Karina's Alphabet Soup #2 - B...Creative

Well folks, here we are with month two of Karina's Alphabet Soup...the letter B. I think the rules are pretty self explanatory, but click here for more).


One would think that with this being MY meme and all, I'd be highly prepared to wow you with my photos and prose. One would be wrong however. Turns out I had a great idea, but can't seem to find any great photos to go along with my great idea.


So, I took to the archives instead, thinking I'd see if any of my "B" photos inspired a bit of prose.


I could write about a Ball game,

Or perhaps about a Boat on the Beach,

I could write about a BlueJay,

Or a puppy Begging for a treat just out of reach,

I could write about a Blue globe, that just knows when,

Or about my Blackberry love affair,

I could even write about a bobble head pen,

Trully, am I getting anywhere?

Maybe I'd write about the Bareness of the trees

Or about a pair of Boots that make me smile,

Seems to me I'm spinning in circles here...

Honestly? It's all a Blur after a while...

Okay, I know I know...kind of lame, but that's all I've got today. You can see more of my prose here in my entry for Pensieve's Poetic License.

In the meantime, if you're participating, which I REALLY hope you are, leave me a comment, with a link to your post, and I'll add your link here:

1. You're first!

Pensieve's Poetic License #11 - English Sonnet - Masked

Please click HERE for Karina's Alphabet Soup.

This months PPL theme is "Masked" and the form is an English Sonnet. To be honest, when I saw the theme and form, I wasn't really sure I'd be playing along. I always hated Shakespearan sonnets because they seemed too damn constricting with the iambic pentameter and all that crap. I think it mostly had to do with the fact that my 9th grade english teacher was evil, and turned me off the form due to her evilness, but there you have it.

Yet, I decided to tackle it anyway, and even managed to stay within the "10 syllable perline" rule. Here's my entry:

Dark Alley

Though I walk on without trepidation
Head held high, as I look you in the eye
Firm steps, so sure of my destination
Never hesitating as I walk by

Though I stand tall, and with my shoulders squared
My strides determined, not afraid at all
Confidence apparent, never look scared
My very presence anything but small

Though I smile widely, grin ear to ear
Give off warmth, welcome, a friendly hello
Make it seem as if I’ve nothing to fear
Inside is the truth that only I know

You frighten me more than words can express
And just walking by? A major success.

Copyright 2008 - Karina

Hmm...for other entries, visit Pensieve's. Also, today is month TWO of Karina's Alphabet Soup, I'd love it if you joined in...please click here to find out more and see my entry for the letter "B".

The NaNoWriMo Experience - Excerpt 1

So, in case you haven't heard, I'm doing NaNoWriMo again this year. I say again, because I signed up to do it last year as well. However, after a bit of technical difficulties (as in, a computer crash that cost me 2 weeks of writing time), I never finished.

This year, however, I'm determined to hit that finish line running. So far, so good. Of course, we're only 5 days in. But hey, word count before I even write today is over 7,000 words. Only 43,000 to go. uh....YIKES.

Anyway, I promissed I'd share some excerpts here, so let me tell you a bit about my novel this year. As yet untitled, it is very loosely based on my life. VERY LOOSELY folks, keep that in mind. It is the story of a 30something woman hitting the dating scene after years away, and starting a new career with an eclectic and interesting group of clients. Told in the form of a diary/journal/blog. For now anyway. Her story of all the characters she meets both in her new job, and as she starts dating.

With that...I give you a peak (please note that in keeping with NaNoWriMo's rules and policies, there has been little to no editing as of yet, that comes later):

Monday, April 17th - Day 1 of the Dating Manifesto.

Today I begin my new life. I woke up on Saturday and realized that it had been 9 months, 1 week, 3 days and about 10 hours since my last date. I mean, seriously folks, I could have had a baby in that time. However, since you need to actually have physical contact with the opposite sex in order to create said baby, and a REALLY BAD kiss does not, no matter how you spin it, count, there is no child to show for all that time.

I have, however, in that period of time, managed to shed enough weight that it looks like I might have given birth, and regained my “pre-baby body”, so it hasn’t all been a waste of time.

But here we are. Monday morning, no baby, no baby weight, and no dates.

...

And then I have this fabulous new career as a personal stylist to the stars.

Okay, fine, so technically my clients aren’t exactly stars, but they could be. In their own little worlds, the ones they inhabit inside their heads, they are superstars. And you know what? Even if they aren't famous, they sure as hell are wealthy, and as long as they have the money to pay me outrageous sums to go shopping for them, well, they can believe whatever they want to believe in their little heads.

