"Blink"

This poem took two funeral processions to get written down.  It is a reflection on that very sad part of life - death, and the Southern way of honoring the dead as they move to their final resting place.  People in the rural South pull their cars over for the dead and their mourners - a tradition lost in urban areas and other parts of the US.

As I said, it was written in two parts - it first came to me on the long drive from the funeral home to our family cemetary where we buried my grandfather.  It revisited me two months later as I was driving in my husband's aunt's funeral procession.  I managed to jot it down without running over the car in front of me. 

Please click here to see "Blink"

Ciao for now...
Mel

"Five Flats In Cut Time"

Another poem inspired by a prompt at Poetic Asides http://blog.writersdigest.com/poeticasides/, "Five Flats and Cut Time" is about a moment for me when I was NOT paying attention.  If you know anything about music, time and key signatures are awfully important.  If you miss what they're telling you (as I did :) ), it can sound AWFUL!

You can also scroll through at http://www.virtualpoetryreading.com/ and find this poem read by me among others.  This neat site from poet, Buddah Moskowitz, allows one to exercise their vocal skills and read your poetry as if you're at a poetry slam.  Hey!  I miss Teen Poetry Happens @ The Bean during the summer.  I need something!

Hope you enjoy "Five Flats and Cut Time"

Ciao for now!
Mel

Step Back In Time To Celebrate July 4th!

Ahhhhh....it was only a year ago that our family went on that marvelous vacation out west that spurred on videoetries!  Today, I thought I would highlight our Lake Tahoe section of the journey as that's where we spent the 4th and 5th of July last year. 

According to Fabulous Lake Tahoe's blogspot, Lake Tahoe's fireworks are rated at 6th best in the country.  After seeing them, I would say definitely so!

My husband and I both wrote poetry about the fireworks.  Then, I created videoetries for both. 

Hope you enjoy Brent's poem "Twice The Show" 

and my poem "Tahoe Toe Lapping"

Happy Independence Day!

Mel

"Lost in Enchantment"

Hi There!

I'm proud to launch this videoetry that was inspired by a poem my son wrote while traveling in New Mexico last summer.  Trying to find our way on the Mile High Road from Santa Fe to Taos, we kind of got sidetracked (OK, lost).  My son decided this would be the moment to launch his poetic musings.  Ha!

In case you don't know, New Mexico is called the Land of Enchantment.  Hence the name of his poem.

Videoetries may be sparse over the summer as it is when I am the busiest with summer reading at the library.  Why won't some of you come up with video snippets?  Remember the rules above and get creating!

Ciao for now!  Hope you enjoy "Lost in Enchantment"! http://www.youtube.com/Videoetry?feature=mhee#p/u/6/V0LFFknQvNQ
Mel

"Goodnight, Little Girl"

Hi There!

My videoetry for this week was inspired by a poem I wrote for Poetic Asides, an online poetic community to which I regularly contribute. http://blog.writersdigest.com/poeticasides/  The poetry prompt for that week was to write a reality based poem without metaphor or simile. 

Since this incident truly happened and my "little" girl has left the building (OK, so I CAN'T completely get away from metaphor), I thought the poem fit the prompt quite well.

The photographs of her come from our wonderful vacation out west last year.  Hope you enjoy "Goodnight, Little Girl"

Ciao for now!
Mel

"Purple Haze" and we're not talking Hendrix!

Oh, but the teens like this title!  Jimi Hendrix still thrills the new generation. 

This poem was written about a gorgeous wisteria vine that was adorning a fence in front of a beautiful home in Charleston, SC last year.  Our family was there for Easter (see "Lonely Palm of Folly") and I imagined a war between the fence and the vine. 

The poem is published in the 2011 edition of The Lyricist poetry magazine.  Campbell University sponsors the statewide poetry contest and puts out the winners and honorable mentions in the magazine each April.

Hope you enjoy "Purple Haze".

Ciao for now!
Mel

"Sedona Cross"

This poem was based on a real incident while traveling in Sedona, Arizona.  I wrote it as a concrete poem shaped in a cross, but this videoetry has the actual photograph I took of the butte with the cross on it.  The shadow created went away by the time I finished hiking around Bell Rock just up the road from it.  Hey!  It was a Sunday morning.  God wanted to remind me he was with me!

Please enjoy "Sedona Cross" !

Ciao for now!
Mel