Creaking, cracking, booming…
You hear the sounds before the bridge,
mountain quiet amplifies it,
step out on the old iron truss,
and a mess unfolds before you.
Creeping, slipping, shearing…
Long breaks in what was once smooth glass,
seams by the shore where current came,
set the center moving slowly,
broken ribbon slowly pushing.
Grinding, pressing, crushing…
Like slow-motion catastrophe,
chunks shift and jostle as they move,
strike rocks on bars, break down small trees,
smears on the ice, stained by debris.
Pressing, straining, slashing…
Ice so blue it’s almost glacial,
piles up on curves and pillars,
jams the path, water bubbles up,
sends swells racing across the ice.
Chugging, seeking, streaming…
Picks up speed as it heads southwards,
to the big rivers waiting there,
the parks down by the shoreline will
soon be buried under the crush.
March is unique here --
Auburn leaves dropping from trees,
Returning to dust,
Chilling winds howling southwards
Heralding winter's coming.
tied against the mountain
the blue children play
the upturned apples' cart
scent filled the air
The Wild herons flew southwards
as the crucible sun hit the apex
Crimson skies laced against
the white aconite churchyards
We left, denouncing the first hymn
we heard
surely someone has desecrated the night sky
My fingers reach to touch the sky
where swallows circle,then southwards fly.
NOTE:Crystalline is A two line image poem, (created by Denis Garison) often with a title, in which euphony is the key factor. Each line may have 8 or 9 syllables to make a total of seventeen.
my fingers reach to touch the sky
where swallows circle,then southwards fly
Crystalline form created by US poet Denis Garrison
Cruising southwards to LA from Sac
a midnight filled with songs ‘n Luna,
light-etching hills in a black infernal…
It was a leviathan’s back on which I
felt the tires unrolling a chilled grief ~
Owlish-full, a hypnotic moon, ‘n Dido
reminiscing tunefully about surrender
negating white flags and loves forlorn...
Inside the eye, a wispy face smiled hi
and gently slid open a papery fusuma...
Dazed, I held her gaze, so undead
Round face framed in softest ether
exhaling cool peppermint to inhale ~
Amaranth rains of fleeting gardenia,
mildly-scented dawn's astral gloam ***
(11/2/2020)
As sunburned skies kiss August goodbye, on molten wings southwards they fly...
09/09/20
Crimson twilight, stained glass sunsets bled
Frost tipped flowers of summers fled
Migrating flocks, southwards led
Gatherings to break bread
Chrysanthemum spread
Autumnal bed
Overhead
Wind sped
Red
11/07/19
For 'Rhyming Nonet' contest
Sponsor: charles messina
Logs stacked by a decaying shed;
scent of burning embers from chimney’s
wafting past my face;
I breathe in the crisp evening chill.
The woodlands, a palette of color
waiting to be laid out on a canvas
by my bristles;
VanDyke orange, red, brown and yellow;
I watch the yellow passing by the sunset
and it blinks to deeper orange hues.
Oils blending, scent of linseed
and turpentine mingle with
the log fires and overhead
flocks darken the skies
winging southwards.
The setting sun lends it’s
hues to the naked trees as
leaves float endlessly downwards
to rest upon an emerald bed.
I glance up from my palette to see
a doe standing there,
right beside a Douglas fir;
her eyes trust mine
and in that simple moment I know,
there is a God.
10-6-19
Enter the 'Best free verse July-December 2019' Poetry Contest
John Hamilton
Have you ever known a skier’s mind
when the leaves turn yellow and red?
As frost forms before the drive to work
and the lawnmower is put to bed?
When all you feel is a bracing chill,
and southwards all the large birds have fled?
The first taste of what is lying in wait
will start a snowstorm within our minds.
While leafers drive, see orange and brown,
inside of our poor brains you will find
a landscape painted all up in snow,
we keep watching the low temps at night.
See Fall is just an appetizer,
not a final flourish before sleep,
taunts us with hints of snow on the air,
we start praying that it’ll fall deep;
doing a snow-dance, gifts to Ullr,
do not let this year be mild, please!
