There.
third row, second seat
hair over eyes, red-rimmed
tired maybe?
shirt buttoned wrong
laces untied
broken hearted
last row, right at the back
a young couple
giggling
not watching
love
how long will it last
the movie starts
theatre darkens
eyes front
focused on the screen
engrossed, distracted
popcorn, drinks, spilt
front row
now on the floor
children
necks tilted up
vibrating in excitement
can't look away
middle aisle
near the exit
new parents
on the edge of their seat
waiting for the call
desperate for a night off
movie ends
lights rise
people stand, stretch
slowly trickle out
leaving behind spilt drinks, popcorn
the floor a mosaic of people
netflix
stan
prime
hulu
peacock
disney
empty now
darkness lingers
screen unused
velvet seats grow dusty
stale popcorn permeates
I am empty now
No one there.
Surging storm swarms in the shattered sky,
traces tormenting terror in frantic air flowing by.
The whispering wind of joy knows not why
it should face the ruthless turbulence of despair nigh.
Afflicting anger in the spiteful mind flares up high,
smolders the sullen life to make extant ember fly.
The anguished ashes drift away, failing to find nearby
the solace of benign hope, the heart doesn’t comply.
Harrowing haze clutches the hidden horizon to mystify,
spreading the shroud of gloom in the ambiance awry.
Away from the veiled sun the charcoal clouds glide sly,
hoping from dark a bright day will appear, they’ll descry.
Seething sorrow makes marooned mind to silently sigh,
permeates pain in heart plunged in misery by and by.
Agony rescinds as divine touch illumines the soul to rely,
in blessed life’s sanctum sedate hope weaves bliss to lie.
The tempo of the music
adds energy to the rhythm of the night,
and the pulse of warm blood rushing through sinewy veins.
The mixture of perspiring bodies,
cheap perfume, and tepid whiskey adds a pungent aroma
that permeates even the tattered tablecloths.
The scene, obscured by dimness
and a haze that slowly envelops the dusty paper lanterns,
gives the room an eerie ghost-like glow.
Writhing, creeping forms
undulate, moving sensuously
to the repeated thumping of resonating bass strings.
The soulful melody of the saxophone
weaves its way over, around and through the crowd
as it playfully caresses the thick air.
Remote conversations and laughter
mix with bold encouragements from the crowd
as a lone dancer, with little effort, executes her sexy, sultry moves.
A breeze blows, ever so slightly,
as the door opens and more revelers enter the stifling room,
the lanterns swaying in the breeze.
A thin shaft of moonlight slowly creeps across the bare floor
as the aroma, the haze and the music
waft through the opening and into the rhythm of the night.
Serenity eerily permeates the stillness.
Early morning mist rises off the lake.
Captured before the world awakens.
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: 3rd place 2026, Honorable Mention 2026
As the fog rises from the creek
And dampness permeates
A truck speedily emerges
Shocking mind's concentrates
Out on the porch in this dense fog
Surrounded in moisture
Nature's voices silent apparently
This quiet annoys her
One more truck emerges from the fog
Then a muffled high-pitched
Sound, like a tire with a small leak
I looked around then switched
Through the heavy fog faintly see
Jet plane flying too low
I thought my hearing was about gone
To my eyes a long blow
Then totally out of my thoughts
I realize the fog caused
The plane to fly low and the sound
High pitched that brought my pause
When the sun permeates through the vent
and rests upon my pale face on the bed
Something in me gravitates toward a far
Then I watch the cracks in my old red wall
A quiet, melancholic tune stirs inside me
When cool rain assails the window sills,
I press my pale face to the glass pane,
let each drop traverse slowly on my skin—
The same pull draws me into twilight's hue.
An ache rises, same as that wordless tune.
uphill climb,
rigorously relentless
with ambling ambitions
and schematic stratagem,
blueprinted blatantly
on the blank
parchment of marooned mind,
sketched skillfully
with chameleon color shift,
transiently transfixed.
gripping gravity
of transcendental time
of the loaded past
pulls back incessantly
the strings of present,
fastening in retrospect
the incoherent network
of faltering footsteps
at the refurbished root
of existential essence.
intent inertia
of living force
creates proactive
causal momentum
of tumultuous time configured,
permeates the perception
of the fourth dimension.
construed continuum
of elusive eternity
strives to unveil ineffectually
the shrouded acuity
at the summit of actuality,
emotionally evasive,
abortive climb connotes
futile foray
to somewhere intangible.
