The Poetry Dance Hall

Come see the Dancers :)

2006-03-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

Well, the magnetic poetry is starting to come in. :) My buddy Crystal called me yesterday and laughed at her attempts to do a poem, saying how hard it is to use someone elses words.

I agree. I am full of my own words, (and often full of so much else, but we won't go there, will we?) but the constarint of doing the peoms with the few words given was quite a challenge. Yet, I have to admit, I felt strangely happy with the results of both poems so far, possibly because it was not so easy, and the finished poem was still part of who I am. :)

With that said, I am going to compile a list of links to the magnet poetry the dancers have sent in so far, to make it easier for you to visit. Take a few moments and see what people have done, leave a comment when you can :) And, by all means, try it yourself. You're not going to let a few magnetic words beat you are ya? lol :)

Paul: Espresso Buzz

Paul: majik

Christina: Spring

Dawn (me): I know you

Tanya: Your Charm and Softness

Rachael Anne: I Drink Coffee

Dawn (me): I inhaled truth

Crystal: Grace Blazes Majestic

March Assignment!

2006-03-13T16:59:00.000-07:00

Hello Dancers! Wow... it's been so long since I have done any writing I feel like my "poetry shoes" must have shrunk. I feel strangely nervous...lol!

But, as my title insinuates, the Poetry Dance hall is once again open and it's time for an Assignment!

Ever heard of refrigerator poetry? Those cool magnets you buy in a box, each is a word and everybody in the house can take turns rearranging the words to create a poem of their own?

Well, there are a few sites that have the same concept in mind, and your assignment for the next two weeks, dear dancers, is to create a poem at one of the following sites, and post it in your blog, or journal, or website. (Please make sure to include the link of the site you used to create the poem.) When you've posted your poem, post a link here at the Dance Hall so we can all visit your poem and oooh and Ahhhhh over your magnet word prowness!

The final date for the assignment will be Monday the 27th of March, so get 'em in while ya can :) You can post and link as many as you like.... no limits :)

There are no winners or losers in the assignments, this is for the pure fun of creation and sharing. So spread the word and let all of your buddies know, the more the merrier! I'll be choosing a few of my favorites to post here in the Dance Hall, I can't wait to see what you guys come up with!

Magnet Poetry Links:

Drops of Poetry

Magnetic Poetry

Here's one of mine, just as an example. I'll start putting everyone else's up soon!

Keep your eyes out, because I'll be posting the Poetry Challenge in the next couple of days! (The Challenge is a judged contest.... I'll post it by Friday!)

Dusting out the Cobwebs

2006-03-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I deceided to close the Dance Hall for the Holidays right before Christmas, and I never got back to it.

For a variety of reasons I just kinda let it slip away, though a part of me has yearned to do more poetry play. I figured most people were not interested since I had left AOL, and I got busy with my photography business trying to get that off the ground.

But recnetlyly I started getting emils from people asking me where in the heck I was, and why I wasn't doing the Poetry Dance anymore.

And they are right.

So, I am cleaning some thngs up and this coming week I will post the first assignment I have posted in months, and close on it's heels I will post a new Contest. And thanks to some cool supporters there will even be some prizes. :)

Keep in touch people, if you want to play drop me a line here or there, send me Ideas or just a note saying if you want to participate. :) (dawnallynn@gmail.com)

Tell everybody, this one should be fun.

By the way.... anyone feel like helping me mop, dust or wax the floors?

Seaons Greetings

2005-12-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

I was considering posting a new Poetry Challenge, but I think that with the holidays so close and so many people working just to keep abreast of thier journals it might be asking a lot for anyone to take the time right now to do a major poetry project. Including myself.

So.

I am inviting anyone and everyone to post links to any current or past holiday themed poetry in your own journals throughout the season, and I will (in bits and pieces) post links when I can here. I will post a new Challenge when we come back in 2006.

In the meantime I want to take the time to wish everyone the best holiday ever, regardless of your beliefs or traditions. Whatever else we may or may not have in common, we are all human beings and I wish every one of you joy and peace in what is left of this year.

And More Shapes :)

2005-12-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

Here's another by SassyDee (Sassys Word) , if you do one be sure and put a link here so I can post it and let everyone know to come see yours :)

New Shapes ;)

2005-11-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

Just an update, I have a few minutes. Some of the people who've done the shape poetry have sent me inks, and I thought I'd post em here. Be sure and lemme know if you do one so I can post yours and put a link here.

