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PAD Challenge, Day 2, My Poem

Today’s prompt for the Poem-A-Day Challenge is to write a “news of the day” poem. I had not caught the news on television, so I went to Google News. I found little I wanted to read, but one article seemed timely…

They Did Not Tell US

Sometimes government
Gives citizens incomplete
Information or
Tells what appear outright lies;
Politician propaganda.

Everyone wanted
Improvement to the system,
But it was working
For many of the people;
Now it’s totally broken.

Some who were happy
With the coverage they had,
Now suddenly find
Their health plans being cancelled;
Replacements cost a fortune.

The outrageous fines,
The unneeded coverage,
Increased premiums,
Bank breaking deductibles;
Were never even mentioned.

Insurance reform
Was the promise as given,
But the cure seems worse
Than the symptoms of disease;
Affordable it is not.

I hope I am overreacting. I hope it is not the disaster it seems, but I am concerned that we may all be in for worse than we have ever dreamed.

Otherwise Entertained (7)

Morgan and Tony gathered their books, dice, drinks, chips, and character sheets together before driving over to Ramsey’s house. The date had been set at their previous session and no phone calls had come in to change the time. Ramsey’s mother generously allowed the bunch of them to set up in her rather large and very comfortable den a few times each week.

They were the last ones to arrive. Ramsey was already set up behind his Dungeon Master’s screen and Morgan had no doubt he had a harrowing array of events in mind for the evening. Kelvin, Wagner, Cade, and Max were already sitting scattered around the den. Sawyer did not play the game, but as Ramsey’s older brother, he sometimes made brief appearances, especially when the noise levels were high.

Morgan’s character died on the last adventure so everyone waited while she rolled a new character with her favorite green dice. Ramsey kept a watchful eye on the proceedings. He always made sure the scores were not enhanced to a player’s advantage. Her dexterity score was very high so she chose to be a thief, and because she had been reading Tolkien’s books, she chose to be a Halfling. This gave her some language advantages that would be an asset to the group. She named her character Celeste and joined the party at one of the inns in Devon.

Tony’s character was a human cleric named Cornelius. Kelvin’s character was a half-orc named Kaos, who being a chaotic fighter caused quite a bit of trouble in the game. Wagner played a human paladin with the name Marcellus. Cade was an elven magic user named Brandon. Max played a dwarf fighter named Silas.

Celeste managed to steal a few supplies they needed for their adventure before Kaos caused a fight that got the group run out of town. They found a curious hole in one of the hills several miles from town. When Silas went inside to explore, he soon returned saying it appeared to be a keep. They followed him into the darkness where their torches threw eerie shadows on the walls. They entered a large chamber and found several chests strewn around the room. Celeste attempted to pick one of the locks and succeeded. Inside the chest were some scrolls, which Brandon quickly claimed, a dagger, which she took for herself, and a few gold pieces, over which the others began to squabble. The noise rose and suddenly several orcs with weapons appeared. Celeste moved behind the stronger characters and took out her sling. Watching for an opportunity, she shot at their opponents in the melee. Ramsey told her each missile had a chance to hit the others in the group. He did rolls to determine if she hit her companions. Luckily, her shots hit her targets and she helped kill the orcs.

The guys had her try the lock on another chest, but she could not pick it. They moved on after she failed once more. Ramsey called for a break and they all went into the kitchen and devoured some snacks that each of them had contributed. Ramsey’s sister, Jane, made a rare appearance and quickly disappeared back into the private rooms of the house.

When they returned to the game, they went deeper into the dark halls of the keep. They decided to open a huge steel door, but Celeste’s lock picking skills were not up to the task. Brandon cast a spell he found on one of the scrolls obtained earlier and the portal opened. As they stepped inside the room, a group of skeletons attacked them. Cornelius and Marcellus had holy water and that was most effective against the monsters, but the whole group sustained serious damage before conquering the skeletons. When the weakened party explored the room, they found a very large chest. Celeste opened it with her tools and they found a sword, a mace, and a ring inside. There were also silver pieces, which they divided among themselves. An argument broke out over who would have the weapons and ring, Kaos began shouting as if he were berserk. Celeste, Cornelius, and Marcellus managed to quiet the others before something else could find them. They rode to another town and the game broke up for the night.

