Poetry competition CLOSED 30th April 2024 5:12pm
A public vote has been requested
2024 Official DUP NaPoWriMo Challenge
xxvii
Untitled
It’s godlike on the peak
Below wildlife become insects
scuttling across dust
dark as the cleavage
of river
between two mountains
I’m taken hostage
by rogue winds
beating eardrums
of blood in time
with my steps
Here on the ledge
where feet dangle
in rest
a red tailed hawk lands
our eyes meet
for a brief respite
then go separate ways
I gaze skyward
seeking a divine spark
behind the clouds
It scans below
for dying wildlife
to devour
Here I escape
gambling against the odds
and greedy demigods
dealing in war and fraud
I was taught by my dad
to never fold
before I’d lost
give it everything
I’ve got
because there are times
the underdog wins
So, I’ve always known
deep within me
regardless of disbelief
there is always another Poem
framed in the light I seek
. . .
Untitled
It’s godlike on the peak
Below wildlife become insects
scuttling across dust
dark as the cleavage
of river
between two mountains
I’m taken hostage
by rogue winds
beating eardrums
of blood in time
with my steps
Here on the ledge
where feet dangle
in rest
a red tailed hawk lands
our eyes meet
for a brief respite
then go separate ways
I gaze skyward
seeking a divine spark
behind the clouds
It scans below
for dying wildlife
to devour
Here I escape
gambling against the odds
and greedy demigods
dealing in war and fraud
I was taught by my dad
to never fold
before I’d lost
give it everything
I’ve got
because there are times
the underdog wins
So, I’ve always known
deep within me
regardless of disbelief
there is always another Poem
framed in the light I seek
. . .
27/30
Never Gone V
a giant ineffable joke of our age
seen through nonenhancing glass
alit with smoke and mirrors
We, together just resonated in kind
and communed on how some things
never change, how we never do,
however poked, prodded or coaxed to
how we are tragic to the end;
were friends from the beginning
and how that is beautiful
You were everyones friend, i think
52 uw
Never Gone V
a giant ineffable joke of our age
seen through nonenhancing glass
alit with smoke and mirrors
We, together just resonated in kind
and communed on how some things
never change, how we never do,
however poked, prodded or coaxed to
how we are tragic to the end;
were friends from the beginning
and how that is beautiful
You were everyones friend, i think
52 uw
#27
You’re there but everwhere
You’re there but everywhere
Inside and out
In me, without me
Anywhere I go
You’re here and nowhere
All of the time
Near yet so far away
Present in my mind
Within me, without me
All in one place
Never yet always
Always in this space
In this place
You’re all around me
In this world
I have no doubt
You’re up there
Looking down on me
Everywhere
All the time
These sensations
They grip me
Like a vice
Grasped so tight
An inclination
It’s incessant
Do you feel me
Feel my mind
Unique word count: 59
You’re there but everwhere
You’re there but everywhere
Inside and out
In me, without me
Anywhere I go
You’re here and nowhere
All of the time
Near yet so far away
Present in my mind
Within me, without me
All in one place
Never yet always
Always in this space
In this place
You’re all around me
In this world
I have no doubt
You’re up there
Looking down on me
Everywhere
All the time
These sensations
They grip me
Like a vice
Grasped so tight
An inclination
It’s incessant
Do you feel me
Feel my mind
Unique word count: 59
27/30
Ode to the Moment She felt Comfortable Sharing her Pain
I watched the satellite race through the space between
the stars in your eyes,
ricocheting between galaxies
and the black holes of anxiety and autopiloted
spaceships carrying each thought
from brain to lips.
And when the gut punch of those spoken
thoughts settled into my ears, catching
a ride on a raven to swoop into my brain
and peck away at wrong assumptions,
I wondered who had hurt you.
Who had made your gaze flick between
nostalgia and depression
until you settled on longing for a past
that never really happened.
Or, it had happened.
It was just wrapped
in unfamiliar cellophane and wore
an old tweed jacket you salvaged from the wreckage
of your grandparents’ closet after they died.
I guess that’s why you quote Poe and old children’s books
like they are a lifeline
when you finally crawl out of safe, conjured fantasy
and live fully present.