Courtenay (My Meandering Muse)

Dawn (Dawn Allynn)

Paul (Not cowboy poetry)

Tanya (Peace Rose)

SierraJazz (Tiny Drop Big Ocean)

New Dance Assignment: Shape Poetry

2005-11-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

Okay... let's see if anybody is looking. :)

First Dance assignment since I housed the Poetry Dance Hall here at Blogger. This one I figured would be easy. It is called shape poetry. You basically write the poem in the shape of the item you are writing about. Here's an example I didn't write:

Broken Car

.....

What can I do with

a car that doesn't go

Can I find some way to fix it

How long will it be before I can go again

Can the car even be fixed or is it hopeless

I can't take a bus to work they aren't around

Stranded ..............No Money

Damned ...............Things ..

........................................................Copyright © 2001 Johnathan Sluder

Having said I figured it would be easy, I wrote one of my own. Maybe I just make things difficult, but this one took me awhile. LOL. Maybe because I was determined to make it rhyme.

Lady Moon

...She
......lights
.........the sky
...........in the deep
..............of night, a
.................silvery lady
....................with stars in
......................her crown.
.........................Rising high as
...........................day takes flight,
.............................she dances the
...............................sky in her evening
..................................gown. Even the tide
....................................loves her every move,
......................................it follows her every
.......................................way she turns. And
........................................the wolves cry, throats
........................................arched in song, crying
.........................................their love from a
.........................................heart that yearns.
........................................The night lies dark
.......................................and the world's astray
.....................................and the words of
...................................the song no longer
.................................have tune, ‘til she
............................returns to dance
......................again, with crown
...............of stars…the
.........Lady
...Moon.

~Dawn Allynn

So... there ya go. Feel like dancing? Well the rules are the same. Write it anyway you want and then post a link here to your own journal, blog, or website. (no, it doesn't matter where your journal/ blog/website is housed... what matters is that we can find it) I am looking forward to saeeing what everyone comes up with!

Thanksgiving Nonets Courtesy of SassyDee :)

2005-11-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

Cornacopia, horn of plenty
Cranberries, squash, pumpkins, gourds
Reaping bountiful harvests
Families at tables
A-n-t-i-c-i-p-a-t-i-o-n
Turkey, trimmings
Gratitude
Feasting
Full

Families dread their own company
Women cooked/baked into frenzies
Men drink, belch and watch football
Dinner served; fighting errupts...
Dog nabs turkey and runs
Kids crying; one throws up...
Until Christmas
Forgiven
Group hug
Bye

Bananna, pineapple and coconut cream
Homemade cherry and apple crumb
Chocolate silk, chocolate cream
Cheesecake topped with berries
Coconut custard
Lemon merangue
Rubuarb
Pumpkin
YUM!

~SassyDee

Nonets

2005-11-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

Here's some of the great nonets we got!

I dreamt a horror in my slumber,
you stranded me in the city
I searched and searched and
you kept alluding me.

I cried out to you -
'Please stay with me',
but you left
me there
dead.

~Dawn (princesssaurora)

Caffeine induced late night eye popping
Has me contemplating my life
Adrift and unfocused now
Needing resolution
Finding only fear
Wishing for more
Needing less
My head
Hurts

~Celeste

Gentle Gemini

her cheeks are stroked with autumn currents
that flush up freeing her ponytail
together, we stroll toward home.
she collects scattered leaves
and crafts a red fan,
her eyes smile.
that's my
girl.

~Octoberroots

A Walk In The Woods

Early November trees are barren
It has not yet begun to snow
The leaf covered forest path
Leads hither and thither
Among silent trunks
On occasion
A late leaf
Flutters
Down

~PLittle

For Pamela
Just one girl's head noise

How do relationships form across
These vast gulfs of empty ether?
We know each other by words;
A page full, flickering
Across my glasses
After midnight.
There's something
In my
Eye.

~PLittle

Slaphappy sailors find their land legs
Clapping each other and smiling
Knowing time is the captor
Tankards numb secret fears
Hidden banalty
Eyes watch the shore
Heave to men
Journey
On

~Celeste

Cell phone enhanced hands driving too close
Swerve too damned near for safe keeping
Road rage engulfs my small brain
Evil thoughts take over
Imminent smashing
Inside my head
Fiberglass
Screaming
Crash!

