Knight70• Show poetry

First off, if you are reading my poetry, I thank you. My name is Don. I'm 37.
I'm married, and my wife and I have two beautiful children. Our son, Dante,
is 10, and our daughter, Constance, is 5. I started writing poetry seriously
about six months ago. I've loved to write ever since high school, and the
funny thing is, until about a year ago, I wasn't all that interested in
poetry, even though my wife had been writing beautiful free verse poems
since she was 16, although she rarely shares her poetry with anyone other
than me. It wasn't until I started reading some poetry by Robert Frost that
I got really interested, and wanted to see if I could write poetry.

I draw a great deal of inspiration from nature. I have an affinity for the sea, so you will find that I frequently write about the sea. I am a U.S. Navy veteran of Desert Storm. I served onboard the U.S.S. William V. Pratt, a steel leviathan I called "Home" from 1988 to 1991, and then went to the U.S.S. Santa Barbara, an ammunition ship, from 1991 to 1992. In my four years of naval service, I had the privilege to visit more than 25 ports off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. As a teenager, who had never traveled any farther than my home state, I was thrilled to be visiting such exotic places. Much of my sea poetry is inspired from those fond memories. As time passes, I will write a great deal more about the sea, as well as some of those cultures I found myself so captivated by.
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I am also inspired by the medieval era. I have often pondered on what it might have been like to have lived as a knight in the sixteenth century.

I Kneel Before Thee, Raven Beauty
By~ Don Rogers Winslow

I kneel before thee, milady, captured
 in thy silken dreams, etched upon me.

Thou hast subdued me with perfumed
air, to encompass my soul in harmony.

Thine eyes of sapphire blue captivate,
whilst I hover within thy mystique.

Immersed am I, slipping into a trance,
humbled by chromatic gems before me.

O blessed maiden, thou art emblazoned
upon my thoughts, ne'er to vanish.

An eternal promise of devotion, I covet
upon majestic wings of raven beauty.

I say unto thee, I shall defend thy
honour with my very life, if need be.

I kneel before thee, milady, subdued
in thy tranquil dreams, etched upon me.

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From the time I was little, I have been a fan of the classic horrors, particularly during the days of the greats, such as Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney, Christopher Lee, and Boris Karloff. I will write about anything that interests me, really.

Transparent hands, outstretched in waiting
Tinge of chilled azure creeps in upon silence
Dreams, captured in ivory spheres that loom


Memoirs of my ethereal lover, ne’er forsaken


Entranced by this ethereal lover, upon sigh
Whispers whistle past my ears, lost in shadow
Phantom kisses trickle down drenched spine


Memoirs of my ethereal lover, ne’er forsaken


Captivated am I, tracing lines of transparency
Fixated on spectral curves, bathing in my lap
Misted fingers, etched in impassioned throes


Memoirs of my ethereal lover, ne’er forsaken ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I will never grow weary of writing captured moments in time, which is
probably what I find the most appealing about haiku.

poised for swift attack
camoflauged to paralyze
praying mantis glares
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

winter tunes enchant:
teeming with frosted stillness
opaque mountainside

I wrote my first poem about my Dad in January of 2007, and I've been
writing poetry ever since. When my dad was alive, he was a gifted
country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist, so I thought, even
though I can't sing a note to save my life, perhaps I had a smidgen of
a chance of learning to write something similar to song lyrics, which I
really see in poetry. I've never written song lyrics, and maybe I will as I
continue on this journey of poetic pursuits. Ironically, I can't get enough
of poetry now. I read all forms of poetry I can find. I haven't yet picked
up writing much of traditional form poetry, but I have got quite a bit of
writing done with haiku, senryu, and free verse.

I was once told by someone that I wasn't an artist, because I'm not a
professional artist, although I've been drawing most of my life. I've been
cartooning since I was 17, and even though I am not working as a
professional cartoonist, it certainly doesn't mean I'm not a cartoonist,
either. The same things goes for poets, writers, singers, etc. I have heard
others tell talented poets that they aren't "poets" because they aren't
published. That, of course, is an oxy-moronic statement to make. If you
love to write poetry, and you put your heart into it, you're a poet. I love
to read and write poetry, so I'm a poet, a green poet perhaps, but I am
a poet. I've certainly got a long haul to go as a poet, but that's what
makes it all the more challenging, and I accept that challenge with
open arms.

