Suffocating, #7
Motionless and stale
The air is suffocating.
Clueless and pale
Grasp, swing, fighting
Eyes open wide
Darkness draws near.
Get out and hide
Cry, scream, fear
Hour 17
Hour 17
It’s 7:25
Nighttime on Maui
Twelve hours ago we flipped off lights
Now they are back on
Cat is ready for his nightly jaunts
My body craves sleep and normalcy
I don’t remember either
Words struggle with me now
Taunting me
Hiding behind who I thought I was
Crunch time
This is when the marathon sizzles
It wisps and quakes
Shrivels us inside out
I have been whipped by the sestina
Don’t remember my possessions
And if my sister reads that poem
It will be all over
I am numb inside and out
Coffee will be in my near future
So will that bag of chips
I promised to eat in small controlled amounts
A forgotten soul in a worn out body
I ignore my back pain
I look to the end
Hold to the present
The past is just jumbled words
Memory salad, word punch
I don’t remember who I used to be
Maybe I never knew
First Car
On June thirteenth in 1951,
Daddy bought his first car
I recall he took us with him
to the dealership at DeLabar Chevrolet
a four-door sedan, dark green
Mom and Dad sat in the front
Carol, Vivian and I sat in the back,
always arguing about who
would sit in the middle
every time we drove somewhere we
were annoyed by one sister
touching another, rude to the other.
In the front Daddy would be disagreeable
annoyed by something Mom had done
or said or because we argued in the back.
he would be cross, yell, swear at another car
who got in his way, or drove too slowly.
Cranky, we hoped he would see something
to take his mind off his anger or calm him down.
It was always tense, fearful, unhappy.
most of the trips were to his family
or a few summer drives somewhere to
where I can’t remember where.
On the way to grandma and grandpa
we always passed a house that had been yellow
then was painted lavender, I once
said I liked the color, Mom laughed
and would remind us that was Marie’s house.
Each time we laughed and hoped it would
coax Daddy out of his sour mood, too.
Then we would ride until we reached our
destination, happy to be with others
who would not be angry with us for
whatever it was we did, or for what the
world had done, or something we
hardly understood where his anger lay.
Poem17/24 “My LiFe”
My life is not perfect
Yet I have to save
Its the only treasure
My mother gave
Full of tragic moments
And memorable ones
And keeps my Saviour
A perfect one
And if I can’t
My soul be kept
Unto His hand
Rest in His glorious Land
I pray to Thee
People might forgive me
All things I’ve done
I surrender to You, Thy one
And if they can’t forgive
I pray to Thee
I pray for them
Their goodness and health
Unity and peace
Love of all!
(Hour 17) 2.30-3.30pm — #25 “Duck and dive”
The dictionary defines “duck and dive” as — using one’s ingenuity to deal with or evade a situation. & that’s exactly what I’m about to do now with my next poem.
#25
the water fowl went
———–beneath
the surface of the lake
- DEFINITELY THE MOST POPULAR # TO DATE: 8 CARDS HAD IT ON THEIR GRID.
Wahoo! It seems right that I should get to do perhaps the most famous call of all. Legs Eleven. Not sure what I’m gonna do with it yet though. (After a rocky start, my fingers are pulling out better numbers lately: that’s sure to jinx it!)
Eleven…
I miss her.
Nails click~clacking across the floor, I miss her.
Walking up to my front door I still see her face, happy nose through the hole in the screen growing wider. I miss her.
So many tricks, so smart.
Many a bet was won on her sneeze at my command.
I miss her, my Sadie.
Morning in Vilano
Lost in deep thought gazing on the waves
The pelicans fly gracefully into the morning sun
It has been too long since my toes touched the sand
The shine from the sun reveals the shape of the shells
I wish I could fly like the pelicans searching for fish
Life must be so sweet for the pelicans
The incoming tide is feeding time for the pelicans
Flying just above the waves
My toes knows how to find sea shells
They embrace the warmth of the sand
Heated by the morning sun
The pelican and I want our bellies full of fish
The pelican’s big beak quickly fills with fish
So much grace and beauty in the pelicans
Swiftly navigating the waves
The waves wash and uncover my treasure of sea shells
The incoming tide is rushing in to cover the shells in the sand
I embrace this moment in the sun
The pelicans race to meet the morning sun
Patiently search for more incoming fish
The schools of fish dart through the rolling waves to stay out of the bellies of the pelicans
More clouds of fish are swarming through the waves
My bag quickly fills with sandy sea shells
My toes dance in the sand
Sinking into the warmth of the sand
My face greets the morning sun
My ears absorb the rolling sounds of the waves
The horizon slowly fills with more hungry pelicans
They are flying for fish while I wish for fish
Searching for shells
My shelves shall be home for my new found shells
Come out from the sand
Show yourselves in the sun
Today you will be my catch instead of fish
Their future is in the bellies of the pelicans
My future is to dive into the waves
Invigoration from the waves and shelves full of sea shells
The orange sun kisses the sand
I now feel like a fish still but too large for the pelicans
My path
My path in life
Numerous unexpected turns,caught by surprise,
I trust in God.
Across are parched places, dark and narrow,
No way out,except to trust in God and make a big turn around.
My particular way could possibly not the right way,
I trust in God.
His guidance lead me where I must go,
On the path of great life’s challenges, I turn around and let go.
Save the Books
Leave your children, you can have more
Forget your pets, new ones can be found
Forget your car, it is a dead weight
Forget your clothes, they will turn to dust
Books. Save your books. Save as many as your two arms can carry.
No, as your two shoulders can carry. A backpack full of books
Save them.
It’s double helpful you see, because you’re removing fuel from the fire.
In time, the pages will be curled from frequency of use
instead of the instant heat of flames
Those words in books you see, when they’re gone, they’re gone forever
No flotsam floating in the sludge
And in space at the end of the world, just carbon will fill the air.
Even the person whose memorized their words will pass.
And the words, the wisdom will be gone forever.
Their words cannot be written on earth or air and spun into cloth.
The books are worth saving.
Always save the books.
Grateful
Be grateful of those who look in your eyes and tell you how they feel. Embrace the moment and learn from each giving situation. Don’t force things and give thanks for each blessing. Treasure the good memories and let go of the painful memories. Enjoy the simple things and love unconditionally.
—Marquez Meriyen VII