A Cephalopod's Tale: To Be Continued

So far I have greatly enjoyed writing
about Gary our cephalopod friend
and I believe that I would be slighting
his tale if I gave it an abrupt end.

So tomorrow unrelated sonnets
will start to make their return to this blog.
As for Gary, I'll keep working on it,
and when I'm done I will post a full log.

I simply do not wish to bore readers
Who wish to read somewhat casually
and I fear reading all the preceders
would put new readers in some agony

If you would like to keep up with Gary,
leave me a comment; I'll send the story.

A Cephalopod's Tale: Just One Chance

"Gary" she sang "I see that you question
I cannot blame you for having your doubt.
Knowing the story of my accession,
I am surprised you have not yet run out.

"Gary" she pleaded "I need just one chance;
I have secrets, but I would not harm you."
Gary looked up and could see in her glance
that queen Titania's intentions were true.

"I'll give you one chance" he said cautiously
"to show me that I'll be of help to you.
If in one chance you can prove that to me,
I will do whatever you want me to."

She looked in his eyes and gave a small grin.
"Gary, your story's about to begin."

A Cephalopod's Tale: An Honest Deception

Gary was taken aback at this news
now he both pitied and feared Titania
"What is it that I could possibly do
that would lessen this burden upon you?"

"That" sang the queen " I wish not to disclose
'til you know more of my situation.
I accept the fact that this may impose,
but you must understand my frustration."

Gary was puzzled; should he trust her?
She seemed genuine, but they had just met
had he been tricked by her mermaids' allure?
but there seemed to be more to her... and yet,

She was hiding something, but did not lie
Just what was she hiding, and rather why?

A Cephalopod's Tale: The Death of a King

"The king was my father, and a good king
or so that is what the realm thought of him,
but for years he had really done nothing
but engage in his occasional whim.

"The things that they they thought great were my doing
I ruled for many years in his shadows.
I simply could not go onward knowing
that more power and the throne were so close.

"My father grew more senile with each day,
by the end not aware that he was king.
I did it to rule more than end his pain,
but I told myself it was the right thing.

"In the first years of my rule I was sure,
but each day now I feel more a monster."

A Cephalopod's Tale: A Dark Confession

"You see," the fair mermaid queen continued
"as queen I'd do anything for my own,
but now I do not know what I should do
I feel I no longer deserve a throne"

"Your majesty" Gary began to ask
"what on Earth could this great wrongdoing be?
what in this sea could you possible lack?
Could true evil come from such great beauty?"

"I am afraid I have done a great wrong;
selfishness has brought me to this dark place."
Now bitter notes took over her sweet song
The fair mermaid queen had to hide her face

"They think that the old king died on his own...
he died by my hand; I usurped the throne."

A Cephalopod's Tale: A Painful Melody

Gary fell back; he knew not what to say.
He had never met royalty before.
Why had Titania called to him this day?
Or had he called himself to her allure?

He looked up at her, this glowing beauty,
and he noticed sadness upon her face
he did not know what could the matter be
"I beg your pardon, but what's wrong your grace?"

"My people, they are facing great danger"
She replied with a painful melody
then her look turned to one of great anger
"And I fear that this danger comes from me"

"Gary" she sighed "I fear I must admit"
"There is one small detail I did omit"

A Cephalopod's Tale: Humbling Beauty

As the water grew light around Gary
he saw that it was not dawn which he faced
he began to wonder and grow wary
had this been the right path which he had traced?

He froze and beheld this glowing figure
Gary felt humbled by its pure beauty
But what was this strange and wondrous creature?
he bowed feeling a strange sense of duty

"Arise my squid friend" the siren's voice sang,
and Gary arose unable to speak
"Tell me dear traveler, what is your name?"
"...my name is Gary..." he quietly squeaked

"Well Gary" she sang "do not be afraid."
"I am Titania, queen of the mermaids."

A Cephalopod's Tale: The Siren Song

Gary at last came to terms with the fact
that he would be a lone squid forever
because of this he decided to act
as if his life would never get better

Then one day Gary was swimming along
pondering the loneliness in his life
he heard a beautiful far away song
which suddenly made him forget his strife

Looking with his large eyes he turned his head
but could not see who sang this siren song
he wanted to know where the song's path led
and so he followed the noise until dawn

Gary did not know what would be in store
for this adventure he had not asked for

A Cephalopod's Tale: The Lonely Squid

There once was a charming cephalopod
A colossal squid whose name was Gary
Gary noticed and though it was quite odd
That children on land thought he was scary

Gary thought he was a very nice squid
He didn't know why the children were scared
He'd come to play but the children all hid
That made Gary wish that he didn't care

Gary went home and he cried for days
He wanted so badly to make new friends
But who would see a squid and want to play?
He knew he'd be lonely until the end

