Mark Martin Poet Free verse

Our World Without Colour

Classic silent films
Redundant technicolour
Piano plays mood

Panther and snow leopard
Duelling with chess
Under a scintillating firmament
A dome of diamonds floating on infinity
Moonlight softly slicing the shadows
Illuminating their world of concentration
Alternating attrition
Pawn takes pawn
Bishop takes pawn
Rook takes pawn
Knight takes pawn
Who's winning?
The back rows don't care
The pawns always get slaughtered

Monochromatic menagerie
Colour falls victim to Darwin
Survival of the hueless
Polar bears, penguins, orcas
Denizens of the icy white
Magpie's musings
Cogitating a colourless cosmos
With polka dot dalmatians
And Rorschach fresian cows
And bar code zebras
Mezzotinted mother nature
Despite its wonderous beauty
Always has a few skunks

Jet and pearls for the rich
Coal and chalk for the poor
Obsidian and quartz for the wannabes

A nun and a priest
In theological debate
Reconciling scripture
With how the real world with real people really works
Playing dominos
To divine answers
To divine questions
Passing holy judgement
By chance and cunning
What's the alternative?
A pool table of eight balls?
A heartless (and diamondless) pack of cards?
It doesn't matter
To those who see
Truth as black and white

Food race!
Tuxedoed athletes!
Chequered flag drops!
Raisins and pearl onions
Caviar and rice
Faster!
Black pudding and chicken
Licorice and mash potato
Faster!
Black beans with cream
Oreos and mayonnaise
Finish line!
Hurray for the winners!
Bread and blackberry jam prizes!
Everyone else starves

Brightling and darkling
Eden's white vies Hade's black
Madness lies between





Written 16th February 2017

Entry to "the colours black and white" contest

Notes: 
"Colour" is not a typo or a spelling mistake. It's how us Brits spell it.

"Divine" means "discover" as well as "about God"

Magpies are considered to be one of the most intelligent birds - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magpie

Mezzotint is a grey scale printing technique https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezzotint

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Kai Michael Neumann February 28, 2017 at 1:44 AM Mark, this is amazing. The imagery is fascinating. Not more to say, other that I have read your poem again and again and I would also have placed it much higher. Many wishes, Kai Mark Martin March 1, 2017 at 3:06 PM Thank you Kai for taking the time to read it and for your feedback. All the best! Mark :-)

Rhonda Johnson-Saunders February 27, 2017 at 10:56 PM Wow, this is brilliant poetry, Mark, so creative...it evokes many feelings and images! Congrats to you (I would have placed this much higher)...hugs, Rhonda Mark Martin February 27, 2017 at 11:30 PM Thanks Rhonda for your kind words - glad you enjoyed it. All the best! Mark :-)

Elaine George February 26, 2017 at 7:01 PM Yes! We Canadian's also spell it colour. Love your incredible images of black and white, Mark. Great writing. Elaine Mark Martin February 27, 2017 at 12:29 AM Thanks Elaine! All the best! Mark :-)

Cheryl Hoffman February 22, 2017 at 7:28 PM Playing it forward Mark; congratulations to you too on a very interesting black and white free verse poem! Especially liked the jet and pearls for the rich, coal and chalk for the poor verses! Enjoyed!~Che :) Mark Martin February 23, 2017 at 1:48 PM Thanks Cheryl - glad you enjoyed the poem. All the best! Mark :-)

Emile Pinet February 22, 2017 at 4:39 PM The words are magical and beautifully expressed in a sea of swirling phrases that dance upon the tongue. The imagery and shear beauty of your words are impressively seasoned by a extensive vocabulary and fill the heart with their magic. You tell a story with such freshness and reality that it soon attaches itself to our reality and we take partial ownership of the emotions poured forth. Congratulations, Emile. Mark Martin February 23, 2017 at 1:49 PM Thanks Emile for your kind words. Glad you enjoyed the poem. Mark :-)

Donna Roberts February 22, 2017 at 1:51 PM Well, I certainly learned a few New words today, Congratulations! Mark Martin February 22, 2017 at 1:56 PM Thanks Donna! :-)