by 
The last Wednesday Writing Prompt, March 28, invited poets to write about place. Here are the interesting, intriguing, and sometimes poignant responses from poets: Gary W. Bowers, Paul Brooks, Kakali Das Ghosh, and Sonja Benskin Mesher. I’m touched though not surprised that home inspired a few of the poems featured today.
For some writers poetry may be a primary form of artistic expression but it is not the only one. You’ll note, I always include links to contributors blogs when they have them. I hope you’ll visit and get to know them or connect with them on Facebook. Gary, Sonja (an award-winning artist, so many I can’t keep up) and Kakali are stellar artists, very different in style but rewarding. Paul (who often writes in regional dialet), Gary and Sonja are also photographers. Given Paul’s knowledge and love of art, he has distinguished himself with some very fine ekphrastic poetry.
Gary is sharp, original and unique. He honored me with one of his sketches. Thanks again, Gary!
I’m pleased beyond all the words with which we play to present these remarkably talented folks to you here, one of the gratifications of a “connected world.” I hope you’ll share your own work with us tomorrow for the next Wednesday Writing Prompt.
the phoenix and phoenix
phoenix arizona lies
asprawl across the valley of the sun,
and that sun in summer stuns one
who is wise to heads indoors,
but the winters, mild and tasty,
bid a million phoenicians rise
and form a wing-flexing phoenix
of basking and bonhomie
and renewal.
© 2018, Gary W. Bowers (One With Clay, Image and Text)
the phoenix and phoenix
phoenix arizona lies
asprawl across the valley of the sun,
and that sun in summer stuns one
who is wise to heads indoors,
but the winters, mild and tasty,
give a million phoeni
© 2018, Gary W. Bowers (One With Clay, Image and Text)
Our Wombwell
sunbreaking brought bling jewels from overnight
rain, droplet tiaras/earrings trees, lampposts ankle bracelets.
On bus glimpse un netted/unblinded windows massive TVs window on window on corporate images: ogle goggle boxed.
Fresh grass laundered, barbeque wafts, rounding white clouds sky ablaze: Natural delights
cat trots downhill to bike shop. Black stringtied purse roadside. Folded bus pass at bus stop: ways home
© 2018, Paul Brookes (Wombwell Rainbow)
My Black Spot
A treasure island mark on a palm
for which mam says she has blankets
in the airing cupboard.
For any metal crashes
we might hear from
the busy A one.
A grey metal bridge
over the spot
I trundle my Raleigh bike
to meet with crystal set Duncan,
bright as the guards
on his new bike.
An overgrown cottage
with walls like broken teeth
and shattered windscreen glass
meets me at the footbridge bottom.
There is no blood,
only what’s left after the event.
On return footbridge
is now flyover, black spot removed.
Folk fly by too fast.
My old home is a turn off.
into village quiet.
A place folk glance at
on the way to elsewhere.
© 2018, Paul Brookes (Wombwell Rainbow)
Flinch At Cold, Cold,
sticky touch
of scaffold pole steel,
in the sunblaze,
negotiate unlashed wooden
planks of a half built brick house
opposite my Mam and Dad’s,
miss my foothold, bang my knees,
graze my elbows, dazed, brickdust gob,
lightblinded
see behind closed eyes, few years earlier,
another bright, warm summer,
my fall
fifteen feet from a branch
in a tall forest, to sharp earth,
concussed, bruised, rip
my jeans, leaf litter gob,
so mate John,
who I’ve played with
for months takes
me, where I’ve never been,
over the massive quiet
of the cricket pitch of a cut lawn
his dad’s garden,
crunch pristine, white gravel
to his big sandstone Hall,
John says “Take them off.”,
as he takes his shoes off,
I take off my forested sneakers,
through white barndoor
of a front door, smell fried onions,
pad over red tiled hallway,
into a bright, high frontroom,
bigger than our village school
assembly hall,
to a vast leather settee
and first colour tv I’ve ever seen,
looks small in the centre
of this space,
asks me to sit while his mam
fetches a warm
cup of tea in a china cup,
and asks if I want her
to fetch my mam or dad.
I say “It’s kind of you to say,
but, no. I’m ok.”
And sunblinded, sore,
bloody again, on the scaffold,
reluctant,
as mam said, “And don’t let me
catch you clambering over
that building site!”
© 2018, Paul Brookes (Wombwell Rainbow)
#It Was The First Time #
It was the first time
I was there
It was the first time
I felt his touch on my shoulders
Bay of Bengal :gazed at me with its profound look
With its stories untold for years immemorial
With its beach bathing under April sun
With its wavy dance dashing over boulders carving relics
It was the first time a heavenly child on a horse threw a celestial smile at me while passing through rocks
It was the first time he rehashed me
a statue spellbound
And it was the first time that tamarisk wood in the skyline
swayed each corner of my heart
My courage unfolded to say you -“I’m yours -just yours .”
© 2018, Kakali Das Ghosh
:: wonder land ::
it was a long winter
spring came, and i went to
wonderland
finished work, drove the hill,
there before me, misted,
pink polaroid,
pointy trees,
i could not breathe
for wondering.
plas newydd, the house
of lady friends
who flew from family
to nest in looking
glass.
a world away.
breathe came,
all there was in the
whole world was this place
yesterday.
pin pointed, pinhole,
and mindfulness.
© 2018, Sonja Benskin Mesher (sonja-benskin-mesher.net; Sonja Benskin Mesher, RCA paintings; sonja-benskin-mesher.co.uk)
.home.
to live in this place,
walk down to see fish,
waterboat men, dimpling
miniscus.
rest amongst bird
song, tapping the wood.
know you have
a piece of mind,
however fleeting.
to be in this place.
© 2018, Sonja Benskin Mesher (sonja-benskin-mesher.net; Sonja Benskin Mesher, RCA paintings; sonja-benskin-mesher.co.uk)
.this place.
enjoyed waiting with you, leaning on the fence.
quietly remember you who made this place. special.
© 2018, Sonja Benskin Mesher (sonja-benskin-mesher.net; Sonja Benskin Mesher, RCA paintings; sonja-benskin-mesher.co.uk)
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