My mother, Geraldine “Gerry” Garren, 84, passed away two years ago on this day. I wrote this for her, but it was also inspired by others I know who are suffering. This month has been a cruel one for many.
I hope this will give someone hope, because I truly believe that if you love someone and they love you, death does not take that love. I don’t think it can.
This poem is my theory of what happens to that love…and why it makes your heart ache.
What Happens to the Love? By Michelle Garren-Flye
Losing you left all the edges: your love moved into my heart… god it hurts when it stretches.
Indelible, your love stresses; oh, can I bear this part? Losing you left me with edges.
Death can’t claim successes, so love moves in with art, causes aches as it stretches.
Accept the way it presses and tears your chest apart; losing someone leaves edges.
Patience, time progresses and lightens what once was hard. Just breathe as the heart stretches.
Grief is the way love compresses your love and mine as one in my heart. Yes, it hurts when it stretches, and sometimes I still feel the edges.
Photo and poem copyright 2025 Michelle Garren-Flye
They’ve been predicting snow, but I didn’t really believe it might happen until I walked my dog this morning. I walked outside and the clamor of the birds in the trees greeted me. So I wrote a villanelle about it. It’s still kind of rough, but thought I would share it.
the day before it snowed by Michelle Garren-Flye
walking, the day before the snow the world hushed, except the birds singing songs of cold with gusto
the treetops housed their show and I stopped to hear their words sung the day before the snow
what wisdom do they know these creatures making records, singing songs of cold with gusto
Nature whispers pianissimo, Her voice lower than the birds, “‘tis the day before the snow”
the wind may breeze and blow but won’t cut their sound by thirds as they sing of cold with gusto
oh, hear the song of the sparrow for they are the wisest of the birds listen, the day before the snow as they sing songs of cold with gusto
It’s an excellent question. The truth is, I’ve been traveling with family, but I’ve also been lost in other worlds of my own making. I’m working on another poetry book (with my fortune cookie poetry included), and I’ve started a new novel, but don’t hold your breath on that one lol. It’s coming along, but right now I’m really just getting to know the characters. It’s a romantic fantasy adventure. Probably a standalone, but possibly the beginning of a new series.
And to top it off, it’s poetry contest season. Not wanting to pull any of the poems I’d already decided to put into my books, I had to write some fresh poetry. Plus, one of the competitions is an ekphrastic poetry contest I enter every year (never won it though). For those who don’t know, ekphrastic poetry is where you write poetry based on a work of art. I love it.
This year I had a lot of fun with it, too. I chose one painting and wrote three different poems (villanelle, sonnet, and tanka) about it. I loved all of them, so I submitted all of them lol. It might be fun if one of them wins!
In the meantime, though I don’t have a poem to share with you today, I did think I might share some of the artwork I’ve been creating for Unwelcome Souvenirs, my next poetry book.
If ever I’ve wondered if God had a sense of humor, this was answered today. I honestly howled with laughter when I read today’s fortune. And I swear by all that is holy, that is today’s fortune. I’d just been thinking thank goodness this is the last one when I pulled that fortune out of the cookie. I wish there’d been a camera on me because I honestly felt like somebody was pranking me.
Maybe somebody is. Maybe it’s my balloon-man telling me there’s more to come out of fortune cookies than I know. Maybe even a book?
Whatever. This has been a wonderful month creatively. I’ve written some of my best poetry, and I don’t think I’ve written some of my worst this month, so there’s some creative growth that has occurred. So good. I wrote when I was sick, when I was traveling, when work was busy, when I was finishing up an editing project…I never missed a day during all that.
I do thank you for reading it all. I’ll keep you posted if the fortune cookies decide it’s a good idea to fill up a book. 🙂
Photo and poem copyright 2024 Michelle Garren-Flye
It’s not the end yet. Let’s stay with it.
What a Month By Michelle Garren-Flye
I’m tired and distracted and ready to go. I’ve other things to do that take up my time! Don’t overstay, you’re breaking the flow.
