A.F. Stewart's Blog, page 78

National Poetry Month Day 12: Last Dance #NaPoWriMo

We trip the light fantastic, and darkly, in my daily poem for Day 12 Of National Poetry Month...




The Last Dance
Our starlit night, a celestial crownperched in glory atop our lives.The music begins, a rhythmic waltz;it’s our final dance, before the end.
Perched in glory, atop our lives,splayed out, together memories;moments we laughed, or cried.
The music begins, a rhythmic waltz;the strains of our favorite Straussimbue the night and our hearts.
It’s our final dance, before the end,before that concluding breath,before that last kiss of forever.

© A. F. Stewart 2015 All Rights Reserved 

Three Featured Poets and a Daily Poem #NaPoWriMo

On April 7th I hosted a poetry slam on Facebook to celebrate my book release and National Poetry Month. As part of that slam, three lucky poets were chosen for a feaure on this blog. Here are those talented poets and their delightful poems. Enjoy...




Baby Shoes
For you, Lily, who never wore shoes
on your two tiny blue feet
For you, Noah, whose only shoeswere supple, lamb-leatherwithout any scuffsFor you, Carl, who lost your red shoein a New York subway,along with the rest of you.
May you wear shoes of gold in Heaven

© Susan Budig 2015
~*~

Colors of Happiness
Real
women
in pinkwith
notpaintedpaper
faces
busy
shopping
for theirlittle piecesof happinessin redcolorfuldressesmakingbrightn’ sunnyhappiness
of my
drearylongbusy days…

© copyright Daniel Shivas April 7, 2015

Image Credit: By Brian Snelson from Hockley, Essex, England (Flower Hmong women) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)], via Wikimedia Commons

~*~

COLORS

I was in life’s colors conceived and made,
And born to bright and singing shades
Of reds and greens and blues and allThe colors human eyes could even see.
And as I grew, they grew with me...
Brightly expanding into my world to showUs all there was no point in choosing oneWhen all of them were there for all to see.
I became adult, a man grown and filled with
Self-certainty and knowledge that these Colors always with us were and would ever beBringing with them her love and my joy in it.
Our children were in colors conceived and made
And born to bright and singing primary shadesThat made up our lives and gave usJoy in each and all and ever one another
Life’s joyous colors carried us into forever
Until the colors began to fade in abrupt silenceAll we’d done and made began to lose the lusterOf the joy from when the colors first were new
The children left and birthed their own,
Their own colors to make and see, and their ownLives to lead and follow. But from our lives the
Colors faded surely as the last leaves of autumn.
And like the single-color white of winter, the
Death of color in our life came suddenly, no alarm
Sounded, no warning spoken, just the rapid fadeOf all life’s colors to the inexorable white of death.

© 2015 R C Larlham – All Rights Reserved to Author
~*~
And now for my daily poem.Today is Day 11 of National Poetry Month and here is my offering:
A Smile Away From Tears
One smileOne frozen smileOne plastered smilepainted in lipstick
One falseOne fakeOne maskAwayOne smile away
From breaking downFrom letting goFrom showing allthe painthe misery
One frozen, plastered, smiling, painted mask away
From tears

© A. F. Stewart 2015 All Rights Reserved 

National Poetry Month Day 10: Cocoon of Self Banishment #NaPoWriMo

Without further ado, my daily poem for Day 10 Of National Poetry Month:



Cocoon of Self Banishment
In life’s sheltered expectationconsigned, contained to your stationstill, wordlessly you yearnInfinity wrapped frustrationentangled amidst temptationfor escape to discern

© A. F. Stewart 2015 All Rights Reserved 



If you're a fan of my poetry, be sure to check out my new book, Colours of Poetry

National Poetry Month Day 9: Change Of Season #NaPoWriMo

Here's my daily poem for Day 9 Of National Poetry Month



Change Of Season
A youthful glance, a coquettish flutterAnd the jade wind tingles, a first blushChange of Season
Daring ventures, a darling vixenAnd the ruby wind stirs, with budding heatChange Of Season
Life learned wisdom, emergent maturityAnd the topaz wind abates, the early chillChange of Season
The vacant resound, his straying eyeAnd the opal wind shifts, twisting frigidChange Of Season

© A. F. Stewart 2015 All Rights Reserved 

National Poetry Month Day 8: Awkward #NaPoWriMo

Today, for National Poetry Month, I have two poems. One for Day 8 and one for Day 7. Yesterday's poem was originally posted on Facebook, as the blog was preempted by the release of my new poetry book, Colours of Poetry . However, I thought my blog readers might like it so today it's a two for one deal. Oh, and I have the names of the winners of the Colours of Poetry Rafflecopter giveaway. Enjoy.