~Celeste

I hesitate for you to know me...
So much to teach... so much to learn.
A complicated soul;
Peeking from a hole...
Offering love.
Heal my Wings...
Help me
Fly.

~Nancy

Kaleidoscope of autumn color
Trees gently swaying in the wind
God's hand painting lovely hues
Over leaves once all green
Explosive orange
Lemon yellow
Brick red brown
Mellon
Pink.

~SassyDee

Poetic inspiration lies deep
Encrypted messages inside
Longing toward fruition
Atomic careening
Neuropathic life
At last a light
Beginning
Synapse
Words

~Celeste

When you were eight you said, "Marry Me!"
"You're nicer than all my friend's parents!"
Strangers tried to pinch your cheeks
You liked home more than school
Memories swirling
Understatement
I miss you
Come Home
Son

~SassyDee

Autumn dying shed her pretty hues
Momentary flash slips into view
A glimpse, an inkling faintly
Shades of gray, gloomy clouds
Melancholy
In the gloaming
Winter-kills
Sparkling
Snows

~Shar9416

Ephemeral kisses keep me here
Languishing alone as I wait
Daydreaming about our love
Spurned in days bright light
Cloaked in your scent
Breathing you
Knowing
Bliss

~Celeste

My Life

Tell me no secrets , tell me no lies
Don't want to hear no alibis
Honesty is all we need
True friends we'll always be
Loyal to the end
Friends forever
you and me
throughout
time.

~Mastersblynn

So here I sit wide awake again
Glimpsing journals missed all day long
Endless talent inspires me
People I've never met
Teaching me to write
Leaving comments
Exploring
Learning
Here

~Celeste

Been Trying Y'all

Do not allow me to drop the ball
been trying hard to write this here
just for my readers and all
always had a real fearI might trip and fall
on a sharp spear
trying y'all
right here
ahh.

~Spencer

Train whistle keeping me company
Racing to make another drop
Cold screaming metal cries out
Rumbles reach me just now
Giving proof of speed
And hurried work
No time now
For me
Alone.

~Celeste

The gentleness of the leaves falling
From the towering ancient trees
Causes me to stand in awe
Feeling pleasant and free
And for a moment
The entire
World seems to
Be with
Me

~Tanya

Sounds of Silence

Astral silence bequeathed Truth's own voice
The still quiet voice yearning masters
Meld Wisdom into writing
Previously thwarted
By life's mystery
Softly awake
Grasping life's
Wisdom
Truth

~Courtenay

Someone here thinks she is too funny

The word Ambien comes to mind

I giggled when I saw her

Because I know she's right

I have finished here

No more nonets

No more words

No more

~Celeste

Doing the "Nonet Dance"

2005-11-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, here is the new Dance.

We're going to be doing a nonet.

According to ShadowPoetry.com, "...a nonet has nine lines. The first line has nine syllables, the second line eight syllables, the third line seven syllables, etc... until line nine that finishes with one syllable. It can be on any subject and rhyming is optional."

The recipe for the nonet looks like this:

line 1 - 9 syllables
line 2 - 8 syllables
line 3 - 7 syllables
line 4 - 6 syllables
line 5 - 5 syllables
line 6 - 4 syllables
line 7 - 3 syllables
line 8 - 2 syllables
line 9 - 1 syllable

And the two poems I came up with (so far!) are these:

November in New Mexico and
The air is crisp and trees are gold,
Holidays are coming 'round
And winter's lurking near.
With joy my heart sings -
Celebrating Love, life and
Seasons
Change.

And:

This angst is an ancient stone I wear
Pulling me down into waters
I can't seem to rise above,
Drowning me helplessly
Here in my own fears.
Normalicy
And my strength
Escape
Me.

