What better than a summer afternoon?
Where else, but on the trail to La Toscana?
Who is it mounts a mens that's not more sana,
devouring a voluptuous Verdi tune?
Which month might one elect, which isn't June?
I'll pass on Sassafrass and Lisdoonvarna,
to binge on bars, basilicas and Barna.
I like my treasures liberally-strewn.
You're cynical? Think pinnacles don't serve?
I can't agree. A twelvemonth of frustrations,
quotidian slap-downs and humiliations
are answered now. We've finally capped the curve.
The clouds will come again, of course, but verve
should also have its vestals. A libation!
millions...
of dollars
in bank account;
he's a wealthy man, yet
true happiness
proves
much too expensive
for him;
a walking paradox
impossible
to reconcile.
to the ends of the earth
he goes
painting
r a d i a n t smiles
on faces
on a quotidian basis, yet
doesn't wear
much of his own.
an expert pretender
convincing
all and sundry
that all is fine, yet
suffers
in silence.
when does
the smirking mask fall off?
may the Lord
bring healing sunshine
to this man
laughing
with the world, yet
crying
alone.
Far removed from the unrelenting hustle and bustle of quotidian existence,
There's no place I'd rather be at the moment. The air is so fresh. I find
My peace of mind here. Sometimes, all is silent like trickling tear. The silence
Broken by robins tweeting blissful hosannas. I'm so content here my inner child
Dances with abandon like a twirling dry foliage. Ah, the sounds of nature!
The babbling brook hums of peace. A spring rainbow arches over the hillside,
Butterflies bounce around blooming wildflowers. There's no illusion about
The sheer beauty of this peaceful valley. Could this be heaven on Earth?
It sure looks like it to me. Would you care to join me?
peace in the valley
rainbow hovers above me...
a welcome respite
As long as they're slobs
We have jobs
Existential Exams
By Mark D. Stucky
Math problems, essay questions,
multiple choice, fill in the blanks…
Many are the tests we take
from grade school through grad school.
We also encounter challenging existential exams,
pop quizzes in the swirling whirlwinds of quotidian life,
tests of character, of the heart, of the soul,
that rarely have quick and easy solutions.
Resembling complex math problems,
they challenge us all to “show our work.”
(First published in Solid Food Press, 27 Feb. 2024. See also my poems “Margin of Error,” “Salvation in an App Store,” and “Reluctant Rogue Redo?”)
(Image by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com.)
quotidian
normalcy, like eating two segments of your friend's orange
after your vocab test
like looking out the window of a Starbucks placed
almost anachronistically
in the backyard of the forest
like sipping a too-sweet coffee and watching
the rain fall
like the barista telling you to have a nice day
because they're paid to, not because they care
like pulling your coat closer around your body
and huddling into yourself to avoid
the worst of the wind
like turning up the car radio so you don't have to listen
to the ghosts in your head
like everyday things and sunrises
that turn today into tomorrow
Our eyes met through the station’s crowded fray,
In seconds, passed between us what could be,
In that fleet moment, I was carried away.
In eyes of jade, I a promise of love did see,
Weeks, months, and years of companioned bliss –
In seconds, passed between us what could be,
Hand in hand, an impassioned kiss,
The idyll in flesh, the dream made real,
Weeks, months, and years of companioned bliss.
Thus, unspoken vows our hearts did seal –
I and the nameless woman on the train –
The idyll in flesh, the dream made real.
Together we through all joys and pain,
Until we bid unvoiced good-byes,
I and the nameless woman on the train.
The quotidian tragedy – love’s born and dies…
Our eyes met through the station’s crowded fray
Until we bid unvoiced good-byes,
In that fleet moment, I was carried away.
Pressed on perforated lines by a lonely playmate
Affiance instant, folding fingers christen simulate
Phantasm button nose, rosebud lips, locks flaxen
Escapist catalogues outfits alphabetically, all prim
Repairs rapid, creases cease, orchestrated by him
Dependable quotidian, fix fold away any faults
Origami girl gives empathy, mouth without insult
Lilliputian with ripped ringlets, rested submissive
Lets crafter cover stiff corners with sterile kisses
Thirtieth of April
Thoughts overpower actual
Potpourri of exquisite, quotidian poesis
Ostentatiously dazzle the eyes and mind,
Expressed using vivid imagery and metaphors.
