First there was aural confusion
where he couldn’t hear his wife

Then there was olfactory confusion
where the kitchen garbage
smelled like rosemary and thyme

This was followed by visual confusion
where his underwear strewn about
looked like the patterns in the carpet

Tactile confusion led to some behavior
we can’t discuss at this time

But when it came to gustatory confusion
he was most unhappy
thinking his wife didn’t love him anymore

/ / /

This poem was written in response to the confused prompt at Poetic Asides.

Humor isn’t finished either
I’m still laughing at that last joke

Love isn’t finished
A first kiss is happening right now

Hope isn’t finished either
Perching in someone’s soul

Grief and despair and regret
aren’t finished either

But I’m not talking
about them today

Justice isn’t finished
Walking from courtrooms to boardrooms

Compassion isn’t finished
That’s what open hands are for

Time isn’t finished yet
And neither is Poetry

/ / /

This poem is in response to today’s finished prompt at Poetic Asides, and was also inspired by “Happiness” by Raymond Carver, which I found from the National Poetry Month 2013 post at The Music In It.

something with more than a
bit of color to cheer me

this sky where there is no
blue has too much white light

there is no shadow for
there is no yellow sun

there is no brightness for
the sun is above clouds

the white noise machine is
working to relax me

but it has dulled the sounds
into a submission

even this poem has
too much white space in it

/ / /

This poem was written to today’s prompt at Poetic Asides to use a line from one of my poems as a title.

/ / /

This poem combined the color prompt from NaPoWriMo with the shadorma prompt from Poetic Asides.

you just can’t escape
global warming

/ / /

Process Notes: So, I saw “Callings” as a prompt for today at The Music In It, and then I saw today’s prompt at NaPoWriMo. I typed “calling all” into Google; I know, just two words instead of three. That lead me to “calling all cars”, which lead me to “Cars” by Gary Numan, and then subsequent searches on words from those lyrics lead me to “Only Way” by Lil’ Wayne, which lead to “Live It Up” by Tulisa, which lead to “Mellowhype” by RokRok. Then page after page of search results on “warming” was all linked to global warming. The second stanza is not a lyric from a song.

a bunch of unknowns
but sincere

in their amateur status
(remember there is love there)

it would be messy and imperfect
just like life

i would want a different director
for each act

would that be three or five?
i don’t know yet

i might be persuaded to let in
a couple of Hollywood actors

but with bit roles
and so much makeup

they would be hardly recognizable
in their cameo status

i would want Harlan Ellison
and Sharon Olds to play themselves

and the guys from Barenaked Ladies
could all be samurai

that might have to be a dream sequence
or a flashback to a previous life

and I definitely want
Michael Giacchino to score it

maybe I should get to work
on the screenplay

/ / /

This poem was written to the casting prompt at Poetic Asides.

some begin every day
each day is a new tablet

on which life is carved
or tapped out digitally

some began long ago
and just carry on

keeping calm is optional
though preferable

some haven’t begun yet
but they will

some have begun already
but have questioned

that previous beginning
and are thinking

of starting over
a franchise reboot

some begin and stop
over and over again

questioning too much
trusting not enough

who is now the question
who are you beginning to be

/ / /

This poem was written to the Day 25 prompt at Poetic Asides.

/ / /

watching Chopped – hope
at least one judge is a
raw chard liker

/ / /

mum is relieved
that rain has washed away
chalk war rider

/ / /

farm chores are done-
time now for holding hands and
acre dark whirl

/ / /

indie punk band-
nothing to do with Nascar-
hark wild racer

/ / /

middle school
art project – nature with some goth-
dark wire larch

/ / /

These senryu were inspired by today’s prompt at NaPoWriMo.

The last line of each of these poems is an anagram of my name: Richard Walker. Most of the anagrams I used were four syllables in length, so these senryu follow a 4/6/4 syllable pattern. The last one is an exception, following a 3/8/3 pattern.

it guides me no matter
which way the wind is blowing

or when the currents push
my ship into the shallows

i set my astrolabe
and keep my course

even during the day
when i cannot see the star

perhaps my star is known
by others and is no secret

those who do know it
keep it secret too

and our ships follow
parallel paths on the sea

i wonder if our paths
will ever converge

and i will meet others
who share my secret

/ / /

This poem was inspired by the Secrets prompt at The Music In It.

one could say: people
talk entirely way too much-

/ / /

This is my take on the senryu prompt at Poetic Asides.