VSS365 2
1/3/2021 - 1/9/2021
Vampire
Original 1/3/21
Skin of white, and lips of red;
They’re out hunting while you’re in bed.
Vampires hunt rather diligently,
For the only thing their bodies need.
Blood for strength, blood for healing;
Blood to keep their dead hearts beating.
New Version
Skin of white and lips of red;
They’re out hunting while you’re in bed.
Vampires hunt rather diligently;
For the substance their bodies need.
Living in castles, sleeping in coffins;
Terrorizing local villagers often.
Their long life can only be;
Payment for a large tragedy.
What did they do to end up this way?
Bloodless, immortal, hidden by day.
Their existence a mystery, even now;
As she holds me close, bites me. Ow!
Now I am a vampire too.
She changed me, and I’ll change you.
My Take:
I have always been fascinated by vampires. Since high school, I have owned a shirt (probably bought at Hot Topic or Spencers) with the tagline “I leave bite marks.” When deciding on Halloween costumes, “Vampire” was my go-to. Vampire romance books are a fun guilty pleasure :) So writing about becoming one was fun. And before you ask, I already have way too many story ideas in the works, there is no room on my plate to begin a brand new WIP.
Vulture
Original 1/4/21
Sleep eludes me, we cannot rest;
My mind is racing, I’m not my best.
Thoughts keep circling overhead;
Like vultures while I lay in bed.
If they get their claws in me,
They will erode my vitality.
New Version - Insomnia
Sleep eludes us, we cannot rest;
His mind is racing. Is this a test?
Thoughts circling overhead,
Vultures picking, I see red.
Anger flares, and screams do rend
Tears and fears I cannot mend.
My only wish for you, My Dear;
Is for sleep to come, with no fear.
The world is harsh, the world is mean;
The pain beneath is largely unseen.
Everyone has their own problems and stresses;
Most people can’t deal with anyone else’s.
People are rude, they can be thoughtless;
Just know with my love we can dismiss.
The bile and hatred spewed from their mouths,
Will change for the better, I have no doubts.
Together we can do anything;
Standing unbending against the mean.
Remember, My Love, I’m here for you;
Twenty-four-seven, gray skies or blue.
My Take:
This poem was written and revamped between 5 and 7 am. So, not sleeping played a big part in the creation. Insomnia has been an issue for me since high school. Sometimes meds work, and sometimes they don’t; you just have to roll with the punches. Tonight I’ll be heading to bed a little earlier than usual, that’s fine with me.
Vex
Original 1/5/21
Living with Pony makes me perplexed;
Last night she had me so vexed.
Begging for food every day;
I feed her, then she walks away.
Her food sits alone, forgotten, ignored;
Although she meowed, yowled, and roared.
New Version
Dealing with cats makes one perplexed;
Last night mine had me over vexed.
Pony begs for food twice a day;
The moment I feed her, she walks away.
Her food sits forgotten, ignored;
Yet she yowled, meowed, and roared.
This feral cat gets me so frustrated
Though after five years I should be jaded.
She’s full of quirks and personality;
Pony followed me home, mom said, it can be.
Cats choose to do their own thing;
They aren’t our pets, each cat is a King.
They rule the roost, or so they think;
Pony’s the worst, she brings me to the brink
Of my sanity. Don’t you see?
This cat is making fun of me.
I feel like her servant, I must confess;
I wish she could clean up her own mess.
My Take:
This word immediately brought back feelings of annoyance from feeding the cat the night before. I named our cat Pony because it looks like she has a saddle and stirrup in her fur pattern. As a tuxedo cat, the design is striking. She followed me home one day and decided we were going to be her people. For more on Pony’s adventures, check out my blog Pony Tales. This episode may make it in one day too. The picture that was supposed to accompany this poem was impossible to get. Pony wasn’t cooperating.
Vendetta
Original 1/6/21
I have this rage running through my heart;
She adds to this pain, when we’re apart.
When I heard she laid hands on you;
The vendetta started, I wasn’t blue.
If I ever see her, I must confess;
I’ll tear her apart, I couldn’t do less.
New Version - Mother Love
I have this rage running through my soul;
She adds to the anger with her heart of coal.
When I heard she laid hands on you,
The vendetta started, my fury was due.
