By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
My father died in 2020. Our family home proved too much for Mom to keep up with, and the time has come to sell. My siblings and I gathered recently to help prepare the home and yard for the inevitable 'For Sale' sign. A rush of memories filled my heart, just in time for NaPoWriMo.
This song shares my sentiments: Also, thanks to Roy Owen for educating me about quaterns! |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
The Staccato, created by Jan Turner, consists of two or more 6-line stanzas.
Rhyme scheme: aabbcc Meter: 10/10/8/8/10/10 Repeats: This form requires a 2-syllable repeat in Lines #3 and #6 |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
I will sorely miss the heavenly spot my parents created in their beautiful backyard. And true story! There was rain all around our outdoor reception, but it did not rain on us, and there was a beautiful rainbow for our backdrop.
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By Mama Baer
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
A drinking fountain limerick in honor of the wonderful fountain my parents built from river rocks.
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By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
I thought he forgot what day it was. My boyfriend had not invited me on a Valentine's date. For consolation, I went with my family to deliver a treat to my grandparents. Unbeknownst to me, they were all in on the surprise. James picked me up in a limo at my grandparents' home. Mom had taken my dress to Grandma's. I quickly changed. The fancy restaurant agreed to allow his two roommates to wait our table. After a romantic dinner, we were escorted back to my parents house where a cozy table for two and dessert awaited us near a warm fireplace. The rest is history. Forty-one years ago!
Dizain poetry: 10 lines, 10 syllables each, ababbccdcdc |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
I will miss that spot on the marble hearth.
Whitney, 3-4-3-4-3-4-7 scheme |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
We bought Dad a new flag every year for his birthday. He faithfully took it inside every evening and in inclement weather.
Nonet - 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scheme |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
My parents' garden, when I was a teen, encompassed the entire north side of our yard. Its dual purposes were to one, feed us, and two, teach us responsibility and hard work. Over the years, the garden shrunk in size but grew in beauty and elegance. Now, as we say goodbye to five glorious thornless blackberry bushes and eight stunning raised brick beds that grew homemade salsa ingredients, I wade through memories thick and lush.
I recently learned an acrostic poem can include the subject word vertically at the end of each line rather than at the beginning. I felt this style would be apropos since we have nearly reached the end of our time with our home. |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
West of town, the land slopes up to a very large plateau, or hill as we call it. Grandview Hill. We had to move from our small home when I was 12 years old. The nearby hospital expanded and purchased our entire neighborhood. We moved to Grandview, a wonderful place to spend my teen years, though it is sad to think how many orchards were sacrificed for the sprawling neighborhoods that now adorn the Hill.
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By Mama Baer
| Author Notes | I have always been a homebody. It is a bit pathetic to think about now, but on occasion, when friends would call, I would use the excuse my mom needed me to help with my younger brothers. I suppose that explains my need to compose 30 love letters to our family home! |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
One of my favorite spots was our food storage room in the basement. My parents made sure we knew the story of The Grasshopper and The Ant (Aesop's Fables) and modeled, as it were, ant living. Every fall, at harvest, we helped fill dozens of jars with fruit, veggies, and juices. The room was cool, clean, orderly, and full of security . . . all bottled up!
Shout out to Helen for sharing Dolly's Chime Operandi format! What fun to practice. x x x x x x x a x a x x x b x x x b x x x a x x x x x b x x x x x x x c x x x d x x x d x x x d x x x d x d x x x x x c |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
Miriam Weinstein, author of "The Surprising Power of Family Meals: How Eating Together Makes Us Smarter, Stronger, Healthier and Happier," said of suppertime, "Supper is about intention and consistency. It is about prevention and repair. Use the occasion to talk and to listen. Just come home." Another favorite quote: "The mundane gives us access to the sacred. The sacred informs and enriches the mundane."