They aren't too hard, they don't have to rhyme, so have a go at it. :)

I am excited to see what you guys come up with!
~Dawn :)

Halloween Poems from the Dancers :)

2005-10-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

Screams and bellows screech out into the night
Creating a horrific fright
Artful tree monsters with great twisted claws
Reach down snatching unaware
Youngsters chomping on gooey gum balls
Sure! It ain't fair...
Poor kids...just havin' Halloween fun
Ol' monsters been waitin'...gotta have just one
Only comes round once a year
Kids runnin', funnin',
so sweet...ain't fair

~Shar9416

There was a witch on her broom
Who was flying passed the moon
Then a bat went SPLAT!
Against the witches hat
When there was plenty of room

~Tanya (Teesbabe00)

There once was a fair pumpkin with a frown
Wearing a pink polka dot wedding gown
waiting for her mighty Jack
At last he is finally back
And thier happy glow lit the entire town

~Tanya (Teesbabe00)

As I entered the eery looking haunted house
The floor squeaked like a mouse
The door suddenly slammed behind me
And now i really have to pee
Where is the bathroom in this house???!!!

~Tanya (Teesbabe00)

There was a spidery spider
Swimming around in my cider
His future looked grim
As he neared the rim
Now my lip hurts from that biter

~Tanya (Teesbabe00)

birthdays approach
for the dead
lungs strain
against ribs
breaths pull
long
and
slow
my darkness
shines
thru the light
of You

~ Christina K. Brown

Dance Assignment: Acrostic Poetry

2005-10-04T01:16:00.000-06:00

Hey guys? Anybody wanna dance? C'mon... you know you do!

This weeks Dance Assignment is easy, if you want it to be... or you can challenge yourself and opt to do the more complicated steps. Either way... it's your call. This Dance is Acrostic Poetry. This was suggested to me by Courtenay (courtenaymphelan) and Tanya (teesbabe00).

If you want to bookmark the page for yourself though, here's the link: Acrostic Poetry. Here is the explanation and an example for the easier version: Acrostic Poetry is where the first letter of each line spells a word, usually using the same words as in the title. Or you can get complicated and do what they call a double acrostic, because the first letter of each line spells a word, usually using the same words as in the title, and the last letter of each line ends in the same letter as the first, spelling the same word.

Here's some of what our talented dancers came up with!

SILENCE

So peaceful.
I stare into the dark.
Listening to the quiet of the night.
Enjoying the silence.
Nothing to distract me.
Clearing my thoughts.
Ending my worries.

~By SierraJazz

THISTLE

The land that doesn't want you
Has taken hold
Internship to a new beginning
Slowly stretching ever deeper
Towards the once whetted
Lake bed who's thirsty mouth
Escapes you.

~By Celeste

SHADOWS HAVE FOUND ME

Shadows
Hiding behind death
Allowing anathema
Denying the ground
Occult is the motto
Weeping as a widow
Silently she screams

Harrowing breath
And Wica
Vindicating Assimov
Erudite

Forever... and brief
Ominous oratory arises...and lo
Unclean demons surround you
No rest save the time you awaken
Daylight is your handmaid

Morning as soft as a woman
Envelops until the next time

~ By Celeste

AVARICE
Amalgamation at its best
Via conference calls and faxes
Another coup won by deceit
Roiling in raging competition
Igniting thirsty paper lust
Comingling of ink sweat and
Educated guesses

~By Celeste

DAISY, IT WAS DAISY THE DOG

Dogs, I remember the dogs on the sidewalk
and they jumped up snarling and yipping when
I asked for a quarter.
She snapped, "lay down daisy" and
yanked the leash made of hemp and wooden beads.

I walked away with them,
the dogs and her bare shoulders.

We crossed a spitwad, a spider, a buick, a volvo
and I doubt she knew which cost more in dollars.
She waved two fingers, blew a kiss with them,

"Don't they all expect that?"
Actually I was sure they did,
I asked her what time it was, what day it was, what year.
She crinkled her nose and said,
"you know, It's been years since I kept track.

The slim man outside the coffee shop
heard us, scoffed and said "it's May
early May hippies, and it's 2004, seven pm."

Daisy lurched out of the hemp knot
obviously offended by his rolex and
got halfway through Slim's necktie before we pulled her off.

IMPRINTS ON YOUR HEART

Inside my soul
My heart
Pumps
Red, spilling out
Imprinted with you
Nothing left to beg
Tossing me about
Sideways, to and fro

Over and under, gasping
Nocturnal child, scared of the dark

Youth, long seen demise, the time is near.
Off in the distance a beakon
Undulating with the breath of the sea
Returning all that was swept out, to me

Heavy, my heart weighs me down
Ethereal spirits lift me
Ascending to the heavens
Ripping my soul in
Two.

