WIP: Poetry in the Raw

Welcome back to another week!

I was somewhat confused (and honestly, please) that the first post of this month has a bunch of read through's. I'm uncertain if it was due to content or something I may have mentioned (I'm betting on the latter). Whichever the case - hello Readers!


Today is Work In Progress day!

As you can tell I'm a bit behind in most of my personal projects. Being back in school means I have about twenty new ideas for stories and other such schemes, but little time to devote to them. (I am an avid believer in sleep. And being a night-owl. And the prospect of being a highly-functioning-slacker.)

Regardless, I've been doing some other work for class that I thought I'd share with you this week.

As mentioned before I am in a Poetry class - creative writing: poetry. It's a workshop course where every few weeks we each write 2 poems and submit them for peer review and feedback on how to make them better. At the end of the semester everything will be submitted as the final portfolio.


Please feel free to post any critiques/comments/issues about these poems. I appreciate feedback of any kind.

When Life Was Good

Tell me something I don't know

A story of when life was good.

Back when the evenings were full

of laughter. Of smiles.

A time when love never thought of dying.

Of saying hurtful untruths.

Words to demean.

Words.

Life use to be filled with kind words.

A morning of frenzied eating, lunch packing,

running for the door. The bus.

Home once more to loving hands

To a full house of those who protect

Tell me a story once shared,

When life was good.

Autumn

Nighttime comes, I dream

the world is how I imagined.

Bright-lit streets, small, comfortable

house. Easy, soft, living.

Books fill the air,

the scent of parchment and ink prolific.

Mixed fragrances of honey, pumpkin,

cinnamon; spice.

Old burned furniture.

Scarred wooden panels.

Blaze of light, cackling away.

Chocolate: hot, steamy, white clouds

floating on the surface of foam.

Complete. Relaxed.

Home.

Mansion Fire

Haunted high

Ghostly wails

Tightening shadows

Footsteps

Lingering echoes

Spinning Darkness

Grim and Grinning

Ghosts

~

Older Than Time

A tune, a melody

older than the time

around it.

Long, golden, bright

shimmers like silk.

Spinning, high on

toes.

Melodies play

around the room, deep

tones that resonate.

Night darkens,

turning the sky to ink.

Pinpoints come,

littering the ink with

gems of the universe.

A tune, a melody

older than the time

around it.

Let me know what you think. Also - anything you're working on that you want to share? Leave a comment below.

Fall

Down here in the Deep South, we've finally gone from summer to fall.

Last week started off with still pleasantly warm weather, comfortable enough for flip flops and jeans. This week, however, it's hard to step outside during the afternoon without feeling cold.

Here are a few of my favorite fall recipes;

Mint White Hot Chocolate

2 Cups Milk
2 Cups Half & Half Cream
8 oz. White Chocolate, Chopped
1 tsp. Peppermint Extract
A few drops of Green Food Coloring
Marshmallows (optional, but seriously, why wouldn't you not?)

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the Milk and Cream over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the White Chocolate, remove from heat and set aside for a few minutes. Add the Peppermint Extract and Food Coloring, whisk until smooth.

Serve Immediately: Serves 4


Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins
Author: Dinner at the Zoo

Filling:
1 (8 ounce) Package Cream Cheese, softened
1 Egg
1/3 cup White Sugar
1/3 cup Pumpkin Puree
2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Miniature Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Muffins:
1 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 cup White Sugar
1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Milk
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
1 tablespoon Cider Vinegar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Miniature Semisweet Chocolate Chips
Cooking Spray

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper cups or coat with cooking spray.
2. Place the cream cheese, egg, 1/3 cup sugar, pumpkin puree and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer that has been fitted with the paddle attachment.
3. Beat until light and fluffy - the mixture may curdle at first, but it will come together if you continue beating.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips and set aside.
5. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, 1 cup sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center and add the milk, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Stir together until well blended. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full with the batter and top with 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the tops of the muffins. You may end up with extra cream cheese mixture, you can put it in an oven safe dish and bake it alongside the muffins for a cheesecake snack!
6. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.


Check out Pinterest or your other Favorite Blogs for wonderful recipes - food, crafts, and decorations alike!

Love - Lust - Nope

Okay – so we’re in the wonderful month of pink and red; hearts and chocolate; wine and roses.

Unless, like me, you are single with no chance of (or much cares for that matter) of getting into the whole dating game by the time Singles Awareness, er, I mean Valentine’s Day rolls around.

With only 12 days to prepare (well, 11 for any men out there reading this) there’s dozens of things to help with either preparing to have a wonderful night out, or a wonderful night in.

This post will be for those who plan to spend this night home. Alone.

Candles in the window

All kids aside, there are plenty of things to help keep your spirits up while all of your non-single friends are out at fancy restaurants, drinking wine – or champagne if your beau is super fancy.

Here I will list a few things to do, at home while cuddling with your favorite bottle of bubbly.

1.   

     1.    Netflix

This one is obvious. So obvious I had to add it.

This time of year there’s going to be lots of lovey-dovey flicks to watch on the Flix. I would recommend the following:

“Desk Set”, with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. A wonderful old-fashioned flick (in color) with tons of wit and sarcasm.

“High Society”, Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. Sinatra, ‘nuff said.

“How to Marry a Million”, Betty Garble, Lauren Bacall and Marilyn Monroe.

All three of these are in color, but are old fashioned, clean with wonderful endings and lots of fluff.

22.       Fancy Dinner for One

You don’t have to go out to have a fancy meal. There are lots of recipes on the internet. 

Seriously. 

Have you seen Pinterest?

Far too many on there to count. Because of that, it’s super easy to find and plan the perfect meal (okay, all you dating people. You can use this one too.)

With all the ease of cooking and baking at home, it will taste just like one of those super fancy restaurants. The plus side, if you’re cooking for one, you can make for “two” and have super delicious leftovers the next day. (While your other friends are doing the walk of shame.)

33.       Have a girls night in.

Now I know Galantine’s Day is on the 13^th.

But what if you spread the love over two nights, instead of one? On the 13^th gather your friends at for a night out on the town. Grab some drinks, a fancy dinner, but the 14^th?

Stay in, watch a few movies, order in some pizza. Oo, better yet – have a chocolate bar!

And, no, I don’t mean a small, 12 piece individual wrapped bar.

I mean, lay out a chocolate spread: chocolate sauce, individual wrapped chocolate bars, chocolate cake, chocolate cheesecake, chocolate soda, chocolate ice cream.

The chocolate is endless!

Is anyone else craving chocolate . . . . ?

45.       Sleep

If you can’t beat it – sleep through it.

While some of these may not be for everyone, there are plenty of single activities around that you can get yourself involved in. Doing a book blub date night – try an action novel.

Whether or not you’re going out or staying in, there are plenty of things to avoid doing on this wonderful Singles Awareness Day.