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”.
Leaves are turning red in fall.
Watch the geese go somewhere new.
With a conscience true may all
Of winter’s sorrows not turn you.
Linked to dVerse Open Link Night. Lillian is hosting.
The thought of being here at all must be
The source of unexpected majesty
That leads us, should we look, upon the way
And turns the night with brightness into day.
Linked to dVerse Poetics. Amaya is hosting with the theme of majestic.
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 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.
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 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.
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”.
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.
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.
Poetry, Short Prose and Walking 