Change was the resolve –
a vote for democracy –
results leave questions.
(For Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge: question/ resolve)
Category: culture
Implications of a Wink
A wink?
Seriously?
Am I meant to smile
in conspiratorial culpability,
was that a Colgate
bright teeth,
complete with chime
wink, or…
a big bad wolf,
I’m coming to get you
later wink, or…
hand-in-cookie-jar,
you didn’t see this –
in which case,
I wink.
(Written for dVerse‘s quadrille night – a poem in 44 words – with the prompt, wink; and for Ragtag Community’s, chime.)
Quit the Noise
Paint-on rainbows
and special edition labels
do not a top-notch product make.
Have we not  learned –
domestic audiences are moving on,
are more discerning –
Timing is off
for this pumped up
charade –
Stay committed,
conference,
effort is warranted
if real change is to happen.
Happy Hallowe’en All
The River
Reposting this for my weekly challenge with the theme of river.
There’s a river runs between us,
you and I; our thoughts, like tears,
are liquid carried by the current.
But you, and I,
we stand on the banks, oblivious,
ignoring the connection,
proudly touting our individualism.
Still the river flows
and all you’ve suffered
and all I’ve suffered
or dreamed, or imagined, or hoped
flows with it.
Step into the water with me,
feel our connection;
do not be afraid
for it is sacred –
wade deeper and know
you are not alone
for I am here
in this river
that runs between us.
(Originally posted in October, 2014. Edited here.)
Sticks And Stones
Intuition and compassion
combined with knowledge
an effective healer make,
yet, historically, women
applying such skills – labelled
witches – burnt at the stake.
The injustice of such trials
now commonly accepted – still
the title reeks of something sinister.
And if a man raises his voice
in ire, driven to protest, he
is righteous – to be heeded,
but let a woman speak out
against lack of fairness – she
is a witch by another name.
I say we banish the verbal putdowns,
condemn the ignorance inspired by fear,
listen to one another, and invite progress.
(Written for Manic Mondays 3 Way prompt: witch, witchy, bewitched.)
Ancient Mysteries
Ancestral circles
steeped in lore – symbolism
lost, and imminent –
Geometric rhythms play
with destiny, ascribe fates.
(For Willow Poetry’s What Do You See?  Image supplied by Hélène.)
Mining Civilization
Digging for gold
in an overcrowded mine,
the dust of narcissism
blinding our passage.
Rural roots worship
celebrity – well-travelled
hype overshadowing
common decency –
Powerless, we are
throngs of insignificance –
fraudulence and anti-social
rhetoric failing to elicit pause.
Our screams, ignored, do not
alleviate the suffocation –
How do we blast through
the rage, re-enact a vision,
draw lines that reset respect,
encourage care, listen to needs,
recognize the treasure we seek
is in humanity’s survival?
(Submitted for Ragtag Community’s daily prompt: blast, and Fandango’s: draw. Â Image from personal collection.)
Smoking Pit
Cigarette butts
no longer linger
concrete, but
I swear the cloud
of smoke lingers,
the sweat of adolescent
anxiety – the suffocating
pressure to comply –
Names escape,
but I remember
smugness and
rivalry, and
the spine-crawling fear
of confrontation,
and indisputable
in my mind
are the scars
of being so alone.
(Written for Twenty Four’s 50 word Thursday prompt. Â Image supplied by Deb Whittam.)
Beauty Routine
Plump the lips
pad the ass,
pull abs in
Push-up bras
and false eyelash,
botox, and brows
Make us pretty
much less witty –
do not overdo
Natural is rave
naked is yuck –
to find perfection
choose a routine
that sculpts and
shapes, then lie.
(dVerse quadrille prompt is yuck, Â Ragtag Community is plump, Fandango offers routine, Daily Addictions is apparent.)
One Woman's Quest 