The Story of my Blog Title

Quilt of Dragonflies- My blog is named that for a reason.I am lucky enough to own a genuine Quilt of Dragonflies, which I am sure brings me good dreams when I sleep beneath it. It was given to me by a friend of my mother's, who handmade the entire thing. Color meets pattern in this fantastic piece of artwork which sits on my bed. Brilliant shades of purple, blue, and green intersperse with tie dye dragonflies. I will not hesitate to call it my inspiration.







Friday, December 31, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep."
-The Tempest

Winter

Wind biting your face and hands
Icicles clinging to the trees and buildings
Never a warm day
Terrible storms that keep you inside
Entrancing and Enchanting
Rainbows of color replaced by whiteness

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Quote (not Shakespeare) of the Day

I felt like taking a mini vacation from Shakespeare today because I have  a poem I would love to share. I adore reading peotry, and have recently become a fan of Robert Frost. Here is my current favorite of his poems:

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,


And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Always

Always
by Claire

there is always
a spot
where the sky is blue
there is always
a place
where you're free to be you
there is always
somewhere
where you can be free
there is always
a bright day
for you and me

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so"
-Hamlet

Don't Give Up!

when the outlook is bleak
and hope has flown away
and your happiness leaks
almost every day

never give up
and become a wet blanket
half full is the cup
so go out there and crank it!

for there is always a door
that will open for you
Not matter how poor
or how old or how new

so go out there and prove
that you are the best
but you never will move
if you don't put yourself to the test!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"If reasons were as plenty as blackberries I would give no man a reason on compulsion"
- King Henry IV

Blue Sky

Blue Sky
by Claire

blue
carpets the sky
a great round disk above me
promising fair weather
the purest blue
I have ever seen
bluer than
oceans
stretching out towards the horizons
bluer than
tears
that drop like hail
from the eyes of people
bluer than satin
which is silky to the touch and beautiful
the sky
is undoubtedly
the bluest blue

Monday, December 27, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"Or call it winter, which being full of care,
Makes summer's welcome thrice more wish'd, more rare"
-Sonnet 56

Winter Queen

Winter Queen
by Claire

The queen in her chariot
Races over hill and dale
Spreading a blanket of whiteness
In her wake
Her long white hair
And long white cloak
Billowing behind her
Her pale arms outstretched
Fingers dropping flakes
Onto the unsuspecting ground
Her wind hounds
Baying and howling
Make her snowflakes
Dance through the air
On their way down to earth
She stands very tall
With a grim smile on her face
Watching drops of white blood
Spilling onto the trees and bushes
Whatever she touches
Turns to ice
She is seperated forever
From the world she once walked on
And in her marble body
Lies a pure heart
White as snow
Yet it still beats
And remembers happy times
As it is forced to race across the sky
Untill the end of the earth

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"All the world's a stage"
-As You Like It

Nights in Winter

Nights in Winter
by Claire

a fire crackling
in the hearth
its golden glow
emanating happiness and
warmth
a smoky smell drifting upward
reminding us of summers past
marshmallows float through our thoughts
as we sit
isolated from the rest of the world
blackness spiraling around us
windows fogging up
against the chilly outdoors
snow falls by
like sheets
swaying in a summer breeze
or winter wind
yet we are safe
and warm
inside
from the storm

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

Merry Christmas to everyone, and may you all have a wonderful holiday!

"He is the brooch indeed
And gem of all the nation."
-Hamlet

Time

Time
by Claire

time is a trickster
who enjoys to defy
all that we think if him
sometimes seconds drag by
and years seem to last an eternity
yet good times fly
yes, time is a trickster
and we'll never know why

Friday, December 24, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

Merry Christmas to All, and to all a good night!
I hope your holidays are very special, and contain that magic that makes the holidays sparkle!