~By Jodi

EVER THE SAME

Even when our eyes meet and
Violence is unspoken
Ever in the darkest night
Ruins of civility litter the room

Twelve times twelve denials
Heaven so far away
Ether just an open frequency on the car radio

Save me from myself
Angel mine, almost divine
Mother never told me all the things
Evil holds close to her breast

~By Paul

AUTUMN

A mber
U nion
T hrough
U pper atmospheric
M echanisms
N eccessitating change

~By Sue

COLORS

C arefully splashing the many shades
O f the rainbow;
L uxuriously soothing
O ur optically
R oused
S enses

~By Sue

QUADRIPLIA

Q uiverless from the feet
U p to the neck,
A beautiful human being
D reams of
R unning
I nto waters,
P lopping onto
L ounges and
E ating a
G enerous amount of
I cecream
A ll on his own independent motor responses.

~By Sue

WITCHES
Witches
In stitches
Tossing
Corn cobs
High...
Even toadstools
Shiver

~By mistyseerose

DEPRESSION DANCE

Determination be damned
Eternity is now
Perish the circular thoughts
Resolve to let it go
Escape however you can
Success way out of reach
Secrets I can't keep
Isolation takes a toll
Oblivion on a roll
Never underestimate my strength.

Do the best you can
Act as if you do
Note the passing mood
Cancel all your cares
Embrace life returned

~By SassyDee

KATRINA

Kept cringing in shelters
Awaiting food and water
Troops deployed too late for
Residents to be plucked from homes
In the wake of flood waters covering
New orleans as the rest of the world
Agonized over loss pain and suffering

~By Courtenay

New Challenge: Photo Challenge

2005-10-01T01:47:00.000-06:00

This Poetry Challenge was inspired by a photograph a friend of mine, Tim Nisly. It was taken in Europe while he was in school there. Tim doesn't consider himself a photographer, but as late I have been falling for many of his photos and this one is one of my favorites. There is a hundred stories and poems buried in the following image.

The dancers mission, for those who chose to accept it, was to write a poem about the photograph. Any style, any mood, any subject. They were to just make sure thier poem had something to do with the photo.

Here's the photo, and the winners. :) Congratulations everyone.

Photo by Tim Nisly

First Place
Lost Time
By LaRaine Snyder
(aka, AutumnWalk)
Journal: None

Lost Time

I built castles in the air
wishing for another day
but found the bricks all strewn about
like leaves in autumns disarray

Stop the clock now, hold me close
for soon the world we've know will fly
Seconds, minutes, hours ... ticking
How it hurts to say goodbye

In simpler times I wished for more
but now I wish for simpler times
a moment lost when you were here
but now our love is lost in time.

Second Place
The Ledge
By Sue (aka, dackbdimble)
Journal:

The Ledge

Two shadows standing there,
With silent mesmerizing stare.
Their senses seemingly unaware,
Of the drumming of their souls they share.

For behind the clock on the ledge,
Echoes the most beauteous of tunes,
Mysteriously strummed by love true,
A melody, they did pledge.

One more night on the ledge with you,
Two more sunsets cast their hue.
Three more sighs in the wind,
Four more loving aromas ascend.

Four loving aromas boomerang back,
Three sighs return on the wind,
Two sunsets forever etched in their souls,
One more night on the ledge, they will spend.

Third Place

Loves Prodigy

By Courtenay McDade Phelan(aka, )

Journal:

Love's Prodigy

My time is all I have to offer you

You say you want to be close to me

Shout from the rooftops

I belong to you

Suspended in time as you lay next to me

Vestiges of brief moments in one another's arms

Capture our love's commitment and time well spent.

Honorable Mention
Lost Time
BySierraJazz
Journal:

Lost Time

Lost Time
Harsh words filled with anger.
Firey insults aimed to cause pain.
A pride filled heart,
heavy and full.
The unrelenting guilt eats away, as I ask,
Were the few moments of control,
worth this loss I feel?
I wanted to feel the power,
to try to win.
There are no winners.
Only wasted moments and lost time.
Time I should have been silent
to reflect life's beautyand challenges.
Time to learn and grow.
Time I will never get back.

Dance Challenge: A Boring Object from an Extraordinary Point of View

2005-09-15T00:50:00.000-06:00

Our second Challenge was suggested by SINS aka October Roots and it was such a good idea I just had to go with it! Our dancers were challenged this time to draw on their creative juices and put on their thinking caps as they wrote a poem no more than 20 lines long about "A Boring Object from an Extraordinary Point of View". Each entrant was to describe the object they had chosen, only telling the secret of what they were describing in the last line.

