\"Writing.Com
*Magnify*
SPONSORED LINKS
Printed from https://shop.writing.com/main/campfires/item_id/722499-A-Poem-A-Week-Campfire-I
Image Protector
Rated: 18+ · Campfire Creative · Poetry · Writing · #722499
Extinguished After 4 Great Years and 121 entries of Writing Poetry!
[Introduction]
The premise of this campfire s simple.

In it you write a poem using a word given to you by the person writing before you. It can be a short haiku or a longer poem, rhyming or not whatever you want, just make it poetic.

If your poem isn't in after 48 hours, change that to a week, I'll skip so don't get your feelings hurt.

This will move at least once a month, I promise. Unless I forget, then you can feel free to nag me about it, but I'll do my best to remember. And if I can't think of anything in a week, I'll even skip myself.

Thanks to The Milkman Author Icon for agreeing to be in it and for GENEROUSLY sharing his idea.


Remember to not get your feelings hurt if and when you are skipped in this and everything will be fine and hopefully you will have fun!

Thanks for being in it!

Note: If you forget to give the next camper a word, I'll supply it or if I don't remember to do that - supply your own word!



Swirling Dream

Diminishing wind sweeps through the vast expance of my heart
Echoing voice, love, but a memory too distant to touch
Speaking words that confuse and blind in their profusion
Beyond my reach, mind swirls in absolute delusion

Conquering storm rages through the emptiness tonight
Whispering song, love, but not within my grasp
Flying away before bringing to a resolution
Ethereal vision, broken dream, all too soon shattered illusion


Your word is enchant
Past Member 'chuckster'
If all those pretty young charms
Which I can see most everyday
Were about to rub off on my shoulders and arms
On my clothes I washed today

You would still be cherished with my usual zeal
My woman, my companion, my own
But I'll withhold the emotions I feel
and love you, but leave you alone

It's not that you ENCHANT me less
Or your smile uncommonly gay
For yours is fascinating, I honestly confess
It's one of many reasons why I love you that way


your next word is ...Marriage
A Non-Existent User
Marriage is for two people in love to join at the
Altar and exchange vows in God's name.
Respect each other as friends and enjoy
Romantic times together, along with
Intimate moments of ecstasy.
Adore each other before you become
Groom and bride; live as husband and wife for
Evermore.


Next word is compromise
We are stubborn,
set in our ways,
so friends say
but we know how to
fight fair and when
to quit before
tears come.

You've taught me,
you greedy beast,
how to compromise,
at long last,
you, you timeless hag
called "experience"
finally gives and not
just takes.

Your word is "Ancient."

I am trapped inside
this ancient wreck of a body -
old before my time,
robbed of so much,
feeling betrayed.

My bones ache in firey pain,
though to be honest
my heart hurts more,
yearning for simple things
so many take for granted -
         running through a field
         dancing the night away
         living with abandon
                   without fear ...

I am trapped inside
this ancient wreck -
seeking peace

and acceptance.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Your word is "imagination"
A Non-Existent User
There's a voice in my mind,
But who is it; Let me see;
I hear it all the time,
Always, it is with me.

I hear it talking loudly,
But never right to me;
It seems to feel quite proudly,
I have no control of thee.

Fleeting whispers floating,
On back burners of my brain;
Threaten to boil over;
The whispers turn to rain.

Finally! It's before me,
Whispering my name;
And I'm allowed to finally see,
But alas, it's not the same.

This thing I thought was so true,
Contagious Anticipation;
I realize I did misconstrue,
My own imagination.

Your word is verdant


The rock sat in its grassy place
As latent chill of night gave way
To sunshine's warmth. The light of day
Began conducting, in their grace,
The shadows' dance, accompanied by
The happy chants of birds on wing
(As those who fly are wont to sing)
And boughs where dew had yet to dry.

So I surveyed the verdant stage
(An audience, it seemed, of one)
Until the blank and glowing page
Of this new day had well begun.

Your word is twilight
twilight
dreams of you and
times spent together as
we sought-- reaching for those stars to
call ours...

Ours

This was our struggle.
We fought against the waves
of sorrow, that so often conquer.
I sacrificed my pain,
a burnt offering on the flame
of my sincerity.
One flame was not enough.
You were not there.
Today I reach out, to grasp
your hand, for I know
this is our struggle.
But it is too much for
your dwindling patience.
You are tired of fighting.
This battle is no longer
Ours.

Mystic
Mystic


The power of love, for centuries, a mystic
for centuries more it'll remain unchanged.
No man ever has been without the mysticism of love
No woman will ever reveal she knows its secret.

They say that only fools fall in love, can this be true,
for every man couldn't have lost his mind to this emotion.
Wouldn't fools also include the opposite of man; the woman,
or is this only the surface or the mysterious feeling?

The power of love, for centuries, a mystic
may its secrets escape the cloud of the unknown.
this man; a fool, has been entwined in the chains of love
may the woman of my life show some of what she knows.

The next word is "Emotion"
Past Member 'chuckster'
Now I feel so fine
Cuz I'm love sick blind
But it's up to you
I promise I'll be true

My emotion is high enough
I'll be ready to call your bluff
Won't be watching no Ricki Lake
Or listing to a Garth Brooks Tape

My heart won't stray
It's my soul I pay
Put your pride on the shelf
I can't make it by myself

I've fooled around for years
In the bars at dockside piers
I'll never hug another skank
I recall that was fun
You can send me off to a foreign land
or shoot me with a gun.

Your next word is "Whispering"



A Non-Existent User
Your voice whispering
loving words in my ear
sends my mind
elsewhere but here.
Your whispering puts me
in a state of mind
that no other man can do.
I'm happy you are mine -
I love you.