"At Christmas I no more desire a rose
Than wish a snow in May's new fangled mirth;
But like of each thing that in season grows"
-Love's Labour's Lost

Anticipation

Anticipation
by Claire

A fluttering feeling
In the depths of your stomach
A buzzing
In the back of your skull
Images
Racing through your preoccupied mind
Your feet
Tapping nervously
Your fingers
Twitching and constantly moving
Lying in your bed
You swear that this
Is the longest moment of your life
Yet you say that every year
At the same time every year actually
December Twenty Fifth
At six thirty A.M.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"I count myself in nothing else so happy
As in a soul remembering my good friends"
-King Richard II

Presents

Presents
by Claire

Presents
wrapped in yards of color
sit underneath
my personal forest
that's all they do
sit there
and yet
they make me salivate
they make me excited
as the expectations rise
with the spirits of their owners
and they still sit there
unaware of
the strife they are responsible for

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"Here shall he see
No Enemy
But winter and rough weather"
-As You Like It

Christmas

Just a little holiday spirit, as I am very excited, and very happy. Today it snowed again, and I am hoping desperately for a white Christmas!
Christmas
by Claire

chrysanthemums and crayons
a crazy child too
creative cows and cupids
a cute caboose for you
calculators, crocodiles, candy, and codswallop
not to mention the cinema
coffee, community, Cinderella
characteristics of charisma

of all of the words that start with C
the best is Christmas, don't you agree?

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"Though I am not naturally honest, I am so sometimes by chance"
-The Winter's Tale

Wind and Snow

Wind and Snow
By Claire

Trudging through the snow
Although the winds may blow
Your face is cherry red
Your toes feel like they're dead
The wind gets stronger now
But you are not sure how
Back to your house you go
Away from the wind and snow

Monday, December 20, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"The mind I sway by and the heart I bear
Shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear"
-Macbeth

First Snow

So, today was the first real snow around us, and that made me very very excited!! This poem is in honor of the magic of first snow. Hopefully we will get a white Christmas!

First Snow
by Claire

A dusting of powder
A fine sugar
Covering everything
Sprinkled atop houses and trees
Pines feel at home with the white dust
Floating in the air
Gently coating your face
Hair
Mittens
Coat
Sparkling
Laughter is heard
Throughout the town
And hopes are raised
For a season of whiteness

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of th eDay

"And certain stars shot madly from their spheres
to hear the sea maid's music"
- A Midsummer Night's Dream

Ice

Ice
by Claire

a thin
glassy sheet
covering everything
like glaze
on a potter's bowls
sparkling
or dim and foggy
tiny bubbles trapped
beneath the surface
of a pond
waiting
for spring
which is so far away
the trees
are ghosts
with icicles
hanging down
like so many needles
trying desperately to prick
the frozen ground

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"Give me your hands if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends"
-A Midsummer Night's Dream

Storm

Storm
by Claire

a crisp breeze
pushes against my back
shoving me forwards
tiny white flakes
sporadically drift
down towards
the top of my head
the breeze increases
blowing and whistling
flakes continue
to rush down
whiteness
all around me
my hair whipping about
in the full force of the storm

Friday, December 17, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

I never realized until now how many great quotes there are in The Tempest. I love all of them!

"We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep"
-The Tempest

A Year in Your Life

A Year in Your Life
By Claire

Life is a year
Starting in the winter of early childhood
Foggy, dark, and cold
Memories are minimal, and scattered
A haze of cheerfulness
Moving on to the spring of youth
Energy, and constant motion,
A thousand things happening every day
Next comes summer
You are in the prime of your life
Joyful to be alive
Gaining new heights
Aspiring to new dreams
Then, it is fall
You are burdened by the wind
That seems to whistle through your bones
Which ache now, after being used so much
But the trees are in their full glory
Brilliant colors shine out from the brown trunks
And finally winter
When all you want to do
Is cuddle under your blanket
By a warm fire
And fall asleep

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"Be happy!
Let all the number of the stars give light
To thy fair way!"
-Antony and Cleopatra

Back to School (and a note)

Quick note: Anyone know whose birthday is today? The famous mind behind classics like Pride and Prejudice and Emma...Happy Birthday Jane Austen!!!

