The Poetry Marathon

a book engages more than the mind

if you do it right

3,000 scholars and experts will comb it to find

all the meaning from the binding to the margins

till it bleeds heartache and wisdom and laughs

as authors argue over articles and facts

authenticators calculate the times and places

reviewers justify, clarify the pace

consultants advise and diagnose the dose of prose to give you

If you write, do it right

Blast me away from twin suns and the sand folks

far from the harvest and uncle’s demands

Off to place where saving a rebel

or fighting a metal Death Star is done

Get me a ship I’ll be a pilot

Yes I can fly it with R2 on hand

I’ll use the force just as Old Ben Kenobi has taught me to

We’ll blast through this port and get you to your base now

Let’s rescue of her droids and save our skins and everyone else’s too

‘Xecpt for the clone army of storm troopers in our way

Off to place where saving a rebel

or fighting a metal Death Star is done

Get me a ship I’ll be a pilot

Yes I can fly it with R2 on hand

The shadow on the moon goes left to right

left to right, tiptoeing day and night

The radiance of the moon goes left to right

night after night after night after night

does the light follow the darkness or does the darkness follow the light

13 days to go to nothing 13 more to return bright

I want to live in a world where the past remains the past and

The only questions never answered are the questions never asked

tonight tonight tonight tonight tonight tonight

there’s a strange lethargy at the edge of gloom

more than when you pour the porridge in the morning

for when the fireflies are lighted and they start to zoom

to the treeline.  greed and sloth can cease their warring

the heated iron cools too quickly so don’t wait,  remove

the masks that hide you from this world (metaphorically)

speak truth sweep your cottage and don’t bottle up your mood

Water rushes and rises

filling up the tub

heat flowing steam flying

squeak, now that’s enough

and then the smooth surface begins to ebb

with the touch of a button

the jets are kicking in

dip yourself in the water

melt your stress as you swim

In the world of the plain and ordinary

the primary grades called out for something new

and hairy

a spark of magic, the flick of a tale was born

and so began the season of the unicorn

a noble foal grew playful strong and sweet

shiny coat, locks of the rainbow flowing free

as she gallops, trots and cantors here to there

she’s welcomed more than any common mare

Now some love llamas, and some love narwals

The fairies fled, the mermaid swam her time

but for unicorns today a girl falls

in love, as sure as stars and bubbles shine

What purpose does their long horn serve?

I cannot guess, perhaps it’s in a book

Do they perform jousts to prove they have the nerve?

Or is it all just for the look?

Though unicorns today bring girls together

All I can say is Pegasus is better

Awake with a tune, sun is shining, warm in the window summer’s soon

Do my journal, stretch my legs, break my fast

out the door with a purpose

works reward is that it lasts

today is a paragon day

Life is so full of leftovers

reheat the beans

Nothing too new, but they’ll do

sprinkle the cheese

Keeping you going, get you through

rip the romaine

Not much left- gotta leave a little

pop the Pace

Oh no old one’s already open

skip grace

Gotta grab my bite right now

dig the fork in

Dear Grandma B,

So glad you’re safely tucked in the ground

And don’t have to struggle while we’re cleaning up this mess

You lost your mind just in time while the world was sublime

but what you’d do right I cannot guess

but I bet you’d confess

that you’re glad folks at our address

are eating oatmeal

just like you did when

Dear Grandpa B,

I miss all your energy, you eye’s twinkle and your hearty laugh

Why’d you have to make that bike so dense?

Saw the cone gnome fixing up a stop sign today

and the mailman and a brown box truck

but I ponder as a walked past the delivery van’s smile

what keep us grinning while they take our cards up

cuz the roads need upkeep and the house needs upkeep

and the closet and the basement fill up

but I ponder and I wonder as a wander round the block

today I wondered if they’ll ever be enough

Saw a black man falling off his bike yesterday

in my sister’s neighborhood it was a shock

cuz in the white burbs a black skin man is fairly rare

but to see him bloodied on the ground is sadly not

so we asked if we could phone a friend to pick him up

it went to voicemail, you see a stranger answer not

but didn’t call to 911-and have the ambulance come

cuz if the police came out he might get shot

but I ponder and I wonder as a wander round the block

today I wondered if they’ll ever be enough

So he left his three piece bicycle, dusted off his skinned knee

and settled in to end his bike ride with a walk

We said farewell, prayed for his health, waved good bye and wished him well

And walked our way back home continuing to talk

Cuz the laws need upkeep and lawns need upkeep

and the prison yards, man, you gotta keep em stocked

but I ponder and I wonder as a wander round the block

today I wondered if they’ll ever be enough