The Poetry Marathon

Elegant lines chased in black

against a porcelain white.

Lady, standing all alone,

who’s your lover tonight?

Half-turned and prepared,

perhaps to smile or refrain,

those and more are jealous,

would you dance with the likes of us?

Daughter Aphrodite, cool and shy,

would your auburn head turn

to come and stay awhile?

Pretty little lady,

dressed in black,

remember this is temporary,

whilst you stay in best dress.

I have a nose larger than most!

Want to see it? Don’t come too close!

I might poke your eye out, you see,

none have a better nose than me.

I can sniff your bullshit a mile away,

so don’t you come around to play.

I got a nose a mile long, you see,

and your childish antics can’t fool me!

I’ve sat in this park for over three hundred years,

yet one of them was loud then soft.

No more children dance on my branches,

no more couples carve my bark.

Though at first I was happy,

I miss them in my park.

My children crowd around me,

while I reconsider,

if they were truly around, why not cull them away

to have a village green again?

Twenty years and counting, since I’ve seen even one,

but I’ll stand a thousand years,

until they come again.

I’m drifting, wheeling, tossed in space!

My tether has been cut.

What’d I do to deserve this?

Oh yeah..

I signed up!

Gentle brew of gold,

water still near boiling,

slowly warming mug,

steeping, seeping,

cuppa warm blend,

earl grey, hot.

Oh no! It’s gone!

Quick, search in the cupboard,

under the stairs,

peek in the fridge; it may be there!

Dig through your purse,

pull out your pockets,

silently vow you’ll hoard less

of all the wrappers of gum,

oh! There’s that skirt from 2001,

lip balm, hair brush, lint roller.

But it’s still lost, hang on.

Phew. On the charger.

Now…

Oh no, they’re gone!

Where are my glasses?

Please don’t tell me

they’re somewhere over here…

Bathroom, living room, upstairs and down,

you’ve searched everywhere, except..

Oh! On your head!

“You’ll be together forever.”

Here lies the soul of a good man,

the best of them all.

And though he was cursed with seeing death,

I loved him as a son.

His name was Odd Thomas,

and he’s gone to his Stormy girl,

though I miss him terribly,

I know he’s fine, way above.

Fully smooth and fully blue,

that’s my boy.

And when I too am finally gone,

I hope I may see him too.

Here I stand, alone again,

the ocean is far below.

There is nothing left for me to stand,

nowhere to call my home.

My love has forgotten me,

my heart has been sold,

there is nothing left for me,

save for what was left long ago.

The pelt of life’s past,

still tasting of salt,

my children are all grown and gone,

and I’m all alone.

Take the skin, girl to woman,

slip below the waves.

Join the dance of your seal kin

and let the waves wash your life away.

Broken boards and shattered windows,

splintered stairs and shuddering eaves,

all those things and more to me,

mean a potential nest to meet.

There is no greater force than two,

action, reaction,

you drew me out of my shell,

I toned down your soul.

We are equal yet different,

opposites do attract.

And the greatest attraction of this earth

is two souls who love, and love,

and still love.