and a totally unrelated poem, which is very out of season-

Time for sandals to go away
Waiting for a summer’s day
Backpacks and binders
               Are bought
Battles for school clothes
               Are fought
Haircuts above
                              Suntanned shoulders
Summer reading books
                              As heavy as boulders
Trying your best to
                              Look and feel cool
‘cause it’s getting closer
                              The first day of school
By Claire

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"He that is strucken blind cannot forget
The precious treasure of his eyesight lost"
-Romeo and Juliet

Victory

victory
is
a golden glow
surrounding a person
others can see it
on their face
in their eyes
reflecting
a hard fought battle
that was won

By Claire

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"Take these again; for to the noble mind
Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind."
-Hamlet

Stories

stories
by Claire

a leaf
can tell a story
the turning from green
to scarlet
the descent
spiraling down
towards the frozen ground

a cloud
can tell a story
spitting out raindrops
watching them fall
down
down
down to earth
puffy and white
teddy bear shaped
or was it a pirate ship?

a person
can tell a story
of sadness
grief
tears
of sunshine
joy
and smiles
woven together
those small moments
that really aren't so small
are reflected
in their eyes
as they sit
and tell
their stories

Monday, December 13, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"Or call it winter, which being full of care,
Makes summer's welcome thrice more wish'd, more rare"
-Sonnet 56

Christmas Tree

Christmas Tree
by Claire

lying
under the branches
your face
tickled by a
low hanging
bow
your nose twitches
as the scent reaches it
evergreen
lights
twinkle above you
sparkling in the dense needles
near the trunk
blinking and winking
blue
red
yellow
purple
ornaments
or should I say
memories
decorate your tree
each with
a story
all to its own
packages-
mysteries
lying next to you
waiting
just like you

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"These blue-veined violets whereon we lean,
Never can blab, nor know not what we mean."
-Venus and Adonis

Rainy Day

Rainy Day
by Claire

Tears
Falling from the sky
Splashing
On the pavement
Worming their way
Under your umbrella
Laughing at your frustration
And general sogginess
It's that kind of day

Puddles
Lapping at the sides
Of your rain boots
Sneaking in through
Nonexistent cracks
Drenching your socks
And toes
And ankles
It's that kind of day

People
Hunched over against the wind
Being bitten by a thousand little teeth
Scurry across your path
Desperate to get inside
Away from the sadness
Away from the tears
That fall from the sky

It's that kind of day

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"In faith, he is a worthy gentleman;
Exceedingly well read"
-King Henry IV

Magic

magic
by Claire

some people need
potions
or
shiny
glittery poofs
smoke
billowing around
the ankles of
a cloaked figure
wearing all black
and a cone
shaped
hat

me

all I need
is
something simple
a leaf
fluttering towards
the ground
a blizzard
which in one night
turns the
world to
white
one person
giving
a smile
to someone who
needs it
a
green shoot
popping
out of the frosty
ground
in the middle
of April
this is what I see
when
you
say
magic

Friday, December 10, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"If all the year were playing holidays,
To sport would be as tedious as to work."
-King Henry IV

Poet

Poet
By Claire

The poet is
A teller of tales untold
Forming something out of nothing
Crumpling the papers of a thousand mistakes
Head in hands
Despair
Creeps in
From the crack
Under the door
Rises up
Ready to throttle the poet
When the last glimpse of hope is gone
But our steadfast hero
Sees a ray of sunshine
Coming from the window
He raises his tousled head
To the thin stream of hope
Then
Slowly at first
But soon faster and faster and faster
He writes
He picks up the neglected pencil and writes
Scribbling on the last sheet of paper
Desperate to contain the thoughts
That are streaming around him
And out of the open window
The sun shines in
And the room is no longer dim
No longer gloomy
Despair turns and slinks out
For this is no place for unhappiness
Only joy

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"Love all, trust a few
Do wrong to none, be able for thine enemy
Rather in power, than use"
-All's Well that Ends Well

The Song

The Song
By Claire

The soft melody
Pulls you in
Inch by inch
Closer
You are a fish
Drawn in by the bait of

The Title

You leen in closer
Desperate to hear
Faint strains of music

The Opening

The tempo rises
You soar with it
Over stars and moons
Towards

The Climax

Then, sighing, you lean back
And breathe out
Enjoying the peacefulness of

The Downward Slope

And finally
As the song draws to a close
You stand up and glance
Out the window at the rising sun
Feeling the warmth of

The Ending

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"Look, he is winding up the watch of his wit;
by and by it will strike"
-The Tempest

Snow

I know this is a little similar to my last one, but now that it is December, I have got snow and holidays on the brain!

