Kalbitang (Beef rib soup) 칼비탕
    Beef Turnip soup  쇠고기 순무 스프
    Ginseng Chicken soup 인삼 치킨 수프
    Kimchi stew 김치찌개
    Tanjung stew 짱짱찌개
    Bibimbap Mixed vegetables and rice with an egg on top비빔밥
    Kalkooksu noodles 칼국수
    Ramyeon 라면
    Mushroom stew 버섯 스튜
    Soondaeboo tofu stew 순대부두부찌개
    Sashimi  생선회
    Sushi
    Dognas pork. Chicken of fish cutlet 돈까스
    Fried mackerel 고등어 튀김
    Octopus 낫지 often served live
    Omrice korean omelet 오므라이스
    Porridge  문어
    Shrimp 새우

    Write a smell poem

    Movie Choices Writer’s Digest

    Write a B movie poem
    There are so many choices
    To be made
    When selecting a movie to watch

    So many movies are B-1 minus
    Barely worth finishing
    Some are C

    A few are  D
    And F movies

    Just one example suffices

    Ben and Willard
    were the worst movies ever
    It was an ode to rats
    Who goes on a killing spree

    As their master Willard
    A deranged young man
    Sends the rats out to kill

    As one of Michael Jackson’s
    The worst song
    ever
    plays in the background
    April’s Fool Day Writer’s Digest

    Write a foolish poem

    On April Fool’s Day
    It is appropriate
    To think about
    All the fake things around us
    Especially deep fake videos
    That are beginning
    to circulate
    All over the world
    Unleashing a torrent
    Of misinformation

    Anticipation

    Sam Adams
    Got up early on a Sunday
    Filled with anticipation

    Today was the day
    He would propose
    To his dream girl

    Whom he had met
    Just days before
    When she walked
    Off a bus
    Into his reality

    He first met his wife
    In a dream

    He saw
    the most beautiful woman
    In the world

    Talking to him
    In a strange
    Asian Language

    He yelled out

    “Who are you”

    She faded away
    As he fell to the ground
    During a boring physics class

    For eight long years
    She haunted his dreams
    Coming to him weekly

    Then one day
    He was teaching in Korea
    When he had the last dream

    She told him
    “don’t worry, we’ll meet soon”

    That night,
    she walked off a bus
    Out of his dreams

    The following Sunday
    After doing a long hike
    He proposed to her

    She said yes
    Became his wife
    Six weeks after
    Entering his life.

    The End

  • April 6th, 2022 Poems

    April 6th, 2022 Poems

    April 6th, 2022 Poems

    Welcome to Cosmos’ annual April Poetry Madness.  Last year I wrote 300 poems in one month, this year I will write less as that was just way too much to deal with.

    Today’s poems will be April  6th poems followed by April 7  to 10 in separate postings, one per day.

    I will post them as I write them, and try to update them every day or so.  I will finish May 1 US time, as that will still be April 30 KST (Korea, where I currently reside.)  Most will be G rated but a few may not be. I will try to label those or not post them. The topics will be wherever my mad muse takes me, and I usually don’t have a clue until I write them.

    I will post here the poems I wrote based on prompts from NaPoWriMo, (the poetry’s world’s equivalence to the annual NaNoWriMo novel competition which I will enter again in November). Writers’ com’s Dew Drop-in, Poetry Super-highway, Writers Digest, and occasionally other prompts. I will write a few more each day, but not post them, as I need to build up more “unpublished poems” for future submissions.

    Daily posting All poetry, Anchor, this blog, FB, Medium, PSH, Wattpad, Writing com, and Writer’s Digest.

    I will post each poem, followed by the prompt, occasional author and notes, and photos. I will convert it to a podcast later, available on anchor, radio public, blog radio, Spotify, and elsewhere under the name “The World According to Cosmos: or Jake Cosmos Aller. See the following for more information on the podcasts.

    Podcast update

    At the end of the month, I will add up the total poems written this month, total posted, total not-posted, and total YTD.

    I have found that this annual exercise has been a big help in helping me hone my craft as I am entirely self-taught except for having taken the Mod Po class several times. It helps me stretch my poetic muscles. It has been a lot of fun but a challenge.