With every poem I read, I find myself learning a little more each day,
humbled by such exquisite talent in the arena of creative expression
through poetry. I truly believe that poetry is an enduring art. I read
once that it's a "lost art." That couldn't be further from the truth, in
my opinion. It can never be "lost" unless there is simply no one else to
keep it alive. It thrives here as an art to be treasured. I am so
fortunate to set sail on this journey, by continuing to learn how to
express myself through poetry. As you share your creative talents
with others, you continuously open up new doors for all to enjoy, and
I am so grateful to be a part of it.

One thing that I am learning very quickly is that no poem is set in stone.
I'm finding just how important it is to carefully edit my work. Most of mine
are what I consider to be "works in progress." Any artform worth doing
means that you need to take the time to treat it as an art, or it just loses
its luster. I feel that constructive commentary is just as important as praising
a poet on a job well done. I love to praise poetry that provokes thought,
because I sincerely appreciate the hard work that goes into it, and I
sometimes may point something out in another's work if I feel it's needed,
just not beyond my limited scope of knowledge at this point.

If I ever make a typo in something I put my heart into, I want to know where
the mistake is. I applaud anything that may help improve my work. I've been
given some great suggestions by some already on this board that can only
benefit my work. Sometimes, it takes teamwork, and there's nothing wrong
with that. I truly believe that "scribbles" can blossom into "art," with a little
elbow grease. It only helps the poetry to shine like diamonds. The most
important thing is to write whatever inspires you. You can always go back,
and do the fine-tuning. That's the beauty to being able to edit your work.
I am always open to critique on my work. Constructive critique is beneficial
to this poet/writer; bashing only hinders the poet/writer from growing. Poetry
is an art, and I know a thing or two about art. I believe in praise for hard work,
and I also believe that much of my work has been allowed to shine brighter
from an occasional suggestion. I have learned that it's just important to write
what you feel; let yourself get lost in the captured moments, and just listen
to your surroundings as they speak to you. The one who really needs to be
satisfied is you.

Sometimes, you just want to push the envelope and be original. There's
nothing wrong with that, either. You don't have to be "poetically correct"
100% of the time. After all, it's human nature to learn through trial and error,
isn't it? If you are adamant about something, and the way you present it
might be considered by some as "bad" poetry, write it anyway. Take
chances; be an individual. You will never know until you try. It's also
important to respect others, as well as the work they put their hearts into,
and if you don't agree with it, move along. My only pet peeve is bashing
another poet's work, or even their beliefs, whether we agree with them or
not. We all have freedom of choice in what to believe in, and that is what
counts. Take pride in your work that you put so much of yourself into.

The most important thing for me, personally, is to just savor the creative
moments, and enjoy reading and writing poetry. I have so much to learn,
but I'm so thrilled just to feel inspired.

If you wish to contact me, feel free to drop me an e-mail at
admiralwinslow@hotmail.com.


~HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE HAIKU FROM SENRYU~

http://members.tripod.com/~Startag/HkSenDiff.html

~A VERY HELPFUL LINK FOR WRITING HAIKU~

http://www.ahapoetry.com/haidefjr.htm

~KIGO LIST DATABASE FOR HAIKU~

http://worldkigodatabase.blogspot.com/

~SYLLABLE COUNTER~

http://www.wordscount.info/hw/syllable.jsp

~HELPFUL RESOURCE FOR POETS LIKE ME~
Thank you, Suseann, for passing on this wondrous link.

http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/types.html


http://www.toyomasu.com/haiku/

~MY AP FAMILY~

In the short time I've been a member of the AP site as a novice poet, I
have been greatly influenced and inspired by many incredibly gifted
people, only some of which I've listed here. I have begun to discover
the true beauty inherent in poetry.

These magnificent poets represent to me just a fraction of the pure beauty
within us all if we only take the time to let our creative gifts blossom. I have
no doubt that you will be entranced by their work every bit as much as I am.

