The poems published today are responses to the last Wednesday Writing Prompt, July 19 – “because love poems are elegies.” As always, it’s so interesting to see how the perspectives differ.
Enjoy this wonderful little collection. Be sure to comment by way of encouraging the poets.
Thanks to Annie, Renee, Paul, Sonja and Colin for coming out to play this week. Bravo!
“Goodbye,” she said
It has been – interesting
But …
The time has come
Leaving is difficult
Death is permanent
I must go …
To find myself …
Staying will only lead to
Death …
Maybe mine …
Perhaps yours…
Death is not
My style
Not my future
The choice made
“Goodbye,” she said
Leaving to Live …
© 2017, Annie Original Poetry (Annie’s Muse)
- This is Annie’s first time here, so I’ll include her bio as is tradition, but it will be added in later today. Meanwhile, you can visit Annie’s blog and I hope you will and that you’ll visit the blogs of the other poets as well. J.D.
Forgiveness
is
more work for her.
Always afterwards she
strips the bed,
changes the blossom of linen sheets,
puts stained sheets
in the wash, hangs
them on the line or horse.
On ferries or in hotels
his jewellery catches
on hers, hours disentangling
earings, repairing necklaces.
His sweat drips on her,
not like a veil,
too soon, fat not muscle
flops over her.
He makes work
of her temper.
Takes too much time
to find sheet corners
that are never pulled
tight enough.
To her his help
is more hinder.
© 2017, Paul Brookes (The Wombwell Rainbow)
Vacuuming her dressing table …
Vacuuming her dressing table you, accidentally suck up an earring
and spend most of the day
your finger up the thin hole
of the bag until it drops out,
and you are covered in dust,
empty peanut shells, feathers,
cat fur and damn your OCD.
© 2017, Paul Brookes (The Wombwell Rainbow)
A Favor to a Friend
He was on leave her friend said
could she double date with her
a blind date she never would
but her friend’s cousin
was being shipped out
she said
so it was decided she was dating
a handsome young fellow
& she dating the cousin
a drive-in movie they went to
her friend in the front seat
& her in the back
with the cousin
she tried to oblige remembering
he was to be shipped out
so she tried pleasantries
to no avail
none at all
he moved in closer and closer
too close for comfort really
the kissing began
going on and on
without end
what was the movie on the screen
she didn’t remember seeing
he simply kept on kissing
did he ever come up for air
but he was on leave
wasn’t he
she was glad when the evening
closed and the movie was done
so she could go home
her friend the next day called to say
her cousin wanted to know
could he see her again
upon his return
but she tactfully found a way
to decline saying
absolutely
not
not another time
she needed air
© 2017, Renee Espriu (Renee Just Turtle Flight)
:: poet ::
it is just that some dislike
love poems, those that rhyme
all romantic. pretty though
they are.
some write of other
things, in a more
random fashion.
i like things private.
© Sonja Benskin Mesher (Sonja Benskin Mesher, R.C.A.)
.. somethings cannot ..
some things cannot be put to word.
i try. hard. you lay there cold.
i stumble stutter say sounds backwards.
think i know? i thought i knew
you know.
there is silence. some socks
will not fit the drawer.
some things need tidying.
regularly.
some things.
there were bits of cabbage in the water,
now they are down the sink.
© 2017, Sonja Benskin Mesher (Sonja Benskin Mesher, R.C.A.)
294.
it all shows through
the other side
and backwards,
said
we the warriors
try to hold our own
under chaos
and scrutiny
invade the private place
at peril
you will kiss us,
kill us
is this love
or captivity?
© 2017, Sonja Benskin Mesher (Sonja Benskin Mesher, R.C.A.)
your innocence
I forgive you –
the essential being
I am in love with
that looked down at little flowers
and took up whims with passion;
you are innocent in thinking that
you yourself deserve forgiving
well then I forgive the innocence
but nothing else:
perhaps there is nothing else to forgive
it being all your secret
and therefore nothing to do with me
forgiveness is an arrogant intrusion
into somebody else’s life
when I say it was
an elaborate charade
I do not mean you deliberately
tricked me rather I acknowledge
that I believed my own
solution to the discrete acts
you put on for me
to suggest the whole world was ours –
person place and thing
this fool
blinded by spot-light
entered into the spirit of the game
you’re so relieved to quit
one more day
to endure
(this I think you think)
of living where I fit
quite comfortably
our life ends
the day after tomorrow;
our brief life once
so promising
and I can see
you are excited –
something I might once have loved –
like a little kid at the start
of the summer holidays
© 2017, Colin Blundell (Colin Blundell, All and Everything)
The following poem from Colin is in response to the prompt on Wednesday, June 28
at a railway station
a black & white handsome dog
stands in an apparently patient manner
by his master while he fiddles around
with his bag on a seat on the platform
the dog looks at me
drinking coffee from a plastic cup
through the window
of the train waiting for departure
in an apparently beseeching manner –
when I smile he looks away as though
he can no longer bear human emotions
or confront the unknown or the untravelled –
in an arcane manner of speaking
© Colin Blundell (Colin Blundell, All and Everything)
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