I wrote my first poem of the year, my first poem since leaving Haiti, the first one in this new place. It was a birthday poem for a friend, so I won't share it here in public, but here's a birthday poem by Calef Brown. Click through to read the rest of it, the grandfather's opinion on this whole idea of using light bulbs instead of candles. It's appropriate in time of pandemic to avoid blowing on something everyone is going to eat, but on the whole I think I agree with the grandfather. Sometimes getting your wish involves a little mess.
Birthday Lights
By Calef Brown
Light bulbs on a birthday cake.
What a difference that would make!
Plug it in and make a wish,
then relax and flip a switch!
No more smoke
or waxy mess
to bother any birthday guests.
And here's the end.
Elizabeth is hosting the Poetry Friday party here.
11 comments:
Yay for first poems - whenever, where ever, and why they were written! Go, Ruth!
And Calef Brown's poem 'blew' me away. ;)
Calef's poem put a smile on my face. I think I like the idea of light bulbs on a cake :D. Kudos on your first poem of the year!
Hi Ruth,
Glad you have written your first poem. The birthday poem by Calef Brown is timely. Our granddaughter's 6th birthday was last weekend. We had the candles ready when one of the moms said she had seen a neat way to have lit candles, but no blowing on the cake. She quickly made a fan out of some nice slightly "heavier" paper my son had and attached it to a wooden chopstick with tape.(She's crafty!) So the child (monitored) fans over the flame, putting out the flame while making a wish, and it worked well. (Much better than I had thought it would.) Another idea is to cut the first piece for the birthday child and putting some candles in that, but....it's not the same effect. Also depends on the cake size. (Check my fb page for some pics if interested.) I have to say I have noticed the germ factor for years so I am in the camp of using a fan from now on!!! Happy writing and learning in your new place. Part of me is very envious of your opportunity to "start over" which can be so re-invigorating, yet perhaps a challenge at the same time. Even thinking of downsizing and moving to some kind of retirement community (and I know of a couple of really wonderful ones) seems too too too much, yet important to do when younger so you can make more friends and be more active. But more birthdays are a good thing, right? Pondering.
Janet Clare F.
A new poem in a new home. That is great! How is the Spanish going? ¡Ójala que bien! (I hope it's going well!)
Congrats on your first poem! xo
Thank you for a striking line for a golden shovel:
"Sometimes getting your wish involves a little mess."
:-)
Clever poem! I'm glad you are writing poetry again.
How wonderful to have written your first poem, Ruth. And, Calef Brown's poem is delightful for birthdays. I do remember my mother not liking people blowing all over the cake. I guess people might think it worse in our pandemic time. I hope "things" are moving along well, still thinking of you every day!
Happy New Year and New Place of Poetry, Ruth. I love this poem and I hope it's not true, since we can't light candles in school...so my kids get a giant drawing of a birthday cake on the smartboard, and then they erase each flame with the pen. It's very unsatisfactory to me, but they seem to love it.
So glad to hear that in your new place, you're finding new words and new poems. Thanks for sharing this poem with us today and for being part of the Poetry Friday party this week.
Ruth, the birthday poem is adorable. Congratulations to you on writing your first poem for the year. I am sorry this post and the one for SJT are late. My husband and I were grandparents sitting this week.
Post a Comment