The Poetry Marathon

Hour 4: Recipe for Disaster

Youth of the world, lend me your ears
Here is the step-by_step recipe to success
Keep your mind on restricted access
To matters of import as well as cheers.

Chart your own course, no trodden path
No one on earth knows better than you
Of all things that matter and necessary too
Fools suffe not , at them direct your wrath

Never put in an honest day’s work
Eat, drink, rest, relax and be merry
Too many things about for you to worry
Indulge your every whim and the odd quirk

Hour 16: My Apologies

To Whom it May Concern,

I apologize- for everything

I apologize that the sun rose this morning

I apologize if it didn’t

I am so very sorry that your (fill in the blank) were too (fill in the blank)

I regret that the weather was too (fill in the blank)

I apologize for my apologies

I am sorry I say I am sorry for everything I have no need to be sorry for

I regret that I am never enough/always too much

Apologetically Yours ~

 

Recipe for Guests’ Delight

Add a cup of words
A teaspoon of smile
Churn with laughter

Spoon out tasty dialogue
share the snacks of memories
sprinkle love and generosity

Serve with delicious hugs
Savor joy’s with yummy

 

Prompt -16

Hour-16

Hour 16: The Pirate House

We called it the pirate house

With a spiral staircase

And a trap door

And a tree house in the yard

 

I loved it from the second I stepped inside

It was wonderful and strange

A hodgepodge from those who came before

 

We’d pretend the trees in the yard were a jungle

And that we were adventurers

Never touching the ground

 

I taught myself to slide down the bannister

Into a room that forever smelled like burning wood

Step out into a world bathed in snow

Or soaked in rain

Or covered in summer spiders

 

I grieved that house when we left

Like leaving behind an old friend

I hope whoever comes next

Loves the spiral staircase

And the trap door

And the tree house

Just as much as we did

I’m One with the Shore – Hour Sixteen

I’m One with the Shore

I am most at peace when
I’m one with the shore
Whether swimming or fishing
Or there
I find great release
When I open the door
To letting nature take the lead
I’m one with the shore
With a chair in the sand and
A pole with a line dangling near
The fun in the sport of catch and release
The chase and the hunt I hold dear
I’m one with the shore
When I walk all alone
The silence clearing out my thoughts
No hassle, no phone, no distractions, no loss
Just the sand that I strive to impress
Life can be unnerving; commitments so daunting
Sometimes it’s best to get away
When I find my voice, yet again, it’s quite certain
It’s best when married to the shore

Hour 16 “What I’ve Done…”

Hour 16

9/2/2023

 

“What I’ve Done…”

 

I’ve wondered the whys,

questioned the hows,

followed the winds,

rode the seas and sailed.

 

Walked my talk,

wandered amongst the clouds,

cried for the innocent,

prayed for the guilty.

 

I’ve touched the face of God,

as I awaited so many ends of me.

 

Chris

(C) Chris Twyford 9/2/2023

Hour 16- I’m a Big Dog

Lazily, I look at you with a look that morphs into a snarl.

I swiftly stand and glare at you, my ears are flattened back.

Taking a step closer, I go to my full height

Testily, I stalk you, circling, causing you fright.

Like a bulldog, I rush towards you

Every intention to do damage

Determined to show you how big I am, I race near and

Over to you and with a leap

Grab hold of your ankle, because that is all that I can reach.

Grape Gloss hour 15

Grape Gloss

I place an order online
from Home Depot for 2 cases
of Grape Gloss spray paint.
Popular color, they never have
enough in the store; I ordered it
shipped to the store one time
and an employee sold all 12 cans
before I could pick them up.
Easy order, ships in a few days.

I go about my life then realize
I never got the paint. Next day,
UPS leaves a sticky note on my door.
Sorry we missed you, be back tomorrow.
Except I wouldn’t be home. I call, get
a runaround, next day, get another note.
A little threatening, sending my order
back if I don’t sign for it. Sign for it?
I call, another waste of time.

Spray paint, do they think I am a child,
a teenager set to paint our neighborhood
gloss grape? I’m anxious, want to paint
porch flower pots, deck tables, things
I want purple. Finally, I get someone
on the phone who promises the driver
will be to me at 8 the next morning.

I set the alarm, go outside to prune roses,
weed gardens until he gets there, except
he doesn’t. Two hours later it is raining.
I give up and go do my errands. A final
threat stuck to my door. I lose my cool,
scream and threaten them. Next day,
I see the driver pull up; I secure the dogs
to open the door and sign and he waves
me off, tells me he’ll sign it for me,
smiles and leaves.

Hmm, why couldn’t the other driver
do that? Still annoyed, next time
I order it, I’ll request FedEx; I think
they will understand. After all,
their logo is part purple.

~ J R Turek Hour 15

Prompt Sixteen – Come, visit me please

Prompt Sixteen – Text Prompt

Write a poem that is pretending to be something else, a set of instructions, a recipe, a letter, a news report, etc.

 

Come, visit me please

 

Dear Dad,

Hope you’re well, but you know,

I have a bone to pick with you, old man

been cross with you for a while.

It’s not enough to sit in a photo frame

smiling your gentle beatific smile.

What’s the use of being my muse

and sending lightbulbs from afar?

Why can’t you visit, pop in some time,

my heartmind door is always ajar.

Almost three years, since you marched away,

can’t you please turn around, and see?

I’m doing so fine with this life of mine

wont you please, please just visit me?

She did the decent thing, you know,

and came to me one night.

Magnificent Ma, in her old housecoat,

just to say she’s doing all right.

I need to know that you’re ok too

even as you’ve gone and crossed the line.

I need to share this cake with you

today, as you turn eighty-nine.

Odd how you’ve managed to stay away,

you and me, we were such a team.

It’s okay you know; I have let you go,

but visit me please,

visit me tonight as I dream.

(Love, from your firstborn)

Affirmation

You! You beautiful soul!

Look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself you’re wonderful!

Lift your mood, take a stroll!

The world holds so much that’s colorful!

Wait, no, don’t rhyme

This is a motivational speech, not a poem of marathon time

…

Rewind!

Take control of your life and

Let positive thoughts fill your mind!

…and..don’t change who you are when you’re told to

Because that is not something you should do

Stick to being you