365 Creativity Project-Day 146

Journal entry:

Today’s poetry prompt comes from The Sunday Whirl. I went in a very unexpected direction after looking at the words given, but I hope you will like the poem.

Depths and Heights

They beat Him until
His back split open under
The lash’s harsh edge
They made His skin darkly bruise,
He did not crumple or crouch.

They all burst into
Laughter at His suffering
And tried to draw Him
Into answering with guilt,
But there was none within Him.

On Golgotha’s hill
The nails pierce His tender skin,
They chisel a hole
And drop His cross with a crash
Hanging Him under Heaven.

The sun’s glow sudden
Hides from such an awful scene
Where the Son of God
Deserted to horrible
Torture surrenders to death.

The story does not
In such tragedy then end
For Christ rose from death,
He now reigns with the Father
And He is coming again.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Sunday, June 3, 2012

Photographs:

My sweet baby girl, Hope…

14 year old, Penny…

What a face… Ko-Ko…

Another shot of my Hope…

I am grateful:

1.   I was able to sleep in.
2.   Our dogs are so sweet and companionable.
3.   I paid my insurance this morning.
4.   I have a powerful computer.
5.   Mom feels well today.

I hope you have enjoyed a relaxing Sunday. If you would like, follow the link to The Sunday Whirl and use those words to write your own poem or short story. If that does not appeal, write a five item thankful list and build a poem around it. Of course, anything else you want to do that is creative would be good.

Leave a comment if something touched your heart or mind or if you have advice for me.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project-Day 145

Journal entry:

I was reading about repetition in poetry and poems by some poets who had committed suicide. The ideas coalesced into the following poem. I like that it developed in rhyme, even though there is no formal scheme to the rhymes. It was not exactly prompted, more like inspired…

May They Rest, Blessed

Tell me please
That all these
Who were among
The best of us
But died so young
By own hands slain
Did not die in vain.

For I wonder
At their voices
And I ponder
That their choices
Left the world
So much bleaker
And us so much weaker.

Their facility
Such talented ability
To weave such art
Should not have
So quickly depart
Leaving us no salve
To mend our souls.

God bless them
And gather them
To His breast
In sweet congress
To create for Him
Some sweet hymn
Or glorious work of art.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, June 2, 2012

Photographs:

My new books…

The book I chose to read first…

I am grateful:

1.   My books arrived.
2.   My sister-in-law, Linda, has retired.
3.   I think these books are going to be very helpful.
4.   I have discovered some very good blogs.
5.   Although Mom was sick earlier, she is feeling better, and has eaten.

I hope your Saturday has been satisfying. Think of something that touches your heart and write a poem about it, or do something else that engages your mind creatively.

Please leave a comment expressing your thoughts.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project-Day 144

Journal entry:

Misapprehension

You did not hear me
Say it, I never even
Thought about it in
Wildest imaginative
Semi-conscious daytime dreams.

I would not put you
In such a compromising
Position without
Your full cooperation
And completed approval.

I am not insane,
Well, only mildly at least,
I know fully well
That love must be a willing
Decision of one’s own heart.

So I would never
Presume to thrust commitment
Upon someone like
You who I hardly even
Know in tiniest degree.

I only wanted
To express my friendliness
By letting you know
You had touched my deepest heart
With your sweet and tender words.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Friday, June 1, 2012

Photographs:

Beautiful wooden covered journal that I found in storage while looking for a new journal to begin in a few days.

Leather binding of wooden covered journal…

Gilded page edges of wooden covered journal…

Frontpiece of wooden covered journal…

Pages of wooden covered journal…

I shared these pictures because I know some people love looking at the materials used in journal writing as much as I do. I doubt I will be using this gorgeous blank book any time soon, but I love it. Maybe one day I will find the courage to use these beautiful pages.

I am grateful:

1.   I did not go to town.
2.   I have plenty of blank books from which to choose a new journal.
3.   Sometimes I find pleasant surprises I have purchased in the past.
4.   Life is truly wonderful.
5.   I have a place to live.

I hope your Friday has been filled with happiness. Take some time to do something creative before you retire this evening. You only have to turn your mind to it and you will create beauty.

Please leave a comment if you will.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project-Day 143

Journal entry:

The poem today was inspired by the prompt at Trifecta. You should visit the site if you are in need of inspiration.