I mean, can you stand it? I get paid to go shopping. I get paid extremely WELL to go shopping in stores I could only DREAM of walking into six months ago.

How did I get to this point? Six months ago I was unemployed and crazily searching the want ads for a real estate position that would pay enough for me to meet my mortgage payments.

And then I have one conversation with a rich lady in a clothing store, about how I think she should try the green dress instead of the black one, because it’ll bring out her skin tone and hello, new career.

Now I work for her and about 8 of her wealthy friends, helping them dress for everything, from a jaunt to the market (as if they would ever shop for themselves) to a Fundraising Gala Dinner Event.

On any given day I’m running around designer boutiques picking out outfits that cost more than my mortgage payments. It all still seems a bit surreal to me, to be honest. I can’t believe people actually get paid to do what I do. I’m making a living (a very good living) doing this? Who knew?

I love my clients though. I mean, for a bunch of spoiled rich wives, they’re a pretty fantastic group with some of the most colorful personalities I’ve ever come across. And they adore me, which makes my job all that much easier.

It was one of my clients, actually, that made me realize that maybe it was time for me to get back out on the dating scene. Jenie, my 70 year old divorce. This woman? Oh man, the stories I could tell you about her. She’s simply amazing and wonderful and inspiring. And she told me last week that she had decided that she’s been single long enough, having gotten divorced about 15 years ago, and was going to join a dating website for seniors. What a hoot.

Copyright 2008 - Karina

That's it, that's all you get today. I have to get back to my actual writing now.

Karina's Alphabet Soup #1 - A is for...

Updated: The letter "A" will remain open until October 31st, at which time, you should begin work on the letter "B", which will go live on November 7th. So you still have time to participate!

See below for links to the participants.

Here we go everyone! The first official helping of Karina's Alphabet Soup. For the rules, please click HERE. If you are participating, please leave a link to your blog in comments below. I realize I promissed a Mr. Linky but uh...that's not going to be happening, so just leave your link in comments, and I promisse to incorporate it into this post Friday when I get home from work, then everyone can visit everyone all weekend long.

This week's letter is the letter A. I'll tell you what, you would think that as the creator of this meme, I would have thought ahead and been more prepared, wouldn't you? Ah, but then you would think wrong!

And I spent the last week looking around and trying to find something, ANYTHING that started with the letter A that I wanted to photograph! The closest I even came was with this:


An American Flag...but, still, I wasn't thrilled with it. And then I remembered something. I took a photo last Friday, actually, I took a bunch of photos last Friday that fit the theme perfectly. Photos of what?




Photos of the audience at the New Kids on the Block concert. (There are more photos and a review here, if you happen to be curious).

And so, that's where I'm going with this. Here's my poem:

In Love with a Myth

He sings the love songs
You want to hear
The melody so sweet
His voice is perfect
The words just right
The intention oh so clear
And you could fall in love
All over again

He’s always had that way
About him
The one you can’t resist
It’s in his walk,
The way he moves
He can just draw you in
And you could fall in love
All over again

He looks your way
And reaches in
To the very depths of you
A look so piercing
A crooked smile
Making you weak in the knees
And you could fall in love
All over again

He makes the promises
He tugs at your heart
He looks you in the eye
Your heart is beating
Your palms are sweating
Your head is spinning
Out of control
And you could fall in love
All over again

But
You have heard all of the songs
You’ve seen those moves before
Those eyes have told you lies
He’ll break your heart
And you’ll be left
With nothing but a soundtrack

The show is over…walk away.

Copyright 2008 - Karina

Okay, that's that...now get to it, post your links! And thank you so much for joining me!!

Here are the participants:

Lissa - Alone

Callista - Active

PBNJM - Apples

BlogJem - Amazing

Karina's Alphabet Soup

In my travels to some of my favorite blogs, I’ve come across so many fantastic memes. Photo memes, poetry memes, and all sorts of other memes. And I’ve had this idea brewing in my head for a few months now, just waiting for the right time to give it a proper send-off. Now’s the time, I think.

I want to combine an idea I’ve seen, with one of my very own. One of my favorite bloggers in the whole wide world (love you lisa) participates in the A-Z Photo Challenge. I love the idea of doing an “alphabet” photo thing, and I’ve wanted to jump on board, but I’m loathe to start something in the middle of anything, so I’d have to wait for the next go-round, or go it on my own from the start.

I opted for the “go it on my own” version, but then I decided it would be a brilliant idea (because I’m such a genius, let’s face it) if I combined my newfound love of photography with my longtime love of poetry and creative writing. See? Genius!

