The Puzzle of Life: Poetry Challenge

Life is an intricate puzzle we spend our lives putting together.  Each moment, each experience, each memory is a new piece to the puzzle that we must place to get the true meaning of our lives.  This week on Random Madness I am issuing a challenge to all the poets in the world.  Think of your life as a puzzle and use this idea to write an original poem of how you feel your pieces all fit together.  I have pre-issued this challenge to some talented poets I know, and if you would like to use their poems as inspiration to write your own, visit the following links below:

• Philly's Puzzle Poetry Challenge by Snakeslane
• Loss Poetry / How to Learn From Painful Loss by Janshares
• Parallel by Vernal Equinox
• Cause I've Been Hurt Before by Ryem
• The Pieces of My Life by Philly Dreamer

I'm looking forward to reading some wonderful poetry so if you want to participate in this challenge send me the link to your poem at Foreverpoetry@Yahoo.com.  I will leave comments on all my favorites and share your work with my poetic circle of friends.

         

Food Cravings Poetry Challenge

I can't tell you the amount of times I've had a food craving.  Whether it's chocolate cake or a T-Bone steak, sometimes the mouth has to have what the mouth wants, and when your craving is satisfied, God it's so good.  Maybe, that's why people will go out of their way to satisfy that crave.  Look at the movie "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle".  Sure it's just a movie, but we all have our real life stories of what we did to get the food we craved. 

Food cravings is what this week's poetry challenge is all about.  I want you all to tell a story about what you did to have your craving satisfied.  You can also write about how those foods you just have to have, truly make you feel.  What is your craving?  Is it sinfully decadent chocolate?  Is it that first cup of coffee in the morning that you were dreaming of the night before.  Let your craving inspire you poetically, and show me what you come up with. 


Guidelines for Challenge

• Write an original poem about your food craving on what ever site you choose.
• Send me the link to your poem to Foreverpoetry@yahoo.com, so I can post it in this challenge.
• Help spread the word about this challenge to everyone you know.
• Visit back frequently to read all the poems people share.  

A Closer Look At Martin Kloess

What would you do if an unknown illness attacked your body, and slowly started shutting it down?  It's hard to imagine an unpleasant situation like this, but for one man this nightmare is a reality.  Martin Kloess is a poet I have gotten to know over the months, and his story has inspired me to do more with my life, because we are never guaranteed time to accomplish the things we really want.


Martin Kloess lived an amazing life.  At 16 years old he met the first love of his life Arlene, who gave him many wonderful years of wedded bliss until she passed away in 2003.  While Arlene was a great loss for Martin, he was blessed to meet another great woman named Amor, who he is still happily married to.  He set out to become a music teacher, getting his BA degree at San Francisco state College, but wound up working for an oil company in a job where he was allowed to use his creativity freely.  He has devoted himself to helping others, achieving the level of 33rd degree mason for his work with youth organizations, and he has published a book  called "Well That Was That" which is a compilation of humorous limericks all about relationships. 

Despite all these great accomplishments, the thing that impresses me most about Martin Kloess, is the fact that he handles his disability with the kind of strength few people possess.  Originally misdiagnosed with Wernicke's Syndrome, Martin had to endure painful medical treatment in the hospital.  Later, it was discovered that he had something in his blood that attacks the neurons in his body.  The doctors wanted to readmit him to the hospital to do further studies, but by this time Martin had lost all confidence in them.  It isn't known what is attacking Martin's body, but what is known is that it has taken away his ability to walk, talk, and think.  He is unable to function on his own, and is currently being cared for by his wife Amor.

