Poetry post!

Hokay, so. Awhile ago, I wrote a poem. I've never written a poem before. So, I thought I'd post.
It's loosely based on a sestina, which uses the same six words to close the line, in rotating sequences. And by loosely, I mean I tried to follow the format, but mixed it up somewhere and didn't want to fix it. So here you have it.


A Solitary Flag

He stood in his uniform, the soldier;
She stood in faded jeans, the daughter.
He was leaving, “to fight for your freedom,”
He said, and they moved close to share a hug.
She wept as they embraced. He, too, shed tears.
In the distance flew a solitary flag.

She pinned on her backpack a tiny flag
And wore a ribbon to support her soldier.
Each day she tried to fight the endless tears,
Thinking “I’m strong, I’m a soldier’s daughter.”
Still she could not grasp the thought of freedom,
And wished he was here to share one more hug.

The sister, in college, could offer no hug.
The mother, distraught, could not fly the flag.
In the lonely desert sat the soldier.
The news was all of deaths for freedom.
Insolent classmates brought out the girl’s tears:
“Why be proud,” they jeered, “to be a soldier’s daughter?”

Soon the mother broke, the duties left to the daughter
And nobody offered to give her a hug.
Harder to fight down were the constant tears
As she viewed coffins draped with the flag.
And while she knew this was for freedom,
She wanted her dad back, the proud soldier.

She prayed each night for her father, the soldier.
Across the globe, he prayed for his daughter.
They sustained hope, for the sake of freedom,
But mother, daughter, soldier, all wanted a hug.
Summer months passed like a breeze through a flag
A new child was born, fixing hope, drying tears.

A year had passed, less frequent were the tears.
After school, in the house, stood the soldier.
On his arm, a patch – the shape of a flag.
Screams of joy came from the mouth of the daughter;
She flew forward for that long-awaited hug.
In his arms she finally found that freedom.

The mother, the daughter, and the soldier
Had no more reason for woeful tears.
Through the window flew a solitary flag.


I thought of trying to submit it somewhere, but considering this is the only poem I've ever written, I don't think I will.

change is a comin!

So, the news for this week is that I've lost my second job. While this leaves extra time for school work and leisure reading (yay), it cuts down on the all important, makes-the-world-go-round, money money money. I was already struggling to pay bills and now it's going to be worse.



However, I'm trying to see the silver lining here. I'm still working on my writing, and my WIP is going along swimmingly. I'm not suffering from the delusion that I'll get published and paid, but it's leaving me more time to work toward that ultimate goal.

In other news, I can't wait for spring. Today's temp of 58 degrees gave me a cruel taste of it and I want it now. And of course, could I go out and enjoy it? No...someone was too busy throwing up.

Silver lining...silver lining...

Rejection, Hurrah!

I sent out around nine query letters a few days ago, and in record time I have received my first form letter rejection.





So, I printed it out and put it on my refrigerator. One day I will take all my rejections and say HA! I win, YOU lose!

(maybe.)

I've been unforgivably slow and reticent. But, since I only have one follower (Hi, Melanie!) I think I'm excused.

The ice storm has hit NY. My patio is covered in ice and slush. I gave myself a concussion exactly one week ago on this patio, and since I have to go out to work tonight, chances are I'll do it again. Apparently I'm not too swift on my feet.

And that brings me to my first work related rant on the blog. I have been to work almost every time it snowed, and I still fail to understand why people shop in this weather. They bring their children, for goodness sakes! On the day after Christmas, there was a state of emergency, and people were STILL there. Every customer that comes in today deserves to be injured.

I'll be back sooner than later, I promise...hopefully with something more interesting to say.