Sequestered
When I was young
I would hide
Submerge myself fully underwater
Eyes closed
Only my gentle exhale keeps me company
A secret joy
In knowing
I am sequestered from the world
Sweet Dreams (Poem #24)
Sweet Dreams
My sweet darling
I love you so
Sweet dreams
Hear my whispers fade
Feel my hand reach for yours
Sweet dreams
This time was fun
But it is time to go
Sweet dreams
Sleep is calling
My eyes are closing
It’s time for bed
Just one more kiss
Don’t forget to stop
and breathe
Sweet dreams
Hour 24: The Park
The park was filled with laughter
Shouts and feet running in time together
The swings making soft squeaks
The chains needs a drop or two of oil
The slide smooth and fast
Making you feel like flying
Now thought the swings have rusted
Barely able to move in the breeze
The slide falling apart
Half on the ground
There are only whispers heard here
From the adults who wish to be young again
Woot finished!!! That is poem 24!! So I did sleep a little more than planned at one point but I still made it through on time!! So I’m very proud of myself. And of everyone else who had done the full or half marathon!!!
Prompt 30/HR 24- I want you… to want me!
There you were across the way
Eyes of silver, skin dark grey
A green/black shirt on a blue/brown skirt
And hair down to your needs
The sharpest violet you’ve ever seen
Whether by chance or by fate
Our eyes met and you smiled
My heart skipped a beat and
I attempted to meet you
Then your friends whisked you away
I saw you much later that very same day
In a pink argyle sweater and shoes out of suede
I was ready this time to introduce myself
Instead, I stubbed my toe on your mom’s bookshelf
When we finally did me you were underwhelmed
I knew I had to change
Become more interesting
Extend my personal range
All I knew was what was true
I wanted you to want me
In fact I still do.
Writing to myself
Dear Simona,
Please tell me that you changed something,
That you want to fight and overcome any situation,
That you are self-confident and ready for life!
By the way, do you still love classical music?
Your older version
I Will Survive
So many times throughout my life, I’ve been the underdog;
Problems plagued my efforts, causing me to work through fog.
But at my core, I had the motivation to do my best;
That, along with mentors–strong, was enough to pass the test.
As I grew into the woman I was meant to be,
Some recognized that I had leadership abilities;
Me, a leader, really; There must be some big mistake.
But a leader I became, and my insecurities I forsake.
So many times it takes a while to see a flower bloom,
But don’t give up, keep watering, and it will blossom soon.
Total Eclipse of the Heart
A darkness crossed over my heart
more than once.
No crowds gathered to see it.
I had always been told
that the dark would pass.
But I never chose to believe it.
When the light returned
my heart felt burned
from adjusting back to its brightness.
Like a total eclipse
it was only a blip
my heart again emanates lightness.
With a rebel yell….prompt whatever for hour 24!
80s tunes were all about punk…no rock anthems here.
from the first sound of feedback,
my career started like that Billy Idol tune about
dangerous liaisons with
dangerous broads from parts of town no one wanted to see:
shakey
uncompromising
and a little arrogant.
fist in the air for strength and power
for those who could not speak truth to power
to teach them how to speak truth to power
so I didn’t have to keep doing it for them…
“teach a kid to fish,” and all that.
turns out
all that rebel yelling
is helpful…
even if it irritates the ones around me who do not want to see
the youth around them…or anything beyond the tips of their noses.
for them, I have saved my favorite gesture…
(c) r.l. elke
Like A Weed
1)
Born under the sun of the blazing Arizona sky
So young was my mom, I never asked why.
My grandpa made jewelry of coral and turquois
I modeled them without a care, I hadn’t noticed boys!
2)
Then to Colorado,
the place that I call home
I’ve lived there and left there
but always returned from wherever we’d roam.
3)
On to Oklahoma for bible school they said
Sisters, work, and twisters
and a boyfriend,
Graduation in my head
4)
It seems I’ve skipped some pieces
of my childhood so fast
The wonder years and innocence,
they just never last.
5)
Legos and Barbie’s, and Tonka trucks, it’s true,
were some of my favorite playthings,
Books ranked high up there too
but my child, the poem is over
those toys, now belong to you!
We are the Champions
We are the champions
Pop rock anthem
Pop rock life
Victory and celebration
We made it
We give light
We give sound
We are the artists
We are the starters
We are the few
Brave enough to believe
That anything we can do
Blazing sights
And blare the sound
We came we saw we conquered
Indomitable spirit found
Possibility
Strength
Creativity
And kindness
Altruism
Activism
Acceptance
Mindset
Of peace
Love
Happiness
And souls
Of freedom
Fantasy
That never get old
We will be the ones
Of which the stories will be told
Because we write them
We decide
To be living bold
Now after completing this marathon of poetry
Indeed there is a champion that lives inside you and me
That’s write!