The Poetry Marathon

Coffee with Hades (2017)

She sits at the table sipping her coffee,
Periodically checking the time.
Impatiently she taps her foot.
Her drink nearly finished now.

Just before the final sip he arrives,
Black suit and tie neatly pressed.
He spots her and waves.
She scowls.

“You look lovely as ever,” he says,
Pulling out a chair.
“Spare me your flattery,” she retorts.
“You’re late, as usual.”

The waitress walks over.
“What can I get you sir?”
“Coffee, no sugar or cream
Just a spoonful or two of cinnamon.”

She glances at him.
“Cinnamon?” she asks.
“Yes, a whole spoonful or two.”
She nods, then walks away.

“If it is usual for me to be late, my dear,
Why bother expecting anything more of me?”
“I honestly couldn’t say.
You are a god after all.”

He is clearly offended,
though he keeps it to himself.
He smiles pleasantly.
“So, what do you have for me?”

She reaches for her bag and
Pulls out several folders.
“These ones,” she begins
“Will be seeing you within the week.”

He takes the stack and begins flipping through.
“Within the week? You are awfully confident.”
“I’ve bee doing this long enough
to know when the end is near.”

A few folders in he pauses.
The file is of a young child.
She watches his face fall.
“You’re sure this time?”

She nods.
“Nothing more to be done.”
He closes the folder
And places it in his bag with the rest.

“Not going to look at them all?”
She eyes him suspiciously.
“Like you said,” he replies, standing,
“You’ve been doing this a long time.”

“Do I detect sentiment?
I thought you gods were ‘above’ us mortals.”
Time seemed to stop
As the god turned to face her.

“My dear,” he remarked,
His voice full of something dark.
“When you’ve been doing this as long as I have
sentiment is an unfortunate result.”

The waitress returns.
“Your coffee sir,” she says
“Thank you,” he replies smiling
Then proceeds to empty the cup

“Until next time.”
He says to his companion.
He tosses the empty cup
And leaves without another word.

She sits alone for a moment,
Finishes her last sip of coffee,
Leaves a tip for the waitress,
Then carries on with her day.

lost and found

lost and found

 

I know it’s here somewhere –

my self-respect.

I left it here,

in between the six pack,

the extra large box of condoms,

and the carton of jamochaalmondfudge ice cream.

 

So, if you happen upon it,

toss it my way,

would ‘ya?

 

Thanks.

R. L. Elke

© Aug 5/17 prompt 17

She keeps me warm

And at the end of the day, isn’t that all that matters?

Narrow-minded bigots are always sticking their noses

In where they don’t belong, and it’s sickening. What

No one seems to understand is why they even give

A crap about something that doesn’t affect them in

The slightest. Just keep your prejudiced opinions to

Yourself and we’ll all be much better off.

loss

when I was 8

I lost my first tooth

a milestone I looked forward to

and celebrated

with pillow talk and fairies

and a quarter;

if only every loss could be

no more

than a distraction for my tongue

and an entry in my baby book

Instead of the emptiness of suffering

In a world without pillow talk

Weight-loss -17

New jeans, smaller in size,

New shirts, to my surprise,

New bras, frilly and nice,

New lifestyle, at a cheaper price.

It’s finally begun.

I’ve finally won.

I’ve lost the one one thing I never want to gain.

Even if it’s a gigantic pain.

Hour 16: Pumpkin Wife

Pumpkin Wife

Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater
Had a wife and couldn’t keep her
Put her in a pumpkin shell
And there he kept her very well

You may think it isn’t very nice
Living in a pumpkin shell
But once you shellac the inside,
Getting rid of the basic sliminess,
It isn’t that bad
The walls are wholly carvable
I’ve made all sorts of brackets
and shelves and windows
It’s a sweet little home now
Quite cozy in fact
The thick rind keeps out the cold
Yet is quite cool on the hottest days

Some balk at the idea that I am a prisoner here
Not true!
I can come and go as I please
It just pleases me to stay,
now that we have a comfortable home

You should’ve seen the potato we were living in before!

Prompt 17

I’ll lose my dignity

Before I lose myself completely.

To Broodily go (17th Hour)

I want to lay my head on the grass and have mother envelope me

Grow above and over me

t Swallow me whole

My soul wants to stomp hard, barefoot on the ground

Breaking Earth letting my foot slip pass the turning core

While my roots

Slide through the dust and dirt

Searching for somewhere to be

Somewhere that use to be

Feeling inside out with an unbearable nakedness

My spirit is not here,

My spirit has gone to the future

Enjoying what would have been

Flashing back to what was

I’m not here

I’ve escaped to the wind

I’ve transported myself to somewhere you all have not touched

To where colors beyond your stretch exist

Gone from all of the worries

Gone from the uncertainties

Gone from the obvious hinderances

Gone from ever being bent, used, depleted

Gone from these things to brood in my splendor

Just for me

Only me

Lost

(more…)

Blood and Diamonds

Blood and Diamonds
VCS

From the heart of our mother’s pain
They speak to us
Of all that’s been and all that is to come
Diamonds
Those bits of carbon
Crushed in the fist of pain
The agony that makes life
The agony that frees
Diamonds sparkling
They say it’s all a scam
The value of the diamond
They say that it’s bad because…
Blood diamonds

All diamonds are made of blood
The blood of the earth as she
Is contorted into new forms

How funny that we ignore the bloodstains
On the things we use every day
But feel self righteous for avoiding
Sullying our hands

Eat the meat but spare the fur
Shun the diamonds but burn the oil seeped in bloody war
Self righteous is a fun horse to ride so high!

They say a lot of things about diamonds
Somme I believe to be true
One is that it’s bad luck
To buy your own diamond
Unless it’s to claim the bad luck you’ve already had
And own your pain

Diamonds
The gift of a mission accomplished
A new life, things never to be the same
For some a Medal of Honor is bestowed
But for others a diamond better fits
to describe
the hardness of life
that’s given the razor sharp acumen
and strength of those who survive

It’s the rainbow of understanding
All the colors embraced in one
Fire in a Carat
Blood diamonds

Immune to all but the most delicate and skilled touch
Nothing touches the diamonds heart
Or can put out her fire
Sparkle sparkle
I used to say
As we shone the brass away
In a Cinderella life
Now I sparkle another way
Now I’ve earned my medals from lessons learned
Badges of honor
From the only mother
Who loved me most

I will wear my diamonds
As I wear my scars
Each a badge of honor
As my mother taught me