And so was borne Karina’s Alphabet Soup, a monthly meme allowing you to express your creativity in not just ONE, but TWO very fun ways. Starting with the letter “A” each month we will move through the alphabet, and with camera’s in hand, head out and photograph any and everything we can find to fit that month’s letter. Then, armed with our very own, individual photographic inspiration, we will use our photos to guide us on a writing extravaganza. You can use one photo, and from that, draw your inspiration for a haiku, or use 10 photos and write a short story. Use 5 for a story or 12 for a poem, it really has no limits, knows no bounds. The rules are simple and flexible. The fun is in the ability to stretch first your physical eye, to see the letter of choice all around you, and then your inner eye, to see the magic your muse can create with what you come home with.

Then, on the 1st Friday of each month, I will post my own entry, and a Mr. Linky, so you can post your links back to your own entries on here. That’s it. You will then have a full month to work on next month’s entry.

Let me know if you’re interested, and I’ll set up a mailing list so that I can send out reminders one week prior to the posting date.

Oh yes, and I know there are some of you grumbling because you either A) don’t take photos or B) don’t write poetry/fiction, but would still like to play along. FINE, this is how flexible I am with the rules, if you don’t take photos, take a gander over at flickr or some other photo hosting site and do a search for photos based on just the LETTER assigned, find a photo or ten that inspire(s) you, and write from those (just be sure to credit the photo(s) appropriately). If you don’t write, but want to take on the photo assignment portion of the project, do so, and then just give us a few words about where the photo(s) took place, what they inspire in you, or whatever else looking at those photos make you feel.

See? EASY…

Oh, right, also, if you could grab the badge and include in your posts and post it on your sidebar (pretty please?), taht would be great!

I realize I need to figure out how to work out the html code so you can do it the easy way, so if anyone out there can help me with that, I would appreciate it..... THANKS!

The rules, in bullet form:

· Get letter assignment; leave comment that you’re participating, preferably with email addy, so I can send you reminder.
· Take photo(s) of things beginning with said letter
· Write something creative using photo(s) as inspiration
· Return here on 4th Monday of month
· Link back using Mr. Linky

Got it? Good. Let’s get to it, you assignment this month is the letter “A”…get to it. We’ll see you here on the October 3rd. Yes, you only get one week for the letter A..get cracking!!

Go forth, be creative.

Pensieve's Poetic License #10- Autumn Cinquain

This month's theme for PPL is Autumn, and the form is a Cinquain. You can get all the details at Pensieve's by clicking the button above. I just realized this morning it was TODAY so I quickly threw the following two together...one's much more "pleasant" than the other...

The first:

Death
barren, empty
Falling, dropping, flying
The leaves make their exit

Ending

And the nicer one:

Colors
Oranges, reds
Changing, coloring, enhancing
God paints us a beautiful picture
Autumn

Copyright 2008 - Karina

Thanks for dropping in, and before you go, won't you PLEASE read this post, I'm starting a new meme myself - Poetry AND Photography all rolled into one and I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE it if you'd help me launch it. Pretty please??

Pensieve's Poetic License - Back to School

It seems that the only time I ever post here at Creative Karina lately is when I do Pensieve's Poetic License, so I'm really glad Robin is still hosting these things...otherwise, my poor little blog here would feel even more neglected.

I'm posting this from work (shh don't tell), so I don't have my PPL button, so I'm just going to tell you to head on over to Robin's to find out more about it.

This month's theme is "Back to School", and Robin gave us a break and told us to use whatever poetic form we wanted to. So, I fell back on my old standby, which is "no format at all". I just sort of let the pen do the talking, and see where it takes me. This month, it did something I don't usually do, and asked me to rhyme all the way through. Well, who am I to argue with the muse?

Here's mine:

A Situation

The butterflies doing an African tribal dance
In her belly
Were the only sign of her trepidation
With a new outfit, new shoes, new backpack
She stepped through the door
Ready to end her vacation
It was a new year, things would be different
Here
She was going to be part of a new population
New town, new friends, new high school
A brand new her
And endless summer preparation
She quelled the butterflies, took a deep breath
Marveled
At the incredible sensation
New beginnings, new opportunities, new life
Saying goodbye
To her old reputation
One foot, then the next, and she walked to her seat
There!
She had reached her first destination
New hopes, new dreams, new challenges
A sigh of relief
This was truly cause for celebration.

Copyright 2008 - Karina

Thanks for stopping in, be sure to go visit Robin for other participants.

