tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5286587961720805302024-03-26T23:37:59.952-07:00Stars in My Sugar Bowl<center><i><b>Sprinkle some poetry into your day!</b></i></center>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-82040950308437056112014-03-03T15:50:00.001-08:002014-03-03T15:51:04.221-08:00Moving!I am currently in the process of moving this blog over to WordPress. I do most of my editing on my iPad and that is, unfortunately, proving cumbersome in Blogger. Please come visit me at my new home: <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">http://www.starsinmysugarbowl.wordpress.com. Thanks!</span>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-2207102761893432632014-03-01T09:25:00.000-08:002014-03-03T09:35:13.017-08:00InspirationWhat inspires you to write?<br />
<br />
As a haiku poet, I tend to find myself inspired by nature. And as a mom of two school-aged kids and one preschooler, I spend a lot of time driving. So most of my haiku inspiration lies in things I see through the windshield of my car: trees, clouds, farm fields, a nearby pond.<br />
<br />
My process for writing scifaiku is different. I go to a dreamy place in my mind when I write science fiction. Often, I am inspired by new scientific discoveries. Some days, I browse Wikipedia for inspiration. I always follow up with more technical references when I find something that appeals to me. I try to do my homework to make sure that my poems are scientifically literate! <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But sometimes, inspiration finds me unexpectedly. One day, I was shopping at the craft store and found this on the wall of a toilet stall. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikp4UXC9C2aP3juyEzncJcs7qnmNClQ4tN1cSOaLDXoNYZJ9QZKZv95Vx0D2rKUAM2OBAJ1t_NF1VVlSSxj5-wepxpmtiMVZcSKFXuXJmU5qm3wYICpXoaxem9qBxKO0D3fWzqinPK2Cyz/s640/blogger-image--561714602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikp4UXC9C2aP3juyEzncJcs7qnmNClQ4tN1cSOaLDXoNYZJ9QZKZv95Vx0D2rKUAM2OBAJ1t_NF1VVlSSxj5-wepxpmtiMVZcSKFXuXJmU5qm3wYICpXoaxem9qBxKO0D3fWzqinPK2Cyz/s400/blogger-image--561714602.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Where do you find your writing inspiration?</span></div>
jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-85131791019029831522014-02-25T08:57:00.001-08:002014-02-25T09:34:12.944-08:00Culling<div style="text-align: left;">
My main poetry goal for the year is to put together a manuscript of scifaiku. In looking over my poems, it has been interesting to see a theme of extra-terrestrial romance flowing through the images. So, I am trying to line up my poems so that they tell a sort of love story while writing new ones to fill in the gaps. It is a challenging process because it is so new for me. I feel like I have a handle on submitting individual poems to contests or magazines, but a collection is a different animal - it has a different feel and it requires a different skill set.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When I was a little girl, my mom and I used to garden. One of our favorite things to plant was carrots. I think they intrigued me because they looked so different below the surface. A big leafy top didn't necessarily equate to a big root. And every year, when it was time to thin the carrots so that the remaining ones could grow larger, we had a hard time doing it. My mom used to say that the carrots worked so hard to be born, she didn't want to stop them now. Often, we just left all of the carrots in the garden to fend for themselves. So none of them ever grew very large.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqFbU03IsJDnEdWUFGIFUVhEMc-H3tBA5IzfldSuJLQnykFsiy7-ElnA9UYQjDw2WsSSscLM81Bl4DNvUCojw6c7-uUNjMIq1RqTFttXP8J4n6tNIaG1GJ7eRJOcuHOKGvjz-zJWhyphenhyphenHc2/s640/blogger-image--440491590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqFbU03IsJDnEdWUFGIFUVhEMc-H3tBA5IzfldSuJLQnykFsiy7-ElnA9UYQjDw2WsSSscLM81Bl4DNvUCojw6c7-uUNjMIq1RqTFttXP8J4n6tNIaG1GJ7eRJOcuHOKGvjz-zJWhyphenhyphenHc2/s400/blogger-image--440491590.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Preparing a poetry manuscript is a lot like weeding carrots. If you want individual poems to flourish and be successful, you need to retain the best and remove the rest. But culling is hard. These poems are all my poetic children, so to speak, and I worked hard for them to be born. How can I choose?</div>
jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-47355193913630796302014-02-21T18:30:00.000-08:002014-02-21T18:30:58.149-08:00Our new dog<div style="text-align: center;">
adopted dog --</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
learning to read her mood</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by the curl of her tail</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREO7dcOqaH43Zx7DsjtAXYB06L7e5J1q8VsIFPilFBhJ6wcFmwLFwuRclZ7VKSmS5RI762NJ4VtwrdYX3eFae8lGA7fYstlwI5dMn1RcgL7ZGYM1qBeVTyRDBsZd-NW53AEBLrUhhtNae/s640/blogger-image--1945187990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREO7dcOqaH43Zx7DsjtAXYB06L7e5J1q8VsIFPilFBhJ6wcFmwLFwuRclZ7VKSmS5RI762NJ4VtwrdYX3eFae8lGA7fYstlwI5dMn1RcgL7ZGYM1qBeVTyRDBsZd-NW53AEBLrUhhtNae/s640/blogger-image--1945187990.jpg" /></a></div>
jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-4828282429396534502013-01-27T20:50:00.001-08:002013-01-27T20:53:04.683-08:00Cheated<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/notionscapital/8394514326/" title="Lance Armstrong Bike Route by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, on Flickr"><img alt="Lance Armstrong Bike Route" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8324/8394514326_fa3656cdc5.jpg" width="220" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: Mike Licht, <a href="http://notionscapital.com/" rel="nofollow">NotionsCapital.com</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Lance Armstrong:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">the lies</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">we tell ourselves</span></div>
jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-65578705261609013662012-12-27T19:12:00.000-08:002012-12-27T19:12:01.668-08:00And the winners are ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlfvwMnXqMvoFhUMTGamwSlafEAZkar77ZP-WekWy3u1fcL0S8UHM8fYk1KXLM74CE_yaTqXUPnTFAq3XnS1QXbGxZ8_zbT54ttzZ9rJSrNKuerrNaTYJ6dwZbNIlkti_Yfh9q7_EBp9Y/s1600/MP900430681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlfvwMnXqMvoFhUMTGamwSlafEAZkar77ZP-WekWy3u1fcL0S8UHM8fYk1KXLM74CE_yaTqXUPnTFAq3XnS1QXbGxZ8_zbT54ttzZ9rJSrNKuerrNaTYJ6dwZbNIlkti_Yfh9q7_EBp9Y/s320/MP900430681.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
First of all, let me just say that running this <a href="http://starsinmysugarbowl.blogspot.com/2012/12/scifaiku-contest-win-years-subscription.html">scifaiku poetry contest</a> was a lot of fun. I enjoyed reading all of your entries. In fact, I liked them so much that I picked out a winning entry ... and then second place ... third place ... and an honorable mention. I felt bad that I only had one prize to offer. I discussed the situation with my son tonight - the 11-year-old instigator of the contest - and he said he wanted to donate the $5 Target gift card that he got during a holiday gift exchange at school for use as a prize. Inspired by his generosity, I'm adding another prize of a $15 iTunes gift card.<br />
<br />
So, without further ado, here are the winners:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>FIRST PLACE</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(winner of a one-year subscription to <i>Poets & Writers </i>magazine)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the aliens' grasp<br />
of haiku's basic concept:<br />
seventeen small farts</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<cite class="user"> -- F.J. Bergmann</cite></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<cite class="user"> My thoughts: What can I say? Every time I read this poem out loud, I laugh. I love the contrast of the perfectly staid 5-7-5 syllable count against the bizarre imagery of the poem. </cite></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>SECOND PLACE </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(winner of a $15 iTunes gift card)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
