(“Morphogenesis Merit Badge”, 2011, original oil
“Dark Pool Nebula 3”, 2011, original oil)
From undifferentiated space
The fertilized egg does grow
Beginning without concept
Its karmic winds then blow
And as they blow and swirl about
A cloud of existence forms
And in the cloud we find ourselves
Trapped in existent norms
Norms expressed by polarities
Minds divided now by halves
As two from one we make our way
Along our separate paths.
But no matter if we laugh or cry
Our true nature’s yin and yang
And this birth gives us the chance
To grow through sturm und drang.
(11/18/25)
cat lies on her back,
lounging on the window seat...
a thin pane of glass
is all that separates her
from chaos and sturm und drang
Darkness of Sturm und Drang
Darkness of Sturm und Drang
When you gotta fight with your own fated yarn
Dark persuades your shadow
Sheds your mortal mass
And gore inscribes the merciless nights
Sins like gems carved in my chest
Crucify me
I'll resurrect; soon, sooner!
Darkness of Sturm und Drang
Erupts like the lava
Gushed out to reach the penniless heart
Wide on those paddy fields
And lunar eclipse ornate the ether
Sprog witnesses the colleen in greyed
On branches she keeps swinging
Haunting the critters at bay
He sincerely heeds to her yarn each night
And nap in her lap!
What Remains
by
Rick Folker
June, 2017
Kansas City, MO
When the crowd clamors
And the tocsin clangs
When the mighty and powerful
Crush the weak, the vulnerable,
The poverty that chains and shames
When fear fights fiercely
With the menacing gang
Silencing the prophets
With their poisonous slang
When the refugee seeks safety
Those sojourners are met with a
Door slamming
And a deafening bang!
When these omens and portents are
The normal sturm und drang
Of a soul-less people clinging to
Myths of endless positive change
When all of these mindless, pointless,
Endless
Strife-filled days
Divide and dwindle down
To the ashes of the last
Death pangs
A Remnant Remains
A Remnant Remains
And life and love are reborn and return
Again! and Again! and Again!
Come now, people - we've all heard this before:
Barbarians at our gates, enemies without the door.
Their shapes the image of our own,
Their shadows like as well; though some be lesser known.
Sound loud the alarms, deafen the ears
Harden our hearts, feed on our fears -
Divide the Volk, call them Unified
Against a foe who has ever tried
To gain just this - a national suicide
Of what was once collective reason,
Confounding balanced thought with treason.
Take up the broadest brush and paint
That He That Stands Within a Saint,
And He That Waits Without a Devil -
Those who doubt judged twice and treble
To be vile, accursed knaves
Who serve the enemy as slaves.
Attend the tune of Sturm und Drang!
Forgetful of that one who sang
The selfsame tune not so long ago
Leading to a peoples' eternal shame and woe.
Let our better Angels, while yet they may,
Draw us back to the light of a better day -
A day not defined by confused fears of the Other,
A day those shades may be possible brothers.
Carolers sing in front of a garland draped door
In scarf and boot turn, spill grog into snow pour.
Approaching our porch with, “Come ye faithful”
Open the door and come, let’s adore the merciful.
To the smell of chimney smoke add the sight,
Of the warm glow from window's light;
And there's no question, no question at all,
Christmas has surely come with the snowfall!
There is subtle sweetness in the sun’s glow
As people’s shadows fall on the white snow.
Together the flakes form a soft, white blanket
That covers everything in sight as if in anklet
Barren trees, branches in twig like manner
The winter has come with his stern scanner.
Look there on the roof how the icicles hang
Winter has taken rest from sturm und drang.
Then they will go from house to house to greet
In the eve, watch nativity plays on the street.
+++
December 6, 2014
Form: Rhyme
Dr. Ram Mehta
Fourth Place Win
Contest: A Christmas Snow by Gail Angel Doyle
People with family dressed up in the Victorian style
Returning home as the Mass services over awhile.
Which in olden times was Communion or Eucharist
Where people remember, the savior Jesus Christ.
Who died for us and came back to his loved ones
It’s the memorable “birthday of the unconquered sun”
It seems to be the Dickensian Christmas time
A bridge between the old and new Christmas.
There is subtle sweetness in the sun’s glow
As people’s shadows fall on the white snow.
Barren trees, branches in twig like manner
The winter has come with his stern scanner.
Look there on the roof how the icicles hang
Winter has taken rest from sturm und drang.
People will go from house to house to greet
In the eve watch nativity plays on the street.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Date 1-22-14
Based on the 1st Picture "Christmas Day" by Isaiyah
7th place win
**Sturm und drang means a state of violent disturbance and disorder.**
I prefer crazed blue eyes
How they
Magnetize
The ache
I have
To make your insanity
My own
I prefer crazed blue eyes
Won’t
Apologize
How I take
Your flesh
And make your absurdity
My home
I prefer crazed blue eyes
Don’t you
Realize?
Nutcase
Lover
Wackity wack wackify
My soul
Let me look into your
Anarchic mind
Transfixed by those
Wild baby blues
Let’s share the final
Gasps of time
While we wear
Each other's shoes
Let me hold your body
In such strange ways
Even monkeys
Would be ashamed
Let’s meld our chaos
Lunatic babe
One body joined
Perverse, deranged
I prefer crazed blue eyes
Delirious blues
In the way they
Stare at me
All Sturm und Drang
Staring
Knowing
Exactly
Who I Am
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