Sipping Joy
You showed up at my door
with a smile and a quick kiss
I sipped joy all morning,
as I tasted your name.
a woman still weeping (prompt 14)
don’t go to the river don’t stray too far
can’t you hear
her coyote cry
parents warning
she will take you
I wished that she would
I wished to be taken
into the arms of a mournful mother
to bury my face against
a soaked white dress
dripping with guilt
existing only
to love her children
the spirit of remorse
take me with you
teach me to swim
let us both stop weeping
The power of I AM
Where do these thoughts grow?
Where have these questions been?
Never ask yourself who you are!
Be the confidence your daughter needs.
The power of I AM
DogSpeak #18 Reasons You Need Dogs (at least 2)
DogSpeak #18 Reasons You Need Dogs (at least 2)
We replace vacuums
for food that falls to the floor.
We believe every word you say
and that is saying volumes.
We love you even if you skip
the hairdresser all year.
We laugh at all your jokes
even the dumb ones.
We make you laugh at our antics
even the dumb ones.
We wake you before the alarm
so you never oversleep.
We give you a reason to exercise
even if you don’t want to.
We are the best cuddlers
and snugglers ever.
We make you smile
and that helps you live longer.
We knew you needed
to be rescued; that’s what we do.
We’ll help you be goofy, silly,
and giggle as much as you can.
We are a factory for kisses
24/7 production; we never run out.
We have magic compartments
in our hearts to hold all your secrets.
We’ll protect you from danger and stress,
but maybe not the bunnies in the yard.
We let you be you. Who else
does that for you?
~ J R Turek
18: The gift of health
Prompt: “Write a poem about a moment of joy.”
in the intricacies of life,
and the web of outcomes,
you were chosen,
for such delightful news.
a gift of health,
a tumour vanished,
a second chance,
let’s rejoice!
end of the tunnel reached,
so brightly lit,
where joy re-lives.
Joy: Then vs Now
It’s hard to describe
my feeling of joy
and the randomness of it.
It was a normal day
school holidays are in full swing
then something took over my body
it’s often puzzling.
I had always been quite uptight
always wanting to know what was to come
but at this moment
I was in complete bliss.
I climbed the fence
needed to get to the stables
where I’d often talk to the horses
as if they needed a friend.
As my feet hit the ground
I felt a sense of calm and joy
there was no rush, no plans,
just happy to be around.
It’s a feeling I have never forgotten
a young boy with the world in front of him.
22 years on,
the setting has changed
but I have constant joy
it’s not a fleeting moment
it’s permanent.
No fences needed to be jumped
no horses needed to be spoken to.
Just a girl
and her touch.
Pantoumish Automat of the Soul
I wish I could play satin host
to hungry Dylan and peckish Smith
and prepare a multi-continent feast
in drawers just like they paid to pull.
To hungry Dylan and peckish Smith
would I offer culinary delights
in drawers just like they paid to pull
when Cassavetes was just around the corner.
Would I offer culinary delights
if the Asbury options permitted
when Cassavetes was just around the corner
and Timothy Carey played Solitaire in the back booth,
but lost to the pocket of his wife’s jacket.
Silk traps more rings than satin
when Cassavetes was just around the corner
and no one’s dreams were in sepia at windmill pace.
If the Asbury options permitted,
my guests would be served it with history cakes
and no one’s dreams were in sepia at windmill pace
like a State Fair souvenir.
Silk traps more rings than satin
but on windy days, no one’s begging
like a State Fair souvenir
for the quarters lodged in mid-century slots.
#18- What Does a Moment of Joy Really Mean?
What does a moment of joy really mean?
Does it strike faster than bolts of lightning?
Or fall slowly like a shower of rain?
Or is it just listening to birds sing?
Hour 18 : Solitude
I enjoy the solitude
Leaving me for a small talk
Creating a solemn mix
It sinks in slowly
As I dance in its arms
Circling round and round
I like it’s company
My soul sings and soars
My mind still on those joyous moments
Clinging on to hope
Cherishing memories
I love the solitude
Which gives me love, joy and happiness
For real it seems
It makes me feel whole.
Hour 18: Rockstar
I’d set myself to composing an anthem,
a song of wholeness and reconnection,
I deconstructed the bops that moved me.
It didn’t come easy—
we wrestled in rounds for two weeks
my face repeatedly smashed into the stone
I was so close to giving up.
There are no angels in this story,
just personal demons on one shoulder,
on the other Mary Oliver and found family
trained in the art of luring the lightning into bottles
It took a spin in the cosmic Yahtzee cup (not stirred)
and by the machinations of the universe,
the constellations aligned just right
Through the flickering beam of light
emerged my face, the one I wore months ago,
the size of a billboard rocking out on the big screen
As the video finished, the crowd applauded
I fished the pockets of my fanciest jacket,
scrawled with gold, to blot away the rivulet of tears
pulled out of me by seeing and hearing myself
so big, claiming my chosen given name aloud