Pensieve's Poetic License #8 - Pensieve for July

I haven't participated in a PPL in quite a while, but when Robin creates a WHOLE NEW form of poetry for the cause...well, how could I NOT participate?

This month's form is a Pensieve, and here is how Robin explains it:

What is a Pensieve? A titled, five-line poem; each line correlates to one of the five senses--sight, sound, scent, taste, touch--and describes the subject (title). The goal is for the reader to take on the poem as his own, being able to "experience" your subject through your words, by seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling what you described.

Of course, right after she gave us that description, she posted a sample that was about 10 lines long...so, she's sticking true to her motto: No Rules, Just Write.

So, here's my attempt:

Final Dance

You can hear their hearts beat, keeping pace with the sound of the drums
Watch the lines of their bodies, pointed toes, extended limbs so agile
Feel the bass, the closeness of their bodies turning two into one
Blood, sweat and tears, poured into this final dance,
For a starved soul, sustenance, food, so perfect a meal.

Copyright 2008 - Karina

There you go...I don't know that I followed the rules exactly, but you know...whatever. I was watching So You Think You Can Dance as I wrote this, and gettig my heart broken (click here if you want to know why), so I just went with the inspiration.

40 or less Photo Challenge #1 - This Kind of Love

I've neglected this blog quite a bit lately. Well, that's actually putting it pretty mildly...I've completely abandoned this blog since I started my new job, I think. But, today I was inspired by the photo Robin chose for her Photo Challenge, so I decided to jump aboard. Here's the photo:

Here's my contribution:

This Kind of Love

When I was your age
“Yes grandpa?”
Oh, never mind
Run along and play,
I’ll just be right here
“Yes grandpa”
You know I love you my angel
“Yes grandpa!”

“Grandpa?”
Yes, darling?
“I love you too”.

Copyright 2008 - Karina

Click the badge for more information about the 40 or Less Photo Challenge, and to see who else is participating this week. Thanks Robin for the inspiration!

Pensieve's Poetic License #7 - Clerihews in May

Want this button?

So, the form this month is "Clerihew" and the theme is the month of May...so many different things the month of May stands for that we had plenty to choose from. Did you know that today, May 8th, is National No Socks Day? So, go on, take off your socks, let those toes come out to play, and enjoy the following:

There once was a girl named Karina
When she was young, she wanted to be a ballerina
It didn't work out, and now she's glad
Because having gnarly toes would have made her mad.

That's it, that's all I got folks. Have a great one!

Copyright 2008 - Karina

Earth Day 2008

Just a quickie Haiku for Earth Day

Mother Earth crying
Her tears filling the oceans
How will we save her

Copyright 2008 - Karina

Things you give me

Thank You

Morning light
The songs of birds
The smell of spring in the air
Loving voices
Words of love
A silent moment of prayer
Every day
Some things I see
Others sneak up on me
Obvious blessings
Subtle ones too
These are things you give to me

Copyright 2008 - Karina

Sunday Scribblings - Compose

Resolve

She said "Do not let him destroy you"
"This is not the end for you"
She said "Compose yourself"
"Get it together"
And I knew what I had to do
Wiped my tears
pushed back my shoulders
gathered my thoughts
stood tall
Packed my bags
made up my mind
Picked up the phone
and made the call
"I'm leaving you
I'm through,
I'm done dealing
With the pain
I don't even know
Why I stayed this long
You make me miserable
Crazy, insane"
Hung up the phone
gathered my keys
took one last look
walked out the door
The weight lifted
Right off my shoulders
Could be no clearer
I don't need you anymore.

Copyright 2008 - Karina

For Sunday Scribblings - Prompt "Compose"

Good Deeds Haiku

Had a wonderful day helping others today...went with a group from my church to feed the poor at the local Y, and then helped a friend move into her new place. Came home feeling great.

A day of good deeds
Helping others has a way
Of helping you most

Copyright 2008 - Karina

Friday 5 - #1

Well I picked a doozie of a time to join Friday 5, didn't I? We're working with made-up words this week. Here's what I've come up with, and let me tell you, it took a completely different turn as I was writing it. This one most definitely had a mind (and heart) of its own:

Third World

Run circles around me
To and fro in a frenzy
A screy of emotion
Too sudden to grasp
A cack and a holler
A bit of laughter too
My mind spins and spirals
A mozzle nudges my leg
I bend down to examine
A glureon of faces
Eyes intently on mine
Expectant yet patient
What can I provide?
Standing upright again
I open my caprussule
Dig in, find some change
Dole out what I can
They thank me and scatter
On to the next foreigner they glom
We give what we can
We hope it's enough
But we know in our hearts
It's all wrong

Copyright 2008 - Karina

For Friday 5, using the words: caprussule, mozzle, cack, screy, glureon

Poem In Your Pocket - That's Me

Today is Poem In Your Pocket Day. You can find out more about it by clicking the link.

