The Poetry Marathon

Eneke the bird

African myths have many stories of birds loving rest time
Loving the taste of worms and insects, and coming down for them.
Eneke the bird has learnt to do the extraordinary

“Eneke the bird says that since men have learned to shoot without missing, he has learned to fly without perching”. Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart.
Long ago in the African kingdom, the birds were commoners, easy sports for hunters
Their little ones served as snacks for bigger animals of the sky. The young and able-bodied were snacks for men. The ones that managed it into old age were left with many dead relatives, struggling to navigate life.

Now there is no room for sloppiness
The bird has learned to soar the air, knowing not to perch
The bird has learnt to remain on the move explore the sky more and leave land for men

Hour 21 – Running

Running

Running late
Grabbing a coffee
And my keys
I head out the door
Without my lunch

Running copies
The machine jams
All my efforts to fix it
Are in vain
No math paper for
my kids today

Running my mouth
I reveal a secret
About a fellow teacher
My cheeks grow red
As she walks past our lunch table

Running errands
Prescriptions
The post office
Dropping off donations
Looks like fast food again tonight

I want time to sit
Enjoy the seasons
Read a book
But I find myself always running

Prompt 21 – Lion Hunting

Image Courtesy of Pixabay

(When I’m this tired, I usually only have strength for a Haiku, lol!)

 

Running to my home,

I saw a lion hunting,

Heart still pounding, running…

Antoinette LeRoux © 2023

Hour 21-Duke Dissatisfied

Duke has grown bored.

His weird parents

playing at their computers

for 20 hours plus.

He goes from one room to the other.

Inside then out,

outside, then in.

Running, jumping, sleeping

Begging for morsels

Begging for meals

Begging just to beg.

I danced with him.

He wasn’t amused.

I gave him superior rubbies,

he bit me.

He is getting older, cantankerous.

Much like his human father.

He knows this ritual happens every year,

but he lets me know,

this is unacceptable behavior.

A continuation will not be tolerated.

A cat has needs, the most important of which-

he is more important than any poem.

 

Running

Running a house

running up bills

running up time

running for trains

running a temperature

running a race

running for joy

running for office

running for your life

running their lives

running my life

when does it stop?

Just running ….

 

Hour 21 – Almost There

Running

toward the light

at the end of the

poetry tunnel

never ending prompts

(it seems)

push me closer

to the finish line

drooping eyes

muddled brain

tired, cramped fingers

I’m not giving up

I have to reach the

finish line

until then I will keep on

running

Prompt #21

Running

scared, scarred beyond

recognition, the old dog

weaves miraculously through

the traffic to the other

side of the road.

 

Only then do I realize

I have been holding my breath

and come to a complete stop,

engine running.

23~7

when lovers leave

sometimes you cry

(but you don’t know why)

you cried before they left

 

they see you cry

when lovers leave

they do not care

running away so happily

 

you watch them go

reaching out

when lovers leave

your hand alone floating

 

sometimes you sigh

(but you don’t know why)

you feel so relieved

when lovers leave

21 Keep the Running

Running a marathon,

poems—not miles–

watch out for the potholes,

the detours,

and dogs—yes, dogs too;

vicious little yappers,

ankle nipping

confidence grabbers,

that tell you you’re not gonna make it through–

Listen, this is what you are gonna do:

Grab that pen, and high jump for the sky;

Paper stamped, and flying by,

and when the 24 have turned,

Wear your ‘I did it!’ button

that you’ve earned.

Just. Keep. Running.

Running Almost Empty

Running almost empty
forgot my password

panicked need to finish

then I remembered it

wrote a poem so quick

so not to forget it

like my energy time is running