Your word is HOT


Warm summer nights
warmer mornings
we shift through heat waves
the shimmering walls before us.
Longing for winter's kiss
snow and cold
escape from this
swollen summer.

Your word is Crimson

We watched the sun go down
behind the highest peak,
arguing about
what color the sky was -

I said crimson,
you said purplish-red
and there was no way
I could convince you
that's what crimson was.

So I kissed your wine stained lips
that looked just like the sky
and you said
"You win."


Your word is possibility
A Non-Existent User
A newborn babys very first breath,
He was born against the odds;
This baby barely defied death,
As joyous parents sobbed.

His mother had always smoked,
His dad had vices too;
Together they selfishly toked,
To keep from feeling blue.

Their tiny baby, he was grey,
His lungs not strong enough;
But if he could, he then would say,
I'm too young and this is tough.

The minutes turned to hours,
His health just would not do;
He never seemed to flower,
Still skin an ashen hue.

"There is a possibility",
The doctor came to say;
"Death's in your son's vicinity,
To save him, there's no way."

"No, oh no, what have we done?"
His parents loudly cried;
To do this to our only son,
We both deserve to die.

Let this be a lesson heard,
On why it's safe to say;
You must be dafter than a bird,
To do your child this way.


Your word is Venerate








Slowly twirling the leafy stem,
the petal pinwheel spun as she watched, entranced;
until the whirling circle turned a blur.

Thus, she almost missed the spectacle
as morning glories stretched their hands
to venerate the light and life
of a blank new day, but rose to greet
her garden when the friendly rays
warmed her spine,
cajoling her out of her swoon.
*********************************************


Your word is "celebrate"

Celebrate

*Star* *Star* *Star* *Star* *Star*

Tonight the stars outside
breathe the cold air like a charm
to ward off laughter.
But we will not be chilled.
Our breath makes fragile nets,
ghostly white,
in the darkness,
catching us all in the exhilaration
of the late hour, and voices
creating a circle of brightness
around the warm table
of a coffeehouse,
the scent of hazelnut lattes
and chai tea
smelling like friendship.
But it is those familiar eyes
smiling across at me
that hold the celebration,
the sparkle that makes the
moonlight weave dreams
in the shadows at our feet,
walking home
in the night.

****************************

Your word is Opaque.
The meaning of this verse,
Is hidden from my eyes,
No matter how I thirst,
I can't get the prize.

I've tried it all ways,
Up,down even inside out,
I've read it and re-read it twice
Until my mind it shouts.

I almost had it beaten,
At about half past three
Due in part I fancy
to an extra cup of tea



Once more,
As I sit,
close to day of break
only one question left,
Why is meaning, so opaque

The next word..... lesson
Each New day shines bright
With a lesson to be learned
Will it be taught well?


Next word: Integrity
Wondering Why

Piercing day to day existence
Despite determined resistance
Wounded to the depths, my ragged soul
So lost without you, out of control

Was it all just a moment's game?
Nothing true, nothing quite the same
In my dreams you rush to me once more
No anger, desperately love adored

Ocean scenery, change of plan
Stubborn anger, hurried command
Lighthouse beckons heart to try anon
Don't tempt me with your traitorous song!

Your word is Crescent
Past Member 'chuckster'
Dreams under a crescent moon
adrift in time
how could I be lonely
beneath this quilt of stars

Where beauty prevails
In awe we hail
the spender
of his creation


The next word is ~SPIRAL~
A Non-Existent User
To the depth of the sky so bright
I gaze upon the spiral galaxy and
find my precious star in flight.
I wish I may, I wish I might,
forever have the feeling
of this beautiful night.

Finger blindly to dictionary: fare-thee-well
"Fare-thee-well" the bugle called
in taps and stately measure
marched off alone
one misty morn
amid the bagpipes playing
Amazing Grace to bid
adieu among the lonesome
falling
remember him that died in grace
lost among the fallen.

(For 9/11)

Your word is "Crystal."

A Haiku

Crystal blue ocean,
ultimate source of all - you
captivate my soul.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Your word is dance.
A Non-Existent User
A hip hop beat
a hard rock tune
can move the feet
and make one swoon.

The slowest song
the fastest pace
with friends among
the dance rat race.

So move those hips
and clap those hands
and hurl your tips
to those cool bands.

The next word is: Yen

I have a yen to see a show,
kabuki would be nice.
But since I'll need a yen and more,
a movie will suffice.

****************************************

Your word is almond
Almond cookies

I can still remember
the distinctive scent of
baking cookies in the
cluttered kitchen;
the particular joy of
laughing with you
as you watched me,
flour in my hair,
breaking eggs into the bowl,
pouring in milk,
letting you sample
the leftover almonds
as they baked in the oven.
There was warmth there,
and there was sweetness.
But it is a recipie
that I have never
been able to duplicate
by myself.

*********

Your word is: selfish
What do you mean,
Telling me to stop.
After all,
I've only just started,
And a girl just has to shop.

It really was a bargin
Honest it's true,
And when,
You see sense
I know you'll think so too

Selfish,
What a thing to say
And for that
Here's the bill
I'll make you pay


The next word is intention
My reviews all have a good intention
Most have been taken in that way
There are some, however, I don't mention
So I just throw them away

One I just received
Threw me for a loop
I'll get my thoughts together
And regroup

Most writers accept critcism
With a grain of salt
I'm only trying to help
It's not my fault

Your next word: sympathize
Oh someone forgot to leave me a word for the poem...so forgive me if I improvise please. I shall take a word from the previous poem and use it.


