Young Writers Society

"Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts." - Arnold Bennet

Tales of Triumph and Tribulation
It's only been a year, but it could've been a lifetime. Noni is now a foreign word on my tongue and YWS is a black and white photo hidden at the bottom of a dusty shoebox. Once upon a time, I thought YWS was a permanent part of me, and in some ways it still is even though too many pieces have been washed down the storm drain and forgotten in a dirty yellow taxi. And there's no denying that I'm not the same person now as I was the last time I wrote this introduction to that single month where the layers of paint are stripped away in rhythm and rhyme, but I never could've guessed how different things would be. I can't say I didn't miss it here, but I can't say that after this I'll stay, but for now I shall wash away the shadow and light the room with tales of my triumphs and tribulations from the time of who I once was to who I've yet to become (in poetic verse, of course). But for now, I wish you all a greeting and send my best of luck to thirty poems in thirty days.
- noninjaspresent a girl called sunset

A List of Sweet, Sweet Progress

storms don't make a happy ending

Clouds are rolling in, lined in silvered grey.
Thunder through the daylight -
and sparks
on the tip of your tongue.
A deluge on the horizon,
falling sharp, dark, and clear.
The air cracks, the moment shatters
... the penny drops.

You're sorry you made him slam the door.

~ ~ ~

As with last year, I like to start my NaPo with a nice warm-up poem to get the creative juices flowing. Because I like putting of important things, in class I started scribbling some prompty ideas down and this is the result of it - a poem about an argument. I don't even know where that idea came from since I haven't had an argument like this since never as far as I remember. I'm still all bleugh about this since I haven't done much poeting in ages, yet along post something to yws but hopefully things will get smoother the further along I get into this NaPo.

the things fairytales taught me as a child

only at midnight (
she dreams of fine arabian silk the colour of coffee in the morning
draping as curtains across sleek opal curves lined with fragile lace
flowing behind every step across crystal knives in dainty points
and dancing past whispers of the wicked wafting through the air like thick poison
until she's coughing
choking
gasping for breath
she dreams of rich velvet carpets of red in the afternoon
cast in the shadow of golden threads shrinking away
as she pulls herself off the floor and brushes away tear-stains of dirt
) is beauty ever real

~ ~ ~

I feel kinda bleugh about this poem and I don't think I did the original thought behind it ("Beauty is only real at midnight") the kind of justice I could have. But TBH the last 2 days were rougher than expected and left me feeling kinda gross about things so it was a real struggle to get this one out. Though I do have an idea to start writing my final poem now and to have it something a little special and different so that's progress. Alas, I shall still need to catch up and do a day of 2 poems since I skipped day 1. I'm trying not to do it this year but I may end up resorting to a couple of senryus again. As long as there's less than 10 of them, though, I'll be pretty happy with myself.

as Friday's when you left
when you never leave the bed,
the bitter sound of droplets
keeps fogging up the glass.

You dare to leave your bed
and daydream at the window,
fogging up the glass
until there's nothing left but grey,

it only rains on Saturdays
until there's nothing left but grey
and your tears are left unheard
in the bitter sound of droplets.

~ ~ ~

Because I'm horrible at ideas, I decided to try my hand at a Pantourn for my second poem. Still kinda lacking in inspiration and I didn't mean for this to end up so depressing. I need to write something more rhymey and cheery and nicer, but oh well. And geeze, I'm not even poeting about things I've experienced so just why????

Her Favourite Necklace
She's twelve when she twists the chain between her fingers.
The pendant still shines in the light of the sun.
Her skin is porcelain, perfect and smooth.
"I'm fine," she affirms and she's not even shaking.

She's fourteen when she presses the pendant against her lips.
A missing gem means nothing against the gleaming gold.
Her skin us porcelain, dulled against the gleam.
"I'm fine," she says, head turned away.

She's sixteen when she grips the necklace in a fist.
The edges are dulled now, the gleam warn away by a nervous grip.
Her skin is porcelain, painted with cracks.
"I'm fine," she mumbles from under the blankets.

You're eighteen when you see it held between her fingers.
It barely shine's now, many moons too old.
Your skin is porcelain, just like hers.
"I'm fine," she tells you - it's not the first time she's shattered.
"You're not," you say and you wish she would believe you.

~ ~ ~

More tiredness and missing days for me. But next week is my last week of schools before holidays so woo, even though now I'm 2 behind. More depressing sadness. I really need to write something cheerful and light-hearted. Still no relation to my personal life and I'm still not really feeling the inspiration so I hope it isn't too shoddy. Might try and do some Senryu's tomorrow to help catch up, though.

Summer
It came as a whisper
caught in the chilled breath of dawn
Rising with the fog and fading into the sun
where it lingered through the months
And I slept

It passed along the freeway
Another truck rattling in the distance
with an obsolete load
and a tank full of tomorrows
Still, I slept

Then it kissed the toes of passerby's
and worshipped the dirt, kicked in the scurry
of black suits and white stilettos
Until it laid itself upon the ocean
and sunk into the curling flakes of ice
While I slept

And then I awoke to the winter
wondering if another year was already too far gone

~ ~ ~

And for once, a poem that I actually feel pretty good about. This one comes partly from how I feel like I've missed most of last summer, partway through sleeping, partway through other issue, and I feel like this nicely conveys that. I'm still terribly behind already, though. Never ended up catching up yesterday. I got too caught-up doing things with friends. If I'm lucky, I may get another poem out tonight, though.

