Tag: national poetry writing month

Posted in #NaPoWriMo2014, Australia, Friendship

#NaPoWriMo Day TwentyThree – “Talking Brunswick Street”

Posted on by Charlie Alford

Inspired by http://www.napowrimo.net prompt:  ‘New York School’ poems.  I don’t think it’s finished. But is a poem ever really finished…

 

It’s 8am on Tuesday and I am on the tram

you could say: it’s just Monday 2.0

so naturally I’m late and it’s raining – damn!

Is it sunny over there? I bet it is, laughing at me

I bet you’ve been doing a rain dance secretly.

It’s against the law to make it rain here, seriously!

Oh, I’m just crouched on the cold metal steps

looking out on a washed out Brunswick Street

it’s moving ever so slowly! Mmm… I can smell the coffee and crepes!

I can see Fitzroy-ans dancing through trams and cars

in a sea of boots, poncho’s and umbrellas

in a long narrow valley of cafes, shops and bars.

Lights are flickering in the old comic book store

Oh Marty, ‘Back to the Future’ is now

your movie is so old it predates Persy’s next door.

Posters and banners flapping in chilly wind

will we ever escape the daggy dolls we were yesterday

when fun was getting off our faces and succumbing to sins.

Don’t stop the music and oh, just dance

the numb blur of college life, I don’t remember

except when we dreamt of moving to the south of France.

But 2014, oh, a communication revolution

look at us talking wirelessly from either side of the world

Can you hear me? Wait, can you see me? Technological evolution.

Mr Asmiov hit the metaphorical nail on the head:

“humanity will go into hibernation” – indeed

it’s true what the 1960’s sci-fi guy predicted.

Speaking of, did you know it’s illegal to trade with pirates

here, so if we upload, download and freeload

aren’t we essentially criminals – just open-closet-pirates.

Think about it – I’ll peruse my books

while washed out Brunswick Street starts its day

in one of Melbourne’s much loved coffee nooks.

Posted in #NaPoWriMo2014, Life

#NaPoWriMo Day TwentyTwo – “Church Windows”

Posted on by Charlie Alford

Day Twenty Two’s prompt has been inspired by Don Charisma’s Art prompt: Paint; that spanned over two days.

Day One http://doncharisma.org/2014/04/19/art-don-charisma-s-prompt/ was to draw a squiggle using paint program and Day Two was to colour/edit http://doncharisma.org/2014/04/20/paint-don-charismas-prompt/ so I decided to take it a step further and put some words to my random art.
RandomDoodle

 

Church windows tell us our story

We get lost in their beauty, look

thoroughly for humanity

for our part in the stain glass book.

We fall though colourful chaos

shaped by life’s imperfections

weighed by an invisible cross

haunted by our own reflections.

Breathing an enigmatic place

we soar down our own unique roads

animating our human grace

within our marvellous abode.

Have you looked in your church window?

Do you know the stories they show?

Posted in #NaPoWriMo2014, Doctor Who, Mythology

#NaPoWriMo Day Twenty – “The Doctor remembers…”

Posted on by Charlie Alford

Mm? What’s that my boy?

Ah yes, those indomitable creatures;

those great big sacks of emotions

filled with love, loyalty and passion.

Tumbling through time like great giant snowballs

they added to their wisdom as they passed.

Those prodigious organisms

managed to make sense of

the huge, knotty, nonsensical place

of atoms and matter – their galaxy.

Would you care for a Jelly Baby?

From the day they arrived on their planet

they saw patterns and logic in nothing

filled with curiosity and wonder

the greatest mysteries they’d plunder.

It began in their own Earthian home

they searched and reached to places unknown.

Mm? What’s that my boy?

I’m sorry. So sorry. I should have said

but at the end of time humanity is dead. 

Posted in #NaPoWriMo2014, Doctor Who, Family, Life, Loss, Mythology, Supernatural/Magic, Time

#NaPoWriMo Day Nineteen – “a weeping angels woe”

Posted on by Charlie Alford

 

Alone in the churchyard I watch

mortals mourning in tears and flowers.

Leaning against a rowan tree

abandoned by my family.

Beneath my feet a girl is weeping

I open my arms and kneel down

In surprise, she looks up at me

screaming like a startled crow.

She runs back through the stone and grass

reaching out to her, I follow

She turns to me – her eyes are cold

and zap – she’s now in the past.

Falling through time – I am weeping;

my eyes hidden behind grey fingers.

Left within eternal sleeping

this is where my Winter lingers.

