March Challenge Wrapup

Halfway through NaPoWriMo and I’m still catching up from March. Many thanks to Cloaked Monk for organizing the March Challenge!
I do enjoy the range of poetic forms and tried a few new ones this month. Surprisingly, I found the little blips of information offered with the prompts almost restricting compared to the single word prompts of the Haiku Challenge. However, the biggest hurdle I faced came from road trips! Can you tell that I left home on the 11th and again on the 27th? Silly me, I thought I’d get lots of writing done while I was away, but it never actually seems to work out that way.
I’ve been scrambling to keep up with NaPoWriMo since coming home, but so far succeeding. Completion of NaPoWriMo will have seen me attempt to write a poem every day for three months straight.

March Challenge #25 – Breakfast

Today’s timely prompt for Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:

On this day, pancakes were first made. Many would consider pancakes to be their favorite breakfast food. Reflect on breakfast, breaking fast, or fasting.

I offer a choka in celebration of the annual Pennsylvania Maple Festival starting tomorrow in Meyersdale, PA.

every snowy spring
maple sap journeys sunward
rising through the trees
drips into waiting buckets
boils over the fire
slowly condensing sweetness
into thick syrup
flowing amber stickiness
covers my breakfast
of warm pancakes and sausage
rewarding annual trek

March Challenge #24 – Magic

From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:

On March 24, 1874, magician Harry Houdini was born. Reflect on magic.

March Challenge #23 – Bread

From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:

Today is “Toast Day.” Reflect on bread.Today is “Toast Day.” Reflect on bread.

Basket of grain
Rays from the sun
Enrich the sheaf
And bless the loaf
Drop of Gods’ gold

Horror – Late March Challenge #12

March 12
Today marks the anniversary of the death of Anne Frank who died in 1945. This brave young woman is well known for the diary she kept, capturing her time in hiding from the Nazi soldiers. Reflect on horror.

This was the first of the March Challenge prompts that I missed. This was also the day after the devastating earthquake and even more devastating tsunami hit Japan. Even away at a con as I was, I was watching the internet headlines and sharing news with other attendees. SJ Tucker, the musician I was primarily there to see, has posted that she will be putting up some auctions in support of Doctors without Borders.
This poem is a wave poem.

March Challenge #22 – Spontaneity

Cloaked Monk was kind enough to include my very late offering of Patterns into the March Challenge, and now I feel that I should try to climb back up on the wagon. Today’s prompt:

March 22nd is “National Goof Off Day.” Reflect on spontaneity.

With the Equinox just past, this seemed most appropriate.

cleansing breath of spring
a child’s spontaneity
dancing in the sun
winter’s memory dismissed
melting away with the snow

Patterns – Late March Challenge #14

One weekend away, and I totally fell off the wagon that was Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge. One prompt has still been insisting it be given voice though:

March 14
On this day in 1879, scientist Albert Einstein was born. At an early age, Einstein showed great interest in math and science. Reflect on patterns.

I read this and thought “fibonacci would be perfect for this!” And so:

spots
stripes
patterns
camouflage
predator and prey
forever playing hide and seek

March Challenge #11 – Fruit

From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:

March 11th is “Johnny Appleseed Day.” John Chapman, known as Johnny Appleseed, was responsible for introducing apple trees to many regions of the western frontier. Reflect on fruit.

apple cut crosswise
reveals pentacle within
gift of the goddess

March Challenge #10 – Slavery

From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:

Today is “Harriet Tubman Day.” Tubman was abolitionist. She helped many slaves escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Reflect on slavery, in whatever form.

a simple quatrain:

born into a cage, only to die in a cage,
never feeling the grass, never seeing the sun,
hopeless in your fear, powerless in your rage,
purpose ended once the experiment is done.

March Challenge #9 – Exploration

From Cloaked Monk’s March Challenge:

On this day in 1454, explorer Amerigo Vespucci was born. The continent we live on is named after Vespucci. Reflect on exploration.

Another new form for me today, the etheree. On a subject very near and dear to my heart.

Space
Shuttle
Final flight
Discovery
Brave adventurer
Traveler, explorer
You took our dreams to the stars
You dared to create the future
Eldest of the fleet, first to retire
Welcome home, Lady, you have earned your rest