Best Shades Poems
in the uncoloured tint of another everyday
amongst the spit polished waxed apples
tightly packed in burlap bags
they walked like minded
in their own burly wrap
oblivious to the irony
to their similarity
of the markets round red fruit
unaware of the tragedy
the horror of events yet to come
it will rain metal shrapnel
as human minds grasp
with the purpose of their existence
as in their ignorance
they understand their worth as human bombs
with a belief the heavens will open the gates
with a fanfare and a promised blessing
for their divine act of unquestioned belief
the clay shaped bricks
the black iron metal stairs
the drum sound of engines
then the lull
not after
but before
before
the pulse of the storm
the rain of death
yet this moment captured
this photograph
with man and child in hand
smells sweet
you wonder
bemused
why?
the world travels
aimlessly
singularly
no one
nothing in the universe
suggests
exposes
even a hint
even a glimpse
not a clue
that would lead
reveal
an answer.
life in its contradiction
like the proverbial apple
offers both
the miracle
the curse.
09/23/2014
In vertigo of night, in their riddled trance
Boldness of petals melt on washed-out shades,
As faces etch a quiet gloom in varied hues
Capturing splashed oil, neutral and bright
While I gaze longingly at a portrait…
Man and wife , as if holding a child almost
Unseen …hidden through a float of blue-white.
Through dimming pain, a view lights up for a time
Where orange of moonlight quietly slips
Amid this rosette outburst and aching gray,
With blossoms strewn along pale candlelight…
How languid colors begin to mold my thoughts
Drowning in a pang of loneliness… I ask
In silence..are the couple ,the babe dying?...dead?
And the fusion of tender, lonely motif allows me
To weep inside, captive in a gasping moan... the kind
Which shapes a tone between life and elegy.
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Frank Herrera's Contest: YOUR PERSONAL BEST of 2016
Written 5/09/2016 Re-submitted 10/18/2016
POTD Awardee
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Inspiration from the painting, Les Amoureux en Gris
Artist: Expressionist, Marc Chagall ( illustration included)
Starlight pierces ebony,
above sculpted shades of white.
And moonbeams soften the scene,
gilding Night, with golden light.
Donning a crystalline dress:
Nature's a picture of grace.
And draped in soft, snowy down:
She's frozen in time and space.
Billions of snowflakes gather
atop branches: where they freeze.
And subtle features get carved:
by the breath of a sharp breeze.
But breezes aren't strong enough,
to dislodge the sticky snow.
And the laden branches bend:
bowing impossibly low.
Cold casts an enchanting spell:
in the throes of Arctic chill.
And silence imbues magic:
to Winter's artistic skill.
Shades of Poe , Speaketh
Shades of Poe oft run in my veins
dark, dirty little splashing stains
No Raven stirs my battered heart
nor any signs on my astrology chart
Dark mysteries seep in at night
shadowed beings birthing fright
Muffled sounds sent to alarm
evil crying to scare and harm
Then my soul cries out to Poe
help me now , for you must know
Remedy for this sad affliction
a spell to give quick eviction
Reply creeps slowly back to me
close your eyes to sadly see
Darkness that drives men mad
such my heart and soul once had
No cure can by me be so gifted
you need Light to be so uplifted
My words are my aid little as is
answer you seek can only be His
Son of Light only can save you
my darkness left me only that clue!
Robert J. Lindley 10-12-2014
note: Tis' the month the Dark spreads
its evil mists to kids tucked in beds,
scary voices crying muffled shouts,
battles and shadowed little bouts,
goblins, ghouls and witches now abound
imagine such and they are then found!
and in my dream- I find myself in a lush forest
dripping wet with life, steamy and sultry
I am one with nature and with the aqua drifting water
oh, the soft moss and the wet lime ferns
I float in tranquility and beneath me water reeds grow, swaying
so many hues of greens and colors dwelling in harmony
juniper, sage, olive, blue, pine
emerald green of a little frog and dark brown of a crocodile
small yellow little fish kiss my toes
a lovely fushia flower, an orange snake slithers
a fluttering purple butterfly, a blue bird sings sweetly
green twining vines, meandering in the dark foliage
my sage eyes, whisper come fall into the lush depths with me
I will take you to a world full of utter peace
where all beautiful shades of nature, mingle and entwine
_____________________________
May 18, 2016
Poetry/Free Verse/"shades of nature"
Copyright Protected, ID 16-792-122-0
All Rights Reserved. Written under Pseudonym.
