Sta(lwa)rt

every day I jump
off the top of my head
in more than one way;
joggle the pebbles
of my stoic mind
to make room out of thin air
& breathe antiquities
towards the vacant sky —
to finally be
long gone.

One In A Million

burden fell from grace &
her voice held meaning
as she peeled the mask
from endeavour’s familiar face
and softly whispered,
‘nevermore’.

Phoenix

despite your broken wings
you touched the sky
fier(cel)y —
in all your forms.

(Un)Bound

it is not the rose’s thorn, buried deep
in your nature’s thumbprint
nor midnight’s misty mutiny, that drips
unto your earthen feet —
but the sting of loss, mirrored
in the chasms of your eyes
as you grasp Understanding
by its vulturous neck
& free yourself from torment.

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Watered Down

in glyphs
my mind comes alive &
I trip
over your ghost,
skulking in every puddle.

I hope the rain won’t also
wear your face.

Preserved

wrap tattered heart in stoic plastic,
smooth the barren earth which you call home
what once you deemed enthusiastic
now grieves beneath your hollow, shattered dome.

so shall the rains unleash your sorrow
wash burden far beyond your lover’s touch
place careful steps, seek fabled tomorrow
for in the end, the hurt won’t hurt so much.

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(Yep, I cheated with the meter. Ha.)

Devoured

swallow me whole ~
for the cannibal in me
never wants to feed again.

Ghost Town

will i find you
there ~
where sparrows swallow
milky, filtered twilight;
where curtains sway
in lonely brother’s mournful breath?

will i find you
kneeling ~
chipped nails scratching
dignity’s former grave
into dust-covered floor boards
yet again?

& we wander
between coffee cups and autumn homes
to whatever end.

Fluently

in a matter of hours
words turned to crispy shades
and took
honesty to its knees.
it was then you felt your soles bounce off
the yet uneasy road,
leaving purpose behind.

Reflection/Dear Self

Dear Self,

last night your tiny voice
played catch with moonbeams,
and in an instant of clarity,
your words rang true.

for too long i have buried you
under the stench of make-believe,
and waxen smiles, painted lipstick-red,
fastened lies to the surface.

it was the mirror of the moon
that thrust this bladed truth through prison’s flesh,
and feeble, makeshift lies flaked off my callused mind
to leave me bare & bathed in light.

i am sorry i failed you
for so long.
it is time for change.

M.

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Mary over at dVerse invites us to write an ‘epistolary poem’ for Poetics today – I wrote a letter-poem to myself. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, thank you, Mary.
As I am going through some major changes in my life, I do not know how often I will be able to write over the next couple of weeks – time will tell. It will be quite a journey on my end, so bear with me…
I would like to say thank you to my wonderful readers and fellow poets… you never cease to amaze me.
See you soon!

Stripped Bare

sometimes i lose myself in the gap
between zombie flicks and heroic deeds;
there is a love story, wrapped in plastic,
that reveals my squishy core
and points your way

when pompous days retreat,
I seek refuge, devoid its colors
& smile in grey, not
taking sides
for a change

in this moment,
when your gaze holds mine,
I shed my heavy armor
and, for just a second,
become me,
unplugged.

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Fred Rutherford over at dVerse invites us to write a poem on the topic of becoming ‘unplugged’ for Poetics today. Grab a pen and join the fun!

Blue(s)

sometimes blue(s)
hides behind a kind gesture,
a curtain’s exhausted dance
or sticks
to an infant’s pioneering fingertips.

avert your eyes
and witness beauty,
unstained.

The Day Cruella De Vil Barked Up The Wrong Tree

Cruella once told me to embrace my demon-stuffed destiny. She stirred puppy stew, elegantly, while forcing me to sew a black & white quilt. It turned out gray – I cheated – and she buried her daggered fingertips in my cerebral cortex. I broke my favorite cup of heartache (and her nose) as a parting gift, and left the door ajar. Cerberus would surely want to deal with her howls, would surely want to even the scales.
That day, I watched him paint the walls red.

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Mary Kling over at dVerse Poets Pub invites us to dive into Disney’s world for Poetics today. I went for prosy, quirky, and a little dark… just a little. Heh.
Come join us at the bar!

Meagre Offerings

it has always been your trait
to keep me in the dark;
to feed me bone marrow and splintered tears
ground to powdered memories;
sometimes spiced with a pinch of blue –
for your amusement.

i would have preferred
to swallow the bitter pill –
but you reserved the whole batch
for yourself.
“I never wanted you to see,” you said,
and slipped me another dose
of powdered past,
sneering.

i ignored your offering
and left you
behind.

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Kelvin over at dVerse invites us to write a poem using idioms for Poetics. Grab your poem and join the fun!

Stand As One

wedged
between stone and dust
people find their voice;
a whispered word
rises
to ring true
across continents

open eyes
won’t be forced shut
by the sting of tear gas

angry hearts
won’t quench their thirst
in submission to TOMA

stand as one –
kill
your fear of authority
and grasp the strands
of a new Era –
under the world’s watchful eye.

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Dedicated to the fighting people in Turkey. Stay strong.
Submitted to dVerse Poets OpenLinkNight – come join us at the bar!