I wanted so bad to get in on this one.... my head was overflowing with ideas!
As before, to be fair I stripped the poems of names and links, and sent them to three judges outside of J-Land so that the judges could be unbiased. The last poem was accepted midnight September 19th. I turned the entries into the judges before I took off to warmer and balmier climes, and when I got back I had to collect the information and put it altogether. But, at last, the results are in. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have our winners!

First Place
By Spencer (aka, yeolecontractor)
Journal: Spencers Place

Never included
with Fruit of the Loom
Often its juicies
extract tearful gloom.
Crisp, sweet or pungent
stirs well with another root.
Adds a bit of power
like a kick from a boot.
Much maligned but used
adds so much to a base.
Nothing else helps
to enhance such a taste.
To some its sort of a muse
always to a cook, quite dandy.
I thrive when I add it to my meals
always got those onions handy.

Second Place
By Sue(aka dackbdimble)
Journal: She Speaks She Listens

Now I Lay You Down To Rest

You never know what you have until it's gone.
Every day I labor hard,
sweeping cobwebs, brushing grime.
As I put you down to rest,
please forgive my lack of faithfulness.
For no other can replace,
the "Hoover" power I had in you!
(an ode to a dead vacuum)

Third Place
By Natasha (aka: SINS and October Roots)
Journal: Tidbits

Virginia, Parliament, and a Short Red Camel.

Twenty devils in a box. Twenty, mighty, delicious scamps
that I sip from and
shudder
down
to ash under my boot. There's something to be said for confidence of this sort
when I can press the imps with fleshy lips and the pilot kamikazes with smoking engines into the belly.
I've barely two mini-marshmallows
to juggle in a v-necked, cotton t-shirt
but I can entertain twenty soldiers in a fist.

And it's my lungs they'll chuckle suicide in

while the infantry lays their mine fields of cancer
my tongue, my fingertips, my eyes, my gut
will still twitch for a flicker

a heroic spark

to conquer the last demon in the last box,
one shivering final cigarette to squash.

.

Honorable Mention
By SierraJazz
Journal: Tiny Drops Big Ocean

No One Notices Me

I am white and soft,
But no one cares.
I get no attention,
Just frustrated stares

I sit there quietly,
All pretty and fluffy.
No one notices,
Til I'm gone-then
they get huffy.

I have been ripped and torn,
Abused and thrown away.
I never complain.
I have nothing to say.

Just once I'd like to get noticed,
and receive some SPECIAL attention.
After all,
Toilet paper is an important invention.

Dance Assignment: Nursery Rhymes

2005-09-06T00:05:00.000-06:00

Illustration by Dawn Allynn

Fish foodFishy, fishy on my dishy,
Wish you weren’t so awful squishly,
Bones akimbo on my plate,
Head chopped off, and tail sedate,
How I’d rather see you squirm,
At my hook, to get that worm!
Much more fun to see you swim,
scales all shiny, gills so slim,
but mother tells me what to eat,
lots of turnips, course some meat,
but fishy fishy on my dishy,
wish you weren’t so awful squishy!

By Maryanne (globetrotter2u)

Nursery Rhymes
Nursery Rhymes
Nursery Rhymes

Illustration by Dawn Allynn

I take a bath most every day
'cause Momma says I hafta
she scrubs my skin and dries me off,
and kiss me right after
It seems like such a waste of time
I guess Momma doesn't know
That as soon as I go back outside
It's mud from head to toe.

By Dawn Allynn
Nursery Rhymes
Nursery Rhymes
Nursery Rhymes

Illustration by Dawn Allynn
Nursery Rhymes

I play outside when it is sunny and dry.
When it is raining I stay inside and cry.
Mommy won't let me out in the rain.
She says I will get sick and then just complain.
So I look out the window, and into the sky.
And ask God to keep the rain WAY up high.

~By SieraaJazz
Nursery Rhymes
Nursery Rhymes
Nursery Rhymes

I wish my mom would let me
have one more piece of gum
Wrapper off, skinny stick
Yummy here I come
She never let's me chew too much
She thinks my teeth will rot
I beg her almost everyday
"PLEASE! No it will NOT!"
That dentist jerk he takes HER side
and MAKES me brush my TEETH!
Scrunching as I'm brushing thinking
"Geeeeez, so what's HIS beef?"
When I grow up and have MY kids, I'LL let them chew and play
'Cause when your kids are little, they think of gum all day.

