Poetry Competition Ends 30th April 2025 11:19pm
DU Official NaPoWriMo Challenge
#15
"~an epic in the making.." (an inspired lyrical)
(intro verses)
an epic..
will you come & sing.. my breeze..
at this nascent dawning hours
of a newness flower in bloom..
this such pleasant now..
will it be embracing me..
a quizzical puzzle ..
is this future..
when the singing blue nightingale
becomes silent at this time..
an epic..
will you come & sing.. my breeze
(stanza #1)
the spring is in harness now..
new crop of rays stream in..
this mind in glooms.. merges
in a dizzying darkness..
all the days in this living,,
let sadness never be there..
in tears I am stroking.. just
listen to my story.. that
which is scattering away
as mere deserted mirages..
(refrain)
an epic..
will you come & sing.. my breeze..
at this nascent dawning hours
of a newness flower in bloom..
this such pleasant now..
will it be embracing me..
a quizzical puzzle ..
is this future..
.
(stanza #2)
in a brilliance brightens this dawn..
as the festive gathering of dewy grasses..
their language births this music.. as
intoxicating tunes in the unifying..
this a bursting new universe..now
comes as a paradise before me
& yes, the bitterness spewing
scenes of my past are not these..
(final refrain)
an epic..
will you come & sing.. my breeze..
at this nascent dawning hours
of a newness flower in bloom..
this such pleasant now..
will it be embracing me..
a quizzical puzzle ..
is this future..
an epic..
will you come & sing.. my breeze..
*unique words: 108
"~an epic in the making.." (an inspired lyrical)
(intro verses)
an epic..
will you come & sing.. my breeze..
at this nascent dawning hours
of a newness flower in bloom..
this such pleasant now..
will it be embracing me..
a quizzical puzzle ..
is this future..
when the singing blue nightingale
becomes silent at this time..
an epic..
will you come & sing.. my breeze
(stanza #1)
the spring is in harness now..
new crop of rays stream in..
this mind in glooms.. merges
in a dizzying darkness..
all the days in this living,,
let sadness never be there..
in tears I am stroking.. just
listen to my story.. that
which is scattering away
as mere deserted mirages..
(refrain)
an epic..
will you come & sing.. my breeze..
at this nascent dawning hours
of a newness flower in bloom..
this such pleasant now..
will it be embracing me..
a quizzical puzzle ..
is this future..
.
(stanza #2)
in a brilliance brightens this dawn..
as the festive gathering of dewy grasses..
their language births this music.. as
intoxicating tunes in the unifying..
this a bursting new universe..now
comes as a paradise before me
& yes, the bitterness spewing
scenes of my past are not these..
(final refrain)
an epic..
will you come & sing.. my breeze..
at this nascent dawning hours
of a newness flower in bloom..
this such pleasant now..
will it be embracing me..
a quizzical puzzle ..
is this future..
an epic..
will you come & sing.. my breeze..
*unique words: 108
14/30
Ode to a Pen
what class, and what style
the new pen is soft purple
silicone jelly grips my fingers
thin, vibrant lines across my page,
today I’ll write of love and loss,
perhaps I’ll bare my inky soul to you;
maybe if I spill it all, then finally
I can stop feeling like this;
my new pen sits still, subdued
the muse gives me her pity,
but nothing more than that,
tapping the pen across my chin,
I sit and think of all my experiences
and the events I have witnessed,
and all I can come up with is this
…but the pen is pretty nice, though
Ode to a Pen
what class, and what style
the new pen is soft purple
silicone jelly grips my fingers
thin, vibrant lines across my page,
today I’ll write of love and loss,
perhaps I’ll bare my inky soul to you;
maybe if I spill it all, then finally
I can stop feeling like this;
my new pen sits still, subdued
the muse gives me her pity,
but nothing more than that,
tapping the pen across my chin,
I sit and think of all my experiences
and the events I have witnessed,
and all I can come up with is this
…but the pen is pretty nice, though
#14
Aspire
How many times has a decision halted you
From making your dreams come true?
Have you internalized the reasons
You can’t seem to pull through?
Where did your aspirations die
Or are they lost in too many questions?
Will you sit by yourself and analyze the message?
Excuses won’t get you far
Sometimes all it takes is to start.
