Prompt for Hour Six
Use the following image to inspire your next poem.
The Raging and Consuming War of The Poetics
Part VI
It’s never over,
conflict –
the war fought between mind
and action;
a bird flutters helplessly
near a puddle,
should he drink before he tries to fly,
or die?
should he release his spirit to the open sky?
he dips his beak into the puddle,
the little pond of water,
a saucer of water –
a cat now lurks near his sanctuary,
suddenly his weakness becomes his final battle;
the feline approaches – crouched – slowly stepping
towards the bird;
the consuming and raging war of the poetics,
proliferates…
– Michellia D. Wilson 8/23/14 1:00 PM
Poem Four
Dear friend
You may be struggling
And I’m here for you
Just take my hand
And tell me everything
Cuz you might be saving my life
By telling me you trust me
for maya (dedication to maya angelou)
you were not afraid to share your dreams
to show us how to be born from the dirt
and grow tall, stretching always towards the light.
you were the sister who told her truth
leaned on oaks and let the wind carry you.
i have reveled through your words
always holding them as gospel truths
and you have never swayed me in the wrong direction.
i am wiser because of you and through you-
i learned how to let the caged bird sing.
(v)
truisms and cliché:
brother of sleep,
our common fate,
(be not proud);
no one here gets out alive.
tamam.
Death 1 PM
the end
that’s it
gone forever
remembered maybe?
By whom
and why?
Did I do something great
or even good?
What does it take
to be remembered?
Is it how I laughed
or my crooked smile
Or my stubborness
about never giving up.
You…1pm
I got a letter today.
Actually…
it was simply a short text
(because you know that times have changed).
It said,
“How are you?”
I smiled.
“I’m fine (now). How about you?”
Turning pages..
Today while turning through the pages
I met myself in all those stages
There were times when I had fights
Just to find out what was right
They were the times when I was fearless
my mom always said that I became careless
The times have changed
As I fear and stay quiet
But now I can’t sleep at night…
Dear Frost
Dear Mr. Frost,
As a person who shares the same first name I must admit,
It never felt good sharing that name with so many who have come before me who actually made a difference to people.
It never felt like sunshine and flowers feeling like I had no sense of purpose.
But, I really have to hand it to you.
Once I realized that the path of least resistance could also be the road less traveled, that has already made all the difference.
I learned that when there is no path laid out for you, the possibilities are limitless.
I learned that least resistance could also be a clean slate.
Like living with my past didn’t mean I was sentenced to be incarcerated in it.
Robert, I want you to know now, I am no longer shameful of my name.
I want you to know that the clean slate has helped me carve a path for those like me to follow
Or to use as a baseline for others to create their own road.
My slate which was at first blank, is filled with examples of how the focus of will and energy help to see your happy ending even through the thickets.
Be not afraid of the impending storm,
Fear not the pain that is to come,
The light at the end of the tunnel is not as far as you see it.
It is just your mind focussing on what really matters.
Two roads diverged and I chose to take the road less traveled and I have made all the difference.