Martin's only way to communicate to the world is through his poetry.  His poetry contains valuable lessons about life and love, and is filled with the experiences of a man who has lived an extraordinary life.  If you would like to get to know Martin through his poetry, please visit the links below:

Martin Kloess on HubPages

Martin Kloess on Triond

Johnny Boy's Love For The Jersey Shore

Johnny Boy just turned 18
He loved his home
Jersey Shore proud

So when disaster struck
He stood his ground
No Sandy's allowed 

Johnny Boy wasn't alone
His friends and neighbors vowed
To protect their homes
With their lives

But there was nothing they could do
When the waves came crashing through
Home was destroyed
Right before their eyes 


Johnny Boy was only 18
But he loved his neighbors
So he put them before himself

He searched for food
And lent his hands to save the day
Not once thinking of his health

When food was passed around
Johnny Boy ate last
Sometimes
He didn't even eat at all

When the children were scared
Johnny Boy was there
He did his best to be strong
And stand tall 

Johnny Boy was 18
And little did he know
18 was as old as he would be

As he tried to save a friend
A house came crashing down
Burying him in falling debris

Johnny Boy gave his life
His only wish
To have done a little more

Johnny Boy gave his life
The ultimate sacrifice
All for his love of
The Jersey Shore. 



This poem was written for the Hurricane Sandy Poetry Challenge.  This challenge is meant to create uplifting poetry for the survivors of Hurricane Sandy, and to help raise money for the charities giving relief to those survivors.  Johnny Boy is a fictional character, but his story is meant to say, one person can't do it all.  Let's all work together to help overcome this disaster.  Please make a donation to any of the following charities.

Red Cross

Salvation Army

AmeriCares

Hurricane Sandy Poetry Challenge

I bring this poetry challenge to you, as a much humbled poet.  There were many times when I heard about the destructive forces of a hurricane, but having witnessed the power of Hurricane Sandy, the only thing I can say is, I pray no one else has to know such devastation.  People have lost their lives, people are trying to survive without running water and electricity, and people are working their hands to the bone to return things back to normal. 

This poetry challenge will be very near and dear to my heart, because I was one of the fortunate survivors who walked away from this natural disaster unharmed.  There are however, millions of people who can't say the same thing, and these people will serve as the inspiration for this challenge.  This week, I would like my fellow poets to write an original poem inspired by the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.  I would like poetry about first hand experiences with the storm and poetry meant to lift the spirits of the victims.  It is my hope that when life returns back to normal that the survivors of this storm will look upon this poetry and find encouragement to keep rebuilding what they lost. 


Guidelines For The Challenge

• Write an original poem on any site you choose inspired by Hurricane Sandy.
• Send the links to these poems to me at Foreverpoetry@yahoo.com.
• In one weeks time I will write a follow-up to this challenge with the links to each person who has written poetry to this challenge.  I will continue to post links, so long as people keep sending them to me.
• Please post the link to any of the following charity sites in your poetry contributions, and encourage people to make a donation to them so we can use our poetry to do some good for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.  

Click here to make a donation to the Red Cross

Click here to make a donation to the Salvation Army

Click here to make a donation to AmeriCares


These charities are currently offering support to the victims of Hurricane Sandy, please share these links in your poetry for this challenge, and please make a donation to help the cause.  Help spread the word about this poetry challenge so we can get maximum participation, and raise as much as we can to help the victims of this natural disaster. 

Recap of Open-Mic Show 10/22/2012

This week on Random Madness we touched on the theme of Spots of Time.  In an effort to create our own memorable spot of time we featured Robby Baby Dark Poet of Amour, who recited some of the trademark poetry that makes him such a rare talent.  Robby was a very engaging guest host, and treated us to a half hour of memorable moments, so let's recap the show and show you what you missed.

Robby gave us an early Halloween treat with his poem titled Nightmares,  Then we played a track from Anexis the Angel called Educated Guess.  Combining the sad theme of Educated Guess with the psychotic piece from Ryem called If I Can't Have You, set the show up for a dark mood, but it was all preparation so we could take you into the light.