I have a hard time with favorites, meaning, I never can pick just one favorite anything. But the poem below struck a cord with me all the way back in the day, when I watched Poetic Justice, the movie with Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur. Every few years I dig out a copy of it and re-read it, and send it on to all the phenomenal women I know to remind them of how amazing they are. Therefore, I couldn't think of a more perfect choice for Poem In Your Pocket Day.

PHENOMENAL WOMAN
by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies
I'm not cute or built to suit a model's fashion size
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies.
I say It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips
The stride of my steps
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please
And to a man
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees
Then they swarm around me
A hive of honey bees.
I say
It's the fire in my eyes
And the flash of my teeth
The swing of my waist
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say It's in the arch of my back
The sun of my smile
The ride of my breasts
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say It's in the click of my heels
The bend of my hair
The palm of my hand
The need for my care.
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

And here's my contribution to NaPoWriMo today:

I carry a poem
Have a poem in my pocket
Want to hear it now?

Copyright 2008 - Karina

Grief - Three Word Wednesday

There is definitely a recurring theme in my work lately. Not surprising considering my current "loss of job" situation. Sometimes, you just can't get away from your reality, even in your fiction.

Grief

The first stage
Although short lived
Is usually shock
Your body reacts first
Hands sweat
Stomach does a few flips
Your mind following close behind
Face stoic, the disbelief
Not visible to the outside
And then it passes

The Second Stage
Is full on denial
You hear the words
But they don't quite sink in
And you push all thoughts aside
And keep on plowing through
Your daily routine
As if nothing had changed.

And then you hit the third stage
Usually this is depression
That moment when you
Curl back into yourself
And want nothing to do
With the world around you
You can't think
Have hardly any motivation to act
And it takes all you've got
To simply go through the motions

It's the fourth stage, though
That hits mostly everyone the hardest
It starts as a trickle of panic
Touching only the edges of reason
And hangs out there
On the sidelines
Just waiting
Waiting for the opportunity to pounce

The smallest trigger
And then "it" happens
The tears,
The hysterics,
The break-down
The "woe-is-me
My world is falling apart"
moment.
And then that too passes.

The final stage,
Acceptance
And in that
We all differ
How we deal
We preservere
We carry on
With focus
With calm
With angst
With worry
With a heavy load
Or a lightened heart
But we carry on.

Copyright 2008 - Karina

For Three Word Wednesday: "touching, visible, stage".

Writer's Island - Flight

Strangers

I've met you once before
In a dream I had, not so long ago
But as dreams often do
Your face wasn't clear to me
Yet I knew it was you
Now, we sit inches apart
A chance encounter
A random stroke of fate
And I want to tell you
All that I know
We can be
But you don't even know me
Laid back in your seat
Earphones pumping some melody
Eyes closed to the world around you
You know not
What I know
Unaware of my eyes
My nervous anticipation
My internal debate
"Do I say something?
Do I let it go?"
The flight attendant approaches
"Sir, please raise your seat,
We're preparing for take-off"
You remove the earbuds,
turn and catch my eye
And smile at me
Smiling back,
I realize you're not ready to know
I've met you once before
In a dream I had, not so long ago

Copyright 2008 - Karina


For the Writer's Island "Flight" and Matinee Muse "Chance Encounter" prompts.

Monday Mural #2 - Faith

Faith

Drowning

Despairing

Giving in to the pain

No longer able to battle on

I sink to the depths of the depth

Somber

Blue

Letting that cloud of gloom

Take over every thing, every moment

The haze of depression overwhelms

Letting go

Trusting you

Knowing it is no longer in my hands

And I need to let you step in

Take over, lift me up, carry me on.

Breakthrough

Fresh Air

A ray of sunlight through the clouds

A spot of hope amidst the drudge

Again you show yourself to me, unexpectedly.

Copyright 2008 - Karina

For Monday Mural, artwork by lxzp "Aphrodite", on Photobucket.

Meltdown

Rough day today - not feeling exceptionally creative, but here's a little something:

Meltdown

We all walk the line
And it takes but a moment
To slip off and fall

Copyright 2008 - Karina