But other lonely squids feel the same way
I think that Gary may meet one someday

Grief

What is it that makes mourning difficult?
Why is it so hard to let yourself cry?
perhaps we have been taught that as adults
sadness is weakness to hide deep inside

Yet sadness is often quite warranted
and also felt by affected others
somehow this emotion is unwanted
and so we hide it from one another

When finally we allow tears to fall
we feel a great sense of instant relief
we are sad but are not alone at all
and we can properly begin to grieve

yet once we have mourned and are whole again
we forget that we have learned this lesson

The Week in Review

This week I decided to have a life
I answered yes to all invitations
and while this did cause my a little strife
the fun far surpassed my expectations

On monday we watched TV together
Game of Thrones can make for good company
Friday was spent with birds of a feather
Dinner and wine made all things so funny

Saturday had a quite bleak beginning
but things started to take a better turn
when I saw our gymnastics team winning
meets are fun to watch is what I would learn

I don't think that I have the energy
to go have this much fun again next week

Rhymes with Orange

People say that nothing rhymes with orange
But I'm not completely sure that that's true
sure some of the "rhymes" may be on the fringe
but I think they're close enough to make due.

What is it that constitutes a real rhyme
must the end spellings match or just the sounds?
I believe that I would waste much more time
If it were spelling I thought really counts

I hope my rhymes are good enough for you
I hope that they don't make you roll your eyes
sometimes they are a stretch but I pull through
I hope this is not what readers despise

Or maybe, perhaps, my rhymes would improve
if I used slant rhyme, which I do not love

Six Alarms

This morning I slept through my shift at work
I woke up two hours past my alarm
I saw the clock and nearly went berserk
was there terror that I'd need to disarm?

Would my coworkers think that I had died?
or simply run off into the sunset?
I called up the gym and explained my side
and they said not to worry about it.

My boss was more concerned for my safety
than for a smoothly run operation
she just told me not to be so hasty
and to spend my day in relaxation.

Six alarms were not enough to wake me
should I also worry for my safety?

Last minute sonnet

This is really a last minute sonnet
I didn't mean to wait till this hour
All day long I thought that I was on it
But I see now that I have no power

My day was long and my agenda full
It will be so late before I am home
I am just grateful for this moment's lull
So that I have the time to write the poem

I hope that this quality will suffice
I know that this one will not be my best
But I was aware that stress would arise
From the first day that I took on this quest

I do not wish to face this stress again
I should write an extra sonnet or ten

Doctor Panic

My post for today was somewhat delayed
and for that I need to apologize
I went to the doctor and was dismayed
to find my appointment had met demise

I needed to see my normal doctor
she already knows my ins and my outs
but my appointment was not quite proper
and suddenly I was consumed with doubts

I knew I'd said who I needed to see
the error must clearly be on their part
now would my doctor make time to see me?
if not, all my plans would be torn apart

I almost broke down in the waiting room
but then she took me and my day resumed

Procrastination

I am facing a great procrastination
and I have so many things to get done
I'm lost for hours in TV stations
my to-do list is stuck on number one.

If I wrote a huge stockpile of sonnets
would that remove some of my distraction?
would I move on or get caught up on it?
Once I'd written enough to vacation

Perhaps this just means I should be reading
rather than sitting here writing these lines
I admit that this blog is exceeding
each and ev'ry expectation of mine

Maybe this blog is worth the distraction
if I may write each day with some passion.

Drunken Sonnet

I might be too drunk to write a sonnet
but there is no way that's gonna stop me
this on will be great you can bet on it
it's the best sonnet that you'll ever see

It will have the correct rhyming scheme
there is no way I'm too drunk to do that
but I can't make promises of a theme
Katniss is a great name for a new cat.

I don't know what this stanza is about
I don't really have any ideas.
I'm starting to wish that time was not out
Ha! that only rhymes with Diarrheas!

Tomorrow night I will not drink and rhyme
this has certainly not been a good time

Iambic Intervention

I'm fighting so hard to pay attention
I'm stuck in Iambic Pentameter
My brain needs a sonnet intervention
or will this rhythm really interfere?

I could do all my work in sonnet form.
What would my professors think of that?
It is most certainly not quite the norm
but would sonnet assignments be so bad?

What if I wrote my lessons like this?
Would my future students respond to them?
I could write a new sonnet for each quiz
I'm sure that the responses would be gems.

Alas! I do not think that I should risk
my progress in school for a moment's bliss.

An Ideal Bathtub

If I had a source of infinite funds
before anything else what I would do
is install a TV next to my tub
I'd love to watch movies in the bathroom.

I'd take long luxurious bubble baths
while I'm watching Breakfast at Tiffany's
I'd sit back for hours and just relax
and maybe watch the latest comedy.

