Official DUP NaPo/GloPoWrimo 2020 Competition
Anonymous
28/39
its not just a shopping trip
Here between the coco-pops
froot-loops
and the mundane all too serious
bran-based cardboard-flavoured dross
I find a simpler idea
that this is the dream
it’s hard and there’s suffering
my bones ache from overuse
but when she toddles up the aisle
pulling things of shelves
smiling the joy of first discoveries
and the boys argue and tussle
my eldest herding the youngest
like herding a cat
(yeah I’m that dad
the one that runs his kids
freerange through the shops)
because strapping them down is no way for
then to feel the world
beneath their feet
to fall and fail
to learn the resilience
to accept no
to understand boundaries
without boundaries
to find their own way while
I’m still alive enough
to pick them up when they fall down
It’s worth the disapproving looks
it’s worth the constant redress
because their future is brighter
when they learn things
deep in their skin
when they can feel every bump
every emotional scar
here in the cereal aisle
I see more than just brands
and the mundane
I see more potential
than they know
its not just a shopping trip
Here between the coco-pops
froot-loops
and the mundane all too serious
bran-based cardboard-flavoured dross
I find a simpler idea
that this is the dream
it’s hard and there’s suffering
my bones ache from overuse
but when she toddles up the aisle
pulling things of shelves
smiling the joy of first discoveries
and the boys argue and tussle
my eldest herding the youngest
like herding a cat
(yeah I’m that dad
the one that runs his kids
freerange through the shops)
because strapping them down is no way for
then to feel the world
beneath their feet
to fall and fail
to learn the resilience
to accept no
to understand boundaries
without boundaries
to find their own way while
I’m still alive enough
to pick them up when they fall down
It’s worth the disapproving looks
it’s worth the constant redress
because their future is brighter
when they learn things
deep in their skin
when they can feel every bump
every emotional scar
here in the cereal aisle
I see more than just brands
and the mundane
I see more potential
than they know
28/30
Signs
Splitting hairs with dull knifes
dressed up in bad habits
life relegated to picture screens
unheard screams
darkened diners
beckoning candelabras and moonlit drives
no wax drips sealing secret treasure
grand Mal seizures
nor sacred visions
hands tied together
reckless, restless
begging for a night outside
I burned your picture last night
just to see you move
smoke illuminating
from those flashing signs
OPEN 24 HOURS
hidden behind the unlawful order
NO VACANCY
Signs
Splitting hairs with dull knifes
dressed up in bad habits
life relegated to picture screens
unheard screams
darkened diners
beckoning candelabras and moonlit drives
no wax drips sealing secret treasure
grand Mal seizures
nor sacred visions
hands tied together
reckless, restless
begging for a night outside
I burned your picture last night
just to see you move
smoke illuminating
from those flashing signs
OPEN 24 HOURS
hidden behind the unlawful order
NO VACANCY
28/30
A deserved divinity
Does a God need gas and air
to carry the agony of a second degree tear,
are pain and suffering prerequisites
for the right to be worshiped?
I always thought miracles would be
instantaneous with a serene
wave of an unseen hand, but creation
is dragged from the battlefields.
Bloody and bandaged stretchered
and stitched, the clink of steel
clamps and the moaning of the sick,
waiting for shock to throw its stone.
As the world was lifted into her arms
I wept at her hand, vowed to follow
their every step and breath together,
a promise I will keep forever and ever.
A deserved divinity
Does a God need gas and air
to carry the agony of a second degree tear,
are pain and suffering prerequisites
for the right to be worshiped?
I always thought miracles would be
instantaneous with a serene
wave of an unseen hand, but creation
is dragged from the battlefields.
Bloody and bandaged stretchered
and stitched, the clink of steel
clamps and the moaning of the sick,
waiting for shock to throw its stone.
As the world was lifted into her arms
I wept at her hand, vowed to follow
their every step and breath together,
a promise I will keep forever and ever.
Anonymous
EPISODE 28/30
"Captains, Commanders, Admirals - whoever the hell is in charge around here!" Cadet Fiftysevenhours blurted out, pointing to the Bridge screen. "Look! The Clingforms have broken through the Blockade!"
And over the bridge's loudspeaker was a taunting transmission from the cruiser. To add insult to injury, it was a poorly crafted traditional American Haiku.
"Slow assed, tortoise shelled
LOSERS spelled in capitals -
we beat by a hare!"
And they L-O-L'd all the way over to the other side.
Shortly afterward, the Rhymulans penetrated the barrier and made a bee line towards the USS Stanza ... but not without a parting shot of their own, equally as snide.
"Soon the Muses will be ours!
