25 - YET

[The twenty-fifth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

Have you done your homework?

And have you fed the pet?

Oh, no, I was too busy

Not yet, no, not yet

The television's not working

Have you pressed "reset"?

Or are you kind of busy?

Not yet, no, not yet

Have you cleaned up the spot

That's muddy and quite wet?

Please, I'm really busy

Not yet, no, not yet

Have you visited your old friends

Or the friends that you've just met?

Really, I'm quite busy so

Not yet, no, not yet

Have you hugged your children?

You're too busy, I would bet

But really, have you done it?

Not yet, no, not yet

Have you called your parents?

Or did you 'conveniently' forget?

Oh, I'm just too busy

Not yet, no, not yet

But if this was your last day

You'd better not regret

Will you still keep saying

Not yet, no, not yet?

24 - X

[The twenty-fourth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

X is fascinating, strange little letter

Something unknown, something better

It's made up of diagonally-crossed bars

Just like how people paint little white stars

X marks the spot where pirates hide treasure

It's what you mark with when you use a tape measure

Sometimes our answers get X's on them, too

When the teacher finds errors in the work she goes through

X, pronounced 'chi', the twenty-second letter in Greek

Let me tell you a fact from this Christian geek

The X in X-mas actually represents Christ

So don't say X-mas was a Jesus-heist!

X, the mortal enemy of those who hate math

The unknown that induces irrational wrath

X, a real tough letter to write with a brush

Trust me, I know, you should not rush

X, the men who were biologically mutated

X, for movies that have been *a-hem* rated

X for xtremepapers.com, our best friend

For past year papers in our schools till the very end

Okay, I admit the last one was so forced

I guess that's all about X that I have to endorse

X was really tough; thanks for all your suggestions

Hope all these rhymes didn't give you indigestion!

23 - WASN'T

[The twenty-third entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

He was perfect, without sin

A man with God within

He was sent to earth to save

With all He had, He gave

A divine soul, powerful

Grace surpassing every rule

Forgiving the unforgivable

Loved more than conceivable

She, on the other hand, fell

A mortal destined for hell

Ungrateful, malicious and cold

To the Enemy, her spirit was sold

Married to, enslaved by sin

Passed down generations, next-of-kin

Forever cursed, forever lost

No spotless lamb could pay the cost

He who was utterly blameless

And she, the opposite of shameless

A new life with Him, she could begin

If she was perfect, without sin.

But she wasn't.

And He loved her anyway.

22 - VIOLINIST

[The twenty-second entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

She removes her violin gingerly

From the solid black case

Giving the strings a little strum

As a smile spread across her face

Opens the compartment for rosin

Unlocks the bow from its confine

Tightens the hair of the horsetail

Making sure they are well-aligned

She sets her bow on the table

As she switches on a tuner

She plucks each string and listens

Slowly; tuning can't be done sooner

At last, her violin's ready

To produce the beautiful sound

Of music by Bach, Vivaldi, Seitz

Paganini; composers renowned

As she places her bow on the string

And counts, "One, two, three"

Takes a breath, and all that's left is

Just the violin, the music, and she.

21 - UNIVERSITY

[The twenty-first entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

I haven't been to a class

In almost one whole year

Frankly, I do miss school

I wish August was here

In August I am going

To the big kids' place

I'm beyond excited

A nerd once, a nerd always

In this big kids' school

I meet people I don't know

I can't wait to learn things

Imagine how much I can grow!

I miss the smell of textbooks

And seeing peers every day

I miss trying to stay awake

And listening to what teachers say

I miss the daily hustle

Of rushing for deadlines

I miss the kind of stress

Of wracking our tired minds

Can't wait to see new people

Can't wait to learn new things

Can't wait to get new books

Can't wait to spread my wings!

20 - THOUGH

[The twentieth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

though I know in my mind

I know not in my heart

it simply continues existing

it would not come apart

though I tell it a million times, no

it just refuses to leave

I beg and beg, but like a spoilt child

it doesn't seem to receive

though I know it's wrong

I just can't seem to stop

on and on this thinking goes

constantly causing mood-drops

though it's malicious

to think of things this way

it aggravates me so

is this the price to pay?

though I want to be relieved

of this niggling creature

I just try to comfort myself

that this is human nature

though there is this darkness

that creeps and stays in me

I'm thankful for acceptance

from Him who died on a tree 

19 - SHADY

[The nineteenth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

A peculiar word I once used so much

There was no other word as such

There's no way to say it like a lady

Yup, that's right! I'm talking about "shady"

