A Fallen leaf
Leaves fall like
broken joy,
from her beloved tree.
Pain is felt by both
the dying leaf,falling free
and lonely tree.
#2 Covered
The Lone Ranger
wore a mask
to cover his eyes
shelter his identity
Inevitably he would holler
Hi-Yo, Silver! Away!
Which no doubt caused
folks to notice
Bank robbers wear masks
to conceal their faces
though the guns quickly
indicate who they are
Trick or Treaters hide
behind chosen costumes
threatening at your door
for free sweet bounty
The Klan wore white hoods
announcing their intention
conveying fear and danger
to this day it still works
At the grocery store
unable to enjoy breathing
I wear a mask as it is
a matter of life and death
Hour 5: Prompt 5: Serenity
Calm
like the cat
who finally decides to stop chasing the prey;
the dog
who finally uncovers his lost bone
only to realize he saved it for this special day;
the turtle
who stops swimming
to enjoy the crashing sounds
of the emotions held within the sea-
the peaceful water he craves
finally learning;
Serenity is within-
a never ending companion
that just longs to be chosen.
hour 5 Poem 5
Travel through my layers to get to my heart It is there waiting for the right person to peel away my bark wishing I could reveal my soul as so many easily do but alas my layers protect what is left to be true
Twist & Shout
I’m okay with it, at least that’s the story
i’m committed to writing. i’ve made peace with whatever is to become of me, of us, of the entire planet.
that’s why you won’t see me twist or hear me shout, at least
not in the context in which i used to.
because i’ve had my fill of twists. at this point, i’ve done it more than all the pretzels in the world combined. and i’ve shouted more times than
can be recorded in human history. and you know where it’s gotten me? absolutely
nowhere. your car is still on fire and the extinguisher is nowhere to be found. the quicksand continues to pull you
down and there are no branches in sight.
you’re buried alive and all shovels have ceased to exist.
good thing you come with a handle
Prompt #2- Recipe for Fear
Ingredients:
One disabled car
1 cup dark stormy night
1 cup deserted road
1 dozen extra large unknown sounds
Mix well with at least 1 cup raw fear.
Let sit for sixty minutes. Bake 12 – 14 minutes or until fear rises to the top.
Body
BODY
________________________
Collection of bones and sinew
Star stuff and muscle memory
Billions of breaths forgotten
Heaved and sighed without witness
As my twin lungs carry me
Some etch on the panes of memory
Leave the silvered shadow of their image
For sunlight to decipher and time’s haze to trace
The sigh of baby’s sister’s downy scent
The lost scream of brother’s loss
The warmth of love’s first shared inhale
The ocean’s welcome on breezes before sight
The stillness of silence in woods growing dark
The attention paid as this poem is born
Inspiration woven in words
Expiration sets it sail into the world
The High Blue Sea (Sonnet 15)
Now sailing on a white sea above thou
Knowing I can only be farther still
As I look to see what is not there now,
I wonder how long ‘til life my sight fill.
Giver of life in one form do I rest,
And here rest souls with end of life do hold.
To thou, I say, as in thy grounded nest:
I wish thou art here in this place of gold,
So this amazement I feel thou will feel
And then no longer will ye be away.
Oh please, be here, so my heart can be sealed
From the search of thee that caused me such fray.
But when I return to the high blue sea
I know I shall be on my way to thee.
1:00 PM Poem
Elizabeth Wingert
And the Gardener Likes to Drink Tea
And the Gardener Likes to Drink Tea
Eves come no longer to pick up
Sweetness of flowers and fruits
Fondness of streams and dreams
Scent of forest is long gone
Maddening patches of soil in turmoil
Homes and domes are razed
And the gardener likes to drink tea
Rabit and tortoise stopped racing
Jokes enlive Elephant and ant
Peacocks have no plumes to gift
As ladders replace snakes in pits
Head bows to new concrete god
Smoked out lungs crying insane
Run for currency surpasses all
Selfish minds corroding the earth
And the gardener likes to drink tea
Wood will revive the dense
Water will wash the roots
Wind will gather the souls
Let’s own a forest like we own a car
Flowers will bloom again
Eves will return home
And the gardener likes to drink tea
Hour 3
A recipe for self-love
- Music
- Laughter
- Dog or cat
- Favorite shoes
- Loved ones
- Prior to assembling your ingredients, locate your bathroom scale and full length mirror. Take your sledgehammer and go to town. Do not rest until they are no longer recognizable. They are not accurate measures of your self-worth.
- Music. Next, turn on your favorite song. Dance! Dance naked if you must. Feel the joy that is inside of you. Celebrate your body as it moves in time with the music. This body has been there for you in spite of the neglect it has suffered. Thank it for never abandoning you, for helping you to move through life.
- Add laughter. Watch a movie, talk to your funniest friends. Get that belly laugh going. Laugh until you cry.
- Put on your favorite shoes. The shoes that put a pep in your step. The shoes that still fit regardless of the freshman 15 or the Covid-19. You know the ones.
- Spend time with your cat or your dog. They think you are the best human ever and so should you! Feel how it feels to receive that unconditional love. It feels good, right?
- Surround yourself with your loved ones. They see you the way that you should see yourself. You are a beautiful mother, wife, daughter, friend.
On some days, you may add the ingredients in a different order or not even all of them. You may change the amounts and that’s ok. After the initial preparation, focus on what makes you feel good. Consider this the test kitchen. Over time, you’ll find the best combination for you.