A scene from the movie "We are Marshall" gave me the idea for this poem. I think we see examples of it everyday.

In a Heartbeat

The muscle shows its strength
by the power of the beat.
Character shows its strength
by the power not to be beaten.
Know the strength that lies within you,
and you will never skip a beat.

In June, I took a jazz poetry workshop and found out that haiku is a large subset of jazz poetry. I remember haiku being part of the poetry unit in school. I wasn't particularly interested in it then, but I am really enjoying it now. In case you need a refresher, a haiku contains 17 syllables broken into three lines of 5, 7 and 5. The two I am posting today have one similar line, but I think the overall ideas are a little different.

Team Up

Collaboration
Transfer the feeling to sound,
feeding each other


Expression

Master musicians
express their feelings in sound,
the true jazz poets

I wrote the following poem after doing some yardwork. I guess it is my version of "take time to smell the roses." In this case, it's lilacs.

I Never See the Lilacs

I never see the lilacs bloom
though they grow in my backyard.
Orange lilies burst upon the scene
yet they don't catch my eye.
The daffodils can wave and wave,
but they'll get no reply.
All this unfolds so close to me,
it seems impossible to miss.
But it's easy to overlook what's near
when you're focused on what's next.

This poem came from some comments made by a couple of newcasters. They were discussing how time could be both harmful and helpful.

Two Sides of Time

Time takes its toll
but offers its tenderness.
The taking is aggressive,
eroding our skills,
destroying the familiar,
claiming those we love.
The offering is more subtle,
presenting new opportunities,
providing the chance to rebuild,
distancing us from the hurt.
The toll cannot be avoided.
The tender presents a choice.
Both need to be accepted
as integral parts of life.