Our kitchen was the most lived-in room of the house and countless memories revolve around it. I decided to try my hand at a Diatelle: The syllable count is: 1-2-3-4-6-8-10-12-10-8-6-4-3-2-1, The rhyme pattern is: abbcbccaccbcbba. |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
Here's my first try at a Rondeau! A Rondeau often has fifteen octo- lines with three stanzas. It usually only has two rhymes used in the poem.
A word or words from the first part of the first line are used as a refrain ending the second and third stanzas. The rhyme scheme is aabba aabR aabbaR. |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
...and that is how we got our very first microwave. It was huge compared to the sleek models available today, but oh, was it a wonder to us!
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By Mama Baer
| Author Notes | My parents' homegrown nectarines were soooo much juicier and flavorful than store bought! |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
As our family grew over the years, Mom and Dad wanted to create a more livable year-round space. So, when Dad retired, they turned the patio into an outdoor sunroom. We still had lovely late-night talks to cricket serenades, but no mosquitoes!
Thanks to JuliaSJames for her cinquain tanka and the shout out to Gypsy Blue Rose for creating this new form. Mine is also a cinquain tanka pair. Syllable count 5/5/5/5/5 https://www.fanstory.com/displaystory.jsp?id=1058383 |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
Mom and Dad created this dreamy little path to match the drinking fountain. Wish I could transport it to my own home!
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By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
Mom had been watching the quail from the kitchen window all spring, and when the chicks hatched, they could not hop up the retaining wall. She had Dad figure out a ramp of sorts with wood. Soon, all the babies could follow their parents to find a wider selection of food.
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By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
I didn't always love sharing a room with my younger sister, but we had some good chats and read each other chapters of Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story" books. Often I fell asleep on my knees saying nightly prayers. Summertimes were hot with only a swamp cooler in the hall. Once, my boyfriend threw pennies at my window to get me to come outside. Lots of memories.
Trinet: 2 words 2 words 6 words 6 words 2 words 2 words 2 words |
By Mama Baer
____________________
Though
small, this
room brimmed with
purpose. Green shelves
they designed and built
defined Mom's sewing nook
where she worked for hours on end;
the brown Singer machine humming
near fabric bolts, threads, patterns, and pins
as she gave life to our fam'ly wardrobe.
Opposite the stitching hub, Dad's shelves, too,
housed supplies for his craft: books, paper,
pens, typewriter, and erasers.
I typed many a paper
after pep talks from Dad
extolling virtues
of hard work and,
when all else
fails, "butt
glue!"
____________________
| Author Notes |
With five children, my parents utilized every inch of space in our home. The dark green shelving unit Dad built divided the room we equally referred to as our sewing room and study. Mom was an exceptional seamstress and made literally everything I wore until I was in high school. Even then she sewed my drill team outfits and long dresses for dances. She made my wedding dress! In the '60s and '70s, there were many fabric stores. At the beginning of the school year, our annual outing was selecting fabrics and patterns for our wardrobes.
Dad was a university professor and author. Aside from the hum of the sewing machine, his half of the room was my quiet retreat when papers were due. Often I got stuck, with little motivation to finish. I complained the assignment was too hard. I can hear Dad's lecture still: "When all else fails," he advised, "get out your butt glue and stay in that chair until your paper is written!" Ah, Dad. It was good advice, then and now! |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
I realize nostalgia often clouds my memory. If I could go back in time, I would surely miss my iPhone, Google, and GPS, and those long, stretched, tangled phone cords were a nuisance! Seriously--how did we ever communicate or find directions? LOL
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By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
Poor Mom! She usually took care of the heaps of laundry that piled up endlessly in the hamper underneath and often found stray toys in the mess. What fun for little brothers--and later grandchildren--to tease each other!
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By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
I thought of Dad as I pruned the eight grape plants for the last time a few weeks ago. That's what he would have done to prepare the beautiful spot for the new owners. As I pulled weeds on the brick path under the arbor, I did keep my eyes peeled for garden snakes, though! They have been known to love it in that shade, too. I have my own grape vineyard now--seedless Concords. We carry on the tradition and, every harvest, steam over six dozen quarts of juice. In fact, I am sipping on a glass right now!