Word: Passions



Buried deeply within my soul,
Lies a secret that is centuries old.
An ancient battle since days long ago,
Of smoldering love and passions untold.
A fight for lust and intimate desire,
And of burning embers from love's fire.
A war lost and won from mythical times on,
In my lover's arms all my reservations are gone
I'm carried away to a paradise of sin,
And I drift along on the pleasures hiding within.
Passions erupt and enflame my soul,
Consuming me and taking me whole.


The next word is courage
Courage

Shattered dreams...
million pieces of the love
you thought you knew so well.

Broken promises...
words that he never meant
to keep, but you held onto.

My love...
is so much different
for I'm nothing without you.

My courage...
I'll be your strength,
I'll be the mighty protector.


The Next word is Blueberry
Past Member 'chuckster'
What's inside a BLUEBERRY Pie?
Could it be something unique and uncommonly new
It would be so scary if you found a strawberry
That was buried under a cherry or two!


The next word is: ~HOSTESS~
A Non-Existent User

Hostess Cupcake

I'm up late as usual,
writing the contest newsletter,
I'll be dead-dog tired tomorrow,
but, I'm an adult, I should know better.

I think I'll treat myself,
to something sweet and delicious.
How about a Hostess Cupcake!
She is soooo vicious!

Ohhhh, the creamy filling inside,
fulfills my muse's fantasy.
The smile on my face I can't hide,
just look at me, don't you see?

I love my Hostess Cupcake,
she made my sweet tooth happy,
but, the second I dare not take,
my ass will be begging for mercy!