52 u/w
Aspire
How many times has a decision halted you
From making your dreams come true?
Have you internalized the reasons
You can’t seem to pull through?
Where did your aspirations die
Or are they lost in too many questions?
Will you sit by yourself and analyze the message?
Excuses won’t get you far
Sometimes all it takes is to start.
52 u/w
14 of 30
Affirmations..
From waning and fire emblazoned skies,
To mornings such as these,
Waking to the cries,
Of fresh snowfall,
laying before our eyes.
In a world where belief,
Inhibits more than it admonishes.
And perspectives lost,
Indentured more than nurtured.
In a near silence,
I quietly reaffirm that,
Anything, is possible.
Upon black wings paused,
And yellow ringed eyes,
Still following.
Anything,
Is..
Affirmations..
From waning and fire emblazoned skies,
To mornings such as these,
Waking to the cries,
Of fresh snowfall,
laying before our eyes.
In a world where belief,
Inhibits more than it admonishes.
And perspectives lost,
Indentured more than nurtured.
In a near silence,
I quietly reaffirm that,
Anything, is possible.
Upon black wings paused,
And yellow ringed eyes,
Still following.
Anything,
Is..
14/30
Univocalic (I): Gym Tricks
I spy its sign:
'MISSISSIPPI GYM. TRY GYM TRICKS!
Bring drink; bring gym kit'.
I think I'll visit it!
I spy kids sprinting, flipping, twisting!
In pink, girl child swings;
high flight; flippy twist; stick!
First trick: I climb.
I swing—
skin rips!
I try rings.
Cling, swing; fix limbs still.
Flip... SIT!
Sigh.
I'm trying!
This fit kid sprints;
sticks his skills;
shifts his limbs;
flick, twist.
I might try twisting.
I sprint. I twist my hips.
PING! In pit.
Sprint, twist, spring, twist!
I grin dizzily.
I hit SKILLS!
Right.
Spriiiiint.... ziiiiiip... sliiiiiip...
TRIP!
I hit my shins!
I bit my lip!
It stings.
I drink; I think.
I'll try drills.
Sprints, kicks,
leg lifts;
climb, spin,
I hit it!
I'm fit!
Flippy, twisty, spinny flight!
MISSISSIPPI GYM first visit:
slips, spills, twists, drills;
I'm winning!
(I think...)
Univocalic (I): Gym Tricks
I spy its sign:
'MISSISSIPPI GYM. TRY GYM TRICKS!
Bring drink; bring gym kit'.
I think I'll visit it!
I spy kids sprinting, flipping, twisting!
In pink, girl child swings;
high flight; flippy twist; stick!
First trick: I climb.
I swing—
skin rips!
I try rings.
Cling, swing; fix limbs still.
Flip... SIT!
Sigh.
I'm trying!
This fit kid sprints;
sticks his skills;
shifts his limbs;
flick, twist.
I might try twisting.
I sprint. I twist my hips.
PING! In pit.
Sprint, twist, spring, twist!
I grin dizzily.
I hit SKILLS!
Right.
Spriiiiint.... ziiiiiip... sliiiiiip...
TRIP!
I hit my shins!
I bit my lip!
It stings.
I drink; I think.
I'll try drills.
Sprints, kicks,
leg lifts;
climb, spin,
I hit it!
I'm fit!
Flippy, twisty, spinny flight!
MISSISSIPPI GYM first visit:
slips, spills, twists, drills;
I'm winning!
(I think...)
14 of 30
glass gates
in memory forever
some accusations stain
misunderstood...badly translated
it's hard to explain
why can't you just accept it
let yourself be loved
it's complicated
& painfully simple
but I don't know where to start
once upon a time...
{not so very long ago}
...as the story goes
I loved like a warrior
ardent & unrelenting
...but in full armor
poured my love into their open hands
giving them everything I am
beautifully naked...& guarded
knowing only...
I bathed them in everything I craved
...loving with unbridled passion
soaking in their affectionate gaze
while dreading the moment
they'd inevitably turn away
{self fulfilling prophecy anyone...
push hard enough...& they will leave}
lovingly I'd hold them up
but insist on carrying my own weight
unable to rely on anyone else
for somebody like me there are barriers
certain things...having happened to me
creating a limit to what I'm allowed to receive
{& where was the love then
when it was most needed
leaving me with a sense of...
