24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
inhale, exhale, smell: citrus, vanilla mixed with dried sweat and someone’s halitosis
inhale, exhale, see: overwhelming colors, brand names, labels wanting me to buy them
inhale, exhale, feel: confined in such a huge place, alone yet surrounded, free in a trap
inhale, exhale, be: nothing more, nothing less, complete the task, exit and be free
Words simply spoken have never done my feelings justice.
My tongue trips over simple sounds that should easily soar from my lips.
And when they finally come tumbling out into the open air,
They seem flat in comparison to what was my original intention.
The flow of ink from a pen,
Dancing across the page in messy but heartfelt words,
And expanding to thoughts and feelings that I never even knew were thick inside me,
Creating bridges of emotion and understanding between me and any soul who wishes to read.
That is true communication.
I’m glad that I’ve finally found my voice.
Shy
Darting glances and dimpled half smiles
lit my face when you were near,
and I saw you,
saw you when no one else did,
your broad shoulders, large hands,
the planes and angles of a man
just emerging
from the soft roundness of a boy.
I saw you, I desired you, to merge myself
and blend into those angles and edges,
my own soft curves
just emerging
from the angular slimness of a girl,
never once suspecting
that you saw me,
saw me when no one else did, until now.
Nary a night that you were away
Never skip a meet up every night
You uninvitedly drop by
You even stayed for a looong while.
Never get accustomed to your nocturnal presence
The shamelessness you shows, your temerity
Gave me the nerve to accept the challenge.
“Come on, Mr. Mosquito,
Let’s see your mettle now, your valor.”
But of course an invitation was the least
of your concern
With or without it, you’re on the go.
And lo and behold …
You landed on my arm unceremoniously
…and started your thing, you miniscule vampire!
Glad I was aware of your presence, your hovering,
Ready to stop your invasion.
WHAP! Goes my hand, palm opened
Got you, Mr. Mosquito! On the spot!
Without giving you the chance to do it again
Disposing the ‘evidence’ of your lifeless body
I came to rest for a second, for another bout with your comrades
whom incidentally came in full force!!!
WHAP! SPLAT! TOINK!
Goodbye and a requiem to you all
Mister Mosquito(es)…
The battle was won, what a night!
How many useless things
have these hands done
in the time when there
was so much more to give
so much more this world
needed from each
curl of a finger
every expended energy
gone to waste
Who cried for this
and how was it
so long those cries
went unheard
angels in the ocean
lost upon the shore
angels in the ashtray
another night stubbed away
[Prompt 2: How do we share yearnings when we cannot speak of them? For additional context and inspiration you can listen to Leonard Cohen’s song “Take this Longing”.]
Mundane Endings
Simple pleasures, wrap around edges of mundane.
Peace, sought amongst the nothing of today.
Where to fall, to let it all down, to be.
Farther, the reach cannot extend.
Seeking, solace from the dew.
It’s not there, keep falling, till it ends.
Fresh like the morning dew
Clear and concise uncommonly nice. Motivation in over drive regrets covered in broken promises have no power today.
Today my opportunity to fly is bigger than my fear
No longer will my voice fall on deaf ears
Today the world will know
I was here
An Invocation
Air, the wind in your hair and breath in your lungs
recalls my scent to you, across the miles
carries my voice to your ears,
Remember
Fire, the sun on your face,
the heat of your skin and in your sex
recalls my touch to you
conveys my desire
Remember
Water, the rain on your cheek
the rush of the river, the suck of the sea
the thrum of blood in your veins and seed in your loins
recalls the pull of me to you
delivers the tears of my heart
Remember
Earth, where your feet are planted,
the stone and metal of the walls where you live
the gravel and soil, concrete and rock
the bones in your body
recalls the steps we took together,
conveys my steadfast will
Remember
Love, by the maelstrom and the gale
by lightning strike and lava flow
by the rising river, by tidal wave
by sundering ground and falling walls
by all the chaos of my shattered world
I cry, across Armageddon itself:
Come back to me
come back to me
come.
Troubled Sleep
Wind, blowing strong and pure
a tale of strength told in swaying trees
rooted deep in the earth
that never moved, but did slip
through my fingers
promising fertility and sustenance
as if the fire burning within
wouldn’t devour every promise
meant to kept
Submerged my arms flail about
I am deprived of breath
deprivation is familiar enough
but my eyes bulge and arms still
I am left gasping
gasping
Then air floods and fills lung again
and I wake glad to be alive