Next word: fancy
They stood on the shelf behind the glass
with pretty mouths that spoke of sass
but never actually said a word.
The fancy dolls were valued for their
lovely clothes and shiny hair,
and so to keep them, greatest care
was taken to keep dust away.
Only taken from the display
to be wiped clean, then put right back
to be admired above the stack
of mint condition postal cards.
The playhouse stood in the backyard
all full of battered, broken stuff;
the dented pots and bent up spoons,
rusted pans and old tea urns.
That was where the old things went,
and where the children loved to go
as soon as they could leave the room
where the fancy, silent dolls smiled
saucily from the shelf.
solace
~~~~~~~~~



Solace
Beckons as I
Sigh, seeking to feel the
Arms of this magical moonlit
Night's grace...




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

next word: Hope

Darkness
Shrouds in murky dank fog,
Vison like decision,
Taken from my grasp.
Voices shouting
Their fear into my mind
Each speaking it's own truth
While lying through its teeth.
Mind,
Desends down in confusion,
Almost believing the illusion,
I wait.
Then as if by chance I see,
A still small light
Burning in hope,
Guiding me

Next word:Essence
The twinkle of soft spun silver gold
Hung silently in the moon's silent light
Bright and brilliant in tens of millions
Planets called stars glowing in the essence of night
Twinkle little star, twinkle little light
Twinkle all night long, twinkle very bright


Your word is: Pumpkin!

Appomatox Autumn

Burnished hues of red and golden spendor
Color the winding path through the Blue Ridge
Confederate battlefields remembered
War's end at Appomatox surrender

Battlefields alive with booming canons
Behold victory's glorious garden
Brother against brother, sorrow of man
So many fallen we must understand

Follow tradition, our pumpkin to light
October's falling leaves find Virginia
Soldiers' ghosts admonish through the long night
Learn lessons, love each other, do what's right

Or doomed to travel our road, die is cast
Tears, grief and mourning, oh what was it for?
Time hurries by, new century at last
Condemned to repeat careless ways of the past



The next word is Hurricane
Past Member 'chuckster'
The brightness of the vesper stars
Oh in the western sky had lit
But the darkened clouds of the HURRICANE
Did indeed blanket over it!

I grabbed her waist and held her hand
and told her to be brave
For I was her protector, and with me
she would be saved!

A thunderous wind shook my lady's maiden form
Her eyes began to blink
Her heart beat rose above a hundred times
as she cried, "I think, I think, I think!"

"Oh, what do you think?" I sighed,
"Do you think the house will crack?"
"Oh no!" she yelled, "I believe I see a big
insect, crawling down your back."


The next word shall be >>>>OBEDIENT
A Non-Existent User

Obedient I shall be
To win my lover's heart
my pride must be free


The next word is Myriad

A shell with sand,
broken and frail,
loosely gathers meaning
belly up -- better to hold --
a cup to hold promises,
pearly sheen to relax
with the hint of the sea
on the morning breeze.
These things I tell you
so you can remember
or forget
the myriad ribbons
that bind meaning
to our days.


Your word is "illuminate."
..::Illuminate::..

The sun illuminates
the green curves, the rough bark
and jagged edges
of a tree,

and this evening
this setting sun
illuminates all my edges
whose roughness
I cannot help
but feel.



Your word is:Stain

Tears Stain
The pages remain
With me forever

As I look back
Keeping track
Of moments,precious
Spent in you
Holding on to life
As I held you
In tender embrace.

Moments, slipping away
Yet 'cos I keep them, here they stay
As time weather's the garden
Where we once
walked,entwined
In each other
A tree remains
A tree of friendship.

Your word is freedom
My back aches
Longing forfreedom from pain
I'm really hurting now
My tears fall like rain

Next word:holiday
Tis' the time to gather round
With dear ones far and near.
To laugh and cry, to eat too much
And sometimes shed a tear.

No matter what the holiday,
We gather to embrace;
It's the spirt that we join in
That brings warm hearts and grace.

Here's wishing all that love prevails,
And brings loved ones close in joy,
That the food is good and plentiful,
And that *Peace* be each persons special toy.

Your word is: Bliss
Everything and Nothing

To be the harbor from the raging storms
To keep your secrets safe and warm
To be the moon under the winter sky
To cherish you and keep you 'nigh

To be the sparkle in your twinkling smile
To keep you happy for a while
To be your beacon shining all night long
To dry your tears and make you strong

To be the best parent that I can be
To keep you safe while next to me
To be your home and give you balls to throw
To feed your mind and watch it grow

To be one you turn to when all is lost
To keep the faith, forget the cost
To be the stoic soul who calms your fears
To greet your triumphs with loud cheers

To be all things to you and none to me
To keep my dreams and want to flee
To be a mother, sister, wife and friend
To capture moments, never end

To be the one the fates blew with the wind
To keep one's soul and never sin
To be past dictates of generations
To reach my soul's destination

To be a failure ridiculed by all
To keep my head up, oh so tall
To be the one who rests and sleeps at last
To die in one cold bitter blast


Your word is: sleigh



Sleigh rides carry us to grandma's house.
Lighted decorations help us find our way to
Enjoy the holiday seasons with friends and family.
It is the reason for the season that brings us closer to our
God, he gave us the gift of His life so we cherish
His love and peace on earth.



The next word is: Holiday
Past Member 'chuckster'
So lovely to roam upon the evening light
From within the forest deep
and the HOLIDAY song of the carolers bright
hushes young infants to sleep

And the blanket of snow lies peacfully there
a shroud of white 'round chilly feet
The warming fire shines a glow inside and reddens
freckled cheeks

A Non-Existent User
Chosen word: rind


It's been the day from hell
chasing children and household chores
fighting crowds at the shopping mall
my back aches and my feet are sore.

I would love for you to pamper me
you won't regret being kind
refresh me with a cup of spiked tea
with a twist of lemon rind.

I'll slip into something comfortable
relax in front of the toasty fire
and patiently wait for your return
to melt into your warm desire.
Wahhh I have no word!

I'm picking the word "alabaster."


The graven images --
ruined promises in
marble and gold,
so tangled now in jungle vines --
hint at bliss so unexpected.

I could carve you here,
in whitest alabaster,
lips turned up in a
Mona Lisa smile,
smug and humble,
then take you to
Angkor Wat and pose you
amid the jungles of
Serim Reap.


Your word is "fragility."


The first snow begins to fall

hesitating ...

as if deciding whether or not
