Tag: free verse

Juliana: a poem

Juliana on my mind

the cat

rubbing his whiskers

against my notebook

wobbling my attempts

to write

I don’t struggle and he stops.

If only life was always like this:

obstacles yielding to patience—

solutions rising with the sun

no changes or compromise needed

everything falling into place

love, family, jobs, vacations

If only charters of rights were enforced

If only good health was equally attainable by all

If only the talk of carbon taxes would disappear

Juliana says otherwise

(evolution takes effort sometimes)

~

©️2018 Ontheland

Juliana, et al. v. United States of America, et al., sometimes branded as #youthvgov by its plaintiffs and youth globally, is a lawsuit being brought by 21 youth plaintiffs….and on behalf of future generations (represented by James Hansen) against the United States and several of its executive branch positions including President Donald Trump and formerly president Barack Obama…The plaintiffs allege that, through the United States government’s affirmative actions that cause climate change, it has violated the youngest generation’s constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property, as well as failed to protect essential public trust resources.

quoted from Wikipedia

sunken steps

sunken steps of stone,

history rustling in the trees,

nothing but worn footholds left,

when those who remember are gone

the universe sighs final breaths,

ripples of joy and sorrow.

~

This small poem emerged today from a haiku that I posted on September 18, 2017, almost one year ago:

sunken steps of stone

under ancient canopy

history rustles

The idea to do this came from Amaya at dVerse who, for Tuesday Poetics: On a Loop, invites us to loop back to a past September 11 (or date nearby) to create a new poem from a piece of an old one.

Photo Credit: bonitavista.tumblr.com

©️2018 Ontheland

perpetual motion

Snapshots of happy moments

gathered like pearls

Hearts and minds

craving perfect pictures

while all that is clouded and changing

re-balances perpetually

like Einstein’s bicycle in motion.

consciousness blooms

equanimity dissolves

pleasure fades to dis-ease

each moment a potential medicine

to cure what came before

~

©️2018 Ontheland

In response to dVerse Poetics Tuesday—Medicine, I spun out these thoughts. The reference to Einstein’s bicycle comes from a quote posted by Kim in her Monday quadrille prompt:

Albert Einstein said: “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

whirlwind reboot

They were a whirlwind

From the moment they rose from the table

dedication filled the kitchen

Plates were stacked rinsed

washed dried shelved

The counter gleamed,

polished with expert precision,

each swipe and shine etching

my mind with energy

A whirlwind of getting it done

no thought no hesitation

one elegant gesture of clear, wash, polish

until every crumb was gone

placemats perfectly realigned

and the kettle on for tea

Having absorbed this spectacle

I marvelled

not ruffled by recalling the dishwasher,

(my total wash/dry perception an exaggeration)

it was the speed and polish that rebooted my system.

~

©️2018 Ontheland

compression

Amaya at dVerse gave us an interesting challenge tonight—to select two quotes, each from a different book, and use them as the first and final lines of a poem— in other words ‘bridge the gap’.

there, from spitting on the sidewalk

to chewing gum in class

from picking peas off her plate

to treading on the parlour carpet

from cycling down to the creek

to sassing her superiors

loomed a forbidden world

once alive with wonder

now a flattened minefield—

she felt crushed

as a gleaming metal sheet being

forced into a furnace

~

©️2018 Ontheland

Our choice of quotes could be intentional or random. I took the random route and used lines from page 111 of each book.

The first quote is: “there, from spitting on the sidewalk to chewing gum in class” from Precious Cargo by Craig Davidson.

The final line of the poem is derived from “the way a sheet of metal might be forced into a furnace”, found in The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert.

The pin

My mother

was not one for symbols

poetry, flowers, song

Life was survival

drawing within the lines

propriety

avoiding illness, death, disgrace

She loved in a quiet way

I love you, not said

was to be understood

shown in service

in food prepared

in time given

in a kiss goodnight…

She offered her token

with shyness

surprised to discover

it would be treasured

(did I not show my love?)

an ornate but simple pin

of her mother’s mother, Catherine

C Mc K,

entwined initials

of a mother who died young,

a connection in my hands to

to touch

to wander with

into invisible realms.

~

Inspired by dVerse Tuesday Poetics: Threads of Feeling

drink to me

Drink to me with your eyes
I will be yours
but at your peril
My sea is vast.
Pools of magic fish
diver’s coral
aquatic gardens
and lost treasures
dazzle with mystery.
My inner confusions
flash illusion yet
my depths are true,
unexplored diffusion.

~

Remember the song: “Drink to me only with thine eyes?”  The dVerse Tuesday Poetics invitation to write poems about drinking reminded me of this opening phrase and then I wrote a quadrille.

© 2018 Ontheland