    Here are links to my previous April poems

    Ten Best April 2021 Poems

    April 25 to April 30 2021Poems

    April 16 to April 20 2021 Poems

    April 16 to April 20 2021 Poems

    April 10 to April 14 2021 Poems

    April 1 to April 5 Poems

    April 6 to April 9 Cosmos’s Poetry 

    April 6 to April 9 Cosmos’s Poetry 

    April 6 to April 9 Cosmos’s Poetry

     Cosmos’s 2020 April Poetry Part One

    Cosmos’s 2020 April Poetry Part One

    April 2019 Poems

    April 20 to April 25th 2021 Poems

    2022 April Poetry Madness April 1 to 3 poems

    April 5 2022, Poems

    April 4th 2022, Poems

    Begin Poems:

    Sam Adams Goes Down the Rabbit Hole, NaPoWriMo Prompt

     

     

     

     

     

    Sam Adams was having a bad night
    He often would fall into a deep trouble sleep
    Where his mind would go down deep
    Into the proverbial rabbit holes

    Exploring one dark nightmare
    After another.

    He saw himself in Ukraine
    As a front line soldier
    Watching the Russians
    Come in killing people
    Left and right.

    Saw the Russians line up
    And execute men
    Raping women and children
    Setting the victims on fire.

    Then he was in the U.S.
    When the nukes began to fall
    All over the world
    Armageddon on steroids.

    Nuclear madness erupted
    The Russians bombing NATO allies
    The US, French and British firing back
    Berlin, DC, London, Moscow became
    Nuclear graveyards.

    China bombs Taiwan,
    Then invades the island.
    India and Pakistan trade nuclear attacks.
    Iran attacks Israel and Saudi as well.

    North Korea invades the South
    Nukes flying over Seoul
    And Tokyo

    Amid this total madness
    Giant ships appear in the sky
    And a full scale
    the alien invasion begins.

    The terrified survivors
    flee the carnage
    As nuclear winter
    settles on the land.

    The invaders from the sky
    End the war

    Enslaving most humans
    That had survived.

    Somehow Sam Adams and his wife
    Were still alive
    Living in a refugee camp
    Deep in the mountains.

    Fleeing the wild animals
    The tigers, lions, and wolves
    That were feasting on dead humans
    And cattle everywhere.

    The aliens following the humans
    Looking for more to enslave.
    The nuclear war though was over

    The few remaining soldiers
    Fighting against the common enemy,

    Sam Adams woke up
    Realizing that it was all
    Just a nightmare.

    Turning on the TV
    Watching the carnage in Ukraine
    He wondered if his nightmare
    Was it an omen of the future?

    April 6—Rabbit hole—start a poem on one topic, and let it lead you down a “rabbit hole” of discovery, burrowing into various topics, and maybe ending far, far away from where you started. (Let yourself research this one. Enjoy Google and Wikipedia!)

    Love is Blind Dew Drop Inn

    lovers winter beach
    lovers winter beach

     

     

     

     

     

    Love is blind they say
    I say that love
    is not blind.

    Love is openness
    Love is richness
    Love is visionary.

    Love is the smell
    Love is the sound
    Love is the sight
    Of one’s beloved.

    And when one is in love
    The blind begin to see
    The deaf begin to hear
    The mute begins to speak
    The lame begin to dance.

    With love’s embrace
    All the senses
    Come to life.

    April 7—“Play the opposites”—a theatre term I sometimes don’t like! But here I mean: do something unexpected in your poem, once or more than once. Any time you spot a cliché of feeling or words, try its opposite, and somehow make it work!

    You PSH

     

     

     

     

     

    You are everything
    That a man could ever
    Dream of having,

    You are the one
    The one true love
    The eternal soul mate.

    When you first came
    I knew that the struggle
    For love was over.

    For you were the one
    And will be
    Until the end of time.

    April 7, 2021: Poetry Writing Prompt – Dick Westheimer

    This poetry writing prompt was submitted by Dick Westheimer:

    Write a poem where the only pronoun is “you.”

    If you write a poem from this prompt, post it as a comment underneath the prompt in the Poetry Super Highway Facebook Group.
    #napowrimo #poetry

    The Abundance of Love and Money Writers Digest

    many packs of us dollars
    many packs of us dollars

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I have had an abundance
    Of love in my life
    My cup does run over

    Ever since I met you
    My life has been filled
    With love and happiness

    I have had
    an abundance
    Of money in my life

    When I met you
    You were
    my lotto ticket

    You were my golden pig
    You were the jackpot
    Of the casino of my life

    And now that I am an old man
    I am overwhelmed
    With such an abundance
    Of love, happiness, and wealth

    What if I die tomorrow
    I will die content
    With the abundance
    Of everything I enjoyed
    In my life with my golden pig.

