The Poetry Marathon

Hour 19: Inimitable

Inimitable

not by design

but by my twistings

like a leaf in the wind

turning on a dime

the details are unimportant 

would you be changed by knowing 

that I’ve had 2 eggs, veggies and toast for breakfast for too many months to recall

Or how many sit-ups I did yesterday

(I don’t count)

Nothing

 

I have a small aspirational mountain of books beside my bed

A notebook of half-written songs

And fingers that are learning to walk

The sharps and flats of piano keys and guitar strings

 

You would do better to know

That I believe in humanity

After having been disappointed, 

And on occasion, sorely

By both those I have seen as community

And the structures that were never built to hold them

 

That I believe in you and your magic

even when you don’t want me to

and when it kinda annoys you to have someone in your corner

(Hour 7 of 24) “mask”

This dreadful disease,

Upending life far and wide.

Knowing no borders,

Running amok everywhere.

The cost to humankind immeasurable.

Lives lost, debilitating health,

Economies grinding to a standstill.

A world upturned.

 

I am thankful for my mask.

Protecting not just me.

But keeping everyone else safe.

And hiding my anonymity.

For though I look like I am from there,

I was born in Woodsville,

Not Wuhan.

Please do not hate me.

 

© 2021 S Phua

Fallen Moon

Through a tick of the clock

I carry a sac of boredom through the night

I take steps to seek a convo with the stars

But the moon has fallen earlier than

 

I whistle fears into the atmosphere

And feast on the chatters of night birds and fireflies

It’s a no fear zone

When the moon falls at night

It’s a fear zone

When the sun falls at night

---

 

Self Portrait (Hour 19)

Walking at night Prompt 20

Its cooler at night
the moon shines like the sun

the darkness
rocks me to relaxation

holding me like sleep

I walk aware
of my surroundings
even in darkness
I keep my distance from strangers

no sound
but nature songs
in a trancelike state
I let go

silencing my mind
to just be one
for once
with the darkness
around me

Walking under the stars

Walking under the midnight stars

Invisible paths and many scars

Rope-like creatures lurk around

Crickets and flies all abound

Moonlight watches overhead

Stars peep under the ocean

Eyes on the road ahead

Soon we will be in bed

Chirality- hour 20

Look at leaves closely:

They reflect light, perspire, respire; each of them exacerbate the human condition –

They can’t act selfish or foolish, ruthless or naive, as each of these little things continue to gift

Look at leaves closely:

Sometimes they are smaller than the palm of the human child-

Tangibly tender, away from profanities of existence that populate the realm

Look at leaves closely:

They mimic the humane effect inordinately . And we remain as mirror-images, forever incapable of superimposing our ethos on them.

Petrichor

The blood of Stones
Heavy after first rains
Geomins
Musky
Earthy
Wet
Raindrops kicking stress levels
Alchemy for the soul

hour 20 shadow steps

we would play kick the can under yard lights

on summer nights when city kids would be filling cars

to drive to hill tops to find themselves

by city lights

in the eyes of partners too shy to say no

 

we’d hide in lilac bushes

just past blooming

but still fragrant somehow,

waiting til shadows passed

to run to the coffee can

under the light

so we wouldn’t have to be “it”

 

i’d hold my breath

always

before i ran

as if this was more about life and death

and less about killing time in places where

we only piled in truck beds to help neighbors hay,

leaving passions to the city kids

who had time for such things

cuz we were too busy

holding our breaths before running for home.

r. l. elke

Always Have The Night

The darkness welcomes me
wraps like a cloak
around me
The stars shine high above
a whisper through the
thrilling dark
Small burning embers
from so far away

The moon is my conscious
placing every careful
guided step
The wind my shadow
chasing me, ahead of
me again
A dance I’ll always
cherish and remember

The morning just a little
ways away from me
now
The surrender, a plea to
enemies and occasional
friends
Truce is sometimes called
but always ignored

The world is asleep
as I wake and walk
tonight
The dreams they see
are lost to me
again
But I shall always
have the night