Life goes on may be a tale of woe, and that’s easy to say when it’s not your dime. I’m tired and distracted and ready to go
We’ve had a great run, but this I know: drawing out a good thing would be a crime. Don’t overstay, you’re breaking the flow.
If needs were less or the pace would slow, if only I could be forever in my prime! But I’m tired, distracted, and ready to go.
This month has left us much to show. It hasn’t been easy, but we made the climb! Don’t overstay now, you’ll break the flow.
I’m guessing you’d like a little quid pro quo, and I thank you for reading all my rhythm and rhyme. Now I’m tired and distracted and ready to go. Don’t overstay. You’re breaking the flow.
At first I was a bit irritated by the typo in today’s fortune. It was the second one I drew, too, because the first was one I’d already done. Not wanting to eat three fortune cookies (I’m superstitious about not eating the cookie or, horrors, throwing away the fortunes), I decided to make the most of this one.
My “office” is my bookstore, which some of you may be familiar with, so this fortune got me thinking about how every time the door opens, there’s the potential for good news to be coming in. And that got me thinking about sitting here at my desk thinking good news was just going to come in and find me without me doing anything at all to attract it or deserve it. So I wrote this little villanelle a little tongue-in-cheek about my low energy days. (They do happen!)
Enjoy. 🙂
Photo and poem copyright 2024 Michelle Garren-Flye
Good news will [be] coming from the office.
Potentiality By Michelle Garren-Flye
Today I could just wait for potential to find me because I know I am great.
The way isn’t always straight when you long to be free, but today I should just wait.
Strive each day to create; yes, on this we agree because I know I am great.
Fake it till that date, when all know my pedigree but til then I shall just wait.
It won’t take long, it’s fate, and this I can guarantee because I know I am great.
Perseverance may be key to arriving at your potentiality, but today I can just wait because I know I am great.
Haha! Finally a fortune I can work with! I both believe in this fortune…and don’t. Because while I try not to be a know-it-all and really don’t like those who are, I also think it’s possible someone may have something to say on something that they aren’t necessarily an expert on. Provided it’s a well-thought out opinion (and is regarded as opinion, not fact).
So, I took the viewpoint of an expert trying to hush up someone who’d like to have an opinion for this villanelle. And the villanelle form leant itself very well to this subject matter!
I hope you enjoy.
Photo and poem copyright 2024 Michelle Garren-Flye
It is better not to speak of things you do not understand.
Greek to You By Michelle Garren-Flye
Quiet now please, it is best not to speak about these things you cannot understand; I know you know to you this is all Greek,
so don’t talk about it, just remain meek, and let those who do know get it in hand. Quiet now please, it is best not to speak!
Nope, don’t even utter a single squeak! Vital knowledge is too much to demand. I know you know to you this is all Greek.
Okay, okay, come on and take a peek… you might just as well know what we have planned, but quiet please, it is best not to speak.
You know we will not stand for your critique. Our plan, as you can see, is much too grand. I know you know to you this is all Greek.
Like a little hen, don’t open your beak; much better brains than yours are in command. Quiet now, please, it is best not to speak. You know I know to you this is all Greek.
I was stuck on this one for a while, but I decided to try it as a villanelle. That worked. Sort of.
Photo and poem copyright 2024 Michelle Garren-Flye
Never compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do.
Winning By Michelle Garren-Flye
I win again, don’t try to deny it! My victory doesn’t have to be scored; I won against myself, you should try it!
Numbers aren’t needed if I supply it… but there you go, acting like you’re bored. No matter, I win, you can’t deny it.
The world should rejoice with my win while it is still fresh; I’m ready to be adored! I won against myself, you should try it.
You can’t take it away or define it. I know I have won, my inner crowd roared! I win again, don’t try to deny it.
Now don’t worry about what that guy hit; his score doesn’t matter, it’s my record. I won against myself, you should try it.
For self-improvement this works, apply it and your faith in yourself will be restored. I win again, don’t try to deny it; I won against myself, you should try it.