elfbots<br />my little shoppers<br />return<br /><br /><i>-- N.E. Taylor</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>My thoughts: I read this poem after a long day of Christmas shopping, a day when I longed for some elfbots of my own. Brief, concise, and compelling, this poem is classic scifaiku - the type of poem that stays with you long after you read it.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>THIRD PLACE</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>(winner of a $5 Target gift card) </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
in soldered skulls<br />preprogrammed memories <br />echoing unheard<br /><br /><i>-- N Sloboda</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>My thoughts: This poem has a deeply haunting quality, a sort of scifaiku - horrorku hybrid. Try as I might, the imagery of this poem would not leave my mind.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>HONORABLE MENTION</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> </i></div>
<div class="comment-header" id="bc_0_5M" kind="m" style="text-align: center;">
<cite class="user"></cite><span class="datetime secondary-text"><a href="http://starsinmysugarbowl.blogspot.com/2012/12/scifaiku-contest-win-years-subscription.html?showComment=1354937825858#c5401695750305574400" rel="nofollow"></a></span></div>
<div class="comment-content" id="bc_0_5MC" style="text-align: center;">
Hollowed asteroid<br />--zygote born of desire--<br />finding a new home</div>
<div class="comment-content" id="bc_0_5MC" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="comment-content" id="bc_0_5MC" style="text-align: center;">
<i>--emeraldcite </i></div>
<div class="comment-content" id="bc_0_5MC">
<br /></div>
<div class="comment-content" id="bc_0_5MC">
<i>My thoughts: This was my son's favorite poem. "I thought it was an interesting idea," he said. My husband also liked this poem the best, enjoying the juxtaposition of a human zygote and a new colony on an asteroid.</i></div>
<div class="comment-content" id="bc_0_5MC">
<br /></div>
<div class="comment-content" id="bc_0_5MC">
If you have a winning poem, please contact me at jublke (at) gmail (dot) com and send me your snail mail address so that I can send your prize to you.</div>
<div class="comment-content" id="bc_0_5MC">
<br /></div>
<div class="comment-content" id="bc_0_5MC" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Thanks again for sharing your poetry!</i></b></div>
<div class="comment-content" id="bc_0_5MC">
<br /></div>
<div class="comment-content" id="bc_0_5MC">
</div>
jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-52516726084549791212012-12-06T15:48:00.000-08:002012-12-06T15:56:40.560-08:00Scifaiku Contest - Win a Year's Subscription to Poets & Writers magazine!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=4816&picture=christmas-gift">Christmas Gift</a> by Petr Kratochvil</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4YuZisSFcuQIWP3EUdAqd2PXoOQX2vKH84q01LrUmQlic5ySdnIXrPr9COp7w9qvJe-UU-uF36DhpdBahu6JwOHxeWWwAMzjyCg-kKBLOPz_shAfxyVie8DL31Ii6ttYL82AaEiApbEw/s1600/gift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4YuZisSFcuQIWP3EUdAqd2PXoOQX2vKH84q01LrUmQlic5ySdnIXrPr9COp7w9qvJe-UU-uF36DhpdBahu6JwOHxeWWwAMzjyCg-kKBLOPz_shAfxyVie8DL31Ii6ttYL82AaEiApbEw/s320/gift.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
The good folks at <i><a href="http://www.pw.org/">Poets & Writers</a></i>
are running a two-for-one
holiday offer for current magazine subscribers, so I thought I'd pass
along the extra subscription to one lucky winner by way of a poetry
contest. I'm
partial to scifaiku (science fiction haiku, read a good definition <a href="http://www.scifaiku.com/what/">here</a>
and see some examples at <i><a href="http://www.samsdotpublishing.com/scifaikuest/cover.htm">Scifaikuest</a></i>), so here's your challenge:<br />
<br />
Leave me one original scifaiku in the comments section <b>of this post </b>before midnight EST December 24, 2012. I will choose my favorite and announce a winner on or before December 28, 2012.
Please leave me enough contact information so that I can track you down.