    Write a poem every day of April with the 2022 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write an abundance poem.

    So believe it or not, and for better or worse, we’ll be a full week finished with this challenge once we write today’s poem! Are you excited? If so, would you say you have an abundance of excitement?

    For today’s prompt, write an abundance poem. There can be an abundance of things, both good and bad. An abundance of sunshine, money, and chocolate. Or an abundance of rain, debt, and liverwurst. Today, I hope there will be an abundance of poeming!

    Love drug Local Gems  Song Lyrics

    When I first saw you in September
    A date that I will always remember
    I knew then on that date
    I had truly met my fate.

     

     

     

     

     

    For I knew I had fallen under your spell
    You had cast a mad love spell on me
    Your mojo was working overtime on me

    And I would be forever your love slave.
    For I had to have you had to make you mine
    For you were everything I longed for

    Everything I was dreaming of
    You were my everything.

    Chorus

    You were my love bug
    You were my love connection
    You were my love drug
    You were my everything.
    My foolish love bugs.

    When you walked off that bus
    You entered my life
    And soon became my wife

    And everything changed.
    From that moment on
    I was you
    And you were me

    Just the way it should be,
    It was 39 years since you walked
    Into my life,

    Turning it inside out
    Tearing it upside down.
    And for 39 years together

    Every single day, every hour, every minute
    Every single second whenever I look at you
    I fell madly in love again and again and again.

    Just the way it is
    Between you and me
    For you are my love angel
    Sent to rescue me.

    Chorus

    You were my love bug
    You were my love connection
    You were my love drug
    You were my everything.
    My foolish love connection,

    When I first saw you there
    Your cosmic love vibrations
    Sent me flying to the moon
    To Jupiter and beyond.

    Flying on the back
    Of your love
    Returning me once more
    To your waiting embrace.

    Your love came me such a thrill
    The thrill has never ended
    Like a fine bottle of wine
    It gets better and better.

    I can no longer imagine
    A life without you by my side
    And if you go before I do
    I will surely soon follow you.

    When we met that cosmic date
    I knew that I had met my soul mate
    And soon we would be together
    Until the end of time.

    Chorus

    You were my love bug
    You were my love connection
    You were my love drug
    You were my everything
    My lovely love drug.

    You were my love drug
    I did not need any other
    With your love by my side

    I did not need alcohol
    I did not need acid
    I did not need booze
    I do not need Cialis
    I did not need cocaine
    I did not need heroin
    I did not need magic mushrooms
    I did not need speed
    I did not need Viagra

    For you were all that I ever needed
    You were indeed my love drug.

    Chorus

    You were my love bug
    You were my love connection
    You were my love drug

    You were my everything
    My everything
    My love drug.

    the End

  • February Flash Fiction Challenge

    February Flash Fiction Challenge

    Where to Find Cosmos’s Work

    Where to Find Me on the Web

    All Poetry Poems

    writers digest flash fiction

    Three February Challenges!

    I have been taking a bit of a hiatus from this site. Then it crashed and took a while to restore.  In any event, I will try to update it at least once a week,

    This month I am trying three new things.  First, the February Flash Fiction Challenge that Writers Digest is mounting, second the Writing Com micro flash contest that goes on for another nine weeks, and the Poetry Magnum Opus Daily Haiku contest.

    I will update this weekly with a few of my entries but not all of them as I need to reserve most as “unpublished” as most publishers are quite anal about not publishing previously published items.

    So, if you are like me, if you write a lot, you need to save a lot for later use. At the end of the month, I will update my progress and list everything I wrote.

    The details follow if any of you want to join in. The Poetry Magnum Opus and Writers Digest are both free to enter; the writing com is for members only but is closed now.  I have been taking part In Writing Com for a few years and find it is a welcoming and open community and I have learned so much about the craft of poetry writing by trying their constant challenges. Writer’s Digest and Poetry Magnum Opus both have an impressive list of poetry forms and prompts that I use all the time. All Poetry, Facebook and Poetry Soup are also among my weekly or bi-weekly places I submit to. I submit to a few other places including Cosmos Funnel, Instagram not that often, medium, (poetry nook, poetry circle, LinkedIn (auto-linked to my blog) ) Tumblr (auto-linked to my blog) and Wattpad, but not as frequently just running out of steam.