Morgan and Tony invited the others to come over to their apartment for drinks, but everyone had to be up early in the morning, so they went home alone. Tony went to bed soon after they got home. Morgan stayed up thinking about how Kelvin had acted during the game. Nothing about him, she decided, was simple.

This is the edited cover concept. I would love to have your opinions on which you like better.

Always,
Jo Ann

I Have Been Productive Today

Of course I stayed up all night, but I took a nap between 7:00AM and noon. During the dark hours of the morning I had a burst of creativity. I hope you will enjoy the following offerings…

Deserted

Wondering where you
Might be hiding on this night
When all the stars shine
With such brilliant clarity
Above this earthly coldness.

I have no chance to
See your face among the others
Lingering so near
Because you are now absent,
Doing whatever you do.

I wanted to reach
Beyond these four lonely walls
So I could somehow
Share in the wonderful life
You are so richly living.

I am totally
Lost among those few ignored
By your provision,
You are moving far away
Into tomorrow’s distance.

Your greatest treasure
Alludes my outstretched fingers,
No effort of mind
Can make your goodness return
At this moment to grace me.

Wondering where you
Might be hiding on this night
When all the stars shine
With such brilliant clarity
Above this earthly coldness.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, October 28, 2013

I found these weeds attractive. I sometimes think God’s greatest creations grow wild.

Otherwise Entertained (6)

She lettered in chorus during her freshman, sophomore, and junior years. Before she completed high school in the first quarter of her senior year, she took a trip to Washington, D.C. with the chorus. There was a competition held there for groups from all over the country. Tony insisted Morgan go, even though she was hesitant to leave him.

The trip was memorable because she visited some of the highlights of the city. She wished the time spent in the Smithsonian Museum had not been very limited. There was so much to see. The Washington and Lincoln monuments were inspiring. When she sang in the National Cathedral, she found its glory overwhelming. The Capitol was gorgeous, as was the White House, but she was disappointed in the great mall. The litter everywhere detracted from the beauty of the area.

She did not call home to talk to her husband often because long distance was so expensive. There was a dance, but she sat to the side in her royal blue dress, only watching the others. She was often left alone when her roommates decided to do something interesting. She shopped for things to take home to Tony and her parents. She found a tee shirt for Tony, a necklace for her mother, and a carved pocketknife for her father. She also bought commemorative postcards. Traveling by bus was not very pleasant, reminding her of the harrowing times she had spent on school buses through the years.

When she returned home, she and Tony celebrated by going out for steaks and drinks. Morgan loved feeling her husband’s arms around her again. She had felt uneasy while so far away. She belonged back where love surrounded her.

She thought of this trip when they were planning their vacation. She hoped to go back and take time to see everything Washington contained, but Tony wanted to go to Panama City as they had on their honeymoon. Morgan could not argue. She had enjoyed the first trip tremendously, except the motorcycle accident. She had scraped herself up quite a bit and chipped a front tooth. He did not seem to realize his recklessness had caused her harm. She hoped the vacation would be more relaxing.

They checked in to the Fontainebleau in the early evening after driving most of the day. She and Tony showered together, taking their time, before getting ready for supper. They ate seafood in the restaurant and then went swimming in the indoor pool. The full moon hung huge in the sky as they walked the sugar white beach. She gathered shells, even finding a starfish and a sand dollar. They only had three days and those hurried by like the seagulls flying over the ocean. She managed to avoid sunburn on her pale skin because Tony kept her slathered in Coppertone. She did the same for him because he also had a light complexion.

On the drive home, they narrowly avoided an accident because Tony fell asleep at the wheel. Morgan’s scream probably kept Katie from sustaining significant damage and might have saved them from injury as well.