~By Celeste

Nursery Rhymes
Nursery Rhymes
Nursery Rhymes

"Cootily Speaking"

A sneeze flies into the air
teenie tiny little eyes,
laughter fills the skies,
as miscroscopic green goblins
are released for the scare.

They fight for freedom
inside of a vacuum.
Ahh, they come to realise
this second chance at life.
"Smorgasborde! Come on, guys!

"Grasping vines they swing
on strong follicles divine,
while they search and dine!
Meeting up with old friends,
a serious feast will soon begin.

Quaking moves their trays
from town to town,
"No, not again!"as they begin to sway,
circling, spinning in a warp,
hoping not to land upon a chin.

A sneeze flies into the air,
teenie tiny little eyes,
laughter fills the skies,
as microscopic green goblins
are released for the scare!

~By Sue

Dance Challenge: End of Summer

2005-09-01T00:23:00.000-06:00

The first of September brought with it a remembrance that Summer would soon be over, retiring for another year as other seasons have their turn on Mother Natures playground. School has begun, and Autumn will soon sweep her wide skirt of fallen leaves and cold winds, bringing with her some of our favorite seasons and a climate suited for fall sports, and a variety of other seasonal endeavors.

The dance goes on.

At Poetry Dance we announced our first Poetry Challenge, in honor of summer while she is still with us. Entrants responded to “The End of Summer” with an array of interpretations of the Challenge theme. Love, loss, desires, growing up, saying good bye, changing seasons, lingering memories, and hope. To be fair we stripped the poems of name and link, and sent them to three judges outside of J-Land so that the judges could be unbiased. The last poem was accepted midnight September 7th, and the judges were required to turn in their entries by late Monday afternoon, September 12th. Points were tallied, comments were noted.

And so, Dear Dancers, we have our winners.

First Place
Whirlpool
By Natasha Lorenz (aka, Octoberroots and SINS)
Journal: Tidbits

Whirlpool

The Ash wood relieves humidity
like a twenty-four foot leper
exfoliating.

Leaves form a kaleidoscope
of wet hand prints
slapping the cement,
as another
relentless
afternoon
bustles towards September
on giggles
and
bicycle wheels.

Indignant joints
flick calf and cheekbone
as dead fingertips of the tree

bleed down like ashes of summer,

and pirouette
in the automatic
autumn.

Second Place
Summer's Sun Kissed Cheeks
By Michelle (aka inafrnz247)
Journal: Relections

Summer's sun kissed cheeks

Summer's sun kissed cheeks
Fading to a milky glow
Moon shadows dance on trees
And silently waits for snow
Scented candles fill my breath
The lonely beaches mourn
For little feet to scatter 'round
For flowers to be born
Beautiful colors floating down
To waiting cherub hands
Summer's over it is true
But autumn has it's plans

Third Place
The Brittle Brown Dry Leaves
By Marcus Faber (aka: BeHereNow )
No Journal

The brittle dry brown leaves

The brittle dry brown leaves
Announce the coming Autumn
On my soul’s tree life.
What of winter?
Cold stark and dark,
Content or discontent;
Warm and cosy
In my bare forest abode,
With frail sunshine
Peeping through skeleton branches.
That’s to be.

For now, summer’s green foliage
Lingers on in places.
Shadows steal the light,
As evenings descend reluctantly.
Soothsayers shake their grave heads,
Whilst demons forge their play.
Seasons regret the whirlwind
Passing of the days,
As on my swinging hammock
I dream and count the clouds.

~By Marcus Faber

Honorable Mention
A Cry from Mother Earth
By Logan Mimna(aka alliuslogan)
No Journal

A Cry From Mother Earth

The warm sun of summer
fills me with happiness and security.
It shines on me with love
and compassion ...
My children cheer
and dance
to the sweet music
which is played from Heaven.
But then I cry
as I know summer leaves me,
and as it slowly fades away
following behind it
is the cold
bitter
bite
of frost.
Like a thousand piercing needles
covering my surface;
The life surrounding me is hidden -
the music is silenced,
the happiness is frozen.
All that remains
is the memory of summer ...
and the eager anticipation
of summer.

Dance Assignment:Haiku- Favorite Journal, Blog

2005-08-30T23:45:00.000-06:00

Flowers Mirroring

New beginnings of a Soul

Shimmering with Love

Haiku Haiku
(written about this journal: A New Beginning)

~Haiku By Courtney McDade Phelan

Haiku Haiku

Of Insane Ramblings
Profound, useful, enlightening
Exposed, real and true.

Haiku Haiku

(written about this journal: Insane Thoughts and Insane Ramblings)

~Haiku by vagabondevermore@aol.com

Haiku Haiku

sun burns bright above

the shadow of the iris

quivers in the grass

Haiku Haiku

(written about this journal: the shadow of the iris)

~Haiku by plittle (Paul)

Haiku Haiku

Grand Opening Dance Assignment: Bio-Poems

2005-08-25T19:17:00.000-06:00

For opening day I extended an invite for poets who might like to participate in dances to introduce themselves. But, since this is a poetry forum, I thought it'd be cool to do it in poetry form. Have you ever done a Bio-Poem? They are very simple, they don't need to rhyme, (none of mine ever have) and they can be done over and over as you grow and change. They are fairly fun.

Here's the recipe:

Line 1: Name
Line 2: Four adjectives describing you.
Line 3: Daughter/Son of (or) Sister/Brother of....
Line 4: Who is (three things)
Line 5:Lover of (three things)
Line 6: Who fears (three things)
Line 7: Who needs (three things)
Line 8: Who gives (three things)
Line 9: Who would some like (three things)
Line 10: Resident of...
Line 11: Name

You didn't have to be a poet to do this, nor have any intent to participate in any of the poetry stuff here. This little activity was just for fun. (what we call a dance) Dancers did the poems and posted them in thier own journals and posted links at The Dance Hall. :) Here is a couple of examples of my favorites:

Natasha

four-eyed, paranoid, nihilistic, mother.
Daughter of inbred texans,
Who is: addicted to potatoes and cigarettes,
though most of the time she can convince herself they don't exist,
and tries to concentrate on breathing, without a burning filter or a french fry.

Lover of: moonlight and daisies

and depressing characters on the subway.
Who needs: good company and good conversation

and a good thick pasta dish sometimes.

Who gives: in belief it is coming back to me

somehow someday and because i have more than i need

and because the neighbor might not have a box of tuna helper when she's hungry for tuna.

Who would like some: recognition

on long days and maybe another iguana

and another pack of smokes.

Resident of and soon to be mayor of

the city of regrets

S.he I.s N.o S.inner

Journal: Tidbits

Bio Poems Bio Poems Bio Poems

Rebecca

Imaginative dreamer with a touch of eclectic breeze

Daughter of life and nature

Who is diverse, encompassing, and compassionate

Lover of humanity, individuality and chance

Who fears judgment, choice and time

Who needs divine love, acceptance and understanding

Who gives life her dreams, chance her heart, and people her hopes

Who would like a life of freedom, time without clocks and those I love, their forgiveness

Resident of humanity

Anne

Journal: In the Shadow of the Iris

Bio Poems Bio Poems Bio Poems Bio Poems

Paul

reticent and consise, cautious yet cool

son of an in betweener living in a new world

who is outspoken, opinionated, and coldly rational

lover of music, fellowship, and warmth

who fears loneliness, love, and the unknown

who needs encouragement, love, and support

who gives validation, love, and huge hugs

who would like an end to war, poverty, and bad soap operas

resident of the real world

Paul

Journal: (not cowboy poetry)

Bio Poems Bio Poems Bio Poems Bio Poems
Bio Poems Bio Poems Bio Poems Bio Poems

Challenge Archives

2005-08-01T16:46:00.000-06:00

Challenge Archives

10.01.2005 Photo Challenge (Clock Photo)

9.15.2005 A Boring Object from an Extraordinary Point of View

9.01.2005 End of Summer

Assignment Archives

2005-08-01T16:44:00.000-06:00

Past Poetry Dances

11.03.2005 /Nonets

10.04.2005 /Halloween

10.04.2005 /Acrostic Poetry

9.06.2005 /Nursery Rhymes

8.30.2005 /Haiku About Favorite Journal, Blog
8.25.2005 / Bio Poems