Poetry – Page 22 – Poetry, Short Prose and Walking

Dance

This dance may seem for some too short,
for others far too long.
Lift up your face upon us now
and give us peace as you know how.
We hope you’ll love our song.

Eugenia offers “dance” for this week’s prompt. Linking of Numbers 6:24-26.

Though Moloch wants a sacrifice
don’t let his dreams for you come true.
Don’t do what he says you must do.
Beware his smile. He isn’t nice.
He’s betting that you’ll pay his price
so pumps you up with hopeless fear.
Protect your children. Keep them near.
Your baby’s ready. Time for birth.
Life only is upon this earth.
That’s why those demons wander here.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “birth” to be used in a D line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge.

Ronovan's Decima Poetry Challenge Image — Ronovan’s Decima Poetry Challenge Image

In the Big, Wide, Open Spaces

Dale offers the theme “in the big, wide, open spaces” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.

I wrote this poem in the comments section of Linda Kruschke’s Paint Chip narrative poetry challenge.

The Night of the Jack-O’-Lantern

The jack-o’-lantern’s hollow nose
turned darkly down on Antique Rose.
Its scornful eyes pierced Mistletoe.
Its toothy mouth warned them to go:
“It’s easy peasy in the street
Where greens and pinks and yellows meet.”
But pleasure wasn’t why they came.
No morbid magic, flashing flame
Could substitute for righteous light.
They stood their ground, prepared to fight.

The jack-o’-lantern burnt all night.

Its pride at dawn collapsed within.
Mistletoe knew they would win
And so did joyful Antique Rose.
Their faith like Mustard Seed’s still grows.

Reflections

The water’s face reflects the sky, but this requires light.
It’s not too late to leave the cave before the dusk and night.

Eugenia offers this week the prompt “reflections”.

Chase – Décima

I didn’t think I was the prey
when I went hunting Willful Dream,
but things aren’t always as they seem.
I failed. That’s why I’m here today.

That dream’s a Worm in painful play,
but I was eager for the chase.
Sound Sanity I wouldn’t face.
I knew that it would tell me, “No.
Beware the Hook. It’s sharp. Go slow.”
I tripped and fell, was saved by Grace.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “chase” to be used in a C line for this week’s Décima Challenge.

I participated in the morning session of the Heart Beats Contributing Authors Poetry Readings. I am grateful to Lisa Tomey for hosting these readings and organizing the Heart Beats anthology.

Playful

I playfully watch butterflies
and blossoms yellow, blue.
Forgiveness came with joyful cries
and life turned bright and true.

Eugenia offers this week the prompt “playful”.

Noise – Décima

There’s nonsense in the stuff I hear.
What once had order, now there’s noise.
The blatant dare of fake destroys
the shield we fashioned stopping fear.

Apocalyptic times are here.
We need full armor for this fight:
the truth, the doing what is right,
the peace and faith, salvation, too,
and God’s own Word. Let hearts renew
and face the darkness with this light.

This week Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “noise” to be used in the B line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC.

I am thinking of Ephesians 6.

Canopy

Large trees prepare a canopy
which shades what’s on the ground.
Competitors for light complain
yet those preferring softer rain
give praise for what they’ve found.

Long sent beneath this canopy
I walk upon the ground.
It’s not my duty to complain.
I’m blessed with more than ample rain
and praise that I’ve been found.

Eugenia offers the word “canopy” for this week’s prompt.

Cause – Décima

Temptation’s pretty finger draws
me pleasantries to tease desire
which burns when my mind’s set on fire.
I freely chose. I was the cause
and not deterministic laws.
Then demons set my mind to sleep.
Their cackling rises from the deep.
Perhaps I did not fail? I shake
as nightmares make assumptions quake
and leave a scream or two to keep.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “cause” to be used in an A line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s Decima Challenge.

Art For Art’s Sake

Dale offers the prompt “art for art’s sake” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge looking for something “out of the ordinary, manufactured, morphed or manipulated”. These are the parts of fallen palm branches waiting by the road to be picked up as trash. I think they are out of the ordinary, but the only morphing I did was to crop out some of the photo and enhance the color and light.

Last Friday Linda Kruschke’s Paint Chip challenge was to write a one line poem along with at least two of the required words or phrases she selected from paint chip samples. I submitted the first line in the following poem using “bright idea”, “margarita” and “castle” from the list. Since one line didn’t seem enough I’ve added three more to this nonsense-or-not poem.

Aquarium

Some bright idea said, “Go swim beyond that margarita castle.”
I knew I should and would, should I be good, but good was such a hassle.
Now deep in hell the water’s – well, this margarita’s cooking.
I do recall before my fall that castle was good looking.

Lisa Tomey announced that Heart Beats has been published. I have a poem in this anthology. I am grateful to her for accepting it.