The Poetry Marathon

Prompt 8, Hour 6

Her husband reminds her to go to the store.

She goes, holding her purse.

She browses the clearance aisle.

And suddenly, the world spins.

Colors blur.

Her body resembles an earth quake.

Walls go up in her head.

And she can’t remember

how to breathe.

She had fought the darkness for so long,

pulling her under

as if the sky has fallen.

Her thoughts were arrows pointing at her,

tearing her down,

shot after shot.

Until she wonders who she is.

What is left.

She can’t remember how to break out.

All she knows is the way back home.

 

Where to Start?

I want to do something meaningful

But what?

 

I want to be happy

But how?

 

With so many options

How do I decide?

 

I’m tired and frustrated

But why?

 

I want to travel

But where?

 

All of these questions and no answers

Where do I start?

Poem for “Locked Out” – Untitled

Locked out, I've returned with hopes of homecoming, 
but have found I've been erased, blocked out. 

Empty spaces where once I played have been transformed
by frocked business people with stern, gray faces

which seem to ridicule and mock those childhood dreams.
These are the same friends from my youth, their hearts

have hardened in the cruelest rock formations. Days of 
strife and distrust have locked their innocence away.  

19~6

The blackest hair I’ve ever seen.

 

(rosy cheeks just right

hairs peeking from the top of your shirt

a belly~button I can only imagine…)

 

lips the purest form of yes

 

(~but saying no.)

 

Your eyes, though,

they wander…

 

If I stand still long enough

they can see me

down deep inside

where I’m all bits and pieces.

 

I wonder exactly what they saw

which caused them to run

screaming from me…

 

(even though I search

with my own eyes

for the answers to you…)

 

I am locked out.

 

Held by Hopelessness

Here I am, with all hope well gone

Of ever escaping this trap;

No home, no car, no money–

Alone; my faith as been zapped.

 

How will I ever move forward?

Deep fear and despair grip my heart.

I only expect falling downhill,

And I’m looking forward to naught.

 

Is there any hope for a sad song?

Can there be relief from dismay?

Can charity give way to joyful?

Can love make a difference today?

 

Put one foot in front of the other.

Take a step; no matter how small,

To pull yourself out of your doldrums–

This trap’s door surely will fall.

 

There are people around who are smiling;

Latch on, and learn well their life.

See what they have that brings joy,

Then set new goals in your sight.

Magic, It’s You

Make your own luck and create your own opportunities.

Live

Art is just your self expression, what do you want?

Free

In a dream I can fly; we took a plane to visit grandma.

Will

How are You? A beauty in silence and we smile.

Love

Emotionless, narrow minded, cold at heart, a misconception.

Idea

Thoughts from dreams turned reality, by Your Will.

Hour 6

Still busy… So it’s another haiku for now…

Pink, Yellow, Blue, White

Hearts of stone; to feel is flaw

Coldness is beauty

Magic

A single touch is all it takes,
To make sparks fly,
And cause nerves to quake,

A wave of your wand,
And I’m head over heels,
And I can’t breathe, once your light has shone onto me,

Like pulling a rabbit out off a hat,
You bring out the magic in me,
You bring out the magic in me

Giving A Fuck, Hour 6

I used to pretend that I don’t give a fuck

But I do

(Sometimes a little too much)

Thoughts drift to that first cloud of sulphur-smelling tear gas
The defiant linking of arms against gas-masked riot line
Sneering at disperal orders
Black bandana dancing to pounding bucket drums

Giving a fuck can fuck you

Sitting in a bus full of mass arrestees
Makes you wonder
Wonder if it’s worth it

If this is having any impact at all,
These protests and rallies,
These awareness campaigns,
The shutdowns and occupations

We testify,
Watch the state deny and it’s back to the streets, march, chant, demand, repeat
Until Justice is reached
There will be no peace
But so many still sleep…

Can’t we all just give a little fuck?

Just a little?

It’ll ease the burden of those of us who do give a fuck
(Sometimes a little too much)

There’s only so much fuck one person can give,
And giving too much sucks

Sucks the energy, saps the soul
It’s a heavy price for empathy,
For giving a fuck about things outside of your control

I can’t pretend to not give a fuck

Because I do

Sometimes a little too much

Prompt #6 Rock Bottom

It tastes like grit against your teeth
and ash upon your tongue.
It feels a lot like broken bones 
and torn muscles from a boxing fight.

Humiliating, 
Pitiful
endless agony,
and a learning curve

Feels like being stuck 
with no way to make a way.
So you grovel in your existence. 

 You start building a house
and making yourself comfortable. 

____________

If there's a rebel within you,
start a revolution.  
Shout out to the stars 
asking for help 
to provide you with direction, 
To help make things clearer and easier.

All your power and advantage
is used against you, 
Rewiring you to think and act differently.

But, the thing that gets me the most is
we as humans are designed to be a superior 
creation, so our problems are not simple. 
and the solutions are often complicated and not complied.

But, still despite it all,
we cling to our hopes, 
we define ourselves 
by the amount of successes 
and trophies that decorate our shelves.

How come we don't define ourselves 
and measure our worth based on how many 
lessons we learned from the countless failures 
we accumulate but, 
never seem to acknowledge their existence.

It's the mentality that needs to change
our attitude
our perception.

Only then can we unstuck ourselves 
from rock bottom, moving upwards. 
Growing, 
blossoming 
to be better versions of ourselves.

I believe so long as each one of us are living 
we are bound to make mistakes, 
we must learn from them. 

We must ornate our shelves with 
the lessons we have learned, 
from the mistakes we have made. 

The day you die 
the lesson is over.
Life itself is the biggest lesson. 

It teaches you everything 
you were destined to learn in your crazy lifetime.

-Janice Raquela Mendonca