Walking with the Aid of Shoes and Fairy Tales

Serving underneath my feet
Holding on along the side
Often magically complete:
Every fairy tale’s a treat,
Sweet or terrified.

Linked to dVerse Poetics. Kim of Writing in North Norfolk is hosting with the theme “shoes”.  This poem uses the “acrostic” form which I will feature this Thursday on dVerse.  I am practicing using it.
Photo: “Blue Sky With People Wearing Shoes” by the author linked to Frank Jansen’s Tuesday Photo Challenge with the theme “blue”.  I took the photo at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Cloudiness

Circling rain from hurricane
Leaks through the wrecked roof.
Only hope can drain:
Up comes wavy proof
Drowning the dry place
In torrential waste.
Nightmares blocking bliss
End with fear and pain.
Sink with thoughts of only this.
Sink in wet of wider rain.

Linked to dVerse Quadrille Monday hosted by Bjorn using the word “bliss”. I am thinking of Hurricane Harvey.  The poem also represents the “acrostic” form which I plan to use for this Thursday’s dVerse form prompt.
Photo: “Cloudiness” by the author linked to K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge with theme “A Cloudy Configuration”.

Love

Life finds milder melodies.
Only laughter sings.
Virtue wipes away decay.
Even frowns grow wings.

Linked to dVerse Open Link Night.  Gayle is hosting.
Photo: “Unusual Flower” by the author taken at the Chicago Botanic Garden and linked to Floral Friday Fotos.

FFF

Announcement   I won second place in Story Seed Vault’s “Bees” flash fiction contest.  I am grateful to the judges for selecting my 140-character micro fiction story.

Announcement   I am a new board member of the Illinois State Poetry Society.  Blogging provides inspiration and contact with other poets.  Local organizations provide something similar on a more personal level.

Pink?

Would you say the color’s pink?
It’s bordering on red.
It’s bordering on darker green.
A brighter green is also seen
Within this flower bed.

Perhaps it’s purple like the eyes
Of dragons when they stare
As border guards for gold held tight
So yellow rarely sees the light
Deep in their dark blue lair.

Linked to dVerse Poetics where Grace is hosting on the theme “borders”.
Photo: “Is There Any Pink In This Photo?” by the author taken at the Chicago Botanic Garden and linked to jasenphoto’s Tuesday Photo Challenge with the theme “pink”.

Living in the Light

At the Chicago Air and Water Show we watch antique planes from World War I go straight up into the air and turn down dizzy across Lake Michigan looping and looping. Then we watch more advanced planes go even higher into the air and turn down looping, pretending to run into each other. They were from World War II. Finally we see planes that could float above the water like a UFO. They move even faster. They were from World War III.

Along the lake we watch seagulls rest one per piling in the water, well-behaved, living in the light, indifferent to the air show, keeping their distances and yet clearly together. Back home I notice that my neighbor’s flower bed is still colorful, but showing its age in the light of summer joy.

PETALS DROP WITH AGE
AUGUST AIR WARMS SEAGULL PEACE
EVEN WE CAN FLY

Linked to dVerse Haibun Monday hosted by Toni with the topic, “What did we you do on your summer vacation?”
Photos: “Lines and Waves” above and “A Neighbor’s Garden” below by the author both linked to K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge with the themes “Living in the Light” or “Rain”.

A Neighbor's Flower Garden

Wheel of Fortune

Change is what will never change.
There’s some new change tomorrow.
Let street and alley rearrange
As joy takes turns with sorrow.

There is no randomness to see.
There’s nothing that was forced to be.
The choosers chose and choice arose.
The dancer ever on fresh toes
Spins on with Love eternally.

Photo: “Courthouse Viewed from an Alley” by the author linked to Tuesday Photo Challenge — Alley.

My Heart Stays With My Dreams

At times I cannot find my dreams
Or fear what they might be:
Hidden habits I don’t want
With burdens blinding me?

With them my heart stays anyway.
My mind’s not far behind
Though searching for some better dreams
If better I might find.

Linked to dVerse Quadrille hosted by De Jackson here, aka WhimsyGizmo, with prompt word “dream”.
Photos: “My Heart is Where My Dreams Are” above and “Other Heart-Dream Locations” below by the author linked to K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge with theme “where is your heart?”  The first photo is also my answer to Jane Dougherty’s challenge to show the surroundings where we write.

Other Heart-Dream Locations
Other Heart-Dream Locations

Lost Wings — #writephoto

A fairy, Christine, lost her wings on top of a hill overlooking the glen while watching the orange sky accept the setting sun. She did not think she was so old. She picked up her wings sighing “Oh!” and stumbled down to the glen on foot aided by moonlight. The other fairies greeted her with relieved laughter since she was gone so long and then tears when they saw her wings. Her transformation had begun.

Sylvia came to wish her farewell. She told Christine about the completed transformation of her fairy-child that morning. She cried and Christine comforted her.

Samuel came to wish her farewell. He told Christine about the completed transformation of his fairy-wife that morning. He cried and Christine comforted him.

Rose, another fairy, a teenage one, came to wish her aunt farewell. Her father told her she had to. She looked into Christine’s eyes. “Look deeper,” Christine suggested. To her surprise Rose saw her own eyes gazing back at her. She cried and Christine comforted her.

A fairy without wings can remain only so long. Christine regretted not doing whatever it was she was meant to do but did not have the imagination or the will to realize. “May I look into your eyes?” Rose wiped away the tears. When Christine looked, they both smiled.

Linked to Sue Vincent’s #writephoto prompt.
Photo provided by Sue Vincent for this prompt.

The chain of inspiration comes from Jane Dougherty’s challenge to write folk tales based on Jeren Nazuto’s poem responding to Jilly’s poem based on Jim Harrison’s “fragile wings”.

Sue Vincent's #writephoto icon