twisted branches reach for moons touch
a lovely luscious lithe maiden appeared out of shadows
mystical and ethereal, a vision we had never expected
she stood on her tippy toes and reached for the stars
I found myself holding my breath,
expecting her to bring one down at any time
she reminded me of a mermaid with legs
a vision, almost as if she was not of this earth
she disappeared before I had a chance to call out
I have never forgotten her; expecting her to appear nightly
April in Melbourne
and the trees
are beginning to write Autumn
on the waters of the river
in a script of floating leaves,
briefly holding meaning clumped
within the grip of a few
fragile stanzas before
breaking apart.
There is something sad
in the dissolution, in the loss
of adhesion, the inevitable drift
towards an end where
what remains will become
pages of bottom silt.
I am not sure
if anything survives -
beauty, the loveliness
of this world, meaning itself -
all seem to pass away
and yet we write words
as if reaching out to grasp
something of the eternal
that is concealed behind
a camouflage of decay.
Pushed to the pavement. Flattened by memories. Can’t see Tomorrows light
Dear Diary,
I woke up this morning feeling depressed
I don’t know why I have a lot on my chest
Laying here in my bed
I got a million things running through my head
I gotta get up and I gotta leave
Through all these emotions and feeling numb I gotta breathe
Sometimes I feel like I’m not worth it
When I rationalize I know that I don’t deserve it
Thinking of all my reasons of being here and my purpose
When I calm down and think about it I haven’t even scratched the surface
Beauty is pain….
Sincerely,
The dark side of my room
stars tingle above
so large so bright in dark sky
I can almost touch
Doting parents want the best.
She's at an age where all's possible.
No dream seems too big.
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: 3rd place 2026, Honorable Mention 2026
The wind echos heartache and pain
Questioning but silence remains
Desperately waiting for change
Our future afar
Distance swallows ike quicksand
Our hearts screaming out its demands
Floating minds try to understand
and yet here we are
I yearn....thoughts toss in my mind snapshots of the past return
I want absolution, such I crave
An equilibrium before I’m in my grave
How can I best hold a true course?
I feel dammed by past misadventures
Wrong reactions made
That caused a barrier, that emotions cannot simply invade
The erroneous thoughts a lame tongue
There is much I would do and much I would make undone
And so I pick up the threads of prayer
Aware of many losses, how might I dare?
Alone Christ’s blood that judges me not
His truest love it can be my lot.
Beyond all mischief, despite all faults though great & untold,
He has endless vaults; his compassion is forever.
I’ll kneel awhile or on my mattress truly seek his side
To let his blood renew my all
Help me Jesus, please don’t let me fall.
©Joe Maverick 29th December 2025
This ache,
this longing,
this not fitting in—
it was always there,
long before any hand struck me,
long before any name was taken from me.
I was born reaching.
The flower of humility is a prerequisite for the intervention of hope
No situation can nullify a shift from hopelessness to joy
Faith over fear should imprint your heart because
The potency of unshakable hope will piece the air
Even when life is not fair
Darkness is but a temporary occasion
On this road of life
There lies an unshakable hope.
This is a hope that shines in the darkness!
This is a hope that is courageous and steadfast
In reality, certain moments in life will refine us and
Shake the core of our existence
But in this state of prepared darkness
The supremacy of hope will become stronger, and we must
Never forget that there is a hope that shines in the darkness!
As an individual of time, the heart must
Reach its prime against all odds!
The sun sets as evening approaches, but
Nothing can stop the sun from rising in the morning!
Hope is ever present, and hope shines in the darkness
Mark Frank
Copyright 2025
Tossing electronically-bottled messages
into the wild blue sea yonder
will they float like a boat or sink like a stone
it only makes me ponder
as optimistically-inclined
I often wonder why
some say, 'Send me an email,'
but then never reply
do my bottles circumnavigate the globe
or stay in the Sargasso for ever and a day
are they wrecked on the rocks of spam
while typing I waste my days and nights away
The loss of
each simple
thing
hurting the most
When drama
subsides
and time slows
to its worst
Your shadow
still living
inside of my
pain
To darken each
heartache
again
— and again
(The New Room: May, 2025)
What’s the point? she asked.
It could be a simple solution, he quipped.
With much to do and little to gain,
The effort remained unattainable rain.
So onward she strove
Observed by those who stood beyond the boundaries
Doing much and yet ignoring them
She left having been a bothersome chagrin.
Why can't I be happy in life?
Is that truly too much to ask?
I've been forced into depression,
Where I can only sit and bask.
It feels like I have no other emotions
Left inside of me; I can feel.
I'm lost in a state of numbness,
Trying to learn how to deal.
What is the purpose of this,
A life that's well below par?
With each day that passes,
Life gives my heart another scar.
Why does happiness seem to be
Always just out of my reach?
Depression built a wall around me
That happiness is unable to breach.
I have to ask what I'm to do
With this wasted life I live.
I've done all that I can do
And given all I have to give.
I'm tired of reaching for answers;
They always seem to elude me.
Would I be better off in life
If I just ceased to ever be?
I'm too tired to keep fighting
This same old tiring fight.
If my life were to finally end,
It would be my only delight.
Sub Categories
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.