Finespun Poems

Backspace

I already understand that children  
grow inside two blinks,
as quickly as the novel Mayfly
comes to the surface to die. 

I'm pining for those first days again, 
of edentate smiles, milestones  
to fund future independence.  

Pineapple-sized hearts I cradled;
lulled, exchanged dank nappies for dry; 
ferried on uncrossed seas, 
your armada.  

Smoothed rough waters as if by divine speech  
because mothers can. I was thinking that I could always be your oxygen.  
I let you walk through me, under, right over.  

The rocking horse
brought for my bromelain angels 
winged you away - 
this blasted Pegasus ...
I miss you now.
How you rode away, 
ephemera of innocence!

So, what then?
Me, fumbling wild in the backspace you left.
Your flabbergasting key smash to freedom   
broke our finespun home, you left 
me to talk to your father, Child,
to renegotiate  
the bonds;  

reconstruct ancient code, 
deleted excess text - 
obfuscating precision and knowing -  
the tribal tongue of lovers  

unlearned, forgotten;
escaped alongside discarded baby bath suds,
strewn puddles of rubber duckies, 
tired breasts suckled  
by fresh management.

Love Is Lost

Love may be lost in the process of age
and hidden in the miserly sunset 
of life, draining like a father's cold sweat.
Oh, that you could absorb my red-hot rage

and exist in a long moment with me
as though life and love were newly begun,
as if it were lace dainty and finespun,
with hopes now aglow on a sparkling sea~

but the sea has become angry and rough
capsizing and drowning us in its wrath;
love is forgotten as death lays its path
and quietude wraps you up in a huff.

Ode to the Three-Minute Poem Plop

In the study, bright and sunny,
I thought I'd try something funny.
Three minutes, that's all I need I cried,
As I set my timer, pen and paper aside.

I brewed my thoughts, to nice and hot,
Clicked the timer, it proclaimed a plop.
The words danced, swirled in a muse ballet,
Melding to a happenstance touche.

But, soon my thoughts began to drift,
To coffee and toast, as a hunger twang miffed.
I'm way ahead with my word play draft,
Surely there's time to pause my craft.

Suddenly the timer beeped, too late it cried.
My poem lay there soft, with runny white inside.
Just like a par boiled egg, it was yucky, half-done.
Poems like eggs, need full time run, to be finespun.

Ethereal

ETHEREAL

‘Ethereal’ must have been invented
To describe my lady’s beauty
Hair, finespun with hint of curl;
Eyes, deepest hazel, smouldering.
Regal bearing, head held high,
Elegance epitomized.
And today I’m feeling fancy-free.
Last night I’m sure she smiled at me.

Shadows

Shadows

rain shadows flow like silk scarves across the tapestry of silver dawn

rain shadows on leaves
 thin silhouette signatures ~
  day takes a shower

Grey shadows cloud the daybreak sky
 Dusting the dawn with pensive sighs
In plaintive coos doves call the sun
 To chase the gloom as day’s finespun


6/9/23
Contest: A Monoku, Haiku and Four Lines of Rhyme
Sponsor:  Tania Kitchin

To a Sunflower

I wonder how so beautiful a flow'r
Is not endowed with much more power
As the rose that turns a look so dour 
To something sweet, to smile and not glower.

Your pretty face turned constant at the sun
Is it a desire not to be outdone?
Or an entreating look to a beloved one
Whose love was sought once but he did shun?

Your dark green garb made even greener than
All the thick foliage that about you run
Makes your golden head shine brighter to stun
And dazzle the eyes like a thread finespun.

Oh, continue on this drab hill to grow
Give a touch of color to this tableau
That we who live in our houses below
May gaze on beauty in the afterglow.

March 17, 2023

Vampire Sonnets Xxiv Unsatisfied

Carefully watching every word I said;
For the moment I did not want to tread  
any longer on this sharp vampire’s toes;
Something new I was going to compose;

‘Fable’ I asked ‘when are we to begin? ‘
I was going to become the linchpin 
of the entire city of New Orleans;
 I vowed by any necessary means;

‘We will fly at the last light of Sunday.’
she replied ‘Please arrive without delay.
With me you’ll grow. I have no doubt of it,
and will quickly build a finespun skill set.’

Sink into my skin? Well she had just tried;
That desire would remain unsatisfied.

A Lifetime of Joy

When you and I were one, 
A lifetime of joy cached, 
Us dancing neath the sun
With passion unabashed, 
Fond filaments finespun, 
Golden memories stashed. 



1st February 2023

 For Line Gauthier's "Bite Size Contest No. 60"

Ho Ho Ho Nursery Rhyme

Ho! Ho! Ho!
Santa and his helper elves stacked the sleigh
With presents for children on Christmas Day 
Soon off they would ride 
Through wintery skies 
Jingling bells and Ho! Ho! Ho! all the way.

