The city rises like a wall,
The city stares me down:
“Who are you, lost in smoke?
What battle do you wage?
All trains have burned away,
The rails have lost their age.
What brought you here to dust,
Having lost your place?”
We do not turn our eyes,
We do not reach for guns.
Enough of shouting lies —
Let falsehood turn to dust.
Our silent line moves on,
We simply keep our stride.
If all the world is strange,
Darkness won’t shift aside.
The night keeps watch downstairs,
The frozen building sleeps.
This is no heavy cross —
We’ll stand as two can stand.
The one who broke the lock
Borrows strength for a while.
The one who saved their love
Will outlast every prison.
The city will break the ice,
Cast off its borrowed face,
And finally understand
Who kept their eyes alive:
Not sellers of their flags,
Not generals of walls —
But those who, through the blindest season,
Never gave their souls away.
Author: Dmitry Lyubishkin
When Should I Smile?
Smile, they say. It will help break the ice.
Smile, they say. It does not cost anything.
Smile, they say, it will help fix everything.
So, why should I smile?
To show that I am not sad?
To make you feel less bad?
To forget my anger?
I don't think so.
I will smile when I want to.
I will smile when I need to.
I will smile when I feel like.
I will smile....for me!
I know that it was meant for me
That kiss she planted one, two, three
I’m gonna blame that Mistletoe
Who put it there, I’d like to know
I thought I had it all worked out
My friend and I, we had no doubt
He had that Mistletoe in hand
And he would hang it where I stand
You see that way when she arrived
Under its leaves, I could have dived
And then her winsome kiss, I’d know
For all to see, we’d be on show
But
It was a Mistletoe Mishap
Who could have done this, I’d like to know
It was a Mistletoe Mishap
My friend wouldn’t do this, this is so low
It was a Mistletoe Mishap
Who could have done this, I’d like to know
It was a Mistletoe Mishap
I’d like to find him, I may as well go!
If I find out it was my friend
I’ll never speak to him again
He knows that I’m a quiet guy
And that I’m really very shy
I needed so to break the ice
That would have been so very nice
Instead some other’s Christmas lips
Are glowing as their heartbeat skips
It was a Mistletoe Mishap
Instead of acting like you’re in mourning
With a smiling face, just say good morning
Instead of walking around with a frown
Just be happy without being a clown
Kids don’t need for your tales to be gory
Why not share with them, a funny story
No need to go on about your ex-wife
Say something humorous about your life
To break the ice so that others will laugh
This morning, I woke up, clothed in the bath
Waves in my brain
to your cliche songs they entrain
Background music in the store
It takes me over to my core
Others keep looking for merchandise
Or converse with each other to break the ice
But I sing along with nothing to prove
Just taken over by a nonlinear groove.
(chorus)
Waves in my brain like a tidal refrain,
When you can't think, the vacuum's the pain
I sing other people's words, can't think alone
cobwebs grow on a stalling stone
My cortex resonates to the rhythmic beat
I start dancing in the aisles, pounding my feet
It's like I'm under a spell by a witch
As my brainstem resonates to a higher pitch
The people with the white coats come for me
My shrink is puzzled, he just can't see
When your brain is one big empty hall
Music rules it, better than nothing at all.
They were right, I'm just an empty suit
So don't play that piano, guitar or flute
Thinking is hard, But I'm going to be brave
I'll find a way to make my own wave.
Blanket Of Snow
Blanket of snow
Your so beautiful
Bundled up in the cold
The sun melts the stars
Your shyness is revealed
Break the ice with a sense of humor
Together close by the fire
The cold brought us together
A new relationship in the winter
Mesmerizing, eyes in blue
Like the faded sky painted Azure
Take a walk in the powdered snow
Love letters in December
Pretty lights dazzle in a small town
The most radiant women, I have found
We can hold hands in the clouds
Ice sickles drip reflections in the wind
In December, new memories begin
A blanket of snow
I just wanted to say hello
Together in the cold
It has always been you, in the winter glow
Through iambic pentameter I sing!
Without thee nary a poem I'd put down.
Break the ice? In a pickle? No such thing.
Had not found a home in this word town.
Yet not all that glitters is syllabic.
And perhaps not all the world's a stanza.
To be pentameter of the iambic
Or not to be? What a real bonanza!
The world is your gooey lump in a shell.
Join the wild goose chase or move to Carmel.
The visitors arrive and I must bear
Their comments are not that I really care.
I stare at them as they would stare at me;
Until they break the ice, act so beastly.