...being undeserving}
so I couldn't view myself as worthy
but was still willing
to warm myself in the backflow
of my own passionate heat
always questioning my own worth
until one day the catalyst to an epiphany...
ended up...being me
I was seeking to receive
that which I always locked out
{my own worst enemy}
I never expected perfection
...from him
so why did I require it of me...
the first person whose love I needed to allow...
...had to be Willow
message delivered & received...
understanding handed me the key
more than hearing...finally...
I felt the weight of the words
glass gates
in memory forever
some accusations stain
misunderstood...badly translated
it's hard to explain
why can't you just accept it
let yourself be loved
it's complicated
& painfully simple
but I don't know where to start
once upon a time...
{not so very long ago}
...as the story goes
I loved like a warrior
ardent & unrelenting
...but in full armor
poured my love into their open hands
giving them everything I am
beautifully naked...& guarded
knowing only...
I bathed them in everything I craved
...loving with unbridled passion
soaking in their affectionate gaze
while dreading the moment
they'd inevitably turn away
{self fulfilling prophecy anyone...
push hard enough...& they will leave}
lovingly I'd hold them up
but insist on carrying my own weight
unable to rely on anyone else
for somebody like me there are barriers
certain things...having happened to me
creating a limit to what I'm allowed to receive
{& where was the love then
when it was most needed
leaving me with a sense of...
...being undeserving}
so I couldn't view myself as worthy
but was still willing
to warm myself in the backflow
of my own passionate heat
always questioning my own worth
until one day the catalyst to an epiphany...
ended up...being me
I was seeking to receive
that which I always locked out
{my own worst enemy}
I never expected perfection
...from him
so why did I require it of me...
the first person whose love I needed to allow...
...had to be Willow
message delivered & received...
understanding handed me the key
more than hearing...finally...
I felt the weight of the words
14/30
[NaPoWriMo - 2025 Collection] Flowers from Thoughts
[. . .]
I. The Greeks
[ . . . ]
xiii
órkhis
Orchid
Ornate labellum, magnetic
complexly patterned, textured
colors—pollinator, sticky
stigmatic of pollen masses
reigning the throne of design
even more so than the rose
Resembling testes, Theophrastus
ancient Greek botanist claimed
being the bulbous tubers
resembled male genitalia
A symbol of virility, powerful
ability to determine gender
of a fertilized ovum
Large root predicted a boy
—the small foretold a girl
O! Orchis, son of a nymph
and satyr, took Maenad
follower of Dionysus
against her will, and was torn
apart by wild beasts
his blood fertilizing the bloom
or so they say
. . .
[NaPoWriMo - 2025 Collection] Flowers from Thoughts
[. . .]
I. The Greeks
[ . . . ]
xiii
órkhis
Orchid
Ornate labellum, magnetic
complexly patterned, textured
colors—pollinator, sticky
stigmatic of pollen masses
reigning the throne of design
even more so than the rose
Resembling testes, Theophrastus
ancient Greek botanist claimed
being the bulbous tubers
resembled male genitalia
A symbol of virility, powerful
ability to determine gender
of a fertilized ovum
Large root predicted a boy
—the small foretold a girl
O! Orchis, son of a nymph
and satyr, took Maenad
follower of Dionysus
against her will, and was torn
apart by wild beasts
his blood fertilizing the bloom
or so they say
. . .
14/30
WOKE!
Why do we follow the rules
When they don’t
I so want to disobey
But I won’t
What will my children say
When they know
The direction this country’s
Been willing to go
How can I lead them
While holding head high
I don’t want to love them
And leave them to die
We need to all work together
I’m certain
To reclaim the commons
And pull back the curtain
The levers of power
Are already broke
Join me in telling them all
We awoke!
WOKE!
Why do we follow the rules
When they don’t
I so want to disobey
But I won’t
What will my children say
When they know
The direction this country’s
Been willing to go
How can I lead them
While holding head high
I don’t want to love them
And leave them to die
We need to all work together
I’m certain
To reclaim the commons
And pull back the curtain
The levers of power
Are already broke
Join me in telling them all
We awoke!
