Sunday, October 30, 2011

Conversation snapshot


Sweet

“It was very sweet of her to say that.”

Not exactly right to say that her words
are as sweet as over-ripe strawberries
or candy cane on Christmas eve
after a turkey ham and cheese sandwich;

too sweet, as a matter of fact, it makes your molars
weep at the roots and your fillings vibrate like
they've been touched by tuning forks, bringing a sharp
pitch to the ears like the whirl of a dentist drill.

Delight?


“I don't think so.”


***

A number of my work are conversational snapshots. I had this one in draft and thought I share it.

Submitted for dVerse Poetics: Call and Response. I already read a few on that link list, and they are excellent. Even if you don't join, I urge you visit and read the poems listed there.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Blood toll

Mozzie Party
1

I crashed the party in the swamp; they buzz,
not enraged like that of bees or wasps,
but delighted, pleased, why, hello!
welcome, we're so glad you're here
and you bought the drinks!
;



2

Hovering pins
approach

I'm the piƱata
full of sweet
warm blood

I wear
the blindfold



Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Well, since it's the season for shades and such...

***
Recalling a shade

Kicked a rusty paint can
while walking
through a shortcut:

it rolled
sideways
clattered

meandered

down to the grassy patch
to where our house
once stood; nothing

is left except for
a pile of wooden legs
from a broken chair,
a scattering of dull
emerald shards from
a window pane.

Apple white --
that's his favorite color;

it doesn't work for the walls --
the light shade of green apples,

the kind that makes
your teeth ache
with its citric juices.

I've forgotten why
my dad liked apples
(and apple-white)

so much. I kicked it again
and it broke, showering
little rusty bits, flakes
all over my shoe.

There will be a road going
through this place next year,
no one will remember
there was a house here.


(Idea for this piece from HVP's photo "Real Life Grunge")

***

Initially posted somewhere in June, I've made a few changes and offered it for dVerse Pub Open Link Night (no.15).  Friends, please join us there, there's a great crowd, and plenty of good reads.


(July 20, 2012) Linked to Meeting at the Bar: The Best of... (dVerse Pub 1st Anniversary celebrations.)

Saturday, October 22, 2011

The army in my house

****


Cake crumbs

black ant
black ant

ant ant ant ant ant ant Cake
                                        ant


jaws                                b a c k
    closed        food       to the nest
        around   back     to the queen
    crumbs       who     sits pregnant
carry                               w i t h


ant ant ant ant ant ant
ants
   ant
     an
       a
          a
        h i ll
    ant     ant

and all around, soldiers
    ten times the size of workers

stand around guarding the line of
ant ant ant ant ant ant ant ant
stand around guarding the line of

order
   |
single

ant cleaning feelers, or
taunting human

ant ant ant ant ant ant Cake
                                         ant


****

I saw some of the excellent entries for dVerse FormForAll where they were doing shape and concrete poetry this weekend and was inspired. But alas, as usual, I'm too late to put my link in.

In any case, I had fun.


Tuesday, October 18, 2011

A manner of definition

***

Grasshoppers

Severed blades of grass
blended green
assaults olfactory
brushes;

a pair of mynahs
partners in life
searching for
         
              grasshoppers;

grey-wing moths,    
flutter above cut
lawn.

A calico
mound of fur,
          razor claws
(hidden)
under paws,
hoping for

     grass hoppers.


***


This one is submitted to dVerse Open Link Night #14 -- Join us for some fantastic finds and reads.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Tea and sunflower seeds

***

The art of waiting

A glass of tea, leaves
drift and settle after a sip;

I crack open
a sunflower seed

taste the bitter sweet kernel,
toss the brittle husk into a bowl

measuring time
in empty shells

until I hear your key
turning in the door,

picked up the evening paper,
pretend I wasn't bored.


***Inspired by CygnetSeven's photo: Thru Tea.


Been a bit distracted lately (see gaming blog), though I did manage a few drafts last weekend that looked promising.

This one is submitted to dVerse Open Link Night #13 -- I've been looking forward to participating again.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

I don't mean that in a good way

***


“You say I'm a bitch like it's a bad thing.”

put down

to a four-legged
beast in heat

obscene, dirty
mud caked paws

panting after
alpha dogs

defiance turns
insult to compliment

back off backing
off bumper sticker

wood chips dust
your shoulder


***

I think calling a woman a bitch for whatever reason is an insult. It's a rude term plain and simple. And I'm always amazed and shocked that women would refer to themselves as bitches like it's a good thing.


Posted for dVerse Poetics - Bumper to Bumper. I don't normally do prompts but this seemed like a fun one and I just happened to have one in mind. Visit dVerse for more excellent poems to discover and enjoy.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Coffee, that's what I need

***


Thirsty Ghost

i'm hungry i'm thirsty
i had my water but i need
something to get through

drifting, existing, invisible, listening in
on conversations strange and familiar

of housing loans, medical bills, raising children
taxes, traffic jams, floods, the latest restructures

a bully talking about how women are always
nagging, an unfaithful wife who can't understand
the lingo of kidsthesedays, a petit girl retreats
afraid she has asked too many questions

the other table has alcohol
the rest are full of vitriol

the things people do for money and 2 square meals
and not forgetting electric bills

the internet is such a threat
are you getting the new ipad
babies should not be playing with them
facebook is the new way of communicating

i need coffee but i can't find any
what kind of restaurant is this
i'm thirsty i'm not hungry anymore


***
 A bit of a rant. I think it's just something I needed to put down to get it out of my system.


**Posted to Poetry Pantry #69 on  Poets United.


**Featured on Wordsmith Wednesday- Snooping. My thanks to Victoria. Do visit her blog (liv2write2day at wordpress) for her poems, her stories, writing prompts and interesting discussions on the writing craft.