She hoped this time she would be pregnant, but it did not happen. After all their lovemaking, it seemed a baby should result. She began to think something was wrong with her, even imagining she might be cursed.

I am grateful:

1)   Alex arrived in California safely.
2)   Laying out the Sweetwater Camera Club pages for the Chapel Hill News & Views has become considerably easier.
3)   I am enjoying writing Otherwise Entertained and believe it may develop into something significant.
4)   Window 8.1 works better than I expected.
5)   I am getting some use from my Adobe Creative Cloud membership.

You are highly creative, gifted with the ability to fulfill your dreams. All it takes is consistent effort. Make sure you take the time today to share your talent with the world. You never know what blessings you may bestow on others through your work. So many people are looking for something to allow them a few moments of escape, you can provide this gift.

As a prompt, write about someone who left you alone and how it helped you grow. You might write a poem, a story, a journal entry, or even a note for future use. This should be simple because everyone has suffered abandonment.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope it entertained you. If you enjoyed your time here, you might want to enter your email address above and subscribe to Chronicles. As I indicated, the snippet from Otherwise Entertained above is the sixth part. The whole story is on the blog, so you might want to catch up by reading the earlier pieces if you are new here. The archives contain a great deal of material you might enjoy, so feel free to explore.

I hope you have a totally awesome day and return here often in the future.

Always,
Jo Ann

Otherwise Entertained (4)

One Saturday morning they got up early and packed a cooler full of Diet Coke, Coke, orange juice, and beer. Tony had bought Bacardi 151, Absolut Vodka, and Jack Daniels at the package store the evening before. Morgan made ham and cheese sandwiches and packed barbeque potato chips, Chips Ahoy cookies, and some fruit to carry on their excursion.

It was another first for Morgan. She had never rafted on the Chattahoochee River before. After all the years she had spent boating and water skiing on the area lakes, it was a bit surprising to Tony that she had not experienced this pleasure.

He joked, “You are such a water bug. I don’t know how you missed being a river rat.”

She shrugged and said, “Some people think rapids are dangerous.”

They stopped to pick up Tony’s best friend Michael before they left Metro Atlanta. As daylight filled the sky, they reached their drop off point. Morgan helped stow everything in the raft, pointedly leaving the life jackets jammed in the back with the cooler.

They raced through the rapids making her laugh as the guys horsed around, acting like they were going to fall overboard. When they reached calmer water, Tony tied the cooler to the side of the raft letting the water help keep everything chilled.

Morgan was drinking 151 mixed with Diet Coke and the guys were enjoying other libations. Everything was carefree. They stopped at some cliffs where people were diving. Tony and Michael dared her to climb up and jump off. She did not like the idea, but she was not about to let them think she was afraid. When she got to the top, there was a strange looking man there and he told her if she did not jump, he would push her off and she might die. She glanced at his malformed foot and hurried to the edge of the cliff. She felt a searing hand touch her back and screamed as she dived from the high place. When she told the guys what had happened they laughed and said it was her poetic imagination.

Later that day Michael put his arms around Morgan. When she pulled away, Tony told her, “Chill out. It is okay. We can share.”

She was not so very drunk that she liked the idea and tried to push Michael away. He tightened his grip on her and kissed her. Tony smiled when she looked over at him.

Other strange things happened that day, but Morgan did not like to remember the rest. Some things you had to let go to live in peace with yourself and peace was an important commodity.

Creativity Continues To Visit

Today seems to be one of those days I am given a multitude of words. I hope you will read this blog entry and the one before it. They might have a positive effect on you and that would be exactly what I wanted…

First, I want to ask you to do me a huge favor, click on the following link and like Hope’s picture on Facebook: Douglas Oaks Animal Hospital Costume Contest Hope. We are trying to win an annual exam worth $115 from Hope’s vet. This would help me a great deal because it is always a struggle to afford this expense. You do not have to be my friend on Facebook to help, just like Hope’s photo by following the link. I would be so grateful for your help.

