Asclepius, one cannot build from sand,
Such light and shifting grains as mortals be.
The wind and tide shall warp what e’er is planned,
Foundations fade before the pounding sea.
And yet, when grains of sand flow through my hand,
I smile at warmth and richness I know not.
Through falling columns have the sea I scanned,
As through a fog, and this the vision brought.
Once, weary, weary, weary on the sea,
One weary, wandering sailor, long away.
‘Tis torpor, tempest, tedium, weary he,
When wind-whipped waves whisk words on salty spray.
“Rain-hardened sailor, welcome now,
The ocean storms here mend their ways.
No lonesome mists embrace the prow,
Here glegful otters tend their bays.
This oaken isle, this Avalon,
O’er the futile, beating sea;
This dream-cast realm, this jewel at dawn,
Where thought is regal, talent free.
And here beyond the reach of might,
Where ancient tribal flaws decay,
With cobbled streets and spires alight,
New thought, new form, new love, hold sway.”
When whence these words surveyed had he,
Before his eyes a visage be.
‘Twas older than eternity,
That face that sank beneath the sea.
She lit up my room.
No one remembers her
but me. Her grace
underneath a lacy shade.
She was ballerina-tall,
one hand behind her
head. Lavishly dressed
next to a quintessential pic
of Jesus and his sacred heart.
This old slide of mine
scratched and castigated,
but I found her
as if the doll was a cold case
and I surveyed the scene.
I eyed the evidence. She appeared
when I wasn’t looking.
I implore you to check out
your old photos. Just like
an old movie, there will be
finds. Time after time.
We needed to evacuate because
the sandbags we put down were not enough
to hold the rising tide; how bad it was.
We had to flee our homes, which was so tough
because we didn’t know what we would find
after the floods. Would our homes be destroyed?
To think of that, I nearly lost my mind.
Were any of us able to avoid
a lot of damage? All that week we prayed.
Then with trepidation, we traveled back.
When my home’s interior I surveyed,
I hoped not to have a panic attack.
Praise be to God, for the damage done to all
of my friends’ homes and my own house was small.
I was in Eden, when the stars saw and moulded man
I beheld the achievement of my toils and plan
I surveyed the ape body beneath my tail of green
I contemplated the workings of my servants
I breathed my warm breath of wisdom into his nostrils
I saw the flesh breathe in and out, tasting the air
His brown eyes opened, and looked in the four directions
Her ears twitched, to listen to the stars whispering
His wide nose sniffed, smelling the corpses of my past works
Her hands felt the grass dancing beneath her rough skin
His mind awoke, the beauty of my dream departed
Her soul moved, and I was filled with breathless horror
Your almond skin concealed the web of veins and muscles
Your hair was black that pointed in all directions
Your teeth were thirty two pearls of white bathed in cows milk
Your two eyes sparkled with inquiry and longing
Your soul in your eyes was as white as the night sky’s pearl
Your mouth spoke about the pink pearl beneath the shell
“Let my pink pearl drift in the gnosis river
Let my pink pearl drift high above Eden’s stars”
He hated airports
Hated the check-ins
The waiting
The food
Hated the boarding pleasantries
Really hated children sitting beside him
Women, men
Hated flying
Hated anything he couldn’t control
Hated the final destination
Dollars in passport
Hated the drive
The uncertainty
No protection
Hated thinking back
Life in general
His failings
Hated civilians
Mortgage, talk
Kids, relationships
Memories
Finally
The briefing
The nod to old friends
The familiar touch of metal
He surveyed his surroundings
The task ahead
The ultimate failure of his life
Life itself.
In the flickering light of the lamp,
Despite the chilly night, air so damp,
She surveyed books so avidly read,
Studied the guidelines now in her head.
Time came: she departed for the war,
Sure she'd care for all those wounded sore.
Many followed as she left her stamp,
At night she'd be the lady with the lamp.
The Moon became quietly jealous
One night when I surveyed Venus.
The usual glory reserved for her
Went to the dancer with Perseus.
At first, she passed for a star
Sparkling high above a church roof
But as she moved down further -
Her ample speed gave proof.
Outgoing clouds didn't shroud
The evening sky of cerulean blue.
Enchanted, I stayed around
To observe her quick rendezvous.
Fair Venus shined like a jewel -
Like one worthy to be set in a ring.
Because she was so beautiful -
She sent a jaded Moon waning.
The wide net of the Milky Way
Was cast and failed to pull her in.
