The Poetry Marathon

Prompt One

The Visitors’ Office

A full moon hazed by mist

Illuminated the night.

Sentinel spruce and fir trees

Stood to attention along the winding road.

An information booth stood between two lanes—

More windows than bricks—

With its lights competing with the moon for brightness.

No one was present,

A blank page in a library of nature.

Cindy Herndon

 

The Garment of Yesterday

“after Diana Khoi Nguyen”

 

“The past draped around us like a cloak.”

Fabricated memories

Offered warmth and protection,

But it weighted us down

And kept us from flying toward tomorrow.

 

A butterfly does not carry its chrysalis

As it flits from flower to flower.

 

A frog does keep its tadpole tail

While it jumps among lily pads.

 

A chicken does not carry its shell

When it roost at night.

 

Perhaps we too should shed our past.

 

Cindy Herndon

 

Hour 1-Love of My Life

The daily longing of my words

shelter the fear inside

keeping me from the thing I am

it’s becoming harder to hide

 

It is my life, it is my heart

I live for the joy it brings

when I cannot find the words I need

the disappointment really stings

 

Sometimes the words are right there

so plentiful, my heart is so overjoyed

I can’t get them down fast enough

it fills my empty void

 

There once was a time that no words were there

I can’t imagine how that ever was

my words are my life, they are who I am

no greater definition of love

First Hour

Early morning, in the quietness of my mind,

I see your luring light as the yellow lines pull me towards you.

Still relishing in my unvarnished thoughts of you,

pure

honest

The leftover night air begins to lift as I try to wrap this goodness around me.

As I get closer

a waxing storm stirs,

the debris within me comes rushing,

thoughts I haven’t seen in months rattle against me.

Sirens blare, I brace myself, becoming uprooted, my branches now bare,

this torrential storm of emotions pulls me down, tears at my clothes, tangles my hair, gnashes my skin.

You just stand there, shining your yellow eyes on me.

Hour One: Antecedents

Antecedents

I walked into the morning
Sun not yet eyes opened
weight around my shoulders
a black hole sucking me in
heavy hands pressing me \
curling
head bowed

The first seam of light
split over the horizon
drawing me up

I lift my chin
release night’s cloak
antecedent’s grasp

A new day sanctified

 

Haiku 1 prompt 1

In the deep water
sinking to oblivion
I dissolve myself

HOUR 1: EIGHT YEARS OLD

Eight years old and
Frozen in a candy store

Aromas of cherry
And licorice

Wrap around me
Like a corset

I’m crushed in
An avalanche

A flood of colors
A cascade of chocolate

This deluge
This ocean

This bottomless
Pit of possibilities

While my sister
Gently without hesitation

Cinderella-esque
Chooses just one

Steps to the register
Her eyes neither right nor left

And I feel like shit
While my mother says

“Hurry up, Leroy.
There are people behind you.”

Awake

Awake

Hour one, image prompt a Shakey start

I knew not where I traveled

When I took upon the road

The path was lit by moonlight

Through clouds it barely showed

And although I had forever

Although I had the time

I knew Charon asked a price

Something not yet mine

Ah I certainly could fake it

As I approached the starting line

Yes I certainly could fake it

But I’ve yet to reach

That phantom starting line.

 

The ranger awaits me distantly

With energy sublime

And although I’m starting later

I’ll get to them in time.

Just a phantom toll booth

A journey for a child

Like a story sought today

With twists and turns quite wild

And I feel the shakey start in me

Jubilant and mild

Yes I feel that shakey start in me

Like a jubilant young child

And though I’ve yet to reach it

The journey will be wild

I may yet return to here to pay Charon his due

But for now this is my whole tale, I’ll leave it here with you.

Monster8am

Sometimes I smile
because the monster
in my head is quiet
no one the wiser

But then there are times
where it runs loose and
I smile because the
real me shines through

See?
See the real me yet?
I’m not normal and
I don’t need your pity
your forgiveness
or apologies

I don’t need your
accusations
I don’t need to explain
myself to you
Don’t need your permission

There are times where
that monster escapes
and I am mortified because
the real me shows up
and I can no longer hide

Then I get over myself and
think-
Fuck it-
accept me or don’t

I am so sick of you
thinking I have to be perfect
we both know-
that’s not going to happen

Damnit!
The monster is trying
to get out again
NO!
Stay inside!
These people can’t handle you

My mind is such a mess
insane cesspool
all the boxes tipped and spilled

I’m so ashamed of
the monster
He’s dragged me down
twisted me violently
every which way

The monster wants
to be heard
not silent
lonely lonely
wants a friend
or two

The walls I’ve built
so high are crumbling
down because the
monster wants to be
heard

I can’t let you out
You’ll only hurt the ones
I love
I don’t care if you hurt me-

I hate what you have
made me into-
I am at war with you

I can’t afford even a
moment of relief-
because it will be
the death of me

Sometimes I smile
because the monster is quiet
and asleep
and I appear normal and happy-

And no one is the wiser.

Enter Night

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