If you are chosen as the winner, I'll need a street address so I can
tell <i>Poets & Writers</i> where to send your subscription. I reserve the
right to choose a different winner if I can't locate you.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Rules & fine print: One entry per person. Odds of winning depend on the
number of entries. The decision of the judge (me) is final. Scifaiku do not have to adhere to a 5-7-5 syllable scheme, but should be roughly around that number of syllables. The
winning prize - a one-year subscription to <a href="http://www.pw.org/magazine"><i>Poets & Writers</i> magazine</a> -
can not be converted into a cash prize. This contest is not sponsored
by <i>Poets & Writers</i>, <i>Scifaikuest</i>, or anyone else (except maybe
my 11-year-old son, who suggested the contest). Void where prohibited
by law.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><b>Please note:</b></i> <i>All rights to any poems
remain with their authors. However, numerous journals consider ANY
appearance online to be publication and, if you place your poem here,
these venues may not consider your poem as an unpublished submission.
When in doubt, save your best work for your favorite journal.</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Good luck!</div>
jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-33720757127321975832012-08-23T19:48:00.000-07:002012-08-23T20:03:07.333-07:00Ready-Made<a title="Vincent van Gogh [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AVan_Gogh_-_Starry_Night_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg"><img width="512" alt="Van Gogh - Starry Night - Google Art Project" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Van_Gogh_-_Starry_Night_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/1024px-Van_Gogh_-_Starry_Night_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg"/>
<center>Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh (via Wikimedia Commons)</center>
<b></a><blockquote>"I exaggerate, I sometimes make changes to the subject, but still I don't invent the whole of the painting; on the contrary, I find it readymade—but to be untangled—in the real world." - Vincent van Gogh </blockquote></b>
I read this quote recently in an <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/vincent-200801.html">article in <i>Smithsonian Magazine</i></a> and it struck me that I feel the same way about poetry. Often I feel as though the poem lies, ready-made, just beyond my perception. When I place words to paper I am - by necessity - limiting the ineffable and forcing it into the three-dimensional constraints of human experience.jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-64427777284275532312012-03-27T07:45:00.001-07:002012-03-27T07:45:00.677-07:00When We Were Seven<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wattagnet/6721769821/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfaWXuwrSmXtbrd1XakGa2UkXw8VPjGpWIVaCNixA13ehasya9zOcblfRKW29qqBeICyhOpfTOpaNhZcTht61KCR7x1WIi3CHWAptt9nGv1gGCqEEzsjZoOLIEv7RxebqCQS60ogjJFPaj/s320/cows.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723479394245519410" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">jangling cow bell<br />standing in the pasture<br />you shout moo<br /><br />-- Julie Bloss Kelsey<br /></div><br /><br />(first appeared in <a href="http://4and20poetry.com/"><span style="font-style:italic;">Four and Twenty</span></a>, Volume 3, Issue 10, October 2010)<br /><br />Photo credit: <a href="http://www.wattagnet.com/">WATTAgNet.com</a>, via flickr // <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-37051159311103582652012-03-24T07:10:00.006-07:002012-03-24T07:37:14.438-07:00Just Before Sleep<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/irenewn/3721214500/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaO6O21CtJ2XiEJdPk-PjVpNLNdHVaUs2bauCvkGItbPmdJip0agc6j6w1cVsIU7jxgpridlANxp1jjm-_fcr_apCsYMtUBwypYh5Hn74WzPUMAeJqasUSxF5i-vestVVtdWEV7h41JZx/s320/under+bed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723471490715666914" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br />his booming voice<br />from under the bed<br />little giggles<br /><br />-- Julie Bloss Kelsey<br /></div><br /><br />(first appeared as a "Four and Twenty of the Week" at <a href="http://4and20poetry.com/"><span style="font-style:italic;">Four and Twenty</span></a>, November 9, 2010)<br /><br />Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/irenewn/">irene nobrega</a>, via flickr // <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-87513657530412482382012-03-06T18:26:00.004-08:002012-03-06T18:36:18.999-08:00Petite Heirlooms<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/76283671@N00/184618898/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Mvgzoqi8ap0upfs1nZz9RpHyjfkhWQ0wn04Yy_BaET0iEpgH12_rgVB2IsDlbi7OUL25Mvif6P0CJ3AIpx1chH50EBJVGjh3r5_ghGjCK81j0YIDH26Akof5Cc0wv2Hu2QojQU5-HRGX/s320/buttons.