Wizard fooled us with a magic trick That sparkled brightness from Aurora’s eyes That left the Trail of Tears with fresh surprise All planted in our garden deep and thick. The spell was nullified when Dazzling Blue Affirmed his faithfulness to Tender True.
Linked to dVerse Poetics. Sarasouthwest offers a challenge to plant a garden with her favorite seeds. I picked Wizard, Aurora, Trail of Tears, Dazzling Blue and Tender and True.
They didn’t have to hurry Running through the glen. Perhaps I didn’t see them, Nor me, those forest men. But if you didn't see them go on, proclaim me mad. A summer place, a happy face, Cannot be all that bad. I may as well be loony. I’m isolated, too. I smile and learn to whistle These lock down summer blues.
Linked to the Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “my summer space”. My summer space would have plants and places to walk.
Linked also to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. I didn’t know what to write for a poem for Dale’s prompt and so I just let my mouth run (which is what I normally do). The result helped me keep smiling and hopefully it didn’t make others cringe too much.
If asked to speak I don’t know what to say. Words appear and then refuse to be. Mumbling nonsense I can’t clearly see How dots from here to there could find their way. Even so those dots begin to play And laugh as they enjoy confounding me And jeer when I pretend some honesty, But nonetheless I’ll risk these words and pray: Make a difference. Show us something new. Judge us with Your mercy. May we ask For wisdom so we'll see the pointing sign? Lead us so that we may more align With what You know is now our better task And not what we might like to see come true.
Linked to dVerse Meeting the Bar. I am hosting today. The theme is to write a poem with fourteen lines. There’s no other constraint. I used a Petrarchan sonnet here, but no form is required. Come and join us with a poem of your own.
I heard earlier this week that the first Thursday in May is the National Day of Prayer in the United States. This has been happening on some day in the US since 1952. With our health and our economy at risk, I’m offering this sonnet as a prayer. Hopefully I am not offending the God who makes a difference with what I’ve said.
In solitude I’m not alone. Memories stay near. Regrets have often held my mind. Joy as well I also find. Sweet turning made ways clear.
Linked to dVerse Poetics where Bjorn is hosting with the theme of “solitude”.
While looking here Or searching there Am I now near Or now nowhere? Alone and standing, Silly breeze, Trails and landings Restful ease. Autumn green And yellow blooms, Sunsets seen From prairie rooms. After searching did I find All that's best I left behind?
Linked to dVerse Quadrille. Lillian is hosting with the word “silly”. Also linked to dVerse Meeting the Bar in the final hours of the prompt where I am hosting with the theme of fourteen lines.
I am also linking this post to the Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “from an unusual angle”. I took the top photo on a trail in Colorado Springs. I don’t know why I decided to take a view of the trail while kneeling. Perhaps I liked the railings. It now looks like an interesting angle. The bottom photo was of a prairie in Northbrook, Illinois. I pushed all of the potentially interesting detail to the top right portion of the picture, not how I would normally look at the scene when walking through the park.
I am also linking to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. Some friends decided to continue our monthly breakfast virtually on Zoom. I thought it was odd, but then I have heard of a couple recently who decided against postponing their wedding and instead do it virtually. So I guess it wasn’t all that odd after all. It made me smile to attend our virtual breakfast.
On Thursday at dVerse Meeting the Bar, I will be featuring poems with only one constraint that the poem have fourteen lines like the one posted here.
We hope we built it on the solid stone. Earth that would get dizzy makes things wave. We used what we were given, staying brave, Though walls might fall and we’re left all alone. We did avoid the sandy, shifting shore Licentiousness had offered in its hand. We chose perhaps unjustly the well-planned When legalism offered frowning chores. Looking high we see dark skies above. The morning brings us color from the sun. We built our best, remained in spite of doubt Talking from our hearts to only one, Walking on the waters of his love, Confidently breathing in and out.
Linked to dVerse Open Link Night where Kim, Writing in North Norfolk, is hosting.
I started focusing on poems with fourteen lines. Here is an attempt at a Petrarchan sonnet.
Though not the sort of Gods that I Would bother to believe in, They raise their silence to the sky Rejecting useless reasons why Without pretending they can fly Point edges up uneven. From a distance they look small And red against the range. They shock me. What was once so tall Stands dwarfed as nothing much at all. What rose majestic seemed to fall Where wind and rain bring change. Mountain heights may help me see. Foothills praise more modestly.
Liked to dVerse Poetics where Lillian is hosting with the theme of describing a place we can travel to in our minds during in this lockdown.
The top photo I took from within this beautiful and well-maintained park. I took the bottom photo at Palmer Park a few miles away. At the top of the photo just right, off-center, below the mountain range are these unusual rock formations called the Garden of the Gods.
Pumpkin piles rising high Pointing to the blue fall sky. Going up perhaps a mile Or just enough to make me smile.
Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “food as art”. I hope those pumpkins or squash taste as good as they look. They are from two different fall displays at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Also linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. One unexpected thing happened this past week. I realized I have now re-seen all of the Pink Panther movies including the not so great ones. There’s nothing left to watch. That made me realize that I will have to crawl out of my comfort zone, take a breath of fresh air, and find something else to risk watching. And that made me smile.
Mystery of being
Further along the road less traveled
Where the conflict really lies
I and thou
Linked to dVerse Meeting the Bar where Bjorn offers the challenge to use the titles of books organized appropriately as found poems.
There's symmetry as night greets day And day greets evening’s light. The virus flushed our breaths away. It’s time to win that fight. If I’m around when years go by Remembering this time, I’ll inhale breathing if I may And offer one more rhyme.
Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the prompt “symmetrical”.
This past week I also read Kim M. Russell’s Joe and Nelly and wrote an Amazon review. I highly recommend this story about two children and their families during World War Two in London.
Also linked to dVerse Quadrille. Mish is hosting with the word “flush”.
I am also linking to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. Below are two more or less symmetrical versions of me wearing a T-shirt mask. These masks don’t take a lot of skill or materials to make (even I can do it). The broccoli sprouts that failed last week now sprout without molding. And so with two successful projects to brag about I have no reason not to smile.
Poetry, Short Prose and Walking 