Floating a Poem

I’ve created this page to allow for my poetry to find a home on something other than my computer’s hard drive. Not all of my poetry will appear here, but those pieces which have been published elsewhere online can find new life here for those who wish to read them.

All of the posts during poetry challenge months, like April and November will also appear here as soon as I move them over. Until then, I’ll post at least one selection per day to this page.

I hope you enjoy reading these small offerings of mine.

This poem was written this afternoon for Poetic Asides Prompt–Hairy Poems

Fame or Folly

 

Samson gained strength

From locks famed by all,

Little knowing the price

Would cost more than

Any would suspect.

Godiva hid behind tresses,

Studied and flaunted

Before those who would gawk,

Whispering as she rode

Toward her fate dire.

Whether Chinamen’s

Pigtails or little girls’ pride,

Hair’s a temptation for

Scissors everywhere.

*  *  *  *

The following poem was published on Poetic Bloomings for April.

Apr. 1 prompt – Superheroes and Capes

A Sigh of Sound

Susurration slides past those unintended,

Targeting sweet young ears with soft meaning,

Teasing, taunting, telling of bliss to come.

Whispers waft on a tongue’s breeze, seeking

Vulnerable minds to influence with knowledge

Untrue, compelling a change of heart with power.

Soon his soft whispers would secure those within reach,

Taking control where none was needed, rousing

Testaments to his wisdom, while groveling for pats.

Whispers waft on a tongue’s breeze, seeking

Power from those without special gifts or

An invisibility cloak to shield one’s presence from view.

 *  *  *  *

The following two poems were published in the online magazine Soft Whispers in  September 2010.

Spirit Walk

 Walking paths of shadow

Timeless in my effort,

Gliding along, hearing

The wind rustle grasses

In fields waiting fallow.

Gently do I wander,

Trails of dimmer needing,

A hunter among masses.

*  *  *  *

TIME vs. LIFE

 Experts say that time is without

measure, infinite. I cannot argue with

Logic that cannot be disputed.

Nevertheless, time is measured in

Days, and months, and years;

A situation which should never have

Arisen. Time should be measured

In the amount of life one can

Capture within a single breath.

Life and living is all that time

 For us entails. So many people live

For tomorrow without realizing

That one lives only today since

Tomorrow can never reach the

Doorstep of the midnight sun.

However, the question of what is

Life rears up, causing a certain

Stir of confusion. I can only

Answer the question by saying…

Life is a baby’s smile or cry.

It watches a child’s first step

Toward understanding. It

Surrounds one’s mind with all the

Knowledge it can hold. Life sees a

Flower bloom and the rainbow

After a summer shower. It learns

To cry in compassion for

 Fellow men. Life learns to love

Deeply and quietly within

The mind and soul without

Asking for return of that love.

Life hears the wails of pain

From those who starve and thirst

From loneliness. Life kisses

And caresses a loved one.

Life touches an elder.

It is love, peace, and honor. But

Above all else, life is God, for

He alone was the unknown genius

Who created its body.

These occurrences are life –

All of which can be contained

Within a sunbeam. Because of what

Life is, time and all its measurements

Are unimportant, irrelevant and

Totally immaterial. Because, you see,

One experiences Life, not Time.

*  *  *  *

The Deed of Paksenarrion (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The following two poems were written to the May 9, 2012 Poetic Asides prompt.  Take the title of a book—liked or not—change the title and write a poem for it.

The Seed of Paksenarrion   (from The Deed of Pakssenarrion)

One thousand pages of adventure,

Exploring the virtue of honor,

Leaving behind childish wants

In favor of Gods’ desires,

Brought with it questions of daily

Needs within lives, flesh and blood.

Suddenly gone were frivolous days

Before the planting of this small seed.

Never again to ignore possible costs

Of daring to act for betterment of all.

A book, epic fantasy true, would that

Simple tales could each blaze a trail

Of such devoted protection and calling.

Writer Wordart (Photo credit: MarkGregory007)

Whiners Guide to 2012 (from The Writer’s Guide to 2012)

He didn’t have time to write really well,

Nor the intent to save an editor’s day,

When he sat at his desk with Facebook alit

Talking to his fans along the way.

With letter opener in hand, he slit

The missive from agent, fears to dispel

Even as he chose the whiner’s mainstay.

“Dear Sir:” it began, “We decided to split…”

The words vibrated, ringing like a bell.

“What’s left of your commission on a soiree

“To remember you, as we used to say,

“The writer racing along on a personal freeway.”

He sat, amazed at this cruel farewell,

Reading his future’s demise and no time to play.

With sudden insight he knew that his hero had quit.

Yesterday’s selection is one written today for the bookshelf poety challenge on the “Rhymes with Tao” blog. The task is to write a poem using the titles of books residing on my bookshelf. This was my response.

Mirabile 

The way of Indian wisdom

Tells of warriors into the wild,

As they take joy in magical creatures,

Hooked on mythology, even as they

Prepare the sneakiest uses for everyday things.

They take salt, leather braiding to pass

The time with Indian legends and campfires,

Word painting before sleep catches them.

Books and authors:

Mirabile by the late Janet Kagan

Way of Indian Wisdom by Teresa Van Etten

Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter

Take Joy by Jane Yolen

Magical Creatures by John & Caitlin Mattthews

Hooked by Les Edgerton

Mythology by Edith Hamilton

Sneakiest Uses for Everyday Things by Cy Tymony

Salt by Mark Kurlansky

Leather Braiding by Bruce Grant

Indian Legends by Ella E. Clark

Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan

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