Poetry Thursday Returns

 A New Day's Lyric - a poem for the New Year is just what we need right about now.

Amanda Gorman does it again. The poem is gorgeous, evocative, inspiring, all of that and more. Especially getting to hear her speak her own words.

But that gown...just...wow.

I was eating these cold plums out of the fridge the other day, and just had to post this poem and picture combination. 

This Is Just To Say

William Carlos Williams, 1883 - 1963

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

Speak River

For Photo Thursday on Create a Connection, we're supposed to show summer water. Here is a photo from last summer, the small river that my husband played in while a child in Amherst,NY.

Also, for Poetry Thursday, the completely and totally optional prompt is: River, so here is a poem I wrote about rivers.

Speak River
By Julie Zaccone Stiller

To speak river,
one must
be able to:
burble unselfconsciously,
keep up with the flow of conversation effortlessly,
part ways around obstructions unceasingly,
move one's point forward tirelessly,
and merge with the other participants finally,
finally in the sea.

To listen river,
one must
be able to:
open up and listen with more than one's ears.

Let's Give Her a Hand

Catching up on a week away (camping at the beach! sand, sun, rain, wind, wheeee).

Here is my hand with shadows for Self Portrait Challenge and Create a Connection, and a poem for Poetry Thursday. All at once, an illusion of being "caught up" (whatever *that* means!).


A Show of Hands
by Julie Zaccone Stiller

Hands and shadows
work and absence

Moving through tasks
arrange and control

Prove the worth
win with a gesture

Lose all thought
of rest and ease

Poetry Thursday - Moon Moon

For Poetry Thursday this week I'm actually following the prompt and writing a poem inspired by a photo. This was taken on March 1st at 6pm (before daylight savings!) from the parking lot of the now-defunct Mexican restaurant in Boulder Creek. (waaahh!). I was struck by how bright the moon was, and how close it seemed for this time of year, and I loved how it was framed by the tree outlines. I steadied my camera on the top of my car to get a clearer shot. Clickable for a larger view



Moon, Moon
by Julie Zaccone Stiller

Moon, Moon
Quiet
She rises over all
Giving Her light freely
Bright
She shines
Asking for nothing

Moon, Moon
Close
to my sight
Held in the branches
Distant
removed
Not able to touch Her

Moon, Moon
Clear
in night vision
She holds our mystery
Deep
in the soul
Of our world's myths

Gratitude Card

Here is the collage that I did for a deck project, all about Gratitude. It was fascinating to see what all the things were that the participants were grateful for. The words say: "I Am So Grateful for This TIME". The picture is clickable to see it larger. Isn't that background image amazing? It was from an article illustration in the magazine Wired (it is smoke!).

I thought it would be a good illustration for this poem about time, and since it is Poetry Thursday, here goes:

Marking Time

by Julie Zaccone Stiller

Slow pause hesitate

Notice observe absorb

How long did that take?

...

Endless stretch ahead

no horizon's end in sight

The door closes on this moment.

...

Awaken to this new day

another cycle echoes

Repeat the lessons learned

...

Again Tomorrow Now

all crash in synchronicity

Shoulders sag under time's burden

Angry Moon

For Poetry Thursday, I went to a very fun to use and inspiring website called Erasures.

You get a hundred to two hundred word snip of text to erase word by word to make a poem. Fun, go try it!

I like to do this in real-life in altered books (part of the fun of doing art in a book is utilizing the text as part of the artwork), usually by circling words with pencil to make a poem and then painting around them, so only they show.

So here is the poem I came up with was as follows:

The Angry Moon

by Julie Zaccone Stiller

the Moon met

us, and

she was angry, for

all not openly.

for the moonlight is beautiful.

observe the days all

correctly,

the gods are constantly threatening,

sacrificing, inflicting litigating.

observing

pouring

and laughing.

this year

deprived gods crown; for thus

will know better ought to spend the days of

life according to the Moon.

You can see how it looks, with strange spacing, lines, punctuation etc. over here. Different feel isn't it?

Poetry Thursday

For more poems and writing about poems, you should go check out:
Poetry Thursday

Rain, Again


by Julie Zaccone Stiller





Dark morning


Sunrise obscured


Dampness arriving


Nearly dried, now disturbed





Rattle and gurgle


Water down drains


Expecting a shower


Receiving wet panes





Unclean, now sodden


Debris of a storm


Rusting in place


Not waiting til dawn





Rain, again


Resigned to the season


Stay locked indoors


Dry, unless there's a reason

Traces Left Behind

For Poetry Thursday, here is a poem I wrote to go with this picture. It is of a muddy handprint left on the chaise lounge pad which was hanging on the deck railing to dry out.

One Hand, Only
by Julie Zaccone Stiller

Only one hand
holding out hope
grasping at truth

Only one hand
stirring the pot
pouring out tea

Only one hand
shaking on agreement
signing a compromise

Only one hand
drawing the bath
scrubbing his back

Only one hand
pointing out significance
gesturing an acceptance

Only one hand
caressing a cheek
patting a shoulder

Only one hand
sharing the burden
with the other


Oh and here are some animal Paw Prints. Why who has been visiting? The raccons of course! Coming on the deck to see if the cats have left them any food. Nope, sorry.