24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
a city of mushrooms
filled to the brim with
grazing giraffes
and
death-dropping drag queens
I want to live in a fantasy
I want to be surrounded by
a fairy tale
coupled with
what our own world ought to be
loving
and caring
and inclusive
and free
I want to see women rule
in the forms of trolls,
centaurs and
Supreme Court justices
I want to feel power
over myself and my life
and I want to feel that while
dancing among fireflies
Prompt: “There are so many nature poems out there. Our prompt for this hour of the night is to write a poem for a city, real or imagined.”
This city is known as:
Half of the world.
With its historic beauty and wonder,
it’ll leave you in awe.
Humans walked this city for thousands of years,
leaving behind artifacts, palaces, geometric architecture,
and grand boulevards.
You can see half the world in this city.
A city I call home,
Esfahan.
If I want to write about love,
I’ll do it in AB positive, universal
receiver. If I want to write
about love, I’ll make it count.
What do I have to say about it?
Love is honesty and saving the last
slice of German chocolate cake.
It’s more than domesticity.
Love is a smoldering pile of leaves.
It’s a notebook filled, written
to the bitter loving end.
Let me define love.
It cannot be defined.
Abstract mathematics is full
of glorious gaps. Love lives there.
Love is a Thursday. Love
is a rogue wave toppling
fishing trawlers and research vessels.
Love is calamity. It’s smelling
the End of Summer and singing
from the back porch.
Love is nothing.
Everything is love.
Seek wisdom
Wisdom that can be sought for
and found.
Speak wisdom
Let wise words
flow from your mouth
and don’t be hindered
by others.
Seek wisdom every day
and wisdom will become
part of your life.
I feel the night wind rush through my hair,
As I’m seated at a table,
My friends on both sides of me,
As she sings with passion,
“I want it that way”,
Tears in my eyes,
Contented,
I felt,
Joy.
Note: The above verse is a nonet.
Country boy at heart
the city faces scare me
the constant noise
drowning out my thoughts.
People rushing
when they don’t have to
always gotta be somewhere
in the city.
Road works fill the streets
while the road workers whistle.
It’s not charming
much like gristle.
But, for all its downfalls
it has some perks.
The bright lights,
the restaurants,
the nightlife,
appeals to some.
Not to me,
this modern-day cowboy
sticks to his farm,
where he belongs.
My kids are my joy
Tanya Raine the youngest at 3
A little spitfire, funny, and boy can she dance
Chans Ryan 21 on the autism spectrum
He has a unique perspective on the world around him, isn’t afraid to share his views, loves his mom
Aaron Alan Michael 24 mommas boy,
stubborn, observes and pays attention, funny, big heart like his momma, has his first child on the way
Cheyenne Lynn 26 a spitfire as well, funny, big heart, strong even though she doesnt think she is, made me a grandma first
Nathan Scott 28 mommas boy to this day, funny, big heart, having a hard time with life at the moment.
They are my joy now and forever
CW: Alcoholism, substance abuse. addiction
For Jack Daniels
There was a time I would try to drink myself sober.
Jack Daniels was a mistress that everyone knew I had-
captivating me as soon as my tongue tasted him.
A glass bottle full of magic wishes
charming me into spending $38 on a shot in Stockholm
while too drunk to remember he had to cross the ocean to be with me.
Daring me to call an ex while daring him to do the same.
Encouraging us to cry to each other about our break up and my phone in a snowbank.
Sinatra Select Blend showed me the smoothest jack I had ever known.
Hearing him call out for me while my ex-husband
poured what was left of him down the drain to spite me.
Jack could keep me enthralled any night of the week.
Being given €3 on a shot of his sweet honey from
the English National Soccer team in a basement bar in Amsterdam.
A handle of Jack attached to my hip
for every house party I attended in college.
Jack will forever be the straightest relationship I have ever had.
He even followed me on my honeymoon in Mexico
not able to be without my mistress for any length of time.
Now I drink myself sober with Gatorade;
No longer seeing Jack Daniels.
He keeps tempting me to come back with his sirens song.
Trying to remind me of the good times we shared that were never good for me.