I do find that the news can be a source of inspiration. Sometimes a comment or word combination I hear will lead to a poem that is independent of the original story. Sometimes the tone of the discussion will lead to commentary. Less frequently, I end up writing about a specific event. I wrote the following last year upon the death of Senator Ted Kennedy, who had come to be referred to as the "Lion of the Senate".

The Lion's Share

The youngest wasn't groomed to lead.
He was last in line; there would be no need.
Order was turned upside down by tragedy.
He became family patriarch in his thirties.
He guided those who were left behind.
He built the legacy; he had the time.
Now, he can rest with the others,
no more fights to be won.
The lion's share of the work is done.

This is my first, and so far, my only attempt to write something with a certain beat. I also used alot of repetition. I'm not sure if that's cheating or not.

Change the Rhythm

Change the rhythm
Need a new beat
Change the rhythm
Want to retreat
Change the rhythm
Life is not neat
Change the rhythm
Feel more complete
Change the rhythm
What are you waiting for?

This is another poem about growing older. I think this post and the previous one show you can write about the same theme more than once and come up with very different pieces.

Questions of a Lifetime

How did I get to this place
where the future is shorter than the past?
Didn't Mom just send me off
to my first day of school?
Well, maybe it was high school.
Should I be working on
college or job applications?
No-AARP membership or estate planning.
I hear the news anchor announce
the ending date of a new project.
Is it even possible I will see the completion?
When did I lose so many
friends and family members?
More than 20 years ago, less than 10?
It happens too frequently now.
How did I get to this place
where hindsight is longer than foresight?
By living my life.

Sometimes you have to take a lighter approach. That's what I tried with this poem about growing older.

I'm a Senior

Don't need the long-term guarantee.
Reverse the mortgage,
what money I'll see.
Get a discount at the grocery,
but only if I'm there
when they want me to be.
Give me a card that will cut the fee.
The early-bird special,
that's for me.
Keeping track of the offers is the key.
That's the life of a senior,
too bad it's not free.