My AP Sister is Blue Rew~

http://allpoetry.com/Blue%20Rew

 

 

My AP Friend is Stardust-luvr~

 

http://allpoetry.com/Stardust-luvr

My AP Brother is MereMortalThoughts~

http://allpoetry.com/MereMortalThoughts
http://www.fortunecity.com/millenium/dogdayz/359/knight.html

My AP Sister is Asdzaa Nadleehe~
http://allpoetry.com/Asdzaa%20Nadleehe

 

My AP Brother is Mercury Rising~
http://allpoetry.com/David%20Michaels

My AP Sister is Pamela A. Lamppa~

http://allpoetry.com/Pamela%20A%20Lamppa
I invite you to visit Pamela's poetry homepage at www.geocities.com/bf01213/Directory.html

My AP Sister is Soulful Woman~

http://allpoetry.com/Soulful%20Woman

My AP Friend is Deindichter~

http://allpoetry.com/Deindichter

My AP Friend is Himler~

My thanks go out to Himler, who designed the background for this page.
http://allpoetry.com/Himler

My AP Nephew is ilovethomix~
http://allpoetry.com/ilovethomix

 

My AP Friend is Irish Midnight~http://allpoetry.com/irishmidnight

A LINK TO MY WIFE, SIMONA'S, POETRY AT AP
http://allpoetry.com/spanishrose


~MY FIRST DEDICATION FROM A FELLOW POET~

Senryu for a Knight
By: Himler, my AP Friend

Dedicated to Knight70

Haiku you love them
Essence caught in a few words
Adore them always


~POETRY THAT I FOCUS ON, BUT NOT LIMITED TO~

Bereavement, Spiritual, Nature, Haiku/Senryu, Life, Inspirational,
Messages, Love

~SOMETHING MY SON WROTE~

My son wrote these in 3rd grade. I was reading through his notebook, and
I was so proud to read these poignant verses. My son loves science, and
wants to grow up to be a paleontologist.

THE SUN
~Dante Winslow (Age 9)

If I were the sun, I'd brighten up the world. I'd crackle with the fire and the
lava. When I die, I will be a black hole.

THE BLACK HOLE

If I were a black hole, I'd suck up everything that comes in my path, and
be a danger to stars and planets. Some day, I would be discovered.

~FAVORITE POETS & WRITERS

Edgar Allen Poe
Matsuo Basho
Paul Valéry
Ralph Waldo Emerson
W.H. Auden
W.B. Yeats
Robert Frost
Ernest Hemingway
Theodore Roethke

~FAVORITE QUOTES~

"We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it."
~ Abraham Lincoln

"You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it
will be too late."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"True, we love life, not because we are used to living, but because we are
used to loving. There is always some madness in love, but there is also

always some reason in madness."
~ Friedrich Nietzsche

"Poetry is what gets lost in translation."
~ Robert Frost

"Follow your own star!"
~ Dante Alighieri

"A poem is never finished, only abandoned."
~ Paul Valéry

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already
tomorrow in Australia."
~ Charles M. Schulz, creator of PEANUTS
R.I.P. "Sparky."


~SOME FUNNY STUFF MY KIDS HAVE SAID IN CHILDHOOD~

~ My 5 year old daughter has this funny thing she says when she knows
she's about to get scolded. She will look at me and say, "Are you happy,
Dad?" How the heck do you scold a born comedian?

~ My 9 year old son said something hilarious this morning. He had growing
pains, so I went to give him the liquid form of Childrens' Tylenol. He usually
takes the pills that don't taste bad. He shuddered, and said "It tastes like
a fart." You see there, I have two comedians at home.

~ When my son was 8, my wife and I were driving through an intersection,
and he asked me, "When are we gonna go see the Human Blowdryers,
Dad?" My wife and I just looked at each other, wondering what the heck
he was talking about. He then said, "Duh! You know, that basketball team
that does the funny tricks! When are we gonna go see them?" We were like
"Oh, the Harlem Globetrotters!" Both of us almost lost all bodily function right
in the middle of the intersection from laughing so hard. Born-again comedians
run in my family, apparently.

~ My 5 year old daughter tells me "My tummy's making hungry noises again.
" She also told me the other day, "I can't go potty every 5 seconds, Dad!"

~ This summer, I took my kids to the lake a lot, and my daughter has this thing

about not wanting to flush the toilet in public bathrooms. I can understand that, though. She's just five. Anyway, she got mad because she couldn't flush the toilet at the lake bathroom. She was stomping up and down, and looked at me, crossed her arms, and said "I can't do it! It's not my job! My job's broken!" When we were potty training her, I always told her it was her job to flush the toilet, and wash her hands. Kids do say the funniest things, don't they?



~SOMETHING I BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY ABOUT GRIEF~

The ones we have loved and lost have never really left us at all.
~ Don Rogers Winslow