ALL CREATION
Psalm 66:4
Translucent glories
As far as mere eye can see
Serene vibrancy
Beauty’s power transcendent
Calling me to honor Thee.
Written for FanStory Contest- A Tanka. Tanka is a five line Japanese poem. This type of poetry often follows a specific syllable count (5/7/5/7/7).
On Crocuses
About the size of acorns,
These small beauties in my hand.
But locked inside, far from mind’s eye,
A magnificent magic awaits.
How can you be so patient
to the lights of Spring?
I sometimes find waiting for dinner
a horrendous endeavor.
Written for The Fabulous Free VErse Club @ FanStory.
The Magic of the Night
Even magic doesn’t negate Murphy’s Law.
Resounding sounds- Trick-r-Treat.
Masqueraders in the street.
Dancing. Singing. Some were fleet.
Some holding hands of tiny feet.
Ghosts and goblins galore
Harry Potters, mighty Thor
Self-created and from store
Donned my porch steps wanting more.
Soon my cupboards were found bare.
There was nothing left to spare.
When the last small child, so fair
Stood at my door; a snow white hare.
Nothing remains. What do I do?
A rattled brain. My thoughts were few.
But then I spied, on sofa blue.
A small stuffed toy. A little ewe.
‘Twas all I had. This last small gift.
Did bring my spirits quite a lift.
I conjured. Cast a spell so swift.
It baa’d. It mewed. It even sniffed.
The ewe, it twisted in the air
Landing on ‘fours’, without a care.
And off it went, quite on a tear.
Destination: We don’t know where.
Written for ‘Picture This’ @ FanStory.
Toad-ly Worth It
“Are you sure you want to do this, Beth?” SarahBelle asked.
Beth looked up- seemingly startled- by the question. “Of course, I’m sure. Elliot has been pulling prank after prank on me ever since the new semester. He has to pay.”
“There’s no way Master Wizard Alfredo is going to allow you to do this.”
“Do you think I’m going to ask?”
“It’s against all the coven’s rules, using magic on one another. Even Elliot doesn’t do that. His pranks are just a harmless Guinea pig in you dresser drawers, or a garden snake under the pillow. He just wants you to notice him.” AnneMay tried to speak some sense into her friend. “He’s never done anything that would harm you.”
“Notice him. Notice him!” Beth could hardly contain her emptions. “Elliot will know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I have noticed him.”
“But a frog?” intervened SarahBelle once again. “You could get expelled from Academy if you get caught.”
“Nonsense,” declared Beth. “We mix this potion in Elliot’s soup at evening’s supper. Give it four hours, by curfew- Elliott’s a slimy, crusty amphibian. No one will notice that he is missing. Elliot’s always away plotting and scheming over the weekend. By Sunday, the spell will have worn off. It’s likely no one will even know anything every happened- except Elliot.”
“But if you get caught?” simultaneously, the two girl’s fears were spoken.
“Toad-ly worth it, smiled Beth.”
Written for ‘Picture This’: FanStory.
Flat Again
Flat Again.
A slow leak.
The story of my life.
I needed the bike.
Of course, I could walk…
But it took more than twice the time.
Sticking my head back inside, I hollered that I was off on foot.
Before I was two blocks from home there was a honking.
Mom had come, again, to save the day.
I stepped into Food Mart with minutes to spare.
It was busy.
Price check upon price check.
Cracked eggs. Leaking cartons.
Ten minutes to closing. “… and all is well.”
But then across the public address system,
“Clean up on Aisle Two. Clean up on Aisle Two.
Randolph, you’ll need the mop.”
Aisle Two.
Jars and jars of vinegar.
The air being released from an early night off.
Written for The Fabulous Free Versers Club @ FanStory.
Dethroning an Champ
The Ragin’ Cajun had swept me from my feet after repeatedly pummeling my left calf.
I only had moments to turn this match back into some semblance of equal standing or the referee would call it.
Slowing spinning to my right, I used my leverage from the wall of the cage to allow myself to become up upright.
The crowd was in a frenzy. The Cajun was a favorite in Atlanta. It didn’t matter that the entirety of the stadium was against me; my body responded to the jeers as easily as the cheers.
Once on my feet, my arms could again block the continuous jabs and uppercuts that were assaulting me.
He was smiling.
He thought he had my number.
I knew if I waited long enough, he would try to clock me with his signature move. I had watched every match this clown had posted on YouTube. This cocky imbecile had his own channel. And in the studying, I had found his ‘tick’.
Just before he would do his patented spin-kick butterfly to down his opponent, he would always glance to his corner.
If I could wait, his eyes would turn to acknowledge his upcoming triumph, I only had to hold on.
Exhausted on my feet, I decided to encourage his victory. I lowered my hands, just a little, and allowed the Cajun to fully connect a fierce jab to my solar plexus.
I doubled over. It looked as if I had been crippled. I seemed to be gasping for air.
The deception worked.
The Cajun instantly turned and smiled to his corner.
From my hip, I threw all my weight for a right-handed uppercut straight to his left jaw.
The Cajun went down.
I stepped back.
The referee looked at me.
I just motioned for him to begin his count.
This had been written as a prompt for The Fabulous Free Versers Club @ FanStory. Then I realized, this was far more a flash story than free verse.
What Are ….
Nature’s Camouflage
Disney had one-hundred-and-one of them.
Central Asia’s ‘ghosts of the mountains’.
Calves of the Brazilian tapir.
The Caribbean trunkfish.
Southern Asia’s chital
Luzon bleeding hearts.
Lady beetles.
Pietrains.
Giraffes.
Spots.
Written for FanStory Contest.
Picture courtesy of Pinterest.
Requirements: The poetry form, Etheree, consists of 10 lines of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 syllables. Etheree can also be reversed and written 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
If you want to see each of these lovelies, check these out…
Disney had one-hundred-and-one of them.
Central Asia’s ‘ghosts of the mountains’.
Calves of the Brazilian tapir.
The Caribbean trunkfish.
Southern Asia’s chitals.
Luzon bleeding hearts.
Lady Beetles.
Pietrains.
Giraffes.
Engagement Snafu
Why you never joyride on a dolphin
So little chance of finding it
but it’s all the chance I’ve got.
He’ll never believe I was so careless
while diving from his yacht.
The passing of the dolphins
was just more than I could bear.
Invitations to ride with them
was such a rare affair.
So without thinking in I dove
in clothes and hat I sprang.
I’ve found my hat. I have my clothes.
Please, God, just let me find the ring.
Written for FanStory Club: Picture This.
LONELY
Lackadaisically bingeing on mysteries and adventures, fantasy and sci-fi, comedy and westerns.
Occasionally celebrating a well-worn, childhood memory of a television commercial from a past era.
Nighttime and daytime intermingling – the indirect aftermath of required isolation during a pandemic.
Ewoks and D2s, James Bond and Jason Bourne, Gandalf and Hobbits are not great evening conversationalists.
Lighting candelabras for enticing extravagance to a spaghetti-with-meatballs soiree attended by one.
Yearning for the now extinct reaffirming handshakes, passionate hugs, and festive chest-bumps of yesteryear.
Written for The FanStory Contests.
I Only See You
“Just you and me.”
“Yes, I know they’re following us.”
“We just pretend.”
Written for a FanStory 4-8-4 Contest.
It's All in Finding the Right Words 