to make its December appearance -

then biting into my skin
with icy fragility
as I burrow my face
deep into your warm embrace.


Your word is "calamity."
calamity

Skating on the smoothest plane
and quickly sliding from end to end,
calamity struck for the star of the show.
As it melted away, its audience grinned.

The sizzling skater
imparted its flavor
to the acts that followed
in their turn swallowed
by eager viewers;
the corn consumers.

Your word is "string"

Remembering String

I was a child of the 20th century,
a woman of the new millenium.

But even I know, I remember
long before the intricacies
of complex technologies, and
cool distant expertise,
before I became efficient enough
to work without the luxury of
unworried lesiure...

genius was the simple delight
of two tin cans and a string
stretched between the two forts
built under the lilac bushes,
gossiping very wisely, as though
we were not only
a few feet apart.




Your word is: pickle *Laugh*
With foods of rich delight,
Set before me
I'm at a loss tonight
To begin to say
What beauty fair
Wins the way to my heart.

Dishes abound of succulent fare
Is it the cut
Or is it the hair
A morsel stays
Upon my tounge
Like touching Angels wings

As thoughts of you
enter my mind
I'm feeling somewhat fickle
To explain this feast
I'm lost in fact
I'm realy in a pickle

your word is Dance
I would love to Dance

But those days are gone from view

I would ask God for one more chance

To make my legs like new


Dance for me is a form of exercise

It makes me move around

Hearing my favorite music play

Makes my feet tap the ground


Alas, I can Dance no longer

My legs won't let me stand

There was a time when they were stronger

And I could keep up with the band


Your word is Seasons
No stars and no light,
In the middle of the deep night,
Midnight black clouds the people's sight
Of the forboding coming plight...
Endless dark hellish flight
From monsters ghoulish delights.
Flee, fast and furious, out of sight,
Go at once..tonight!


Your word: plunder
I cannot recall,
Being so quick to fall,
For a pirate whose job is to plunder.

But to see Johnny Depp,
In that movie? You bet!
It is completely his spell I'm now under :)


Your word: obsession


A Non-Existent User
Chocolate Obsession


Ooooo ohhhh
Big bubbling beautiful
Slippery silky smooth
Eat everything eaten
Slowly steadily sweeter
Savoring salty sensations
Intimate icy image
Okay only one
Not ‘nother Nestle.




Your word: primitive
A Non-Existent User
She's like a raging fire
no longer bright
a primitive star
losing it's light
dancing on her
fantasy cloud
The notes and music
raise her to the sky


She prays to a god
that doesn't reply
The emotions within
her slowly will die
Her faith collapse
and tears erased
She leaves this world
with ease and grace

next word valentine





A Non-Existent User
It's just about February,
Can you believe it!
Four months together,
wow, who would've thunk.
they said we'd never get past the dojo,
that we don't have enough in common
to get very far.
but, baby, we're still together,
and can laugh in all their faces.
I just have one question,
maybe you think it's odd, but,
I'm gonna ask anyway.
Darlin' would you please
be mine on that special day?
Would you be my
Valentine?


your word: apology
A Non-Existent User
This is my apology
For being late for this campfire
I hope you can forgive me
I've just been a little dire

Its all my fault
All my shame
I've been treated like an adult
It will not happen again.


The next word is destiny
Past Member 'zwisis'

Destiny

The day we are born our destiny we seek
On the unknown path that is life’s long road.
Turning around corners, down valleys and peaks
Our kismet, a gift God has upon us bestowed.

And as we grow and travel down that highway
Learning about love and laughter and pain,
We discover life’s adventure every single day
While setting those goals we’re so eager to gain.

Some of us take those dreams and desires
Move with them, working to make them come true.
Some of us know what our world requires
And for better or worse our destiny we pursue.

Still others think fate is just waiting for them
Not knowing, not caring that our destiny we make.
With little to praise, and so much to condemn
They know only pain and make many a mistake.

At the end of your road, will you look back with pride?
Proud that your kismet was the one that you faced?
Or will your life’s memories be something you hide?
And the path you walked filled with weeds of waste.

Next word: Memories

MEMORIES

She sits strapped in a chair,
To hold her body upright;
She dribbles on her chin
And doesn't know day from night.

Before you turn your head away,
Or laugh at her uncombed hair;
You have to know about the woman
Who really is sitting there.

This woman was a teacher,
A bright and shining star;
Making the world a better place,
You'd have to look quite far

To find anyone who loved so much
And with children shared her life;
A friend, a sister and a mother
Who with courage fought any strife.

She did what she could to help others,
Doing her very best to please;
It doesn't seem fair Alzheimers
Robbed her of her memories.

No, she doesn't remember the good times
And she has forgotten the bad;
But who among us can turn away now
From this woman who gave all she had?

She still needs someone to hold her,
She responds to a hug with a smile;
Speak gently when you are near her,
God will take her home in awhile.

Countrymom

next word: silently







The Heart Knows

Silently setting the tone
The heart knows no limits
Silently waiting, watching
The heart believes no promise

Silently raising the bar
The heart knows no boundaries
Silently, faithfully loving
The heart believes no lies

Silently moving onward
The heart knows no future
Silently resolutely hoping
The heart believes in nothing

Silently dying inside
The heart knows it's mate
Silently realizing the truth
The heart turns away



Your word is Thanks
Past Member 'chuckster'
I get no Thanks, remarked the cow, to the hen who upon her eggs did lay.
You know, it's sad for I'm good for nearly four quarts a day.

I'm a fool to do it, for what do I get?
A barn, and a stall, Oh my!

But the dog gets that, and he's just a household pet and hasn't given a single pint yet.
Not even when milk prices are high!


The next word is Homunculus..(No only kidding)

Next Word: Fabric
A Non-Existent User


He was a weekend freak show
for the Shrine Circus act,
everyone knew him as Joe
three-foot-two and hunchback.

Homunculus had a heart of gold
he cherished the fabric of life,
opinions were still stone cold
in spite, he played music with a fife.

He inherited a lot of loot
got married to the town sleazeball,
he was a sex machine to boot
but, he was simply to small!


Your word: demimonde
Turn away and pretend
to pick up threads of
normalacy or lace,
ignore the dollars traded
and sly looks
the things you
pretend to know.

The demimonde we are,
to the polite,
to shrill ladies in
