April 12, 2017 Poets United Midweek Motif / To Write a Poem

TO WRITE A POEM

 the hand crawls across the white page       clutching the pen                  making marks

dainty loops                                         grand flourishes and such         recording thoughts

which change by the moment      like catching goldfish in your hand          they can easily slip away

the hand enters a world unknown        like a journey into snow                 white surrounds the hand

visibility low                            those who would take this journey       would do so at their own peril

                                                           

contour lines become visible                thick and thin                              like the scratches of the pen

fill the page                                          with abstract arabesque forms     create words

ink on paper                                        thoughts made visible               some based on memory

some on imagination                            some simply words                   cobbled together         

danger lurks                                         for months after           hundreds of bodies washed ashore      

wholesale murder                                 on the high seas                it takes courage to write a poem

April 11, 2017

April 9, 2017 The Sunday Whirl #294 -- Sunday's Whirligig #106 --Poets United Poets Pantry / Sundays at the Beach

SUNDAYS AT THE BEACH

the cupboard is bare                 no way to undo the past           an impressionist’s scene

full of memories                      sundays at the beach                 collecting shells                       

each one unique                       cream                                       pink to pearly white

the shore like a desert               yet, waves roll in                      crash and then back to sea

the sun beats down                   we draw lines in the sand         the sound of a flute                 

floats on the wind                    girls in trim bathing suits          grin for photos

the old album full                    of photographs                         turning yellow

curling at the corners                we ran into the sea                   panting

we remember that day              as if it was yesterday                 names hard to recall

on that day                               a little boy drown                     no one knew what happened

at noon we built a fire              roasted hot dogs                       waited to see

April 9, 2017

April 6, 2017 Poets United Midweek Motif/April

April

the fourth month                      of the year                                each year it seems new

unpredictable                           the temperature rises                balmy days disappear

fruit trees begin to bud             new green everywhere              colorful crocus appear

clouds gather on the horizons       dark and grey                       storms bring snow

winter again                             hat and gloves                          get your coat

hibernate a little longer             stoke the fire in the fireplace    dream of summer

April 6, 2017