Gentle Notes

Good day, dear reader. Day 2 of OctPoWriMo is upon us. This is the first time we have been encouraged to use a specific form. Of course, we don't have to do it but I really like the challenge of having to follow a specific set of rules. I chose to write a cinquain, which is a 5 line poem made up of 1 word (first line), 2 words (second line), 3 words (third line), 4 words (fourth line) and 1 word (5th line). My introduction today is much longer than the poem.

Our prompt today was short. It gave us the thought of 'notes' (which are usually quite short) written to 'you'. We get to choose who the 'you' is in our poem. My piece today is more musical (notes) than lyrical. And today's work is dedicated to my dear wife, who is my best friend, my partner in crime, my lover and the only person who could put up with me. Thank you, Dianne. I love you.

Rod E. Kok
October 2, 2018

Music

plays softly.

Gentle notes evoke

passion. I am embracing

you.

Willing to Surrender

Good day, dear reader. Today is the first day of October in the year of our Lord 2018. This is a great day, for it means the beginning of OctPoWriMo. October Poetry Writing Month has been dear to me for a long time, and although my participation in it has been lacking the last couple years, it is time once again to embrace the challenge. My muse has been gone for a long time. I am hoping that this month will be a breakout month for me, and for my poetry.

Today's prompt is about surrender, and what it means to us. How do we define it? I dug into my past and glanced into my present. The result is my first poem of OctPoWriMo 2018. I hope you enjoy it.

Rod E. Kok
October 1, 2018

I used to open up

about how deep

I was sinking

into quicksand.

Open yet closed,

nobody really knew

me.

Demons were my lovers;

the succubus

held a flame

to my heart.

Willing to surrender,

I fought myself.

I hurt my body,

my soul…

Today I am different.

Weakness is still

my strength;

temptation still

holds my hand.

I recognize myself

in the mirror of

self-examination;

I reach out to me,

showing grace

where none is deserved.

Willing to surrender,

I forgive the old me.

I embrace myself,

and learn

to love.

Back in the Saddle Again

Feb. 21, 2018. That was the last time I wrote a poem. It was also the last time I published a poem. I miss it, dear reader. I really do miss trying to put some words together that form poetry. And I am happy for the subjectivity of poetry. It does not matter if it is good or not. Either way, it is poetry. And that is why I can publish today's piece. I know it is not great...and I don't care. It is mine. I own it. And hopefully, it means what the title says. 

Rod E. Kok

I am going to try find

some words that make sense;

or at the very least,

that I am proud

to have written.

Maybe I will start

with something simple;

or perhaps this effort

will just be

a jumble of thoughts.

I suppose it doesn’t matter;

sensible or illogical,

does anybody really care?

I don’t.

I am breaking my own rules,

using words I’ve sworn

to never include in a work.

And I feel really darn good

that I am trying

to get back

in the saddle again.

The Ax

Good afternoon dear reader

It was time to write. So many words live in my heart and my head, but none of them have made it into a poem. It was time to change that. I could tell as I wrote this that I am desperately out of practice, but it felt good to finally get some words down. Please enjoy.

RK
Feb. 21 / 2018

An axe was put to a tree;

a sharpened tool cut,

causing pain.

Causing pain.

Blow by blow, that tree shuddered;

what once was solid and strong

became fragile.

The tree no longer had confidence

in being able to stand

straight and tall.

Too much damage

had been done.

I wish my hand

had never gripped

that axe of destruction.

I long for the tree

to be whole again.

I weep for what I have wrought;

my tears are not enough

to replenish the strength

of that beautiful tree

I caused to suffer.

Epiphany

Hello dear reader

I am a few days behind in my writing for OctPoWriMo. I have thought about not finishing, as I am having troubles finding my muse. But, continue I will. At my own pace. 
Please enjoy Day 5's poem, which prompted us to write something based on lessons learned. I think I have captured it quite well in an acrostic called Epiphany.

RK

Each day anew, I see the

Possibility that

I will experience

Pain.

Having the ability to deal with

A lot of negatives will

Never let me down.

Yesterday is in the past.