Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ category

Fall (2016)

April 3, 2017

Fall (2016)

There were
no apples.
Last year, the flies were boozy
with the glut;
but in this season, the flies made do
with dust, woozing only
about silled windowpanes.

Mounding the apples
was more fun,
though we should not have picked
so many–when they oozed, we tossed
some back, as if  in recompense, as if to defend
the orchard against all dearth,
as if apples could help
with such things.

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Poem for Magali’s prompt on Real Toads to write of fruit stillborn (or other things) in the face of climate change.  For April.  (Not sure if I’m doing a poem a day, but will see.)  Pic is not exactly apple pic, but a recent one of mine–all rights reserved.

I’m sorry to be late reciprocating visits; will get there!

Trappist-1 (I Won’t Even Look Across the River)

April 2, 2017

Trappist-1 (I Won’t Even Look Across the River)

No ship will be big enough
to take us all.

As for me, if I’m in the vicinity
of Washington, D.C.
I’ll lie face down
upon the ground at Arlington,
among blades worn
by those whose wars
are done,

just listening
to that grass grow.

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55 for Kerry O’Connor’s prompt on Real Toads.

Process Note – Trappist-1 is a new planetary system recently discovered by NASA astronomers, with planets that may be inhabitable by humans.  (Rendering above, such as it is, is mine.)

Arlington is the U.S. national military cemetery, located just across the Potomac from the national mall in Washington, D.C., a place where U.S. veterans and spouses have been buried since the Civil War.

Where are we going? (charcoal)

April 1, 2017

“Where are we going?”, charcoal on paper, March 2017, all rights reserved.  Posted for Brendan’s prompt on real toads about fools.

By the Sea, Charcoal.

March 28, 2017

Charcoal on paper by Karin Gustafson, all rights reserved.

Seeing Stars, Charcoal 

March 27, 2017


Work on paper, March 2017, all rights reserved.  Karin Gustafson.

Another Drawing, March 2017

March 20, 2017

Birds, girl, charcoal on paper, all rights reserved. 

Drawing on home in time of refugees

March 19, 2017

Hey All!

I have not felt much like writing poetry in the last few months, but here is a drawing in pencil that I post in response to Brendan’s challenge on Real Toads to write, among other things, of home in a time of refugees.

Thanks. k.

ps –all rights (such as they are) reserved.

 

To the Moon, 4 a.m.

February 19, 2017

To the Moon, 4 a.m.

I thought I was the only one up,
but there you were, turning the kitchen windows
into blue stairwells.

My eyes climbed to the surprise
of your brightness, a not-quite-sphere of light that redeemed
this whole muddled night,
the unexpected that was exactly
as it should be,
for which I thank you,
(for which I thank you.)

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A poem for Kerry O’Connor’s moon micro poetry challenge on real toads.

Another version for those interested.
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To the Moon, 4 a.m.

I thought I was the only one up,
but there you were, turning the kitchen windows
into blue stairwells.

My eyes climbed to the surprise
of your brightness–a not-near-sphere of light that redeemed
this muddled night, its inconstancy
as reliable as the breath, or death, a circle not
wholly seen.

 

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Pic is mine; all rights reserved.  Thanks so much for stopping by. 

 

No Wall – Tourists in Berlin, ’65

February 12, 2017

No Wall – Tourists in Berlin, ’65

The wall was made of riddled cinder block with barbed wire atop;
my parents bought me
a pipecleaner-bodied doll in a dark felt
uniform, supposed to be
a border guard, his nose incongruously
round, his eyes incongruously
googly, the ones we saw shadowed
about the eyes, at least so they seemed
at the checkpoints.

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Draft 55-word poem for Marian’s prompt about a wall, posted belatedly to Real Toads.  Pic (such as it is) is  mine.

1984/2017 Poem

February 5, 2017

1984/2017 Poem

My fear too
would be rats.

I can’t even write
of the pinkish paws, bucked gnaws–

Oh, Christ, what is happening
to my country?

What cage are we locking
ourselves into, what mask is strapped about
our temples

so that even as we cannot
look away
we cannot save
ourselves.

That type
of mask.

 
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55 word poem (minus the numbers) for Kerry’s prompt on Real Toads; prompt based (if desired) on George Orwell’s 1984, specifically Winston’s greatest fear. Graphic is mine; all rights reserved for it and poem.