My one worry is that I'd get pruny
from lounging in the tub for the whole night
I suppose I'd have to stick to movies
that are shorter and relatively light

Alas I do not yet have enough cash
so for now I'll just relax in my bath.

Somnolence

I'm "pre-gaming" for class with a Red Bull
It's the only way that I'll make it through
this late night class without resting my skull
firmly on my desk and taking a snooze.

I'm hoping that this drink will be enough
to carry me through this three hour class
if it doesn't work then things might get rough
if this keeps up I think I might not pass

Naps have become part of my routine
I can't make it through the day without one
Off naps and Red Bull I would like to wean
I feel without them I'd have much more fun.

In my understanding this should not last
And I can't wait to put this in my past.

The Onerous Burden

This onerous burden is mine to bear
that is what I told the Target cashier
I think that he was impressed that I dared
To carry my goods without any fear

I took up my items boldly in arms
And swiftly I walked to the exit door
I'm fairly sure many looked on alarmed
that such a strong girl had come to their store

In triumph I walked through the parking lot
Toting my burden to far away car
My journey was long to the parking spot
I looked back and felt proud I'd come so far

I guess that to be fair I must confess
My "onerous burden" was just one dress

The Girl in the Tower

Once upon a time there was a small girl
who lived high up in a castle tower
she wore a pink gown and a string of pearls
her golden hair always smelled like flowers.

She always dreamed that she would meet a prince
and that they would fall in love at first sight.
She would be the envy of all her friends;
they would be jealous but would feel no spite.

As all people do, the small girl grew up,
and the girl's dreams over time they did change
and this young girl was no longer a pup
all men might as well have come down with mange.

But then once again the girl changed her plans
and she got married to a wealthy man.

The Nature of Lying

Today I was thinking about lying
and what really makes a statement a lie
is it as simple as truth defying?
what if you neither confirm nor deny?

What if the "liar" thinks that it is true?
does earnest belief make it not a lie?
is accuracy what makes it the truth?
or is it intent that begets the crime?

If correctness is the the thing that we seek
then have we not all told lies of our own?
oft I have thought it is truth that I speak
Once I learn of my wrongs must I atone?

For me it's more a matter of intent
but I am sure that not all will assent

To Bathe or Shower?

I really would like to take a bath now
but I fear there's a risk that I would drown
I'd feel the warm water upon my brow
And I would continue to sink straight down

The bath water would relax me too much
I surely would start to nod off too sleep
within a few moments of waters' touch
I'd begin to drift off into the deep

I suppose I could fill it up half way
so that I could not sink down underneath
I'd get my relaxing in for the day
and not worry about falling beneath.

with only this problem at this hour
perhaps instead I should take a shower

The Measure of a Man

What is the defining point of a man?
Just what is it that makes him what he is?
Do you measure his actions or his plans?
Should just look at the way that he lives?

Should you take past actions into account?
If so, how far in the past should you look?
If a persons changes, is that what counts?
Can anyone's life be an open book?

It truly is up to us to decide
how we shall measure the men that we know
to take face value or look deep inside
to judge them by their thoughts or by their feats.

Who are we to judge what's good and what's bad?
All we can judge is the time that we've had

Pen vs. Sword

So the pen is mightier than the sword?
Now that's a fight that I would pay to see
The wielder of the pen would write a word
what would the action of the sword bearer be?

Who would stab a man wielding just a pen?
What would make the sword-bearer snap and kill?
I doubt that I could... but yet, then again...
what if the pen bearer wrote a steep bill?

He could write an unflattering letter
to make the sword bearer's friends run away
would  the sword bearer really be better
for stabbing the pen man with his épée?

Both could do acts deserving of some fright.
Truly the wielder determines the might.

Writers Block

I am having some sonnet writer's block.
I don't know what to write sonnets about
The door to my ideas has been locked
I've lost the key and I can't get them out

I'm sitting with a legal pad and pen
Trying my best to come up with sonnets
It keeps happening again and again
I'll write two lines and then give up on it.

The rhyme or the syllables will be wrong
So I have trouble finishing the verse
I feel like a bird who has lost her song
I can't imagine what could be much worse.

I will not give up, and I will endure.
I know I'll get through this-- of that I'm sure.

Dead Girl Walking

Right now I am feeling like a zombie
like I'm an undead goon trolling for brains
I'm walking around with no energy
and feeling like I'm circling round the drain

I'm not feeling sad, but feeling so drained
My once vibrant energy has left me
each trip out of bed is more and more strained
I didn't know just how hard this would be

I know just what is doing this to me
these are new medication side effects
they are just what they were supposed to be
but I still didn't know what to expect.

Preventing the bad is well worth the risk
I just hope that it doesn't stay like this.