    I have written a lot, so later this year, over 400 short pieces, mostly poetry.  I  plan to slow up. Getting a little hard to keep up at age 66! And after that, who knows? I’ll keep it all going for a while in any event.

    Enjoy

    2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge

    Write a piece of flash fiction each day of February with the February Flash Fiction Challenge, led by editor Moriah Richard. Each day, receive a prompt, an example story, and write your own.  Time to get writing! If you’re on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram (or anywhere else), be sure to use the #FlashFictionFeb hashtag. Now, let’s get cracking!

    Day I prompt:

    For today’s prompt, write about a key. It could be a physical key, a metaphorical one, or even something completely abstract—it’s up to you!

    Day Two Prompt Circular

    Day three Prompt limitations

    Day four A Dream that Came true

    Day Five  Write about a character who tries to be “Heartful”

    I have finished five flash fiction pieces so far this month.  On day five.

    Hidden Keys to The Universe

    End of The Beginning, Beginning of The End

    A Man Has to Know His Limitations

    Dream That Came to True Dream Girl

    Character Who Has to Learn How to Be Heartful Sam Adams Crisis of Conscious

    My posted entry for week one:

    “Dream Girl”

    Published in ‘Dreams and the Unexplainable” by the Chicken Soup for the Soul publishers. Also on my blog, the World According to Cosmos.

    Line count 816

    You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.

    The dreams started when I was a senior at Berkeley High School in 1974. About a month before I graduated, I fell asleep in a physics class after lunch and had the first dream:

    A beautiful Asian woman was standing next to me, talking in a strange language. She was stunning—the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She was in her early twenties, with long black hair, and piercing black eyes. She had the look of royalty. She looked at me and then disappeared, beamed out of my dream-like in Star Trek. I fell out of my chair screaming, “Who are you?” She did not answer.

    About a month went by, and then I started having the dream repeatedly. Always the same pattern. Early morning, she would stand next to me talking. I would ask who she was, and she would disappear. She was the most beautiful, alluring woman I had ever seen. I was struck speechless every time I had the dream.

    I had the dream every month during the eight years during which I went to college and served in the Peace Corps. When I joined the Peace Corps, I had to decide whether to go to Korea or Thailand. The night before I had to submit my decision, I had the dream again and she made me sure that I knew she was in Korea waiting for me.

    All she said was when I asked again as always who are you? Where are you?”

    “I am in Korea”

    After the Peace Corps, I still hadn’t met my dream woman. I got a job working for the U.S. Army as an instructor and stayed in Korea. I kept having the dream until I had the very last one: She was standing next to me, speaking to me in Korean, but I finally understood her. She said, “Don’t worry, we will be together soon.”

    Why was that the last time I had the dream?

    Because the very next night, the girl in my dream got off the bus in front of me. She went on to the base with an acquaintance of mine, a fellow teacher, and they went to see a movie. I saw her and found the courage to speak with her.

    We exchanged phone numbers and agreed to meet that weekend.

    The next night, she was waiting for me as I entered the Army base to teach a class. She told me she was a college senior and she had something to tell me. I signed her on to the base and left her at the library to study while I taught, and then we went out for coffee after class.

    She told me she was madly in love with me, and that I was the man for her. I told her not to worry as I felt the same.

    That weekend, we met Saturday and Sunday and hung out all day. On Sunday night, I proposed to her. It was only three days after we had met, but for me, it felt like we had met eight years ago. I had been waiting all my life for her to walk out of my dreams and into my life, and here she was.

    Her mother did not want her to marry a foreigner. One day, about a month after we met, she invited me to meet her parents. I brought a bottle of Jack Daniels for her father and drank the entire bottle with him. He approved of me, but her mother still had reservations.

    After a Buddhist priest told her my future wife and I were a perfect astrological combination, she agreed, and we planned our wedding.

    The wedding was a media sensation in South Korea. My wife explained it to me years later. At the time, I was overwhelmed just by the fact that we were getting married and I didn’t fully understand how unusual this was.

    My wife was of the old royal clan, distant relatives to the former kings of Korea. In the clan’s history, only two people had ever married foreigners: my
    wife, and Rhee Syngman, who was the first President of South Korea. My father, who was a former Undersecretary of Labor, came out for the wedding, which fueled even more media interest.

    Our marriage defied the stereotypical Korean-foreign marriage where the women
    married some hapless GI just to escape poverty and immigrate to the U.S. We were the first foreign/Korean couple to get married at a Korean Army base. Over 1,000 people came to the wedding, and my father was interviewed on the morning news programs.

