Two new poems - Family

So, after skirting the subject out of fear that I would not do it justice, family has come to the forefront of my poetry for a time.

Here are two inspired by my grandmother.  If you don't quite get it, it's o.k. Here are some clues.....my grandmother had a silent laugh.  When she got to laughing hard enough she stopped making noise and just did an almost silent wheeze as a laugh.  In 'The Laugh' I am trying to capture that memory.

Not many remember the 'Hand with the Power,' but I sure do.  When we couldn't open a jar or lid, my Grandmother would take it and in one swift try, remove the lid as though there was never any problem.  She called it her 'Hand with the Power.'  Now if you knew my grandmother, she had bad arthritis by the time I remembered her using the 'Hand with the Power' so it was really something to see her open a jar or bottle with those beautiful crooked hands.  She employed it, in my young memory, whenever there was something we kids couldn't do by ourselves.  For me, it was just another one of the many wonderful things I loved about her.

The Laugh

September 27, 2010

By Kimberly L. McClune

At first a giggle

Then a soft laugh.

As it progresses

Becomes silent

And more funny

As it persists.

Breathing shorter

Then a wheeze.

Tears fall

Sides held.

Silence maintains

Then slowly subsides.

****

The Hand with The Power

September 27, 2010

By Kimberly L. McClune

Whether bottle, jar, or box

If the lid was stuck,

Too tight to move,

You took it and employed

The hand with the power.

It could remove any impediment

To the progress of a meal,

Remove any obstacle to a project,

Relieve any doubt of you

And your great abilities.

Newest Poem

So, now that Autumn is here, my favorite season, and poetry as taken a hold of me, my next subject had to be the new season.

 

This poem was actually inspired by a piece of music by a favorite pianist, George Winston.  His 'Autumn ' is one of my favorite albums he has done.  The selection "Longing/Love" is my favorite cut on that album.  In whistling it to myself in the car this afternoon, words once again flooded into my head and I had to start writing.  Spent most of the afternoon going over and over it hopefully making it perfect.

 

Please enjoy.

 

New Season

September 25, 2010

By Kimberly L. McClune

 

Colors fill the sky.

Sunset lights the waning sky.

Colors fill the sky

And take my breath away,

Take me to new heights.

 

That's when the summer sun goes down,

It goes o'er the crest of the far hill.

That's when the summer sun goes down

Harvest full moon rises so high.

 

The leaves are changing and falling down to the ground

They float and they swirl all around.

The red and gold and russet leaves fall down

They float and they swirl all around.

 

The wind carries them through a crystal clear sky

And the sun warms the crisp air,

The breezes bring us a feeling of change in our hearts

And we welcome it openly, feeling it, smelling it, tasting it, seeing it.

 

The Autumn winds have come now.

The air is crisp and clear now.

The leaves have changed to gold now.

And we begin to reap now.

 

The sun hangs low in the sky.

The leaves float and fill the sky.

The wind whips crisp through the sky.

The full moon shines in the sky.

 

Glowing with gold

Shining with red

Gleaming yellow

Fiery russet

 

The changing season fills my heart.

It brings a joy of living.

My eyes are filled with the beauty.

This coming season is a gift.

 

Long northern shadows scatter on the ground

New glow washes over the land.

Every single thing has a new countenance

And shows a new face to the world.

 

A brighter sun shines in the new Autumn day

A new breeze fills the air with its song,

Colors, brilliant and new pop up everywhere.

The season is known for;

 

                falling leaves,

                                                            falling leaves,

                               

 

                                     falling leaves,

 

 

                                                                   falling leaves,

 

 

                             falling leaves.

 

Falling leaves fall.

 

Glowing with light

Then down they fall.

 

A new season is here.

Crisp air, new sun, full breeze

Lead us toward the Winter.

Newest Poem

Early Autumn Moon

September 21, 2010

Kimberly McClune

Peeking from behind cloudy tendrils,

The silvery sphere shines hazily

Looking upon a darkened landscape.

Dusky, jagged fingers

Traverse the darkened sky

Obscuring the radiant autumnal disk.  

The translucent brume obscures its light.                 

Only a dim image appears

From beneath its cloudy sheath.

Slowly emerging from its concealment,

The re kindled celestial beacon

Transmits a full harvest of light.

*********************************
Here is the newest poem as described in my post tonight.  Have had a few positive comments thus far and reading it gives me a chill.  (in a good sense)

Intersting twist

I now find that the stories I was trying to work on to post and further along are behind me.  I am thoroughly overtaken with my inspirations for poems.  Have written 8 in the last month.  Finding my inspiration in my life, my friends and in nature thus far. 

 

Watching the moon on the drive home just after dark last night I found words flooding my head.  Got home and shooed away my daughter in order to finish my thoughts.  That poem is perhaps my best thus far.

 

Wrote poems for and about two friends and about smoke just on Friday alone.  Three in one day.  In school, poetry amazed, scared and thrilled me all at the same time.  When the assignment in class was to write my own, I was one of the ones who froze - solid.  I had no idea how to start.  Now I can't seem to stop once I get going and it takes very little to get me started.

 

Totally ecstatic that my daughter's teachers find her ability to come up with story ideas is uncanny.  She writes and writes in class.  The teacher said she has an excellent voice in her writing.  It thrills me that she is able to put so much of herself out there in her work.  It has taken me until my ripe old age here to get to this point in my work.