Snow
By Claire
A street lamp's dim glow
Forming a small circle
In the darkness of night
Sounds are muffled
By the blanket of whiteness
Covering everything
Footprints criss cross the road
Marching their separate ways
Icicles drag their long fingers
Down towards the ground
Reaching
Trees are cloaked with snow
The trunks bare and rigid
Bows sloped to the dirt
Now enveloped in powder
The sky a dark grey
Clouds shedding flakes of hope
And peacefulness
That drift slowly downward
Spiraling towards the streetlamp
Whose light shines like a beacon
In the night

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"Here we sit, and let the sounds of music
Creep into our ears: soft stillness and the night
Become the touches of sweet harmony"
-The Merchant of Venice

Winter

Winter
by Claire


The wind
Wraps itself around me
Sealing me off from the world
Howling in my ear
Begging me to follow it
To the ends of the earth
And beyond
My scarf
Crimson against the alabaster and grey
Winds around my neck
The end fluttering madly
In the tempest
My fingers
Buried deep within navy mittens
Curl and uncurl
A flurry of snow
Brushes against my cheek
Turning my nose pink
I smile at the snowflakes
Dancing around me
And raising my hands to the sky
I start to twirl
Still smiling

Monday, December 6, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"For some must watch, while some must sleep;
So runs the world away."
-Hamlet

Spring and Snow

I know they're a little short,so I included two. I love writing haikus. Please leave a comment, becuase I love to get feedback on my writing!

Withered leaves are now
Being covered with white flakes
First snow is magic

Flowers are pushing
Up through the fertile, rich soil
Into the sunlight

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Shakespeare Quote of the Day

"Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em."
-Twelfth Night

Murder in the Calais Coach

This morning I finished Murder in the Calais Coach, by Agatha Christie. She is an amazing mystery writer, and the book is now one of my favorites. It is the same as Murder on the Orient Express, just a different title. I love reading mysteries because I always have no idea what to expect. The ending was perfect, and the plot was so suspenseful that I couldn't put it down until the end. Agatha Christie is (in my opinion) one of the best mystery writers of all time. She is definitely a classic, and I have read lots of her work. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

Footsteps

Footsteps:
A poem by Claire

On the beach
Running across the bare expanse of sand
Being washed away by the frothing tide

In the snow
Leaving traces of you behind
Mingling with the animal tracks

In a field
Invisible to all but you
You have them in your head

Under the water
Sinking into the sand
Gone before they are there

On a country road
Dust billowing
Can you find them?

In the center of a forest
Deep green hues surround you
The stillness and silence collide

In life
Always following you
Destined never to catch up

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Shakespeare's Quote of the Day!

"Have more than thou showest;
Speak less than thou knowest;
Lend less than thou owest."
-King Lear

Night

Night
An original poem by Claire

The mist enshrouds everything
Sifting through the treetops
Hanging in the silent air
 Your face and hair sparkle
Your footsteps
Echoing against the damp pavement
But you feel
As though you are
Walking through the clouds
Surreal
The birds shiver
And burrow deeper
Into their nests
Eerie
The trees follow you
With their silent gaze
Streetlamps
Are
Pools of gold
In the ebony darkness of night
Other worldly
Tendrils of mist
Wind around your ankles
The moon
Hidden by a veil of clouds
Watches you and smiles
And the stars are
Pinpricks of light
Dancing just for you


Just Starting Out

Hey, I'm Claire, and this is my first time using a blog. I hope it will help me become a better writer,and give me a chance to get feedback from other people. I love writing poetry, and I hope to be posting some of my poems. I may also include things that interest me, and cool things that might happen to me.