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By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
A love poem for our weeping birch tree, its lovely drooping arms, and majestic white trunk--the kind that invites carved initials (though none ever were).
I hope the Diatelle form lends the beauty I tried to convey without seeming too forced. My mom is closing on her home next week. Now new owners can make memories with that beautiful front yard birch tree, with a life span of 50 years. 11 to go! The syllable count is: 1-2-3-4-6-8-10-12-10-8-6-4-3-2-1 The rhyme pattern is: abbcbccaccbcbba. |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
Silly old woodpecker! He did a lot of damage to the side of our home and pecked just outside my bedroom wall nearly every summer. Fun fact: woodpeckers can live 11 years.
I thought it would be fitting to compose this as a Staccato. The Staccato, created by Jan Turner, consists of two or more 6-line stanzas. Rhyme scheme: aabbcc Meter: 10/10/8/8/10/10 Repeats: This form requires a 2-syllable repeat in Lines 3 and 6, and rhyming interplay in Lines 1 and 2 on the 6th syllable. So much fun! |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
We often used our breezeway between the shop and the house to set up the camping stove to do our canning at harvest time.
Thanks to lyenochka for Chapter 229 in her book of words for teaching us the word 'xyst' and to Katherine Kean for suggesting I use it! (In case you missed it, a xyst, pronounced 'zist,' is a covered portico or garden walk lined with trees.) This poetry form is an Octelle, created by Emily Romano. The Octelle has eight lines. It uses personification and symbolism in a telling manner. The syllable count is 8, 8, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8 The rhyme scheme is aa - bb - cc - aa. The first two lines and the last two lines are identical. Image courtesy of flowerclipart.com |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
My parents really put their heart and soul into Christmastime. Dad was a gifted writer and composed a new Christmas story each year. He still had the boyhood train set he received circa 1945, and Mom collected Christmas villages. It was magical.
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By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
It's true. My mother stayed up most of the night before my wedding day to hang wallpaper in the kitchen! Since our reception was in our backyard, guests would be served from the kitchen. She still runs circles around me with her many projects!
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By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
Mom no sooner stuck the For Sale sign in the front lawn than someone drove by and told their kids about it. The young couple will relocate from a few hours away to take a nearby job. They are ecstatic; so is Mom.
I found this poetry form that seemed suitable for the occasion: The Minute Poem is a 60-syllable verse form, one syllable for each second in a minute. The theme should be an event that is over and done completely, as in a minute. It was created by Verna Lee Hinegardner, once poet laureate of Arkansas. It is written as three stanzas with syllables of 8/4/4/4. The rhyme pattern is aabb ccdd eeff (aabbccddeeff) Iambic meter. |
By Mama Baer
| Author Notes |
Thank you so much for joining me on this final tour of my family home. My mother told my siblings and me early on that, to avoid drama, she would not sell to any family member. So, here we are. It was therapeutic for me to record my memories, try my hand at some fun poetry forms, and be cheered on by so many of you.
Here's to moving forward. I learned so much about sonnets and tried my best. Originating in Italy, the sonnet comes from the Italian word sonetto, meaning "little song" or "little sound." The oldest known sonnet form was invented by Italian poet Francesco Petrach in the 14th century. Called the Petrarchan or Italian sonnet, this sonnet structure consists of first an octave (eight lines of verse in iambic pentameter) and then a sestet (six lines). The rhyme scheme is abba abba; the rhyme scheme in the sestet can vary a little but is typically cde cde or cdc dcd. In terms of themes, these days sonnets are most often associated with themes of love and romance, though topics such as death, time, and faith are not uncommon. In a sonnet, the volta is the turn of thought or argument: in Petrarchan or Italian sonnets it occurs between the octave and the sestet. |
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