Month: October 2019

From Night to Day

As Philip watched the evening shine
With tiny stars to pierce the dark,
He felt a cooling calm and peace
Then dread turned on his mind to mark
With fear that all about his head
Were coffin lids to seal the dead.

Then Philip saw how dawn was cast,
How darkness bowed and night flew past.

Linked to dVerse Poetics. Sarah is hosting with the theme of presenting a story through the experiences of a character.

Northbrook Village Green

Weekly Smile

We spent Sunday afternoon at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The day was warm, bright and full of fall colors. The thought occurred to me that having happiness may not always be possible, but being joyful regardless may be.

Linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile.

Beehive
Trent P. McDonald’s Weekly Smile

Quiver

I’d quiver uselessly with fear
But autumn weather’s very nice.
Let this fall come settle here.
I’ll hold off worrying of ice.

White stuff that the winter brings
May bury me in frigid snows,
But not today. Autumn sings
Final songs before it goes.

Linked to dVerse Quadrille. De Jackson is hosting with the word “quiver”.

Lagoon Screened by Tall Plants

Cosmically Circular / Cosmically Square

Today darkness seems square like an evergreen against a maple in fall and brightness looks circular like a flower’s bloom. I may see them differently tomorrow, but they blend together cosmically like joyful austerity, like getting unexpected things right, like warm and cold.

This past week the weather has shown how awesome autumn can feel, fitting itself in between summer and winter. It made me smile. The weather got it right.

Linked to K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Prompt with the theme “cosmically circular/cosmically square”. Also linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile.

Final Blooms of Fall
Trent P. McDonald’s image for The Weekly Smile

Indigenous Behavior

The 40 degree weather didn’t stop locals and non-locals, all of us indigenous to this planet, from running, or cheering on the runners, in the Chicago Marathon. 

Admittedly there is something odd about 45 thousand members of an indigenous species voluntarily running 26.2 miles and even keeping track – to the second – of records such as the 2:14.04 top time set by Kenyan’s Brigid Kosgei for women runners.  I can imagine aliens from another planet, ready to invade, having second thoughts because of that, but if these marathons help keep out those non-indigenous species I’m all in favor of them.

The photo I took was from the very last mile at the very end of the race going up Michigan Avenue. The top winners had finished hours ago. If I were a runner and I got that far, which is questionable, that’s where I’d be. About midway under the Chinatown arch what made me smile was a sign that read, “Hurry up and finish, your mom’s freezing out here”.

Run past Chinatown
in windy Chicago weather
back home to Grant Park

Linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. Also linked to dVerse Haibun Monday where Frank J. Tassone hosts with the theme to “celebrate all things indigenous”.

Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile

Inside Out

Inside the oak it’s rich with rings,
Ringing without sound.
Richly rests this oak that clings
Still soundlessly on ground.

Linked to K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Prompt with the theme to pick one or more of inside out, outside in or upside down.

The poem illustrates the figure of speech known as a polyptoton where a root word is repeated but not exactly such as “rings” and “ringing” or “rich” and “richly” or “sound” and “soundlessly”. I will be featuring polyptoton on dVerse on October 24th.

Inside Out