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716976935326377778" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">in this hand-painted tin I find every button<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/76283671@N00/">Lainey Powell</a>, via flickr // <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a><br /></div></div>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-13742824401386044082011-04-28T20:00:00.000-07:002011-04-28T20:21:15.324-07:00National Cherry Blossom Festival<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcardinal18/441048878/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvcp6Uc3w1ZhKuXSMJajypikTpvAhunUCiqGos11zPXsiQ9-TlY7hc5erz-f-KeR_tq4dvfKomxQROkNzt3eS7TJsishJYLK7YlRXHb3TJBfR4LLFXNqAxlrcN5zB8NEXSDDm70jpqIqC/s320/441048878_33bba224b0_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600838256073852866" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">cherry blossom boughs<br />along the Tidal Basin ...<br />Japanese tourists<br /></div><br /><br />Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jcardinal18/">JCardinal18</a>, via flickr // <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-38143659593165234032011-04-08T17:51:00.001-07:002012-03-06T18:45:00.871-08:00In the Distance ...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dhilung/3079635627/in/set-72157622819747013"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKZMUubGGC1arUuYJqijr8bCM0N4RVgEPsvxdGPW2Zj6pipGyuYPYVxfQkb-AXdCkLbNTga8PW7qp7knSEQntaqNyTa0P_lWMtRCqiaNAokV4A5v5Va9DS2DJkBFO5kwP2PFkSyz3Or7B/s200/3079635627_19c5299090_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593382371517780642" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">remembering you<br />a slight smile upon my lips<br />... sliver of a moon<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dhilung/">Dhilung Kirat</a>, via flickr // <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a></div></div>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-59788667999858289122011-03-10T13:24:00.001-08:002012-03-06T18:46:22.825-08:00Gently Falling<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chudo_sveta/3776255284/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7ER8xMUW3PRsJJmTnLkFGKOjC9UrTVfR-_eYMkSqcdXKTPZ2Cl-lp_PSWSKlCittOQN1xIKGonFaWAagrQkTT81wgRjUc1HjikytjI_8vU9tkzn_8EcHCA1kjhnnicxYwnYPV_MLvX44/s200/3776255284_f90a172da2_z.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582567257835148018" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">patter of spring rain<br />soft against the window's glass<br />tears slide down his face<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/chudo_sveta/">Sveta Suvorina</a>, via flickr // <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a></div></div>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-38085291167129890162011-03-02T09:57:00.000-08:002011-03-02T10:16:56.487-08:00Glitter<div style="text-align: center;">Sustainability:<br /><br />Our carbon footprint<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">reduced<br /><br />to diamonds.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/malakins/1874293231/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZsoXXUGX_PyVhrnjNT-hXt4XeN8xlJGsuSFvOGcaWCMhvK-Iq33iFUXfXw1WtJJKqoQ95fhn7t5W3-qfLT0DZ6rgwCia6W_vzkAj_iOHkUt5hpPdb91j43OO0hDmRc3WtImv6QDBeo9W/s320/1874293231_8dd309cc35_z.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579547448676610642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/malakins/">malakins</a>, via flickr // <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a><br /></div></div>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-70756448807562567322011-01-26T12:23:00.000-08:002011-01-26T12:33:55.218-08:00Night Music<img src="http://imgsrc.hubblesite.org/hu/db/images/hs-2006-55-a-web.jpg" alt="Star Cluster" /><br /><span style="color: rgb(104, 104, 104); font-style: italic;font-size:10px;" >Source: <a style="color: rgb(104, 104, 104); font-style: italic;" href="http://hubblesite.org/">Hubblesite.org</a></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">a symphony of stars --<br />your heart, in time<br />with mine<br /><br /></div>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-85714646570251942452011-01-08T16:55:00.001-08:002012-03-06T18:47:18.756-08:00Winter Moon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/grafik_mekanik/2919922233/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYhnYdRwrGsn8E6QxjmrJ7XK2CMQdcKfz_w8ZOL4PZVuaBD39W-EIT6lVNf-3JSJoCZiwYV85RTPFnptp0AdP_7IAXGTpsV2DbMQAL6KHJNAKeM6cTHpVHUuSzg6TqateZDi5xkBMC0R3/s200/2919922233_93e7dd99a9_z.