One of the benefits to being an early riser…
is I am blessed to hear and see the interplay
between the night as she clocks out
and cedes the mountains to the day.
There is a lonely owl who, if I’m early enough,
from her spot hidden in the trees
sings a lovely nightly swan song and sets it on the breeze.
She sings in a beautiful soprano…
clear, peaceful and bright…
as she anticipates the day…
with one final nocturne to the night
I think of it as the concluding song of an opera
and how, once her final song is through,
the birds who wake up with the day
begin their musical revue.
Perhaps she’s singing a wake-up song
A gentle musical number
into the ears of the morning birds
awakening them from their slumber.
And perhaps their singing in the morning
once their music fills the sky…
which to me seems like a symphony
to the owl …s a lullaby.
At any rate is it a wonderful way
for each new day to begin…
watching and listening to the nigh clock out
while the day is clocking in.
Longevity Poetry Contest
Sara Kendrick
The war on aging is a battle
From a babies rattle
To the senior's canes
The longevity of life wanes
Good health stretches its wings
Bad health and the mortality swings
We would love to fly to the moon
Before the final breath is strewn
We would love to add more years
To be relieved of our aging fears
We would love to walk on air forever
But it's not a possible endeavor
The longevity of life is a planted seed
And it grows and blossom's and then cedes
That's life, and God's plan
There's no writing on the wall of ones span
There are the flowers to look forward to
And see ones life through
As quick as that, for an action
No twitch, no thought preceeds
In elegant swaying. A flowering shrub
Its calm to gusting cedes.
Poetry is always here
I have no need to show it
It’s in the sultry autumn air
In the silent place my soul is.
It’s in the dappled sunlight
Filtered by naked trees
In a sweet crisp apple bite
Firm against my teeth.
Poetry is best kept brief
Oft’ times best unspoken
As in a maple’s fading leaf
Lax beauty is but token.
Lips close to words’ delight
While warmth cedes to change
Poets know this never dies
Fast under blanketed weight.
In different dawn’s new life
Poetry comes again
With quickened pulse arise
Lighting sun’s glow within.
ARC, 10/29/2024
first taste of cold air
turns leaves to gold expended
autumn casts its spell
mists white-out the dawn
fields are amber, skies are gray
autumn plays tough rules
cold blast goes too far
turns what's nice to stark white ice
fall cedes to winter
As the holy season commemorates revelations of scriptures,
Sacred flame burning within, reinvigorates soul’s intellect,
Steering away from the fallible, toward realms of perfect,
Away from servitude of wealth, to caring for less-fortunate;
Empowering wisdom, vying sapience of enlightenment,
Inspiring collaboration in sanctity of spiritual exchange,
Rejecting overtures nescient, engaged in narrowness,
That confine humanity in fallacies unwitting, misguided.
In domains of self-reflection, repentance, and forgiveness,
Voice of indifference cedes to psalms compassionate,
As defective acts vow to mend ways, yearning for flawless;
Remorseful and empathetic, eying benevolence of solace.
From teachings of awakening, from sagacity of harmony,
Cognitive minds seek insights, transcendent in epiphany,
Propelling life toward enrichment in peace and congruity,
Vying spheres beyond the ordinary, edified in tranquility.
From sanctum of souls, depths of hearts, bells-pious chime,
Tolling expressions of kindness, echoing prayers sublime,
Celebrating precious gift of life, grateful for glory of divine,
As lanterns ethereal guide humanity, through reign of time.
red plumes, sunset blooms
since denim sky blues faded
lookalikes, sweet fumes
ever moving wind
fragrant and changing like sky
cedes to misty trend
reds, pinks, plums and golds
the world I knew went away
mimics unpatrolled
scarlet summer sass
red cardinal sings sultry
diamonds in green grass
Forget-me-not thy scent hast taste of time,
who tolls naught for thee, attend harken chime.
Courtesies yond the proverbial realm.
acquired vesper's affections, overwhelm.
Cupid cedes ecliptic earth's lauded star,
Purple Vanda Orchids in gild's wake are
hauling affianced light 'neath golden rays,
velvety mosaic succeeding phase.
Proxy promises bonny lavenders
induce flex a princess's verbs. Challengers
spealing gingerly the princely petals,
submit an amethyst crown ... all's settles.
A stately champ, amaranthine Vandas,
the garlands of Purple Heart's--lifespan 'twas.
Down the majestic mountain, over the grassy knoll,
Themes verdant, chromatic, summer’s vistas scroll,
Rustling zeal of willows, as zephyrs-avid gently blow,
Propelling tides of vigor, where rivers burbling flow.
Cherishing blooming prairies, birds frolic and trill,
Gliding over scenic valleys, reveling flight of thrill,
Circling back to realm serene vying mirthful trees,
Warbling soft melodies amidst buzzing beats of bees.
