The Poetry Marathon

Hour 1: What Summer Brings

(A 4-stanza 5-7-5)

crack open mountains
hot red rock or cool water
drink until it’s dry

tear through the heavens
lightning quick and thunder loud
grumble as they cry

pour into the sea
sick black slicks and plastic dreams
salt turned acid stings

burn bright, breathe blackly
dragon’s breath for dragon’s hoard
reap what summer brings

In response to the 1st hourly prompt: “Write a a poem in which the four elements (Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water) play an important part. Contributed by Bhasha Dwivedi.”

derivative(s)

lining shed as though emergence from cicada skin, shell discarded

along with it – breadth and depth

knowledge of captivity and familiarity with one’s surroundings

but solitary confinement was only lucked upon (if one could call it luck), only slipped into

casually tried on (an untailored garment)

once the former life of the body had been discarded like something now ill-fitting, already well-worn

HER SMILE

Her smile

Takes me on a stride

Up the hill

Where the sun shines bright

And the wind blows, soft, caressing her cheeks.

 

She loves to dance

In the first rain

And the many after that

For, she can’t get enough

Of the smell of the earth, when its damp.

 

In response to the 1st hourly prompt: “Write a a poem in which the four elements (Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water) play an important part. Contributed by Bhasha Dwivedi.”

But…

My questioned existence

Purely confused inner mirth

Never been able to

Comprehend my origin

Rather pushed to believe

The point in being

Than being made…

 

The day I was born

They said

The supreme wisdom

Operating in the skies

Made me…

Out of the humble earth,

The wind,sometimes fierce,

sometimes calm

The purifying fire,

The cleansing water.

 

When still a child ,

I believed ,all men are same

As what makes you and me

Are just the same.

But as days passed

I saw some commented

more rights than others.

Some took more respect

than the rest.

……………..

 

How can the noble home for all

Bear dimensions

For gender,race and creed

How the rich,the nobler ,

Hold the wind in chains…

How fire could soothe

The rich better…

How the water could just

Chill the supreme….

In the Elements

I could not be moved
Only consumed
as the wind pushed the air
trapped in my lungs
I could not be moved
The foundation beneath
my boot, dug into the earth
Unsafe
Consumed
Unaware
I stand in the fire

take me to the water

Hour 1

Woot first poem done!! Can’t wait to get the others written.

 

Compass Elements

 

I stand in a circle

Looking north to mountains

Earth rising above me

Strength and will holding it high

 

I turn to the east

Watching trees bend

Wind showing it’s gentle strength

Bending rather than breaking

 

I step to look south

Watching a bonfire roar

Controlled chaos trying to lick free

Wishing to ravage all in it’s path

 

I finally face west

Water lapping the shore

Ready to become destroying waves

Disaster coming from the depths

 

The miracle that be hour 1

He was just a small boy,
hidden from the world.
Kept behind walls so no one could see,
see the miracle that be.

He was God’s gift,
blessing an ungrateful couple.
Never being loved or cared for.
Never being able to make friends.
See the miracle that be.

Just because he was slightly different,
the parents ashamed of him.
They would not take him out,
show him in public.
In case people might see,
SEE the miracle that be!

Hour 1 – Prompt 1 – Elements at play

Every time I fall, I receive a hug
Every time I am lost, I notice the soft tug
My soul will drift away, my body burnt at death
The Earth will nurture me till my last breath

Every time I am alone, I feel your touch
You embrace me, when hurdles hurt too much
You soothe me, at all times, with your presence
Oh Wind! you balance joy and sorrow, teach life’s essence

How easy it was to give up, to lose my identity
Yet, you infused into my life, taught me serenity
You kept the light of Hope burning, pushed me to succeed
Dear Fire, you taught me “A small spark is all I need”

You tickled me, when I was small, and enjoyed my giggles
As a teen, I reached out to you, to understand life’s riddle
You drenched me with your tides, as both a friend and guide
Water, you’ve taught me to value life, in this unique ride

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

Do You Remember

The summer we listened to
Earth, Wind & Fire on the radio
too young to understand
such lyrics of love
instead drawn to those
groovy African-inspired costumes
flashy bellbottomed pants
Maurice White’s hipswangin’ swagger
the ridiculousness of lyrics
that rang off our tongues
Ba de ya – say do you remember
Ba de ya – dancing in September
Ba duda, ba duda, ba duda, badu
how we danced and grooved and spun
jamming to the transistor radio turned up
full blast in the back yard
took breaks to gulp ice cold water
from the garden hose
then back to the step, the dance, the groove
Earth, Wind & Fire

[Prompt: Write a poem in which the four elements (Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water) play an important part.]

The Elements of You

the elements of you

you grew me from a seed
and with kind words, soft touches, smiles and casual conversations
I sprouted out of the earth
out of love’s good soil

you watered me with may showers and warm baths
and walks in the rain
and my heart ignited like wild fires in a dry brush

your words carried me like dust in the wind
allowed me to see things in my mind’s eye
that I didn’t have vision for before you came along

now-
dry once again,
I am desperate to be submerged in black earth-
thirsty for your cooling rain-
hard pressed for the fire that only you can bring
I am waiting for the wind of your love
to blow again