Archive for May 2013

Down

May 31, 2013

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Down

Sadness roosts on me,
brooding over
my ears; feathers, the stiff kind, tasting
of poke and copper and more dust
than a shaft of light could ever hope
to carry.
Eyes reach
for the motes
in their rafter downdrift
as if brilliance were
something that could be held
in dust, as if one might, in turn,
catch hold of it, as if it would still shine, caught.

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Here’s a draft poem inspired by Victoria Slotto’s prompt on synesthesia at dVerse Poets Pub (Meeting the Bar), though, honestly, I don’t think I’ve at all displayed any synesthesia (confused senses) here, just confusion.

Favorite Book (Poem) (With Elephants)

May 30, 2013

At The End of National Poetry Month

Favorite Book

The page was a palm
on heart’s forehead, a familiar bed,
sheet rumpled to my shape, spine
drawing a line
against the banged slam
of demand, flared inhalation
of expectation, the vacuum cleaner
that sucked up every crumb. The words,
like an animal that mothers the misplaced young,
kept me as their own.

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Here’s a short poem written for a With Real Toads prompt by the stiletto-sharp Mama Zen about a safe place. The challenge required a poem, I think, of 53 words or less. (This qualifies without the title.) And guess what–with the title, it’s 55 – so I’d ask you to also tell the G-Man.

(I’m not sure that the pic really goes with the poem, but I like the pic.  Here’s another one – also not quite right for the poem but also one I kind of like.  As always, all rights reserved.)

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Murder mysteries?

May 28, 2013

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I have lately been reading a lot of murder mysteries. Or at least some mysteries. With murders.

Did the elephant do it???

I am posting from mobile devices lately so can’t be sure that pictures are posting properly so posting a smaller version below.

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Strange, But Impressive, Sights Seen From Plane Window

May 27, 2013

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Here’s a strange sight I drew when looking out a plane window yesterday evening. Couldn’t quite catch it with my phone camera.

For those interested, the original drawing, scanned, is below. (I sometimes am not sure whether I improve these things with the photo app enhancements.) Feedback appreciated.

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PS – I have had to post from mobile devices these days (when posting). I find that pictures do not always load properly, but if you click on the picture, you should be able to see it, if interested. Thanks!

Shades of Grass

May 26, 2013

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Twilit

May 23, 2013

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Twilit

She longed for days of pluck and dapple
when mind shucked off Eve’s bite of apple
and consequences were but a rind
uncurled upon a platter fine
(which turned out to be a plate of moon
sleeved in porcelain for the afternoon).

But care malingered, with its pal, woe,
smuggling in the status quo;
though fingers on her forehead would
smooth what tangled up the good–
tuck hair, slow pace, scent sweet her wrist–
a fist-tanged cramp marked every twist.

And twist she must, and twist time did
till wrung thin as a katydid,
she broadcast to the high-shelved moon
a wheedle-pitched bowlegged tune,
that braised the eve in plaintive call
bemoaning both night and human fall.

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Here’s a belated draft poem for With Real Toads
for a prompt involving list words imagined by the wonderful Kerry O’Connor, the list of words supplied by yours truly, Manicddaily. It’s belated and a draft as I’ve had a very busy couple of days. I’m not a huge fan of writing poems from list, but everyone’s I’ve seen have been wonderful, and I enjoyed the exercise also. Check out the wonderful poets at With Real Toads.

Beyond Imagining (Oklahoma Tornado)

May 21, 2013

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I don’t have a TV so have not been able to see much video coverage of the Oklahoma tornado. It seems just beyond conception, at least my conception. Thoughts, prayers, go to everyone out there.

Raising Rocks (and Reptiles)

May 19, 2013

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Thumbsplitter (Update)

May 18, 2013

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The above, believe it of not, is supposed to be a mantis shrimp (a super-violent shrimp–for a shrimp)–confronting a very brave dog and elephant.

The mantis shrimp, known also as the thumbsplitter, is not actually a shrimp. It does, however, has both a super-aggressive personality and a little hammer claw which is supposed to hit like a low-caliber bullet.

I have not run into any mantis shrimp, but I am FINALLY beginning to work on one of my old novel manuscripts. It’s taken a lot of time for me to get down to it, and much of that time is spent worrying about blogging and poetry, I really miss the blogging community. I miss the daily engagement both with fellow bloggers and with a short doable piece or prompt. But I am also acutely aware that I can’t at the moment “have it all” = if I were to spend my free time blogging and poeticising (even a short poem), I would have little time or energy to deal with my “novels”.

So, I’m a bit miserable. I feel like I am confronting one of these nasty thumbsplitters. (Worst of all, the irritable shrimp is myself!)

But I am getting down to work at last on a few other projects. We’ll see how long it lasts!

Horri-bingers of Spring (Flash 55)

May 16, 2013

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Horri-bingers of Spring

Fleck on neck–speck you expect
is just dang skin playing tricks on you–
new mole that close shows
itssier-than-spider legs.
Crawled through spring’s
awakening, dropped
from greening limbs, it wants truly
to suck your blood
but without benefit
of HBO–
Ixodes dammini–damn
Ixodes – it’s not fed
for months; finds you,
dear.

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This ditty to the deer tick (spreader of Lyme’s Disease) was written for ironic Isadore Gruye’s prompt on With Real Toads that lookd at the underside of spring, and also -early!–for the G-Man. (Fifty-five, without the title, little red-black seeds–wait, those aren’t seeds–)

Deer ticks are horrible–may they never alight on you.

I’ve edited since posting– reference to HBO is meant to refer to True Blood series – I confess to having read the books but not seen the series – so perhaps should be “without benefit of Charlaine Harris.” Sookie Stackhouse, I guess, I am not.