craig cornish's Blog
 I started writing poetry as a young boy, actually they were lyrics to melodies I would invent, performed before the captive audience of Mom and Dad, who were, at least outwardly entertained. Let’s face it, if you can’t please a loving family it’s probably not a good idea to take your show on the road. I started writing poems in high school for English and Lit. classes and through college, some for courses, some for loves, and some---just because. Sold some lyrics for ads and had some writings published. Then life struck—marriage, family, work, and I didn’t write another poem for years, well, maybe a few. Then just over a year ago I was searching for inspiration for a eulogy because a friend’s Dad had died and my search lead me to Poetry Soup and the fine poets who reside here. I have learned more here than in all of my English and Literature classes combined. I can think of many names that have been particularly inspirational but truly it is the whole—this creative melting pot…Poetry Soup---Thank You
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Most Recent Blog Post
Longfellow's Christmas Bells
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Blog Posted:12/9/2012 7:38:00 AM
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I'm sure many of you have heard this story, but it bears repeating. On Christmas Eve 1862 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow sat at his desk in Portland Maine and thought about his son who had been severely wounded a month earlier in the American Civil War and he also thought about his love, his wife, who in July of the previous year had died as the result of burns because of a fire in their home. Longfellow had tried to save his wife and was badly burned himself. Upon hearing the church bells ringing he wrote this poem.
Christmas Bells
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
- and wild and sweet
- The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
- Had rolled along
- The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
- A voice, a chime,
- A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
- And with the sound
- The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
- And made forlorn
- The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
- "For hate is strong,
- And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
- The Wrong shall fail,
- The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."
It was nearly 100 years later in the 1950's that Johnny Marks wrote the melody to the song most of us have known, "I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day" (I Like Bing's version). Strangely enough Johnny Marks also wrote other songs you may have heard of, "Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer", "Rockin Around the Christmas Tree" and "Holly Jolly Christmas".
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My Poems
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| Date Posted | Poem Title | Form | Categories |
| 5/17/2013 | Crimson Passion | Rhyme | passion, |
| 5/16/2013 | Linda's Song | Free verse (vers libre) | dedication, |
| 5/16/2013 | The Belated Debutante | Quatrain | funny, |
| 5/15/2013 | Life's Waves | Free verse (vers libre) | life, |
| 5/14/2013 | Too Young | Pantoum | dad,death, |
| 5/14/2013 | Five Minutes | Free verse (vers libre) | introspection, |
| 5/10/2013 | Green | Tanka | love, |
| 5/7/2013 | To Lily | Quatrain | birthday, |
| 5/6/2013 | In Silence I Stood | Villanelle | life,love, |
| 5/4/2013 | Blue Gardenia | Free verse (vers libre) | love, |
| 5/4/2013 | merlot | Haiku | nature, |
| 5/3/2013 | Sophistication | Free verse (vers libre) | life, |
| 4/29/2013 | A Ripple in Time | Free verse (vers libre) | hope,life, |
| 4/25/2013 | Evolution Worst Poem | Free verse (vers libre) | life, |
| 4/21/2013 | Life's Lessons | Blank verse | life, |
| 4/21/2013 | The Otters Play | Sonnet | life, |
| 4/20/2013 | Friendship | Acrostic | friendship, |
| 4/20/2013 | Dragon Slayers | Free verse (vers libre) | life, |
| 4/19/2013 | In The Meadow | Sonnet | war, |
| 4/18/2013 | Haiku ap1813 | Haiku | nature, |
| 4/16/2013 | Synathroesmic Cat | Couplet | funny, |
| 4/14/2013 | Moon | Free verse (vers libre) | moon, |
| 4/14/2013 | In Medias Res | Verse | religious,truth, |
| 4/13/2013 | Coccinellidae | Quintain (English) | funny, |
| 4/13/2013 | Belly Up | Rhyme | song-lyric,me,fun,me, |
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Fav Poems
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| Poem Title | Form | Categories |
| Violin | Personification | death,love,sadworld,rose, |
| Evening Walk | Free verse (vers libre) | introspection,life,nature |
| The Sowing | Free verse (vers libre) | devotion |
| Why I Weep | Italian Sonnet | natureme, |
| LONG DISTANT DREAM | Rhyme | nature |
| An Invitation to Dance | Sonnet | music,nature, |
| Secrets of the Stream | Free verse (vers libre) | introspection,nature |
| Grandpa | Couplet | childhood,loss,sadold,chi |
| Double Phantasy | Free verse (vers libre) | loss,mystery,sad |
| Something of a Dreamer | Free verse (vers libre) | life, |
| Silver Strands | Bio | love,mother,me,silver, |
| Montage Poetry | Lyric | happiness,history,uplifti |
| A Mutual passion | Blank verse | romance,longing,longing,l |
| Spring Returned | Rondeau | happiness,love,people,sou |
| January--Miss Doom and Gloom | Personification | imagination,nature,new ye |
| Magic | Acrostic | fantasy,imagination,smile |
| Wind Power | Rhyme | nature, |
| Gold Star | Narrative | childhood,war,war,star,bl |
| FIRST CHERUBIC CHANCE | Lyric | mystery,uplifting |
| Circle of Life | Rhyme | death,introspection,life, |
| New England | Rhyme | nature,seasons, |
| If Ever | Sonnet | faith,hope,inspirational, |
| ALL FOR HONOR | Quatrain | lost love,sad,sleep, |
| THE HOURS | Sonnet | on writing and words,time |
| EULOGY FOR THE ELDON GALLERY, WATERLOO | Free verse (vers libre) | art,life,places,sad,grand |
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