This is a copy of the picture you should like on Facebook. Hope really wants to win…

Live Life Fully Alive

Things come at you
So very fast,
Do not overlook
The ones meaning
The most to you.

Discard the weeds
Which would tangle up
Your purposes and
Weigh you heavy down,
You have no need of them.

Devote your moments
To those things you love,
The ones that feed
The creativity of your mind
Giving you sustaining strength.

Make plenty of time
For the people who
Support your dreams
And encourage your heart,
They are precious treasure.

There is no time to waste
On meaningless negativity
Or most hurtful hate,
Make yourself positive,
Live life fully alive.

Forgive others, for peace
Within your heart will
Only then reside,
Be kind, helpful, generous
And reap bountiful returns.

Things come at you
So very fast,
Do not overlook
The ones meaning
The most to you.

The littlest things can make a big difference. You never know when the smile you share will lighten someone’s heavy heart. The kind word you say could heal a wound. Everything you do matters, so make sure you spread love abroad in this world. The soul you touch could later touch your own.

Let all you do be done prayerfully, ever mindful of God’s presence with you and in the world. You are never forgotten by the Creator of the Universe. He has His eyes upon you continually and He lavishes you in His unconditional love. Not a moment passes without His notice of you needs, your desires, your dreams. Christ holds you in His hands always. Let His great peace surround you and be kind wherever you may travel.

Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes and you are apt to get blisters… Walk a mile beside someone and you are apt to understand what troubles them and how to help them… Be a friend, not just a spectator to another’s life… God will amply bless you for your generosity… No good deed goes without reward!

Embrace Your Gifts

You may not think so,
But you are a being
Blessed with creativity.
You were meant to
Live fully well and
Achieve your fondest dreams.
You are gifted with
So much talent,
You must firmly believe.
No one can make you
Do what you need to
Accomplish besides yourself.
You are a wonder
Filled with great passion
Able to do creative magic.
Just apply yourself,
Make a conscious effort,
You bring beauty to life.
Do not hide the fire
Burning within your soul,
Set it free, it will make you whole.
Give your heart a chance
To reach out to the world
Creating things of lasting value.
You may not think so,
But you are a being
Blessed with creativity.

I hope you will create something to share with the world today. You have unique gifts to contribute to other people’s lives. Anyone can engage their creativity if they only make an effort. You have the talent and ability.

This post is a little different than some, because I have already blogged today. Please visit the previous post.

Always,
Jo Ann

Ramblings Of A Sleepless Mind

You are not required to stay up all night to reap the benefits of my activity. Please just follow along…

I want to start up my business again, but I don’t have any capital to begin… I guess dreaming is the best I can do. I wish I could win the lottery, but somehow I think that is unlikely since I do not buy tickets… If wishes were horses, beggars would ride…

My dog, Hope, has expensive tastes, she likes pistachios. I can hardly afford them for myself, what am I supposed to do now that the dog begs for them whenever I get the bag out?

What’s on your mind? Funny you should ask, because I have been thinking about trying to start my magazine up online. It would be a literary and art magazine showcasing a wide variety of talent as it was when I published it in print form. I do not know if I have a wide enough network to gather submissions, and I am not sure I have the discretionary time to afford all the effort required, but I am considering it. I have the prerequisite software for it and I think I might be able to secure web hosting… Am I ready to take the reins as editor and publisher again? It is not an easy job, for writers are sometimes troublesome, but I like a challenge… I wonder if I am too old to begin doing it again. It is a huge task and requires diligence… So that is what is on my mind…

Have you ever noticed that as a usual thing every other version Microsoft releases is great? Take Windows 98, great; Windows Millennium, not so good; Windows XP, great; Windows Vista, not so good; Windows 7, great; Windows 8, not so good; Windows 8.1, decent… Why do we beta test for them on every other release? Seems like their software engineers would get it together every time. Maybe they need to quit rushing out versions and wait until they have a solid release…

I just realized it was after 2:00AM… I am wide awake and feeling creative. Why is it that nighttime seems to be the time of ideas for me? I want to be a morning person, but it just does not work for me. I am a hopeless night owl. The daytime world just does not have the appeal of after dark… Is something wrong with me? I wake up when the sun goes down… not the greatest attribute.

