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Text of the page (random words):
tidbits by shannon what a strange bundle of consistent inconsistencies we all are mary ronan skip to content tidbits by shannon what a strange bundle of consistent inconsistencies we all are mary ronan menu an inside glimpse a trick of time august 9 2026 shannon blood leave a comment time is torn not in a half by a razor but between teeth and fingers and nails broken short from scrabbling in dirt to find the perfect rock to toss at glass panes these torn edges are tricky some draw tears of wine red blood some torture tease with pink feathers some birth cotton puffs of unexpected dreams today we stood on the shore of the great western ocean trapped between love and fear loss and renewal with toes that dreamed of digging in sand and hips that groaned and whined with every obstacle to climb we stood there and watched the lightness of young children blood and bone bound to our timeline dancing laughing tossing sand in the air we launched their kites to soar in blue wind filled skies and time tore just a little yet again why do i write july 2 2026 shannon blood leave a comment i was born and wrapped in swaddling cloth old linen stripped from nefertiti s grave and hung from a tree over time the cloth shifted shape but the binding remained have you ever played with masking tape how many uses can you find for a wooden spoon did you know that shooting fireworks from your eyes can make a small child cry but only to a certain point why do i write better ask the dolphin leaping waves why he swims in the sea or maybe ask the cedar tree why she births so many seeds or why the vintner bottles starshine and old grief once upon a time there was a warm liquid filled cave when it drained out the downspout like hurricane rain it carried a tadpole a twinkle a hope and a dream you know what they say those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their mind wake in the day to find that it was vanity i guess ole te lawrence learned a thing or two in arabia for those doomed to stay stateside life s lessons come in other ways with a song and a dance perhaps more often in the daily toil the bump and grind of going to work to make the money to go to the store to buy the bread and once home it continues with baking and serving and cleaning and never seeing how short the fuse is why do i write a waking dream is more alive the nightmares felt more real i have two pearl necklaces gifted by both spear and distaff a mishmash of lives and closeted pasts glorious reminders they how a single grain of sand can cause enough irritation to be renamed words are the scabs the scars the blessing like anything else all that matters is how we use them i wrote this in april as part of national poetry writing month s daily challenges intending to spend time refining it i decided i like the rawness so it can stay the way it is until further notice that is all coming home to self may 31 2026 shannon blood leave a comment the haiku foundation offers many interesting ways to dip a toe into the waters of haiku writing and haiku commentary for those of you like me twinkle who don t have an mfa but are intrigued by this short form approach to poetry take a trundle around the website and see what s on offer for example re virals invites commentary on a weekly haiku the selected commentary s contributor chooses the following week s haiku i was surprised and honored to have my commentary slected by re virals 557 on this amazing haiku my commentary is shared below isabella s haiku but i highly encourage you to read through the other commentaries as well street preacher dan s mini sermion quite captured my attention deep moss sinking into the slow spaces isabella mori leaf issue 8 december 2025 my commentary there is an immediate visceral pull downward reading this poem the combination of the sibilants and memories of green spongy moss capture an all too real sensation of aging the weight of accumulated wisdom and experience the inevitable winding down of life the poem doesn t leave a bitter aftertaste which it so easily could if it had led with sinking into opening with deep moss captures a natural pause another hesitancy occurs between sinking and into setting the stage for the downward slide into the slow spaces one is left with the sense of a welcoming and safe space a sense of coming home to self a remarkable poem on so many levels so how did this haiku land with you would love to hear your thoughts flights of fancy april 29 2026 april 30 2026 shannon blood 2 comments can you see pierced by thorn fed on sour nectar and nettle tea a changeling lies perhaps little jack horner and miss muffett s spider will welcome this child home again and so we come to the end of the annual april national poetry writing month the day 30 prompt challenged the writer to muse on a real or mythical being or profession with a dispassionate tone why do i write april 26 2026 april 26 2026 shannon blood leave a comment i was born and wrapped in swaddling cloth old linen stripped from nefertiti s grave and hung from a tree over time the cloth shifted shape but the binding remained have you ever played with masking tape how many uses can you find for a wooden spoon did you know that shooting fireworks from your eyes can make a small child cry but only to a certain point why do i write better ask the dolphin leaping waves why he swims in the sea or maybe ask the cedar tree why she births so many seeds or why the vintner bottles starshine and old grief once upon a time there was a warm liquid filled cave when it drained out the downspout like hurricane rain it carried a tadpole a twinkle a hope and a dream you know what they say those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their mind wake in the day to find that it was vanity i guess ole te lawrence learned a thing or two in arabia for those doomed to stay stateside life s lessons come in other ways with a song and a dance perhaps more often in the daily toil the bump and grind of going to work to make the money to go to the store to buy the bread and once home it continues with baking and serving and cleaning and never seeing how short the fuse is why do i write a waking dream is more alive the nightmares felt more real i have two pearl necklaces gifted by both spear and distaff a mishmash of lives and closeted pasts glorious reminders they how a single grain of sand can cause enough irritation to be renamed words are the scabs the scars the blessing like anything else all that matters is how we use them i wonder why april 24 2026 shannon blood leave a comment why yes napowrimo is still on all month long today s offering combines three prompts a poem that includes self dialogue takes place at night and describes something magical or strange that happens but that no one notices and is in the form of a villanelle i tinkered with the combination this is a start something to perhaps come back to another day waning sun slips higher up the tree tops mated crows