Poetry Month, Day 5 - Quantum

Today's headache-inducing word, QUANTUM, was given to me by my writer friend, Jill Proctor.  Anyone who know me well, knows that anything having to do with time and space makes my eyeballs spin!  I just don't have a brain for it.  So, instead of trying to use the word in any meaningful way (which would mean I'd have to understand it), I wrote about how I feel about such words.  It's short and sweet and I don't think it'll make anyone's head spin (maybe the glossary will).  

Quantum

I dislike words like quark and quantum

you can keep 'em if you want ‘em

Here’s a few more I’d avoid:

Obliquity and Damacloid.

The words that deal with time and space

just put a scowl upon my face!

Glossary 

(read them at your own risk!)

Quark – Any of a set of six hypothetical elementary particles together with their antiparticles thought to be fundamental units of all baryons and mesons but unable to exist in isolation.

Quantum – The smallest quantity of radiant energy, equal to Planck's constant times the frequency of the associated radiation.

Obliquity – The angle between the plane of the earth's orbit and that of the celestial equator, equal to approximately 23°  27′ at present.

Damacloid – A group of unusual asteroids that are inactive nuclei of Halley’s Comet and other long-period comets, and have been found to have a retrograde orbit, unlike other types of asteroids.

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Poetry Month, Day 4 - Catastrophe

Todays poem uses the word CATASTROPHE, suggested by my writer friend, Angie Karcher.  Angie is the mastermind behind Rhyming Picture Book Month - also known as RhyPiBoMo, which is held during the month of April.  Do you think it has anything to do with April being National Poetry Month?  Well, Angie is anything but a catastrophe - check out her website and see for yourself!!

Graphic taken from the Advanced Scribes website

 Catastrophe

This challenge has become a curse,

‘cause now I have to pen this verse.

But every time I start to write,

I find my thoughts have taken flight . . .

I draw a doodle; make a list;

or catch up on the shows I've missed.

I wash the dishes; walk the dogs;

or browse through discount catalogues.

I Google things and surf the net;

before I know it, I forget.

Just what was I supposed to do?

I can't recall – I have no clue.

Oh, now it’s coming back to me.
I have to rhyme catastrophe!

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Poetry Month, Day 3 - April

Today's word, APRIL, was given to me by my writer friend and critique buddy, Nancy Viau.  April was a hard one (if you look on rhymezone.com, you'll see it doesn't rhyme perfectly with any single word).  I had to use a brand name to rhyme with it - it's a stretch, but I think it works!

The April Achooooos!

On the 3^rd day of April

I’m still taking DayQuil;

I can’t seem to shake this darn flu!

My nose is all plugged,

so I have to stay drugged,

to keep me from 
ahhhh . . . ahhhh . . . ahhh

chooooooooooooo!

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Poetry Month, Day 2 - Delicatessen

Today's word, DELICATESSEN, was given to me by my mother, Marcia!  It seems fitting since I'm sure she's the person who brought me to my first deli.  

The two delicatessens I remember most from my childhood are Ashkenaz and The Pickle Barrel.  Anyone else remember them?

The deli I go to most often now is Max and Benny's, because my brother loves it.  Here's a picture just for him!

A lesson at the Delicatessen

I’ve learned a few lessons at delicatessens,

like how to tell nova from belly.

And how to finagle a true Jewish bagel,

and why they put fish balls in jelly.

A hot bowl of soup is a cure for the croup -

whether matzo ball, kreplach or noodle.

Tongue and pastrami are not like salami

and kugel is nothing like strudel.

Whatever the name, it is always the same,

in any and all Jewish delis.

No matter the crowd – it’ll be really loud

and it’s always a great kind of smelly!

Glossary for those not familiar with Jewish food:

~ Nova and Belly are types of Lox.

~ Finagle is Yiddish and means to get or achieve by guile.

~ Fish balls refers to Gifilte Fish, which is a blend of chopped white fish, 

eggs, matzo meal and seasonings that are shaped into balls or ovals.  

The meter in "gifilte fish" was killing me so I used fish balls instead!

~ matzo balls and kreplach are like dumplings and are served in chicken soup

~ Tongue is often served in Jewish delis (not eaten by me!)

~ Kugel is a baked noodle casserole

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Poetry Month, Day 1 - Frugal

It's April 1st and that means it's National Poetry Month!  This year I'll be posting my daily poems here, as I've done in recent years (last year was a blip)!  

Agawam Public Library website

Today's word, FRUGAL, came from my old college friend, Cindy!  I hope she - and you - will like it!!

Mr. MacDoogal

was ever so frugal;

he'd hang on to every last cent.

He found a cheap bugle,

by searching on Google,

and played it to help pay the rent.

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