Ode to the Moment She felt Comfortable Sharing her Pain
I watched the satellite race through the space between
the stars in your eyes,
ricocheting between galaxies
and the black holes of anxiety and autopiloted
spaceships carrying each thought
from brain to lips.
And when the gut punch of those spoken
thoughts settled into my ears, catching
a ride on a raven to swoop into my brain
and peck away at wrong assumptions,
I wondered who had hurt you.
Who had made your gaze flick between
nostalgia and depression
until you settled on longing for a past
that never really happened.
Or, it had happened.
It was just wrapped
in unfamiliar cellophane and wore
an old tweed jacket you salvaged from the wreckage
of your grandparents’ closet after they died.
I guess that’s why you quote Poe and old children’s books
like they are a lifeline
when you finally crawl out of safe, conjured fantasy
and live fully present.
#27 of 30
The Little Things
It is the little things.
I could list them all
but that is not the point;
they are the nameless small miracles
so easily taken for granted each day.
Yet they are the individual blocks
that carve out how a day may be
and how a life can fell,
to form a pyramid towering edifice
that is referred to as 'living'.
The small pinpricks of annoyance
that result in a screaming match,
or the unbidden memory
that speaks of bittersweet past
with gladness to warm a cold heart.
For small does not mean worthless
just easy to overlook
and take for granted
but even Galaxies spin on a single small point.
(Unique Words: 77)
The Little Things
It is the little things.
I could list them all
but that is not the point;
they are the nameless small miracles
so easily taken for granted each day.
Yet they are the individual blocks
that carve out how a day may be
and how a life can fell,
to form a pyramid towering edifice
that is referred to as 'living'.
The small pinpricks of annoyance
that result in a screaming match,
or the unbidden memory
that speaks of bittersweet past
with gladness to warm a cold heart.
For small does not mean worthless
just easy to overlook
and take for granted
but even Galaxies spin on a single small point.
(Unique Words: 77)
27 of 30
Tomorrow
Tomorrow will be a quest,
Forward into the past.
Of broken crofts,
And flitted townships.
Of homes,
Long since lost.
Of summer grazing dwellings,
Shielings,
Of the black lochs pass.
Pitched below the vaulted ceilings,
Upon the backs of,
Names I cannot spell,
Or roll across my tongue.
Tomorrow will be a quest,
Of moor and of heather.
Of peat and bog,
Of wind,
upon the river.
A day of buried roots,
Amongst the scant remains,
Of what remains,
Of clearances.
Tomorrow
Tomorrow will be a quest,
Forward into the past.
Of broken crofts,
And flitted townships.
Of homes,
Long since lost.
Of summer grazing dwellings,
Shielings,
Of the black lochs pass.
Pitched below the vaulted ceilings,
Upon the backs of,
Names I cannot spell,
Or roll across my tongue.
Tomorrow will be a quest,
Of moor and of heather.
Of peat and bog,
Of wind,
upon the river.
A day of buried roots,
Amongst the scant remains,
Of what remains,
Of clearances.
#27
Columbian Rain
High tempers in full humidity
Wind becomes a telltale sign
'Storms a brewing' as we say
Muddy clouds spill out sparingly
Never enough, better than none
Scorching streets screaming
Aloud a fresh smell of relief
Allowed such short reprieve
Before heat returns a loud
Spiteful buffet of vengeance
I draw deep, fresh air sweet
Cherishing before it runs stale
November only six months away
So, 'While I breathe I hope'
Columbian Rain
High tempers in full humidity
Wind becomes a telltale sign
'Storms a brewing' as we say
Muddy clouds spill out sparingly
Never enough, better than none
Scorching streets screaming
Aloud a fresh smell of relief
Allowed such short reprieve
Before heat returns a loud
Spiteful buffet of vengeance
I draw deep, fresh air sweet
Cherishing before it runs stale
November only six months away
So, 'While I breathe I hope'
27/30
Fractured Light
Vibrant rays of light are
Bouncing and beaming
And reflecting off of mirrors
It shows me what I’m seeking
Imperfections glued together
Over cracks that split across
Dividing up reflections
From once whole solid glass
Shards of glass are falling
I put the pieces back together
Seeing myself in every
Little splinter of mirror
What does the story tell?
