IGWRT's - Document of Discussion "No Weather Report, Please!"

(For the Friday Flash 55 Version, scroll down)

No Weather Report, Please!

I'm early.  This rarely happens,
so I hesitantly approach
the bar alone.  Why
does this feel so daring? I mean,
I'm forty-seven, confident,
no fear of flirtations. Come-ons
rarely happen; I'd probably laugh
if they did.

I indulge, order a chocolate martini,
try to sip it slowly, but well, they
go down so easily.

The couple beside me
is roughly my age, she's
dressed to kill, perfume
a bit cloying.  She fiddles
with her bracelets, sips
red wine as he talks
about how gray and cloudy
it is outside.  A first date,
I decide, until I hear
the bartender praise
"Twenty-fifth anniversary,
fantastic".

I look closer, as I've been
married almost twenty-three.
She's had her hair done recently,
lots of blond.  Like me.  She could
loose a few pounds.  Like me.
She's drinking quite a bit.
Like me, sometimes.  She
adjusts her shirt, shows more
cleavage.  I've been guilty
of that a few times...

and he's checking his
iPhone, droning on about
the rain, how the lawn
will have to wait.  Glances
at the game in the corner
of the bar, still wearing his suit
from the office.  No special
preparation, and he needs a shave.

A hand slides about my waist,
 a kiss graces my cheek. I raise
an eyebrow, know he can do
better than that.  He kisses my lips.
Better.  I order another drink
and ban him from talking
about the weather.

by Margaret Bednar, April 10, 2013

This is for Imaginary Garden with Real Toads - Document of Discussion.  I twisted it a bit and made it more of an observation/a converstation overheard and my own train of thought.   I have a feeling there will be some pretty awesome responses to this prompt so click the link and check it out.


...and here is a version for Friday Flash 55.   I usually like material condensed, but I think I actually like the longer version better.  But I gave it a go in 55 words:


Let's Not Talk Weather!

I wait,

notice a woman fiddling
with her bracelets, her hair,
her shirt, revealing more cleavage.

"Happy twenty-fifth", praises
the bartender.

I watch her spouse check
his iPhone, drone on about
the rain, the yard, the traffic.

My husband arrives,
kisses my cheek! ... lips.
Better.  And I ban him
from talking about the weather.

by Margaret Bednar, April 10, 2013

IGWRT Out of Standard - "Day of Reckoning"

An image of Charleston's Ravenel Bridge over the Cooper River

Day of Reckoning

A little bit of naughty
entertains,
keeps introspection
at bay,

denies
loneliness stings
as gaiety
whirligigs, spins

toward
a  personal bridge,
life's purpose,
challenged:

Become the cure
or continue the comedy,
direction taken
hopefully illuminated,

finish line
alight with smiles,
not mockery
and gloom.

by Margaret Bednar, April 4, 2013

This is what the Ravenel Jr. Bridge is supposed to look like:  HERE

Written for Imaginary Garden with Real Toad's "Out of Standard" Film School Drop Out Edition.  We were to write a poem in reaction to the following You Tube movie clip:


Just got back from Spring Vacation (visited Charleston, SC... again :)  and I have a lot of catching up to do.  I did write a poem a day with pen and paper and will be sharing them here and making the rounds to see what everyone has been writing.  

IGWRT's Out of Standard with Izy & Friday Flash 55 "Friday Night"

Billy Joel Song "The Night is Still Young"

(click above to hear)

Friday Night

High heels,

strobe lights,

five dollar pitchers,

flirtatious smile:

Friday night shorthand

"Buy me a drink".

Youth let loose,

once upon a time...

*

Warm woolies,

reading lamp,

glass of red wine,

Piano Man shuffled,

tow-headed youth

snuggled asleep

upon my breast

husband winks,

lip syncs

"The Night is Still Young"

and it is.

by Margaret Bednar, March 7, 2013

This is for Imaginary Garden with Real Toad's Challenge "Out of Standard with Izy".  We are to pick three words from an old job we didn't like so much and turn around and create a poem having nothing to do with work.  As a secretary, I had many bosses and I adored most.  But ONE really was a pain in the you know what.

My three words:  shorthand, high heels, smile (secretaries must always be pleasant :)

Piano Man shuffled - meaning songs mixed on the iPod (most everyone probably knows this)

It's a bit of a crazy little poem, but my brain is fried - I've shown my house four times this week as we have it on the market.  So far, no luck and I may tire of this pretty soon.  We don't have to sell, just thought we would down size a bit...  

I also linked up with Friday Flash 55 - a fiction story in 55 words no more, no less.  But this one is more truth than fiction.  And he KNOWS what to play (anything Billy Joel) to better his chances :)

IGWRT's - Out of Standard with Izzy "My Guilty Pleasure"

My Guilty Pleasure

I'm forty seven, too old
to be swept away
by silly romance

tucked away deep
beneath sweaters and jeans,
least my children find out,

falling apart with age,
like me, I suppose.

A bit of youth I revisit
now and again, remind
myself that once upon a time

I was a silly teenager
and that a tiny bit of her
still exists...

by Margaret Bednar 11-21-2012

Confession time over at Imaginary Garden With Real Toad's "Guilty Pleasure"!!! I had NO idea what I was going to be able to reveal... and then I remembered!  I even tried to find where I hid these four falling apart paperbacks.  I bought Harlequin Romances every month when I was a teenager (they were under $1 back then) ... spent far more time on these than I did algebra, that's for sure.  