And the boon of trophies because of powers
only we possess to rhyme on a dime in the time
it takes you to write a single poem in ... hours?
BWAHAHAHA!"
EdibleWords slumped at her terminal, praying all was not lost. Having written all her poems on Day One, she had just been biding her time throughout April creating new avatars.
Everyone tried their best to stay focused and not be discouraged. They knew deep down that NaPoWriMo was not about anything more than an opportunity to create ( possibly great ) poetry that never existed up until this moment.
Well, almost everyone .....
No one had noticed that the Metronomes, the seven slugs from the S-Cargo truck stop's kitchen freezer, or BATMAN had gone missing.
Well, almost no one .....
"Where is Commander Deannavati and Captain Blaze?" Layla asked, suddenly aware of the pair's absence from the Bridge.
28/30
Rehearsal
Morning danced on its back
finding a way at spring’s step
unearthed from long sleep
green carpet rolling like sea
the maiden fern, lily and oak
brown mice, hawk and fawn
running from winter’s paragon
golden days and warm yields.
Old prevails nurturing the young
robbed from their rightful parts
sap weep from perished woods
emerging tenderness from shroud
geometry of distance and twigs
anchor sparrow, wren and finch
breaking to rise mating songs
holding peace to spread wings.
Rehearsal
Morning danced on its back
finding a way at spring’s step
unearthed from long sleep
green carpet rolling like sea
the maiden fern, lily and oak
brown mice, hawk and fawn
running from winter’s paragon
golden days and warm yields.
Old prevails nurturing the young
robbed from their rightful parts
sap weep from perished woods
emerging tenderness from shroud
geometry of distance and twigs
anchor sparrow, wren and finch
breaking to rise mating songs
holding peace to spread wings.
#28 of 30
A Secret Sonata
(c) Sweet Oblivion 28.4.20
Is it a secret when wonders redeem
Unplayable sonatas in moonlight?
Or is it furtive smiling, when we've been
In love and build closet rewards that might
Allow our hands to clench and intertwine?
Is it my lips painted in palest rouge?
Or is it how you see me and incline
To show covert delight? Are you amused
By speculation amours might desist,
Without a stealthy whisper in the air?
And, yet, your eyes simply cannot resist
Another sly approach - should I repair
To confidential quarters? Should I pout,
To find that our secret sonata's out?
71 unique words
96 words
A Secret Sonata
(c) Sweet Oblivion 28.4.20
Is it a secret when wonders redeem
Unplayable sonatas in moonlight?
Or is it furtive smiling, when we've been
In love and build closet rewards that might
Allow our hands to clench and intertwine?
Is it my lips painted in palest rouge?
Or is it how you see me and incline
To show covert delight? Are you amused
By speculation amours might desist,
Without a stealthy whisper in the air?
And, yet, your eyes simply cannot resist
Another sly approach - should I repair
To confidential quarters? Should I pout,
To find that our secret sonata's out?
71 unique words
96 words
# 28 of 30
The Past
Every once in a while
It is nice to revisit the past
To linger for a while on its memories
To relive them once again in our minds
To understand our journeys
It feels good to go back in time
To those years of our life
When life was so much different from now
To watch the scenes through a viewer's perspective
With detachment and objectivity
The past is part of our history
That should not be forgotten
Even if we have moved forward in life
It is a time and place where our story and our personal journeys have began
Where ever we are today
Is partly because of the past we left behind
It steered us to the direction we are meant to be in the present
Whether our past was painful or beautiful,
Whether it was happy or sad
It had influenced the life we have now
We thank it for all the lessons and memories it gave us
The lessons we learned from the past
Have taught us to live our life better today
We owe it to the past for reaching this far
For making us more now, than we have ever been yesterday
The Past
Every once in a while
It is nice to revisit the past
To linger for a while on its memories
To relive them once again in our minds
To understand our journeys
It feels good to go back in time
To those years of our life
When life was so much different from now
To watch the scenes through a viewer's perspective
With detachment and objectivity
The past is part of our history
That should not be forgotten
Even if we have moved forward in life
It is a time and place where our story and our personal journeys have began
Where ever we are today
Is partly because of the past we left behind
It steered us to the direction we are meant to be in the present
Whether our past was painful or beautiful,
Whether it was happy or sad
It had influenced the life we have now
We thank it for all the lessons and memories it gave us
The lessons we learned from the past
Have taught us to live our life better today
We owe it to the past for reaching this far
For making us more now, than we have ever been yesterday
(twenty-eight of 30 - Official DUP NaPo/GloPoWrimo 2020)
Exequies for a Bee
Found a Bee last night
on its last leg
of its short existence.
