24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
Firefly, oh sweet, dear Firefly, why you must use a mask to hide yourself? Do you not see how beautiful you’ve always been to me? A flying gem, is what you are to me, a tiny phoenix, rising above, cinders from an abandoned cottage. I know it may seem strange, maybe it’s the lethargy during this time of Summer, sometimes I can be a bummer.
But, my dear Firefly, little phoenix, you are not strange but a strong petite love.
You knew how to seduce me,
who before we met
called carrots and hummus dinner.
Our first meal
was at a Korean restaurant
and introduced me to your quietly competitive nature
when it came to declaring victories over flavors
and the tongue you would share them with.
We mutually agreed,
without telling the other,
to never take each other for granted.
Our pet names for each other
punctuate every meal, and, yes,
I always ask for salad
just to hear you say,
“Agitate your greens.”
You are my superstar.
All the photos I take of you
won’t even begin to explore
every facet of who you are,
but capturing you in various moments
is something you’ve accepted
even though you always pull the same
silly look when you see me pointing
my phone camera at you.
Tell me the spices you’ll use tomorrow,
Tell me how you created the sauce for the pasta,
Tell me which method of roasting you’ll defend
You have my ears and my mouth.
Look into the East
the light in sky a feast.
The planets slowly fade,
the stars close their eyes.
The night beast recuses
the night bloomers fade.
People often miss
the wonder of the dawn.
Snug in their bed
too tired to rise.
Miss the fresh blooms of morn
the day creatures arise.
When people awake
the day has been in motion,
what else will folk miss
as they go through their day.
So caught up in life
and oblivious to nature.
It is everlasting,
Growing and evolving over time.
It has a softness that is always comforting
And a strength unmatched by challenged.
It is desired by many,
Found by few,
And deserved by all.
Prompt 15 (Half Marathon 2 Hour 3)
Fourteen hours every six months, I braced myself for a journey
To go back home and rest after a semester of learning
Nothing made me happier than leaving New York snow
And arriving in the warm environs of my home
I would put up with the leg cramps and the cries of young ones
For I knew I awaited three weeks of immense fun
Six years on, I am no longer at school
The journey back and forth, I still do not find cool
But even as planes remain unchanged
I do not think of New Delhi the same way
Now, the direction of home has reversed
It will always be San Francisco, first
NO, NO: SEATTLE TO LONDON (response to prompt 15)
Wherever else would we be asked
to sleep within two inches – maybe less –
of someone we’d just met? These flights aren’t
called long haul for nothing. They try
the patience, even pre-Covid.
Trying to hide beneath a thin blanket,
praying I sleep, praying I won’t
because I don’t know you, and you’re seated
touching me, head tilted, as if you’re my partner.
Don’t make me sit in the middle.
Seattle to London, over the pole – the
shortest route possible. Ten long hours
with your arm resting closely,
limply by mine, as if I knew you.
I brought my own blanket onto this plane,
headphones, ear plugs, even a neck pillow.
Call me cranky, call me crazy privilege girl
but we’ve never met, and I’m sure I don’t
want to sleep crushed close to you.
Don’t make me sit in the middle.
An ingredient
no whisk will beat
It has a taste
you cannot eat
In its throes
it can enthrall
and in the end
will save us all
All my missteps and wrong turns
Disappointments and sunburns
are now kept in a box named thankfulness
for all of them conspired
for years (rather tired)
to bring me to you
and you to me
I couldn’t change a thing to risk a different outcome
no way
because I’ve got you
Finders Keepers!
Poem Brewing
A lemon wedge crescent moon
hangs from sleepy clouds
too listless to tiptoe across
the firmament,
instead it sheds pale yellow rays
through my kitchen window to
rest on my mug of chamomile tea,
a poem brewing.
~ J R Turek
June 28, 2020
Hour 16
Come, my flower is in full bloom
My field is ripe for harvest
I’m lost.
Come, lead me out of this maze
Lead me to your phase
Lead me to the highest of high
Lead me to your magic voyage
Come, I’m ready
Cannot wait a bit longer
The beat is moving faster
I have carried this dream through all I’ve done
To see us become a united one
Come, I’ve laboured for this moment for so long
Heaven knows I’ve waited for long
We ought to stop swimming in different waters
Quietly guide your stream into my river
Let us flow as one mighty water
And stream along