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Because the day
Is short
And life is shorter
Breathe deeply
The Watchtower (hour 20)
From the vantage height, all villagers gather to see
the reason the season has quit
the dew has also quit
farmers angered by this seizure
all gathered at the Watchtower
to say a few prayers
Hour 22 (2022)- Be Human, Be Kind
A mothers hand as it touches her child
A partner’s smile as they look at you
A gentle stroke on a puppies head
All forms of tenderness.
Bringing a meal to sick friend in need
Giving a ride to someone you know
Grabbing groceries for an elderly acquaintance
All forms of tenderness.
Be human, be kind, be gentle
Be the friend you would want to have
Give unto others as you are able
Show that form of tenderness.
#21 Umbrella Me
Umbrella Me
protection from the glaring sun, heat, and harmful rays,
shielding from the pelting rain’s chilly soaking to the skin,
waiting patiently in the stand, by the door, forgotten until needed.
left behind in foreign places, a burden to be carried,
ever-ready to break your fall a Mary Poppins’ gentle landing.
Hour 22: Aftermath
I don’t hate Death
Nor do I fear it
No, I know it’s a friend
One that takes away suffering
And grants peace, eternal slumber
What I hate is the aftermath
The grief, the pain
The funeral arrangements
And greeting everyone
Putting up a brave face
What I fear is the aftermath
The wailing fading to soft sobbing
Waves of memories and heart-wrenching pain
The wish to turn back time
The helplessness knowing it’s a pipe dream
I don’t hate Death
Nor do I fear it
What I hate is the aftermath
What I fear is the aftermath
What I know will always follow death — the damned aftermath.
Hour2
I am very busy,
but I only stopped
to ask if there is some mistake.
Is something wrong with us? Be frank! Are there holes in our whole?
A Sea Lion named Brett Hour 23
Sea lion, on his rock,
Salvaged from high tsunamis
And creeping tar paint.
Carried far away,
Paradise new, warm heart’s way,
Big brown eyes, whiskers.
Consistency
Sleep deprivation comes naturally to me;
Years of anxiety,
waking at every shuffle,
thinking so quickly—
even in the deadest rest—
that I wake myself, over and over,
have taken their toll
I’ve had to find tools to quiet
my mind and my body.
Months of experimenting,
supplements
doctor’s appointments,
and trial medications
finally – have led me to a regimen that works
One that I have skipped today,
in favor of nonstop poetry and
3 am broccoli baking
What a strange creature I am
Hour 22 – Tenderness
There are days I don’t quite like myself
Nothing seems to align
Every sentence ending in a sigh
But there’s the calm in my storm
The peace to my internal war
And all I need
Is to exist in his tenderness
Poetry Marathon Hour 22:
Deceiving devil:
You, you deceiving devil you, have you ever considered the mess you make just by wandering through hearts you’ll never really know or hallways you refuse to actually explore? You, you deceiving devil, you, somehow you’ve made your way to my pages, cracked my spine, and convinced me that this is indeed the best home I’ll ever have. Simply, because you, you are here too.
-M. Rene’