Australia, you promised plenty
Buildings replacing trees and views
Concrete covers the sacred lands
Developers grab even more
Energy draining quickly
Farmland naked where once bush grew
Green landscape now just scars
Humble pleas go unheard
Justice lost behind closed doors
Lost children in a lost land
Money begets murder done
Nobody left to save this land
Open scars where miners dig
Prosperity flows away
Quietly the land cries
Religion an early cause
Scars everywhere we see scars
Trembling mountains fall in pain
Understand the land that cries
Victims silenced by gun and law
Wisdom from elders taken
Xeric land now appears
Yearnings to change the past
Zephyr sweeps a damaged land.
A secondhand corner
Bookstore – I wonder what book will
Choose to make itself known to me today.
Dust or dialogue,
Extraction or echo,
Full-page or fiction? As I enter the
Gateway of the fixation of words – I wonder…
How many homes, people, miles you have been
Introduced to,
Jaunted, or come across? How your
Kindred-ness has inspired so many –
Living through pages, with your tree spirit still alive.
Mediator through human madness,
Navigation through understanding,
Openness through touch. With every
Page turned, how it nourishes a single soul –
Quantifying. Though each
Reader finds different meaning with a new word –
Side note. Though my trip
To the bookstore is coming an end – You are truly the spitting image of what
Universal unification exudes – of what humans allow, that is.
Verso, ending where another can begin again. To find new meaning
Worldwide to create their own place.
Xeric plant from the seed planted – Foundation. As I walk outside,
Yellow birds flying together, and how
Zen harmonizes the day.
All flowers all the time:
Another day for admirers hungry eyes
Bouquet to deliver in the
Company of love
Dainty daisies beautifully alive
Especially the rose
For the lover in you
Guess I didn't know a parade of floral
essence was in town
However can I contain the astonishing
Intensity of the glow in
Jubilee fascination for floral
Keepsakes are the trophies of the
receiver
Like so
Many other
Noticeable natural
Omnipotent flora
Plural passions and powerful perennials
Quietly admiring the
Red roses that are
Sold
Those lovely floral patterns
Uncanny communication as the public
Visit the gardens
Wishes of good luck in the gardens
And know
Xeric environment is harmful to floral
habitats
Yet yesterday's fading flowers still
seem to fade faster
Zestfully fading passing by and by
As the day beckons dusk then night.
After it all ended
But a moment before he left
Casted me away
Did what i had dread
Expressed his discomfort over
Fights we never had fought
Gave up on us
Handed my heart back
I felt a void form inside
Just a tiny black hole
Killing me at leisure
Love did poison me whole
My mind and heart
Never to be same again
Often my devotion was red, now
Purple and black it bruised
Quiet terrors of the night painted
Raging and sobbing my core
Said a few things more
Take your leave darling
Wellness may find your way
Voice shaking, eyes tearing
Xeric my land is left
Yours, i pray, will never face this doom
Zero flowers, while, in mine bloom.
Every day moves differently.
Quietly ebbing and flowing,
Under the guidance of time,
Invigorating growth even when
Neutral systems dictate cell death.
Only to show greater maturity, whether
Xeric or soggy – grow!
At day I fight the warriors fight.
Because my heart is made of light,
Comes the dread of mine own blight-
Demons dark as blackest night.
Except that oh, they do forget
Falling Angels, a-many, I have met.
Gone With the Wind is not Their name,
Hellfires happenings will not break my sane.
In the cold an’ crisp-air riot,
Jests a-many
Kill my kin,
Love is my Name…I will not sin.
Move They won’t
Neither will I!
Of course I’m bound to suffer and die-
Proud I am of my heart,
Quintessential of Heavens Lark.
Rage the storm fiery and fierce
So goes the Warriors ballad song.
Tonight the tribulation will carry forth,
Unless my soul is captured…
Venerated and pure and true…
Well, I will not give it to you, devil!
Xeric though my land may be,
You will not have that victory-
Zeal for Him is my middle name.
unaccompanied
I set out to traverse the hinterlands
perceiving myself as a blemish on society
all eyes averted from my unsightly visage
the pernicious shadow of doubt's cloud
casting an ominous apparition that darkened the mood
but failed to dampen the xeric ground with needed rain
feigning confidence in my destination
striding past sage and succulent - yucca and agave
longing for the carefree smell of the ocean
and the company of friends
feeling like Abram departing Ur of the Chaldees
seeking astral consolation from the night sky
kneeling to pray to the heavenly sentry
I'd close my eyes to rest from the weary enterprise
of surviving my high school wilderness
Written 10 Nov 2020
Stiff, stifling, arid air: snakes, lizards, sand,
and cactus. Scorched red rocks and baking skin.
My canteen empty in a barren land -
my romance landscape till first love walked in.
