thought as poetry
past present future surreal
pure expressions cure
deific communing in time
softly breath stitches rare rhymes
stillness turns wheel feel
creating cosmic garlands
recognise lyrics
emotions eclectic ebbs
awakens colourful dreams
mirror reflections
nouns verbs adjectives adverbs
ether air worded
fire water earth stanzas
carries stories converses
stimulates seconds
fathoms then embraces faith
promotes perfect peace
forms galore eastern western
feeding fertility flames
intrinsic to life
advances awareness awed
forge fraternity
transmuting darkness to art
wisdom deepens liberty
_______________________
PLACED 4Th : STANDARD CONTEST
ON TANKA STRINGS
Oh, brain, my sincere, shining friend
You toil all day long, without end,
A store of thoughts, a hectic place,
With memories stowed in each space,
You spin and swirl to seize the world,
With your aid, feels and views unfurl,
You hum words to carve my verses,
As a sweet muse that converses
With me, when awake or asleep,
My loyal partner, true and deep.
I plead guilty
Of saying,
My grandchild is
The most beautiful
The most wonderful
The most intelligent,
It shows, it is so evident,
Absolutely so loving,
Character and nature so giving,
Makes friends instantly
And acts independently,
And so much fun,
Takes my hand
To help build sandcastles
In the sea sand,
Likes to share,
Tells you if she feels you are wrong,
That is not fair,
And how old is this little wonder,
Who is not even afraid
Of an intense storm
With lightning and thunder,
Two years and 8 months,
Who converses so sensibly,
And comprehensibly,
I am not exaggerating,
Such a wise little mind
Who is also so truly kind,
Who tells me I am not pronouncing
“Absolutely,” Correctly
It is ab-so lut-ely yiayia, she says,
And I beam at you with pride
You are so little, yet mature
Everyday we love you more and more,
And one day when our time is up,
I hope no time too soon,
When you look up and
See a full bright moon,
And lots of glittering stars,
It’s Yiayia and pappou ,
Sending you hugs
And love galore.
YIAYIA AND PAPPOU ARE THE GREEK WORDS FOR – GRANNY AND GRANDPA
i can write it all down.
every syllable, i never got to say.
on paper, i’m fluent,
maybe even eloquent.
but in the room,
my tongue turns against me.
my throat locks like a vault.
i’ve rehearsed it all before.
in margins,
in drafts,
in dead message boxes
i watch my voice
rot behind my teeth,
while everyone else
converses.
what good is articulation
if it only echoes
inside my own skull?
what good is writing
if no one reads it?
they say speak your mind,
but never hand me the microphone.
so i pass poems
like folded notes,
hoping maybe
just once
someone will open one.
In the playground of imagination,
She converses with the elements,
They obey her commands,
The sun opens a door for her,
And she steps into a world filled with daylight and mystery.
Every house glows with a distinct light,
And the glory of the sun banishes sickness and disease.
In the playground of imagination,
The moon journeys alongside her,
And the stars surround her,
Guiding her through the deepest night.
They lead her to the hidden and golden chamber,
Where the symphony of the stars unveils
Treasures of unmatched inspiration.
In the playground of imagination,
She travels to Wonderland,
A garden of pristine beauty,
Butterflies dance around her,
And flowers release their exotic fragrances.
Stars fall like flakes from the sky,
And she transforms into a princess,
Accompanied by her maiden fairies,
With the prince standing ahead.
he watches sports
his wife stares at real life murders
their children do not watch TV at all
daughter prefers snap chat
son is mesmerized by T-tube
no one converses
they all eat alone
in front of their devices
modern family
Birds twitter, birds croon to each other,
I watch life moving at a lulling slower pace,
Rose bushes leisurely sway, breeze converses
With the rustling leaves, clouds float languidly
In endless azure,
Sailboats sailing in emerald ocean,
Picturesque, perpetual, blissful!
Life is an endless stream,
A voyage to unknown,
Life is made up of impossible dreams...
I gaze at a dreamcatcher, unachieved goals
No longer make me feel bleakly miserable, or discontent,
My life is full with lilac aspirations, not failed achievements!
Does it matter in
The ultimate scheme of things, we are
All pawns in the chessboard of an
Unknown skilled magician, who smiles at our arrogance,
Blesses all his children..
Unaware of the profound truth of life ~
And Death!
What can we expect from a government denying God's plan
that which speaks in parseltongue the language of snakes
this which is a skill that converses through black magic
Pretending to care it focuses on taboo subject matter
how blind has become the darkness surrounding these souls
They start shedding when the light illuminates their heart's desire
working tirelessly bending the will of many to comply and submit
Let's thread the needle and pinpoint the words
fear where the fruits of this deception grows
without roots rotten apples trying to spread an agenda removing choice
there is only one Law I obey these days and it sure as hell is not man made
In lands where words like rivers flow, beneath the moon's serene, soft glow,
A scribe with pen in steady grasp, captures life's essence, breath in clasp.
Each line breathes life, each word a beat, where hearts and artistry meet,
Within this dance, where lines converge, syllables and dreams emerge.
Upon the page, a dream's soft march, where truth and fancy blend and arch,
A world from deepest musings drawn, where words and wisdom dawn.
Here, poetry unlocks the soul, freeing minds, making broken whole,
In every line, a universe, in syllables, life converses.
So raise our cups, filled with the ink, to poets who dare to think,
Whose words can heal, can tear, can bind, echoing through the mind.
In every verse, a life, a tale, in poetic seas we sail,
Where lines hold sway, in night or day, guiding us on our way.
This week’s a school vacation
And my grandkids are away,
Yet Hadley, 8.5 years old,
Connects with us each day.
They’re in a different time zone
So she FaceTimes when she wakes
And converses from the bathroom
For her sleeping parents’ sakes.
She fills us in on things she’s done
And places they have seen.
It’s wonderful to see her face,
All smiles, on my phone’s screen.
Her brother doesn’t care to talk
Unless it’s face to face,
But Hadley reaching out’s
An act of love we can embrace.
verses in lines, wing that shines
converses and do streamlines
contemplating on pages
transcending spanned phalanges
Birth, with stars in her eyes, exploding with mirth.
Mollycoddled, swaddled, passed off by nurses.
Aperture opens, closes - checking out earth.
The peacock calligrapher inks fair verses.
Not bad for a Penny - they sold a circ worth.
The switchboard oohs and ahhs as she converses.
Under the sagacious skies, each phonation
Recorded in babbles with their duration.
9/24/2022
~ the angel in my heart told me God love you as well as I~
8/12/22
Written by James Edward Lee Sr. 2022
What can we expect from a government denying God's plan
that speaks in parseltongue the language of snakes
this which is a skill that converses through black magic
pretending to care it focuses on taboo subject matter
How blind has become the darkness surrounding these souls
they start shedding when the light illuminates their heart's desire
working tirelessly bending the will of many to comply and submit
let's thread the needle and pinpoint the words fear
Where the fruits of this deception grows without roots
rotten apples trying to spread an agenda removing choice
there is only one Law I obey these days and it sure as hell is not man made
Pisces pretends to not be listening
Yet misses nothing
Picking up nuances and secretly laughing
Knowing she is the brightest in the room
And maybe the neighborhood
Pays attention to every lip movement
Not pouncing or fixing, but listening.
She looks at her I-phone, texting her bestie.
They snicker at the ignorance afoot.
Knowing they are miles ahead
But keeping it quiet
Some are intrigued
One sits and converses.
Says “I did not know you were this funny!”
Pisces is hilarious, but wisely keeps it to self
Not wanting to scare the others into running off
After they realize who the winner is in the contest of life.
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