The Poetry Marathon

MILLINER

I hear you are in business, and women are your aim

To dress their heads in beauty, with headgear made of fame!

I’m sure you’ll do quite well, for some women love to wear

A headdress that will flatter and show them off with flare.

Will it be a hat with ribbons and a bow?

Or maybe it is made of straw to wear for shade, you know?

Will it be a scarf tied round with beads or such?

Or will it be a headband decorated with your touch?

I’m sure whatever you create will be talk of the town

When ladies wear your special one that fits as if a crown.

 

What the meaning of this?

We’ve paid our dues and joined the ranks

as gracefully as possible

we don’t steam the wrinkles from our panks

Our hygiene, not in question

corridors and hallways. make no fuss

but careful, cover us

those sun rays aren’t a boon

we play hard, work hard and

take our second shower by noon

The grass is not our playground

nor are the courts of ball.

just cover up the hallways and leave us,

Then the we’ll be the happiest of all!

-Club Xystus

 

 

Next!

A slip
Quickly, adjust
New grip

Hard-pressed?
Water and food
Refreshed.

Too slow?
Check the new rules:
Not so!

Form: Musette

It’s very tempting to throw in the towel since my last poem was submitted 14 minutes past the deadline. “Too bad, tried and failed – as usual. Might as well quit.” this is the litany playing in my head right now. but this time, I’m not going to listen.

Prompt 16 Hour 13

Slatternly

 

look at those hedges

untidy and blathering

 

imagine the stories they hold

deep in the worn mulch of their roots

 

verbose I am sure

as cluttered as the home they rest

 

look at those eaves filled

with last years leaves

 

unconscionable the weight

they bear to save rain from her hair

 

this woman not yet thirty

yet unsound and unworthy

 

look at her dress

a rainbow of a mess

 

how must she survive? does she not know

this world of judgmental eyes?

 

waiting to pounce on her

waiting to see

 

if she has an answer

for the who? what? or we?

 

I suppose she doesn’t care

Perhaps she is not all there.

 

or perhaps her happiness

is in a place without stares

 

a place we will never know

while using judgemental glares.

 

C. Churchill

 

for we cant see past

white picket fences or

 

 

Dilatory

I’ve been sitting for minutes. The bus should have been here by now. Traffic is backed up on A street. And on the C underpass, as far as I can see.

A truck just rolled by and I heard a traffic report that there are accidents all over town. And then a kid rolled by ranting about how they should have left even earlier to make it to his game on time.

It seems like no one is where they want to be. Maybe we can all agree to start over.

Don’t Run

Why are you running
Are you scare of the feelings
you have for me

I feel that you are confuse
These emotions you have
You’re scare to explore

You can admit the physical attraction
We have for one another
But is it more there then you
Are willing to explain

Can you love me
Do you love me
Can you be happy with just me

Prompt 15/Outside In (The Voyage Out)

The dusk was saluted at the hotel by  
electric hours to kill                            
the peevishness of dissipation, who lay back      
in long arm chairs
cigarettes in hands

The evening was dressed                                  

the mail had been distributed from England

This seemed hard to silence the lion when its (sic) stimulated

Some loathsome sheep cough 
a patter of conversation just when the bones are being mauled.

These comparisons did not rouse a glance around the room 
eyes fixed upon spears arranged to run points whichever way approached

Oblivious of surroundings 

Perceiving mind a complete blank
fixed attention upon creatures 
too far to hear little theories

 

Prompt 16/h13- Insipience (definition)

Sit down and don’t touch.
It says curse so that means?

“We remove the curse!”

Yes-n-no it means we don’t touch it!
You
leave it alone
until
you
find the way to

“spread it! Like jam!”

My lord Mica, you do not want to…
One does not
One should never
spread
a curse like a paste

You simply do not
Just don’t…
Don’t touch it until the curse is removed.
Understand?

“Why?”

Curses are often lethal!

“Why?”

Lord Mica
you
are three hundred and seven
How do you not know this yet?

“Why?”

Your foolishness confounds even me…

Williwaw [Prompt 16]

I think of you…

up there.

I think of us…

once there.

I stand below the mountain…

of where you once lived,

where we once loved.

knowing you have gone …

on to another realm;

leaving only the images…

fading as they do.

The violent wind,

sweeps over my aging body…

you come and take my hand.

We are together again.

 

The Final Hour

coming & going

what does one do when the words run out
when they don’t flow as easily
can’t get stuck in your throat if you can’t imagine them to begin with

what happens when you’ve suppressed your feelings for so long you can’t find them anymore
if a tear falls and you ignore it, are you really crying?

what happens when the words come back
a rush, a hurricane and they just won’t stop and you don’t know what to do and you can’t breathe

what happens when you don’t let the feelings come back
what if you don’t want them to?