bring worms to hidden nests i wonder why no one feeds me hummingbirds tickle blossoms for one last sip ignore the housecat with tail a twitch waning sun slips higher up the tree tops green and blue dragonflies dart to and fro i sing soft lullabies but only to myself and i wonder why no one feeds me jaded compline prayer this call and response no other ears to hear the notes i share waning sun slips higher up the tree tops grey deepens the sky s eastern edge the housecat wraps herself round my feet i wonder why no one feeds me i call to the crows in a coarse voice in dreams we chase eagles together waning sun slips higher up the tree tops i wonder why no one feeds me ts eliot called it april 17 2026 shannon blood leave a comment napowrimo continues today s offering juxtaposes the prompts for days 16 and 17 with a nod to ts eliot all whimper and no bang caught in withywindle waters gourds spin ways of knowing april 14 2026 april 14 2026 shannon blood leave a comment in the scientific world we put a latin binomial on what we need to know we ignore relationships create mechanical ecosystems and wooden representations why do asters and goldenrod look so beautiful together complementary colors attract pollinators a question we all ought to embrace listen to storytellers weaving mythic and scientific knowledge into watershed moments come back to innocent ways of knowing why do asters and goldenrod look so beautiful together deep attention opens doorways to wonder and gratitude bring worldly wise knowing into harmony let us learn from the most ancient of land plants mosses teach us to live within our means to cooperate to share to give more than we take why do asters and goldenrod look so beautiful together the air is waiting to hear this language lost for so long to turn air light water into food and medicine and song life happens and then we combine and catch up this poem is a combination of days 9 10 and 11 napowrimo prompts to try writing a poem that describes a specific animal or plant with references to historical events or scientific facts includes a meditation on grief in which a question is repeated with different given answers and practices erasure writing for inspiration i pulled from the 2015 on being transcript of krista tippett s interview with robin wall kimmerer time for rebirth april 6 2026 april 6 2026 shannon blood leave a comment nessie knew at half past two spring was overdue so she dove below to rescue the phone from the underworld s dirty grim troll yesterday being easter sunday and a very long day when the day 6 prompt landed late last night i was perhaps already half asleep folks were asked to try writing with a breezy conversational tone while including at least one thing that could only happen in a dream so a little ditty about the loch ness monster and persephone attached to a picture i took while in silverton wandering the oregon garden it s a pnw thing april 4 2026 april 4 2026 shannon blood 5 comments wait an hour it s sure to change from sun to gloom with wind and rain to sunbeams stabbing fluffy clouds to transform droplets trembling neath unfurling buds and brand new leaves look and see what mother leaves her treasure trove my sparkling dream of diamond rainbows every place motherhood april 3 2026 shannon blood 2 comments off we go national poetry writing month 2026 if you like me need a proverbial kick to pick up the poetry pen again this annual april challenge delivers the day one prompt offered structure write a tanka simple on its english face tanka is a bit more nuanced than a 5 7 5 7 7 syllable count you can find three takes on the evolution of this japanese style here the day two prompt explores how a childhood memory can give a foretaste of the adult to come day three asks the writer to describe a vocation differently than it might be usually understood and with that i offer this tanka on motherhood in the witching hour these promises to never lurk in dark corners lining up stuffed animals with military precision looking for hope january 11 2026 shannon blood leave a comment glint of gold under grey clouds a bold crocus not to put too fine a point on it 2026 has gotten off to a rough start where can people look for encouragement strength inspiration hope mother nature offers guidance look for the hidden gold the unexpected what we focus on grows stick together there is strength in numbers a joy shared is doubled a sorrow shared is halved planting seeds and tending plants means rain not just sun it means mucking about in mud and manure it means remembering there is a time and season for everything in the world renewal comes to all find your sacred place of replenishment grant yourself space and grace peace comes in small precious moments nurtured and defended it will grow a new year s toast january 4 2026 may 1 2026 shannon blood leave a comment grey kitty curls up between my calves her purr thrums in counterpoint to the drunk five floors down i hear the dual tones of elevator doors open and wonder at the neighbors i don t yet know her purr thrums in counterpoint to the drunk shouting below once she was as gaunt as he is now wondering about neighbors i ll never know i lift blood red wine in silent toast once she was as gaunt as the drunk five floors down now round she still cries to fill an empty belly i lift blood red wine in silent toast and offer grey kitty treats between regular meals now rotund she still cries plagued by hungry memory i hear the dual tones of the elevator what do the neighbors hear i offer treats to calm her cries till filled she curls up and sighs no kings october 18 2025 shannon blood leave a comment the return september 27 2025 september 27 2025 shannon blood leave a comment the long watch for slivers of silver leaping the falls early childhood memories and even as a young mother three decades ago confirm the impact people have had on the lifeways around them the salmon runs are moving from diminished to disappearing take a few minutes to read and reflect on the profound impacts of past policy and actions and the current efforts to protect and preserve a vital species ask yourself what action can you take to help ensure future generations of healthy thriving salmon their health and survival say a great deal about our health and survival posts navigation older posts c shannon m blood 2009 2026 all rights reserved all content original material by shannon m blood unless otherwise stated living the writer s dream national haiku writing month national poetry writing month playing with poetry poking at prose policy pickles rambling mind website built with wordpress com subscribe subscribed tidbits by shannon join 149 other subscribers sign me up already have a wordpress com account log in now privacy tidbits by shannon subscribe subscribed sign up log in report this content view site in reader manage subscriptions collapse this bar loading comments you must be logged in to post a comment design a site like this with wordpress com get 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