I have kept my favorite four, have never been able to part with the stories above.   A few years ago I read a portion of them out loud to my husband and he laughed until he cried... he thought they were that bad.  Ha!  Now-a-days HR's have turned into mini-porn, I don't like them nearly as much, haven't bought one in over 20 years... Well now, confession time again.  That's not true.  I bought a whole paper bag full of these "classic" ones at a library book sale about eight years ago ... filled it up for $1.00!!  I recall now I spent the entire summer reading them on the beach.  

Ah, confession is good for the soul.  :)

IGWRT's - Out of Standard with Izy "Laundry Days'

Eero Jarnefelt (1863-1937) Finnish realist painter

(Friday Flash 55 Version at bottom of post)

Laundry Days

1920

Back in the day my siblings and I
risked many a plunge as we draped
upon willow branches above
river's rapid coolness,

while Momma and Rosa Lee,
distracted by fire 'neath the black wash pot,
waited for water to boil, to roll, to add
shavings of lye (cooking grease and ahes),
homemade hand-me-downs to be swirled
& stirred 'round & 'round her wooden paddle,
removing stains, restoring white.

Us young in's helped wring and drape
worn bedsheets and garments upon
nearby barb wire fence and bush,
clothes line up-the-hill seldom used,
as in a hurry we were to return
above spring's swift current

while Elsie May soothed swollen,
red hands at river's edge, and
Momma enjoyed a few minute's
respite in afternoon's shade.

2010

I sit and ponder my daughter's
lamentations of pushing a button,
as grandchildren "safely"
vegetate in front of t.v. screen.

by Margaret Bednar,  October 18, 2012

This is for Imaginary Garden with Real Toad's "Out of Standard: Whirly-gig the Bounty".  We were to ponder the mechanical nature of the modern harvest.  Well, I stretched these rules a bit as I kind of did the reverse...  (Sorry, Izzy!)  My inspiration is from the book I am reading "Last Ride On Chamberlain's Ferry".  The paragraphs I read truly made me stop and think as I had just gotten done with a TON of laundry (and yes, I complained...)

Laundry Days, 1920

Nestled within the willow tree
beside river's rapid coolness, we played,

Momma stirred worn bedsheets, garments,
and lye* with wooden paddle, heavy
in steaming black wash pot,
removing stains, restoring white.

Our turn to wring and drape
nearby barbwire fence and bush
with our few possessions;

Momma at water's edge,
soothed her red, swollen hands.

by Margaret Bednar, October 18, 2012


This is a shortened version of the above, for Friday Flash 55.

*cooking grease and ashes 

IGWRT's "Rebel Girl"

Peter Rabbit first came to life in a letter for a sick child.
A book was born seven years later.  

Beatrix Potter

Rabbit in jacket, blue,

duck with bonnet -n- shawl.

Exquisite creations 

of a talent refocused.

Self studied, 

eye to microscope, 

her images, theories 

rejected for being a woman!

Illustrated greeting cards, 

a modest income, obtained.

Fell in love with an "unthinkable" man,

a publisher, who died before they wed.

Pursued their dream, 

purchased a farm, 

but her parents "needed" 

a household supervisor.

Peter Rabbit brought her fame, 

her little books a success,

employed a keen eye upon her land,

natural science and conservation, at play.

Met another "trade" man,  a solicitor,

defied her parents; became "Mrs. Lady Farmer",

who eventually preserved

the Lake District and Herdwick sheep

4,000 acres purchased, protected 

today by the National Trust. 

Independent business woman, a feminist, 

a stubborn rebel:  a woman who refused to be defined.

by Margaret Bednar, Art Happens 365, September 14, 2012

If you Google "Beatrix Potter Lake District" and click on images, I can only imagine most people would love to loose themselves in her beloved "Lake District" and thanks to her, it is still there.

This is written for Imaginary Garden with Real Toad's "Out of Standard with Izy": September's challenge: Rebel Girl!

This is certainly NOT my most eloquent write, I don't like it at all... but I so love this woman and wanted to bring her to the attention of IGWRT's challenge.  I hope you learned something and are intrigued.  If you haven't seen the movie, "Miss Potter", I found it to be fantastic and I highly recommend it:

IGWRT's - Out of Standard with Izy "A Doomsday Promise"

iPhone photography by Margaret Bednar

A Doomsday Promise

Hold my hand, innocent one,

and I promise we will 

skip down the dark, watery path

no longer intimidated by tomorrow,

frolic upon the edge of time

and leap over eternity's threshold

loving, 

laughing, 

living

our lives beautifully 'til the very end.

The prompt at Imaginary Garden with Real Toad's "Out of Standard with Izy" is a heavy one, with a twist.   Write about Doomsday, but cast aside the doom and gloom.  I almost didn't attempt this, but then started to ponder a movie that has never left me... Life is Beautiful  It is a movie I highly recommend.

IGWRT's Out of Standard with Izy "Tis Art"

'Tis Art

I tell myself
"Tis a process of art

transferring a moment
from an image captured";

an image desirous of remaining
free of specific interpretation.

Illusive, like watercolor,
images saturate fragile paper

fighting for a breath of originality
as I over-think sentimentality.

Margaret Bednar, Art Happens 365, July 6, 2012

Interested in hearing me read this poem?


Check this out on Chirbit

This is for Imaginary Garden With Real Toads:  Out of Standard with Izy - Parody!  The challenge is to write a poem which parodies my own style, structure or tone.  This was not easy and I erase many, many attempts.  Izzy... I am sorry I cursed your name not a few times last evening and this morning.  This attempt is well, my attempt.  :)

I also thought it would be fun to snag a few of my daughters iPhone photographs.  As I tend to still think about composition and light, etc., they just snap away and capture pure moments ... Ah, the impatience of youth pays off!  :)