14/30
Eclipse
Stoicism requires self-control
Remaining calm
Understanding our own emotions
And knowing how to react
With good intentions
How many times must we bite our tongues…
It can be quite frustrating
To have light readily available
In the palm of your hand
When others think
They are enlightened
When all they’re doing
Is walking in the halo
Of the eclipse
51 Unique Words
59 Total
Eclipse
Stoicism requires self-control
Remaining calm
Understanding our own emotions
And knowing how to react
With good intentions
How many times must we bite our tongues…
It can be quite frustrating
To have light readily available
In the palm of your hand
When others think
They are enlightened
When all they’re doing
Is walking in the halo
Of the eclipse
51 Unique Words
59 Total
14/30
Napo 2025 Day 14
What can be said about today?
Besides it being Monday, not much.
Guess that is a good thing.
Nothing eventful to string emotions along.
Sure, there is something I forgot to do.
Who knows, I will hear about it eventually.
Guess I am kind of getting dragged along.
Not much I can do until I snap out of it.
I admit, there feels like no end in sight.
[Unique Words 50]
Napo 2025 Day 14
What can be said about today?
Besides it being Monday, not much.
Guess that is a good thing.
Nothing eventful to string emotions along.
Sure, there is something I forgot to do.
Who knows, I will hear about it eventually.
Guess I am kind of getting dragged along.
Not much I can do until I snap out of it.
I admit, there feels like no end in sight.
[Unique Words 50]
14/30
Haunting the Jaunt
I
Getting in a bit late
Batmobile into opening gate
I must sate the thirst of ink
Into writers chair sink
Somehow here after so much
So far away from human touch
Made to crush or make
The human psyche into something great
Capable of capturing fate
II
Ever on the take – Awaiting to be taken
Fate
Favoring the bold
who
Never sold
Their
Soul
III
That would be me, you see -
Glad to finally see
Something in the latency
of
My misery. My ecstasy
in
Pursuing the mystery.
IV
Long form jaunts – Deep into
favorite haunts
Frankenstein being, sometimes.
Feeling fine
if
feeling is
nothing
Inside the rhyme
the
Only time
Feeling something.
V
May beauty always be -
Unto me
All around me – Always
in
All ways.
Haunting the Jaunt
I
Getting in a bit late
Batmobile into opening gate
I must sate the thirst of ink
Into writers chair sink
Somehow here after so much
So far away from human touch
Made to crush or make
The human psyche into something great
Capable of capturing fate
II
Ever on the take – Awaiting to be taken
Fate
Favoring the bold
who
Never sold
Their
Soul
III
That would be me, you see -
Glad to finally see
Something in the latency
of
My misery. My ecstasy
in
Pursuing the mystery.
IV
Long form jaunts – Deep into
favorite haunts
Frankenstein being, sometimes.
Feeling fine
if
feeling is
nothing
Inside the rhyme
the
Only time
Feeling something.
V
May beauty always be -
Unto me
All around me – Always
in
All ways.
14/30
Don't Belong
River bear wearing the sun
Bathed in light
Caresses the water
Splash upon the banks
Flowing through
Forceful and calm
Alerts the grazing doe
All seems fine
The birds sing once more
Sunshine upon the fur
Lights the bristles
Each and every topside hair
As the squirrels gather
For their usual gossip
Laughter ensues
Snow capped melted spring
Insects chirp away in haste
Searching for a task
Flowering forth sweet nectar
A snap of twig under human foot
All is gone
Don't Belong
River bear wearing the sun
Bathed in light
Caresses the water
Splash upon the banks
Flowing through
Forceful and calm
Alerts the grazing doe
All seems fine
The birds sing once more
Sunshine upon the fur
Lights the bristles
Each and every topside hair
As the squirrels gather
For their usual gossip
Laughter ensues
Snow capped melted spring
Insects chirp away in haste
Searching for a task
Flowering forth sweet nectar
A snap of twig under human foot
All is gone
14/30
In Praise of the Color Blue
or Just Before She Has to Do the Hard Things
I press my sweaty palms against my thighs
and grab a fistful of my rustling skirt,
then scan the sky to find a patch of blue
to let that bit of calm adjust my mind.
Then bouncing eyes find bluejays at the feeder,
bright forget-me-nots, and a vintage Ford.
Unclench your jaw. Name two true things –
a human’s largest organ is its skin…
My heart? It slows from wild, erratic flight…
the average heart beats sixty times per minute.