Scattering gloomy shapes, clouds tenebrous reign,
Floating haze over horizon, shrouding vibrant terrain,
Unleashing with gusting winds feisty rain showers,
Swirling, whirling mid-air, delicate petals of flowers.
Storm cedes to calming breeze waltzing long shadows,
Quivering in twilight, scintillating face of meadows,
Luring glances of smiles where blossoms of lilies cajole,
Enthralling enamored eyes, as leisurely people stroll.
Inscribing motifs amethyst, as day’s journey slows,
Refracting sun’s golden rays, skyline-amber glows,
When passions of lovers, to blushing eve disclose,
Secret lyrics of passion, hearts romantic compose.
I'd like to be sitting in a café in France
Eating strawberries and cream with you
I'd find the biggest and reddest and juiciest ones
And feed them to you off my spoon
After we'd stroll down the avenues and rues
The afternoon lazing away
We'd window shop arm in arm picturing you
In the finest of clothes on display
A flower I'd pick for your beautiful hair
To highlight it's shimmering hues
Have I ever told you how lovely you are?
I think perhaps I may have given some cues
Then when the afternoon cedes to the night
We'd dress up and go out on the town
Aglow with the aura from Paris's light
The flower becomes now your crown
When missives of love amber winds reveal
Strumming ardent music of romantic themes
As bashful moon delights blushing eventide,
And doting hearts aspire to call of desires;
Meet me then, darling, as memories revive
Sparkling sweet smile of twinkle in your eyes.
By the river’s edge, where passions spree,
Hand in hand we stroll in fervor of ecstasy
Beneath glimmers scintillating stellar glee
As we amble in reveries for miles and miles
Where, pulses passionate, longingly chime
Of two souls in embrace, content in paradise.
Sitting on shores, adulating river burbling,
Listening to love crooning innermost feelings,
We wish this moment will hum till eternity,
Lost in night’s glory as it cedes to dawning
When golden beams glisten mauve breeze
Inscribing on horizon our periwinkle dream.
February 5, 2023
Poem of the day on February 7, 2023
Placed 1st: My Dream Date Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Anoucheka Gangabissoon
The bistred day has fallen still,
A darkened mead hangs overhead;
The hush within the evening chill
Chants now the yore is gone to bed.
A gently breeze steals from the west,
Cool along the shadowed lanes;
The sunburned broil, now at rest,
Its warmth has gone, though still remains.
The cool night air stands all alone
Anon the past is gone to sleep;
Daytime secrets tossed and blown,
The faithful night for ere to keep.
Secrets that the breeze fears speak,
Winnowing in the night-time swell;
Brushing eastward 'gainst your cheek...
The whispered wind mayn't kiss-n'-tell.
Evensong is served this eve
All around the moonlit shrine;
Absolution cedes when you believe,
The cool night air is sweet as wine.
Drink your fill in solemn thought,
Let your mind escape within;
Cleanse your conscience, ever fraught,
Save your soul! ~ confess your sin!
Here beneath a cloudless sky
You're not alone ~ you seldom are;
Within the dim nocturnals fly
As someone watches from afar.
So, meditate, your faith elate,
Ruminate, and yet beware;
Intoxicate your mindless state,
Drinking in the cool night air.
*Image of Purple Vanda Orchids Floral & Lei by EFC & Sziv.
Prolix Pageantry
Pulsations of veinuous royalty
courtesies yond the proverbial realm.
Majestic interludes flamboyantly
acquired vesper's affections, overwhelm.
Cupid cedes ecliptic earth's lauded star,
hauling affianced light neath golden rays.
Purple Vanda orchids in gild's wake are
velvety mosaic succeeding phase.
Proxy promises bonny lavenders
pealing gingerly as princely petals
induce a princesses verbs. Challengers
submit an amethyst crown ... all settles.
Hawaii's champ, amaranthine Vandas
laurel leis, like Purple Heart's ... lifespan 'twas.
2022 June 01
*2nd Place*
Purple Flowers
~~Nayda Ivette Negron Flores: Judged 2022 June 25
*HMS: 10 syllables per x 14 lines = 140 syllables
RZ: RhymeScheme; abab, cdcd, efef, gg.
From afar your shining mien
I have espied with Ero’s awe;
And though I’ve with wobbles
Your fine shores trodden raw,
That testing main I now must
Tour with unhesitating resolve;
And feast on your tartest crust.
As peregrinating king of the sky
His regal gyre at last completes,
And as old voyage yields to new,
Your lone disciple cedes deceits
And throbs that blest sages slew.
With naught but puerile allegiance
And steeliest zeal for salient ways,
He pledges every unflagging loyalty
Till the close of his meliorating days.
The winds settle
For a subtle breeze
The tide cedes
To a sandy beach
The light fades
From a lovely bead
And the mother weeps
For her unborn seed
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