For the contest, The Sun Is Out
sponsor, CT
Second Place
In so many shades of black and white, I find you after all these years;
leaning against that old weathered clapboard schoolhouse,
high on the hill overlooking the Fundy Bay,
and again, I inhale the fragrance of those wild sea salt roses
and feel the ocean mist upon my face, as I look out at those
sunbeams dancing on the tops of those rolling waves.
There you are, in your hand-me-down dress,
with socks pooling around the tops of your shoes.
There, third row to the far left, sporting a home made bowl haircut,
and a smile of utter joy.
After all years, in so many shades of black and white,
I find that little lost girl, and I am a kid again.
In so many shades of black white, I find the true colors that are me.
~~~
Author: Elaine Cecelia George
On a day bathed in so many shades of misty grey
There upon those rugged cliffs above the Fundy Bay
Heart pounding like the thunder in those crashing waves
Trembling lips dripping with heart felt words I could not say
So shy, I was a teenage girl so much in love
My soul on fire like that blazing stormy sky above
Where lighting crackled and sizzled in a burning flame
As his yearning eyes searched mine there in that wind swept rain
Taking cover in that shack with broken window panes
Where tattered pieces of old lace curtains still remained
Peels of nervous laughter silenced in that broken frame
As the storm outside raged against us all in vain
When with tears of stormy weather still running down his face
His lips found mine there in that that old abandoned place
A moment so electrifying it seared my soul
With a memory that haunts me now that I am old
When stormy weather lets me see him as he was that day
There on those lofty cliffs above the Fundy Bay
My heart pounding like the thunder in those crashing waves
As I drift in the beauty of those shades of misty grey
Dark cumulous clouds contain
the filtered sunlight in a strange
monochromatic sunrise
where birds seen in silhouette
seem to think they can sing color
into this this grey day.
Mountains defined by stark dark shapes
fade into the distance as if swallowed
by fog's mysterious whiteout.
I feel encapsulated, as if inside of
a black and white photograph
that only defers to shades of grey.
© Connie Marcum Wong
March 8, 2015
Back Black and white film photography
Poetry Contest Sponsor Giorgio A. V.
Take me beat me and mold me
I am yours to do with what you wish
No matter what you do with me
I am still considered quite a dish.
I can modify your hardness
I can let you know when to boil
I can conduct a heat in you
And I will never let you spoil.
I don’t react harshly, if you get me moist and wet
You’ll still love me in the morning, on that I think I’ll bet
I will still be malleable, no matter what you do
You can beat me to transparency, and yes you see right through.
I am a bright yellow colour, with a lustre some would die for
Keeping me in good condition, would never become a chore
If you really wanted to, you can put me in your mouth
I can even adorn your body parts, North, West, East and South…
I don’t react to an acid tongue, except those that are vitriolic
But you can dissolve me with the acid, called nitro hydrochloric.
You can pour me when I’m so very hot too hot for you to play
Then you can finger me when I am cool, and play with me all day
You can eat off me, or with me, the choice will be yours
They say I came from outer space, in fact in meteors
But one thing I will say I don’t wear out or lose my lustre, it is told
So if you pick me up treat me well, I am you little nugget of gold.
© 14/12/2012
All their peach faces have now bowed their heads,
Eighteen lovely roses cut from their beds.
In their wilt lies a sadness I have known
Of inferior complexities tone.
