I know I know..I just posted one yesterday! But hey, I need to start pumping stuff out so...Yep.

This one is called "The Heart of Freedom", kinda a lame title and I don't really like it but I can't think of one right now so...yep, can always rename it later.

This one is more of a riddle, it talks positively and negatively about the heart and how to be free inside so you really don't know what I'm trying to say, and I actually leave it opened ended somewhat on purpose to basically say "figure it out". Not sure if that was a wise choice but I like it so there! ....

For the drawing, I've been feeling like I'm abusing watercolor a bit too much in this challenge, it's kinda my comfort area and this is supposed to push me so I'm going to try and use more types of media, this is #8 so I have 7 more things, I want to have at least 1 or 2 colored pencil drawings maybe an oil pastel work and some line-art style images so...Yep.

This one is just pen (sketched with a pencil first).




There are 8 verses, for this I'll post 1, 2, 7, 8. It was hard to pick because it's basically one long riddle but eh! D:

Put me in a box,
Hold the key to all the locks,
Keeping me down,
Smiling at my frown,
But soon it is you who will drown.

My heart it feels desire,
It's stronger than an empire,
To spread it's wings and fly,
No longer able to deny,
It's longing for the sky.
....

It seems I'm speaking in paradoxes,
What do I mean by boxes?
And which emotions steal joy like foxes?
The answers are in cages,
They'll be revealed in stages,
Write the story turn the pages,
You'll learn what's true in the end.

My heart it is free,
I saw what I needed to see,
It's Love and what it brings me,
By doing it without me,
Now my heart has wings and it flies.

There we go! Enjoy not knowing what in the world I'm saying.

I haven't abandoned this! Stuff just has come up and I've been feeling ughhhh! And with only 4 days left I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna pump out 7 poem sets so I'll say I got something done and I'm happy with it but kinda sad I didn't do more. I guess I did learn quality takes longer than making quantity. Since I won't be limited to a month anymore I'll take the time to really polish stuff a bit.

I also learned that trying to make myself use media I'm not in the mood for isn't going to work. So if I wanna abuse watercolors that's what I'mma do! xD

Okay so, this one is based off of my RAP image (again).
The image is based off of Pandora's box and the Serpent and the tree. Though granted I believe in one and not the other I think the similarities work in a metaphor so..yep.

Basically this is narrated by a few "people", The Devil, God, And Humanity. I'll Color Code the lines so you can know what's going on and it doesn't look like babbling.

You'll see the devil tempting and scoffing once you're tricked, Warnings of God, and the Musings of Humanity over your poor choice.

Image:
The snake is part of the painting of the box fading in to being truly alive and is fighting the light (of God?).
The box if you look close has an apple tree painted on it, this represents the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (most people say they ate an apple though it's unknown and somewhat irrelevant since the result remains the same). Of course the box is supposed to represent Pandora's box, although in reality the box is really a jar we just call it a box because...idk why exactly. xD

Done in GIMP, I did test out a few ideas on paper first since I don't draw snakes, I hate snakes, and I don't plan to keep up the tradition of drawing snakes.



So there's that...Now on to the poem.
The poem was long, and to be honest each part adds a lot to the context so to post an excerpt you will loose a lot of it's power but so I can give a taste of it I'll post...hmm...1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 11. There are 11 total verses.

Purplish Pink = Voice of God
Red= Voice of Evil/The Devil
Teal = Humanity

(1) Don't open the box,
It's full of lies and deceit,
There is nothing healthy here,
No love, song or wheat,
Keeping it locked as it is, surly can't be beat.

(2) There's a tree with long and healthy limbs,
Providing shiny apples,
I know you think that you will win,
But the branches are like grapples,
If you dare to take a bite,
It will cause you to sin,
Not bring you delight.

(3) Listen to this humble serpent,
Trust me I know what's best,
I'm from heaven, I've been sent here as a...guest.
Listen to me and you will see your life isn't on the line,
You spirit and you soul will evolve and become divine.

(7) You were told don't open the box,
There's was a reason it had locks,
It's not the gold of Fort Knox,
Nor the affirmation of Godly desires,
But the beginning of evil and empires.

(8) So you just had to open the box,
Go near the forbidden tree,
You thought it was how one can be free,
But I have news, though I might be a bit too late,
I never really cared for you I just wanted you to be a victim of my hate.

