Category Archives: poetry

My Poetry Book

Posted on January 15, 2017 by jguenther5

Back in my poetry writing days, long ago, I published several little spiral-bound chapbooks. When I had written enough poems for a larger work, I hand made about twenty perfect- bound books. I printed out a master with the poems … Continue reading →

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Another Thought on Haiku

Posted on May 9, 2016 by jguenther5

I woke this morning going ’round and ’round in my mind with a haiku: Haiku Upon A Haiku Enigma Why good ones have oft Just seventeen syllables But bad ones, always. Which is a roundabout way of saying that bad … Continue reading →

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My Awful Christmas Poem

Posted on December 12, 2014 by jguenther5

Over the years, I’ve received many Christmas letters containing an enclosed poem, most often a lame parody of “A Visit From St. Nicholas.” The meter is faulty, the rhymes wretched. One year, quite a while back, I was inspired by … Continue reading →

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Books From Long Ago

Posted on November 15, 2014 by jguenther5

Jodie, over at Words Read and Written, posed the question today, “Which book has been on your shelves the longest? Which book has survived all your clean outs, trips to the second hand bookstore, book swaps, and garage sales?” This … Continue reading →

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BIRDS OF A FEATHER, REVISITED

Posted on March 7, 2014 by jguenther5

Paula, on the coop blog, 8GreatStorytellers, posted this poem a while back: BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER Sparrows with sparrows, Crows with crows, Starlings with starlings. That’s how it goes. Inspired by this Nashian observation, I perpetrated this reply: … Continue reading →

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Nims’ Love Poem

Posted on February 16, 2014 by jguenther5

I recently came across this poem by John Frederick Nims and thought it was a great example of what a poem can be. I wish most Internet poems came close to this. UPDATE: fixed the link, which had a resistant … Continue reading →

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A Rose on the Beach

Posted on October 30, 2013 by jguenther5

     A Rose on the Beach Upon the beach I found a lonely rose, So perfect and unblemished in repose, Its petals wet with dew from yesternight. Forgotten in a moment of delight? Or thrown away in anger and despair? … Continue reading →

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Heffalumps

Posted on September 30, 2013 by jguenther5

Heffalumps: The great, thundering, two-ton beasts crested the hill beside where we played. They trumpeted, roared, and hissed, passing noxious gases as they ran, by ones or twos, in packs, some grey, some white, some brown. “Heffalump! Heffalump!” we cried … Continue reading →

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Time Capsule

Posted on August 26, 2013 by jguenther5

I found today, full buried in the grass in my back yard, a baseball: weathered, grey, and cracked with age, and yet alive in spirit, holding someone’s memories intact through years of hiding dormant in the grass. Nostalgia’s rusty grip … Continue reading →

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Why You Can’t Write Haiku, Part 6

Posted on July 23, 2013 by jguenther5

Twenty Syllable Translations The extra budget in a twenty syllable haiku accommodates the wordiness of English, and the rhyme compensates, somewhat, for the lost Japanese poetic elements of the original. Some examples: The scene is almost set for Spring to … Continue reading →

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