inevitably, she comes for us all
my lover— death, with her webbed fingers
her skin soft as a porcupine’s,
her quills darting into my chest
tears me apart in search of her craving
a smile as she gently ripped it out of my flesh
she held it out to the heavens and breathed out a cry of death
her teeth harder than diamonds, and her tongue sharper than a double edged sword
she looked at it— my heart,
aching for its taste, aching for its love
her eyes, equivalent to a million stars dying,
looked at my lips with desperation and yearning
so i pressed mine against hers just to get a taste of heroin
ecstatically fatal for even among the gods
her mouth opened and speaks with the proclamation of my demise
my love for her stronger but my body weaker,
falling— she caught me with her arms hotter than deserts
but gently lays me down against the snow covered ground
her embrace burning my flesh,
beside the river where dogs bathe,
a smile appears on my lips,
a taste for my last breath
By day my dreams go drifting
of their own design
I find my mind wandering
down to the waterline
for a change of scene
let's you and me
go swimming in the sea
of tranquility
leave all cares behind
we'll sail away sometime soon
and bathe by the light of the moon
Cry me a river!
Cry me a river!
CRY ME A RIVER
I’ll scrape this mud off of my heels -
That’s caked from years of trudging.
And soak these wounds in orange peels -
To persuade scabs into budging.
This bar of soap, my sword of choice -
Will slay bruises that have haunted.
Replacing aches with citrus’ voice -
Who soothingly tunes the daunted.
This plunge of water, warm and welled -
Will calm my anxious weather.
And put to rest thoughts that rebelled -
As I bathe in crystal summer.
Through my little fingers I'd peek
When I was a kid I would freak
Watching wicked witch melt
Frightful fear I then felt
That I wouldn't bathe for a week!
walk
in light
see my shade
dip your toes in
bathe in the beauty of my earthly soul
Stretch out your arms
Lie on the mossy forest floor
Feel the cooling fronds
On your back
Be embraced.
Join the family of trees
As they chemically chatter
Beneath you. Silently.
Interlope and envelope
An exciting vibrancy
Of Autumnal shades
Before Wintery sleep pervades
Douse your soul
In the pine scented oil
Of calm, ancient, understanding
Bathe in the beauty
Of stillness..
(Ssshhh)
On the shore of the river,
we used to bathe,
in the streams flowing to that river,
we used to play,
with no worries,
with no sorrows,
following the water running down without mysteries,
just flowing with our innocent games.
Take me to my childhood
with my rivers, my streams,
and the friends that looked to be forever,
until we grew up.
Take me to the dry streams,
flowing to the empty rivers,
as they are now.
I want to see the reflections of the past
that will never come back,
unless we dig into the back of our minds.
Take me there,
where nothing is as before,
just pitty for tomorrow
and a past picture in my mind.
You cannot bathe today, woman told her handsome man.
I have company in there, and he does not like others to intrude.
He peeked in and saw a shark sitting on his throne, his can.
This put him in a rather awful, horrible, bad, rotten mood.
I thought you said he was bathing he accused his wife.
She did not know he was using her husband’s toothbrush and throne.
She did not want any trouble, any confrontation or strife.
He’s my friend in the afternoon, I suggest you leave him alone.
Tears can easily bathe the wounded soul
Flowing unhindered from sad, redden eyes
Do their part, helping the heart to console,
When desires, circumstances compromise
Tears can help us to compartmentalize
Sadness, and to uncover its sources,
There among our most precious resources
Then, while pondering on the deeper hurt,
And summoning our various courses,
Work with us, our future woes to avert.
Written February 27, 2022
Without faith, we float on streams of the ocean,
This unbelief is like the turning waves of the sea,
And doubts might be bathed in that stream,
of insecurity and dreams, merging with life’s destiny.
Driven by every wind and tossed by the rapid gale,
priorities lose meaning to cross the tempest sea.
In the rowing of hope, we battled with stormy hale,
And takes the bravest being to gain solid victory
That eternal force within never shrinks or waver,
From baptism in the sea, it refreshes the lake of purity.
With the greatest triumph in all kinds of weather
Belief is the strength of a tower, standing invincibly.
With the faith for a fire and the light for a flame,
The truth will never fade nor be drown by the rain.
Raindrops of the monsoon
Touching thy lower lip to chin
By rolling, now, on the Kadamba flower
Dark blue clouds run in the bare chest of the sky
The sun in the opened emptiness; apathetically
Covers all your untold words
There are no other flowers on thy chignon
All in advance leaving for monsoon shower
For your coming step by step with rainy flower-
in that twilight
to bathe in the first raindrops
Chattogram © Mahtab Bangalee
A chill of Autumn in the air
and spider’s webs are everywhere
these delicate exquisite works of art
such beauty and joy fills my heart
Old Man’s beard has just appeared
weaving its way through blackberry bushes
loved that name when I was small
to touch ~ so furry
to see ~ enthralled
Blackberries plump and succulent
awaiting to be picked
evoking memories of Mum’s fruit crumbles
blackberries and apples mixed
Sloes ~ a rich dark purple fruit
ripe and ready to bathe in Gin
patiently waiting
sloes luxuriating
tempted to taste
but must not haste
for to sip a Sloe Gin on a cold winters night
leaves a feeling of warmth
and another ~ well I might...
Written 12th September 2020
Contest COMPLETELY YOUR CHOICE 8
Sponsor Brian Strand
FIRST PLACE
Nothing as it seems in this dream,
As this sponge comes apart seam by seam.
Ariel eyes gaze towards sapphire seas.
Mermaids have no purpose in aquariums.
Yet so many struggle to escape shallow streams.
Sitting upon sandy shores,
depth of her emotions, reflect moonlight,
gently caressing welcoming waves.
Yearning to float free -
to wash away her worries,
her mind is like a constellation of stars,
hiding behind misty vapors.
Spiritual sounds summon her home.
Melodies of mystical nymphs,
liberate her supernal soul,
as an infinite power dwells within her.
As sand castles wash away,
Sea Urchins wash upon the shore,
craving to be beside her.
Sapphire seas cast a spell.
Dimness of the horizons clear,
permitting stars to illuminate into her eyes -
like a millions pearls placed inside
the chambers of her Oyster heart.
Letting go, each splash erases the past,
cleansing her mind, releasing subliminal chains,
swimming in depths, most would drown.
Her spirit once stranded upon barren land,
now bathes within oceans, not known to man.
Silent One
26 December 2018
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