She outshined the Dog Star
And evaded sly Orion
And as the Sun moved below -
He teased her with stealing her glory.
She lusted for that power
And disappeared after him shortly.
Tho' I know her general stream
And her light is brilliant and dense -
She's been gone. I haven't seen
The Elusive Lady since.
to depict
what we can
see
within
which is
never revealed
aloud
meta
invisible
landscapes of the
mind
of
left field
the banal
absurd
yet
deadpan
& real
clashing
symbols
appear
in
the eye
outside
the box
imagery
is
all
riddles
in
shadows
make
of it
wat
u
wil
Once upon a shiny polished day, the sun shone bright as golden ray
and in the park where the children played the puppies danced ballet
The kittens meowed from their outdoor yum cafe
and the birds chirped from the trees while they surveyed
the pretty ducklings waddling in the pond, hurray hurray !
Once upon a starlit night the moon smiled sweetly at the sea
and in the river all the loons echoed across the lake, woo wee
The owl gave a hoot and the foxes slept tee hee
while the rabbit stretched and caught a snack or three
Once upon a fairytale a little Pixie cast a spell
and all the sicklies of the forest were suddenly made well
each precious creature went pell-mell at the sound of a Fairy's Bell
while all the ogres, trolls and elves, tap danced on a chanterelle.
Sponsor BJ Legros Kelley
Contest Name Write a Sweet Fairytale For Children
Broken
Cloven
Hidden
Within
Covert
Revert
Surveyed
Journeyed
Sojourned
Missioned
Wrestle
Vessel
Tempest
Life’s test
Good night
Last fight
March 13, 2023.
Quinn was on his way from School no sidewalks along his way, Mom was busy at work earning a salary to provide for household. She's a single mother of 3 school aged children.
Phone rings ma'am I just hit your son in my vehicle van I bring him to you? Huh? What? Confused, blank stare. Now on the scene at
the accident I surveyed every inch of Quinn's
body, blood everywhere his bones protruding
from his leg and it astounds me and I'm terrified. Quinn says out of his mouth momma van I get up and walk? This 7 year old enduring this pain at this age, the paramedic remarks "no". Arrives a the hospital diagnosis fractured fibia, tibia, never-ending operations followed by blood transfusions. Prognosis from physician he may never walk normal or no progress in growth. Grace and Mercy Quinn now walls, tall, and love for God is infinite.
Suspicion fell on the butler.
one scone was missing
a chair askew.
The constable scratched his chin
tapped his note pad.
The butler stood
Idly guilty in the doorway.
This was not the first such incident.
The Lady of the Manor strode into the room,
surveyed the situation
muttered under her breath.
The constable observed her behavior.
Discretely followed her
to the garden
where she inquired of the gardener
“Where is he?”
The gardeners reply:
“Behind the shed, Ma’am”
The constable joined her
as she looked behind the shed.
He was there all right.
Crumbs on his lips
jelly on his paws.
Guilty.
John G. Lawless
©7/15/2022
Green Grass Faerie had a mystique that paraded around
In front of her as she surveyed her grasses above ground
She arrived in April, bringing refreshments in the form of dew
Causing verdant chaos and Kentucky grasses, blue.
Green grass faerie had a pact with miss violet, unique.
They appeared together, but the flower knew to only peek
For spring is overseen and managed by Green Grass Faerie.
Who retains power until middle June, taken over by Faerie Berry.
a gnarled olive tree
surveyed the scene --
tender saplings soaring skyward
regal oaks basking in glory
majestic cedars 'midst the clouds
--under her breath
~ I’ll outlast you all
Down the dusty road,
in tattered rags,
He came,
weary,
wilted,
and
withered.
Body bent with age,
bones sticking out of the flabby skin,
with a tremor
running down his limbs.
With eyes reflecting hope,
he waited at my doorstep.
No words came out from pursed lips
but,
in mute language
begged for alms,
hopeful he would never be betrayed
I held his shriveled hand,
helped him ascend the steps.
Like a child obeying it’s Elder,
he sat on a chair in the patio.
The sumptuous fare, served before,
he surveyed with eyes
bulging out in utter disbelief,
and greedily devoured
every bit of morsel.
A rare gleam lighted up his face.
With hands folded in benison
he stood up and silently took leave.
I watched him stumble
along the country track
and fade away in the distance.
Ripples of joy stirred my mind
in ever widening circles
as, a pebble idly tossed
causes ripples in still waters
over a random act of kindness
idly tossed !
Placed First in Strand's Poetry Contest
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