I should have known coffee in the afternoon was a mistake, but did that stop me? Not in the least did it dissuade me… Sometimes I disregard the better part of my judgment. So I am up and feeling full of energy halfway through the night…

Why am I still in this place when I really want to move forward? Maybe fear is stopping me, but what is that about? I fear failure, because it is very hard for creatives to succeed. I fear success, because it would overturn all sorts of things in my life. I want to perfect things before I bring them out before others, and that keeps me in a stalled state, because really I can do nothing perfectly.
I am determined to get past these barriers to achieving the life I want, but it is hard… One step I can take is being positive, another step is to gather the material for what I want to accomplish. These are easy things and I should be able to do them, one small step at a time.
I am capable and I believe that my dreams can become a reality, so as I advise others, I must make the effort and continue going forward…

Going With The Flow

Rolling, that is what happens
When you allow time to wash
Over you without resistance,
You roll forward creeping into
Places you never realized you
Were really meant to go.
Time overtakes you and takes
You over the rough spaces
Where intention would not
Allow you to succeed without
A great deal of extra effort
You might unwillingly expend.
Your perfectionism cannot
Hinder you because the momentum
Comes from beyond yourself,
You drift on currents that lift
Your fragile spirits up higher
Than you ever imagined going.
You roll, a creative force,
Unstoppable, moving through
Both time and space with only
One idea to carry you onward,
A positive declaration that you
Will finally accomplish your dreams.

Adjusted the settings on my mouse… Now this clunky mouse works like the best I have ever had. Who knew tweaking the software could make such improvements? Now I think I love the Logitech M705. It is like having a whole new mouse.

Just fixed a cup of coffee because I have decided I want to stay up all day… Should be no problem, the night is nearly over and daylight will soon arrive. Now if only the coffee cup cools down enough that I can drink from it…

Mom gave me some pens she has not used. Ink pens! Gel pens! I love free pens… My Mom is the greatest! Happy, happy, happy!

If you wish to achieve, you must first believe! You can exceed any goal you have decreed! Just continue forward and your effort will manifest what you are working toward!

Coffee! In a seasonal cup, coffee, what more can you ask for?

Fulfilling A Need

What do we want?
Poems!
Where do we get them?
We make them!
How do we do that?
We engage our creativity!
Who benefits?
The people of the world!
Why does it matter?
It wakes people to happiness!
When can we do it?
Now, because time is slipping by!
What do we want?
Poems!

Invitation Only

Come! Whispered on the air,
Inviting you to join
Others already there…
Come! Such gentle care
Exhibited for all,
Do you want to share?
Come! Do you dare
Accept the invitation,
So very fair?
Come! Do not delay
Make your choice right away
While you have the chance today!
Come! Christ beckons,
The Spirit encourages,
Come as your heart reckons!
Come! While time makes way
Because the moments flee quickly
Hearken now for seconds slip away.
Come! Your choice cannot wait,
Be fast to answer the quiet call
For it urgently decides your fate.
Come! Whispered on the air,
Inviting you to join
Others already there…

These are the nighttime, early morning, ramblings of a restless mind. You should join me at Jo Ann J. A. Jordan on Facebook if you would like to follow my adventures there… Lots of things make it there that never see the blog. I only put it all here today because I thought you might like to experience the process.

I am grateful:

1)   I have equipment that helps me reach my creative potential.
2)   I am old enough to choose my bedtime, most of the time anyway.
3)   People still visit my blog, even though I am no longer doing the Creativity Project.
4)   Life is a gift we can enjoy in the moment.
5)   People are a precious blessing when they touch my life.

