24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
in my diaphragm.
Waiting for the good days
when I meditate in the morning
and journal afterward
when I read Tarot for myself
and listen to the universe
when I listen to birds
and care about the sound of waves
enough to draw the headphones from my ears.
My ghost lives
in my diaphragm.
Waiting for one more breath to join us.
Another great year – thank you Jacob and Caitlin.
This year I struggled more than usual, partly with too much on my mind. However, I hope to edit and rescue a few of those penned today.
Good night fellow Half Marathoners and carry on Full Marathoners. Wishing you inspiration for the next twelve hours. You can do it!
Cheers!
I wish to find a love like fire
That burns right through my soul
That reaches beyond physical desire
A love with which to grow old
I wish to find a love like air
That caresses my very skin
That runs its fingers through my hair
Causing my lips to grin
I wish to find a love like water
Flowing freely, no holding back
That makes me feel sought after
That doesn’t care what I lack
I wish to find a love like earth
Rich as good soil, cleansing
That helps me see my worth
That fits me, without pretending
I wish to find an elemental love
24 Shades of Purple
At 47, I went from mousy brown
to grey, not salt-and-pepper, not
platinum, nothing pretty about it.
Then, I went beach blonde and
had more fun but my hair was dry
frizzle frazzle damaged .
No one to tell me I couldn’t,
I dyed my hair purple. I’m known
as the Purple Poet, love the color,
so why not. I started with demi-
permanent but it didn’t take, then
used permanent and it was great.
Vibrant, super cool color but
my hair was breaking off, chemical
warfare took its toll.
I found conditioning color. Semi-
permanent, no chemicals, no mixing
no hassle. Put it in, leave it in
as long as you like, then rinse it out.
Conditioner, good for my hair.
Instant love. I started collecting colors…
Radiant Orchid, Lavender Macaroon
Plum Perfect, Wisteria, Paradox
Neon Lavender, Pastel Lilac, Cloud
Smoky Amethyst, Wild Orchid
Violet Dream, Purple Haze, Genie
Tanzanite, Neon Purple, Grapeful
Lighter Daze Stoned Pony, Desire
Periwinkle, Prismatic Purple,
Metallic Orchid, Girls Night Out
Lavender Moon, Orchid U Not —
I love them all, 24 shades of pure
purplesque fun.
~ J R Turek Hour 12
Each closet has a purpose,
a closet visited often,
a closet full of cobwebs,
closed and never to be opened.
In the inner chambers of these closets,
lay fears, unspoken words, regrets, mistakes, and unshed tears.
Away from prying eyes and ears,
kept tucked away for many years.
But closets are also a space for fresh starts,
once the tight seal is opened,
out comes healing, truth and light.
Let us not be bound by our closets,
take out the broom and pan,
dust away the debris,
and bring to light the stories and emotions that make us be.
Cleaning out my mother’s townhome
assisted living came grudgingly –
terminology I use on charitable days
cleaning out the tidy home of a
certified and fully anointed packrat
was less time-capsule discovery
more bafflement at later-in-life finds
At the far end of her walk-in closet
hung two garment bags I recognized –
her circa 1951 Naval WAVE uniform
next to her wedding dress from 1958
happy marriage begat only child me
always petite, my mom took pride
bragging each still comfortably fit
A point she routinely emphasized
at every doctor visit, telling each nurse
that weighed her – with pride,
noticeable annoyance – the only time
she weighed more than 100 pounds
“Was when I was pregnant with HIM!”
humorous verdict with an edge
Most of her clothing I worthily donated
though the garment bags I kept
Now in memory care, my mother will
only occasionally mention those days
it is probably time to return them to
her closet, to the far end, door open
so she can see them hanging there . . .
Maybe she’ll remember a time – the
only time – they just wouldn’t fit
– Mark L. Lucker
© 2023
http://lrd.to/sxh9jntSbd
Seeing the shadows dance along
Bigger than they appear
The scene stretches out
Until the eye can’t reach
The past is gone
Left to memory
after Franny Choi
| Bones | Ghost | Blood | Language | |
| Meaning | A scaffold | A wound whose scab you keep scratching | Television static flowing down interconnected highways | The sharing of all within you |
| See also | A pile of wood | Memory, legacy, trauma | Flesh, body, bruise | Body, mouth, tongue, vocal chord, left hemisphere |
| Antonym | Ash, shell, flesh | Breath | Healthcare | Absence, faulty wifi |
| Origin | Clay or a rib, some say. No. Primordial stew. | One singular moment of your life | Sap | A handprint upon stone |
| Becomes in the afterlife | Means of travel | Breath | Emptiness | Vibration |
Combining a viator with words selected from Prompt #9 – a truly silly poem
A tremor travelled through the field
where beets were pushed up from below.
A bucket flew off from the fence,
it almost hit my elbow.
Lightbulbs burst throughout the farm.
A tremor travelled through the field.
The carport kept me safe from harm;
it saved me and my elk hat.
From the open kitchen door
I breathed in cinnamon so sweet,
A tremor travelled through the field.
the oven filled with apple treats.
I donned my well-worn jacket
prepared to flee the scene.
I scared a large jack rabbit.
A tremor travelled through the field.
I love my clothes
but didn’t always treat them with respect
as proof is seen in my closet
this is a long story…
as a child I had to share a closet with my bratty little sister
it was overcrowded and over messy
years forward, again I had to share a closet, this time my husband
this gave us things to fight about
you’re too far over on my side…I don’t have enough ROOM!
next we moved into a big house
I didn’t have to share anymore
we each had our own closet, but we found other things to fight about
I had my clothes arranged in categories
blouses, skirts, slacks , etc.
one SNAFU…I had no place for my shoes
moving forward, I’m with husband number two
in a walk-in closet that we both share
I’m on the left, he’s on the right
he’s an engineer with an engineer’s mentality
everything in his life is orderly
including his side of the closet
so as not to be embarrassed with my side
I bought all beautiful matching hangers
now finally everything is neatly categorized including my shoes
Life is so sweet!