Thursday, January 29, 2015

Dried Flower


Dried Flower

Weathered, withered
damaged by the frost
the color of youth lost
to changing seasons

Bristly, brittle
leaning a little
sitting atop the stem
until the end

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Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Frozen in Time


Frozen in Time

Frozen in time--
the day I
last saw you,
speaking eloquently
to so many friends.
Laughing and smiling.
Looking healthy, not
months away from
the final slide.
The years add up,
but I still
see you clearly.
Frozen in time.
Frozen in my mind.

Thanks to Dana Dampier for this week's Wordsmith  Studio Creative Prompt-Frozen. The prompt is posted each Thursday. Last Thursday, I went to the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park on the grounds of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. It is one of my favorite places to write and take photographs. I took several pictures of the ice in the pool that is part of the sculpture One Sun/34 Moons by Walter De Maria. When I got home, I checked the prompt and knew I had a choice of several photos. I started working on the poem a little later.

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Thursday, January 22, 2015

Bridge


Bridge

Connect
Support a road
over the river
Arch over
the highway
Traverse the ravine
Make it safer to
cross the tracks
Start a conversation
among generations
Unite

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Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Winter Nights


Winter Nights

Winter nights seem colder
now that I am older.
The pain in my bones
rises as the degrees dive.
Sweaters and blankets
provide temporary relief
as does turning up the heat.
Are the nights colder or
have I lost the capacity
to hold onto the warmth.

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Thursday, January 15, 2015

Step Up


Step Up

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.
                                                               Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The first step
was to remain
seated and not
take a step
back in the bus.

The first step
was toward
a lunch counter
or into a school.

The first step
was to act
no matter how
real the threat
nor how near.

Who will keep
the faith and
take the next step?

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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Survival of the Fittest


Survival of the Fittest

Stay alert, keep moving.
Watch out! That was close.
Every few seconds,
someone is eliminated.
One gets hit on the legs,
another on the shoulder.
Who will be next?
Should I chance
a look at the clock?
I hear the whistle.
Gym class is over.
I place the
red rubber ball
on the rack.

Thanks to Sarah Turnbull for this week's Wordsmith Studio Creative Prompt-Elimination. Who remembers playing dodgeball with those red rubber balls?

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Thursday, January 8, 2015

Loose Leaves


Loose Leaves

Leaves on the ground
turn brown,
crackle underfoot,
scrunch into dust.

They blow
all over town,
unable to
settle down
after the fall.

This poem came out of the word sprints that Wordsmith Studio did during its all-day New Year's Day Twitter Chat. The group chats every Tuesday at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. using #wschat. We discuss various aspects of writing and support each others individual endeavors. Feel free to join in whether you are an Early Bird or a Night Owl.


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Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Hindsight


Hindsight

If I had known
what I didn't
would I have done
something different?
Would I have done
what I couldn't or
thought I shouldn't?
Would I have
gone in another direction?
North instead of South?
East instead of West?
Would all the rest
have changed
if I had known?


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Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year


What's New?

chance
dance
romance

plan
strand
brand

dream
theme
scheme

trend
blend
end

sphere
cheer
year