The Poetry Marathon

The Moon Shadow Revisited

 

The moon’s shadow comes and goes, waxes and wanes, and ebbs and flows,

Thus, if I ever lose my hands, my work, those I love, or else my place of birth.

I pray that I might see God’s master plan as my missteps make me who I am.

So in my Job-like trials l might have grace to say, “Bring it on, oh, Adonai,”

for Earth is not always guaranteed to be a Paradise or a place of mirth,

but a pilgrim’s progress where stretching our wings we prove their worth

Thus, we daily reinvent the self whether Cat Stevens or a.k.a. Yusef Islam,

for who can second guess what hardships can make our dross dreams grand.

10

10/

In the event of
Everything being too much
(it always was)
Cultivate the virtue of vanishing

On the occasion of
Everything being too rough
(it always was)
Cultivate the virtue of resistance

In light of
Current events
(it’s new and it isn’t)
Cultivate beans, carrots, kale

(and buy chicks – if they are back in stock)



Wringer of Life

I’ll be a wringer of life-

Squeeze for all I’m worth.

Hold my days in a vise.

Die clutching the earth.

I will not go gently.

I will rage and fight.

For me there will be

No exit stage right.

When at last I am spent

To the grave, I’ve arrived

I want to scream out

“Wow! What a Ride!”

https://www.cgcs.org/cms/lib/DC00001581/Centricity/Domain/25/Coleman_Poem_Do_not_go_gentle_into_that_good_night.pdf

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/47188-life-should-not-be-a-journey-to-the-grave-with

 

 

 

 

Moonshadow

Oh, let’s just leap and hop in the moonshadow.
Let’s shout to the heavens about joy and hope
while we spin and weave and bobble
under the starry skies.

See, here is my hand, take it –
See, here is my song, sing it –
See, here is my dance, dance it –

Now I will see your hand and take it —
Now I will know your song and sing it —
Now I will watch your dance and dance it —

Together we will embrace the dark night
as we drain our cups of falling stars
and, finally refreshed, we skip and gallop through
the forgotten paths of the Milky Way.

Feeling Low

Oh, If I have been feeling low, feeling low, feeling low
Leaps and Bounds emotions flow
feeling low, feeling low, feeling low

And if I ever lose my hope, going slow, stop to grow,
Oh if I ever lose my hope, Oh if… I won’t have to worry no more.
And if I ever lose my mind, if my concerns all pass by,
Yes if I ever lose my eyes, Oh if… I won’t have a vision no more.

Yes I have been feeling low, feeling low, feeling low
Leaps and Bounds emotions flow
feeling low, feeling low, feeling low

And if I ever lose my faith, I won’t moan, and I won’t beg,
Yes if I ever lose my faith, Oh if… I won’t have to wake up no more.
And if I ever lose my words, all my thoughts, north and south,
Yes if I ever lose my words, Oh if… I won’t have to talk…

Did it take long to find me? I asked the faithful light.
Did it take long to find me? And are you gonna stay the night?

I have been feeling low, feeling low, feeling low
Leaps and Bounds emotions flow
feeling low, feeling low, feeling low

Tanka to slowed time

Lead to lunacy
Yusuf Feline sings Moon Shade
Suffering slows time
Three minutes seem much longer
Culturally biased prompt

Moonshadow

Loss, loss and more loss
trending toward the ultimate loss
as a dimness slowly but relentlessly
covering one’s own realm
not like Job’s but
more like the black milk of Auschwitz
and Victor Frankl’s last remaining
human freedom:
the freedom to choose one’s attitude.

Divert Entry (Hour 9)

Codes divert entry.

Electric fences, a bit more.

 

 

I will not love the dead (1/2 Marathon, Hour Ten)

I will not love the dead

I can almost feel
The anticipation of every loc
Between my thighs
Framing both sides of my face from above
Rippling over my arm in sleep
Running through my fingers

I have not wanted like this

I can almost see
The thought of every finger
Knowing me
From head top to feet bottom
Deep inside of wet and warm
Curving with my back into hips and thighs

I have not waited like this

I can almost taste
The desire of every kiss
Parting my lips (and my lips)
Tasting my tongue
Loving my forehead
Etching your name

I have not wondered like this

I cannot want I cannot wait I cannot wonder
Anymore
I will not love your ghost
Anymore

Gone

Gone

 

At Foster and Cleveland, light red

as Rudolph’s nose, Daddy turned

and said, “I have the ‘riginal Gone

with the Wind. It’s untouched, still

in the wrapper.” I’ve never seen

that. “How could you not? I bought

it for you.” Well, it’s still wrapped,

how could I? “You should one day.”

He smiled, but I knew he was glad

that I didn’t. The movie’d be worth

much more untouched, especially

since the world’s changed so much.