(9) I know there is temptation,
A catcher in the rye,
I promised you life,
But in reality I tricked you to die.

(11) Though evil He can make pure,
And though we're evil and unsure,
Only One can give us the cure,
Of the box and the tree,
Soon what we were promised will come to pass,
Finally, we'll be free at last.



Just a little side note, I have never read Catcher in the Rye it just came in my head and I thought it sounded good. xD

K I got a few ideas but my motivation level has been low (A few tiny real life issues going on) but I might have something posted later...Not sure but maybe!

Nice work with the snake Mokonafan despite you not wanting to draw one!

And I love the way you had three different voices in your poem - that worked really well I thought .

Okay I might not have made it out of the month with 15 like I wanted but I'm not going out without at least 10 so HERE WE GO!!!

#10 Forgotten Teddy Bear.

This one is based off of childhood and the growing up out of it; as well as how a teddy bear misses being loved. Not the exact concept but if any of you have seen Toy Story 2, the "when somebody loved me" scene. Kinda like that. Not exactly but kinda in that ball park.

The drawing, I'll be honest, is from last October (I'm taking Jake Parker's Advice finish it not perfect it on this), I'm going to use this one because I think it somewhat fits the theme and I tried to draw a picture and I wasn't feeling it but I wanted this last poem posted before midnight of the 1st of May in my time so..Yes I'm cheating but it's my challenge so I can bend the rules!!!!





The Excerpt was hard to decide, because right now I like the whole thing. xD
But...hm..There are 8 verses, lets to...1, 2, 5, 7, 8 (that's most of it but it looses context :S), the parts I didn't include describe selling him in a yard sale and also how children play with their toys.

Somethings are weird,
Somethings are insane,
And there are somethings we really can't explain.
Childhood, adulthood how does the comprehension change?
I tell you, it's rather hard to explain.
...
Take for example the teddy bear,
A common little toy,
It's universal, for a girl or a boy!
Yet along the line,
After they pout and they cry,
One day they forget that they ever loved their friend.
...
Poor lonely teddy bear,
He sits on the bed and sighs,
For nobody wants to play with him,
Though tear-less he cries,
A broken heart he feels,
Though on his face is stitched on a smile,
Why do we become an adult from a child?
...
But lo, sometimes it's not totally sad and bleak,
Because sometimes we love them,
But we think playing now is being immature and weak,
So we keep and we save them, for that time,
To pass them down to a new child, in our family line.
...
When that time comes we pass our old friend down,
Now his heart no longer has sadness or a frown.
Happy is he, just like his stitched on face,
Because though an adult we remembered in our heart he once had a place.

I'm rather happy with this one (even if the art isn't specifically made for this).
Well at least I made it to 10, I'll try and be happy about that. I'm very much an all or nothing person. XD
I'm probably not going to abandon this project though, I mean I got this far mine-as-well finish it. I'll just have less pressure. So if anyone is like YOoOoOoOoOo!! Where's da poemz?? Feel free to remind me if I go dead again. xD



Yay!
I wasn't sure if that would be received well or not. I thought it was clever. xD

Hiiiiiiiiiiii! Sooo...Yep I made a new one! I actually got rehired where I work (that's a terrible thing and a good thing) and this poem is about how terrible I feel when I work there. xD
The work conditions are bad, the management (except one manager I had was an angel I miss working for him xD) is terrible and unorganized, the trainers treat you like you're stupid and the pay is low for the work I do. SO...Needless to say I don't like it there but I needed the money and I had to take it so........Yippie..!
I might not be there much longer though because it was for Mother's day rush so I might not have a job again soon which both scares me and excites me all at once. xD ----[Edit: I got laid off...again! I'm actually pretty happy about that, it's awful working there, something will come up better I'm sure]

So this is about mediocrity and the bad feelings of working there. I'm sure people who have had terrible jobs can relate to this. xD

The clown I actually drew at work on my breaks, I did all the sketching (over a 3 day period) and some most of the hair at work and I finished it after I went home on my final day of the week...I was just thinking..."hmm what should I draw?"..."I know! A clown because this has to be a joke." Thus the concept was born! Yayyy!!! LoL - I actually like this one a lot. It's not that big either it's only like 5.5 in X 8in or something like that. It's done in colored pens and some sharpie/bic markers. I wanted to deal with negative space and stuff.