Shady, like trees with many leaves

I said shady so much; it became a pet peeve

Shady, like an umbrella, shelter from the rain

I said shady so much; it became quite a pain

Shady, like a bus-stop, where one waits and sits

I said shady so much; I was losing my wits

Shady, like a cap, that shields from the sun

I said shady so much; it was no more fun

Shady, like a wanted, suspicious man

I said shady so much; people started to ban

Shady, like a dodgy-looking motel

I said shady so much; they all started using it as well

Shady, like unexpected, strange behaviour

I said shady so much; I really needed a saviour

Shady, like an old, abandoned lorry

I said shady so much; so I'd like to say I'm sorry!

*

Seriously though; for those who hung around me a lot the past five to six months or so, you'll understand just how much I used "shady" to describe literally everything. To all those who endured my "shady" usage and even those who started using it uncontrollably... I apologize! *bows*

18 - REMINISCE

[The eighteenth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

the old rocking chair creaks

in its quiet corner of sixty years

back and forth, it goes

just like it has always been

the rusty gate, un-oiled

screeching arthritis at the hinges

back and forth, it goes

just like it has always been

the long, untamed grass

a-waving in the wind

back and forth, it goes

just like it has always been

the ceramic flower pot, chipped

dangling from the porch ceiling

back and forth, it goes

just like it has always been

the creviced wooden porch swing

termite-infested, yet solid

back and forth, it goes

just like it has always been

you stand at the faded welcome sign

at the cottage where grandma still lives

"back and forth, you go,

my dear, where have you been?"

17 - QUIRKY

[The seventeenth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

You may have wonky eyes

Or you may have knobby knees

Maybe you have a couple of

Idiosyncrasies

You could be a fast-talker

Or maybe you daydream

Perhaps you like knitting scarves

For your entire football team

Maybe you like smelling books

Or tapping their delicious spines

Maybe you love the colours of 

Traffic lights and road signs

You might be way too tall

Or even way too short

So what if you're twenty-six

And still love to build a fort?

We should all hold tight onto

Our odd little features

Come on, we're all made different

To be quirky little creatures.

16 - PIECES

[The sixteenth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

a vase precariously placed

on the mahogany desk 

it trembles when the winds blow

it stops when the winds rest

it sits silent and majestic

intricately decorated art

its solid body stands through the years

a work of its potter's heart

one day it chooses to see

what the world could offer it

with its own strength it moves

falls from where it used to sit

it is halfway down when

the vase realises its folly

it tries too hard to save itself

with desperate cries, says sorry

calling out to its master

the distance to the floor decreases

a swift hand reaches out to catch the vase

and saves it from becoming pieces

15 - OVER

[The fifteenth entry in April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

- a limerick -

Just a niggling thought

With all her strength she fought

Against this speck

That seemed to wreck

It left her exhausted and wrought

Get over it, she told her mind

Drowned her sorrows in figurative wine

It was such a chore

To feel this sore

She kept telling herself to be kind

This darned thought picked at her soul

It left her feeling unbearably cold

She pushed it away

It returned the next day

And pummeled her a thousand fold

Please leave, she commanded this thought

But the thought had its own will, so it did not

It stayed right there

Like it did not care

How it seemed to cause our poor friend to rot

Just so pitifully she remained in this pit

As this thought killed her bit by bit

Frustrated was she

Who just wanted to see

Her poor self just get over it.

14 - NUMB

[The fourteenth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

in response to anything

children laugh, cry, sing

they just express

there are smiles and pouts

there are screams and shouts

no need to guess

if they feel sad, tears fall

if they feel proud, stand tall

there are signs

if they feel joy, all smiles

if they feel fear, run miles

simple minds

but as they age, it starts

the hardening of hearts

less emotion

building walls around self

just so difficult to delve

no expression

to think it's weak to display emotion

is a terrible, misleading notion

so dumb

their hearts have turned solid

their souls become stolid

all numb

13 - MELODIES

[The thirteenth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

A ringing harmony

A clashing dissonance

Furiously loud

Heard from a distance

Leaping octaves

A minor chord

Dynamics shift

Gentleness ignored

Diminished sevenths

Augmented sixths

Unpleasant to the ear

It can't be fixed

Where's the major thirds

And perfect fifths?

The tuneful melodies

And harmonious riffs?

Save us, relieve us

From this pain

We want to hear

Sweet melodies again.

12 - LACK

[The twelfth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

Dear human of this world

Man, woman, boy and girl

What is it you lack?