Posted in #NaPoWriMo2014, Life, Time, Writing

#NaPoWriMo Day Eighteen – “Note to Self”

Posted on by Charlie Alford

20140417-234020.jpg

 

I want to tell you to be brave

to step away from that brick wall

and seek the friendship that you crave

by showing the world you stand tall.

Forget the ones that say you’re weird

and ignore you till your wanted.

Find your passion; conquer your fears;

do what you do best and flaunt it!

Singing loud in the dead of night

but silent as a lamb in day?

No, you need to break out like a kite

and speak out, what you want to say!

Look around you, little missy,

you are a person – just like them;

clever, smart and sometimes witty

but you are – just another them.

Shakespeare says the world is a stage

and each of you have your role and place.

You start your lives with a blank page

each of your moments fill that space.

Live individuality –

it’s like travelling the unknown!

You’re a part of humanity

Oh, if you could see how you’ve grown!

You live on the other side now

still thinking the thoughts you’re thinking…

how you got here? you don’t know how

its just part of the travelling.

Be who you want to be, stay true

as one day, she will be you.

Posted in #NaPoWriMo2014, England, Mythology, Time

#NaPoWriMo Day Seventeen – “Castles”

Posted on by Charlie Alford

 

IMG_0506

 

Through the window is a narration

of the past and present mixing

my heart of inspiration. 

 

I love the richness of these places

a group of united kingdoms;

strong pride in her peoples faces.

 

Albion has a long story

of Kings, with their conflict and feuds.

Just pages in her history.

 

The ruins of yesterday stand

tall and proud above the Wye

separating two ancient lands.

 

A little intimidating! 

But at the same time, brilliant!

To see her strong and surviving.

 

A castle weathered throughout time

for centuries now her church bells chime.

 

Posted in #NaPoWriMo2014

#NaPoWriMo Day Sixteen – “Questions”

Posted on by Charlie Alford

Took the Day 14th prompt from http://www.napowrimo.net/  “Questions” ..

 

Dear Mr Moon,

Did you know you’re seen from this building?

Did you know your presence is daunting?

Did you know it feels like you’re haunting?

Why come out in the darkest setting?

Why insist on constant hovering?

Why do you insist on staring?

What could have you been doing?

What evil plans has been brewing?

What are you not saying?

Who is that man you’ve been hiding?

Who have you been confiding?

Who has helped you with the scheming?

When will you stop misleading?

When will you stop dreaming?

When will you stop lying?

Why is you face reddening?

Are you offended by my questioning?

Are you ready for my sentencing?

 

Posted in #NaPoWriMo2014

#NaPoWriMo Day Fifteen – “Halfway”

Posted on by Charlie Alford

Look at that, we made it 15 days into a 30 day challenge. In the spirit of the awesomeness that is halfway I actually wrote two poems. The first an adaptation of the ‘nonet’ structure and the other an ‘acrostic’.

Poem One 

Climbing the steps of April’s staircase

decorated in rhyme and meter

an assembly of poems

sing a poets story

of being human

and living here

in this world

today

so

halfway

through April

which is today

she wanted to say

thank you for liking,

sharing and commenting here

and elsewhere on the interwebs.

I’ll try to stop writing about food.

***

Poem Two

Now, is the halfway mark.

A challenge; we did embark!

Poets from every time and place

Open their books and pencil case

With a writers eyes and heart

Rendered verses light and dark

Inspiration in their minds eye

Meter and rhyme play in the sky.

Our muse will find our spark.

***

Posted in #NaPoWriMo2014, Gothic, Seasons/Nature, Supernatural/Magic

#NaPoWriMo Day Fourteen – “Song of Sorrow”

Posted on by Charlie Alford

Whilst upon my weekend web travels I came across this artist: Victoria Frances – and was so taken with this piece I couldn’t help but write about it. If you want to see more of Victoria’s work please see here: http://www.victoriafrances.es/en/ 

Painted smiles and comical tears

lie beneath a gold plated mask

so many faces; so many years

Who I am? It’s only natural to ask.

I am the forgotten extra

a dark, morose, Venetian clown

just waiting for my exit, so

Death can rescue me from this crown.

For my master sits on the bloody throne

a cheater of time and of death.

I am a mere mortal instrument

to entertain until my last breath.

He found me by the Grand Canal

a weary flower weeping

took me for his possession

another toy for his keeping.

Winter breathes inside these walls

compelled to the dreary and dark

bound by magic into the night

cursed by an invisible mark.

At sunset, the music will start

and echo through the dusky halls

I am captive in his shadows

imprisoned inside the dark stone walls.