Got me thinking. . .
a lone(r) individual
now no longer
pollinating his
surroundings, unable
to serve his Queen,
accepts his fate &
waits for the gate
to open.
This Bee lied sideways
barely moving
on my bedroom floor.
i would have set outside
but i knew he would not
survive, so i tried
to make his upcoming
demise
as comfortable as
possible.
____________________
#NaPoWriMo2020
74 words
60 unique
Exequies for a Bee
Found a Bee last night
on its last leg
of its short existence.
Got me thinking. . .
a lone(r) individual
now no longer
pollinating his
surroundings, unable
to serve his Queen,
accepts his fate &
waits for the gate
to open.
This Bee lied sideways
barely moving
on my bedroom floor.
i would have set outside
but i knew he would not
survive, so i tried
to make his upcoming
demise
as comfortable as
possible.
____________________
#NaPoWriMo2020
74 words
60 unique
Anonymous
<< post removed >>
28/30
Coffee-laced
It was halls and halls of strange things --
It was a date for his fascinations,
He said he'd found joy in learning,
In strange things,
And to believe him --
He'd found joy in me.
Bastard.
But together we'd look closer,
Feel the excitement in jars --
And bones and bell jars,
In bullet fragments and
Pieces of history --
The numbers and the words that
Make up its puzzle.
He is a wonder to me --
But his mind, most especially;
And the way he looks now, brows furrowed,
Lips in a frown,
Those eyes staring, analyzing,
Uncovering
Stories, clues and mysteries --
There he was,
My man of logic and science --
So cold they say,
So stiff, they say,
But us awake in ungodly hours --
He was as warm as the ungodly amount
Of coffee in our bloodstream,
His lips just as bittersweet --
And buzzing
With caffeine, and the clinical of it all --
In late diner lights, large cup in hand
I tilt my head --
And gaze at my smiling,
Blushing
Coffee dream.
170 words
107 unique
Coffee-laced
It was halls and halls of strange things --
It was a date for his fascinations,
He said he'd found joy in learning,
In strange things,
And to believe him --
He'd found joy in me.
Bastard.
But together we'd look closer,
Feel the excitement in jars --
And bones and bell jars,
In bullet fragments and
Pieces of history --
The numbers and the words that
Make up its puzzle.
He is a wonder to me --
But his mind, most especially;
And the way he looks now, brows furrowed,
Lips in a frown,
Those eyes staring, analyzing,
Uncovering
Stories, clues and mysteries --
There he was,
My man of logic and science --
So cold they say,
So stiff, they say,
But us awake in ungodly hours --
He was as warm as the ungodly amount
Of coffee in our bloodstream,
His lips just as bittersweet --
And buzzing
With caffeine, and the clinical of it all --
In late diner lights, large cup in hand
I tilt my head --
And gaze at my smiling,
Blushing
Coffee dream.
170 words
107 unique
#28
Simple Answers
answers are
simple
do unto others as
you would
have them
do unto you
answers are
simple
stop consuming
start producing
garden
minimize
earth shelters
renewable energy
sustainable
agriculture
answers are
simple
democrat
independent
green
libertarian
republican
socialist
answers are
simple
civil
disobedience
militant
pacifism
responsible
anarchy
answers are
simple
technology
pharmaceuticals
chemicals
genetic manipulation
answers are
simple
buddha
mohamed
christ
god
angel
devil
answers are
simple
stewardship
spirituality
community
engagement
kindness
generosity
answers are
simple
openness
communication
cooperation
mutual aid
compassion
love
answers are
simple
when we pick
one side
when we think
we are right
and
therefore
everyone
else is wrong
answers are
simple
when we believe
so strongly
that we don’t
see facts
that we don’t
listen to reason
that we don’t
recognize flaws
answers are
simple
when we put
ourselves first
and demonize
the other
answers are
simple
when we
see the world
as zero-sum
realties are
complex
if we look
carefully
at all sides
of an issue
realties are
complex
if we
negotiate
realties are
complex
if we
compromise
realities are
complex
but
with a
common goal
with unified
commitment
problems transform into
challenges and opportunities
answers are never as
simple as they seem
and never as complex as
we make them
© 2020 Raibeart Bruis
Simple Answers
answers are
simple
do unto others as
you would
have them
do unto you
answers are
simple
stop consuming
start producing
garden
minimize
earth shelters
renewable energy
sustainable
agriculture
answers are
simple
democrat
independent
green
libertarian
republican
socialist
answers are
simple
civil
disobedience
militant
pacifism
responsible
anarchy
answers are
simple
technology
pharmaceuticals
chemicals
genetic manipulation
answers are
simple
buddha
mohamed
christ
god
angel
devil
answers are
simple
stewardship
spirituality
community
engagement
kindness
generosity
answers are
simple
openness