And take a look at all the things you're missing.
The clock will still tick
even when the lights are out.
So stop and see the daylight.

~ ~ ~

Another poem out today! This time, a not quite senryu, but I guess it's close enough to count since I was aiming for a senryu. More on the theme of missing things because you're too preoccupied doing other stuff (oh look, that reminds me of the picture book "The Lost Thing" illustrated by Shaun Tan).

Romanticised
Removed for competition purposes.

~ ~ ~

Even more poetry in one day. Wooo! Take what you will in terms of meaning from this one as I have little to day on it, but I will note that it stemmed from all the depressing and lamenting things people express using poetry. I guess this is my expression of thoughts on that notion.

- Poem revised on 10/04

Ffffff- Noni! All such strong and lovely reads <3

Storms - so that last line really adds a lot of depth to these imagery, makes for a satisfying read-through!
Fairytales - this poem is rich with the concrete and the imagery, it's just a matter of going back and allowing it to step off the ground some <3 I'm excited about this one, it sounds like its got a strong premise behind it.
Friday's- never heard of a pantourn :O Learned something new!
Necklace - this one is a bit telling I think, but I do love the premise/ideas!
Summer - ooooooo, love the curling flakes and that last line <3
Missing - hehe, short poems are always so poignant, love the title here.
Romanticised - ooh the poem really picks up for me at finding love at the end of a twenty dollar bill, I'm loving the voice here and the lead up to the end <3 My favorite of the bunch

On Poetic Structure
once I tried to write with rhythm
once I tried to dance with rhyme
but for all it's worth I still just couldn't
make the words sing with a chime

~ ~ ~

A short cutesy little thing today after missing yesterday's poem (oops). This time commenting on my attempts to make a nice pretty poem about deep and meaningful things that actually held a bit of rhythm and rhyme to them.

Sometimes It Rains
sometimes it rains when it's three in the morning
sometimes it rains when you don't want to leave the bed
sometimes it rains when it's ten past time to leave

sometimes it rains and all I can do is think about him
sometimes it rains and there's nothing to think of at all
sometimes it rains and I wish I couldn't think

sometimes it rains when the sun is meant to set
sometimes it rains when you wish for the night
sometimes it rains when you fall asleep

sometimes it rains when it's three in the morning
sometimes it rains and you still can't fall asleep

~ ~ ~

Still experimenting with ideas and poem structures today. Decided to try a simple list poem. The topic came from the fact that right now it's raining here so I ended up thinking about the kind of things that happens when it rains. I tried to put a little bit of a story in it, correlating with the poetry challenge thing so yay for relevance I guess?

Spring
isn't it funny
how spring feels like spring
it's crisp
and bright
sunny mornings
of clear skies
and crystalline breezes

isn't it crazy
how spring tastes like spring
with it's sharp pollen
and fresh breeze
scraping
against the tip of your tongue
until everything is fruit salad

isn't it silly
how spring sounds like spring
barely a whisper
drowned out by the sound
of life
perching in the trees
and resting in the street

isn't it amazing
how when everything is spring
I can't help but smile

~ ~ ~

Wow. Seems like by the end of this I may end up with a collection of seasonal poems. :3 You can blame a post on Isha's wall about remembering certain sounds and smells and tastes in association with things like seasons which reminded me about that certain feeling the air gets during spring in the morning that used to make me happy when I walked to school.

So why even bother.
Arguments will burn
your words like old love letters.
Only you will hurt.

~ ~ ~

More missing days and another drop in inspiration, so once again I resort to a senryu. Hopefully I'll get another good day and be able to catch up. So far I've got 1 line of an idea and the beginnings of a stanza for another idea sitting in there. Don't know if I'mma do anything with them yet, though.

this is not an action movie and i am still a person
when people think of violence
they see blood dripping
down the walls
like rose petals caught
on an autumn wind
they see shattered glass
glittering on the pavement
in a sparkle of morning
sunrise and shadow
they don't see the empty
smiles hidden under hoods
or the white knuckles
clenched around blankets
when the yellow tape is strung
around a cage of dread

there are people screaming
and they don't even listen
too caught in the fever
too distracted by the lights

~ ~ ~

Yay, I didn't miss today's poem. Gotta admit that this one isn't fueled by positive emotions. Still not directly related to my life but a couple of little nuances about my feelings over situations have been slipped in there. I blame a tense conversation (more like declaration) with my parents and now I'm a bit shaken up and I guess this is my way of dealing.

and make your own light
From a hundred miles
under, you can't see the dark
so swallow your fears

~ ~ ~

Wow. Number three already. *Desperately claws for inspiration.* Man. I'm still 2 behind. At least I'm not forgetting about them entirely.