24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
Making our way to
each other through
thick
and thin is hard work
made for someone who can quickly
overcome
remaking ourselves
proves to be
hard, but not impossible
opening up
seems to be the only way
it will work for our
souls to become one
I first spotted the time somewhen around 4:30 and denied myself the chance to sleep on
after years of relative nothing, the eager roar of my brain would not be ignored
to my surprise, the rust fell away with a yawn and the craft jumped back to my fingers
warm
and familiar
and
unfurling
flexible
as a wordsmith ought to be
(Hour 9)
one bucket, one beet
a drought, heat wave, no jacket,
wasp! elbow!! tremor!!!
I see you clearly as now
Your jacket frayed at the elbow
As you drove with one arm hanging loose
Swerving too late to miss the elk
That wandered on the road.
You found it funny, the tremor
That rocked the car, just a moose,
You laughed, not even slowing
While I looked into your beet-red eyes
Drunk and vile. And just knew.
That I had to get away.
That we were through.
I am as old now
As you were when we met
And I get it
The feeling that you’re lost
That you’ve missed the train of life
I see why now
You didn’t want to hold me too tightly
You were stuck knee-deep in the woes of the world
And didn’t want to drag me down with you
You tried to explain to me
That nothing clears up when you’re older
It only gets more confusing
And I (foolishly) did not believe you
I understand
How much it pained you to say you loved me
Despite that
You went out of your way to bring me happiness
For that, I can never fault you
My memories of you are rose-colored
Sweet and soft and beautiful
Perhaps it’s better that our time was so short
There was no time for cracks to show
I’ll cradle those months close to my heart
I used to wish for more time
Now I know we had enough
I hope wherever you are
The world is kind to you
Coming in from the cold
Hanging our jackets to dry
Faces red as beets
From the wind outside
Warming with wine
Mulled with cinnamon
We split a bucket of popcorn
In front of the fire
We watch the elk through the trees
Tremors of warmth
Revive the soul
It’s hour nine and this prompt just sucks
5 words out of ten?
But all ten words are made of meh
So I guess I’ll go my way again
I’ll ramble about nothing
Until a poem just appears
At least I’ll make the deadline
Before the deadline disappears
Beet, tremor, and jacket
Are three words that they list
And then there’s also elbow
That’s 4, what have I missed?
Oh, yes, let’s try the bayou
With cinnamon and elk
Where did they come up with this?!
It’s like mad libs from the shelf
None of it makes any sense
It’s a bucket full of holes
It’s like a maze without a start
Or a play without the roles
A carport with no canopy
A lightbulb without light
But look, I got all 10 words in
So I guess I won this fight.
~Mandy Kocsis©2023~
I am not under the stars
I am one with them
I share the same atoms
I float along with them
I am never alone
Nitanis
Sadness swings back and forth
You were my sunshine
Grief swings back and forth
You were my star
Darkness swings back and forth
You were my light
My Girl you are missed and loved always