If I see her I must confess;
I’ll tear her apart, I couldn’t do less.
In five months, you’ll finally be;
Completely free from their tyranny.
Living here I’ll keep you safe;
Secure and loved, we’ll keep the faith.
In this house you’ll finally see;
The peace of having privacy.
Know we love you with all our hearts;
When Mom can’t protect you, it tears me apart.
My Take:
This is a poem to my daughter. I usually keep it under a lid, but this word brought it out in force. It’s not good to feel impotent as a parent. Especially when you know if you give into your wants, you won’t be around. That’s where creation comes in. In my writing, if someone angers me enough, they get to die gruesome deaths in my stories. It’s great therapy.
Violate
Original 1/7/21
How dare you try to violate,
My sanctuary. You’re too late.
Locks are broken, doors torn down;
My safe place was the last in town.
Now we have nowhere to go;
All because you wanted a show.
New Version - Power of Love
Sanctuary truly should be,
Free from violation, don’t you see?
The people need someplace safe;
To calm their minds and grow their faith.
This world doesn’t feel safe anymore;
My country’s in chaos, need I say more?
Locks have been broken, doors torn down.
Is there no safe place in this town?
Only one thing can get us out of this mess;
All of our love we must confess.
Love for our families, friends, each other;
Love for our enemies, sisters, and brothers.
Love for all, no matter their creed;
Love we express in thought, word, and deed.
Only with love can our world start to heal;
It’s when we lack love that we have to deal,
With wars and fighting everywhere.
This isn’t the future I want to share.
I dream of a future where love abounds,
Peace and happiness suffice every town.
Together we can help it come true,
Spreading our love to all of you.
My Take:
The news stresses me out, so I try not to watch it. However, there is no way to escape the world if you are on any form of social media. Yes I do know some of what went down on 1/6/21. This poem isn’t about any specific place or person. Just my overall take on what we can do to start making the world better for our children. I feel it may be coming across a bit preachy and idealistic. When I was writing the original version, the sanctuary scenes from “Hunchback of Notre Dame” (Disney version) kept popping in my head. In the rewrite, my vision shifted to ‘How can we make it better.” I know there are people out there who need love, so spread it to all.
Venn Diagram
Original 1/8/21
Sorting ideas helps with clarity;
A Venn Diagram is one key.
Placing them in circles, I can see;
What they have in common with me.
John Venn made the first one;
Now some people do them for fun.
New Version
Venn Diagrams help us see;
Commonalities with clarity.
When we use circles to help us sort;
Things in common stick out like a wart.
John Venn made the first one;
Now people make them for fun.
We can take disparate ideas;
Then the diagram reveals.
Those things alike, and those diverse;
For anything in the universe.
My Take:
This word had me stumped for quite a while. I enjoy reading Venn Diagrams, especially the funny ones. But, I’ve never made one before. The one below was offered by RS Thomas, a great Twitter friend, and customer of mine. It has well known celebrities placed in the appropriate sections Steve Miller is known for everything on the diagram, whereas Jack Nicholson fits in two categories. Explore, wonder, and keep creating.
Ventriloquist
Original 1/9/21
I have many voices to entertain,
When I move my mouth, laughs fall like rain.
Even if I had a ventriloquist dummy;
My lips still move, it’s not very funny.
The voices inside come only from me;
I will need to take classes to set them free.
New Version - Voices
A ventriloquist dummy is a wondrous thing;
They can talk and dance, laugh and sing.
But when you take the hand away;
The dolls fall down, don’t want to play.
I have tried before to speak,
When not moving my mouth, my voice is a squeak.
I prefer to speak normally;
The voices inside only come from me.
So far I have found a pirate, a grump;
A happy little friend, and a scheming turnip.
That there are more, I truly don’t doubt.
What will it take for them to come out?
My Take:
I enjoy watching ventriloquists on TV. As for my ‘voices’, I love using them to speak to my dog. The way Toby’s ears pop when he hears a ‘not-normal’ voice, brings gales of laughter. I try to view the voices as little sparks of inspiration.
Thank you for joining me on this poetry journey. Have you created anything from these words? ( or last weeks?) If so let me know! I would love to see what you've come up with!
I'll see you next week with 7 more poems.