LIVE BLOG

THE POET having a poetic moment. I'm in my cousins backyard on E 48th Street in Brooklyn.  

It's quiet!

I got my pen and notebook on the table beside me.

I'm listening to Monty Alexander play the music of Bob Marley, ("Could You Be Loved.")

Quiet moments are for reflecting on the next poem.

There is always a next one or the FIRE  has left your voice.

PROMPT OF THE DAY: Write a poem explaining to someone near and dear to you, who is no longer here, how you have kept their legacy alive.

TRIBUTE TO DR. MAYA ANGELOU

A great poet and writer has passed on to the realm of the ancestors.

Today we honor Dr. Maya Angelou. May her spirit be received in peace and harmony.

PROMPT FOR TODAY: Write a poem paying tribute to Dr Maya Angelou.

IF FOR SOME REASON YOU DON'T KNOW WHO SHE WAS, GOOGLE-SEARCH HER NAME AND FIND OUT.

FLASHBACKS

This church was once the Lowe's Gates movie theater. As a child I saw Clint Eastwood here in "Hang'em High."

This was the entrance to the movies.

This building was once the Lowe's Pitkin theater. One of the many films I saw here as a teenager, was the cult film "Night of the Living Dead."

This building once housed the RKO Bushwick movie theater. Here was where I saw Sidney Potier do his thing in "In the Heat of the Night."

This was the entrance to the movies, one of the most incredible buildings I've ever seen.

The poet stands at the entrance to the "J" train, on Broadway in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn.

PROMPT FOR TODAY: It is often said that everything happens for a reason. Look back on your life. Write a poem that describes an incident that happened to you, and why you think it was important in your growth as a person.

ALL OVER BROOKLYN

Out on the streets of Brooklyn. From East Flatbush to Crown Heights to Downtown, I covered the waterfront.

CHURCH AVENUE

CROWN HEIGHTSAFRICAN OUTDOOR BAZAAR-DOWNTOWN

DANCE AFRICA AT BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music)

THE "CLOCK" BUILDING STANDING TALL ON HANSON PLACE.

THE POET AT LARGE IN BROOKLYN ON FULTON STREET 😎

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PROMPT: Write a poem explaining how you would spend your last hours on earth if you only had 24 hours to live.

LIVE BLOG

Greyhound bus station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the city of brotherly love and  all things about independence.

PROMPT: Write a poem using the expression "Let freedom ring." Use it in the beginning, middle, or end of your poem. 

COMING UP ROSES

These rose buds bloomed on the rose bush in my back yard.

PROMPT OF THE DAY:

A rose is a rose is a rose. Write a poem explaining how rose buds know to bloom in May.

MY EFFORT AT PROMPT #12

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on a sunny day
the earth opens up
her loving arms to embrace
the wonderfulness of all
creation

on a sunny day
young men and women
laugh and bask in
the rays of their dreams

on a sunny day
dark old voices
laugh behind their backs
at time wasted
dreaming idle dreams

on a sunny day
things are simple
now there is no
time to spare

WRITE TIME 5/14/2014

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DIG INTO YOUR TOOLBOX AND BUILD A POEM THAT SAYS "YOU."
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PROMPT #12 - Take the phrase "On a sunny day...," and write a poem. The phrase can be in the beginning, middle, or end of your poem.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Will meet you here, Wednesday, 5/21/14 on LET'S TALK POETRY, to share what I've been inspired to write.

MY EFFORT AT PROMPT #11

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FISHING WITH PAPA


Papa shoveled a pile of
Dark rich soil from the
Cabbage patch at my feet
With hordes of wriggly earth-worms
Sticking up out of their
Homes where we plucked them
Squirming into an empty
Crisco can and
Headed out Papa leading the way
Into predawn darkness
Past an abandoned farmhouse
On our way to the creek
Deep in the woods
Quiet as pantry mice we
Slipped legless creepy crawlers
Onto our hooks and tossed
Our lines into the still waters
Dark like the night where my
Line came back empty
Papa's line yielded a crop of
Flapping
Slinky
Slippery
Frightening fish which I quickly
Carried back home past the
Abandoned farmhouse
Papa and the rising sun
Following far behind

POETIC MEMORIAL FOR MAY 15TH

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EMILY DICKINSON (1830-1886) was an American poet. She was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on December 10, 1830.

She was a prolific writer who enclosed her poems in letters that she wrote to her friends. Because of her secluded existence and lifestyle, she has established the image of a poet as that of a recluse and a loner.

Dickinson admired the works of the English poets, John Keats, as well as, Robert and Elizabeth Barrett-Browning, whose poetry was widely popular in both Britain and the United States.

