She is tranquility enfolded in ambiguity,
symbolizing serenity before conception,
not idiosyncratic, but sympathetic stranger,
Mantis is the Celestial Madonna
as profound as a collapsing galaxy,
defining a figure of cosmic importance,
destined to create the celestial savior,
the most significant universal entity.
She is the selected medium of transformation,
where the new universe swirls,
weaving light and chlorophyll.
Born on the cradle of mother earth,
yet claimed by the emptiness of cosmos,
endowing her with the acumen of prophesy,
she walks on the footprints of silence,
steps following the shooting stars of the milky way
as her breath turns into a hymn of forgotten stars.
She is the epitome of spatial stillness
that stabilizes the existential storms,
for she knows the exact rhythm of sorrow,
and the precise cadence of delight,
steadying them on her palm.
The Avengers treat her as a teammate,
a martial artist, the green essence of change,
that feels the pulse of the extant universe,
spreads the inflection of prayers across the cosmos.
My son's smile shines, in a photograph, standing out from the smiles of his high school track and cross-country team. Other photos of Dan showed him uncomfortable, afraid, tentative, or bored. When he played soccer, he stared into space, once being hit by a speeding ball. His coach said he lacked aggression and shouldn't play. In tennis, he was self-critical, swearing when the ball went out or hit the net. All that changed when he joined the cross-country team. Why? The man they called "coach" - Coach was always positive, never having a bad word for anyone. At the annual awards ceremony, he had something nice to say about everyone on the team and always had an amusing anecdote, as he recognized the individuality of each teammate. His message of camaraderie, positivity, humor, and most of all, fun, went a long way towards producing all those smiles, and most importantly to me, that of my son.
What man could make them run three miles?
It was his message, his approach.
Find the frivolity, the smiles, the fun,
in the photograph of the team and "Coach".
Character References
By Mark D. Stucky
If I applied for new employment,
should I write down for my references
my malicious manager who mistreats workers,
my onetime teammate serving prison time,
my drug-dealing cousin crashing in a crack house,
or long-lost relatives living in unknown locations?
If I used such rogue references,
could I honestly expect acceptance?
Yet, Jesus applied for the job
of Redeemer of humanity
and, for references, he is using us,
rogue saints and reformed sinners,
who all too often fail our calling
to love all other people
and pursue righteousness.
With character references
as checkered as Christians are,
can Jesus expect acceptance
by the rest of the world?
(First published in Calla Press, 9 April 2022. See also my poems “Hate Vacuuming?” and “What Would Jesus Tweet?”)
(Image by Van Tay Media on Unsplash.com.)
Young and eager to defend
Our country till the very end
Buzzcuts uniforms and nerves
Training that will help them swerve
From the danger they will face
In a far off scary place
Away from everyone they love
Praying nightly to above
They are safe from all the danger
Families made with other strangers
In their squad team and platoon
Sometimes it is way too soon
To see a teammate lose their life
It cuts deeply like a knife
Inside your heart it's really bad
To know it gets worse and it's sad
Realizing you could be
The next In someone's memory
Because an enemy attack
Will never let you return back
To your loving family
A situation that will be
Remembered till the end of time
War is such a deadly crime
Their prejudice is embedded in their words, tucked away
Putting a damper on your pride
A laugh and a smile and a claim that it was “just a joke”
And your friends, the ones who have never loved anyone other than boys,
They accept the apologies, the excuses, as though they were for them in the first place
“That school’s FULL of lesbians”
“You think she has a crush on ME? Ewwww”
“She just looks like a lesbian. That’s why I’m not friends with her anymore”
Day after day after day
Joke after joke after joke
A double standard that they do not notice, do not talk about
Because they are Allies with a capital A
Always ready to curse out a homophobe
Except when their words are hidden in their friends
Except when it’s their basketball teammate or the school gossip
Leaving you to wonder if you went crazy if you’re making it all up
The side glances, the curious looks
One doesn’t belong and it sure isn’t any of them
Except when homophobia is a quirk, an ick, not enough to really call it quits
Except when it’s hidden between the lines.
Status sitting
Involved mooted
Tracking aloof
Under above
Altered intact
Twisted direct
Inside outside
Open enclosed
Neutral biased
Normal haywire
Ordered manic
Resolved unsure
Measured abstract
Attends misses
Loving loathing
Always sometimes
Loner teammate
Loser trooper
Friendly hostile
Ugly stunning
Callous caring
Killing healing
Evil gentle
Depraved saintly
Utmost lowest
Pleasing psycho
By David Kavanagh
Hybrid acrostic/footle
Afootstick?
Mason Mount a legend in the making,
His skills are real, he is never faking,
He doesn't pass ball without thinking,
At just 22 years he is record breaking,
He always leave the defenders shaking,
A blue superstar in the making.
