For my 51st birthday, I
launched a poetry birthday fest called Write Me a Birthday Poem on Facebook.
I
requested everybody to join in, including new acquaintances and would-be
friends, to write me a poem in response to Jim Kulakowski's piano
composition which I’ve just added to this blog. Poems should be a haiku, senryu, tanka, or
any five-line poetry.
Below are
all the 26 lovely poems that I have received, including the poem from Susan Burch which I've recently added (*This has been revised to record the actual total number of poems as of September 9, 2014).
soft rain
dimpling the water
sharing
the sunlight
of your life
MAUREEN SUDLOW
the music on Chrissi's blog
is pretty, just like Chrissi,
but it makes me a little sad
unlike Chrissi herself
who makes me happy
ED BREMSON
day will surely dawn
the sun its annual journey
that moment when it arrives
we will surely be there
singing
Happy birthday, dear friend
Chrissi
PAUL AMOZ TAN
birthday cake
my guitar's vibrato
tugging at her
ANGELO ANCHETA
with each birthday,
we grow and change
bit by bit
until our true selves
emerge.
hidden strengths
are found
abilities we never knew
we had.
Chrissi, my friend, I
wish you a life of
exploration and
discovering.
FEHL
PICHAY SINSUAT
at times i wonder
what the song is what it
means
what I am inside of it
there
are times when I know...
alive, my spirit dances
PAT GEYER
A phonograph record sometimes
slips
And jumps about whenever it
skips
But our records, yours and
mine,
Always
stick on twenty-nine....on twenty-nine.....on twenty-nine...
OPIE HOUSTON
rose is a flower
that stay for an hour
but your friendship
has the power
that will stay forever
ZENY ROSILLON
Lotus-like you rise
From muck of sorrow and tears
Embracing the sun
MARIVI SOLIVEN
She is the first flower of
spring;
and the bird that sings by
your window;
she is the smile of a friend;
and
the warm afternoon glow.
She is everything that inspires you.
FAY CONLU CRISANTO
summer morning
how lovely a lily
after the storm
SANDY PRAY
breathing in
I close my eyes
breathing out
I am where I am
periwinkle dusk
ASNI AMIN
July evening
she blows a candle
as I make a wish
ARCHANA KAPOOR NAGPAL
sunshine warms
her painful knee
birthday song
BEE JAY
this secret garden
with a precious flower
taking you under my wings
VIBEKE LAIER
Years,
they come and go
cakes adorned with Birthday
Pro
Candle, wish and blow
BONG
LIM
clumps of wattles
nodding to the music --
your birthday
JAYASHREE
MANIYIL
You...
Are beautful inside out
And that is without a doubt
You give joy to those around
you
When blue
You
try your best to see them thru
Your presence is a love nest
That makes you superhuman i guess
You, Chrissi...love, joy, happiness ..
Personified...
Simply the best
DIANNE
OLEGARIO
a woman
looking at the future
and the greenness
encircling the present
cicadas cry
LECH HAIKU
lovely rose garden
the princess plants
her fifty-first...
fragrant blossoms mostly, some withered and dull
yet, a lovely rose garden
PRANAV KODIAL
all I want is to feel
your head on my shoulder
while we watch the sunset
of another amazing day
as perfect soulmates
LESTER GALLAGHER
There once was a girl named Chrissi..
Who asked us all to be witty...
Seems she turned fifty one,
Wanted US to have the fun...
So I sat down and wrote this little ditty.
TONY OLGIATI DOTSON
Your birthday's come and gone, as usually they do.
But turning "51" is no reason to be blue.
The reason behind this, I will tell you Chrissi
Because in two more months I'll be turning "60"!!!
RAECHILL BRENDA DOTSON
chirping birds
sing you a birthday song...
to think that
we have so much in common
warms my heart
SHLOKA SHANKAR
budding songs
deep within twilit myrtle . . .
again we shape
our
laughter into
the summer breeze
KATHY UYEN NGUYEN
music of her heart
a smile warms its way
through my day
KIRSTEN CLIFF
descending
in the hot air balloon
I inhale deeply...
feeling that last breath of sky
stamp me with sunshine
SUSAN BURCH
It was so hard to
come up with the top three. To help me decide, I gave more consideration to the ones that are
relevant to where I am right now and to how the "The Inventor" speaks
to me. I also made sure that I chose the best one for each form of
poetry.