 

I hope that those of you taking a look at what I have produced are satisfied that I am painting a clear picture that is both interesting and touching for you. 

 

 

Third Poem Post

Smoke
September 17, 2010
Kimberly L. McClune

Clinging to the air in ever changing shapes and patterns
Gradient translucence moves in silent grace
From one form to another.
It wafts upward and outward
Swirling dreamily.
It’s unfocused, purposeless, free and unfettered existence
Finally dissipates into nothingness.

The inspiration for this was actually a cigarette. I was driving down Broadway to meet friends for dinner and was behind a red truck. The man driving was smoking a cigarette with the window down. At a red light, I found myself watching the smoke float about in and out of the window and this poem was born.

I am surprised that I seem to find inspiration just about anywhere for putting together a few words.

Enjoy.

Second Poem Post

O.K. so this time my poem is about the sky before sunset.  Once again I am in the car and checking out the sky, which is streaked with light in such a fascinating way.  My head is once again filling with words before I can get to my destination and write them all down. Notes for this were taken at stop lights on my trip. The poem itself was completed after I got home.  No I do not write while I am driving, at least not very often. Hope you like it.

 

Evening Sky

September 14, 2010

 

Patterned clouds,

Rays of sun,

Patches of soft grays,

Woven with delicate filaments.

 

Quilted fragments of sunset.

Shining, wispy threads,

Stitched with light,

Designed by Heavens Hand.

 

By Kimberly L. McClune

 

My daughter has offered to paint a picture to depict this poems images.  I will endeavor to figure out how to post that once it's complete.

Second story post

Here is a story that I have not completed yet.  It stems from a bedtime story I told to Julia and had re told with different endings, etc.  I have been considering whether this character should be in multiple stories or if I should just pick one and stick to it.  I'm waiting for the little gal to speak to me and let me know what direction to take her in.  The title character is based on a stuffed animal Julia got at the hospital. Many of the characters in my bedtime stories are based on her 'friends.'

 

As always, I welcome any comments or ideas.  Thanks and I hope you enjoy what I have created so far.

 

**********************

Working title: "The Story of Icicle"

 

Shivering out in the cold at the base of a large pine tree was a tiny polar bear cub.  Through the blowing snow her eyes were fixed on the brightly lit front door.  There was a pretty wreath on the door with a big red ribbon.  The house looked so warm and inviting.

 

The little cub carefully made her way to the stairs and started to climb up.  She heard a noise and stopped, almost afraid to move.  Then she heard laughter from inside.  As she started to climb the last two stairs, she heard happy voices behind the big front door.

 

When the tiny cub reached the front door she reached out her paw and gave it a scratch.  Then she gave it a knock.  It wasn't a loud knock, but it was enough. 

 

"Mom, I think I heard someone at the door." said a girl's voice.

"Are you sure? Who would be out on a night like this?" replied a woman's voice.

 

Soon the big door opened a little and a girl with short brown hair and brown eyes looked out.  She didn't see anyone and started to shut the door saying, "Mom, you're right.  No one's there." 

 

"Shut the door quickly.  Don't let the snow and cold inside." said the woman's voice.

 

Before the girl could shut the door, the tiny cub let out a small yelp.  The girl looked down and froze in place.  A big smile came across her face and she bent down in the doorway.  She stared at the tiny cub for a moment.

 

"Honey, shut that door!" came a cry from the woman somewhere beyond the door.

 

The girl stood up and called back, "But Mom, there's a little bear cub out here.  Come see!"

 

In a moment, a woman with short red hair wearing an apron was at the door looking down at the cub.  "Oh, honey, it's so tiny!" she said.

 

"Yeah, Mom, can we bring it inside?  I'm afraid it'll freeze out there tonight."

 

"I suppose we'll have to, dear." the woman replied.

 

So the cub was taken inside the cozy house and placed on a pillow in front of a lovely fire.  The cub could hear pretty music playing.  She cuddled up on the pillow and the girl sat down beside her.  The girl petted the cub and put a soft blanket over her.  The tiny cub started to feel all warm and snuggly.

 

Soon the woman brought a shallow dish of warm milk and set it down by the pillow.  Immediately the cub wiggled out from under the blanket and put her nose down in the dish and drank slowly.  She seemed to be savoring every drop.  Feeling its warm goodness go down her throat, filling her empty tummy.

 

In a little while the girl called to her mother, "Mom can we give her something to eat?"

 

"Yes." was the answer that came from the kitchen.

 

The little girl got up and went to the kitchen.  After a short time, she returned with a small plate of tuna.  She placed the dish down next to the pillow.  The little cub wiggled out from under the blanket again and nibbled up the tuna until it was all gone.  She looked up at the girl and smiled, then got herself back under the warm blanket.

 

The girl watched, mesmerized by the little cub.  She thought that it hardly seemed real.  The cub was pure white with a turned up nose and two sweet black eyes that seemed to smile at her.  She felt that the cub was very special, but couldn't put her finger on why.  So she sat down again next to the pillow and began to stroke the fur on the back of the cubs head.  Relaxing with every touch, the cub snuggled further down against the soft pillow with the warmth of the fire and the blanket reviving her.