Tag Archives: #dversepoets

The Scent of Pages

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The scent of pages takes me back
To story time when, as a child,
I reveled in the sound of tales
Of lands far off and friends nearby.

The pages turn and years, they pass,
But even still my nose can tell
The difference in the newspaper
Or magazine, and books loved well.

The scent of pages takes me back
To brighter days and better times.
I catch it now and breathe a smile;
The pages sent an open mind!

—
Grace is hosting Tuesday Poetics at
dVerse,
where the challenge is to write about “scent”. Though I can’t read printed books, I’ve always been drawn to pages–stinky newspaper, slick magazines, old, well-worn books with cracked covers… I knew them all, both by touch and by scent. I still love paging through a book, not to read, but to take it in and remember there really is a world of possibilities right here!

Wounds

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Ouch! How the thorns of life impress their mark;
Impacting like a traitor in the dark!
A bleeding wound that never seems to heal;
With all the replays, blood cannot congeal.
Too overwhelmed, forgetful in the pain..;
Take heart! The roses always bloom again!

—
I’ve come to enjoy this, the Quadrille at
dVerse,
where Björn is hosting, and today’s word is “rose”!

Summer Colonnade

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A colonnade, oasis, place to rest
From Summer heat, a visitor obsessed.

It hasn’t been here long but plans to stay
Until the Autumn sighs with cooler days.

Awating temperature’s more temperate fall,
I make this colonnade my port of call!

—
This one follows Walter’s prompt at
dVerse,
inspired by this line from T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land”:
“With a shower of rain; we stopped in the colonnade (…)”

But a Summer Colonnade sounds like a dance to me! Or a refreshing drink!

Rain – Haibun

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Happy Solstice and a brilliant full moon here in the Northern hemisphere tonight!

This poem does not fit the prompt. We’re supposed to pick a Japanese word for “rain”. But these words are very specific, and I don’t speak Japanese. I’ve always been warned not to use words I don’t truly understand. So, I cannot choose a Japanese word for “rain” as a title. No, I have enough trouble raining on me when I write haiku or haibun, not English forms of poetry, although Heaven knows we commandeer everything as our own sooner or later! All I can say, in my native tongue of not-the-Queen’s-English, is let the rains fall where they may, and here is the haiku that is unfit, unprompted, but not unappreciated!

Pouring, cursed, bless-ed
Four seasons, with more in life
Stirring rains of change

—
Written in a nonconformist way for
dVerse.

Wordplay

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There is power in ev-e-ry word,
Or at least, that is what I have heard.
But believe it or not,
Those who told me forgot!
And the speeches they preach are absurd!

—
Written for
dVerse,
though I’m not sure it qualifies. The meter is fun, like all
Limericks,
and a nice break from my usual, more serious meter and subjects!

Still Life

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I am the sculpture;
I’ll come right out and tell you that.
Which one?
I can’t say, because you don’t really care.

I was stone before I became this statue.
I am still stone.
And I will be stone even thereafter,
If (Merciful heavens!) I am chiseled to bits.

I told you I am the sculpture,
But I lied.
Yes, I, too, can create a ruse!
How do you like that?
The same way you like it when people point at you
Or put you in their neatly labeled box
And say, “THIS is who you are!”

You are not THAT,
And I am not the statue alone.
Heck! I am not even stone!
I Am Life!

You don’t think so;
You don’t believe what I say.
But did you believe me then,
When I said I am the sculpture?

No matter.
You can have your opinions,
Thoughts,
And beliefs!
These are problems I do not have-
Opinions,
Thoughts,
Beliefs.

But I am still Life!
I was before the stone was.
I was before the sculpture was.
I am now,
In the stone and the rendered statue.
And I will be
Long after the sculpture is no more,
Long after the stone has eroded.
I am there.

But lest you leave this conversation all freaked out on me,
Let me come right out and tell you that
You are Life, too!
Stoned or not,
Oops did I say stoned?
Ha ha even the stones have a sense of humor!

Anyway, no matter the state
In which you find yourself, Grasshopper,
You are Life!
So live on,
For you are sculpture and stone,
Artist and observer,
Creator and creation!