creased blouses
who don't see
we're more honest,
more free
we trade in dollars
what they trade
for dreams.



Your word is collateral.

What shall we offer
as collateral for our future
while we lay waste
with such carefree abandon
to that with which we have been entrusted

as if there were
a neverending supply of
trees and rivers and eagles
and hearts and hands

and love.


Your word is secretly.
Another layer thrills, beneath the space
where grumbling thunder sounds; the noise that fills
the air with musts, with urgence. Secretly,
but steadily, it takes each charge and builds,
each clap adding a volt of confidence.
word: circles





circles
connecting souls--
bound lines. souls in masks as
human forces/faces push at
fate's pull.








next word: dream





Tossing here
Turning about
Waiting for sleep
To find me out.

So pulling tight
upon my covers
I close my eyes
with dreams of lovers

Holding hands
With a playground smile
Like star crossed lovers
In a furtive style

Moving on
To bigger things
All mixed up with
Talk of rings.

Isn't it amazing
In life's schemes
where you can go
Perchance you dream.

Friends are special
Friends are forever
Friends are reliable
Friends will never sever
Limits are in your mind,
lurking to pounce from
underneath blankets of uncertainty.
They tighten around you like
rubber bands, constricting and choking,
leaving you to think there is a boundary
to what is possible.

Refuse the predator,
ignite your flight response
and run into the vast field
of possibilities where nothing
can create limits except your own
insecurities.


Your word is "infinite"
A Non-Existent User
Infinite


Sweet baby don't cry.
Silence your fears.
I know it feels like
You’re there and I'm here.

Sweet baby don't cry.
Bite your bottom lip.
You’re not alone.
Not even for a pip.

Sweet baby don't cry.
Can you feel
My hand in yours?
The heat is real.

Sweet baby don't cry.
Start to sway.
Our blissful dance
Won’t go away.

Sweet baby don't cry.
Meet my soft kiss.
Remember to breathe.
Do you long for this?

Sweet baby don't cry.
Whisper to the moon.
She sings of your love
Here in my room.

Sweet baby don't cry.
Close your damp eyes.
Through infinite space
Together we fly.


Your word is, "whisper".

A Non-Existent User
A WHISPER

I see
I hear
but feel nothing
Images of
Color or
shades of grey
Sweet symphonies
or raucous clanging
but no sense of
Touch.
When dreams and
Clouds of sleep envelope me
I know there is nothing.

Waking,
There is no sound,
I see fuzzy shapes
Out of focus objects
But I feel
the whisper
Of your fingertips
On my shoulder.

Speaking to me
Of your emotions

A brief glimpse
Into your heart
Which you hide so well
From me.


your word: necklace

A MOTHER'S DAY GIFT

A Mother's Day gift from a little child
Brought tears to my eyes at the thought;
A daisy chain necklace woven with love,
Could it be replaced? I think not!

Each petal tells me she loves me
And I smile as I see her concern,
The gift she has given is priceless;
Worth more than I could ever earn!

A necklace to admire and cherish,
To be worn proudly on Mother's Day;
My little girl, a joy in my world,
Has shown me her love her best way.

Countrymom
5/8/04

Next word: memorial


A memorial can be a lasting gift
That someone makes to uplift
The person or people that follow
But they must save that in the hollow
For their heirs or kin
And try hard to win
The smile or book or whatever
F o r e v e r




NEXT WORD: GIFT
A Non-Existent User
Unwrapping the gift
she looked around the room
the pressure was on her to react and appreciate
the gift
She should embrace and exclaim over the unknown
the maybe
was it something she needed?
something she wanted?
Was it something she could return
for that thing she longed for.
That thing in the box.
Could it be just some time alone?


Next word is: alone

The Journey

Challenged to the journey
Pick up the heavy mantle
Chilled to the very bone
Still I wander ever alone

Questioned as I travel
Pick up where time left off
Warmed to the very soul
Still I wander far from home

Damaged but not broken
Pick up pieces of my heart
Lifted to the heavens
Still I wonder, still I roam....


The next word is broken
Broken

The candle lies on the table, broken
Melted pieces of paraffin dreams, discarded
The dried flowered centerpiece, scattered
Romantic bottle of wine, shattered
Soaked embroidered napkin, crumpled.
Brief lover’s encounter fondly remembered
Memories, like scepters, revisited.

That was yesterday…

A Non-Existent User

I long...

I long for awareness
that I cannot see
for it to fulfill me.

All I ask is that I may see
all off what is ment for me
before I leave my destiny.


Next word: constellation

Tell me again
about your dreams
your constellations
and I'll listen
with half an ear
and draw circles
in yesterday's dust.

Tell me again
all the people
you should have been
if only this or that,
excuses are
your constellation.

The next word is: independence

My independence day
had no fireworks -
there was no picnic or BBQ,
no parade, no pool party,
no flag waving

(other than one
of surrender).

There was only
the quiet satisfaction
of walking out the door,
closing it softly behind me,
and heading out
to meet my life.


Your word is: tempest


Storm tossed,
my dreams fly
In the face of the wind.
Holding on to the raft
of life,
they somehow survive
battered and bruised
but living.

Surviving
the tempest of the storm
searching,looking
for peace in the eye,
as homewood bound
they travel.

Your word is Honesty
H is for human
Otherwise it's not felt
O is for openness
Vulnerability is dealt
N is for need
This is what we claim
E is for exile
There is no one else to blame
S is for sincere
What people should be
T is for tentative
When you say "We'll see"
Y is for yearning
Though some are still learning



Next word: Tantrum
A Non-Existent User
Tantrum

I am not a child
kicking and thrashing on the floor
or biting my sister’s arm
as she tries to bar the door.

I am not a man
slashing open my veins
or cursing incessantly
while driving in the flooding rains.

I am not an infant
spitting up all liquids
or screaming inconsolably
for the seventh night this week.

I am not a woman
starving myself slim
or weeping for months
at the mere thought of him.

I am not a teenager
getting drunk and high
or living in silence
as loved ones chose to die.

Who am I?
I won’t ever tell.
If you figure it out,
I’ll be lonely in hell.



Your word is "Temptress"
TEMPTRESS

Teen-age temptress dressed in jeans,
Hair in a pony-tail, head full of dreams;
Almost a woman with her subtle ways,
Still a bit of the child she stays.

Boy next door with a bashful eye,
Hopes to marry her - by and by;
A year or two a difference will make
For dreams do grow and for Heaven's sake -

She will mature to a fine young lass,
Alert, alive and full of class;
But for now she's content to tempt a bit,
Easy to start but hard to quit!

Designer clothes and lipstick red,
She'll leave the child behind, instead