communication
cooperation
mutual aid
compassion
love
answers are
simple
when we pick
one side
when we think
we are right
and
therefore
everyone
else is wrong
answers are
simple
when we believe
so strongly
that we don’t
see facts
that we don’t
listen to reason
that we don’t
recognize flaws
answers are
simple
when we put
ourselves first
and demonize
the other
answers are
simple
when we
see the world
as zero-sum
realties are
complex
if we look
carefully
at all sides
of an issue
realties are
complex
if we
negotiate
realties are
complex
if we
compromise
realities are
complex
but
with a
common goal
with unified
commitment
problems transform into
challenges and opportunities
answers are never as
simple as they seem
and never as complex as
we make them
© 2020 Raibeart Bruis
scribbles in a poet's diary #28
(28 of 30—Official DUP NaPo/GloPoWrimo2020)
28 of 30
scribble #28: chanson
when you hear
cuckoo’s plaintive chanson
the spring for which you long
has come. the epic serenades
of flow’rs in rainbow shades
cleave the air
with promises and dreams
young lovers by cool streams
pledge hearts amidst new phantasies
etching their names on trees
every year
ere dandelions shoot their blooms
odessa dons april perfumes
© Copyright 2020 April 28
by Clyve A. Bowen♫
__________________________
NaPoWriMo2020—April 28
Total Words 55
Unique Words 51
28/30
The Every Day: Parade of Self
You have a clear need to
be right; regardless of topic.
A lava flow through keyboard
to screen, oozing into every facet
of discussion.
Intelligence made dingy
by your need to be seen
as well read, well researched, well
traveled, well educated, well well well...
...self aggrandizing.
An awkward requirement that
others open their mind- while
yours remains entrenched
in itself.
I have always seen
through the shiny veneer that
you think you hide behind.
The fact is, we try to hide the
parts of ourselves that we most
dislike; but those
parts become a beacon
to those who know where to look.
I watch it all begin to unravel on
a public platform.
I am quietly amused.
*NaPoWriMo2020*
67 unique words
118 total words
The Every Day: Parade of Self
You have a clear need to
be right; regardless of topic.
A lava flow through keyboard
to screen, oozing into every facet
of discussion.
Intelligence made dingy
by your need to be seen
as well read, well researched, well
traveled, well educated, well well well...
...self aggrandizing.
An awkward requirement that
others open their mind- while
yours remains entrenched
in itself.
I have always seen
through the shiny veneer that
you think you hide behind.
The fact is, we try to hide the
parts of ourselves that we most
dislike; but those
parts become a beacon
to those who know where to look.
I watch it all begin to unravel on
a public platform.
I am quietly amused.
*NaPoWriMo2020*
67 unique words
118 total words
28/30
Standing in the Rain
the stillness of night
that is nearly morning
in between the worlds
captured, I am captivated
by the roaring of silence
singing in my ears
raindrops tap my window
with their anxious little hands,
begging me to come out,
offering me a hiding place
to unleash my own torrent,
as tears are indistinguishable
from nature’s fury released,
and that makes me feel safer
somehow
these past weeks
have been quite a ride
and while I’m used to it
it still hurts
when someone leaves,
when the hope for connection
must finally be abandoned
- even if I understand the why
left to my own thoughts
for far too long now,
I face my own truths,
shining bright in the moonlight -
confidantes are hard to come by
but surprisingly easy to lose;
you’d think I was better at this
by now; I’ve had so much practice
but of course, I’m not
and so I’ll take the downpour
and its offer of cleansing
this melancholy
stuck solidly to my ribs
and head out the back door
to stand in the rain
Unique Word Count: 127
Standing in the Rain
the stillness of night
that is nearly morning
in between the worlds
captured, I am captivated
by the roaring of silence
singing in my ears
raindrops tap my window
with their anxious little hands,
begging me to come out,
offering me a hiding place
to unleash my own torrent,
as tears are indistinguishable
from nature’s fury released,
and that makes me feel safer
somehow
these past weeks
have been quite a ride
and while I’m used to it
it still hurts
when someone leaves,
when the hope for connection
must finally be abandoned
- even if I understand the why
left to my own thoughts
for far too long now,
I face my own truths,
shining bright in the moonlight -
confidantes are hard to come by
but surprisingly easy to lose;
you’d think I was better at this
by now; I’ve had so much practice
but of course, I’m not
and so I’ll take the downpour
and its offer of cleansing
this melancholy
stuck solidly to my ribs
and head out the back door
to stand in the rain
Unique Word Count: 127
