The Poetry Marathon

A partnership formed together we build our present and future,
Laugh together.
Cry together.
Explore together.
Create together.
Be together.
Your calmness grounds us,
My fuel drives us forward,
Sometimes acquiring each other’s habits, good and bad,
Understanding each other in silence or not

The remnants of you flow through my veins
and I can still see your smile—
Even though it faded forever last October.

I hope you know I am ok
and I am better than I was when you left me—
because the remnants of you
flow through my veins.

How to Find Contentment 

Find a beach. A place where the waves 

race up on the shore and smoothe it. 

If you give them time the waves 

can do that for you, smoothe over 

the rough places of life, lull you. 

Hopefully you’ll find some clouds 

for the sky. They’ll dance over the sun 

and give you some shade during the day, 

but bring an umbrella or rent one 

if it’s that big a beach. Smaller beaches 

might be better, fewer people. 

Maybe you know of a “locals only” 

beach. Spend the day, play in the waves,

lay on your back, let the waves roll over 

you and see what’s hiding in the clouds, 

eat your lunch and drink lots of water. 

Always water. As the day goes by, 

feel the contentment flow into your body 

until even your fingernails and toenails

are content. As evening arrives, 

watch the clouds. Sometimes 

they call cloud buddies 

and will gather together to cry they are 

so happy in the sky watching you. 

If you’re truly lucky you can sit 

on the shore and watch the sun 

sink into the ocean and see 

in pinks, oranges, blues and purples 

explode over the sky. 

Tomorrow you can do it again. 

Found contentment?

20.06.27   8 a.m. MDT

recipe for surviving the end of the world

1 cup awareness of surroundings
500g courage, finely diced
1-10 plans, of some sort (raw, half-baked, well fermented)
2 tablespoons willingness to take risks
at least 1 other person to help
more than your fair share luck (season to taste)

Preparation.
Pre-heat world
To uncomfortable level

Step 1.
Mix the awareness
of your surroundings
with some sort of plan
& the tablespoons
of risk. Stir gently
until mixture
is well combined
but not over worked

Step 2.
Baste your heart
your soul
your feet
your breath
with courage 

Add your helper person
if you have one
sifting till smooth

Step 3.
Sprinkle everything
liberally
with luck

Step 4.
Bake. Hide. Flee. Avoid. Run. Hide. Counterattack (perhaps). Hide.
Try not to despair.
Check frequently whether still alive. Repeat till free. Or dead.

Recipe for Sanity Amidst Heartbreak

1 heartful of courageous hope

Multiple Hours of patience

Some hours of tender care (include your favorite friends)

Three sources of solid information (from authority in this case, from others with similar experience; from credible internet sites)

Prayer, added as needed

• Sift the heartful of courageous hope into the bowl of trouble, being sure to sift out as much fear of the unknown as possible.
• Allow the hope to set for whatever hours necessary in rooms that are temperature controlled to be warmed by love, but not overly warmed by those who arrive in curiosity.
• Mixing in patience oh so gently, to offset the anxiety that often tries to occur — sort of like lumps trying to form in gravy.
• Stir in the tender care whether it is in person or delivered as kind encouragement, text messages, flowers, or sandwiches.
• Spread a dusting over it all of nice quality information, being careful to cover the entire surface.
• The amount of this last ingredient will be balanced by the size of the heartbreak.   Short-term heartbreaks can benefit from a few favorite prayers, while life-changing heartbreaks will require significantly more, maybe even the whole town contributing some of theirs.

Spoon into a dish that is large enough to handle the multiplying effect.   Bake in the oven of life until sanity is stronger than the heartbreak.

by Nancy Ann Smith,  Amherst, Ohio

June 27, 2020    Poetry Marathon

Recipe for Drafting a Poem

Total Cooking Time: about 2 days

1. one dollop of Daydream

2. two tablespoons of Reflection

3. a pound of Comparisons

4. several ounces of special seasoning: Music and Imagery

5. Thoroughly mix ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Next day, toss into a Dutch oven, setting temperature on low. Let mixture cook slowly all day. Serve warm. Share with others. Enjoy!

I met you when I was just 18

You were an adult and cities 

shook when you spoke

And I could not see you 

In your perfect, round ‘fro

And your queer, astute blackness

I could not yet see myself

Reminding me that poetry is not a luxury

That my life is not a luxury

But something carved

Something owed 

to those who need me 

To speak their daring truth

Always already lying in wait

My little candle was too short to burn

You grabbed an awl and stabbed me

Pushed a new wick into my soft wax

Sang to me of burning 

You smelled of mangoes and sweet things

And smirked while you did it

You, dear Audre, ruined me

By showing me the truth of

Just how powerful and dangerous 

And afraid I should be of nothing

1. Peace
2. Hope
3. Love
4. Friends
5. Faith

So difficult to move on from the tragedy before me.

But as I walk in Peace I go forward. I Hope for better days ahead while remembering the Love we’ve known.

As I am surrounded by Family and Friends I seek my Faith in God to help me to move on one step at a time.

Ingredients:

1. One accommodation, occupied solely by yourself
2. A scattering of well-meaning friends, popped up from nowhere
3. One long distance relationship
4. One far-away family
5. A mixed bag of acceptance, fear, pride and loneliness

Method:

1.Take the accommodation and stuff well with largely useless items

Bought in the mistaken belief

They might offer some relief.

2. Discard the scattering of well-meaning friends

Since you are quite used to making this alone without

Any flavour any of them lends.

3. Add a long distance relationship,

Brought swiftly to the boil by the impending apocalypse.

4. Take your far-away family and place them

At a safe distance beyond a border;

Check on them often for signs of blanching or over-heating

Which may prevent any future meeting.

5. Take your mixture of acceptance, fear and loneliness and steam slowly

Over some simmering resentment.

Recipe for Lost Productivity