New Nostradamus Quatrain

Today I read a story online. It was about the discovery of a new Quattrain by the Medieval Mystic Nostrodamus.

The Quatrain reads:

When Two Score and Four,
Sits beneath the Eagles Claw.
Then in One Hundred Score and three times four,
Firey rain to Earth Shall pour.

To read more of the story CLICK HERE!

The Indianapolis 500

Often as a poet there is a feeling which you want to share.

Several years ago, I wrote this poem, now slightly updated, about a trip to the Indianapolis 500 practice week.

The practice runs for the whole week before the race on the Sunday before Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, and the start of the American summer.

It was my first visit to the "Brickyard" as the Indianapolis speedway is known. The track is actually quite small only a little over the width of four cars  and my admiration for the drivers who throw their cars around that space only increased.

One of the greatest prizes in motor sport, winning the Indy 500, is celebrated not with formula one's more flamboyant champagne, but a cold bottle of milk, which dates back to the later days of prohibition.

I hope you will enjoy reading a tribute to Middle America and the heroes and heroines as well as the people who make the Indy 500 and the Brickyard a special place for me.

At the Speedway CLICK Here!

Wait

So much of our life is spent just waiting. I lost track of the times when I asked a question and I was told by my mother to "Wait."

It just seems at times we wait while we wait. When we stand in line at the store we wait patiently but we also wait at the same time to receive a call on our cell phone or wait to receive a text or wait to plan a new venture, all at the same time.

A whole life seems to be spent waiting sometimes.

This poem is about reasons we wait.

Wait to be born.
Wait to be fed.
Wait to be changed.
Wait to be bathed.
Wait for your Birthday.
Wait to go to school.
Wait for Christmas.
Now that's a long wait.

To read the rest of Wait,  Click HERE!

What is Haiku?

Haiku are a Japanese form of poetry.

They are quite a popular form of poetry in the West today though the Western form cannot equal the beauty of the Japanese originals. As Japanese Caligraphy is an art form in itself and the Haiku of Japanese origin was created using a more picturesque language. The original was a "warm-up" for poets exercising their minds to create longer poems, often in competition with each other.

Haiku comprises of three lines with 5-7-5 elements. In English these elements are considered syllables whereas in the original Japanese the language allowed for entire thoughts to be presented in the form of the pictographic characters of the Japanese language.

The syllable form is less romantic in its form but works well.

Explanation of syllables:

A syllable is a vocalization in English. How the word sounds so for example.

Hand  (1 syllable)

Cowboy,  Cow-- Boy  (2 syllables)

Traffic    Tra--fic  (2 syllables)

Thunderstorm  Thun--der--storm  (3 syllables.

The syllable count is important in formal Haiku where you must count the syllables 5 in the first line, seven in the second and five again in the third line.  Don't count words count syllables.

An Example of one of my Haiku.

Summer

Tar scent, dry earth, burn.

Haze of Shimmering glass, light.

Withering, heat. Burn. 

Following these simple rules you can have great fun creating your own short poems.

To see more of my work   CLICK HERE!

Blind Faith: A Modern Poem

Blind Faith is a modern style poem. That is to say it is a story of a train of thought not necessarily rhyming or with a fixed meter.

Through the poem I aimed to describe a world of frustration at growing blindness. I have been going blind for several years now. Sometimes my vision seems to creep away slowly, other days I notice I can see a lot less than I could only hours before.

In part a lament at my growing disability, in part a song of hope that either science or religious Faith might bring respite or reconciliation for me in the struggle.

It  is the story of one man's experience through growing fog and isolation.

To read Blind Faith CLICK HERE!

Harry Potter Limerick

A few days ago, I published this tribute Limerick for Harry Potter.

It is my thank you to JK Roeling for the wonderful character that she created, and to the movie series which just ended.

Click Here for Harry Potter: The Limerick

I Want to Go to the Seaside

Many a summer's day is spent at the seaside, beach or ocean. Whatever you call it it can bring back pleasant memories, to share with the one you love.

This poem mixes a desire to go to the seaside with the one you love and childhood memories of summer days long passed.

It is about sharing memories of childhood days as well as making new precious memories of times together.

If you can't take a trip to the beach, ocean or seaside with someone you love and enjoy a sunset walk on the beach with them, why not enjoy a poem about that very thing together.

Better still write your loved one a poem.

To reade I Want To Go To The Seaside  Click Here