Rudolph leads the way, he's head of the herd
His shiny nose lights the way undisturbed 
He's happy and proud
To ride through the clouds
Bellowing Ho! Ho! Ho! whenever stirred.

Santa Claus sits at the back of the sleigh
Keeping gifts in his sack safe on the way
He has lots of toys
For all girls and boys
A big Ho! Ho! Ho! Santa has to say.

Singing Christmas Carols all journey through
As Jesus is the gift for me and you
The night casts a spell 
O’er earth all is well
And there’s Ho! Ho! Ho! from Santa and crew.

When Santa's work is done then there is fun 
As Christmas celebrations are begun 
Fairies and elves dance
And the reindeer prance
Ho! Ho!Ho! another year's task finespun.

*+*

3rd December 2022

Children’s Limericks Poetry Contest 
Sponsored by: Eve Roper

She Danced With the Moon

She danced with the moon
For the stars in the sky,
Then into my heart;
I’ll never know why.

Her laughter, contagious;
Enchanting her looks.
Lept right of the pages
From storied old books.

She sings up the morning
And tucks in the night.
That lilting, sweet voice
Tells me everything’s right.

When she’s gone, I’m empty
And filled with despair:
An unfillable void,
Black nothingness there.

And then she returns
On the rays of the sun,
Glittering, sparkling,
Like gold thread, finespun.

She danced with the moon
For the stars in the sky,
Then into my heart;
I’ll never know why.

----------

for the POEM ON POETRY MUSE Poetry Contest
sponsored by Beata Agustin
written on 03/23/2022

Lighter Than a Cloud

Would not my eyes express delight
to see the flash upon the water bright
As porpoise play on mornings dawning day
I follow them and dance along the way

Could not my heart be lighter then a cloud
as rise the sun to lift my sleepy shroud
then greet some friends and smile in unison
we weave our days with love that is finespun

Should now this be my last to walk the Earth
I hope to leave some good that shines my birth
how precious you became in life to me
may memories lift hearts in absentee

With a Flourish of Whimsy

A thousand simple things will make me smile...
The sleeping form of a precious newborn,
A child's drawing in his artistic style,
Pastel shades of the sky at early morn,
Fairytales of a magic unicorn.
I am amused by hair with corkscrew curls
on heads of adorable little girls.
By puppies tripping over their own feet,
Watching moonlight glimmer as night unfurls,
A surprise kiss that's incredibly sweet.

Someone falling should never make me laugh,
But quickly, I'm chuckling out of control
Then apologize for my social gaffe.
I wildly cheer when my team scores a goal.
I've heard that 'Laughter is good for the soul.'
In a spontaneous moment of fun,
I jumped into a snowdrift at full run,
Finding great pleasure in just being me.
Like the taste of cotton candy, finespun...
Life is sweeter when I set myself free


November 11, 2021
Agendaless Exuberance Contest
Sponsored by Unseeking Seeker
Syllable counter: Howmanysyllables

Beneath a Wolf Moon's Glows

Music drifts through the shadows of the night
As lovers dance under a Wolf Moon's glows
Wrapped in glorious glimmers of starlight
Where hands gently merge as unseen time slows
They caress the heart with their eyes alone
And give birth to fervor they feel within
Where flowering blooms grow from love's seeds sown
Nurtured by feathered flames embraced again
To draw them nearer and pause with a kiss
In a moment sensual and silent
Where lover's tongues search for erotic bliss
They find a welcomed hunger compliant
Only lovers can feel love's realm as one
Beneath the cloak of night's beauty finespun

1/31/21
contest Sensual Poetry

Dreamy Mood of a Muse

Dress my dreams agleam your soft sterling tiffany

    on chiffon cream moonbeams fly your mused rapture.

      In glimmers so shimmers swooned stream’s epiphany

of silky words cashmere.. dream’s cocoon.. you capture.


Susan Ashley
October 3, 2020


N/A
Stanza from: With Finespun Fingers; November 24, 2017
Contest: Rithimus Divisa 8 
Sponsor: Gregory R Barden

Seashore Seesaw

Like the sound of ocean in a seashell
My ears ring of the love for the ocean
With land, river, lake unable to quell
The ache for sea, woven within finespun.

The sound of waves that break and surge up shore
Washes the stain and stench of inland slime
From the mind and body, right to the core
Purifying, cleansing like bells dawn chime.

Heralding last hour, all gone and dusted,
Flushing away the past's stain, taint and scour.
New dawn born each hour, freshened and flustered.
Time with the sea renews, like chimes on hour.

The sound of sea in sync with my being
Sustains love with chants and seesaw seeing.

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