FIRST PLACE
(tanka)
budding songs
deep within twilit myrtle . . .
again we shape
our
laughter into
the summer breeze
KATHY UYEN NGUYEN
I'm sure nobody will protest
that this is the most outstanding poem among the entries. Kathy, my twin sister
(our term of endearment), knows exactly what's inside my heart and she has
wonderfully conveyed them in words. The phrase "budding songs"
symbolizes the new beginnings blossoming in my life while "deep within
twilit myrtle" is that part of me that is grieving, healing, and renewing.
The last three lines express the joy and fun that "we" find along the
way. "We" is aptly used in this tanka because we both have
experienced the loss of a loved one last year. We have both gone through the
same things; together we have shared our pain and laughter.
This tanka is so dear
to my heart. Thank you, twin, for this beautiful poem. It so perfect with the
music background!
SECOND PLACE
(haiku)
summer morning
how lovely a lily
after the storm
SANDI PRAY
Thank you, Sandi, for this gorgeous poem.
It's simply written yet accurately describes how I feel as I listen to
"The Inventor." I see myself beaming and waltzing under the summer
sun. "After the storm," I'm optimistic of a brighter future.
THIRD PLACE
(five-line poetry)
MAUREEN SUDLOW
I love that Maureen used the phrase
"soft rain." It comforts me that the worst is over. Grief comes and
goes, but I'd like to think that it may be easier as time goes by.
"Dimpling the water" is another phrase that adds beauty to the poem.
It makes me think that "soft rain" or tears are needed to express
what I feel and to see the "dimpling" on the water. Without tears, I
cannot open my heart to healing. And with healing, comes sunlight in my life. I
begin to embrace joy and "share the sunlight" as I go through the
process.
SPECIAL AWARDS
These two are
equally amusing to me so I created a category to add to the list of winners.
A phonograph record sometimes
slips
And jumps about whenever it
skips
But our records, yours and
mine,
Always
stick on twenty-nine....on twenty-nine.....on twenty-nine...
OPIE HOUSTON
Your birthday's come and gone, as usually they
do.
But turning "51" is no reason to be
blue.
The reason behind this, I will tell you Chrissi
Because in two more months I'll be turning "60"!!!
RAECHILL BRENDA DOTSON
Most people dread the arrival of another birthday. Adding another year to my
age has never bothered me. In fact, whenever somebody asks how tall I am, I try
to remember to answer back by saying, "Can you please just ask how old
I am?"
Each winner will be receiving a
copy of The Eskalets, a children's story about the adventures of four American
robins. Once I've received the customized dvd folders and discs, I'll be making
copies and ship your package as soon as I can. I'll be posting it on Facebook
to let you know that your dvd is coming your way. Just write me a private
message on Facebook so I know where to send it.
Thank you to all the participants and birthday
greeters: Maureen Sudlow, Ed Bremson, Paul Amoz Tan, Angelo Ancheta, Fehl
Pichay Sinsuat, Pat Geyer, Mokhtar Sah Malik, Opi Houston, Marites Morales,
Zeny Rosillon, Marivi Soliven, Fay Conlu Crisanto, Sandi Pray, Asni Amin,
Archana Kapoor Nagpal, Bee Jay, Vibeke Laier, Bong Lim, Jayashree Maniyil,
Dianne Olegario, Lech Haiku, Pranav Kodial, Lester Gallagher, Tony Olgiati
Dotson, Shloka Shankar, and Kirsten Cliff.
I hope all of you enjoyed WRITE ME
A BIRTHDAY POEM as much as I did. It was really a very memorable experience for
me.
By the way, the 3rd Haiku My Photo
Challenge will start soon. Stay tuned this September to find out all the
details.