    This all happened thirty-nine years ago, and I am still married to the girl in my dreams. Now in my dreams, she watches over me when we are apart.

    Writing Com Flash Fiction contest  – Sign-up now CLOSED!!!

    The activity begins on Monday, January 31st
    and ends on Sunday, April 10th
    10 weeks of fun and adventure!

    What is micro fiction?

    A micro-fiction piece is a story told in 300 or fewer words. For our purposes, we limit the word count to 100. It’s a subset of flash fiction, which limits stories to 1000 words.
    Ernest Hemingway wrote the most famous micro-story. He used only six words: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

    The challenge of writing a micro-story is to make every word count. You must pick meaningful words and build strong sentences.

    The structure of a micro-story:

    Like any other fiction piece, a micro-story has a sequence: a beginning, a middle, and an end. It includes a twist or a conflict: either it’s a change in the character (character arc) or a twist in the plot. The micro-story also has a scenario, which doesn’t need much detail – you don’t have enough length to incorporate descriptions.

    Start with the conflict

    In a micro-story, there is no space for descriptions, backstory, or character-building; you start writing in the middle: straight to the conflict.

    Focus on the character arc

    Flat characters offer nothing to readers. Something must happen to your character: a drastic event, a deep emotion, a discovery. He/she must end the story differently from when it started.

    In the end, the character should feel or do something different than he/she was doing before.

    Write your story as long as you wish

    Like any other first draft, yours will be a micro-story told with many unnecessary words.

    To elaborate your micro-story, write everything that comes up in your mind: describe the emotions, the scenarios, the characters. The goal is to form the story inside of you, to feel it.

    By writing everything down, you’ll be able to choose what’s relevant and what’s not.

    Chose only one POV

    Micro-fiction uses a single point of view [POV]; there’s not enough word-counting to swap POV without losing the coherence of the story.  Choose either the 1st limited or 3rd person limited POV as they perform better in connecting the reader to the characters.

    Cut the fluff

    Now that you wrote the first draft, it’s time to cut!
    The remaining wording in your story will be the ones that matter, that add value and significance to your story.

    Polish each sentence

    The last step in writing a micro-fiction story is to polish the sentences.

    Each word must contain meaning: an emotion, an action, a detail. The sentences should also have a meaning, but also as part of a whole, it actively builds up the story.

    Ensure your first and last sentences are the strongest. They are the entrance and the exit of the story. The first sentence will hook readers to continue reading; the last one will make them chew on your story. And even re-read it, to savor it one more time.

    Create an appealing title

    The title is the presentation, the promise of what’s coming: the title is the first impression of your story. Name your story, revealing the theme, but not giving away any event. Note: The title does not count toward your total word count.

    Enjoy the process and keep practicing.  Writing micro-fiction is a challenge, but — in my modest opinion — one of the best challenges in the writing set.

    Once you try it, you will come for more. With practice, your first drafts will become shorter; they will be the closest version of your final draft.

    Writing micro-fiction it’s an effective way to hone your writing skills: it demands focus and the use of strong verbs and emotional words. Your writing will develop into a sharper and more concise version.

    My entry

    “Sam Adams Swears It Was Self Defense”

    “Well, Sam Adams, you are in a lot of trouble. Better tell us what happened. How did you end up killing Bill Lee?”

    “Well, I should speak to a lawyer and the Embassy first, but what the H.

    Bill Lee and I had a relationship so to speak, we were frenemies. I knew him for a long time since we were children and I knew that he was a real bad dude at heart.
    We had gone to the Cosmos Bar that night to have a drink. When he attacked me, I responded of course., It was self-defense. and that’s how the fight started.

    note:  I like micro fiction.  I have had a number published. They are fun and challenging to write.  Sort of a prose version of a Haiku.

    Poetry Magnum Opus February Haiku Challenge

    February is Haiku Month

    Tinker posted a topic in Playground

    …Reading that February is Haiku Month was the spark that I needed to ease in. So here I am on February 1, 2022, Chinese New Year – The Year of the Tiger. Maybe a haiku a day for 28 days will

    get me going. You are welcome to join me if you feel so inclined. I missed this community. ~~Tin…

    free but requires registration  Tinker’s list of poetry forms is quite comprehensive!

    My haiku for February 1

    What is Groundhog Day?
    Why does seeing his shadow
    Mean early Spring?

    The End