Alongside Kante, he plays in the middle,
His haters tongue wag with no bridle,
Infront of the goal he dares to straddle,
As sharp on the field, he is like a needle,
Confusing the defenders when he sidle,
A blue superstar in the middle.
He is creative in making those passes,
Drifts the ball wide when he possesses,
Shoots it at an angle when he crosses,
Picks a teammate who heads and scores,
A player which every Chelsea Fan adores,
A blue superstar giving passes.
©Kelmwa
with the corona virus upon us
I am bracing to hear the news
that so and so has died
I reflect back
on all the people in my life
that I have already lost
part of being older
is that you lose people
close to you along the way
I lost my father due to cancer in 1985
and my sister due to a freak illness in 2007
and my mother due to Alzheimer's in 2005
and my father-in-law as well in 2007
Demel Tucker
high school debate teammate
dead of HIV in 1995
Julian Bartley and his son
one of my favorite bosses
died in a terrorist bombing
in Nairobi in 1998
Jon Weber college roommate
dead due to prostate cancer
in 2000
Paul Simon friend from the visa line
dropped dead of a heart attack
in 2004
Ted Halstead
one of my best bosses
died of heart attack
in 2007
Chris Richard one of my former bosses
dropped dead of a heart attack
shortly before we were due
to have lunch in 2014
and so many others
I have lost
along the way
and soon there will be
so many more
as I get old
in the corona era
writer. com daily dew drop prompt to write an elegy poem
My Moment of Soredom by James Barrymore
When I play soccer its pure perfection
I fake them out and change direction
I put the ball between his legs
I hear my teammate yell out meg
I’m getting close to their net
The winning goal I’m sure I’ll get
My leg is back to score a goal
But I missed the ball and broke my toe
People say hate is a strong word
Well so is ( fill in blank)
( fill in blank), a word I don't understand
It feels so heavy on my tongue
When I look at my parents, the word won't budge from my
mouth
Maybe we weren't built on ( fill in blank )
It's not like we tell each other..
I ( fill in blank) you
However yesterday, I overheard my teammate on the phone
She spoke those three words so eloquently
I felt joyful and sad
Knowing that I heard it
It almost sounded like the message was for me
OLYMPIC RAINBOWS
The archway welcomes us into its light —
A flame burning bright the timeless torch.
The crowds they cheer upcoming sport
Watching the dot matrix from their porch.
Each team with t-shirt bonds, prepare to climb,
Grab hold of rapunzel braid in the sunny-rain.
An olympic treat - the first to ascend in race.
The creation of this event was deemed insane.
Like conquering Everest, they climb with fortitude.
Each teammate significant - none must fail their part.
Two team’s chosen seven strong - their country’s best.
Follow Up one’s victory - four teams prize a double manifest.
10/24/2018
Craig Cornish’s Rainbows Poetry Contest
running 12 men
24 in total, puffing carbon dioxide
inhaling oxygen from the outside,
shouting a teammate from the other side
watch that space
whistle,that one is playing offside
think should do that in practice,
spectators like that on the east side,
the players,
the passer-by
where is the wayside
not like sport field with pedestrian roadside
where should one pass?
in a broad daylight in the countryside
a day thinking within side
playing is preferably a cool weather alongside
small place
big planet
on a 45 degrees
rotating with a small country side
My father made me Not be rude
Bless my food
Know what’s good
My father made me Sit up straight
Tow my weight
Be a teammate
My father made me Help my mother
Think of others
Love my brothers
My father made me Think like a man
Do all I can
Be what I am
My father
Made me
Gunfire blasts as chiseled arms and legs
begin to rotate
Getting out and kicking is the key, one
mustn't hesitate
My leg is ALL mine to run and for me to
consume total control
I must run freely and fearlessly, I must
dig deep down within the depths of my
soul
Running this race isn't about selfish pride
and egoistic glory
It's about being true, doing my part and
running so that we all may get the victory
Yes! I must be careful and ready when
the baton is passed my way
My grip must be tight, my mind focused and
my heart in it for there mustn't be any
delay
I must receive, own and hone my leg like a
true winner
If I do otherwise, then all the work done before me
will mean nothing. The headlines will read,
"LOSER"
When my leg is done, I must do the right thing
and pass the baton
A carefully administered hand-off to my teammate,
just a token of unity... an attempt to cross the finish
line as ONE
As the feet pick up my body volts forward
Half seat telling him to keep going
The wind curls up throwing itself at me yelling slow
Trees towering around me
With every few strides the branches reach out to hit
Faster, faster
Picking up our pace we fly towards the waiting field
Grass so green it invites us forward
As a team we take the last few strides at the speed of light
Freedom
Pushing myself forward my teammate takes off across the field
The sky folds around us like a blanket
Blue as the ocean and larger than life
No resistance and no stopping
The world is as free as us
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