Of playing with dolls and other toys,
She'll test the waters with the boys.

Mom and Dad look on with a frown,
Trying to hold their Temptress down;
Yet in their hearts they have no fright,
For she's still a child of much delight!

Countrymom

Next word: Fiction






It is fairy tales
Like kitties in the well
And magical giants and elfs
As characters like Pink Dragon on the shelf
It is from your imagination and books
Like weird and flighty birds over a brook Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, and Little Bo Peep
Has gone to another country just to leap
Over thousands of versions and sites
Just to peak your imagination to light
Your fantasies and highten your sences
And bring a little humor to a dull tense
A Non-Existent User
"Friendship"

Stretching over the ocean's expanse,
moving through valleys and hills,
occuring naught by happenstance,
invigorating life as it fulfills.

Found in the darkness of the night;
alive with the fullness of the day.
At times giving blinded eyes sight,
bringing encouragement for the way.

Friendship offered in loving care,
exchanging kind words of support,
displaces hopelessness and depair
when kindred hearts find rapport.



NEXT WORD: RESTLESS


Dublin Bells

Restless early morn
Herd grazes on a steep hill
Careful to hasten

Dublin bells call us
St. Stephens day hurries past
Lost in mindless rush

Through the holidays
Stopping to savor moments
Quiet times of grace

The cattle do low
Like that day in the manger
No crib for his bed

The years rushing past
Songs echo in St. Patrick's
Dublin Cathedral

Mountain to the west
Croagh Patrick, to the summit
Timeless devotion

Another year looms
Hold on to your traditions
Bells will embrace you


Your word is "Herd"
Past Member 'chuckster'
Your sleekness stood out from the wandering herd
How I longed to carry you in my arms
Fascination harbored itself within me
Flattered by your all too decorative barn

Another admirer became my adversary
His bleets peppered with jealousy and a rage
My presence threatening and smothering you
within my invisible cage

Fear not, oh tiny lamb I stand before you
a magical presence just for your eyes
Ribbons and bows I place around your neck
Dismiss your fear and your trust in me confide


The next word is "Everlasting"
Eternal
         they said
Everlasting
[indent}we hoped.

What did we know?

YAY! I get to pick my own word.

"fragile" will be my word. *Smile*


I only see you
a couple of times a year
but each time we are together
you look so much older
than the time before -

so frail
so thin
so fragile.

And yet,
you hug me so tightly
it almost hurts-

and then there is
that awkward moment
when I let go
a few moments before you do
as if you are afraid
to break the connection.

Perhaps it's been like this
since you gave me birth
and the doctor separated us
after nine months together -
me pulling away first

you trying to hold me
just a bit longer.



Your word is: surreal


You've been watching Walter Cronkite, only you really haven't. It's footage of footage he narrates. Film at eleven, representing events
in camera shots.
Shots fired back then, back there.
He says You are there as you sit
in your den, sur la canapé,
hearing the occasional
distant siren.

You wake to canned laughter, the door
swings open. You've waited up
until eyelid protests overcame.
Name the melody, Melody Melodrame.

Images, real, surreal, unreal, composed
and composited
complete the evening.

Your word is: lash
It started, simply enough that day
Amidst thoughts of warm,sunny adventures
and sun kissed Islands, where warm barmy breezes sway.

Of course it was a dream,I well knew that
through reality tried hard to persuade me
of different versions of truth, I guess I didn't want to know them,not even when they were revealed to me.

So,
in my heart,I decided,decided to pay the price.
never dreaming it would happen,but wanting all the same.

Then,as I traveled you happend,was it your leg, or maybe your face.
Was it your eye, or your long feminine lash,
that held me in place.

Whatever it was ,I'm glad, glad I saw you
for you inspired me to warm places and barmy nights. As you helped me find my alternate reality.

Your word is crashing
Spinning, turning, heart is yearning...
Falling, falling, crashing, burning...deeper in love.
Crazy and obscene, ultimate dreams of intimacy...
Wanting, needing, pulse super speeding...
Crashing in love with you.



Your word is sublime
Past Member 'zwisis'
The wonderful vision of softly falling snow,
The pure white blanket that covers the ground;
The whispering rustle as it drops slowly down,
The sight of snow is sublime.

The roll of thunder heralding a mighty storm,
The raindrops drumming and the lightning flashing;
The wail of the wind when the trees it is lashing,
The sound of a storm is sublime.

The aroma of the earth after a shower of rain,
The scent in the evening of freshly cut lawn;
The fragrance of jasmine that greets the dawn,
The smell of nature is sublime.

The sharp tang of the season’s first cherries,
The refreshing juice from a crisp green grape;
The refreshing apricot, with such a perfect shape,
The taste of Nature’s fruits is sublime.

Next word: ridiculous
The leap of my heart when you touch me with love,
The way your skin feels when I hold you so tight;
The emotions I feel when we’re together late at night,
The touch of a lover is sublime.
RIDICULOUS!

It seems the years change everything;
we grow older and lose all our spunk!
Yet we hold on to our dreams of youth
and some of our old-habitual junk!

I used to walk a mile a day in my prime;
I partied with the best (and worst) of men!
but for the life of me now, I can't try
to do any of those old things again...

I would look a bit ridiculous, I fear,
if I tried the old nightclub scene;
Now at the thought of staying up till ten
turns my stomach and face rather green!

They say that some age gracefully,
I haven't known this to be true...
I'll go to my grave kicking and screaming
that I still have so much left to do!

Countrymom
NEXT WORD: humanity




I believe all humanity is good
when we are born and
somewhere we get off track

I believe all people are fair
when we are small and
somehow we lose our touch

I believe all people can be good
when they have God in their heart and
love everyone as He does us.




next word: receive
A Non-Existent User
Recieve

Recieve that which is good out of what is given
Separate the wheat from the chaff
Let the wind take it
Cling only to the precious
Cling only to the part that wants to become part of you.

Next word- wind

Note from 4Ps - The Campfire notice system didn't work, so I am posting for Tracy Lord Author Icon, who wrote the next wonderful poem, using the word, wind

Tracy Lord Author Icon -

I’ve travelled far, I’ve travelled wide
A lonely form, with the wind by my side
My comings and goings, unseen, unheard
My exploits unfair – to my family absurd

My mission: a journey to find inner peace
The wind my redeemer; my vanquisher of war
