24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
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!
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
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
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
Poem #1
Earth, Wind, Fire, & Water prompt
After the apocalypse ~
He said he preferred fire.
I’m going with ice
water’s sturdier cousin
A diamante shroud
Glittering & proud
Of its crystalline structure
Buried in the frozen earth
I will survive like mammoths
Surfacing to light and air
Only æons after
When the pale green sky
Is streaked with fire
And rain weeps
From the scarlet clouds
And nothing else remains
I am
the wind
a force so fierce
tumultuous like
a summer storm
tossing the seas
like tumbleweeds
water is my plaything
droplets spew off
its surface
saturating the jagged
edges of earth
as she reaches for me
trying to hold on
as she
drowns, drowns, drowns
I am
the wind
deadly during
the fire season
I whip the flames along
they lick at me
the heat churns
within me
smoke, black and thick
curls and swirls
trying to hold on
to dance,
as I blow through
watching them scorch
the earth
which cries out
in horror as she
burns, burns, burns
she’s taking off her dress
he’s watching it slide
she stands there, alone,
no reason to hide
she’s down to her skin
can’t hide the state that she’s in
the lonely goddess in the glade,
where he’ll watch from his cool shade
the sleazy king of leisurely sin
watching her guileless skin she’s in
I wander rabbit-haunted meadows waiting for the tick-fat moonrise.
Dew-soaked shadows stretch stealth and melancholy beneath an ancient oak.
I carve myself into the roots and whisper: I’m not me…I’m not me.
A new chapter began,
as I sought my way,
To return back home,
or to plant roots and stay.
Our stories entwined,
I did not expect you.
Your kindness mended my heart,
which had been broken in two.
You took the time to see me,
You took the time to care,
You saw through the laughter,
You saw the tears which were there.
You’ve encouraged me to dream,
You’ve inspired me to write.
You’ve made a difference to my story,
I know it will be all right.