The second of my collections of poems written for "Express It In Eight." |
As usual these days, I choose blog format because it offers more space for the work. |
Pumpkin Complaint It’s not that I object about being disturbed in my slumber, but heartlessly you tear from me my children without number, carve others’ horrid faces on my ravaged, trepanned head, and leave me on your cursèd porch, empty, soulless, dead. Line count: 8 Rhymed abcb For Express It In Eight, 10.31.24 Prompt: Write a poem about a pumpkin with attitude. |
Jovial Jovial Sir John Falstaff, rotund and jolly fellow, made many a ribald gaffe in reverberating bellow. Good friend of bold Prince Hal, he entertained with jokes. Though sometimes he was mal, yet John remained a bloke. Line count: 8 Rhymed abab For Express It In Eight, 10.30.24 Prompt: Write a jovial poem. Notes: Say “jovial” to me and I think immediately of Falstaff. The word “mal” is South African slang for a crazy man and is the only rhyme for Hal, I think. Henry V was known in his younger days as Prince Hal. |
Foggy Day The fog hangs motionless the world softened by its touch and grey the only palette as secret we swim in the swirls. A wan sun glows in the gloom and speaks to the pallid air of mystery and peace strange mixture of comfort. Line count: 8 Free verse For Express It In Eight, 10.29.24 Prompt: Write a pale poem. |
Wheels High in the clear blue atmosphere, beyond the cares of earth, the falcon rides the wind. Up where the air is thin, he wheels and turns in wait for fate to choose his time. He stoops to conquer, his prey decided. Line count: 8 Free verse For Express It In Eight, 10.28.24 Prompt: Wheels. |
Doppelganger The opposite of me so carefree would be, talented and arty, the life of the party, a great public speaker, publicity seeker; but, in reality, I’d rather be me. Line count: 8 Rhymed aabb For Express It In Eight, 10.27.24 Prompt: Write a poem about opposites. |
Mattress This cheap old mattress has to go, its tired faults too well I know; its lumpy landscape hurts my back, as though it wants to be a rack. At night it makes me toss and turn, for softer places I do yearn; it leaves me raggèd and dark eyed, the chilly morn sleepless to bide. Line count: 8 Rhymed aabb For Express It In Eight, 10.26.24 Prompt: Write a lumpy poem. |
Atacama The Atacama Desert where rain has never fallen and life depends on dew from the nightly sea fog. Typical desert caused by a cold current offshore land warmed by the sun no clouds today. Line count: 8 Free verse For Express It In Eight, 10.25.24 Prompt: Write a poem about a natural phenomenon. |
Tidy Your Room! Messiness and clutter hand in hand in adolescence carefree and loose they trip their innocent light Life in patience waits confident in the knowledge that freedom tires and dies in adulthood. Line count: 8 Free verse For Express It In Eight, 10.24.24 Prompt: Messiness and clutter. |
Clarification The reason for it is simple, it’s no bigger than a pimple and not as complicated as you have implicated. The truth behind its being, as much of you are seeing, is plain a facial feature and why we come to meet here. Line count: 8 Rhymed aabb For Express It In Eight, 10.23.24 Prompt: Write a clarifying poem. |
Dark Steps Dark steps in the midnight bedroom, bathrobe donned by feel, slippered shuffle down the hallway, blessèd relief at the throne. Lingering at the waking ‘puter, feeding the digital habit, one last sip at the patient soda, and back to bed for an hour or two. Line count: 8 Free verse For Express It In Eight, 10.22.24 Prompt: Dark steps. |