Is this a picture
of the crumbling edge of a new day
or a snapshot of its departure?
I photograph daylight
as it leaks into the plastic hearses
of empty bottles.
Moths undaunted by a sickly sun
turn carnivorous, seeking morsels
of whiff and wisps.
The world keeps wearing its clothes
though there is less of everything,
colorless rags hang up
along thorny margins.
The earth wallows
within waveless mists and shadows.
All is gray and astray,
the way an old man’s peppery hair
is whipped by an ashen air
funneled through hollow lands.
Somewhere
beneath an unseen horizon
scarecrows croon
over sunflower bones.
Doris was dowdy, drab, and draggle-tailed too
Forever frumpy, frightened, a failure, at age thirty-two
Jaundiced, juicy-gossipy, jealous, and July jailed
Slovenly, slithery, shipwrecked, her moment had sailed.
drab lackluster mood
brought on by somber spirits
~ blue melancholy
AP: 2nd place 2022
We went in a cab to see cold slab,
That did appear to be dull and drab;
Letters were distinct when viewed;
So much sadness there we ensued.
Tombstones arranged row after row;
All around green grass grew and grew;
In background were abundant trees;
In faces we would feel a cool breeze.
On a long beach many boats landed;
By an officer had been commanded;
Such a horrible place surely had been;
They died never to ever be seen again.
In graveyard each dead body will abide,
Remember all of those who there died;
Bugle issued forth such a lonely sound;
For all those who no longer are around.
In review soldiers would soon pass by,
Proudly, but still were wondering why
They did gallantly die with things grim;
Forever will never forget any of them.
Am open to all criticism and recommendations.
Her virginal leaves have aged to gray
Delight she once showed now gone astray
Snowball bush who used to be so bright,
What has happened to put out your light?
A drab of blight on the forest today
My fine sweet princess, did someone slay?
Cut your branches with an axe today?
If you tell me I will make things right.
Forever now a sorrowful sight.
A drab of blight on forest today
Your death imminent. What can I say?
I truly loved you in every way
Will try to fix you with all my might
I can still sense your marvelous light
A drab of blight on forest today
The crab is drab and sitting on a grab
Toasting his brown bread in the monster's lab
The sea is creasy
The crab is greasy
He is street easy on a hansom cab
I hide.....
From myself and away from others.
I wear dark glasses and caps
And paint my body in drab shades of nonexistence
Then dance, alone in the darkness
To music I have imagined.
It's better this way.
I don't have to misread faces
Or think I am being judged (although,
Perhaps being misjudged is a better term).
I can float on clouds of thought, Pretending
That all is fine, All is fine
All is fine.
I have my coffee, my cigarettes, my pills.....
(Are you judging me now because I smoke?)
This is an introduction, by the way,
To my imaginary nightclub act
Where I sing, tell a few stories, a few jokes,
Smoke (They make concessions for me
So that I may smoke inside because I am a headliner!)
I think that the audience loves me.
They laugh, cry when I sing, "Send In The Clowns"
The applause is wonderful and
Feels like rain falling from the sky
To envelope me, soak me, cleanse me.
And then, my set is over and there is
No one in the room but me. Alone. Afraid. Scared.
I hide,
From myself and away from others.
I notice on a day that's gray
I also seem to dress that way.
Without the sunshine to inspire,
I tend to stick to drab attire.
It doesn't make a lot of sense
When clothing clearly complements
An atmosphere of cloud and gloom,
Allowing somberness to loom.
On light and sunny weather days,
I wear apparel that's ablaze
With colors neon, bright or bold,
A joy to wear and to behold.
But if I stuck to the reverse
Perhaps then I could intersperse
Some happiness when skies are dull,
By bringing color to the lull.
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