My Decline

I decay daily
My lined face falls into ruin,
I am diminished
My appeal fades slow away,
But I am not discouraged.

I still have great worth
Beyond the physical form,
My love increases
As the time quickly passes,
My wisdom grows more astute.

I reach out for new
Experience enriching
My ongoing life,
I build up a treasure trove
Of victory over waste.

Faith continues on
Becoming ever stronger,
Belief becomes more
Easily applied to days
Wherein I grow still older.

Even as decay
Works against my advancing,
I fight on each hour
Moving toward perfection
Furnished by my vibrant soul.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Thursday, May 31, 2012

Photographs:

Mom’s Homebound Buddies, Frances and Wendell, who visit every month or so to bring literature and recordings from our church.

Me, as I usually am… not as I imagine myself to be…

Penny cooperating with the camera…

Ko-Ko and Hope lounging with Mom…

I am grateful:

1.   I woke up from a laughing dream early this morning and chose to stay up.
2.   I took a shower and dressed instead of staying in pajamas.
3.   Wendell and Frances visited.
4.   My daughter-in-law, Laura, called and we had a wonderful conversation that lasted nearly an hour and a half.
5.   I completed my creative work very early.

I hope you are enjoying this last day of May. If you have been following my promptings you should have a store of creative work from this month. Reflect on it today and do something more.

There was an interesting article I read, and I want to pass along the link to you: Ode Magazine. This dealt with the health benefits of writing, and I want you to know that your creative endeavors can have a lasting positive influence on your life. I encourage you to do creative work for your well being and happiness.

I hope you will leave me a comment expressing your thoughts. Your feedback is much appreciated.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project-Day 142

A somewhat biographical story start:

Today’s poem was inspired by the prompt on Poetic Asides which is a Writer’s Digest Editor blog.

Common Pleasures

It is the small things
That enliven every day
Bringing happiness:
The curve of a smile gracing
The face of someone you love,

The gentlest touch
Comforting in its kindness,
The encouraging
Words that move you to action
That you thought impossible,

The furry embrace
Of a beloved pet who
Crawls into your lap,
And the sight of something you
Consider so beautiful.

These and the many
Other things that touch your life
With their plain sweetness
Make daily living worthwhile,
Enriching like a treasure.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Photographs:

A very good book I am dipping into along the way…

This is a very interesting volume…

I love this mug… it is Mom’s.

Common barnyard fowl make great decoration…

I am grateful:

1.   Our mammogram results were good.
2.   The air conditioner helps keep us cool.
3.   The thunderstorms last night caused no damage.
4.   Electricity makes life more enjoyable.
5.   Photographs capture moments in time.

Wednesday is the middle of the week, hopefully your day was rewarding. There is no reason you cannot do something creative. You have the talent within you. The tools can be as simple as a pen and paper. Make no excuses, just do it, and expand your happiness.

I would love to have your comments, please leave one.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project-Day 141

I did not want to expound on my day, so I instead played with words:

The prompt for today’s poem came from Carry On Tuesday. You might like to visit the site and try your hand at creating a poem of your own.

The Long and Winding Road…

Life is a journey
That runs from birth to the grave,
Along the way we learn
Many lessons that carry
Us toward our completion.

At times our road leads
Us in winding directions,
Back and forth along
The path we choose to follow
With companions on our way.

We long to finish
All the tasks we are given
With our best effort,
Using capabilities
That we have developed strong.

Disappointments may
Come into our lives, but we
Keep our spirits high
By continuing forward
And accomplishing our goals.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Photographs:

Wisteria reaching out to pine tree…

Wisteria climbing pine tree…

The damage wind did…

I am…

The novel I am currently reading, along with others…

I am grateful:

1.   I can have Oreo cookies for breakfast.
2.   Penny’s prescription was written and ready.
3.   Even though the doctor was not in and the office had our phone number wrong, our trip was not wasted because the nurse drew Mom’s blood.
4.   I mailed a small package to one of my friends.
5.   We had Subway sandwiches for supper.

I hope your Tuesday has been pleasant. Try your hand at something creative before the day is over.

Leave me a comment if you have the time.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project-Day 140

Journal entry:

Missing

She told me he will
Leave for Afghanistan soon,
I asked exactly
When and she said she could not
Tell me, so it is secret.

I am only his
Mother now and not privy
To things going on,
She is his wife so she knows
What I can no longer learn.