Thousands of skilled poets publish work
Read and commented on, a deluge of poems
Yielding copious ripe fruits of admiration.
Sublime, scintillating tapestry
Of deeply felt emotions expertly weaved.
Unlimited, challenging contests sponsored for
Poets to participate in for a chance at glory.
Submitted for...
Poetry Soup Beyond Its Name Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Beata Agustin
Date written: 09/03/2022
Eternal Visions
Miracle Man
6/14/2022
I feel the stress of quotidian living,
sometimes dwelling on days long past.
But in my heart lies no misgiving,
and I live each day as if it were my last.
Each step I take brings the finish nearer,
only God knows when that step will come.
Each day my traveled path grows clearer,
and I have no doubts concerning outcome.
Initially, I was convinced
that she barked madly at the moon,
enraged to find that tasty bit
of cheese was out of reach again,
diurnal pantomime played out,
quixotic tiltings of the mind,
quotidian, unfiltered thoughts
best left to unrecorded dreams.
But unbeknownst to me, there lay
hidden within those stranger lines,
contagion or a viral code,
a stowaway that slipped through the
defenses of my mind and made
its home within my furrowed brow.
What wondrous, vile, infecting muse
is this that I now too am drawn
to cycles cursed, responding with
a seeming lack of will, as does
regard this free and rambling form?
I do not know, and caring less,
I seek the tasty bits with great
delight, to savor, contemplate
until again, I can draw near.
Chalk up the above
tummy knocker round
motley fool whimsical caprice
forever one generic
(ewe among us) scapegoat
bullied, lambasted, ostracized...
simian still silently suffering
life threatening wounds
since no protective Jason,
nor the Golden Fleece
shielded me against
Tormentors of Torghast even after
becoming gratefully dead,
struck by lightning bolts well greased
they will still increase
only difference when nonexistence prevails,
versus while given lease
as run(t) of the mill mortal
doth finally welcoming peace
of body, mind and spirit.
Aforestated gallimaufry mishmash
hoopfully doth explain
tangentially, loosely and amazingly
one after another graceful linkedin refrain
now heeds intuitive trumpeted
clarion call moon faced
cybersurfer to wax and wane.
Roll up welcome Harris tweed
Scottish tartan mat after
lame attempt bing witty and wise
fame and fortune elude,
nevertheless logophile continuously tries
this April 6th, 2022 no surprise
quotidian series of Lemony Snicket induced
unfortunate circumstances did rise
every hour these myopic eyes
blinked cognitive depth youthfulness belies,
when dawning consciousness did arise.
There once was a young boy named Gideon
He lived on the dateline meridian
He flew east each night
To get yesterday right
We'll call him a retro-quotidian?
I long to escape,
To spirit far, far away
On wings of my imagination
From the mundane minutiae
Of quotidian life.
In pursuit of serenity,
I'd love nothing more
To enjoy a week-long sojourn
To a peaceful beachside resort
Adjacent to the shoreline
And repose
In tabula rasa state of mind,
Unperturbed;
Listening to the soothing sound
Of the waves, and feeling
The gentle breeze on my skin
And the sunshine on my brow.
My dream vacation is
Any tropical island
Away from here and now.
My Dream Vacation Poetry Contest
Sponsored by L.MILTON HANKINS
Date written: 03/07/2022
Where are the universal themes,
the parables, the parallels that might
be drawn from humdrum, quotidian
happenstance? We languish in these ruts
we live in and bear our days with resignation
(some with equanimity) -- justifying
our inaction, our failures to break free,
with feeble lame excuses -- never a real cause:
which is, succinctly, our timorous laziness.
A broadening of perspective, a striving toward the epic,
the grandiose -- with, perhaps, the universality of
civilized urbanity, or of rural natural simplicity or even
stark objectivity -- may these be what we need?
Here's the stale conclusion: be daring,
brave enough to become accustomed
to a singular (perhaps lone) existence.
When you must, be fair and listen but,
when you should, be insistently unbending
to the pressures and opinions of your peers.
And use your mind, your unique voice, and
proclaim incessantly your messages,
even to those who turn to you
their stubbornly deaf ears.
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