Monthly Archives: March 2012

Three Women

by
Three women from art247.com
1.
The maiden voyage launched
swells bearing virtue to far away shores
submerging innocence
in the watery blue

Only the wanton take the plunge
sailing on Neptune’s chariot
temperance flushed into the brine

She remains ashore
safe in her dreams
smothering her ache
a maiden’s purity bound to clay

2.
Thetis silver footed nymph
navigating black seas
dipping her cherished Achilles
into the drink

A mother ‘s aegis
perfection except for
one neglected vulnerability

She remains ashore
his volition boarding the vessel
she loosening the anchor
emptying her soul

3.
Passage to the depths
a pinnace once used for greater deeds
departs without fanfare

A corpse wrapped tightly
weighted with worldly discontent
slides into the mariner’s sepulcher

She remains ashore
stalwart
salty dowager staying the course
circumnavigating her inheritance
.
.
.

Author’s Note:
Today at Wednesday Afternoon Writers, we used a prompt from Write and See: 99 Photos to Inspire Writing. We chose the photo on page 90. The photo shows three women facing away from the camera. They are standing on a boardwalk and leaning against a railing, watching a cruise ship passing by them.
My decision to write a poem instead of narrative came as I thought to explore three women of different ages. I see one young woman lusting for adventure but afraid to let go. The second is the mother who has raised her child, the center of her life, and now he chooses to leave her. Finally, a widow who is not necessarily in mourning.
I also decided I wanted a photo to accompany these poems. A Google search led me to the one above from art247.com.

A Poetry Party

by

Last Thursday night I participated in a poetry writing party. It happened on Twitter and twenty-nine people participated in one form or another. It was sponsored by Tweet Speak Poetry and some amazing poets were present. I was humbled to be in their company.

The writing commenced on the hour with a prompt and each participant tweeted as inspiration well up in us. The creativity lasted for exactly an hour. I never thought I could last the entire time. I was afraid to start. But once I let go and realized how much fun it was, I didn’t want to stop.

The next step can be seen at Tweet Speak Poetry where the tweets from those participating have been woven into poems. And seeing these, I was again inspired.

Below you will see my original tweets in the order I wrote them over the hour.

The last piece below is my sculpting of my tweets into a “final” piece.

My Poetry Tweets As They Happened
I spring on heel wings on tips of blossoms
Shouting to be heard over the din of bursting blooms
She called my name over the ages and the stories told but never heard
And the little pink feathers laying one upon another make me smile
A key to open a lock rusted long ago
freeing my hand to turn, open the iced pink memories
savoring the lush, swallowing the sweet, gulping despair
Lost in want and waiting for the hummingbird
rushing towards a sunset of creamsicle smiles
make no more room than the space we fill with our delight
a daisy chain chained to eternity
it is not gone/it is there under the faded pink blanket throw away the pieces left, the mess/find my hand
sugared ice cracking off my face and hands reaching
a citrine sun burning our skin
smoothing their points, polishing to perfection
sapphires are for kings, lapis for emperors/give me sand to make a glass so clear I can see the stars
So take my hand and we will sing/walking with dragons/ dancing with Homer/ laughing in the blue
The actor will whisper the last words and we will stand
and laughing with Aphrodite
Release the dragon painted in pink forgetting the sugar frosted claws and lay down the tender lute
I like gravy with my biscuits.
Crumbs of simplicity tumble from my lips
.
.
. 

Crumbs
I spring with heel wings
on tips of blossoms
shouting to be heard over
the din of bursting blooms

Lost in want
waiting for the hummingbird
savoring the lush
swallowing the sweet
gulping despair

She called my name over the ages
stories told but never heard
little pink feathers
laying one upon another

They are not gone
under the faded pink blanket
throw away the pieces
the mess
find my hand

Make no more room
than the space we fill
with our delight
a citrine sun burning our skin
rushing toward a creamsicle sunset
dancing with Homer
rejoicing in the blue

Sugared ice cracking
absolving hands reaching
a key to open a lock
rusted long ago
hands turning
freeing gentian memories

Sapphires are for kings
lapis for emperors
give me sand
I will fashion glass so clear
we can touch the stars
smoothing their points
polishing them to perfection

The actor will whisper the last words
and we will stand
a daisy chain chained to eternity
laughing with Aphrodite
crumbs of simplicity tumbling from our lips

You can also follow me @leximagines on Twitter.


Happy Birthday, Robert Frost

by

Today is the anniversary of Robert Frost’s birth. One of the first poems I ever memorized was “Stopping By The Woods On A Snowy Evening.” I still know it today, almost fifty years later. His words are simple, yet powerful. I can learn great lessons from his work. But, mostly, I simply enjoy reading it out loud and imagine myself in a place I’ve never visited.

You can read my favorite poem on Poem Flow found at POETS.org. There is also a clip of him reading “The Road Not Taken.”

Photo from POETS.org.
In Gratitude to Robert Frost
There are woods I traveled
because of you
places where my soul rested
breath calmed
eyes delighting in the feast

There are also woods I roamed
where rocky climbs
and deepness so somber
almost led me astray

But you laid down your
sweet, simple counsel
stirring not fear but wonder
igniting a flame to light my way

Poetry

by
Eyes closed and shallow breath
I feel the words, sweet words
As they trickle out and down my face
Bold and together
Standing one beside the other

And in the enchantment
Clasping hands
Like dancing dandelion seeds
Leap, aiming for the abyss
Onto the desolate wan page

Blooming in the gentle breeze
They slip through my fingertips
Leaving their mark, their brand
With no expectation
but release from my embrace
.
.
.
Author’s note:

Tonight my inspiration came from Every Day Poems on Pinterest. What fun. I wanted to challenge myself and use all the words, but I got caught up in the poem. Isn’t that how it goes? I have such a short attention span.
The words that were suggested are listed below. The ones I used are in bold.
Words, sweet words
Bold
Aim
Candy
Creativity
Togetherness
Bloom
Layering
Enchantment
Expectation
Dandelion seeds
Poetry
Confectious

Borealis

by
Tonight I was inspired by a beautiful film entitled Temporal Distortion by Randy Halverson. This film came to me through my favorite weekly poem site Tweetspeak: This Week’s Top 10 Poetic Picks.
I guess it is fitting I would be charmed by this particular film on an evening of a full moon with sun flares racing towards the earth and promises of seeing the Aurora Borealis in Denver. Of course we’ve been warned we would have to be looking north in a dark sky and, maybe, just maybe, we might see a bit of green color. Good luck finding dark skies in the Metro Area.
Watching the film raised my sagging spirits from a day of lows. What better way to spend the evening than being lifted up by beauty and writing a poem?

Temporal Distortion from Randy Halverson on Vimeo.

Borealis

My feet are firmly planted
in the deep night pitch
of the earth’s musty grime

I trod through my days
awaiting that moment
of paralyzing enlightenment
as I raise my head to the sky
eyes wide fearing loss
in a blink
a wink stealing
the first star
ushering in the evening’s libation

And the deluge begins
I am swept away
I am radiance
and tincture
and bliss

Here I am of cactus and limbs
and swaying grasses
but not of the firmament
yearning to grasp the comet’s tip
in the borealis of the blaze

I am merely human
feet planted in the mire
devouring the grace
of the Divine