Cassiopeia

What thoughts spin
through a midnight mind
hung with the stars
draped in velvet regret
a beautiful prison
unchanging eternal
all for a careless word
vanity’s prize

Does she dream
from her heavenly perch
of the daughter
who was bound
for the sin of the mother
and rescued by love
of another

In love with herself
with herself she
remains
now watched by a world
she can never attain

Image Credit: http://spaceshipearth1.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/cassiopeia.jpg

A Baptism

Over the horizon
waits a storm here,
a drought there,
and time moves.
Grasses bend before it,
sharp peaks round over.
Pearls and diamonds
are birthed
while I wait
in quiet
surrounded by motes,
light poured over my head
like a baptism
of star debris.

http://sundayscribblings.blogspot.com/ prompt: action

Fairy Dust

dark summers night
she reaches for light
magicked feet hold fast to ground

he creeps up behind her
wishes to bind her
brushing stars from her wings
oldest language he sings
she is bound

one tear tells
no love spells

earthbound a prison
though softened with love
keeps fairies from soaring
to heaven above

Always Sunset

glory shines
round here tonight
the day is done
peace is nigh
rose and peach
and lavender sky
calls all to quiet
the stillness moves
across the deep
I lay me down
my soul to keep

my soul to keep
the day is done
eyes close in faith
tomorrow comes
and sleeping sun
again will rise
color painting
morning skies
and with the sun
each greets the day
a gift to all
til once again
the evening falls
and sunset calls
the world to rest

another from the AllPoetry archives

Poetry Grill

no food satisfies like
words bubbling
syllabic chewing
soul on a parchment
plate all about
the presentation
pen just so
chewed up
eaten out
loud

more from the AllPoetry Archives

Feline Comfort

boneless puddled silk
contentment personified
feline sandy tongue

silent hunter stalking prey
study in life’s paradox

(Tanka – I think) from the AllPoetry archives

Anticipation

on the edge of the ledge of the jumping
off pumping fist over the topping
I’m hopping on one foot and then
on the other no blanket
can smother the hope and the waiting is
killing me filling me piling excitement
indict me you want to but so would you
do what I do if you knew
don’t be late took the bait
I can’t wait

from the AllPoetry archives

So Sing With Me

there is a song a tune
a melody the beat
that meets me where I am
and walks my feet down
greener paths that eyes can see
the breath the spark
the inner heart
the soul the whole of me
that lives and dreams
and has a voice that joins
the world creation told
the thing that makes me
who I am a different being
than you and I will sing
oh I will sing

and
you can sing with me
sing a verse a chorus
all can join us
harmony will carry me
and you and all to
mountaintop and river edge
and pray a hedge around
and round
and coming down we each
will greet our brother
sister father mother
holding hands and lifting
voices sun will set but
we will still be singing softly
as it fades we sleep in peace
the peace we need so badly
all be fed and warm and safe
we pray you stay
forever in the keeping
of the One conducting
orchestrating planning loving
bringing all to the finale

heavenly angels lend
their voices
wings a’brushing clouds
with softest hues we choose
to listen choose to see
with hearts and minds
and hands and feet
so sweet the song
so sing with me

from the AllPoetry archives

Go Away Tonight

pointy finger jabs
at stiffened hearts
leave nail shaped crescents
of memories that won’t sleep

prompt: restless ghosts

constraint: fifteen words

We Remember The Garden

We bore the shame
for mankind’s blame
gave birth in pain
and grieved the same
and at days end
our life’s blood spend
We give our power
for one sweet shower
of rain that falls
on Eden’s halls
We storm the walls
and cry out loud
Eternity’s shroud
will cover us
for dust to dust
is but to trust
there will be more
we storm the door
with prayer and plea
Oh let us see
The penance done
The time has come
For we remember
how it felt
to walk the ground
where God has knelt
and by his hand
made man to stand

Somewhere in dna memory dwells
hidden in blood and bone and cell

and we remember
yes we remember

A Poppy In The Grass

they say
it is the color of insanity
but I think that is envy
brash in your face
little piece of sun
though the grass may try
to choke you down
and hide you out
you stem from fertile soil
and crane your petals
for a better view
unaware
that we are looking
at you

image credit: unknown

Here I Would Sit

from here the grass
a soft quilt of warmth
for the earth wrapped
around clay knees
holding the skin
of a planet together

if I lay on my belly
look closely each spike
the quilt unravels
millions of pieces
growing so close
with one purpose
fed by the body
pointing to a bright sky
bearing the seeds
of a new generation
bearing witness

a tree dances in sea wind
arms akimbo
hearing a song
melody of breath
with the rhythm
of seasons spinning
out a tale of moon
and sun and wisdom
rooted deep in rings
of joyful abandon
loving the air

waiting as it has always waited
the sea sits beyond
beyond the edge of the grass
beyond the reach of the tree
cupped in muddy hands
overflowing with the
memories of creation
that give birth to the rain
that feeds the grass
that holds the earth
that cradles the tree

Here I would sit

Help!

I’m drowning in
tomato soup
I’ve paddled fast
and furious
but can’t escape
the goop
the eyes, the flies
are watching me
and will not
let me out
I pray that they
don’t fill the spoon
and snort me
through their snout!

Image source: http://wallpapers.free-review.net/12_~_My_plate.htm

Doors

there are doors
that keep us safe
and doors that
keep us near
and doors to worlds
we wish to see
down paths
so dark and drear
we cannot see
around the bend
the future all unknown
and yet we walk
without a map
and hope
to make it home

all must walk
the path alone
though married
young or old
a hand may make
for comfort now
staving off
the cold
but to the world
we come alone
and leave the
very same
pass through the
veil of sorrow here
leave words
our only fame

image credit: Carmen Spitznagel

A Bear Is a Bear

Image credit: Geir Akselsen

wildness cannot
be tamed
with a whip
just forced to wear
a different hat…
temporarily

fifteen word challenge

The Trade Off

for sale
red velvet dress
and diamond earrings
will trade for
comfortable shoes
and teapot

Goodnight

I stand and watch
at even tide
they wait in shadow
of timberline
I watch. they watch
we wait each night
and when the fullness
of the light
lay on the field
in gentle glow
they turn and silent
as the stars
like twilight ghosts
they go
and left alone
in dark to dream
and yet bereft
I turn away
and wonder if
they miss me too
and will they come
tomorrow

Romance is Not All Flowers

The years of living tell the tale of proof.
A second glance is not enough to know
If all will hold beyond the blush of youth,
with more than memories for each to show.

Through crisis, childbirth, bills and petty fights,
the truest tests of how we’re really made,
Of bed-spanned chilly shouldered angry nights
when words cut deeper than the sharpest blade…

Yet when the dark gives way to clocks and sun,
I know who shares the day throughout the years,
And who will meet me when that day is done,
stick through the heartaches, laughter, even tears

We chose to put down roots in close confine,
As tree limbs over years grew intertwined.

1.  3 quatrains of alternating rhyme and a couplet all written in iambic pentameter. In this sonnet form, the premise of the poem is established in lines 1-8, a turn (or volta) toward its resolution begins at line 9 and the resolution is revealed in lines 13 & 14.
      a b a b
c d c d
e f e f
g g

2.  A total of 14 lines,

3. 10 syllables per line.

The main thing I am unsure of is the pentameter.  It gives me fits…