Coal miner with his lamp
The Morn, hoisting a light.
That deep, that impenetrable
This workday's fogginess.
Further into feel we
To chip, whilst stepping through
Not the bowels of the earth as
An otherworldliness.
the air that we breathe –
an intricate part of survival –
reluctantly exhaled
lost in the cauldron of communal breath
we yearn for a world
hidden from troubling delusions
where dreams are cut short
aeroplanes circle in the muggy morning air
while others
for no apparent reason
fall out of the sky
souls ascending
taking their final breaths with them
lost in mid thought
as silence swallows the answer …
...to their dreams of a world
lost in the bowels of the earth
its unique, virginal ecosystem
leaving one breathless
where thoughts are entwined with the mist -
oil on troubled waters
a balm for the soul
diverse as their yearning
for a lost innocence and
as transient as the air that we breathe—
mere illusions …
The escalator keeps descending;
Seemingly, it’s never-ending,
Taking riders deep into
The bowels of the earth.
Everyone around pretending
That they’re fine, of course, depending
On their circumstances and
Just what their time is worth.
When the platform’s reached, there’s waiting.
Scrolling signs are indicating
When the closest train will come –
That is, if you’re in luck.
Minutes tick by, generating
Lots more people congregating
But you’ve made your choice and now
It seems that you are stuck.
Finally, a revelation –
See the train approach the station.
As the doors glide open, people
Rush to get inside.
Find a seat or resignation
Will stay ‘til your destination.
Then at last you exit,
Having taken it in stride.
Machu Picchu in Peru
ancient city
where Inca disappeared
were they taken by aliens?
if so why?
Did wildebeests devour them?
Was there a flood?
An avalanche?
No evidence remains
Or did they simply flee?
Fearing something bigger than them?
Something from the sky?
Something from the bowels of the earth?
Were they scooped into a portal?
We do not know.
Brilliant light reaches down, a hand from above
Touching life, illuminating lies, searing my retinas
Like something holy that defies tangibility
Reflecting upon the water as a striving, sorrowful soul
A dream of death, the final moments of a friend
Pushing the darkness into the despairing depths of my heart
Hidden from the luminous brightness by walls of stygian gloom
The hallowed secret a friendship locked away forever
Night comes, a god of old billowing from the bowels of the earth
Snuffing the light from our minds like hope crushed under fingers of death
Something we once possessed, now transcendent in our memory
Elusive laughter and light dancing across the pages of our life
Tears mingle with the dew of dawn
A fleeting fog vanished by the sun
Emotion cloys our senses
A miasma of feelings echoing into eventide
The body a prison cell containing only a soul
A vessel for the works of a heavenly deity
A vicious fight for life, taking no prisoners
Touch and go
3/31/21
"Touch and Go"
for "This or That, Vol. 1" sponsored by Edward Ibeh
A variety of fragrant lilacs in the ground
Purple and white asters, doilies in baby joy pink.
Prettier flowers in a garden are rarely found
My bird baths are used by cardinals and one blue jay I think
Verdant grasses are moist when I walk my land as I must
Sun glows her happiness on my back as I adventure.
Clover is enticing the bunnies and deer with her crust.
To the beautiful Queen Anne’s lace I must bow and demure.
Faeries disguised as butterflies, dragonflies, and bees
Lamb’s ear’s velvet softness rises from the bowels of the earth.
Dive bomb me any way and direction they so please.
The laughter of the brownies cause a great deal of mirth.
Enthusiastic garden shows off my miraculous way
Of loving plants so much most of them clearly want to stay.
Written 6-2-2019 Contest: Nature scene orphan sonnet poetry contest
Sponsored by: Dale Gregory Cozart
I feel myself floating, spiralling,
Swaying softly with the breeze,
I look up at the grey hued sky above me,
The vastness of the world overwhelms me,
Engulfs me.
As I continue my floating descent downwards,
I pass others, some still attached and solid others, like me, Disembodied, dismembered, cast out from the flock,
I continue my journey downward.
I feel like I'm heading to the bowels of the earth,
To the deepest pits of hell itself,
My time has been fleeting,
My life ebbing away.
A gust in the wind pulls me, tugging me in new directions,
Briefly I fly,
Upwards,
But all too soon i feel myself twirling,
Descending once more.
Hither and thither I fall,
And when I hit the ground I will lie amongst my fallen brothers and sisters,
I will remain and i will decay and rot,
Future food for my family tree,
And my home, the branch from where I fell,
Will survive and go on without me.
Feeling the calamity coming,
edgy thoughts ...
enter the bunker
Following in Hitler’s footsteps,
going down underground ...
into the safe panic place
The isolated catacomb haven,
dark insulated protection ...
enter the bunker
Hiding in the bowels of the earth,
reproach worms on a flesh search ...
enter the bunker
Imminent life defeat
conquered by suicide victory ...
into the hate womb retreat
Got the pills, bottles and gun
Just waiting for the Reaper to come ...
enter the bunker
Praying inside the Archie idol,
wanting the death angel bloodwings ...
entombed in the cocoon bunker
Fear reflex is the gag choke,
as a cloud of mushroom smoke ...
enter the bunker
On my first spelunking excursion with a few friends
I got separated from the group, and hysteria quickly overtook me.
