Author Archives: poyye

NaPoWriMo 2013 #22, Earthday Prompt

TREE HUGGING

Stooping, parting grass, seeing Toad sitting in his doorway,
talking to a neighbor friend. Looking, each doorway containing
at least one Toad eavesdropping, living in this apartment cave
that joins in the center communal room.

Vine stairways climb up, held by toeholds in bark
to doorway of Bird who tries to fill never-ending beaks while
around and around Squirrel is racing, using huge tree arms
as platforms to the balcony made by amputation of an arm and
now a miniature meadow with grass, bushes and mushrooms.

Above, Woodpecker anoints my head as he tries to reach a
burrowing Insect and the Cardinal sings to bewitch a mate.
Almost leaves, ready to burst out and open tiny arms to Sun
who started this cacophony to begin with.

The tree so high I can barely see its top,
So old I cannot reach around it,
The bark twisting around in swirls
making faces at me.

I rest my hand on a root and feel the quiver of life.
I love you tree.

NaPoWriMo, 2013, #20, No Lack of Words

Even this prompt threw my spell checker into shock!

 

NO LACK OF WORDS

 

The OWL sat UPWIND on the GENERATOR

Giving a RODOMONTADE

Regarding the SQUANDER by DUNDERHEADS

To the COWBIRD and the QUAHOG.

 

His MERCURIAL, MIRACULOUS EGO

Was TWICE NON-PAREIL

As an ELUSIVE GHOST CHEESE with SEAWEED

And a WILLOWY TRUFFLE

 

The owl did ABSCOND with ARTILLERY

The CYCLOPS took the CURL

The SALT and the CLOVE fell to the GUTTER

All this with a BILIOUS SVELTE girl!

NaPoWrMo, 2013, #19, Barn Sale (Prompt)

BARN SALE:

Hats that only fit large heads

Paper weights, mostly dead

Black and white flash-back albums

Tractor with Deere John instructions

Rare cemented memory jugs

Computer with some virus bugs

Crutches for a broken knee

Glasses, rose-colored, you can see

Wedding band (one size fits all)

Pins inserted in a doll

Urn with ashes (includes a hole)

Disaster headlines in a roll

Heart (needs mending/cannot use)

1950’s blue suede shoes

Clothing , small, so they should last

Mantle clock that runs too fast

Wedding dress, new, never used

Mirror, cracked, please excuse

Promises, broken, worked for me

Kids are welcome, dogs are free

NaPoWriMo, 2013, #18, Beginning and End (Prompt)

FOREVER

Impossible to look over your shoulder when you need to watch the face.
The face looks at you so kindly. You dare not drop the mace.
The eyes that twinkle merrily while sucking out your life
while behind you moving slowly is the same face with a knife.

You would think you’d learned your lesson and just pack your bags and leave.
You get so tired of watching and you do so need reprieve.
But why bother when you know these things and its way too late to quibble?
Besides, you’ve tried
You’re tired now
No Time
Watch out
Impossible

NaPoWriMo, 2013, #17, Greeting (Prompt)

Mushroom2a

DAWN BOY’S GREETING

Dawn Boy, little chief
greets the morning with his belief
that there is beauty everywhere.
Just look for it. It will be there

Let there be beauty above you.
Let there be beauty below you.
Let there be beauty around you.
Thank you.

NaPoWriMo, 2013, #16, Translation Mistakes Prompt

This prompt was hysterical. When I read my tranlation I couldn’t stop laughing!
And yes, my spell check went bonkers. I chose poems of Swedish language because there were only 8 to choose from (I’m not good with decisions) and, yes, my spelling and grammar check is still going bonkers but at least it turned green. So, I’ve re-written this depressing poem with my pardon to the author and the Swedish language also.

BLI ALDRIG VÄN MED EN KRÅKA

Bli aldrig vän med en kråka!
sade en biolog i radion. Kråkan
fäster sig snabbt vid dig, hon knackar på
fönstret oavbrutet, kråkan blir lätt psykotisk.
Ingenting händer här. Ingenting. Trädgårdar
i regn. Citroner i månsken. En flock kajor lyfte med ett
häftigt oväsen vid ruinen igår kväll. Klockorna milt
genom diset. Röken, klangerna. Jag såg en gång
en liten flickas ögon gå i moln, det var irreparabelt
från början, det gör ont. Molnet drog över den
violetta ögonvitan långsamt inåt mot
pupillen och sedan kunde jag inte
följa det längre, molnet.

© 1997, Tua Forsström
From: Efter att ha tillbringat en natt bland hästar
Publisher: Bonniers; Helsingfors; Söderstrom, Stockholm, 1997

This is MY translation (LOL!)

FRIEND NEVER MAKE THEM A CROW!