How do the shards add up?
This story is fragmented
But I will never give up
One day I will be whole again
And I’ll see my true reflection
For all the times I’ve failed
I’ve only gained in perspective
Fractured Light
Vibrant rays of light are
Bouncing and beaming
And reflecting off of mirrors
It shows me what I’m seeking
Imperfections glued together
Over cracks that split across
Dividing up reflections
From once whole solid glass
Shards of glass are falling
I put the pieces back together
Seeing myself in every
Little splinter of mirror
What does the story tell?
How do the shards add up?
This story is fragmented
But I will never give up
One day I will be whole again
And I’ll see my true reflection
For all the times I’ve failed
I’ve only gained in perspective
27/30
04/27/2024
I just wanted to go out on a date.
I am sure every one of you can relate.
It has been weeks since I have seen my love.
I wanted some time just for me kind of.
He has to work the weekend
and it was hard to pretend
that I was not affected.
I know I was not being rejected
but I still have to process my emotions
I hate to cause so much commotion.
I really meant no harm.
Hoping he hugs me tight in his arms.
[Unique Words 64]
04/27/2024
I just wanted to go out on a date.
I am sure every one of you can relate.
It has been weeks since I have seen my love.
I wanted some time just for me kind of.
He has to work the weekend
and it was hard to pretend
that I was not affected.
I know I was not being rejected
but I still have to process my emotions
I hate to cause so much commotion.
I really meant no harm.
Hoping he hugs me tight in his arms.
[Unique Words 64]
27/30
Review and Reflect
Everyday is like a bank account
At midnight a deposit of fourteen thousand minutes is deposited
Eighty-six four hundred seconds are gifted
And it’s up to us how we spend them
It isn’t about watching the sands of time slip by
But about reviewing and reflecting how the day was spent
Because before we close our eyes each night
We must ask ourselves
Did we live to our the very best of our standards?
The nightly practice of review and reflection
Gives more guidance
It lets us look back and think about our behaviors and patters
In a world where time is of the essence
And daily distractions easily sway our attention
To review they day’s events
And to reflect on our path
Will shed light and how we should handle tomorrow
93 Unique
132 Total
Review and Reflect
Everyday is like a bank account
At midnight a deposit of fourteen thousand minutes is deposited
Eighty-six four hundred seconds are gifted
And it’s up to us how we spend them
It isn’t about watching the sands of time slip by
But about reviewing and reflecting how the day was spent
Because before we close our eyes each night
We must ask ourselves
Did we live to our the very best of our standards?
The nightly practice of review and reflection
Gives more guidance
It lets us look back and think about our behaviors and patters
In a world where time is of the essence
And daily distractions easily sway our attention
To review they day’s events
And to reflect on our path
Will shed light and how we should handle tomorrow
93 Unique
132 Total
26 of 30
Theme 3: Attitudes of Life
april song 26—all my wealth
the crumbs of earth shall scatter at my feet,
should i ignore one who has naught to eat.
king lazarus shall walk on dives’ head,
if penury should leave the poor man dead.
for all my wealth is worth no more than trash,
though i may think it gives me great panache.
what is a life lived for myself alone,
while yet i leave the other man undone?
should he go naked, while i drape my robes
about me, blinding out the eye that probes?
for soon enough those very fingertips
may have to whet these parched and dying lips.
© cab♫
UWC 80
27 of 30
Theme 3: Attitudes of Life
april song 27—all my friends
the company i keep close to my breast
may hang about my neck—a human noose
that prematurely speeds my earthly rest,
unless, discretely, i should learn to choose
who occupies peripheral back seat
or dwells within my innermost retreat.
not all my friends may all my secrets share,
though many may pretend to wish me well.
too oft a circle morphs into a square,
exploding like a virtual bombshell.
may all my true friends glory in the thought
that i will love them, always, as i ought.
