The Poetry Marathon

I was hit in the eye by a humming bird’s wing

It gave me the power to see unseen things

The floating of fae

The angels on their way

Even the demons at play

(Though that one brings dismay)

I saw the pain in your heart when she left you

The memories of her love both bitter and true

A rainy day

A funny play

A pretty little blue jay

(Even you walking away)

I know now the weight of not spending a coin

And how much can happen due to a small purloin

But I’ve seen hope

In skipping rope

And slippery tropes

(Like that true love is more of a slope)

I guess what I’m saying is I’m here

I know what you’ve been through,

And while I can see your fear

This wing will hit your eye too.

So you can see the joy around you.

When I rise from the ashes

just a box of matches

With flames on my lashes

Thingsll be better

no more scars no more gashes

Flying along while somebody bashes

Everything I’ve said

Everything I’ve done

But I’ve won

Haven’t I?

That’s just it

They’re full of shit

And isn’t it

Funny how even now

Clear skies can quickly turn gray

Filling me, meeting my dismay

memories of the past in my way

Of the days when I had no say

Pulled apart day by day

but that’s gotta be over

You have to die to be reborn

Live with things you’ve always sworn

Not to forget about

I still feel tired, look so worn

Heavy, tearstained, forlorn

Forgetting the past, it ain’t me

Don’t care about the wings, I ain’t free.

And I’ll be pulled down when the sun sets

Just the shadow to a Phoenix

Ashes in the wind.

Hillside dark, water calm

A single lantern floating

Veil shredded, flowers dead

A sudden, rotten, bloating

Bride alive, Corpse husband

A shovel with sticky coating

Crunching earth, shifting waves

A victim left ungloating.

Crime unseen, story untold

The lantern no longer floating.

Good day/night to you all!

You may call me Molly, I have participated in every poetry marathon since 2016 and am thrilled to participate again though I truly fear failing this year due to low energy levels every day leading up to it.

If I am lucky hopefully that’s been my body storing up energy until the day of and I will complete another full Marathon. A lot has happened since last year but I hope we all make it!

Outside the window darkness
resides, looking both normal
and deep, waiting for me to fall asleep.

Yet just beyond, a bird does
chirp, awakening nature speak.

What’s peaceful too, are my two cats
who sleep and do not wake despite
me being awake in front of them.

“We’ve done it,” they all cry out,
or seem to. “We kept her up through the night,
to finish the marathon as planned.”

I barely hear them as I start snoring, my clock is up,
and I must rest, the sun peeks over the horizon.

My mother gave me candy,
I ate it and got sick.
She yelled as if it was my fault.

My mother gave me money,
I spent it and got food
She yelled as if it was my fault.

My mother gave me food
I ate it and didn’t like it.
She called me ungrateful.

So when I have kids how do I raise them?
Should I give them gifts?
I’ll try it, and try to explain
how to properly use my gifts.

I’ll be better.

It grins, serene, at her, its owner
a small black ear flicks in the wind,
it’s smaller than a mouse, that ear,
but the other is large as if it can
choose what to hear.

An orange tail flicks, the red one
swishes, the third one I cannot
see, but I know it’s there, I’ve felt
it when the creature first appeared,
you see.

They call this creature Aluette, but
not after the song or cheese, it’s
known instead for biting ducks and
being immune to fleas. It’s got thick
dark leather skin.

It has fur too, not too soft, and in
some places coarse. Only on its
back and knees, a tuft of fur upon
its chin, and teeth as sharp as
knives.

It has webbed paws and wicked
eyes, and loves its owner until she’s
its prize. It’ll steal her soul unless she
knows not to put tuna in its bowl, so
I’ll try to warn her.

How do I know? It stole mine first.

Where could I live
the thought crossed my mind
as sands slipped
and stars shined.
Late at night,
though early for some,
I imagined a home
and how that home would come.
The sun would set
just out of sight,
not too intense
while water crashed
refracting the light
and waves fell on
black sand.
I could live there,
I mused, as family
moved around.
I could leave this mess behind
and live in a cave by the sea.
Oh, how peaceful that would be.
Alas, no, it’s not a future,
not for me,
for they’d come to find me
with debts and plans
and hare-brained schemes
to ruin my tranquility.
They’d come to find me
and it would no longer be home.

There it is, the silver plate
A single smaller one atop,
and on it that heavenly meal.
A crisped golden brown, the smell
of hot cheese, full of might and power.
Yet I cannot grasp it, it lies within my dreams…

Grilled cheese~ You are what I need…Grilled Cheese~
Why won’t you come to me…

It’s quick to cook, it smells
like heaven, a dish from
the gods of dairy and grain,
So wonderful, yet difficult,
I cannot attain my grilled
honey wheat bread with
cheese, it’s just out of reach
missing a key ingredient…

Grilled cheese~ You are what I need…Grilled Cheese~
Why won’t you come to me…

I could make it right now,
I could grab the bread, slice the bread
Melt the butter at a medium heat
Put the cheese on the bread
Place it on the pan and flip it,
But I’m so very tired…

Grilled cheese~ You are what I need…Grilled Cheese~
Why won’t you come to me…

Click, Whoosh!  the flame sprang to life
Click, zwoop! the flame died again

On and off like a switch,
not really serving a purpose,
it was mindless, focused

And as you watched it flicker
something stirred in the darkness.
A feeling, somewhat profound,
somewhat dangerous, but without sound.
No words described the need you felt
To make the lighter click.

Click, Whoosh! the flame in your mind sprang
Click, zwoop! the flame died once again.