The Poetry Marathon

Pink ribbons scatter across the blue tapestry
Rows of lush grass frantically cover the fields
Like melting ice cream, the sun dips below the sky
Two hands hold on to each other, waiting for more

A soft hum has consumed the both of them
Their surroundings, a mere blur, in their eyes
Cook, lake air draws their warm bodies closer
Joined as a pair, in a world of their own

Nervous laughter underlines their affection
Smoky darkness crawls over the midland hills
Finally, their obsessive trance is broken
Hours together fulfilling their hunger

Illuminated by fluorescence, a brilliant “X” on the paper,

The code to life, the double helix that guides us all.

A discovery that would change the course of science.

For years, she was cast into the shadows, a nobody,

While two false geniuses were written into history

Her work, a pedestal, to climb the ranks of academia

She died, a young woman, seemingly unsuccessful in her field, an assistant to the superior,

But now we know her for what she truly was, the pioneer of modern science, Rosalind Franklin.

It’s the pinnacle, the ultimate moment
The jukebox is playing all the hits
We’ve left our troubles on the red planet
Our pain and suffering is all but gone
You and I have been numb for too long

They could build a solid concrete wall
A wall supported by foundations, steel
But nothing could dampen our spirits
Yes, we’re unfamiliar and perplexing
But our material bodies are fading

The creatures outside have restrained us
But we, too, have been preparing to fly
So, yes, it’s happening now, ready?
Tie your shoes and set the Twinkie down
You, me, and the dog will transcend today

Inspired by Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen

1.

Innocence and purity
But it all ends early
Dirt and chocolate
A childish explosion
Glue and marker stains
Aftermath of art class

2.

Pen ink and paper cuts
Growing pains
Algebra and P.E.
Intro to the internet
Ankle sprains and hairdos
8th grade hobbies

3.

Tennis and kisses
High school drama
Headaches and colleges
The adult life begins
Chemistry and biology
“Oh, a doctor huh?”

Green yet obsolete

Concrete fences stunt crops

There will be no fruit

The dark green of the jungle cloaks my presence
Thick vegetation dampens the noise of my cries
My surroundings hide me in fear of what I could do
But I can’t move, my might suppressed by traps

The King of the Jungle, how far below I have fallen
The flesh that remains is desert dry and exhausted
My ember brown eyes have melted into a sesame
My once restless tail is now a glorified fly swatter

The monkeys cry in terror in the dark canopy above
I am idle for I am nothing more than an empty gun
Age has humbled my sight and my fur has faded
The shadows mock my rule and plan a coup d’état

The climax of my role as the apex predator has eroded my divine frame and left me hollowed
The cool, chocolatey earth below offers comfort as the soldier-like ants come to finish me off

Why sing of love at this hour?
When the big hand is at 4
All I desire is my nightly rest

I’ve worked and walked all day
Yet you stroll in early in the morn’
To sing of your painful suffering

She doesn’t care for your love
Yesterday, I saw her leaving
With another around her arm

Go home and give it a break
Your strings won’t do the trick
No matter what, she isn’t yours

You’ve got to get going
My mind can’t function
Work is already a pain

Pebbles to her window
Are sirens in my ears
Oh, stop this mess now!

If you won’t hush this mess,
I’ll have to give it a try
Maybe I’ll court her tonight

Only then, will you leave me be
If she is with me, then no worries
I’ll be able to sleep a full 8 hrs.

Reference to Morning by Billy Collins

Why lay in bed in anticipation?
The morning has nothing to offer
But sweltering anxiety.

The humidity is a sweaty sore
And the bugs, too many

Get up, make your bed, and get going
Pick out your brightest clothing
24 hours at your service
They have much to offer

The calm, breezy drive to the fields,
A soft, supple peach in hand –
To sustain your morning hunger

A roadside magazine,
The radio seducing you with jazzy hip hop,
A light wedge salad for lunch,

And, a lonesome tree,
Wrapping around the clouds to
Protect you from the sharps rays of the sun.
A pillowy nap dwells on your eyes
And you dream of me
Amongst the wildflowers.

We never had much as potato farmers in the poor man’s village
But luck, your sibling, gave us a token to turn Lady Fortune’s wheel
With assistance, we escaped poverty but landed in a dreadful world
The middle class, where we all tread forward while you push back

Pizzas, pies, and cakes are divided
So that everyone may get a fair taste
But maybe, I want you all for myself
So that no comfort can get away

Riches are an endless chase but I’ve always been behind
You favor some but your loyalty is to no being
If opportunity is truly abound and for all, then why not me?
Why aren’t I the one sitting poolside in Malibu?

I always have to justify my reasons for being so possessive
You are a motivation, a beacon that guides my determination
I would give it all up, if I could only, experience you for a day
Then I would know the plight of a rich man and feel sorry too

Every time I write down something
I wonder who will come to know of it

Will this tattered composition book land in the Library of Congress?
Or will it see its end in the garbage heap behind my apartment building?

Will my thoughts and creations capture minds?
Will they fuel rage, sadness, joy, or any emotion?

Perhaps someone will continue the written conversation?
My goofy hello could transform into a game of tic-tac-toe?

Will the endless scribbles turn into exaggerated clues for a hidden treasure?
Or could my name and writing become a documented search for my life?

All possible ventures,
But maybe in 10 years,
I’ll simply unfold the yellowed pages
And day-dream about the simpler times.