© cab♫
UWC 66
EXCUSE FOR DOUBLE-POSTING
I am returning from observing the Sabbath, which necessitated my being off-site for over 24 hours—a standard NaPo arrangement, of which I gave advance notice.
27/30
Never Walk Alone
We had it
Squandered
Let it slip through our fingers
Inexperienced mixed with veterans
The young too young
...or perhaps the old too old
Men who captain countries around the world
With the general on his last legs
And all it took was two weeks of inconsistency
To lose all hope
The sheik unsheaths his scimitar
Against one hundred and fifteen violations
A hope
A glimpse
A spark
Win or lose
That hope stays in our hearts
With hope in our hearts
We never walk alone
Never Walk Alone
We had it
Squandered
Let it slip through our fingers
Inexperienced mixed with veterans
The young too young
...or perhaps the old too old
Men who captain countries around the world
With the general on his last legs
And all it took was two weeks of inconsistency
To lose all hope
The sheik unsheaths his scimitar
Against one hundred and fifteen violations
A hope
A glimpse
A spark
Win or lose
That hope stays in our hearts
With hope in our hearts
We never walk alone
27/30
Pups, Early in the Morning
as soon as light kisses the horizon
they’re up, ready to greet the day,
eager anticipation vibrating
through their little furry bodies;
they are aggressively affectionate,
climbing over each other to give
the first kisses with wet noses
and high-pitched good mornings;
I make my way down the hall,
my shadows getting underfoot
the whole way to the kitchen,
where beams of sunshine and
the smell of fresh coffee await
Pups, Early in the Morning
as soon as light kisses the horizon
they’re up, ready to greet the day,
eager anticipation vibrating
through their little furry bodies;
they are aggressively affectionate,
climbing over each other to give
the first kisses with wet noses
and high-pitched good mornings;
I make my way down the hall,
my shadows getting underfoot
the whole way to the kitchen,
where beams of sunshine and
the smell of fresh coffee await
27/30
A Gypsy Wind Cherry Blossoms & Indigo Skies
And the air outside so soft: Saying everything
All the time in the world: Every moment with you – O
How you send my heart: Awhirl
Captive to the capture of: The Enrapture
***
O Verdure in extension beyond measure
***
Where lips pressed upon lips: Fingertips caressing hips
Sway of grass
Way
of
Us
Study of travels in states of: Unravel
Clouds a caress/es in white lace
Traveling-Unraveling
A marvel of starved stars knowing the afars: Going to afars
Beyond: Time
&
Space
A Gypsy Wind Cherry Blossoms & Indigo Skies
And the air outside so soft: Saying everything
All the time in the world: Every moment with you – O
How you send my heart: Awhirl
Captive to the capture of: The Enrapture
***
O Verdure in extension beyond measure
***
Where lips pressed upon lips: Fingertips caressing hips
Sway of grass
Way
of
Us
Study of travels in states of: Unravel
Clouds a caress/es in white lace
Traveling-Unraveling
A marvel of starved stars knowing the afars: Going to afars
Beyond: Time
&
Space
27/30
Cold Comfort-First Scoop
Yeah, I did my time
on the ice cream scooper line.
On my first day
the most senior server said,
“we'll call him Buffalo Bob.”
supposing the reference
was to the Howdy Doody host
and not to my corpulence.
I was told that
one would likely lose
their affection
for the creamy confection.
Not so in my case.
To this very day
Ice cream ranks
second or third place
in my desert predilection.
My favorites
an orange sherbert, vanilla
milkshake,
chocolate chip
on a plain cone,
and in the Fall months
a seasonal affair
with quarterback crunch.
Unique word count: 74
Cold Comfort-First Scoop
Yeah, I did my time
on the ice cream scooper line.
On my first day
the most senior server said,
“we'll call him Buffalo Bob.”
supposing the reference
was to the Howdy Doody host
and not to my corpulence.
I was told that
one would likely lose
their affection
for the creamy confection.
Not so in my case.
To this very day
Ice cream ranks
second or third place
in my desert predilection.
My favorites
an orange sherbert, vanilla
milkshake,
chocolate chip
on a plain cone,
and in the Fall months
a seasonal affair
with quarterback crunch.
Unique word count: 74
