Toad

Whither now hunker-shins?
You have a sweet countenance,
a squat grace,
always middle-aged
on the still edge of a speeding sun.
Another swift day has begun
yet here you sit among the traffic
unflinching, a bold 
bladder quelling gravity
with low-sprung shanks.
You deep-seated recliner,
standing-pat over upholstered hams.
A lumpy Mona Lisa,
with your come-hither girth
and just a thin membrane
between you and chaos.
Your skin an alien chiaroscuro,
a candle-lit atlas,
and in the cockle and crimp
of your glistening skin
a truculent contrarian gleams
beneath your world-dismissing
Buddha smile.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2019

Poem

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Ashford Avatar
August 13, 2019 at 8:19 AM
Hi Raven, glad you liked this. I brought in some of my native English language into this one, the subject matter seemed to suggest it. Thank you for your kind comments.
Howell Avatar
August 13, 2019 at 6:46 AM
The "Contrary edge of a speeding sun"! -Wonderful! This poem makes me smile like the silly toad itself. And Eric, the last line is simply genius. Lovely - you are a wonderful poet.
Ashford Avatar
August 12, 2019 at 9:28 AM
Cheers Richard, old toad is a mysterious reptile, and toads ways are deep. The enigmatic smile of toad is a thing of ethereal artistic beauty for sure. Thank you!
Lamoureux Avatar
August 12, 2019 at 9:15 AM
This brought to mind the game Frogger. My favourite line is “A lumpy Mona Lisa”
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