The Poetry Marathon

Gathering

Three sisters sit, toes drifting in warm sand
Sun sets in crimson hues on the sea’s horizon
Wine glasses raised, they solemnly toast
Times shared long ago but not forgotten

Who could have known what would befall
Both parents passed on too young
A fourth sister left, full of her own conceits
Unable to stay her harsh tongue

Memories of childhood, lived innocently
Before the world became too much
Laughter sounds softly and smiles emerge
Our lives need a gentler touch

(Prompt: Write about gathering with others.)

Grown ups chuckle with delight
Until we can barely breathe
Worries left outside our door
Brought into the present with a snap

Elders guffaw in shared surprise
Until ribs are sore and aching
Memories of best loved times
Complaints are all forgotten

Babies chortle gleefully
Until their belly hurts
Smiles appear on all who hear
Happiness, a beautiful contagion

(Prompt: Write a poem about laughter without ever using the words, laugh, laughter, or giggle.)

Speedy

Speedy Gonzalez loves to run and play
He is always first to laugh
But what he loves best in all the world
Is playing tag with Jerome the giraffe

Jerome’s long legs take him far
He loves to hide in the trees
Speedy is short yet runs so fast
When he walks he looks like John Cleese

His big dark eyes and gentle smile
Hide a mischievous mind
Speedy Gonzalez only has three toes
That sloth is one of a kind

(Prompt: Personify an animal. Switch its trait. Example: a disinterested lion, a polite gorilla, an aggressive giraffe…)

Sleet frosts window panes
Winds bluster, branches rattle
Cracking sparks fly out

Books by candle light
Water bottle at my feet
Sipping hot cocoa

Curry cooking on the fire
Cocoon of night and blankets
Darjeeling brewing

(Prompt: Look in your cupboards and find a food that brings up a childhood memory, and the memory is your prompt.)

Gigan # 1

What shall we seek, you and I
Upon this shared journey through tide, time, and space

Searching for purpose and meaning within the universe
You’ve found the reason is for betterment of others
I think the paradox is in the evolution of humankind

Purely created of my own imagination
There can be no purpose in the existence of others

Time for dreaming is at hand
I shall make a new reality

A panorama of perfect possibilities
What shall we seek, you and I

Purely created of my own imagination
We will be love, hope, grief, strength, joy, madness
Felt in equal measure

Dancing across the stars
Until the end of tide, time and space

(Prompt: Write in the style of a Gigan … http://dianelockward.blogspot.com/2013/01/an-invented-form-gigan.html)

Northwest Landscapes

River waters flood blueberry fields
Trees now grow in the expanding lake
Habitats shrink with each new thunderstorm

Lean black mama bear straddles a creaky wooden fence
Leaning out, she pulls at tree branches
Apples thud down to her three babies

A family of deer graze a lawn too long neglected
The buck watches me, head first tilted left, then right
Alert to any threat as I walk home from work

Invisible mosquitoes buzz, myriad dragonflies dart
Scent of lilac trees permeate the air
Surrender to sun, wind, earth, sky

(Prompt: Look on your phone and find the 10th non selfie picture and use that as your prompt. In my case, it was a Facebook post looking for a local lawn mower, showing the business card for Northwest Landscapes.)

Erstwhile

Who was once most cherished in my heart
I see you face each day, even though you struggle, still
You persevere

What drives you forward
I watch you find motivation, in yourself, in others, as always
You inspire

Where did our paths diverge
I wish you had circled back sooner to your place in the spiral, yet I know
You try

When will you find your purpose
I know you hold it within you, even more so at the times when you think
You fail

Why did you deny me
I love you, your faith, in life, in yourself, and most of all, to feel
You rise

(Prompt: Write a letter to yourself from the perspective of someone who is no longer in your life.)

Gandpa’s Satchel

Resting in Grandpa’s faded hardback chair
Sunflower swaying as a warm breeze
Gently blows through your long greying hair
Setting knitting down upon swollen knees

I offer up a piece of cheddar cheese
Trying to fill the silent space around my grief
You give my cold hand a gentle squeeze
I sip from my wine glass in disbelief

Sun-baked pavement buzzing like hard-at-work bees
Scratching a nail in the earth he said was blessed
Here beside his favourite old oak trees
Inside this satchel Grandpa’s ashes finally rest

(Prompt: Use at least 5 words/phrases: hardback, sunflower, knitting, cheddar cheese, space, wine glass, pavement, nail, oak, satchel)

Dreams Of Future Past

Tech Wizards fly jets to guarded resorts
Near Palo Alto, the people sing at campfires on the beach
Mingling with new met friends, sharing food and wine
Tonight who dreams of freedom

Oil Giants sail super yachts, leaving the ocean garbage patch behind
Outside Riyadh, the people share a meal prepared with love
Celebrating the birth of their firstborn
Tonight who dreams of freedom

Water Rich Millionaires stroll oases encased in walls of cedar and cement
In Tunis, the people dance joyously together
At the wedding of their daughter and their son
Tonight who dreams of freedom

(Prompt: Write a poem set a hundred years ago, or a hundred years from now.)

story of my life
forlorn lovers sweetly sing
bows and strings vibrate

swaying at your touch
lovers softly whispering
cellos waltz in time

love can conquer all
if only i could find you
partners lost in time

(Prompt: Listen to this song, City of Stars from La La Land: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5j1AwBaPtk)