Somme Prairie Nature Preserve – Poetry, Short Prose and Walking

Meadows

An open space, low vegetation,
and sunny day to see
the beauties of a troubled nation,
under God are we.

Eugenia offers “meadows” as this week’s prompt.

Ride

Since none of us get very old
Why stand in line to take this ride?
Why worry what is left to hide?
But demons tempt, "Don't leave your gold."
We count all that our hands can hold.
Around our magic carousel
We hear the call of some church bell.
We’re counting still. Wait til we're through.
There's so much counting left to do
Before the popping of the spell.

Linked to Ronovan Writes Décima Poetry Challenge where the word “ride” must rhyme on one of the B lines where the rhyme pattern is ABBAACCDDC.

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

Stay

I often want bright blooms to stay
But they perhaps are restless too.
There’s more ahead for them to do.
They serve their seeds which go away
Like snowflakes on a winter’s day.
Nor have I stayed long anywhere. 
I might live under skies less fair
Or wander somewhere else and try
To find bright blooms that please my eye
Or serve in ways that show I care.

Linked to Ronovan Writes Décima Poetry Challenge using “stay” as a rhyming word in the a position of the abbaaccddc rhyme pattern for this ten line form with eight syllables per line.

One of my poems has appeared in Potcake Chapbook 7, Murder! – Poems of killings past and present. I am grateful to Robin Helweg-Larsen for accepting it.

From Useful to Useless

I held the pottery in my hands and noticed the crack across the bottom. It would not hold water but perhaps it was still useful.

When I placed it in the donations box I noticed an edge. I picked it up again running my thumb to test the sharpness and drew blood.

While bandaging my thumb I realized it was not safe to donate. After wrapping it I dropped it in the garbage chute and heard in the dumpster below the impact which split it in two.

Linked to GirlieOnTheEdge Six Sentence Story Word Prompt with the challenge word “useful”.

GirlieOnTheEdge Denise Farley's six-sentence-stories icon — GirlieOnTheEdge Denise Farley’s six-sentence-stories icon

Collage

The ocean water's not all blue.
The prairie's not all green.
What's in between is what I've seen
And what I trust is true.

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

Also liked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. The phlox and tiger lilies were at their peak in Vince’s yard so we celebrated the day by watching the butterflies, bees and whatever came by to enjoy his yard which brought smiles.

Prize

What’s tentative fell to the ground,
But reason helped it stay afloat.
The words came choking on the throat.
The premises felt less than sound.

Defeated, dropped but then re-found
Where will this walk in circles go?
It leads to home. We didn't know
The autumn prairie took the prize
On blooms that mirrored sunny skies.
So likewise seek what you would show.

Linked to Ronovan Writes Décima Poetry Challenge where the rhyme word “prize” is to appear in the d lines. The rhyme pattern for this 10-line form is abbaaccddc.