As a prompt, write a how, what, when, where, who, why poem. If you need an example, reread the one I did above. If you are a visual artist, instead of poet, picture something that explore at least one of the aspects. I know you can do this, and I bet you will enjoy it. Your creativity is at least as bountiful as mine.

Thank you so much for visiting Chronicles and reading this post. You might find it enjoyable to browse the archives. There is much material contained there. If you like what you found here you can subscribe for email updates by entering your address in the space provided.

I hope your day meets your expectations. Generally you get out of the hours in direct proportion to what you invest, so make each moment special.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project-Day 173

Journal entry, which rambles a bit:

Forward Press

Door does not open
Backward onto those days past,
At least I hope not,
Walk forward into future
Where hope glows forever bright.

Memories may haunt
Our days, but they are dispelled
By the onward march
Of newborn hours that beguile
Us with pleasant smiles we love.

The paths we begin
Are green, verdant, abundant
Filled with the rich scent
Of sweet lavender, roses,
And climbing honeysuckle.

We amuse ourselves
With speculation about
What our days may bring,
But we may never hold back
The oncoming procession.

Time waits for no one…
It extracts its full payment
Claiming the price due
For every moment we spend
No matter what our reward.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, June 30, 2012

Photographs:

I am grateful:

1.   I have learned to be thankful.
2.   I enjoy so many blessings.
3.   God is in Heaven watching over us, each and every one.
4.   I went back to sleep after the telephone woke me this morning.
5.   We have a good fan in addition to the air conditioning.

This is a sweltering Saturday, I hope you are staying cool wherever you are. It is time for you to get your creativity in gear and make something of lasting value. That does not mean it has to be perfect, it just has to be your interpretation of life in this world or the world of your imagination. I know you can create and I urge you to do it. It will help you deal with the disappointments of life and infuse you with hope for the future.

If you need a prompt, think about all the wonders that grace your life, and write about some of them. You could make a rambling journal entry as I did today, or write a poem about something specific. You could simply make a gratitude list, but do something that leads you to reflect on life’s goodness. If you use the prompt, please leave a link in the comments so we can visit your work.

I realize I rambled a bit today, but I hope you found something you enjoyed. Please feel free to leave me any comments or suggestions. Thank you so much for visiting my blog and entering my world.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project-Day 78

Journal entry:

Photographs:

A cup I gave my Mom a few days ago…

A cup I gave Mom a while ago…

My paintbrushes…

One of Mom’s piggy banks…

Another of Mom’s piggy banks…

A springtime notion container…

I am grateful:

1.   I was able to get my teeth filled.
2.   I have a place to live.
3.   I have a dog who loves me.
4.   Mom’s Diet Cokes were on sale at Wal-Mart.
5.   I have a bed in which to sleep.

I hope your Tuesday was a good one. Try to tap into your creativity in some way.

Always,
Jo Ann

Where I Ponder My Choices

I finished reading Overbite by Meg Cabot this evening. It was a very good novel with an unexpected, but satisfying ending. I am trying to decide on a new book to begin. Perhaps I have too many to choose from because I cannot seem to make up my mind. I am 9 books behind on my goal of reading 120 this year. This is disappointing, but the goal is only a target, not something I must complete.

The new Kindles are to be released next month, but I think I am waiting a while before I purchase one. In fact, I am in a holding pattern on most electronics. I want to wait for the next operating system before I get a new computer. I want to get the next model Nikon when it first comes out. I want to see if the next generation of tablets and e-readers are better. I am content with my BlackBerry, although I am considering an Android or iPhone if plans and pricing come down. My iPods are sufficient for the time being.

It seems I am regressing to older technology lately. I am so taken with the books I purchased at Borders’ going out of business sale and those I borrow from the library that I am hardly using my Kindle 3. I have started writing with an ink pen rather than on my computer and am enjoying seeing words fill my notebooks.

This entry was written in my notebook and copied so that I might add it to my blog.

Hope all of you are doing well.

Always,
Jo Ann

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