Category Archives: personal blog

Daily Droppings: “Lesson Learned”

Special thanks to Sandra from What Sandra Thinks who created a series of daily prompts for the month of February which are the source of inspiration for this series.

The prompt: “Lesson Learned”

Never apologize for how you feel. This is a lesson that I’ve had to learn. By accepting my feelings as valid it allows me to address them in a healthier way. I stop waisting energy on concealing or denying my feelings. Or belittling myself for having them.

Not dealing with my feeling honestly and trying to rationalize them away often led me down a spiral of negative feelings such guilt, anger, and self-hatred that would result in negative behaviors (which I did need to apologize for).

Be well,

Monty

Folly (a Paint Chip Poem)

No Love For Fatties invites us to join in on her Paint Chip Poetry by creating our own poem inspired by the paint chip colors of the week. I think this is a really creative and fun idea so I’m giving it a try. Check out her original post and join in too if you feel inspired.

Paint Chip Poetry

Be well,

Monty

Daily Droppings: “You Won’t Believe It”

Special thanks to Sandra from What Sandra Thinks who created a series of daily prompts for the month of February which are the source of inspiration for this series.

The prompt: “you won’t believe it”

ANNOUNCEMENT!

I’m excited to introduce my new work-in-progress project – a children’s picture book. It’s still in it’s prenatal phase and there is no due date, but I’ve got a cover ready and it’s development is in progress. Can you believe it?

This cover inspired by the title piece “Apples Eating Zebras”, first published right here on Monty’s Blahg.

Be well,

Monty

Daily Droppings: “Flowers”

Special thanks to Sandra from What Sandra Thinks who created a series of daily prompts for the month of February which are the source of inspiration for this series.

The prompt: “Flowers”

“Winter Bloom” – photograph with digital painting

Be well,

Monty

The Sadness in Me

The Sadness in Me

The sadness in me has awoken.

Crept out of it’s hiding and spoken,

Reminding me that I’m broken.

Reminding me that I’m broken.

Be well,

Monty

Festering, Inflamed and Infected

Festering, Inflamed and Infected

written and illustrated by Monty Vern

I’m festering.

Leaking pus of greenish yellow whines,

Reeking of putrid complaints.

I’m inflamed.

Bursting with hot and spicy anger,

Brewing up self-righteous madness.

I’m infected.

Better stay far away,

You’ll catch blame if you come my way.

Be well,

Monty

Green Shoots

Here is a beautifully descriptive poem from the Jamaican born poet, Claude McKay.

The Tropics in New York

Bananas ripe and green, and gingerroot,

Cocoa in pods and alligator pears,

And tangerines and mangos and grapefruit,

Fit for the highest prize at parish fairs,

Set in the window, bringing memories

Of fruit trees laden by low-singing rills,

And dewy dawns, and mystical blue skies

In benediction over nun-like hills.

My eyes grew dim, and I could no more gaze;

A wave of longing through my body swept,

And hungry for the old, familiar ways,

I turned aside and bowed my head and wept.

by Claude McKay (1890-1948)

The following is a Golden Shovel poem from the line “And dewy dawns, and mystical blue skies”. If your not familiar with the Golden Shovel poetic form, here is a description.

Green Shoots

written and illustrated by Monty Vern

Green shoots and

Early buds bathed dewy

By spring dawns

And

Sunbeams mystical

With whispering mist above glistening blue

Puddles reflecting partly cloudy skies.

What a wonderful line to work with and there are many more lines in this poem worth exploring further too. I’m particularly fond of the line “Cocoa in pods and alligator pears”, which is the prompt for this weeks Get Your Golden Shovel collaboration (which you’re very welcome to join!).

Be well,

Monty

Daily Droppings: “Too Many People”

Special thanks to Sandra from What Sandra Thinks who created a series of daily prompts for the month of February which are the source of inspiration for this series.

The prompt: “Too Many People”

originally published in Monty’s Very Short Shorts

Be well,

Monty

We Will Move Mountains

A golden shovel poem from:

“When you investigate mountains thoroughly, This is the work of the mountains.“

The Mountains and Waters Sutra by Dogen (translated by Shohaku Okumura)

We Will Move Mountains

written and illustrated by Monty Vern

The question is not where or when;

You

Query there and then, but we must investigate

Our role in the now; seeing through these stone mountains

Density, and lighting up the deep oceans’ darkness thoroughly;

Exhausting each probability, this

Is

The

Work

Of

The “we” in us; Together we will move mountains.

Be well,

Monty

Daily Droppings: “I Can’t Wait”

Special thanks to Sandra from What Sandra Thinks who created a series of daily prompts for the month of February which are the source of inspiration for this series.

The prompt: “I Can’t Wait”

I spent so much of my life wishing it away. Hoping to fast forward or, better yet, skip ahead to the end. It’s taken a lot of hard work and self-care, but I’m grateful that today “I can wait”.

Content Warning: References to self-harm and suicidal ideation.

Breathless

I see him there in my memory

a boy no older than two times three

sitting on those stairs

not anticipating future back stares

from an older self in therapy

 

He becomes smudged and blurry

as I uncover what I had tried to bury

my eyes becoming wet

seeing him on that step

now crying uncontrollably

 

He was just a small child earnestly

but with uncertainty

trying his best

to close out his breath

and wishing so desperately

 

Having thought quite stupidly

squeezing his neck tightly

would take away his pain

which wasn’t insane

for a child of only two times three

 

He felt unlovable and lonely

I know, for this wasn’t just some story

of a boy and his sadness

or the beginning of his madness

it was my found history

 

Having failed miserably

I had given-up patiently

and I’m not really surprised

there was no demise

as this was to become a lifetime study

Be well,

Monty