It makes me worry
No less that I am left out,
The information
I used to be the first to
Know has departed from me.

I am now banished
To the outskirts of knowledge,
He is my one child,
My failure to obtain truth
Is just a part of his growth.

I am so misplaced
In this new life of his choice,
My outstanding fault
Is the continuing need
To explain I still MISS him.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, May 28, 2012

Photographs:

My great-niece, Jayden…

Jayden…

I am grateful:

1.   I finished reading the Song of Solomon today.
2.   Jeremy came, cleaned the gutters, and took off the trash.
3.   I spent some time with Jayden.
4.   We had hot dogs and French fries for supper.
5.   Carrie Leigh and little Jesse came to visit.

I hope you all have had a Happy Memorial Day. Take some time to do something creative before your day ends.

Please leave me a comment to let me know your thoughts.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project-Day 139

Journal entry:

Today’s poem is derived from The Sunday Whirl. I hope maybe you will take time to create something from this wordle.

The Reunion

I scrape off the rough barnacles
That cocoon my flinty tongue,
The words brittle like old chalk
Blur in the austere presence
Of those drenched in the cold hate
Splattered upon me by their slander
Which burnished my youthful days,
And yet I speak soft syllables
Of generous friendliness
Accepting them without regret
Moving beyond the fallen tears.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Sunday, May 27, 2012

Photographs:

A few books for inspiration…

Hope…

Mom’s plant I gave her for Mother’s Day…

Mom, Hope and Ko-Ko…

I am grateful:

1.   Laura and Alex had some time to spend together before his deployment to Afghanistan.
2.   I can rely on God to make life worthwhile.
3.   The internet allows me to stay connected to others for whom I care.
4.   Tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches made us a good supper.
5.   Writing is an honest joy.

I hope you are enjoying this Memorial Day weekend, and that you remember why we celebrate. I believe creativity honors our time here, so do something creative today.

If you enjoyed this entry, or have suggestions for improvement, please leave me a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project-Day 138

A retrospective story start:

The prompt that inspired the above and the poem below was found at Poetry Jam. I have much material on the subject of bullies. Unfortunately, those memories of being victimized have never faded.

Inhumanity

They want to be friends
Now so many years after
The damage was done,
I suppose they believe it
Easy to forgive meanness.

The scars I carry
Are deeper than the surface
Of my tender skin,
The cruel words still remain
Echoing loud inside my mind.

I am a victim
Of their youthful savagery
Even in this time,
The atrocity keeps me
Bound by their brutality.

Maybe they forgot,
But my memory is fresh,
I face it each time
I look into a mirror
And am bedeviled anew.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, May 26, 2012

Photographs:

Ko-Ko…

Hope…

Penny…

I am grateful:

1.   I got up early.
2.   Sherry, our groomer, came and sheared our dogs.
3.   I finished reading The Distant Hours by Kate Morton, which was a very entertaining novel.
4.   The green beans we bought recently were surprisingly good.
5.   Hope allowed Sherry to clear out her ears better than usual.

I hope your Saturday has been filled with happiness. Make some time to get creative. You can produce something wonderful if you only make the effort.

Your comments are as always welcome and appreciated.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project-Day 137

The second exercise in What If? is to use one of your first sentences and take your story in different directions by adding a second sentence. I found this interesting. I had never thought about how each sentence could change a story so drastically.

My thoughts are concentrated on other places:

Reluctant Explorer

I rarely travel away
From home preferring my own
Environment to any
I have opportunity
To visit on a journey.

Sometimes other places call
With sweet majestic voices
That make me want to venture
Far from my comfortable
And familiar residence.

Mountains, forests, beaches, all
Entice me with their beauty
Cajoling me with their songs
Of rare untamed adventure,
Life is unpredictable.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Friday, May 25, 2012

Photographs:

Lucy and Max…

Angel Bear…

Hippopotamus…

Angel Dog…

I am grateful:

1.   I slept in today.
2.   Laura, my daughter-in-law, called to say she had gotten home safely from her trip to Okinawa to see Alex, my son.
3.   Alex works in a support position in the Air Wing of the Marine Corps.
4.   The hot dogs and French fries I cooked for supper were very good.
5.   I enjoy reading, writing, art, and photography.

I hope each of you had a fabulous Friday. If you have one, I hope your long weekend is enjoyable. If you feel so inclined do something creative with your time. It will help you feel joy.

Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

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