An iPhone, or a Mac?

Are you craving for more?

Like the dress that model wore?

I, too, am lacking things

Not in the sense of diamond rings

But a feeling of lack is present

Incompetency; how unpleasant

The moments of feeling less

When I could've been my best

Striving to get what I want

Doing all that could be done

Seeking more and more

Try to open every door

Our wants our never-ending

But In Him, we lack nothing.

11 - KNIVES

[The eleventh entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

Knives can stab

And knives can dice

Knives can cut

And knives can slice

Knives can pierce

A person's heart

Knives can break

Something apart

Knives can cause

Big to be small

Knives can wound

Or just end it all

Knives can be blunt

Or sharp they can be

But, either way

They can hurt easily

So here's something

Let the truth be heard

Replace every "knives"

With "a word".

10 - JEJUNE

[The tenth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

It is extremely difficult

To interest somebody

'Cause written forms of art

Can really be quite cruddy

It's a writer's nightmare

For people to be bored

It's hard to judge what fascinates

And what would strike a chord

When writing poems that rhyme

There is a giant risk

Of a forcefully conveyed message

To make sure the point isn't missed

Unfortunately it happens

And you might feel it soon

I really hope my poems aren't

Entirely jejune.

---

je·june

/jiˈjo͞on/

adjective

(of ideas or writings) dry and uninteresting.

9 - IMMACULATE

[The ninth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

Neatness is important

Arrangement is a must

Immaculate people

Are people you can trust

Store away all trinkets

Make sure your clothes are folded

Alphabetize all your books

Socks should be colour-coded

Write in straight lines on your book

And use a ruler, please

Ensure all words are aligned

So my mind will be at peace

Clear the items on the table

And make sure it is clean

Sweep the floor and wipe the shelves

There should be no dust seen

Immaculate people ensure

All things are to the dot

But everything described here

Is everything I'm not!

8 - HELLO

[The eighth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

7 - GRACE

[The seventh entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

Filthy, disgusting, thrown out with the waste

Shame and guilt was all that Man faced

Unwanted, rejected, covered in mold

Shiver in darkness and suffer in cold

Man fell into pits again and again

He fought with the storms and drowned in the rain

Impatient and bitter was he without You

He pushed You away when You tried to pursue

Rebellious, unwilling to change for the better

Worshiping idols and gods that don't matter

Refusing to come back to Your embrace

But here You are, full of love, same as always

You reach out to Man as Man walked away

With nails, a cross, and scars, You did pay

For Man's sins, so revolting, so dark, so deep

You look at his unfaithfulness and start to weep

But still you reach out, with a smile on Your face

A second chance for Man to be saved by Your grace.

---

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

and are justified by his grace as a gift, 

through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

- Romans 3:23 -

6 - FUN

[The sixth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

Every so often I remind myself

When a piece of my writing's done

I write not to impress, or show

I'm writing because it's fun

It's sad when no one laughs

At my jokes or a clever pun

But again, I write because I enjoy it

I'm writing because it's fun

I must remind myself

I don't have to be number one

I don't have to chase popularity

I'm writing because it's fun

When I don't receive the "likes" I expect

My heart will weigh a ton

And once again I tell my myself

I'm writing because it's fun

I could use big words to describe

The luminous, effulgent sun

But no, I keep it simple when

I'm writing because it's fun

Writing may not be my career

Heck, I've only just begun

Whether it's just a hobby or not

I'm writing because it's fun

I write what I think and feel

And not just to please everyone

I write because that is my voice

I'm writing because it's fun.

5 - EXAMPLES

[The fifth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

E is such a common letter
You find it so easily
Here are examples of words
Starting with the letter E:

A fisherman is one who fishes

At sea and docks on sand

But one who fishes under a bridge

Is called an ebberman

Pastel colours are so pretty

But they look like a fever pill

Did you know a pale green colour

Is also called eau-de-nil?

You might call it a hangover

Alcohol causing exhaustion

But a mental breakdown from over-drinking

Is called ebriection

A tool for measuring boiling point

I didn't know what it was, nope

But then I found out that it was

An ebullioscope

Cats and dogs have long tails

I'm sure you don't have one, mate

In other words, something tailless

Is also ecaudate

Too much Ricola candy
Might get you a little sick

You might even feel the laxative

'Cause it's eccoprotic

Made a little typo?

Does your work need a correction?

I guess you'd better edit it

And make an emendation

Because these words are crazy

And because you are my friend

I won't torture you any longer

This poem shall hereby end.

