Nothing
(Consciousness
If you like)
Is simply
No story
Which seems to
Clear the deck for
A new presentation
Of no story
Flowers
A humid day
Plants must be safe
Protected from the sunshine
In shade
the crocs are lined up on moonlight bay
drinking hot toddies, what else can I say?
they have their beach chairs lined up in a row
the ducks are excited, and morbidly so
the crocs are no longer satisfied with the water
they have commandeered the deck said my daughter
the tourists are fleeing, terrified by this sight.
I know because I saw it for myself last night.
The deck of cards seemed alive in my hands.
I loved the whisper of shuffling, and
the way kings and queens stared back,
their faces older than anything I knew.
I built castles from fanned-out suits,
believing they could hold real wishes.
Every card I turned felt like a doorway~
a little spell I was certain I had cast.
the accompanying memoir vignette can be read at: poetrysoup.com/short_stories/casino_night_13716
.
i say'd swabbie fer thuh day son
not
slobbie
feel'd fine when you were five
but love
i no longer carry that
Beech Towel
")
Parents gone, what the heck
Now I find, I'm on deck.
Siblings three follow me, how can it be
that I'm on deck.
Eldest one, not much fun
to be the one on deck.
Would I rather them than me,
No, I think I'll let it be
me...on deck.
Falling asleep is such sweet sorrow!
Alas, lullabies are so 'Yesterday''!
It started with counting sheep:
Knit one, Purl One,
Knit two Together,
Promenading One by One,
Fluffy Cute Wee little Lambs,
Jumping over a fence.
One, two, three, four........
zzzzzzzzzzz
But, the shepherds
shooed the flock back inside the shed.
Said it was midnight mayhem -
'duffing sheep to rustle sleep'!
So the Hypnos Somnus Gurus
required other ideas!
Up popped a new one from the Deck Chairs.
'Cognitive Shuffling of Random Letters'!
Wow that would switch
everyone off to sleep as is!
You start with a random word -
say "Pluto, or Pillow".
Then shuffle onto other "P" words -
say "Plane, Poodle, Play, Peaches"
If not asleep by then,
Move onto the "L"s or "Q"s
You get the idea!
Sleep Well, My Friend!
On this day we rise and see,
From a sky deck high and free.
The world united, in one common fight,
Casting darkness back to light.
Diabetes, you challenge us all,
Yet strength within us will never fall.
From city heights to quiet towns,
Hope and courage know no bounds.
We hold the sky, we lift our dreams,
Past the pricks and silent screams.
Together we conquer, strong and wise,
With hearts that reach beyond the skies.
So here we stand, in blue embrace,
A world of hope, a human race.
On this sky deck, proud and true,
For a brighter world, we’ll see it through
Life's a deck of cards, fate’s unsteady hand,
And I hold the joker, at life's command.
For every joy, a shadow falls,
A dance of highs, and sudden stalls.
One moment I'm laughing, a heart full of glee,
Next, I'm crying, despair captures me.
Happiness fleeting, sadness its twin,
A battle within, where to begin?
Depression’s grip, a slowing tide,
Time crawls, and shadows hide.
In my mind, it digs so deep,
Thoughts entwined, no restful sleep.
Would life be easier if I were gone?
An empty void where memories drawn.
How can they love, when inside I'm lost,
A shipwreck in waiting, not yet tossed?
I see their smiles, their endless grace,
My kids, step-kids, partner’s embrace.
Why do I deserve their light and love?
They're the stars, the moon above.
They keep my heart ticking, steady and true,
But I fear my shadows dampen their view.
I wish I were well, to run, to play,
To laugh with them, in a carefree way.
So here I stand, the joker in hand,
Balancing life on shifting sand.
But know this, my love holds strong,
For them, I fight, where I belong.
Sea surreal in darkest nets
Nocturnal-ness in jaws and tentacled breasts
still the thrill, breathless at my thoughts
the sea - a catch
The sea a catch, oh my stars
that settle like flickering candles
on tremulous waves
The sway, the dance, oh
the romance of candlelight
aboard the deck of dopamine
I resist the thought
that I’m in-between
cruise ala royal dreams
The drift of ebb and flow
I fly so slow, slipping
undertow, envisioning
serpents and maids
I’m made for the sea
See my tales splash
flibberty-thrashing
about in a net
netting the seashell gold
of surf and turf
sweet sands that tug
my eyes and heart
I blink
back tears
When will we see each other
‘gain, this match
of tenderness and angst
Let the torrents roar
Let the sides capsize
Let me touch your silkiness
your depths
your traps
of playfulness. The reader
must think me silly
as I surrender to the crests
and climb aboard
to see the sea
and sky collide
I’m given over
and under
in thunderous claps
to sated and salted
direct attack
of anything that might arrest
my joy
my exploration
my destination
my ploy
to dream without danger…
From the view of our deck stands the Willow tree,
With weeping shadows as the wind sets her free.
In the night's light she doesn't seem like a tree,
But appears like a dancer bending at knee.
Hearing only the slightest rustle, the wind stirs her leaves,
Like a gentle shaking from a gentle breeze,
No other tree moves so freely in the wind,
Like the mighty Willow that never breaks, only bends.
Mixed matched pattern built
game of Jenga at its best
warped deck smiling on
I can dress up like a pirate
in a hat, an eye patch
a peg leg and a hook for a left hand
settling on an island paradise
drinking coconut water and hoarding gold
while still having a mermaid as my best friend
the hall
deck a card game
wild card’s
two mental feelings
Feedback - flight or fight – it’s due to enzymes.
God put it in our brain, safeguard for crimes;
fear is normal, a good thing many times.
Facts fog up when fear uses its strong-arm.
What is meant to keep us sheltered from harm
can fail just like any other alarm.
A freeze from fear forces all hands on deck.
When fears become phobias, take time, check
your fear can be a liar, a roughneck.
Facing the fact of a fear of failure
pray to God; ask others to help for sure.
With effort on your end, you’ll find a cure.
Focus on the freedom you can achieve
when your irrational fear goes on leave.
January 22, 2023
This is a reasonnet - four tercets rhymed AAA,BBB,CCC,DDD, and a couplet rhymed EE. I have used pentameter, but that is not required according to the creator of this form, Reason A. Poteet (yes, that's me).
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