Cold drink glasses clank with the loud laughter
Heads of kin wiggle as smoky fragrance floats
Infused with garlic, spices, and squeeze of lime
Chicken kebab deeply grilled lines up the plate
Ketchup splash, onion slice garnish the delicacy
Every bite offers an aromatic and tangy treat
Nestled on the dish is a masterpiece of meat.
Keen for the alluring crispy taste and tender tang
Enjoying the dinner that bonds us with food and fun
Bounteous platters are emptied with happy speed
Appetite is satiated with savory good times spent
Bliss of feast permeates the content hearts for long.
The Troubadour
The scent of musk permeates the air,
And I, like a troubadour, leap for it there.
To dizzyingly heights and then alight
In a euphoric high filled with pride.
To greet my sweet’s fluttering peeps
That prick my pupils and blush my cheeks.
Then I breathe deep to exercise my vocals
While she dawdles away, charmed by the minstrel.
Like a peacock in bloom, I fan my feathers
And flap my wings in a dazzling repertoire.
And she, a princess of beauty and grace,
Acknowledges my advances without haste.
Boldly encouraged and flagrantly absurd,
I make promises I’ll regret afterwards,
But she is worth every ounce of expenditure
I put forth and more if she so desires.
***
Much akin
To broken bones
tangible
As sticks and stones
It navigates
Beneath my skin
And permeates
The shell I’m in
It leaves no trace
To show another
Manipulation
It’s undercover
A silent suffer
Is my sentence
In alcohol
I’ve found dependence
A lovely burn
I’ve come to crave
I spend my days
Digging my grave
Though defeated
My soul is bruised
I never asked
To depend on booze
Short term relief
To hush the devil
I’ll take respite
At any level
The itching calms
I can relax
Though not for long
It fills my cracks
Two decades later
I’ve released all hope
To find a healthy
Way to cope
My choice of drink
Is not to blame
Silent depression
Designed this game
Something in my eye
Rubbing me the wrong way
Why?
But truly a bump at a sty, fluorescent right?
Shall stick pricks stay the bump on my pupil.
Stay this be a blemish
Add\nThis inquest to you , in a corner of my eye , streaming down into my chin , the pain inside
Pains, I cry my eyes permeates tears up as I cry
Looking at the blinding sun
Tears shed they run
I can't see, yet but I feel something in my smeye
Yet so far it is a
-----Star
2/3/26
Written by James Edward Lee Sr 2026
Written: January 19, 2026, for contest sponsored by Nette Onclaud
**************
Rain falls, a gentle grace, a calming sigh,
A velvety touch permeates the air and soul.
Into the woods, sniffing the damp knoll,
A fragrance stirs a hushed heart and the shy.
Mists and rain showers coat slopes and flow,
Past echoes and soft hints stir what slid away.
At night, flying ants buzz as gusts of wind sway,
Each gale holds the power to heal or to throw.
There is a sweetness in the sky
chunky salt permeates the sea.
Perfumed petals on wishes fly,
there is a sweetness in the sky.
They wait patient for a reply
to a wish to be loved deeply.
There is a sweetness in the sky
chunky salt permeates the sea.
A cabin in the pines, it’s been years
It resembles what I remember even as it appears
On New Year’s Adam, it begins to snow
(It was Adam before Eve as you know)
Northern Wisconsin calls me home again
Old memories awaken as night thoughts do stem
The oil lamp flickers on nostalgia’s hem
Blank paper awaits: from old yarns that’ve been spun
Outside winter dances in a frigid hush
Inside warmth permeates
Then a gentle knock, and the silence it breaks
An old friend, a familiar face illuminated by fire light
(Is it a second chance at love at first sight?)
Guided by love, and family’s guiding vane
She enters, seeking warmth and to explain
How loneliness shaped her and years we can’t ignore
We talk of days we once shared afore
Our laughter echoing through the snowy hours
Tonight, no passion, only a friendship’s bowers
God’s presence felt, our presences collide
The fruit of The Spirit towards which we both stride
I honor the woman she has grown to be
The full spectrum of her muliebrity
Through grace and time, His love for us is known
God has guided our paths (to us previously unknown)
When winter comes and settles in,
I feel your absence more each day.
The silence fills the house where
there was once peace, joy and laughter.
The love we shared still permeates
every single little nook and cranny.
In my heart, you're still here with me.
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
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