Category: Poetry

Wind

A steward cares for what he does
Not own. And if we'd dare unwind
The miracle, perhaps we’d find
The sorry tale of who he was.
He left that, who knows where, because
The Spirit’s wind blew long ago.
Why did it come? He does not know.
He’s glad, more glad than anything
That used to make him smile or sing -
Across his life such breath would blow.

Linked to Ronovan Writes Décima Poetry Challenge. The prompt word is “wind” to be used as the rhyme in the second or third line of this ten-line poetic form having eight syllables per line and a rhyme pattern of abbaaccddc. I used it as “unwind” in the second line.

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

Story

Oh, that is a blessed story.
Defeated, now arise, renew,
Unchained, inspired, come ride on through
Darkened, deadly territory.
Everlasting praise and glory - 
How light prepares the morning's run
And nighttime rivals daytime's sun.
Breathing freely and rejoicing
Singing words we all are voicing
This story ends. It's never done.

Linked the Ronovan Writes where the theme is to use “story” and an A or C rhyme in a Décima, a 10-line poem in 8-syllable lines with rhyme scheme ABBAACCDDC with optional stanza break after the fourth line.

The illustrations are some of my photos while walking in the neighborhoods of Miami Beach. They may or may not relate to the poem depending on your imagination.

Red and Green
Ronovan's Decima Poetry Challenge Image
Ronovan’s Decima Poetry Challenge Image

Facing Change

The change I’d face began to dawn
Though hidden by dark cloudy seas,
A flood with opportunities
That I would miss when I moved on.

They vanished when they saw I'd gone.
Why did I leave them? I don’t know.
I watched and waited, wanted so
To make it right, at last renew,
Have something in my hand that’s true,
But in the end I let them go.

Midsummer

Umbrellas aiming to the sky
Are open on the beach.
Some are yellow, some are blue,
Some are multicolored too,
Smiling within reach.

Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme “midsummer”.

Linked also to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. I was wondering what made me smile this past week of midsummer and then our daughters texted me, “Happy Father’s Day!!”. There it was. That made me smile.

Umbrellas
Umbrellas

Green

Anywhere that green can grow
It sends its roots to make a stand.
It’s open to the darker land
Where roots grasp earth and do not show
While leaves enjoy the sun’s warm flow.

Red and other colors spill
Their envy on green's living will.
Love is what the faithful do.
Repenting helps the world renew -
Remove the rot, make room and fill.
Red and Green

Shadows and Silhouettes

The shadowed edge
Where dark blocks light
Shows warmth of day
On fading night

Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “shadows and silhouettes”.

Also linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. The beaches opened on Friday. I waded in very warm water on Saturday, a beautiful day, and smiled.

Morning Silhouette

Today

I woke up to a risen sun
And clouds consumed with gray.
I take a pen and start to write.
In spite of charms from morning light
I haven’t much to say.

I often blame this on my brain.
Why pace so, to and fro?
Impatiently I start to stress.
Persistence generates a mess
Then drains. I watch it go.

Another stanza? Oh, why not?
I have a lot of time.
I scribble some and cross that out
Then doubt what it was all about.
At least I still can rhyme.

Linked to dVerse Open Link Night. Grace is hosting.

Beach and Barrier

I noticed from Kim M. Russell’s post that we each have poems in Visual Verse this month. My submission is Birds, Cats and Dogs. A poem by Jane Dougherty is also there. Visual Verse sends an email with an illustration at the beginning of the month. Poets are limited to 50-500 words and one hour to complete a poem. At the top of the page is a “Newsletter” link that you can use to get on their email list.

A Life

What she did so long ago,
Or didn’t do, we now don’t know.
   She tripped some dudes and others who
With twisted true-false love were bled.
By some stone of one marked dead she stopped
   When all that no one knows of her was through.

Linked to dVerse Poetics where Laura Bloomsbury offers the challenge to imagine the life of a deceased person. I imagined the lady in Longfellow’s In the Churchyard at Cambridge.

Old Stones