 Awkward
To dance with eloquence…Sigh. I have two left feet

She stands across the floorBut I have two left feet

To twirl her in my armsSadly, I have two left feet
Would we tango, do a dip?Alas, I have two left feet
Should I try? Should I ask?I’m afraid. I have two left feet
To dance with eloquenceThe impossible dreamI have two left feet

© All Rights Reserved A. F. Stewart
~*~





Dallying Outside the Box
Outside the looming, proverbial boxAgainst the sprint of ticking clocksI dally, dally, and the whole world gawksPerhaps it’s me, or my mismatched socksI’m outside, outside, always peering inStaring at you with my lopsided grin
I open my mouth; I have something to say“Love the clouds, and their shade of grey”I shimmy, I shimmy, shattering feet of clayIs it time to prance, my hour of play?I’m trapped in a box, a box, cried the mimeA mimicry set to the tower bell chime
Outside I stand, beyond your crateNo act for me, with a balancing plateI dilly, I dally, my whole life’s a feteAnd no jackets for me, not crooked or straitI’m beyond, beyond, just out of reachAlways grinning at you, ain't I a peach?

© All Rights Reserved A. F. Stewart
~*~

And now for the giveaway winners
The three winners are:
Veronica HoskingHenry BrabynSheila Deeth
I'm emailed each winner about their prize of a free ecopy of Colours of Poetry.Congratulations to all!

Book Spotlight: Colours of Poetry

Today's the release day for my new book, Colours of Poetry!Here's a spotlight to introduce it to the world.Plus, there's a Facebook party, and a giveaway!

Colours of Poetry by A. F. Stewart
Light through a prism, and we see colour.
Colour is all around, enveloping our lives and feelings. Through tinted shades we see the world, with emotional ties that bind.Within the book, Colours of Poetry, you will find eleven sections, all representations of different hues, each featuring seven poems that explore the intricacies and fallacies of our world. Come and sail the Sapphire Sea and Sky, cringe at the Crimson Bloodstains, wonder at the Emerald Creation, dazzle in the Lemon Daybreak, linger in the Tangerine Sunset, sniff the Violet Petals, feel Umber the Earth, let the Black as Night and Death surround you, shiver as you pass by White Winter Bones, lose yourself in the Grey Haze, and stare up at the Silver Stars…

You can find the book at:Amazon.comAmazon.caBarnes and NobleiTunesSmashwordsKobo

~
Excerpt:
Under the Midnight Sun
Here, there is no illuminationbut from the misaligned sunon the far wandering horizonAnd in our everlasting dayswe spend our transitory sanitychasing gilded gleams of hope
© All Rights Reserved A. F. Stewart
 ~

Author Bio:
A. F. Stewart was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, and still calls it home.  The youngest in a family of seven children, she has always had an overly creative mind and an active imagination. She is fond of good books (especially science fiction/fantasy), action movies, sword collecting, and oil painting as a hobby.Ms. Stewart is an indie author with several published novellas and story collections in the dark fantasy or horror genres, with a few side trips into poetry and non-fiction. She has a great interest in history and mythology, often working those themes into her books and stories.

And be sure to check out the book release party, Colours of Poetry Slam, happening today on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/events/357548374428534/
And enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway to win a Smashwords copy of the book:



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Day Six of National Poetry Month: Under the Orange Tree #NaPoWriMo

Under the Orange Tree
Summer winds blow strong,carrying the scent of loveYou and I beneath the orange tree,the shaded heavens above
Remembering the citrus scent,our stolen kisses like sweet ChablisThe shaded heavens above,you and I beneath the orange tree
And such love will never pale,nor that precious memory ofyou and I beneath the orange tree,the shaded heavens above



© All Rights Reserved A. F. Stewart

National Poetry Month - #NaPoWriMo

As faithful readers know I've been busy with the launch of my new poetry book, Colours of Poetry, and the upcoming book launch party/poetry slam on Facebook, but I'm still writing a poem a day this April (inspired by prompts from one of my poetry groups). So I'm posting a bit of a catch-up post here, with my daily poems.





