The Poetry Marathon

Seen But Muted(Prompt 21)

personality, understanding and love,

i am not me,

personality diluted and many personas intrude into my dream

struggled in all three areas,

constantly shifting and changing in to a different persona i don’t know who i am,

i was stuck running away from,

the constant ridicule,

lisp and ugliness,

so i changed persona to give me a bulletproof vest,

from vest to a tank,

i changed,

they would fight with pistols i would through at them grenades and missiles,

i deserved the lack of love and understanding,

how i pushed away everyone,

built a 60m wall to keep the inquisitives out,

built a civilization from my isolation,

developed concepts to self provided,

loved those that didn’t love me because breaking my own heart makes it easier to fix,

you know where all the pieces are,

splinters and shards,

i long for understanding

i long to be loved,

i long to be myself,

waiting for the ones that come with bulldozers,

breakdown the walls of my solitude

i’m tired of being alone

-Ropa

I miss…

Another week of lockdown,
I’m concerned about my weight,
But it’s been hard to stay on track each day,
When things are not so great,
I’m trying not to worry though,
And I say that I feel fine.

I was pretty sure that I would know, When I needed to draw a line,
But each week quickly turned to two,
And while I act like I’m okay,
I know exactly what to do.

But it gets harder day by day,
You see I’m finding it pretty tough,
Though I really don’t know why,
I thought I should have known enough,
To be able to get by.

Now two months have already been and gone,
And I’m longing to go back,
I know I’ve put a few pounds on,
But I can’t get back on track.

I miss the inspiration,
And I miss the laughter too,
That feeling of elation,
That they feel the way I do.

I miss the friendship and the chat,
When things don’t go as planned,
I miss knowing as a matter of fact,
That they really understand.

And should this poem strike chords with you,
I now know what I need to do,
I need to see my troop.

You’ll be welcome back in group,
It doesn’t matter which space we share, It’s the smiles that mean the most,
That slimming world feeling is always there,
So get in touch when you read this post.

21. Sleep a little luxury we all crave

You know what I want and need.

It is sleep uninterrupted.

A luxury that the youth waste.

A luxury that we appreciate as we age.

Give it to me in waves of pleasure.

Cool breezes that lull me to sleep.

A comfortable pillow that supports my neck.

A cloud of a bed that gently holds my body in place.

A refuge to dream and design to create.

This is what I long for at the moment.

It’s 5:15 am and I can hear the birds calling me to come to sleep.

I don’t listen even though they make sense.

I write and write till the light comes out, I see it and always marvel at how night turns to day so effortlessly.

 

Lantern #10

The lantern at the doorpost
of my grandmother’s house
has a curious carving of leaves
like the ones from the stories
I said an elf made it
in his house on the hills
like the one in the storybook
next to my bow-tied bear
Grandmother said it wasn’t so
It was just like the ones in the valley below
but I never believed her, I never could
with so much magic in me
I don’t think I should

Hour 21-longing

Longing for coffee, a massage and sleep

A bubble bath, Promises to keep.

My man to help with the kids, to help clean the house

Flowers, a handwritten note from the thought of my spouse.

Covid-19 banished, masks and illness burn

Health, wealth, love and happiness to all return.

My husband’s boss to see the work he does with all his might

For half the means and twice as much and all throughout the night.

For the liars that get away with all because my guy just lets them

His selfless nature hurts himself but only time will get them

Scavenging for Edu fees to give our baby’s schooling

This Covid-19 virus  time has been nothing less than gruelling.

But as I long for all these things I realise how blessed I am

There are far less fortunate out there now and I have my precious fam.

Sleep! – hour 21, prompt 21

What am I longing for so deep?

yeah, that’s it, I need sleep!

fluffy pillows

beckoning blankets

eyelids closed

my brain on hold

wish the sandman

brought extra pajamas

tryptophan, or melatonin

I long to make so many zzzs

in between lines of poetry

poems remaining, only three

till slumber I shall meet thee

and darkness closes down on me

and if I rhyme before I wake

I pray a poem I don’t make.

– Sandra Johnson

Hour 21: A Ticket to Anywhere

An airport, a place that takes you where you want and need to go,
But what if this place were used differently,
What if you could just buy a ticket and it takes you anywhere?

Imagine that ticket you hold has no destination,
Imagine there are two paths to follow once you pass security,
Imagine one path says “need” and the other says “want”.

Picture going down the path “want”,
Where do you really want to go, where will it take you,
In the end, you end up in a place beyond your wildest dreams.

If only the airport worked a different way,
The element of surprise to go anywhere I want while not needing to know, just wanting to go somewhere else,
Just buying a ticket with no intended destination.

Mission: Impossible – Hour 20

I find myself awake in the dark
Something is not right
I must brave the journey outside
But there can be no light
No noise
My steps must be soft and poised
I twist the door handles painfully cautiously
And as I pull it open there is no response
I have taken the first step, then another
I might actually make it this time
Just as I thought I had made it
I hear a jingle, a high-pitched voice
A flash of glowing orbs appear in the dark
My cat’s eyes
I have failed and woken up the monster
Now he must be fed.

#21 Longing

I want to laugh,

unbridled, raw, pure, innocent,

the kind that comes in waves despite

your stomach knotting in stitches.

I want to choke on giggles that

make water spurt out of your nose,

that make talking impossible,

and send you rolling on the floor.

I want the laughter that starts with just one word,

or a look, a knowing glance,

that comes from oft repeated inside jokes,

privy only to those close to the heart.

I want laughter that is norm with the ongoing conversations

that is transparent, unchecked and free from judgement,

I long to laugh a real laugh,

It’s been so long, I wonder if I can anymore.

What I want the most right now

Pizza with double cheese

Burger and French fries

Some chocolate chip muffins

Would be nice

And oh, a large Coco-cola

No.. make that Sprite!