24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
I wish I had my mother’s gift
for making something out of nothing.
A can of tuna
is creamed tuna on toast.
Flour turns drippings into gravy.
Jello is a fancy desert.
Leftover roast beef
is a Sunday night sandwich.
Rhubarb is a pie.
Apples make a sauce.
Her kitchen was an allegory
for life lessons.
You sit there, the sun mounting
a late afternoon offensive—you
sitting stoically with your place
in the rank behind, what seems
now to you anyway, to be a dugout,
a trench, marking the place where he,
the family cornerstone—that’s what
you called him—has been laid to rest
after his final battle. This won’t be
your final battle. You sit in silence,
mind protected by dark glasses,
soul protected by the dark leather-
bound, gilt-edged bible, clutched
to your chest, that nobody, but you
and him, bothered to read anymore.
Still, they who have no higher claim,
want the precious book, as they
do the watch, the ring, the car,
the money, the house, the farm,
his throne, now yours. Hypocrites, they
praise the sunlight: “God, sent his angels
to carry him home.” You know this to be a
a sign of the devil, scorching the earth
to make sure he is dead and gone. He
is gone, leaving you to hold the hand
of the women sitting beside you who
in another time knew and loved you.
Celebrating Juneteenth,
I resurrected the djembe
and
marched in the light of God
Keeping time with
syncopated rhythms,
we danced and
we sang with hope and
heavy hearts
how we knew
freedom was coming
“Oh, yes,” we sang,
“I know!”
With little rhyme
and less reason,
We beat joy
into sacred songs and the griot
answered the call,
Covering us
in holy fire
Breathing grace
into our sway
Giving voice
to our visions
Guiding us
into a brighter day
Echoes of bravado
for fierceness —
Empty and hollow music
filling up
the emptiness
inside
Text Prompts
Write about gathering with others. The specifics are up to you.
Image Prompts
Contributed by Ofuma Agali who adds “This is a sitting room of an Art Centre in Ikot Ekpene, south of Nigeria. This place attracts writers and readers alike.”
Hot and humid summer days
scream to me, “EAT WATERMELON.“
Its cold red flesh cools me, hydrates me,
and makes a mess!
still, I’ve always loved watermelon
in the hot and humid summer.
For Garrett, a shy first-born, his world is Mommy, Daddy,the dogs and a few.
When his loving Momma pulls out the camera,
He sometimes gets lost in the joyful moments
indoors or outdoors, in handsome clothes or comfy pajamas.
When daddy swings him upside down and swooping through the air,
Garrett’s face lights up from a smile to a wide-open jubilant noise.
When Mommy plays peek-a-boo, he strains his head,
and when she is found, his happiness is loud and contagious.
Vinny was born to Garrett’s Daddy’s youngest Aunt
just a few days after Garrett. so in a sitting side-by-side picture
they both look at each other curiously, their sizes matching.
Vinny is not so shy, with brothers in college, and a sister in junior high.
A favorite picture of Vinny shows him held by Kelsey near the Christmas tree
He stares adoringly. Months later, he has found his voice for MA MA MUM
Vinny is more impish, and you can tell by his delighted outburst at realizing he
is on Mom and Dad’s bed, not stuck in the crib, and the gleeful noise proclaims his delight.
Both boys are becoming adept at maneuvering around.
First crawls can be seen with serious focus at first, then a growing smile,
and when they catch Mom or Dad watching, it is sudden hilarity.
Even without words, it is so much fun and such a joke to gain more territory.
By Nancy Ann Smith, Poetry Marathon #11, June 25, 2022
She is not far from the ground
but cannot feel her roots attached
She bears the most exquisite fruit
but feels like her seeds fall on
parched soil.
When the dinosaur awoke, they were still there.
Hour- 11
The eternal lamp of your expression has lit
The world has become illumined
are you leaving the aroma from your lips
Fragrant all-around fizz
The voice of birds sitting silent echoed
are you chuckling
Many pearls fall from the clouds
In between your brims
As if Small buds have bloomed
many chirping instruments
have been played
New Melodies emerged
Just by your one expression
The world has danced
Just by your one emotion
it is you glowing.
Aditi Dixit