Day 1: Posted on my April 1st, Drabble Wednesday post: http://afstewartblog.blogspot.ca/2015/04/drabble-wednesday-april-fooling.html

Day 2:
Swords and Dragons
Wake the kingdom, bang the drumThe gloried knights, raising steelGather the host, what may comeWe will make the dragon squeal
The gloried knights, raising steelRouse the fervour, swing the blade,we will make the dragon squealMarch to grandeur, lead the raid
Rouse the fervour, swing the bladeDragon fire, bring all to die March to grandeur, lead the raidSee the shadows o’er the sky
Dragon fire, bring all to dieSee the shadows o’er the skyGather the host, what may come Wake the kingdom, bang the drum

Day 3:
A Willow in the Yard
Weathered, a little brokenlike meBut still standing
Weeping willowthey call youbowing, bendingBut still standing
Like me

Day 4:
Memento
Bitter smoke and lingeringreminders
The open window doesn'talleviate
The smell of your cigarspermeates
the roommeour broken lives
I miss you,but you’re gone
Despite the scent of your cigars

Day 5:
Crossing Between
Dividing periphery, a flowperchance to intersect, schism deepSoft immersion, treading slow Dividing periphery, a flowwholly submerged in the undertowSurrender, to the undercurrent sweepDividing periphery, a flowperchance to intersect, schism deep

~*~


And check out my giveaway page for a chance to win Colours of Poetry:http://afstewartblog.blogspot.ca/p/blog-page_4.html

Colours of Poetry Slam on Facebook

On April 7th, I'm releasing my new book of poetry, Colours of Poetry, and to celebrate that release and National Poetry Month I'm hosting a Facebook poetry party!

 
Check out the Facebook Event:https://www.facebook.com/events/357548374428534/

The Party Rules are simple:
1 - Post a poem inspired by our theme: colour
2 - Post a poem inspired by or in honour of National Poetry Month
3 - Post any old poem
4 - Have fun
And as a treat for participants, I'll be picking three random poems for a feature here on the blog: http://afstewartblog.blogspot.ca/


And there's a Rafflecopter giveaway of my book:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
So, come over and post your poems and have some fun!And feel free to invite your poet friends, the more the merrier.

Drabble Wednesday: April Fooling

This week Drabble Wednesday falls on April Fool’s Day, so of course today is a celebration of fools…


Today is also the start of National Poetry Month, so I’ll begin with a short acrostic poem:

The Fool
Jokester, trickster, crawling inside my skinEager to escape, to spread a bit of sin Slathered perpetual, my impish fresco grinTread the spotlight, innuendo jokes wearing thin?Ever no, welcome that eternal audience chagrinRousing iniquity served with a prankster spin
~*~



Behind the Mask
“Bring me the jester! He has poisoned the king!” There’s an agitated edge in my voice, but I cannot help it. The body of my husband lies at my feet, and the spilled goblet of poisoned wine stains the marble floor. Guards scurry from the throne room as the apothecary covers the king with a shroud. They soon return, but produce no jester.“We did not find him, your Highness. Only this.” The man hands me a mask. I stare at the painted grin with relief. He escaped. I thought for certain the fool had botched things changing the plan.



And here’s one from my drabble vault:



The Lot of a Fool
“Forsooth, I will go, and bring this cheddar and wine,” I reply with a smile, accepting the tray from the cook. But verily my grin vanishes as soon as I follow the servants from the kitchen heading to the dining hall.Oh, twaddle and bother. Now I must play the fool again for my lord at the supper, and no doubt have grease or wine stains upon my purple velvet pantaloons come day’s end. Leastwise I shall endure the horrid sight of him devouring a leg of pork to its rind. Why didn’t I heed Mother, and become a scribe?