Reading what’s new at our best mountains,
web-site says they’ll be opening soon,
a ribbon of white amidst the brown,
spotting those first tall snowmaking plumes,
can’t wait for frigid air in my lungs…
I don’t care if you think I’m a loon.
When we first met, in love we used to glide
on waves of bliss like pairs of sunglow swans,
now we slowly totter,and try to hide
our orthopaedic socks and thick long johns.
We still hold hands like back on that first date
but now it's less a gesture, decades on
else I'd walk off ahead then have to wait
while you found something firm to lean upon.
You said you'd like a skirt to match your eyes
I did my very best but must confess
I went to every shop but no-one buys
or maybe no-one sells a bloodshot dress.
you run your fingers through my hair a bit,
these days I marvel just how fast it goes
these greying locks ,well, what remains of it,
from off my scalp and southwards to my nose.
Annoying habits met with just a sigh,
you snoring on the sofa after tea
or ducking as my nail clippings shoot by,
or leaving used bags out when making tea.
Love's outer shell is merely just it's name,
inside it's precious pearl remains the same.
Nineteen nosey newts nudged nasty nautical nannies
Eighteen eager ermines excitedly edged everyone’s ego
Seventeen sacred slugs sat sideways searching seagulls
Sixteen slippery snails slid southwards sipping sangria
Fifteen flowery foxes fell forward fondling fuchsias
Fourteen frantic fleas froze fighting frightening fanatics
Twelve twiddling tigers told thirteen tasteless tales
Eleven elderly elephants embellished eighteen ebony earrings
Ten terrified tardy ticks tricked two thirsty Turkish tramps
Nine naughty nasal know-it-alls knew nothing nearing knowledge
Eight elastic earthworms echoed eighty edgy Egyptians
Seven solemn snakes slithered slowly sensing sunshine
Six sassy silk-moths sceptically squished spinach selfishly
Five funny fatties feared following fancy French fashion
Four fantastic faithful Finnish flies faked famous farcical facelifts
Three tenacious terriers thrilled twelve tipsy throbbing thespians
Two tireless Tanzanian tapirs tittle tattled tirelessly throughout Tuesday
One obedient oily octopus offered obnoxious orangutans oranges outrageously
The stars were twinkling
as the moon danced
sending beaming rays
to float over the earth.
Casting shadows over all
in the still of the night.
We lay entwined
fingers wandering southwards.
Our breath hot and passionate
as we danced the age old dance.
Reaffirming our love as
slowly we rose to climax.
By the river reflecting
the majesty of the sky.
Adding poignancy
to our deep abiding love
SUMMER MOMENTS
Long,lazy days,dry and warm
dozing on the lawn;
shadows flicker
across my eye;
blown on the wind,
a brown butterfly;
my fingers reach
to touch the sky,
swallows, circle,
then southwards fly;
large round spots
splash into my lap
down my neck
raindroplets,trickle;
Summer,shaded gold
becomes monsoon,
berries rot beneath the
bramble. No breeze tonight
trees pose statuesque,
flowers icily still,
time slows to a stop
grasses stand to attention's call
thought holds on pause
air has that feel of fall.
Listen to me read this poem on youtube under name of ichthyschiro
The summer day I stood outside
And lifted my face to the sky,
Turned my face to the sun,
Without fear of consequence;
The busy December morning
I ran through the snowstorm,
Laden with packages
And stopped to feel
Snowflakes melting on my cheeks;
The morning I heard music
From the car stopped next to mine
At a red light,
And sang along;
The crisp fall day
I saw a clean V of geese
Flying southwards
And stopped to watch ‘til they disappeared;
The dawning realization:
I was free to give up control's illusion,
I was free to veer off my chosen path,
I was free to be random.
Random:
Total immersion and surrender
Into something unplanned;
As close to flying
As is humanly possible.
[‘random’, from Old French, 'randir', to gallop,
as in the moment a horse at full speed has all four hooves off the ground.]
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