I smile as steady current fills my lungs,
and drop the wrinkled robin’s egg-hued skirt.
14 of 30
My Hardware Life - 2
Store Manager says
“CEO of our parent company
is coming for a visit”
when? I don't know.
what's he look like?
search me.”
all day we play a game of, “who can it be?”
a contest made more difficult
by our lunchtime clientele
primarily IBM Engineers
and Executive in business apparel
a “Thomas Crown Affair (ish)” deception mess
Just after lunch break
I, leader of the garden department crew,
returning to my domain
when I spy a customer
shopping for a hummingbird feeder
“Can I help you sir?” I say
he asks, “Which do you reccomend?”
as he speaks I assess his apparel.
fine gray suit, Armani, maybe?
fancy leather loafers
Gucci, most probably
and he looked and sounded
like President Kennedy
“I'd go for the single feeder model…more than one hummingbird will not suck the faux nectar at a time” I say.
Suddenly the Store Manager appears
trepidatiously greeting my shopper
who, lo and behold,
was the corporate big-wig
we'd anticipated
to my boss, this Titan of Hardware,
praised my customer service prowess
for that moment it seemed
he'd validated my existence
My performance reviews have been spotty ever since
Unique word count: 146
My Hardware Life - 2
Store Manager says
“CEO of our parent company
is coming for a visit”
when? I don't know.
what's he look like?
search me.”
all day we play a game of, “who can it be?”
a contest made more difficult
by our lunchtime clientele
primarily IBM Engineers
and Executive in business apparel
a “Thomas Crown Affair (ish)” deception mess
Just after lunch break
I, leader of the garden department crew,
returning to my domain
when I spy a customer
shopping for a hummingbird feeder
“Can I help you sir?” I say
he asks, “Which do you reccomend?”
as he speaks I assess his apparel.
fine gray suit, Armani, maybe?
fancy leather loafers
Gucci, most probably
and he looked and sounded
like President Kennedy
“I'd go for the single feeder model…more than one hummingbird will not suck the faux nectar at a time” I say.
Suddenly the Store Manager appears
trepidatiously greeting my shopper
who, lo and behold,
was the corporate big-wig
we'd anticipated
to my boss, this Titan of Hardware,
praised my customer service prowess
for that moment it seemed
he'd validated my existence
My performance reviews have been spotty ever since
Unique word count: 146
14/30
[NaPo2025—Premeditated Paeans]
the secret of the honeybee
❝Most people don’t have any idea about all the complicated
life going on inside a hive. Bees have a secret life we don’t
know anything about.❞—Sue Monk Kidd
"good morning, mr bee!
it tickles me
to see you out so early: howd'you do!
a moment, please, i beg you, if you're free,
to teach me how to make your honey brew."
"well, hello, mr wasp!
i get your grasp,
but i am far too busy for this task,
for honeycomb curriculum is vast
and there's no time for me with you to bask."
"i prithee let me pose
upon that rose
and gather you a pouchful of its juice.
meanwhile, just tell me how the honey flows,
and all my draft i will for you set loose."
"look at my fuzzy feet,
so round and fleet;
but yours are thin and naked, far too smooth
to make collected booze a magic treat
that blesses heart or stomach or sweet tooth."
"i'll serve you all my days,
if you but raise
a finger in my favour: teach me, please,
to bottle surple juice in little trays
that, when the hard times come, bread shall not cease."
"do so and so, and so
and so, and so,
until the beeswax freezes like a shell;
then fill each cone before you start to blow,
until the nectar thickens like a gel.
"do not use fibre wood
that you have chewed,
or puncture with the cone your barbless sting.
ensure your work-songs have a happy mood,
and that there's no dead pollen on your wing."
"goodbye now, mr bee!
it tickles me
to see how foolish, in your careless haste,
you give away your vintage recipe:
to serve you 'all my days' would be a waste!"
wasps for their lovely homes
make honeycombs,
but predators can ne'er sweet honey brew;
for mr wasp, too quick with his shalom,
ran off before he learned the secret clue.
the secret of the bee
a mystery
that no one knows—not peasant or high king.
a thieving wasp, by his own trickery,
cannot make honey with his barbless sting.
© Copyright 2024 April 14
by Clyve A. Bowen♫
UWC 180
