The Poetry Marathon

9. ALEXANDRA PARK, PIETERMARITZBURG

Alexandra Park in Pietermaritzburg, what a sight!

In my childhood, a frequent delight,

set on the outskirts of the city,

blossoming flowers, green grass and huge trees, so shady.

 

Weekends, my parents will take us to the park for fun,

to play on the swings or wildly run.

In my teens, my brother, cousins and I, planned a picnic,

to Alexandra Park for adventure and frolic.

We prepared snacks and walked a long way,

playing games, relaxing and just enjoying a great day.

 

Alexandra Park, a place close to my heart,

that is where my driving lessons did start.

Wide open spaces, easy the car to navigate,

without any road users to irritate.

 

Across the road, a Victorian cricket stadium so scenic.

we saw local and national teams play, that makes me nostalgic.

In May, “Cars in the Park” was hosted,

a display of vintage to sports cars, displayed and boasted.

 

Alexandra Park, a childhood place of happiness,

with fond memories, I do miss.

Listen to the Song

Listen to the song, child.

Find it in my heart.

Hear it in my ears.

Sing with my voice.

Listen to the song, child,

To the rhythm and sway.

Listen loudly

And then hide away.

Listen to the song, child.

Find your way.

Keep listening, child,

Even when it’s hard

Even when no one else can hear.

Listen to the song, child

It will guide the way.

Poem #10, Moonsong, RedStar

I kneel by the light of the moon

let it wrap me in its radiant glow

kiss me tenderly on the forehead

and whisper, “I love you.”

I look up to the magical sun,

like a child looks to its mother,

as a source of protection,

as a power of love,

as its source for everything.

Hug

Amazing how a song can feel like a hug

A manufactured memory that brings you sweet tears

Warm fuzzies and a cup of tea

Just the way you like it

 

Haunting how you can hear it in someone else’s voice

Singing you to sleep

But it can’t be

He left you, remember

 

These memories you’re supposed to have

The life you’re supposed to live

Exhausting nights when the Sandman doesn’t come

Or when he does he dumps a bucket of sand over your head

 

You wake

Gasping for air

Choking on the invisible particles

You quiet yourself

 

The softness in their voices

Something you were supposed to have

Its absence is creeping in

You can’t stop listening

 

Why is everything I enjoy plagued by my shortcomings

Everything I do brought down a level

Because you weren’t there?

Do I haunt you?

 

Take my eyes and with it my tears

They don’t look like yours anyways

A distant memory of me on your knee

Every birthday wish that you’ll come back

 

Insomniac mind in the Moonshadow

Racing with the if’s

Losing every time

The prize a night of rest

 

 

 

Little Fairy

The Fairy of the garden has forgotten where it belongs.

It has forgotten its friends, family, and even parts of itself.

You can see the Fairy flying around and smelling flowers.

Although everyone else sees it is scary and sad to forget so much.

But you can see a big genuine smile on the face of the gentle Fairy.

Little Fairy has no regrets on the forgotten since there is still a future to be discovered.

Hour 10 Prompt 10 Moonshadows

If I lost my eyes,

I wouldn’t be able to escape the darkness

that takes over my mind.

I would have to find an inner light

to carry on.

I look around me to see my moodshadows,

spread out in their own spot nearby.

If I lost my eyes,

my cats would still snuggle in my lap

and I would  trace their bodies with my hand.

If I lost my eyes,

I would still be a cat mom

but I wouldn’t be able to write anymore.

My identity would be gone.

2020 Poetry Marathon, Hour 10

The prompt for hour 10 is to listen to the Cat Stevens song ‘Moonshadow’, then write a poem. Instead, I wrote my poem while I was listening, and finished when the song did.

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Nothingness

Tonight, dark as nothing;

Empty as empty.

If I have to go on without any strength

Left in my bones, just to keep up

With this headache,

I will.

I know I’ll be in the company of the empty.

 

Light up the dark

We built the treehouse up in the old hickory tree

we would sleep up there

to escape the heat from the little cottage 

our grandfather built back when he was young and strong

and not hunched over with age.

At night, we would watch the dancing lights of the fireflies

beckoning to their future mates.

It wasn’t lethargy that kept us lying there for hours,

but the magic of sleeping just below the treeline

with the sounds from below,

a pleasant white noise.

My brother wanted to trap some fireflies in a bottle to 

use as a nightlight, he said.

He tried to mask his cruelty by playing it off as some brilliant idea,

but I knew better.

Some people are just jealous of those that light up the dark.

Moonshadow

Looking for the silver lining

in all things is the way to go.

However, I cannot do this

because I am a pessimist.

The glass is always half empty.

I know it’s wrong to think this way

but when I was an optimist,

I was always disappointed.

So the silver lining is better explained

as making lemonade when

things go wrong.