She was dissuaded, however, by advice through family and friends, from reading the poetry of Walt Whitman, her American contemporary, by rumors of the disgracefulness of his poetic subject matters.

Emily Dickinson died on May 15, 1886, and although she was unrecognized during her lifetime, she is now considered one of the towering figures in the annals of poetry.  She is best known for the skillful use of FORM and SYNTAX in her poems.

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To learn more about Emily Dickinson, log on to poets.org and search her name.
To read her poetry log on to poemhunters.com and search her poem titles.
Also log on to biography.com and search her name, as well as google-search her name and read all entries that interest you.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

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To read the SPECIAL MOTHER'S DAY POEM, click on the following link jcdudleywriter.blogspot.com

TO MOTHER WITH LOVE (2010)

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A MEMORIAL POEM FOR MOTHER'S DAY ***
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AFTER THE STORM


Since you've been gone
I'm always lookin'
For your presence
In rain clouds passin'
Overhead through dark
Skies hopin' to see
Your smile in
Bright flashes of
Lightning hear
Your voice in
The boomin'
Aftermath of thunder
Feel your eternal love
In warm rays of
Beaming sunshine



***For my beloved mother, Adele, who lives in my heart!

WRITE TIME 5/7/2014

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DIG INTO YOUR TOOLBOX AND BUILD A POEM THAT SAYS "YOU."
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PROMPT #11 - Write a poem describing what happens when  you go fishing.
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Will meet you here Wednesday, 5/14/14, on LET'S TALK POETRY to share what I've been inspired to write.

MY EFFORT AT PROMPT #10

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no shelter



street corner sign
posted says
no standing bus stop
no standing
where should i sit
i said
on the curb
in the rain
like a fool
stupid rule
i say
not you
my friend says
motor vehicles
i know that i said
not really knowing
no longer standing
at the bus stop

POETIC BIRTHDAY

ROBERT BROWNING was born on May 7, 1812 in Camberwell, England. He died in 1889. Browning was a major figure in the history of English poetry. He decided as a child that he wanted to be a poet and he never seriously attempted any other profession.

He developed poetic technique through the use of "dramatic monologues," in his writings, especially his use of diction, rhythm, and symbol. These elements are regarded as his most important contribution to poetry.

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To read a bio on Robert Browning, click on the following link then search his name poets.org

To read his poetry click on poemhunters.com and search a title.

SPECIAL "LET'S TALK POETRY" PROMPT

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WRITE A POEM FOR MOTHER'S DAY
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***Will meet here on Sunday, 5/11/14,  which is celebrated in the U.S. as Mother's Day,to share what I've been inspired to write.
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DIGGING INTO THE POET'S TOOLBOX

The TOOLBOX contains the following tools: pens or pencils, notebooks or paper, colorful markers, a laptop or tablet, a dictionary, thesaurus and a rhyming dictionary and any thing that helps you put words down.

Speaking of words! Lots of words, and a vivid imagination are a part of every poet's arsenal.

PENS - Find a pen that's comfortable for you. Try out a few. Pens are like shoes. Buy one that fits good. I have a collection of Uni-ball pens that I've been using for over 10 years.

Or if you prefer pencils. My favorite  #2 pencil is Ticonderoga, by Dixon. They call themselves "The World's Best Pencil."

Of course there's your LAPTOP or TABLET of choice and your SMART PHONE.

NOTEBOOK/JOURNAL - Your writer's notebook will be your treasure chest.  It is where you put notes observations, drafts, quotes, lists, letters, jokes, words, drawings, charts, secrets, stuff, and other things.

Like your pen, pick one that's comfortable for you: spiral, composition, wireless, or a 3-ring loose-leaf binder. It can be small, large, medium, extra small or all. In fact I use all of the above.

                       WRITE IN IT ON A REGULAR BASIS!

DICTIONARY
THESAURUS 
RHYMING DICTIONARY

These (3) books are a must. In addition to having a good paperback copy of each book, you can also use the ones built into your electronic devices. I use Webster's New World Dictionary, The Random House Roget's Thesaurus, and The Poetry Dictionary by John Drury. The rhyming dictionary is built into my laptop.

Using these tools you must write all the time. Practice, practice, practice!

(My weekly prompts posted on this blog, LET'S TALK POETRY, is an excellent way to keep you writing, so stay tuned).

In addition to writing all the time, you must also read, read, read! If you are going to WRITE POETRY, you must READ POETRY.

I read poetry throughout the day and night, subscribing to various sites that offer daily poems from various sources. Click on poets.org for starters.

Of course you can add any item to your toolbox that you like, because it it your personal storehouse for creativity.

So open up that toolbox and get busy. The world is waiting to read your poems!


                          THE BEST WAY TO LEARN IS BY DOING!!