*Disclaimer: I never knew these words existed before I looked up "interesting words starting with E" on Google. So please tell me if I'm using them wrongly; I want to learn too! 

4 - DECIDE

[The fourth entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

We decide for ourselves

Each and every day

We decide how to behave

What to feel and what to say

Decide to be good

For goodness is rare

Decide to be happy

No one wants despair

Decide to be kind

In all that you do

Decide to be considerate

When you use the loo

Decide to be thoughtful

And celebrate a birthday

Decide to be adventurous

And go the wrong way

Decide to be polite

Say please and thank you

Decide to be responsible

Pay up when it's due

Decide to be pretty

It's your body anyway

Decide to be worth it

Doesn't matter what they say

Decide to be intelligent

Learn, learn and learn

Decide to provide for those you love

With the money that you earn

Decide to feel loved

For there are many who care

Decide to feel important

And don't ever compare

Decide to love yourself

Because God created you

A beautiful creature in His image

Believe it, 'cause it's true. 

3 - CALLIGRAPHY

[The third entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.]

*

The sliding of a nib into its holder
The click of a brush pen uncapped
The scratches of pencil on rough paper
The excess ink drips off when the nib is tapped

The push and pull of the brush's bristles
The dipping of nib into ink
The pleasure of choosing the colours to use
Orange, black, purple or pink?

The satisfaction of adding a flourish
To complete a meaningful quote
Spending hours to admire the work
Showing off so that others can dote

Practice and practice makes permanent
And perfect practice makes perfect
Alas, the feeling of disappointment
When rushed work creates a defect

But that's alright; it's part of the process
Of honing new-found skills
Time spent on art is always worthwhile
Even if you're working on drills

Calligraphy has found a place in my life
As you may have probably seen
I have learnt much, and will continue
What a wonderful journey it has been!

Follow @cachennywrites on Instagram to have a look at my calligraphy & lettering pieces. Still an amateur, but I'm learning! :)

2 - BARTHOLOMEW

[The second entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge]

*

Here's a little story

I hope it interests you

It's a story of man, named

Mister Bartholomew

He loved to wear his hat

On his head slightly askew

Nobody cared enough to ask

"But why, Bartholomew?"

He was not popular

Friends he had a few

And even his "friends" spoke badly of

Our guy Bartholomew

On Sundays, he goes to church

And sits on a wooden pew

Nobody else sits next to him

Lonely Bartholomew

There was something wrong with him

And everyone quite knew

Everybody knows his flaw...

Except Bartholomew

It wasn't long before

Bart himself withdrew

From society and its standards

Sigh, sad Bartholomew

He packed his bags and left

Lifted his crooked hat, bade adieu

To the town that so cruelly shunned

Mister Bartholomew

1 - ARROGANCE

[The first entry of April 2016's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge]

*

Arrogance, a puffed-up fellow

With his suave suit and tie

His hair all up in styling gel

Feeling almighty and high

He fights to hide all things flawed

He seeks to promote and boast

He thrives on shallow comparison

He loves himself the most

Everyone else is worst than he

Everyone else cannot compare

Everyone else is below par

Their success is just unfair

Apology is his worst enemy

Narcissism is his brother

Ego is his best-est friend

Birthed by Insecurity, his mother

A thin line separates him

From his better twin, Confidence

Just an additional O-V-E-R

And there you find dear Arrogance.

Brush lettering with red Artline Stix. 

A-to-Z Blogging Challenge 2016!

Hello everyone!

You could be a friend or family member who has kept up with my existing blog posts, or you could have arrived at this space through the links up on the A-to-Z Challenge website. Either way, welcome to my attempts at blogging for 26 straight days!

The A-to-Z Blogging Challenge is held in April 2016, where this community of bloggers is given 26 days (basically every single day of April, except Sundays -- thank goodness for rest!) to write in an alphabetical fashion. Basically, for each day of April, the blog posts must begin with a certain letter of the alphabet, starting with A, followed by B and so on. Check them out here!

So after countless of resuscitation attempts of my blog, I hope this challenge spurs me on to write more. I may be posting 26 days of poetry, just so that this challenge will have some kind of order on my blog. Seeing the other blogs participating in this challenge has got me all motivated (and also slightly intimidated), because they've already been blogging for the past month and scheduling those posts for the challenge!

BUT THAT'S OK, I'M JUST GONNA WING IT, and hopefully produce quality writing.

So I hope you enjoy my daily posts. Let the blogging begin!

Jess