Lol. I’m starting to think these freaking fortune cookies are trying to tell me something. And unfortunately for them, I’m not in the mood to write love poetry.
Still, when I got this one, “Love makes the world shine”, I thought, well hell. Maybe I should try a villanelle. (Yes, I rhyme in my thoughts.)
Villanelles were originally meant to be love songs. The form definitely lends itself to that. So I gave it a try. My original thought was an astronaut floating in space looking down at the bright sparkling lights of the cities and towns with affection. However, my brain immediately asked me why he was out there? And this is what I got.
It’s been a while since I wrote a villanelle, and this one was literally finished about five minutes before I wrote this. Still, it’s not awful.
Enjoy!
Photo and poem copyright 2024 Michelle Garren-Flye
Love Lights Up the World By Michelle Garren-Flye
Floating in space, feeling fine, beauty below fills you with pride; what makes the world shine?
Golden lights that’ll make you pine for all you’ve ever been denied— but you’re out in space, feeling fine.
Surely such beauty is benign and should not be denied. It’s what makes the world shine.
Mysterious glow sends a sign that will not ever be denied even out here in space, feeling fine.
The stars themselves must align to serve as such a bright guide, and that’s what makes the world shine.
Escape the tendrils meant to entwine— be careful you do not collide! Safe now, floating in space, feeling fine.
You just couldn’t be part of that design no matter how much you have tried. Love is what makes the world shine, but you’re floating in space, feeling fine.
If you follow my writing at all, you know I am fascinated by different styles of poetry. I’ve written haiku, sonnets, villanelle and am now tackling the dreaded ghazal. I’ve often said that if I have writer’s block, I will write haiku to break it.
So when one of my favorite e-newsletters arrived in my mailbox featuring an article about Oulipo, an organization of French novelists and poets, I was intrigued. These writers believe writing with certain constraints actually inspires creativity. For example, very restrictive forms of poetry as far as rhyme and/or length and even more daring constraints on works of fiction. Like writing an entire novel without using the letter “e”. Some of these works have been translated from French to English…also without using the letter “e”, if you can believe that.
What would it be about restricting yourself that actually inspires creativity? I can’t answer this, but I know that historically adversity can lead to great works of art. The Renaissance, for instance, was conceived during the darkness of the Bubonic Plague. Amazing works of art resulted from the pain of the Aids epidemic. Wars have always inspired great art. And the Covid-19 lockdown released a flurry of works of art, literature, and music that we are only beginning to appreciate.
Is it because we as humans have to hope that adversity creates great work? And following that, do we as artists create artificial constraints on our work just so we can burst out of it? Does restriction force something else out of us? Or is writing a sentence without the letter “e” just silly? (Or: Is it silly to try to show our thoughts without using a common symbol?)
I can only really answer to what works for me (and it’s not not using the letter “e”). Although I don’t totally agree with Robert Frost that “Writing free verse is like playing tennis with the net down”, I do believe that I write good sonnets…and haiku…and villanelle. Not sure about ghazal yet. What do you think?
Star Falls
By Michelle Garren-Flye
Recite poetry in a husky voice—I hear your calls!
Tell me the story of the world and the star that falls.
How is it okay to whisper it all in my ear?
Count every moment from now to when the star falls.
It won’t matter anyway, I won’t let myself care.
I’ll run away—I swear I will—run ‘til that star falls.
But wait!, you say, are you sure that’s really okay?
The moments don’t pause, though, no, not until the star falls.
You’re silent at last, peace surrounds me and I will stay.
Last chance to wish on my whisper (sun’s rising!)…and star falls.
I’ve been making up some graphics to help me promote Learning Curve, which will have its official release day next week. If you can’t wait, you can order it on Amazon now, of course, but if you’d like a signed copy, my bookstore is the place to come, specifically next Friday from 5-8 p.m. (although any other of my open times works as well).
Here’s a bite-size tidbit to help you decide if you want to join me on the learning curve of life…
BREATHE: Michelle Garren-Flye 