A Sister's Tribute

Memories of you fill hazy spring skies.

I hear your lingering voice when birds sing.

Always you're there in your daughter's brown eyes.

When she speaks, your quiet, laughing tones ring.

As family gathers, you're at our side

with all the warm, happy feelings you bring.

Through life's ups and downs, you'll be my best friend

Brothers and sisters endure to the end.

Written in memory of my brother and shared with One Stop Poetry for Form Monday which, for today, is ottava rima.

Confinement

 Steep canyons of man-made madness

humanity's inescapable facade

jailed in brick and glass

forever entombed in

my prison of

civil society

eulogized in a

disappearing

sky

Shared with One Stop Poetry for One Shoot Sunday, and with  Monkey Man for Sunday 160.  Photo courtesy of Scott Wyden.

The Life Abandoned

 

I belong not to you,

   but to an ocean of night

To some dark, lonely kingdom

   which will never know light

To a world undefined

   both empty and cold

Where hope is for nothing

   no happiness sold

In this realm of darkness

   domain of despair

I shed bitter tears

   alone in nightmare

Fear and unhappiness

   meld into one

Beloved companions

   spoils of wars they have won

Isolation complete

   no protector to trust

A life filled with ashes

   surrendered to dust

  

The Soulless Man

You hear, but don't listen

     no music in your ears

You see only darkness

     your eyes without tears

You sense no fine fragrance

     smell no pleasing scent

No taste on your lips

     no smile of content

You touch without feeling

     with no soft caress

The man with no soul

     can know nothing less.

Features of Wisdom

 

Features of Wisdom

Face of life

etched in deep-carved lines

Wisdom's skilled 

countenance

imparts his hard-earned wisdom

with kindness and smiles

Shadorma for One Shoot Sunday at One Stop Poetry. Incredible photo credit of photographer Fee Easton.

Rise and Rise Again

 

Rise and Rise Again

When lambs become lions,

--victory's part

holds much less importance

than matters of heart

Brave men come to honor

--through trials and travails,

though courage may falter

and hope sometimes fails

Their leader inspires

--resolution unfailed

men's faith and belief,

as his own doubts he veils

Through battles and burdens

--ideals will ascend

their substance and truth

over time still undimmed

They fight not for glory

--but for hearth and for home

not for riches or kings,

but for liberty's throne

They will rise, and again

--'til tyranny's fall

until lambs become lions

Free men one and all

Submitted to Friday Poetically's challenge to write a poem using a movie preference, at One Stop Poetry.  Thanks, as usual, to the inspiration.

Heart Notes

 

Heart Notes

Songs of the heart

always on key

and in perfect pitch.

Silent music

of infinite volume

Lyrics nonsensible

yet always making sense

to the heart which sings them.

Shared with One Stop Poetry for One Shot Wednesday.

Broken Circles

Broken Circles

It's said that life's

     a circle full

Three hundred sixty degrees

But circumstances 

     sometimes

Cut the cycle to its knees

For those who are

     affected by

Such vagaries profound

Blindsided by

     floodwaters

In which the cycle drowns

Know that life

     is also kind

The circle made askew

Through nature's strong

     and healing touch

Will be restored anew.

Shared with One Stop Poetry for A Look At Rhyme by Gay Cannon, also known as beachanny. With thanks once again to Russell Crowe, who always provides inspiration.