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559984006333369362" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">my attention<br />distracted<br />waning<br />light<br />of the moon<br /></div><br /><br />Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/grafik_mekanik/">Grafik Mekanik</a>, via flickr // <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-44602473511516396972010-12-20T12:41:00.001-08:002012-03-06T18:47:55.576-08:00Lazy Sunday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveynin/2834261583/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4A6Iz-Ynz_HLW6M0wy03MHOO88IE1HN_9qDPMBD0fC6hO-NAASDpppN7qtdLPLnaYEPbYQwAJSGjXY0PlY5kDBhcSrTQBtm3UPT0R2XfJW-uoIkkWNuBxAhies1AT0r5hi340EupvkJZ/s200/2834261583_dda307ae4c_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552870330999016562" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">snuggled<br />beneath his blanket<br />beneath his dog<br /></div><br /><br />Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/daveynin/">daveynin</a>, via flickr // <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-13667220277809256032010-12-19T20:42:00.000-08:002010-12-19T20:59:29.655-08:00Poems for National Punctuation Day®Last September, I entered the National Punctuation Day® haiku contest at <a href="http://www.nationalpunctuationday.com/index.html">National Punctuation Day<span class="super">®</span></a>. Contest entries were - you guessed it - haiku poems about punctuation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/horiavarlan/4273913966/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kEu8ui-4e7ovKGjsS5it1i-q4SjvnHyniHvPBhlrzbq6aQNdNbnHYvgGfhc_F9VXBbu0hTPAfZHaGbbzqiNfrZABQ1o_aUNK-JcIX8JjsitWYRi_nh8djDPUhWFBpW0SJZly-b9PVSO-/s200/4273913966_f76e1fe3fb_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552623078246196610" border="0" /></a><br />I didn't place in the contest (congrats to all the winners!), so I thought I'd post my poems here:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Chasing ellipsis:<br />he kisses her ... one ... two ... three<br />times before she leaves.<br /><br />***<br /><br />Lost along the way,<br />she slows, grasping for the end,<br />nearly comma-tose.<br /></div><br /><br />Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/horiavarlan/">Horia Varlan</a>, via flickr // <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-62732544563155739332010-12-05T10:00:00.000-08:002010-12-05T10:09:40.745-08:00Formation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sahua/1213833025/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpol9wm95MJA3jKm0Ts7ixb5ywelUrLOx3dhyphenhyphenIcHVt9yuL5yPk77FV4m4PaK5WM_69oFjcohgXg5nQKUQ72zN8gI7ZOASRk8PLK724gY2RoWm1XTPIU5ksrAMKVusodtZB0WR20_M6LOQA/s200/1213833025_c5cea4b5ab_z.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547259135176514226" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Under a goldenrod eye,<br />armies of cloud-men strut by<br />flanked by a blue damselfly<br />streamers of flags in the sky.<br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Note: This was my third attempt (the first two were hideously trite) at a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanaga">tanaga</a>, a four-line Filipino poetic form that traditionally had an A-A-A-A rhyme scheme and a syllable count of 7-7-7-7.</span><br /><br />Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/sahua/">sahua d</a>, via flickr //<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-72088323124199546692010-12-04T20:42:00.000-08:002010-12-04T20:52:27.545-08:00He is coming<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sormann/4259367579/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgCS0-UVQGC9G7Kn9pskrK2S-T1NVNilHUkwbsEpFWzTwcV04J2HO86MMpuRxHT-xzYMzpmSNRq-wdCGyKtaI1HhoRnViq5NMGIT7Ys4o6y6KGrpCayjlaHIG_4VfmeG_lR1_FErdMAVQ/s200/4259367579_9b874c68fa_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547055851439353442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">thin tapers of wax</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">remind me of why I'm here:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">light the Advent wreath</span><br /></div><br /><br />Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/sormann/">Mario Sormann</a>, via flickr // <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-1467870074397578892010-11-24T13:08:00.000-08:002010-12-04T20:53:00.568-08:00Blessed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephpetepickle/3656752841/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSabSrsNNaF40uG8jOPmz-ZMmb3By-hOeaVZgI-2U9j1UpqY2KouKpYwx-TjnFBZ-iyu9HH3Y0ExDoQ8hfuK9CsEVlAM12aliRunH31y1T_GWDRzw4sbPd8_vdtguIbL2OFDkVOA4FuAy5/s200/3656752841_cf024b9eed_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543228467103759138" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="status-body"><span id="msgtxt7404530652151808" class="msgtxt en"><span style="font-style: italic;">small servile gesture</span></span></span><br /><span class="status-body"><span id="msgtxt7404530652151808" class="msgtxt en"><span style="font-style: italic;">kneeling down to offer thanks</span></span></span><br /><span class="status-body"><span id="msgtxt7404530652151808" class="msgtxt en"><span style="font-style: italic;">on Thanksgiving Day</span></span></span><br /></div><span class="status-body"><span id="msgtxt7404530652151808" class="msgtxt en"><br /><br />Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephpetepickle/">josephpetepickle</a>, via flickr // <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a><br /></span></span>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-4420865542482627922010-11-19T17:42:00.000-08:002010-11-19T18:13:07.331-08:00Squeezed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertmichalove/4358519700/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uPcwCnRLCcEFE8g3TuK5XZ3th3l4z3Mo9-lR484Vs2uckgM3HZqMxElSxDQBZ5VzOKeLJMAcAOixyp5flJONiNlfg5uZgoD-h1YgBhJCJT0VvpD-baTihJK-5yKr99irQUhuvPhfgWJx/s200/4358519700_0b687ca0b3_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541443610785043506" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">ubiquitous green grasp<br />choking life from the trees:<br />deadly embrace of kudzu<br /></span></span></span></div><br /><br />Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertmichalove/">Robert Michalove</a>, via flickr // <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-56636018657415018502010-11-15T21:07:00.000-08:002010-11-15T21:17:26.887-08:00Our First Child<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29278394@N00/495551068/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiE_X0VeFnu6AIGQf_DMcGgBSXzkf2wQEIDKq-mNPnhmMyCzhFQrxN2IDB52EBfIMsJLgIJ_E6R40MZOLKiz1EL2INroaXmkN-HWSCIg8odvJMU2khbyp2J5r4_ZIOkLKZP6pVAAfGzhdT/s200/495551068_92bf7679b2_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540011090910147794" border="0" /></a><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">first sonogram:</span></span></span><br /><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">so excited to see you</span></span></span><br /><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">we didn’t notice</span></span></span><br /><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">your missing heartbeat -</span></span></span><br /><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">the silence</span></span></span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/29278394@N00/">Anne Norman</a>, via flickr // <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a><br /></div></div><br /><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content"><br /></span></span></span>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528658796172080530.post-34572546107220247532010-11-06T10:35:00.001-07:002010-11-06T18:13:38.705-07:00Trick-or-Treat<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/yaxzone/1813207421/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidde9ZCSD-lZkevZuDzonAv4yAjz72F_LaFgaMuvOgCtBQ5KY24l8f_FT4aUswrDqAMIFWwmMsJHqC86Q-KtqFE6hpKBTJBZZll0UQMiCCS_iDcEN6otKvFzUT_mJj9nhBVHp0VP0SKT_q/s200/1813207421_82ea5d77d4_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536608212242033570" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">on Halloween night</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">the North star guides our way</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">to smiles and candy<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span>Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/yaxzone/">YAXZONE</a>, via flickr //</span> <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a><br /></div></div>jublkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06217297649484707101noreply@blogger.com0