Seeing them like this caused me to recall
Tortures of childhood from when I was small.
Unfriendly faces greeted me at school.
Over and over I felt such a fool.
It's hard to make friends when you're the new kid.
Shy and obnoxious, followed, I just hid.
Then just as I finally found a friend,
Uprooted from that home, it would all end.
I felt like a nomad moving around.
No place to call home, staid on solid ground.
With humble clothing and holes in my shoes
It didn't take much to give me the blues.
But children grow up, and when they have grown
They can make a new life to call their own.
Yet there are still shadows that linger on
From the sadness of childhood, now long gone.
My kids had it better, this I made sure.
No school after school for them to endure.
But we all have lessons to help us learn...
There-in lies the gold that love helps us earn.
© July 19, 2016
Emerald green that shines on
gleaming green jewel bug
Algae green of the serene pond
And there swim the shoveler ducks
Harlequin green from areca leaves pinnate
Softly grins when sunrays gently penetrate
And the dark green on betel leaves
Oh ho, the deep red on tongue it leaves
Light green of the Mandevilla
That climbs high to shine bright
Mixed hues of the leaves of taro root
And turquoise green on the crystal clear Lake
O! The iridescent green hues
of peafowls whose vibrant colors ooze
off his pretty long feathers,
Do I need to apprise further?
Green paddy field glares
And sways like a girl's hair
Teal green from singing river
Accumulates minerals and delivers
Did I mention the grass green?
Hey! Isn't our earth's screen?
Raising that lustrous curtain,
unfolds vivid scene by scene
Our earth breaths through these shades of green
Without these green, there is no pleasant scenes
“Alive,” she said,
“and becoming such a beautifully-
painted picture.”
Where-in you walk wispy
(She said)
through the moon’s light
shinning on the branches
of leafless trees.
Then tomorrow shakes his tired head,
halfway into Autumn’s-
dead middle;
and you stand shaded and colored
(She said)
by the fiery skies.
While down among your feet
the wilted flowers
wake like a carnival
and encircle you
(She said)
with forgotten happiness.
And on you trod shyly
into forests of yes and no.
Where all happiness is lost,
and the flowers forget-
to grow.
“Alive,” she said.
Evening drifting in on twilight's shade
As sunset glimmers softly on the sea
Shimmering in colors of marmalade
And fading deep into its mystery
Dusk enchants with spells of its sweet allure
As restless waves await the mystic night
Flowing relentlessly on a rocky shore
As seagulls dot the sky in twilight's flight
And in the darkness of the cryptic deep
The ocean churns with raging sounds sublime
And soon, it lulls the midnight moon to sleep
As starlight twinkles a silvery chime
When the moon awakens from its sweet dream
The sea in morning light will surely gleam!
Written by: Joseph May
She indulges in sensorial delights
Marked with the color of ecstasy
The passion she drinks is diluted with eroticism
The moon melts with her gentle gaze
Honey drips from her luscious lips
Like ruby flames sweeping desert dust away
Oasis of churning lava explodes within her fiery spirit
seducing the sun with her golden skin
Far away from Love's imprisonment
She builds her castle of desires
Imprinted with
FIFTY~~~~~ SHADES OF~~~~~~RED
A Collaboration With Liam Mc Daid and Red Fiery
"Between Shades"
Somewhere between shades of midnight and sapphire
lies the color black blue with specks of tiny white
Such are stars waiting to grant wishes and offerings
whisper your desire
Peace on Earth comes to all seeking the sky of night
standing before her with an ever clear and open mind
Witness with freedom many stars that radiate through
believe your desire
Brief is this moment in time yet window of fantasies
waiting for all to witness her aura of magnificence
Up high she remains in gala shadows sparkling bright
fly your desire
Whether you take close the one you love by the hand
or gently think of someone who is far away from home
somewhere between shades lies a dream just for you
hold thought your desire
SkyWatcher - 06-01-17