24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
what intentions we are weaving
whispered prayers on trembling lip
searching for signs
fencing hummingbirds
before the solstice sunrise
lying, body upon the sand
rumbling vibrations, waves
clearing, grounding the soul
questions posed with no answers
worries cleared, like tide swept sand
while storms gather
steer clear of ship wrecks
Amanda Potter©: 2019 Poetry Marathon
Magic Falls
5 Clear waters fall
7 From the deep blue ocean
5 Bringing magic love
7 To all people of the glob
7 Come in to the Magic Falls
(Tanka, hour 2 @Mejia2019)
They slip into the ground,
buried there alive—
Burrow down to death— You’ll find;
magic Seeds that strive.
Dainty roses, small pigweeds,
giant redwood trees,
bundled up in teensy shells;
born to thrive, are these.
Thoughts are magic seeds;
buried in the mind.
Thoughts sprout flowers,
thoughts grow weeds;
giant trees— you’ll find.
Tall slender legs, head held high
Bright eyes watching every move nearby
Ears tightly tuned, every whisper is heard
Beautiful guards her suckling herd
Four little fawns; only one is her own
A wonderous adoption to offer protection
Sunshine or storm, whatever the norm
Food, she must find leaving babies behind
Never too far to hear when danger is near
Her instinct is magical
Her goal is survival
Scars on her back from Coyote attack,
Proof of her powerful hoofs
Beautiful’s majesty, superbly aloof.
If it has a dwelling place
at all
it is, as the song says, in young girls’ hearts
in all hearts
young and old and creaky and bruised and borrowed alike
it’s the footnote of all the fairy tales
We had it all along
If only we could remember
Abracadabra!
Like some golden elixir
Through my veins,
Burning away the glitter,
The pink speckled shrapnel,
Where the tumor burst,
Seeding my body with poison…
The audience gasps…
“And now, for my next trick,”
Wave the magic wand;
Make the cancer disappear.
Saw the woman in half,
Remove all the… ‘nothing up my sleeve’,
Nothing in my hat,
Nothing in my headscarf.
Pick a card, any card,
A doctor, any doctor,
An outcome…
Spin the magic box, say the words, and, Voila!
She has vanished.
“And for my next feat, I will need a new volunteer; raise your hand and let me see your veins.”
Spider Widow
How often I told you things
All the time a running conversation
Out loud even when apart
We talked for twenty years, always
When the dog died we mourned
For she was our stream of consciousness
Wondering what she was doing and
Thinking of us, our dear mother
Then you died months later
Leaving me without a living creature
To volley my thoughts and observations
Creating a sudden halt to my being
There was no one to care the blue house
Had been painted green or sold or still there
That the neighbor’s cat visited our yard
While the crows watched from the maple
I have taken to sharing with window spiders
Who care little of my opinions
But keep their distance while I explain
The Universe as I see it
Tolerating my tearful moments
We have established a useful truce and
I must admit I appreciate the company
Their wisdom to allow me the stage
TobeTT #2
Life is hard, the teacher said,
wide eyes glistening with the effort of speech,
Grasping each word
Like pitons just out of reach
As I listened to his final thoughts,
sweeping images danced in my head
a song of hope from the place of the dead
I am the eagle, soaring free
I am the forest and I am each tree.
I am the ocean, I am the rain.
Each drop of water, each tear of pain.
I am breath, the giver of life
I carry creation inside of me.
I am the albatross flying free
I am the universe, I am song
My spirit’s invincible. To me all belongs.
(incomplete, sorry. Finish later and fix the rhythm)
It was a long time ago
we flipped a coin
as a joke
and have been separated since
You flew off
through accelerated
space and time
where no-one had gone before
I stayed
living a tried
and true life
with only occasional hiccups
I think of you often
and wonder what if
I had gotten heads
instead of tails
I lost all contact
with you so long ago
feeling incomplete
despite my long life
I hear you are returning
as the scientists are beyond
excitement ready to
measure everything
How can you be much younger
since you came first?
At least, we were
not zombie cats.
Fourth Hour
The longer I suffered
I saw a light illuminate and
pain became an old friend.
It did not end.
I struggled through
wondering what could
anybody gain
from ruthless and persistent pain?
Laying in expectation of
deliverance rallies hope.
The power to evoke
the strength to overcome
Is nothing short of Magic.
Suddenly my head rose high
like a prize winning stallion,
gallantly strutting through,
wearing my medallion.
I drew closer,
to the end of the battle
my senses frayed
tattered and rattled.
The vision of victory
just straight ahead,
I rose up, a Champion
from my bed!
Compton, CA 90222
June 22, 2019@10:46