It seems 8 verses is a standard for me, I don't even do it on purpose. Lol!
I guess it's because I wanted to keep them one page long in the document I write them on.
For this one since it's probably more relate-able I'll just post the whole thing (I'm feeling like "the heck with it
atm xD)...So...yep!


The Joke
Surly this must be a joke,
That each week I must go for broke,
Just a common bloke,
Wishing to go beyond merely taming the fire.

This string of mediocrity,
And sicking aura of aristocracy,
Walking in a dark lit path full of apathy,
Being told what I should be and what I will have,
And never given empathy.

This has to be a joke,
I've already been at this scene,
I know this feeling of doing it only for the green,
But money makes me sick regardless of what it buys,
To get it you have to sell your life away,
In order to stay alive.

Bosses think it's normal,
Coworkers think it's funny,
I really wish I had a reason for being here,
Other than I really need the money.

You really must be joking,
And I must be insane,
Taking what I can't afford,
I must be sick in my brain.
Why did I agree to this mediocre way of life?
Maybe it'll be over and I'll come out alright.

I know it looks like I'm whining,
But I'm really not,
I needed the money so in a way I guess it's “thank God”.
But really and truly, I honestly must confess,
I'm not getting what's due me considering all the stress.

Lets sketch a clown,
In order to keep me sane,
Work with some irony,
So as to not shift any blame,
Considering I did on my breaks I really am pleased,
Soon it'll be over and soon I'll be able to be me.

Funny thing about a joke,
Is once you hear it enough times,
It doesn't make you laugh anymore,
Instead it makes you sigh.
You've been down that road before and it's getting rather dull,
Maybe something new will happen,
And it will stimulate me out of my lull.

So there we go.
Enjoy!

Okay I just wrote a new one, I just have to think up an artwork to go with it.

Hint: It's about trust, love, and sympathy. (It's got darker overtones but it's got an encouraging message I think!)

Keep them coming Moko.
Appreciate your sharing

Yah I never did come back do this did I?
I might write some stuff on paper and type it later. This really is the closest I've gotten to a full out book in my life (not that I'm that old but I've been trying to write a book since I'm like...6? lol) it would be a shame to stop now.

So I keep saying i'mma post something and never do...Yah..so here's a little something.

It's about pessimism VS optimism and how they're both kinda needed...or something...idk. XD
I'm tired don't mind me. xD


The picture isn't awesome, but I was stressed out and wasn't feeling it but I wanted to finish it before I never would so...yep.



I don't feel like splitting it up so if some random passerby decides to make millions let them at it.


Pessimistic Optimist:


The sun,
Supposed to be a glimmer of hope and sanity,
Representative of God's love for me,
Then why does it make my heart feel dark and my mind feel sad?
And why is it, it reminds me how things have been so bad?

Pessimism, it's a deadly state of mind,
Hard to reform,
Yet if you did you'd feel alive.

The rain,
Supposed to show the dark and dismal aspects of life,
Representative of dreary mediocrity and the devil's lack of hospitality,
Then why is it I find the most hope in the darkness of overcast clouds?
And why is it the rain is given a stigma of bad when life comes from where it shrouds?

Optimism, often over-rated and not properly understood,
Never aimed to be reformed,
Yet if you did, you might be a little more understanding.

Is the glass half empty or is it half full?
Was the black sheep truly giving or just sick of being hot in his overgrown wool?
Why is it all things must be all or nothing,
Some things were just meant to be, doesn't that count for something?

I'm a pessimistic optimist,
I see everything both ways,
why must the sun bring hope and the rain bring sadness?
Don't both bring light?
Isn't the love of God, who's represented in the sun the creator of the rain also?

Some things are right don't get me wrong,
And some things are wrong you're absolutely right,
But why must our personalities constantly be in a fight?

Rain rain go away come back another day,
Sun, Sun, Shine so bright, out do the star I saw last night,
We don't need irony, but it gets the point across,
What should we do? Lets leave it up to a coin toss...?

I'm a pessimistic optimist,
Rain and Sun alike,
Both are very different, yet both of them bring life.
Some people enjoy the overcast, whilst some enjoy the rays,
The truth is it should take more than the weather, to bog down our days.

____

I hope it's not too terrible...Enjoy!

Your picture is worth the showing - neither (all one thing or another) and I enjoyed your poem too