Friend never make them a crow!
Said a Biologist on radio. Crows
fasten they quickly with you. She knocks on
window overmuch. Crows become very psychotic.
Nothing happens here. Nothing.
Garden In rain. Citrus in moonlight.
A flock jackdaws lifted them here
Having overture with ruin last day.
Bell noise mild distance through, smoke, clanging.
I saw in Past In little girl eyes gone in a clouds.
That was irreparable.
From beginning it was pain.
Cloud drag over it Violet eye white slowly into towards.

This is my re-write:

ALWAYS MAKE FRIENDS WITH CROWS

If I had a crow as a friend
there would always be something to do.
You can teach them to knock on windows
and they are always laughing at you.

A stupid Biologist said
on the radio one rainy night.
That citrus trees grow in the garden
and that jackdaws take off in moonlight.

Their noise in the castle ruins
blends with the bells in the town
The clanging through smoke in the distance
is the blind girl burning it down.

NaPoWriMo 2013, #15, Pantun Prompt and More

I’m so proud of myself. Not only did I do a pantun “The Three Sisters” but I also wrote something (whatever it is) called “And In The Beginning”!

THE THREE SISTERS

I look at the beans climbing corn fast.
Knowing the squash will care for the earth.
My sister leads my sister last.
I’ve known I’ll feed my mother since birth.

AND IN THE BEGINNING

Grandmother Spider, done with her weaving
needed some companionship.
She moulded some clay into four different people
and poured on some brown, white, red, yellow slip.

Thus, People were made who wandered all over
and found a hole in Grandmother’s ground.
They looked down, surprised that they couldn’t see bottom
and lowered a vine so that they could climb down.

The vine was in fact, way too short in the long run.
The People too tired and wanting some fun,
they let go the vine and fell farther and farther
They smiled as they felt the warm rays of the sun.

Red, White, Brown, Yellow looked down and saw water
and knew right away that they were sunk
but wise turtle saw them and quickly swam over.
They landed then with a clunk, clunk, clunk and clunk.

Turtle, he swam for eons and eons
Growing bigger and bigger as things usually do.
Brown, Red, White, Yellow were then separated.
The shell turned to earth and vegetables grew.

The hole then turned black along with the ages.
The people forgot they were brothers to start,
So hatred started twixt red, White, brown, Yellow
and Grandmother Spider did break her own heart.

NaPoWriMo 2013 #14 – Persona Poem

MAYBE THERE’S TIME

I’m strong and I’m able. I’m ready to go
to the earth, from this planet, I’m ready to show
to those beings, those “humans”, just what they don’t know.
I know they won’t like it. It will be a big blow.
But, I’m strong and I’m able and I’m ready to go!

On my way I salute the sun.
“Can’t stop”, I declare, “I must run!”
Sun nods as she stays in her place.
“I know”, she calls, waving her rays.

Then, as I quickly swoop by Moon,
I bow to him quickly, it’s noon!
Not a word does he say back to me.
He’s been touched, been defaced, I see.

I hurry right on through these beings trash.
“I’ll cope with you later”, I say as I pass.
I duck as the beings shoot their first dart
I know that this thing will be more “junk art”.

As I land I’m appalled at the sight!
It’s going to take time to make right.
They’ve ruined it all, see the blight?
Then Earth says, “I’m too tired to fight,
You’ve arrived just in time with your curative might”.

And, I’m strong and I’m able and ready to go!
My name is Salvation and soon it will show.
I point toward a city and I strike my first blow!
I’m strong and I’m able and I’m ready to go!

NaPoWriMo 2013 #13 – Yard Walking

On a Walk

Walking through the yard I see mud clumps from the plow.
I see brown puddles and untrimmed hedges,
Trash from cars, wet rotted leaves, brown, dead grass,
broken branches fallen to the ground, mud on my car.

Using sight and smell I smell green sprouting things
and the smell of the lake, minutes away, coming to me in the wind.
I smell cows finally let loose from winter confinement and
a recently cut tree fallen from a winter storm.

Seeing, smelling, touching I feel the softness of the new grass,
the bark of a happy tree, smooth buds that are baby leaves.
I touch the mud and it feels like the gritty mud pies I used to love
I touch the stump and feel the sticky sap

Seeing, smelling, touching, tasting I open my mouth and taste the fresh air
coming from the lake released from its skin of ice, almost like fish and seaweed.
I pull a blade of grass from the sheath and bite the tender end
and taste sweetness and light.

Seeing, smelling, touching, tasting and best of all hearing
I hear the birds and their calls to find mates. All the birds I’ve been missing.
Orioles and Cardinals and Mourning Doves, Chickadees with their summer song
So different than their winter song.

What would I do without these senses?
Which one, if I had a choice, would I choose to lose?
Deciding to enjoy them while I have them
I decide to explore the field.