Inner turmoil chased my heart to the door
The essence of my past, future, and dreams

The scenario of life; ‘not that of my dreams’
The wind my companion, to sturdy my fate:
Time alone, retrieve my sanity:
Recompense my burden’s weight

The wind my entertainer, soothing my thoughts
My psyche expanded, stretched from the core
Depression a battle - a gregarious long war
Solipsism the belief that I truly exist:

My sanity misplaced – appeared in the twist

Your word is: entertainer
The Entertainer shows his craft
He uses it to make people laugh
He's on the Plane
He's on the Train
He always look forward and aft

Yord Word: Piano
The Pin

Sonatina in G echoed through the store
Audience yawning, parents clapped until sore

Years of remembrance, piano so blond
Upright instructor, of student not fond

Teach for the money, pocket the check
Child's love of music, a miracle wrecked

Classics to bore the most eager of mind,
Ask to play rock, the answer unkind

Pin of achievement, denoting the best,
Lies in a jewel box, gathering dust like the rest

Classics were forced when Beatles ruled the day,
Gave up the music, would much prefer play!

Your word is pocket
The Pocket

Fingers dance on a ratty seam
In a tiny pocket of dreams
Same old handful of lint,
Discarded breath mint,
And a napkin that bears my print.

Reach deeper into these delights,
Poetic words I tried to write,
Passages lost into the sublime,
But captured in rhythm and rhyme
Decorated with rosemary and thyme.

Fingers danced on a ratty seam,
In a tiny pocket of unpublished dreams
A writer with no music can’t sing the blues
Two coins together, do not make a great muse,
When you’ve lost all there is to lose,

Past Member 'chuckster'
It's breakfast time once again with my sweetie
I can't wait until I tell her today
The maple flavored oatmeal she just made me sucks the big time
Oh How I wish she would just move far away.

I can't believe this is the girl that I wed
After watching American Idol she still wets the bed
She thinks she could be such a star
She forgets that I proposed drunk at a bar

There's the food, I roll my eyes,
The black bugs on top are as big as her thighs
I can't believe this is the stuff I once adored
Some of the bigger ones on are wriggling some more
A simple foil Pack and add water too
It's so strange that it turned into something like Crazy Glue.

Your next word is SILLY





Silly

You think I'm silly
for worrying so much -
and I think you're crazy
for not worrying at all.

Good thing
we got together
so that I can worry enough
for the both of us.


Your word is: catalyst

Any analyst examining the display
inside our mailbox any given day
might conclude to presume
our reading post mood
from the contents there tabled.
On any given day:
two or three invitations
from institutions
of higher learning for my high-school
daughter, a rental film or show on DVD,
a catalogue of tech merchandise,
a bill or two, an offer to save
this much off the regular newsstand price,
enroll for accidental death or dismemberment
insurance, or claim our guaranteed bonus prize
by calling the number below ASAP.
Very little motivates immediate response
until your letter peeks through
the jumble, the catalyst in my unique
post reading attitude.

Your word is "press"
Click, clack, papers going down the rack.
Words written, stories committed to black and white,
New news, old news, coming and going through the night.
Papers stuck, machine broken, let's all wait...
From Midnight 'til dawn, work's never done.
Finally it's here, news to read, and to deliver.
Hot off the press from me to you!


Your word is: contemplate
Past Member 'zwisis'
Thoughts swarming around in my head
If only I could get them to paper!
Ideas and plots cramming my brain
But the blank page remains clean.
So now I guess I have no choice
Since the descent of writers’ block
So I’ll just sit back in my chair
And my navel I shall contemplate.

Next word: analysis...
ANALYSIS

Now there's a word that bears some thought,
Great thinkers may analyze - or not!
A great thinker I will not claim to be,
Analysis takes time and is not for me.
So beg your pardon, excuse my haste,
It's been a long time since I raced
And I prefer to sit and count my blessings
As my life continues, I'll keep 'em guessing!
So analysis this short poem, if you will,
As for me, I'm heading for the nearest hill -

Next Word: dedication
It takes a lot of love
To create a dedication for
Anything

You need courage from God above
To satisfy your writing lore
Sing

Next word: shrine
Make My Wish

To make my life a tribute thus,
Without uproar or self-made fuss
To do my best with what I have
Leave luck behind, true fortune grab

To make my heart a shrine to thee
From Dublin, cross the Irish Sea
To do my best with all that's given
And make my mark all while I'm livin'

To make my sorrow turn to hope
God's given me a way to cope
To do my best to set life free
WIth all I've got, to let peace be


Milkymoo, your word is Aces
One red card
and one black.
A heart with a club
a pair of aces...

A smile from
poker gods
or a smirk
from a card shark demon?

One chip to all-in
either way you lose
if your opponent
hits his flush, straight
or set.

Aces
A diamond and spade,
one black, one red
a frightening pair for pros
a great hand for the fish.


The next word is: Librarian
Past Member 'chuckster'
(You would pick something like this! LOL)

Some of you may impress your friends
How smart you've become since who knows when
But once they learn of your learning skills then
Give thanks to your local librarian!

Okay Okay it was weak but I get better with time!

The next word is confuse.
Worn paper and rusted hammers
define the moment,
somehow,
fumbling toward meaning
groping for change
aware of something beyond our skin,
as we trace stars for context,
read tea leaves with fading hope,
chart the course of our lives
amid the ruins of excess.

Wake clutching the head,
the heart,
the eyes,
griping our tattered fears
bewildered.

We confuse hope with prayer.

Night falls.





Next word is seaweed.



Seaweed

We camped at this fire four years
More than 120 entries, trials and tears

As I sit on this breathtaking beach
The Seaweed seems out of my reach

This started as writing with friends
Today my hand writes:

The End!

*Thumbsup*

Thank you all for participating and adding to this 4 year, more than 120 entry campfire. I hope you had as much as I did with it!

*Heart*

Thing

The End!

© Copyright 2003 ♥Ho Ho HOOves♥, Chuckster, xx-xx, Pita, SophyBells, xx-xx, HawaiianPeach, miblu (away), beautiful graffiti in my head, The Milkman, knight life, Moody Blue: Needs an Upgrade, Broken Inside, Horsewoman, xx-xx, tammys back, xx-xx, xx-xx, Sarah, COUNTRYMOM-JUST REMEMBER ME, Joan, xx-xx, Larry, Gregory Thomas, (known as GROUP).
All rights reserved.
GROUP has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
Printed from https://shop.writing.com/main/campfires/item_id/722499-A-Poem-A-Week-Campfire-I