Now step lively,
Rock the boat,
And live Life with the Spirit that You Are!

Oh, before you go?
Tell that painting over there
That it is still life, too.

Thanks!

—
For
dVerse | Poetics – Chisel Me a Conversation.
I had fun writing this!

Smiles

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Smiles spilling all around,
Saturating driest ground,
Calming down with softest light
Every fiery word that bites;
Laying in a bed of peace
Where Hope blooms with gentle ease.
And in the morning glow of Dawn,
We look and find new smiles have grown!

—
Another for
dVerse,
with thanks to Grace for her inspiration!

Currency

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Abundance does our soul enfold,
But we’re forgetful in this world.

Such hardened hearts and trials tough
Show Everything is not enough.

The countless Enemies to blame
Perpetuate a losing game.

If love spilled out like human greed,
The currency would not be “need!”

—
A Quadrille for
dVerse,
where 44 is the magic (i.e. required) number of words, and one word must be a form of “spill”!

Wake Up!

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Instrument: Tempo – Seagull Excursion Folk Acoustic Guitar

1. Drinkin’ coffee, eatin’ chocolate, turnin’ up sad songs;
Drinkin’ coffee, eatin’ chocolate, turnin’ up sad songs.
No wonder I can’t sleep! But how do I move on?

2. Feelin’ busy, thinkin’ too much, wantin’ outa here;
Feelin’ busy, thinkin’ way too much, wantin’ outa here.
And when the day is done, I still can’t find the cheer.

3. Wakin’ up all tense and restless, wond’rin’ what to do;
Wakin’ up all tense and restless, wond’rin’ what to do.
How long’s it gonna take to stop and get a clue!

4. Drinkin’ coffee, eatin’ chocolate, turnin’ up sad songs;
Drinkin’ coffee, eatin’ chocolate, turnin’ up sad songs.
They never wake me up, just keep me in the fog.

5. List’nin’ for a welcome word to wash away my fears;
List’nin’ for a welcome word to wash away my fears.
The Spirit calls my name and whispers, “I am here.”

6. I see the Daystar shine and shimmer, lightin’ up my way;
I see the Daystar shine and shimmer, lightin’ up my way;
I feel the dawn in me, it’s lifting me awake!

7. Let the inside and the outside show the Spirit’s love;
Let the inside and the outside show the Spirit’s love.
And let us keep on movin’ on, come on now, let’s wake up!

O let us keep on movin’ on, come on now, let’s wake up!

Related

Faith of Christ

God Bless this Human Mess

Songbird Sing

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Instrument: Tempo – Seagull Excursion Folk Acoustic Guitar
(capo 4)

Soaring high above the clouds
Of chaos in my mind,
I know there is a song to sing
With words I cannot find.

I hunt and peck and try in vain
To force the music out
And feel the pangs of harsh regret
That feed the fire of doubt.

The time has come to let it go
And set the songbird free!
For only when the spirit soars
Can any songbird sing!

I learn to find the hidden nest
Of peace within my mind,
Where love consoles and lifts me over
All the thoughts that bind.

There are no words to look for here,
No melody to sing;
The music of this sacred place
The Spirit plays within.

So, take the time to let it go
And set the songbird free!
For only when the spirit soars
Can you, the songbird, sing!

Download Mp3

Right click this link and choose “Save target as…” or similar to download. Feel free to share for noncommercial purposes only, please.
Songbird Sing Mp3.

—
“Poetics – The Music in You” is today’s prompt over at
dVerse.

Basically the exercise, for poets, is to write a song lyric instead of a poem. Read the post–I totally agree with the part about poems beaing “heard” in a speaking voice, while lyrics are not!

Most of you know by now that I’m a songwriter. However, this one is a song written more like a poem! It has melody, harmony, rhythm, and honestly, I think it turned out well! But you’ll notice it does not have a refrain or chorus. And it’s written in quatrains, those stanzas/verses of 4 lines. They rhyme, as most (all?) of my songs do. But it can be either read alone, listened to as a song, or both.

I hope you enjoy this. I couldn’t resist writing to this prompt, but the result is not what I expected! No, it is much better!

Also published in
Vision through Words