The Poetry Marathon

The End of the World

I thought Eliot wrote,
“Not with a bang but with a whimper.”
I thought Stipe sang,
“And I feel fine.”
So why do I hear and feel
these gunshots?

I remember the beach being wider than this
bang!
I never see fireflies anymore
bang!
The weather can’t seem to decide what season it is
bang!
One hurricane after the next
bang!
One earthquake after the –
bang!
One flood after –
bang!
One blizzard –
bang!

I guess if there are enough bangs
all crammed together
with hands over our ears
it sounds like a whimper.
I feel afraid.

“Dear Debbie, Age 13 With Your Knee Injury”

You never even stopped to ask yourself,

Do you know how to ride a motorcycle?

Crazy Adventures lead to mishaps

That haunt you for awhile!

If your folks had been present,

You would have never ridden that bike through the wood!

You’ve always been to curious for your own good.

The rest of your life has been filled with pains and aches.

All because you gave it gas instead of using the brakes!

Several trips to the dentist, to fix your broken tooth you see.

Plus 3 times to surgery to fix your damaged Knee!

Some small words of advice; push forward, go slow, it’ll all be dandy.

Take it from me, I know, I keep several canes handy!

PS. Curiosity is not all it’s cracked up to be!

Sincerely,

Debbie, Ages older who’s now more careful with her knee!

 

 

 

Dear former self

Dear Maritza,

You are like a hurricane in harmony

Like a tornado with gentle wind

Able to challenge yourself to the limits

Never give up

Always positive even when days are gray

Keep it up!

(Free verse, Hour 11@Mejia2019)

 

(Hour 11) 08.30-09.30am. PROMPT, letterpoem to a former version of yourself

7 quick poems to previous versions of gareth

i. Dear gareth, Age 4 Arranging Paper Words On Gran & Grandad’s Dining Room Floor

Not got much to say to you, buddy.
You seem to be doing ok, so far as I can see.

ii. Dear gareth, Age 12 About To Read “Lord Of The Rings” For The First Time

It’s a Friday after school.
You’ve just stumbled across
A cool looking book.
The Fellowship of the Ring.
The first of three.
Do yourself a favour.
Get books II & III too.
Then you won’t have to wait
Till Monday to find out
What happens to the all the little hobbitses.

iii. Dear gareth, Age 22 Before She’s Actually Walking Out the Door

For god’s sake you fucking great fool.
Try harder.
You’ll always regret you didn’t.

iv. Dear gareth, Age 23 Making Love In The Thunderstorm By The Ressie

While you’re having a good time
can I ask you to pay a bit more attention
cos while you might think you’ll remember
how it felt, I can assure you a quarter century on
You won’t.

v. Dear gareth, Age  22-44 

Deal with your grief sooner.
It makes life easier.
& you might have avoided the black hole of 39.

vi. Dear gareth, Age 39

I know. I remember.
Strive for peace.

vii. Dear gareth, Age Right Now

I really suggest ending this poem
& going to the loo to pee.
Advice to former incarnations is one thing
But listening to your bladder
is the profoundest thing I’ve got left to say going forward.

The Clock (Poem #11)

I’m laying here

Staring at the ceiling

Wondering how to make time go faster

Do I want to rewind and go back?

Do I want to fast forward and get further?

I don’t know if I want to go backward or forward

At this point

Now it’s been half the time

Half of three months

It’s been so long

But yet gone so fast

I just can’t decide

If I could go back

Would I?

If I did that I could change the choice I made

I could have stayed behind

I could have stayed close to you

Or do I want to finish this up

Just a little more time apart

Just a few more weeks without you

I know I can do this

But staring at the clock

The clock is a trickster

Playing with my head

Teasing my emotions

The clock is cruel

Then it hits me

I am learning so much from you clock

The distance

The separation

The time away

The space between

I have a weird relationship

An odd but definitely needed time

Now I want to thank you

You’ve taught me so much

I’m actual thankful

Thank you clock

Time is so precious

We must cherish every second

Thank you clock

Hour 11: Dear Rose, Age 18

Dear Rose, age 18

It won’t be as much fun as you think.

I could explain, but you won’t believe me.

                       – Your Future Self

Dear Abigail

Dear Abigail, how I love and miss you so

The strong winds blow and chill our bones

We find ourselves trying not to freeze in the valley down below

Trying to forge a new history one we can call our own

Some men are faced with frailty and cannot bear the pain

Others just stare at nothing and fail to be with us today

But others still blaze fortunes and bleed red upon the snow

For in their bravery we still find the truth we all have known

The battles strong and fierce, I pray for deliverance today

But I know I am one of the only, that can persevere through the pain

We fight for a new nation, conceived  in liberty

How I hope I can see it, with you standing near to me.

2019 #11 Dear Maria (at 17 just as you are graduating high school)

Dear Maria-

I know you hate that long white graduation dress

And the white shoes to match

But you’ll never have to wear skirts again if you don’t want to

No more long socks under your uniform

Because you never shaved your legs.

 

You are a great writer

Even though they censored you

For a short story about a whorehouse

You called it a bordello for goodness sakes!

A grim reminder that this school teaches liberal arts

But is not liberal.

 

Don’t worry about going to NYU

The only college that accepted you

You love New York and it will love you back

It may fight you along the way

But it will become your home

And you will never want to leave.

 

Don’t be scared of the big city

It’s why you dragged mom and dad

To Mac’s Smoke Shop in Palo Alto

To buy the Sunday New York Times

Because it showed you the world

You want to be a part of.

 

If I had it to do again-

Go to the dining hall at dinner time

Not at 4:30 pm to avoid the crowds

Just because you’re alone.

Don’t be so quick to go see your sister at Yale

When that nice guy David was probably going to ask you out

Because that never happened again.

And don’t leave your room in the bitter cold

Without drying your hair

Because it will freeze.

To Me, Age 15

My love,

I regret to inform you that it doesn’t get any easier.
In fact, the road ahead is winding more than ever
and the war between you and I is, frankly
a waste of time, resources, and tax dollars.

There’s no need for defenses anymore, nor is there a need for woe.
Leave behind the paper-mache lock around your heart
and go through the motions.
You are not a robot

You are flesh and bone.

Dear Me

I wrestle with words,
 create the perfect advice,
I know I won't take