The cave led to a dank cavern, and when I lit a match, I could see
a kaleidoscope of colors reflected in the stalactite encrusted ceiling.
Looking down, it seemed there was nothing but perpetual darkness,
and chaotic thoughts raced through my mind.
Suddenly I heard a cacophony of screeches and clicks,
clamoring towards me from the bowels of the Earth.
At that moment, it felt like the apocalypse had arrived,
and I half expected to see a horde of demons rushing to devour me.
Cringing in fear, I felt the sting of a thousand bat wings hit my face
as they swarmed past me, stealing my breath as I soiled my pants.
Terrified, I screamed like a little girl
in a state of panic, petrified with fear.
My friends heard my pitiful cries,
and a chorus of snickers and laughs preceded my rescue.
deep in the bowels of the earth
this treasure is found,
dug out by the men
who work underground,
they crawl and hack to fill the store
waiting for the call, mind your heads
as a blast is used to loosen more
this black diamond.
In the mining area in the valleys nearby
many a child had no father to give,
lost in the pit in an explosion, they cried,
many men lost so others can live.
the commodity they dig for
you will recognise am sure,
the black diamond I write about
is.... coal....shiny and pure.
penned august 3 2016
You missed a ****-storm
of dysfunction
geysered from the bowels of the earth
raining down
dark sticky obstacles
I soldier through
as I always do
In my dream you come for me
we sleep under the root
of a giant tree
where you live
clean
and free
of the stench
I retreat to that familiar
place in my heart
where you throw pebbles
into my pond
and I’m
hypnotized
by the wavy reflection
of the moon
Deep within the bowels of the earth
a pressure builds up in intensity
As lava and gases increase in growth
bubbling and seething with angry fury
The pressure continues to build up
directly under the earth's crust
Which finally weakens and blows its top
yielding to the pressure's upward thrust
The action produces a huge crater
through which ferocious flames exit
Painting the sky in a red orange colour
in an awesome fiery exhibit
It's a grand display of fireworks power
generated by Mother Nature
Which reaches out both near and far
in testimony of its grandeur
Clouds of ash and smoke rise up to the sky
spreading for miles and miles around
Obscuring vision both far and nigh
before most of the ash falls to the ground
A thick outpouring of red hot lava
scorches everything that lies in its path
Streaming down the sides of the crater
as it moves on with relentless wrath
Volcanic action has an awesome tale to tell
of what goes on under earth's placid shell
It's where red hot lava and gases dwell
which when released create a fiery hell
Rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, gems of such great worth
Gems beyond price and beauty from the bowels of the earth
Sought for and dreamed of, fought over and even died for
When all said and done just pieces of mineral from mother earths core...
Placed in gold and platinum settings, price beyond compare
Stored in vaults to precious are some, but still bits of mineral to be fair
Reds and greens, blues for sure, these gems stone are beauteous things
Nothing says I love you more, than gemstones set in golden rings.
For me these beauteous bits of glass that bedeck the bodies of some
Bought for gifts and treasured always, these little baubles of fun…
The best gemstone of all is ‘adamas’ or unbreakable from the ancient Greek
But it’s the qualities of this superlative gem, that is what I seek...
Its superlative physical attributes mean, it’s hard beyond compare
Allotrope of carbon spewed by volcanoes, and it is still rather rare
This gemstone which is a diamond, and guys this is the best surprise
I don't want even the remnant of a diamond, just the glint like diamond of love in your eyes…
© ~GG~ 2/10/2012
Out of the deep recesses
Of human hearts
Comes a longing cry
For recognition
From where and from when
Did they come?
Out of the bowels of the earth
Gold is found and dug
And the silver vein discovered
Out of the depths of the sea
Formed in the womb of the oyster
The most precious Pearls are birthed
Out of the darkest sky in light years of space
Brilliant stars are birthed
Inside mountains of gaseous clouds
Out of midnight oil is the search
For wisdom and knowledge
The rarest of gems
Is birthed in the Heart that holds God
A most precious Pearl
Born from giving all that are
© Brenda V Northeast 27th April 2012
For Russell Silveys contest
"Midnight Pearl"
…to the dogs
He stared at the damp chilly night
and marveled in frustration
seeing nothing at all -
except the black night
So many years ruined dancing to the same tune
days and night overlapping into an endless timeless space
Indigence, parched throats, empty ragged pockets…
guns persist as unflawed blood flows into the filthy cesspools
maggie dogs, scavenger, urchins all blend into one
all in a split race for the a place in the bins
At first light
blurred images flash past his eyes
cheese and butter, wines, champagne, music and festivals
laughter and smiles
- the taste of a gone era
Flashy cars with tinted windows speed by
on the highway
towards the glass towers and
the affluence beyond the mind’s eyes
Numerous gaps along the road
shattered dreams, tattered bridges
dyed-in -the-wool banal lip services
Shame!
A curse from the bowels of the earth or
is it a monster
from our flesh and bones
or both?
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