Poetry – Page 44 – Poetry, Short Prose and Walking

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”.

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.

Pop Art

This poem is a can of soup,
But please don’t try to drink it.
It’s real, I guess, well, more or less.
Perhaps more less would be my guess,
So only try to think it.

Linked to dVerse Meeting the Bar where Victoria C. Slotto hosts with the theme “Pop Art”. The can of soup refers to Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans to stay within the theme just in case it wasn’t obvious.

The Flip-Side of I-Thou

The voyeur’s mind imagines lust.
He sees her sitting there.
His heart beats, but his life’s a bust.
The proof? He doesn’t care.
Much like some god imploding trust
He cages with his stare
And all those nymphs who thought he must
Be good are now nowhere.

Linked to dVerse Poetics. Anmol is hosting with the theme of profiles and portraits.

Tomorrow Through the Past

The past is holding me in place.
The present sets me free.
The distant future’s smiling face
Lies past this tulip tree
And past the trunk of this great oak
With distance calling me.
Live that future. It's today
Returning smiles the future gave.

Linked to K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge with the theme ” A Vision of Tomorrow/Through the Eyes of Yesterday”. Also linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. My smile this week comes from having the opportunity to write this poem. Also linked to dVerse Quadrille where Merril is hosting with the word “set”.

Feast and Fasting

Feasts are simple: coffee, oil,
Vegetables that grow in soil,
Baked or fried or raw - delight -
Fasting follows starry night.

All to serve and not for self.
Herbs stand watch upon the shelf.
Eat and drink the mystery.
Blessings offered thankfully.

Linked to dVerse Poetics. Lisa (aka Jade) is hosting with the theme of “food”.

We are on a strict diet. It is mostly vegetarian except for eggs. No to foods like meat, sugar, grains, corn or alcohol. Yes to foods such as sweat potatoes, red onions, walnuts, coffee, millet and olive oil. The intermittent fast starts around 4 pm and ends around 10 am. The diet comes from mixing foods that seemed to work for us. We have tried recommendations from those promoting vegan, vegetarian, keto or diets avoiding lectins. We’re still looking. So if you have recommendations on what works for you, I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

So far this slowing changing diet has kept our weights under control, reduced brain fog and shown promising results on blood tests. The goal is not to live longer, but to serve well as long as we live.

A Touch of Autumn

The autumn brings its rains. I wait
With joy I hadn’t planned
And though it came so slow, so late,
I finally understand.

Linked to K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge and Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile.

Not Long Ago

How recently the world appeared to me
The way you see it looking back at you.
Nasty worms made holes in what was true.
A snake creeped up the ancient apple tree.
Valid reasons were deceptive then.
The one who understood most turned away
And took a bite which stopped what he would say.
Those worms chew through the tongues of mortal men.

Perhaps that tale’s a metaphor. I know.
Perhaps another snake will shortly show.

Linked to dVerse Meeting the Bar. Bjorn is hosting with the theme of metaphor. I might have got carried away with the metaphors in this one, because I am no longer sure what I was trying to say.

Liberating Wounds

Long ago when lights were dim
His wounded father read to him
About a knight, a dragon too,
A damsel fair. What would he do?
He realized himself the rest.
This was the call to knightly quest.
With youthfulness and strength of voice
He spoke with wisdom of his choice
Then rose at dawn just like the sun
And fought the dragon till he won
And brought the damsel safely home.
He brought the damsel safely home.
 
I’ve touched the wounds upon his face.
I’ve watched him walk without disgrace.
Now he reads that tale to me.
Another damsel would be free.

Linked to dVerse Poetics where Amaya is hosting with the theme to take a quote from Kafka and write a children’s poem inspired by it. Hopefully the above poem fits this quote:

“I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us.”
Franz Kafka from Letter To Oskar Pollak

Extinction

Magic does not have to work
Although it might come true.
I’d rather trust in miracles
To help the truth shine through.

Extinction - what a way to end
Some sunsets’ blood red fright.
I’d rather find the reason why
Each morning dawns with light.

Linked to dVerse Quadrille. Linda Lee Lyberg is hosting with the word “extinction” which should be used somewhere in the 44-word poem.