Listen to their litany of abuse,
"Look well, her eyes are closed, having a snooze?"
"Isn't this an invert of a known painting?"
"Nice auburn hair though she looks like fainting."
"Not as good as Mona, now that's a dear."
I cannot understand why they come here.
They dare compare me to that wanton lass
How many men know she was sick, alas?
Finally, they leave except for one man.
I know that I can return his love for me.
If it were in my power down I'd come
Leave this mural, on his lips and kiss him some.
The painter draws our love and endeavour,
Happy; we'll be each other forever.
EYES are the light of the body
That leads us to light from darkness in & out.
EYES are the sun shine that bless us with a vision
That pushes us to strive hard to break the ice.
EYES are the twinkling stars giving hope
That guides us in the dense way to dare dreams.
EYES are the ocean of power with pupil & iris
That sails us to overcome the floaters to win.
EYES are the nest of Nature with eye lids
That help us to rest after a tiring time
EYES are the treasure with support of retina
That propels us to view the wonderful world.
EYES are the beauty to our body
That presents us with an attractive look
Leave it here with magnanimity to someone
To have your beauty and be immortal.
In the depths of your being, there lies a spark,
A divine flame, lighting up the dark.
Empowered from within, you'll surely see,
The strength to conquer, to be truly free.
God within you, the source of all might,
Guiding your steps, in the darkest night.
With every breath, feel the power surge,
Unlocking potential, like a sacred dirge.
To remain empowered, stay connected deep,
To your inner self, where secrets keep.
Forge a bond, intimate and true,
With the God within, in all you do.
Love like Jesus, forgive with grace,
Walk in faith, in every place.
Pray with power, evangelize bold,
Study, obey, let your story unfold.
Overcome desires, conquer every vice,
With divine empowerment, break the ice.
Face life's trials, with unwavering stride,
For within you, God's power resides.
So let your light shine, with divine decree,
For empowered within, you are truly free.
We are meant to break the ice of hibernation.
Each year as spring begins.
All winter was a trance.
Which kept me warm, but also unimaginative.
Now, I am uninhibited.
Spring is, at first, an interruption.
But eventually it becomes all encompassing.
Leaves that are elegant.
That flatter the stoic branches.
Hope that was once obscure.
During that winter that used to protect us all.
"Our times and life will always be changing, but
the strength that dwells within us never changes."
Quote by _Constance
Time is changing how we live life,
because danger is a cruel knife;
not sure that my country is safe,
I read news with anger and chafe.
With family- cannot share throes,
for too many of them repose;
My life friends are dwindling away,
for only the true will not stray.
My building neighbors come and go,
there are none to share my sad woe;
though a few are friendly and nice,
at church- so hard to break the ice.
I do like social internet,
oh, hundreds with the same mindset;
sharing thoughts and feelings on Soup,
and also with my Facebook group.
________________________
February 07, 2023
Poetry/Rhyme/Times Are Changing
Copyright Protected, ID 02-1523-845-07
All Rights Reserved, 2023, Constance La France
Written for the Standard contest, Acquaintance and Neighborhood
sponsor, Sotto Poet, Judged 02/20/2023
First Place
“I suggest we break the ice”, the interloper said.
I began chopping with a snow axe, and she laughed.
You must have been born with a silver spoon, she threw out.
I threw the snow axe at her; irritated she had called it a spoon.
She ducked, as cool as a cucumber.
I was irritated now.
“I’ve got your number,” she told me.
I had no idea how she had gotten it.
“I was not born yesterday,” she added.
I knew from her wrinkles she was not lying.
“This is as easy as ABC,” she said. “You are transparent.”
I was not a happy camper now, she was getting under my skin.
“Hold your horses,” I told her. “You are coming on too strong.”
“You’ll be in hot water if you continue egging me on like this.”
She laughed. “Let me put a bug in your ear,” she said.
“Hot water is something I do best after falling through a hole in the ice.”
Penguin was embarrassed because he had fallen through the ice.
He had not done it only one time, he had done it thrice.
Anchorage Alaskan penguins cheered and yelled “one more time!”
He became a hero of sorts, so he felt a bit more sublime.
Now on a roll, he decided to try to break the ice.
He jumped on it hard, but it was as solid as blackjack dice.
He tried again, and the other penguins cheered him on.
Not embarrassed now, he began skating on the pond.
winter's landscape calm
treeline of green laps the lake~
skaters break the ice
12/7/21
Winter Nature-Themed Haiku Poetry Contest
Sponsor-Tania Kitchin
6th
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