Forever Poetry brought the first spot of time, with a rewritten Mental Pictures, then Robby continued the sensual mood with his piece My Mistress Music.  Then we opened the mic up to Andy Scott who treated us to an untitled piece about the artificial lives people live.  Finally we had Robby close out the show with Angels Don't Weep, which he dedicated to all the angels that weep,

If you were not able to catch this spot of time on Random Madness live, then listen to it now on the player below:

Listen to internet radio with Random Madness Poetry on Blog Talk Radio

The World of Undiscovered Poets: Robby Baby Dark Poet of Amour

Many of us go through life letting those special moments pass us by.  Whether it's the song we hear from the first bird to return after a long cold Winter, or a world renowned violinists putting on a free concert in a busy subway station, somehow we've managed to make ourselves so busy we just don't notice these things when they happen.  On rare occasions when we do open our eyes, we are so taken with the moment that the memory can last us a lifetime.  These precious little grains of time are permanently ingrained in our minds, and when we are at our most desperate hour, we can use them to bring us out of the darkness.

A poet's most important job in life is to notice these precious moments.  It's his job to make a record of it with his pen so that when others read his poetry, they are reminded to take a break from their busy day and enjoy the beauty of the world that is around them.  This week I would like to introduce you to a poet who is so gifted at capturing these moments, reading his poetry is like finding yourself witnessing them first hand.  Please allow me to introduce Robby Baby Dark Poet of Amour.


Tell Me You Love Me
by Robby Baby Dark Poet of Amour

Tell me you love me...
but say it not with words,
rather,
tell me that you love me with soft and caring hands,
hands that touch me with deepest warmth,
as our bodies lay in bed together,
side by side.

Tell me that you love me with the shimmer of tear stained eyes,
eyes pooled with tears of joy for the feeling of it,
feeling the presence of me with you,
in time of joy and trials of woe.

Tell me that you love me with arms that embrace me with care,
wrapped in mutual embrace,
as whetted lips,
their trembling shows me just how much they care.

Remember that the loudest declarations of love,
they are pronounced in the subtlest of fashions,
love compassion fashioned as the soft sentences of sighs that say goodbye to pain,
as we let ourselves embrace each other in loves fulfilling rains.

Do you recall the time that you felt love across the distance,
as you heard a birdsong sing of love to you,
a song that felt so close from far away?
That was my song,
my declaration without words of how I feel,
the steeled resolve to tell you how I love you without words,
words of love sung by lullaby birds.

Whisper it to me,
as you hush me with your souls lullaby songs,
amend every wrong that has come upon me with your lips lullaby lilts,
as you tell you that you love me with a subtle but most profound kiss.

I shall hope that all this and more is present in your souls chalice,
as,
when I look down upon you,
stare into your joyfully tear stained eyes,
I place my forefinger upon trembling lip,
and I whisper
"SHHHHH"
Tell me that you love me
...without saying a word...

Copyright © 2012 Robert Matejko


Robby Baby Dark Poet of Amour began writing poetry as a way to console his aunt, after the death of his uncle.  From that moment on, Robby knew he was passionate about poetry.  Robby's poetic style is a unique blend of dark and romantic elements that combine to paint a picture of a man with an interesting perspective on the world.  Robby is also a "performance poet", capable of expressing the mood of his poetry in such a way that an audience hangs on every word, rapt with attention.  His poetic influences come from the 17th century and the poets from that era, such as William Wordsworth.  Robby himself, is trying to make a name in the poetry world.  He is currently working on a collaborative project which could wind up in the Guggenheim by 2013, and is putting together a book to be released in the same year.  Robby is currently residing in Thunder Bay, Ontario, a small city filled with natural beauty, that is home to a very cultural community, especially in music.  If you would like to learn more about Robby Baby Dark Poet of Amour, you can visit his work at the following links:

http://creativethinkersintl.ning.com/profile/RobertM

http://www.wordmachinist.com/apps/profile/37691617/

http://www.youtube.com/user/musicalroberto


Robby will be a special guest host on Random Madness this Monday at 6pm-6:30pm EST.  You can listen in and participate in the live chat room by visiting the link below: