gnarled cecropia
I am in the aural duct
always gone again
(Weekly Magnetic Poetry Challenge • July 20–26, 2026)
What do you do when duct tape won’t fix it?
Y’know, when that “I got this” attitude is shattered
When it’s not things, or stuff, or “errors”
That require the questionable solutions of the “fixer”.
Souls are hard to comprehend and come without service manuals
No graphics or guidelines, no “call this number” bailout.
And yet they fail, suffer breakage, weaken with time
Outlive their expiration dates, idly linger.
Daybreak’s sun rises dimmer and fades to futility
As darkness intrudes into a vacant emptiness.
My tool box is useless, its contents befuddled
By an invisible break, an un-noticed fissure,
The silent slide into a dreaded abyss
Of distance, doubt, disconnection.
I am the duct tape and I cannot fix it
Save to cover my eyes and deny its presence.
Duct Tape
Hello, how are you
I’m doing fine never mind
I’m dying on the inside
I’m nothing without you
The years, time hates me
With a crooked smile, turn the dial
Back to when you met me
To live it one more time
They lied, hearts don’t heal
Gotta cover up, make ‘em tough
With a little bit of duct tape
So they will never know
Angel, where are you
It’s been so long, holding on
To the edge of this nightmare
When will it be my turn
I dream, there you stand
Your loving smile, was your style
But you won’t take my hand
As you ascend above
Alone, I wake up
My heart was torn, this time I worn
A little bit of duct tape
Gotta cover up, make em’ tough
With a little bit of duct tape
There is a giant piece of duct tape around my finger today,
To remind me to do something.
Probably important.
I used to keep a piece of string to do the same thing,
But it frazzled and frizzled and fell off after two days.
I know it must be insanely important. I wish I knew what it was.
Silence is Golden – Duct Tape is Silver
Be quiet….
there is nothing that you can say……that
will not make…
….the situation
……………….worse.
John G. Lawless
7/25/2015
submitted to – Time to “B” – Poetry contest
sponsor – Casarah Nance
I fly this plane – a corsair model
It always responds when I pull back the throttle
Round and round and round it dashes
And then sometimes, somehow it crashes
Then I jump in – get her back in shape
With just blue paint and old duct tape
And I’ve got a friend with another corsair
When we go out flying we make quite a pair
We practice take-offs and some touch – and – goes
Getting prepared to take them to shows
But when we get careless and get into scrapes
We pull out the blue paint and our rolls of duct tapes
I wish that life was like when we fly
All peaceful and friendly and when things go awry
We might panic for seconds then we’re done with it
We pick up the pieces and see where they fit
We don’t point and blame, we admit our mistake
Then we make it all better with blue paint and duct tape
Mdailey 10/15/11
For Jerry and Beau and their RC model planes
In my husband's first pastorite
Had some young married men
Who were full of mischievousness
At a church social late one night
These young men disappeared
Out of everyone's sight
Out on the parking lot
They did their deed
Duct taped the headlights (Another use for duct tape)
So when we did leave
They could laught at the pun
But my husband just
Onto the road he did run
But he stopped when he
Saw their faces
Oh the sight of their
Disgraces and horror
That it could be a disaster
any man will tell you,
and handy women too,
one of the greatest gifts
that God gave man
something that nothing
it cannot do...
the magical, mystical
gift of duct tape
what a boon to man!
when you're ready to give up
you'll hear it whisper-
"but, yes,.....I can!!!!..."
it lies in drawers or
shelves
self-confident in its
great abilities
as we do know, ourselves
but won't admit it
too openly....
if a machine breaks
down, or something
comes apart
just grab that roll
and to mend you
can now start....
I've just one
lingering question-
can it even mend a heart?
Tattered Grey -
It bends against an unkind wind;
An ugly thing so commonplace,
Against a leaky corner.
A thing so grand has never been
So thin -
And yet it hangs;
Against the heavens weathered attempts
To prove it wrong.
It lasts so long -
Holds tightly, oh so tightly;
Not squandering it’s mighty will -
Duct tape on a windowsill.
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