“Eclipsing Rainbows” and other poetic responses to last Wednesday’s prompt
LAST WEDNESDAY’S WRITING PROMPT May 3, 2017 asked “How does wild nature make you feel at the very core of your being? Tell us in prose, poem or even photography.” Below are the works share by other poets in response to this prompt. Thanks to Renee, Sonjia, Colin and Paul for good reading.
Enjoy!
Eclipsing Rainbows
There are moments of clarity drenched in a soul’s peace
where everything is an eclipse of brilliant rainbows
and becoming is like being mirrored images in lakes
where coral reefs are arms cradling infinite oceans
whereupon mountain rising islands are pristine views
touched only by Galapagos creatures of uniqueness
entering into a communion devoid of ritualistic cups
and eyesight becomes like those raptors’ rapturous quest
to make the flight over the highest of mountain ranges
like child’s play when there is a vision to fly along
and wings are the freedom of song birds a narrative song
in chorus with insects accompanied by frogs croaking
perceiving the world in a field of flowers engaging in
the mystery of becoming seeds under dark brown earth
and pushing up toward the brilliance of mother sun to
sprout into every conceivable bloom with stamen covered
with the sweetest of nectar drawing hummingbirds for
their respite and insects unknowing a pollination of life
© 2017, Renee Espriu (Renee Just Turtle Flight)
::aside::
i cannot live through
stagnant water,
i need oxygene
to survive this life,
to swim in clear
utter glory,
natures sweetest potion,
float among lilied notions
and live readily.
rancid pools a bitter
marriage make,
yellow scum upriver,
comes down reminding
sleepless nights
and half remembering.
running water or amnesia?
© 2017, Sonja Benskin Mesher (Sonja Benskin Mesher, RCA)
just how is it
that you suddenly feel an urge
to reach for pen & notebook
to record some Great Thought?
some itch of the brain –
grumble of neurons:
the remembering of rolling a little ball of snow
around a winter lawn till it becomes
impossible to manage the times
when you looked up at the night sky
to locate Orion’s Belt
Niord’s horn sounding
over all the bent forest winds
to come to this place here & now
where the river flows in & out
all day & night
moment for picking up
the thread of things once more
making a knot in time
Colin Blundell (Colin Blundell.com)
As I Dive
I make the world.
Become young and lithe.
Turn from bird
to fish, from fish
to a water’s swerve
I am feathered water,
dots and dashes curve
in ash black and flame white
rippled negative sunlight
ribbons over
sleek and sheen,
I swallow pike, perch,
trout, and bass.
An underwater ember.
I clamber on shore
as lumpen land.
I put on years.
My paddles in the wrong
place. They waddle my weight,
a loon. I give birth
clumsily, mumble
a tremolo, yodel,
wail, and hoot
across the waters,
call-up-a-storm.
*******
Let Me Dive Quick White
turbulent eddies,
preen copious oil,
wild silver flows easily
over streamlined
strong legs and feet
pinion rocks under and above.
All black, but for a white bib:
a dinner suit with white
serviette draped from the collar,
dine fresh meat river.
Don’t give me stillness:
stagnant, silent, dead.
Give me bright, loud, lively lilt
so muscle winged and flaps over
closed nostrils, eyelids feather
submerge, strong short bill
tumbles pebbles, sorts meat course
morsels,
momentum immerses
into maelstrom,
barely make wake,
splash in flight,
Rock jump
float on belly,
wings spread like oars.
Revel.
*******
© Paul Brookes (The Wombwell Rainbow)
THE WORDPLAY SHOP: books, tools and supplies for poets, writers and readers
We continue with the current recommended read: On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder. Left, right or center – American or not – it’s a must read.
LESSON SEVENTEEN, Listen for Dangerous Words. Be alert to the use of words extremism and terrorism. Be alive to the fatal notions of emergency and exception. Be angry about treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary.” Prof. Snyder, On Tyranny, Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
Jamie Dedes' THE POET BY DAY Webzine 