I awoke and wiped moon dust from my eyes.
Kissed an ancient tabby cat in the morning light.
The sun found the slats in between his lives.
Nine A.M I gathered just enough ambition.
To peel an orange and crack an egg.
Went outside to water withering pansy faces.
They whispered to me that I was very late.
It hadn't rained for 9 1/2 days.
When I was young, they spoke of another ice age.
Now they say the planets are quickly burning away.
Who are "the they" anyway?
I stared into the mailbox's mouth.
It's going to be a fine day. No bills popped out.
I waved to the gray-faced neighbor.
He arthritically waved back.
He's got one foot in the grave.
I'm amused by his smiling butt crack.
I went back inside just before I burned.
Rid the house of egg bits and cat turds.
Tabby tap-danced around my grey turkey legs.
It was about time for an old man's nap.
Dreaming of tabby cats, nuclear annihilation
and a red-haired siren that never came back.
Fall’s felicitous red herring —
the mystery of leaves morphing.
The autumnal applause fairing.
Verdant heat and daylight dwarfing.
The horologic ticker chimes,
as lines are drawn on pumpkins patched.
Gramps, it’s apple picking time.
The scarecrow’s wise with balding thatch.
Forensic crisp of maple leaves —
children foolishly blinded by
the crimson and yellow dervish
heap...how quickly green does die.
Snowy bonnet soon covers plot —
arthritically profound.
The creaky ice of knees and knots
embellish the grownups’ playground.
Sought are the days of yesteryear —
chirping of birds and childhood friends,
standing aloft swing with no fear,
ascending where sunlight transcends.
9/22/2019
100 words
Any poem you want to write exactly 100 words Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Caren Krutsinger
Word count checked by howmanysyllables.com
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.