24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
My mother is a great cook
You can tell from the tantalizing aroma that wafts through the kitchen doors
Swinging between sweet and savoury
My taste buds ache with lingering torture
pulling me to the source and the end
Egusi soup made of vegetable, sweat and determination
Teach me to trust in the work of my hands
I won’t have to tell
Good results will do the shouting
a borrowed view
________________
today the wind –
eclipsing bird speak as each claims space
along cedar bough or fence post
against the greying sky –
wing beats of a fly like a
bow-tied helicopter
a hailstorm of chestnut –
husks knocking against the
deck and my head
who eats your leaves –
weaves a trace of light
trickling down
startling shock of pink –
inks your petals now bursting
forth fuschia
wafting sea-salt –
seaweed scented
air
and stalks of rhubarb –
harbouring memories of brown sugar
afternoons
in a time gone by
Well, I wish it were that easy. To be fully prepared. I spent a good chunk of time Showering and getting ready To go out in the garden. It’s beautiful, this first day of summer. Only the smallest white clouds Reveal exactly how blue the sky can be. I breathe and force myself to slow down Never prepared means always rushing Or giving up. I take my time and feel The summer garden envelops me. It is quiet in the garden, but only for a short time, when yet another neighbor Uses his Saturday to drill the weeds As a dentist works a cavity, Or revs his engine so the smell Of freshly cut clover is replaced with exhaust. Looking up at the sound of a plane, I see it pulling a shiny glider behind. Soon the winds carry it toward us, In a slow, lazy pattern of tacks. Still high in the sky And on the breeze. I relish the quiet And breathe again. Staying in the garden now To watch creation unfold On this summer’s day.
A kiss can be
A devastating thing
Bringing
A man
Or a woman
To their knees
With just one press
Of lips against lips
Such a little thing
A kiss
Can be
A kiss
Can seal a pact
Like a handshake
But no hands
Look ma
No hands
And it can
Still change the world
Such a little thing
Such a little thing
But it can mean
The biggest thing
In the world.
What is it you want to find,
is it within or without,
or are you in doubt.
We all seek something
is it an answer you seek,
or knowledge needed
for something you speak.
Is there a method you need
for a task to proceed
or to plant a seed
or complete something decreed
or will you see what you seek recede.
Never stop looking through life
for your needs follow one after another
and what you find may not end your strife
it may provide you with a better rudder.
Running from your strife
Consumes your very life
There’s no end in sight
Weak and on your knees
Your life of agony
No solace you can see
He’s coming faster now
You really don’t know how
He’s always on your tail
He hunts you every night
He’s never out of sight
He’s just out of reach
And he’s coming
Lawman he is a gunning
All your time is a running
Can’t you see
Won’t quit till your swinging
From that tree
Rest assured
Feels calm
Warm penetrating gleams of sunshine all day long
Tastes like cinnamon with Naturally sweet
Plaintains glazed and shared in mouths
With blades of grass under feet
Speaking in softness
Wrapped in care
Mysteries of the heavens manifesting there
In full production for Luis Armstrong’s world to see
The old adage of finding treasure
Feels like the joy
Of you finding me
In the Summer
Poem 3
A Conversation with my Father
By: Ashley L Powers
Father,
Can you hear me?
It’s your daughter
And I need to speak to you
Father, can we talk for a moment?
I need to spill my heart to you
I’m lost
I’m hurting deep within
My life is in shambles
I don’t even know how or where to begin
The Devil is in overdrive
Ripping my life to shreds
He knows I’m at my lowest
He’s doing everything to push me over the edge
I laugh to keep from crying
When I cry I tend to explode
Lord I’m tired of fighting
I know I can’t get through this alone
I’m sorry I shut you out
You’ve been trying to reach my heart
I let all of the pain cloud me with doubt
Please forgive me for not turning to You from the start
This battle is not mines
You’ve been trying to make me see
The Devil is trying to fill my heart with lies
But I know in Your hands I can be free
Father, can you please take the shackles from my feet?
I’m done with being weighed down
My spirit yearns to be set free
My soul wants to dance to a joyous sound
You’ve been waiting to hear from me
You knew I would come around
Thank you for waiting so patiently
Please forgive me for trying to walk my own path
I place my life in your hands
Thank you for catching me every time I fall
It’s time for me to live my life according to Your plans
Father, thank you for accepting my call