One summer evening under moon's cool beam,
the desert's xeric heat no longer cursed.
Lazing with friends. A pool... in walked my dream.
First glance: a tall, cool drink to slake all thirst.
Then as her eyes met mine, my blood ran warm.
My hand touched hers; both temp and pulse were raised.
In time, slow dancing - two bodies conform,
and with that first kiss, fulgent flames soon blazed.
The desert heat from which I'd just emerged
blithely returned, as first love's swelter surged.
All is calm; all is
Bright on this lovely
Christmas Eve night.
Do you see how
Easily the smiles come?
Feel the warmth that envelops you and
Glows in loved ones' eyes.
Hear the fervent joy
In celebrants' voices as they
Jubilantly sing of the infant
King who lay in a manger so
Long ago, born to redeem
Mankind from sin.
Now let's look at the
Other side of the season:
Platters of tasty food, Dad
Quoting "'Twas the Night . . .," kids
Receiving long-awaited toys
Santa delivered,
Telling funny stories, standing
Under the mistletoe . . . Let's appreciate these
Vivid, memorable scenes
Which will be springs of inspiration in
Xeric times during the coming
Year. Relish every moment.
Zealously embrace this season of smiles.
December 25, 2015 (posted)
Placed 2nd in Shadow Hamilton's Abecedarian Contest, January '16
entered in Geraldine Taylor's Creative Collective Anthology Series Contest
on July 4, 2017 Placed 5th
February 22, 2019, entered in Mark Toney's Poetry Marathon, Mile 20
June 28, 2019, entered in Brian Strand's Seasons, Festivals, etc., Contest
February 7, 2020, entered in Caren Krutsinger's Abecedarian Contest
Anacreontic verse
Bacchus rose
joy purging
xeric throats
choking upon
libations
conflicted aims
dancing naked
fearlessly awash
escaping
inhibition’s
tyranny
loosing anger’s soul
through merriment
releasing
wingless spirits
thoughtless thoughts
unfettered
voices mumbling
wine soaked praise
to numbing’s god.
10/26/2015
submitted to – Anacreontic Verse 1 – Poetry Contest
sponsor – Edward Ebbs
The Zweiback Warrior
Zweiback cookies – teething biscuits
Yucky, gnawed upon, gummed delights
Xeric surface absorbing wanton drool
Wielded, by the toothless cherub, in
Valiant fencing stance encumbered by
Unsteady footwork of diapered distress.
Tongue licking the blunted sword tip
Short sticky fingers grasping the hilt
Reeling under the self’s relentless
Quest to free the imprisoned.
Pursed lips immune to all assaults,
Open gates of tormented demon
Nourished by the wailing
Moans of twice baked relief,
Lulled into the whimpering
Kingdom of the succulent biscotti.
Jaws clenched on mercy’s mushiness
Ingesting its flavored fluids,
Holding the healing wand
Gripping it tightly lest it be lost.
Featureless, the ravaged cookie, is
Eased from the grasp of the
Duelist sleeping hand.
Champion of the
Battle for
A tooth.
7/12/2015
submitted to – Abecedarian – Poetry Contest
sponsor – Shadow Hamilton
African art:
Beautiful beads,
Creative crowns,
Deep dances,
Eternal expressions,
Fashions… fictions,
Gorgeous gowns,
Hearty huts,
Inspiring instructions,
Justifiable jewels,
Kudos… knocks,
Lovely languages,
Melodious music,
Noble nomads,
Oaks… oasis,
Peculiar pictures,
Quiet queens;
Religion, romance;
Spirits…songs,
Terrific throngs,
Undiluted unbriddled,
Virtuous villagers,
Wisdom… words;
Xeric Xenopus,
Yoicks… yokes,
Zealous Zulus.
Any
Big
Cat
Deserves
Everything
Fine
Going
Home
Into
Jungle
Kelp
Losing
Motion
Near
Ocean
Piers
Quietly
Running
South
Toward
Underwater
Valley’s
White
Xeric
Young
Zebras
Across blue canopy dwelling, eagle flying,
great heights igniting; just keenly lofting,
momentarily navigating over plush quaint ravines,
swooping trees; unearthed valleys with xeric yielding zeal.
Copyright © 2010 By Caryl S. Muzzey
Aghast!
Bulimia causes dizziness,
Eating fullfils gluttony,
Having induced jutting,
Kindly leaves me no option
Pertaining questions
Relating sickness to
Untold visions.
Wickedly xeric,
Yearning zinc.
Afterwards
Battling courageous,
Downing each fill,
Gastroenteritis has identified
justifications kindly
Leaving meals
No other person questions,
Relishing salads than unusual varieties.
Waiting x-rated
yummy zakuska's.
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