Saturday, February 20, 2010

This is the poem that....

This exercise used a formula to help generate poems from the group.

Sadhma Samantaral

two poems


This is the poem that weeps

In the corners of homes where secrets sleep –

That rots with the mold of silence

Because of the brave souls that guard them and

Because of the foolish thieves that stash them.

And when the stench of smothered secrets fills the skies in blistering outrage,

Seeping into the clothes of skeletons in every closet, the terrified fibers of every being,

This is the poem that will enlighten

All who cower in fear, under the forgiving eyes of heaven, on the rooftops of broken homes,

Only to find their perfumed sanctuary – beautiful, scarred, but still breathing.



This is the poem that prances

In the lighted stars dancing across each eyelash

That play the melody grazing erotically across full lips.

Because the song of the mountains was snared in tangled hair

Because wild children of the fatherless tribe fell hard for the music of the valley.

And when silence finally calls them to a rest

Hearts pound in uncertainty for an end to a piece just begun.

This is the poem that survives,

Persisting with the staccatos of woodpeckers in never ending forests

That shade and shelter and sow the haunting melody of nature’s dreams.



Akshaya Ramanujam

two poems

This is the poem that rises
In the tides of the cool blue ocean

That crashes and collides

Because in waves are shown the true essence of love unwritten

Because in waves are created those moments of beauty and darkness

And when love floods the heart, seeping silently through its crevices

Evoking the familiar comfort of the spray of saltwater on soft skin

This is the poem that flows

Through the paths that embody life and love

Like a steam discovering its course in a meadow


This is the poem that burns
In the depths of your soul
That evokes the ardor of a thousand blazing suns
Because in the inner chasms of the soul dwells passion
Because in passion resides the thirst to prove oneself
And when this craving takes over,
Desire overwhelms the entire core of the being and consumes it
This is the poem that never fades
From hearts and minds,
echoing Like the hauntingly beautiful songs of sirens







This is the poem that giggles

In the backs of classrooms where teachings and preachings echo hazily.

That hidden jungle of daydreams is tough to crack

Because of the chaotic crushes and harrowing heartbreaks,

Because of how he looked on Tuesday in his best navy blue argyle sweater.

And when hands brush accidentally with threats of petty passion and momentary obsessions,

The pathetic nature of a wanton romance, a sad anonymous love affair strikes.

This is the poem that sighs

Breathing in the fresh air of independence in the back of the classroom

As a future unclouded by worthless thoughts governed by desire glides closer, closer, brighter.

Catherine Broderick
Two poems

This is the poem that swims
In the steaming pool surrounded by cold air
That kicks and pulls through the thick water
Because there are many more laps to go
Because there are many more laps to go

And when the swimming stops, even for a moment
I feel relieved
This is the poem that doesn’t want to swim
Perched at the edge of the wall, not wanting to start again
The wall like the place of refuge, the lifeboat


This is the poem that is cold
Under the fog and in the mist
That isn’t used to the cold
Because it’s used to 400 miles south
Because it is used to constant sunshine

And when it rains
I like the change
So this is the poem that doesn’t mind the cold
400 miles north
with fog and mist and rain

Holly Spier
three poems

1.
This is the poem that finds you
When you realize that you love her
Because she is honest
Because she is pure.

And when you’re scared
That she might not feel the same
This is the poem that meets you
In the moment of truth
When you become the happiest you’ve ever been.

2.
This is the poem that you can’t write
The hour before class starts.
That you should have done the day it was assigned.
Because that’s what responsible students do
Because that’s what mommy always said.

And when you’re scared
On the way to class,
This is the poem that churns
Your stomach
Like leftover tuna casserole.

3.

This is the poem that sings you to sleep
In your darkest moment
That reminds you of a better time
Because your world is crumbling down
Because there is no one around

And when all hope is lost
And you feel as if you can’t go on
This is the poem that lifts you up
And brightens your day
‘Till it shines like the summer sun


Katherine Anderson
2 poems

Muse

This is the poem that burns
In the breast
That to be near yours, it yearns
Because distance makes the heart grow fonder
Because it must hold out so much longer

And when despair
Strikes and water brims on eyelashes
This is the poem that floods
Into the center of despair
Like tears of joy


The sill

This is the poem that blossoms
In the kitchen window
That lives upon spirit
Because it does not need the season
Because water is not the only reason

And when confusion
Mistakes lust for love
This is the poem that forgives and encourages
In the kitchen window
As mother nature observes her children

Jacob Partlow

2 poems


This is the poem that sleeps

In the deep blue abyss

That rejects the light of day

Because solace is found in darkness

Because safety is found in loneliness


And when you see its face

And you feel a sense of compassion

This is the poem that yearns for acceptance

From the depths of its heart

Like the new kid at school



2.

This is the poem that dreams

In the pouring rain

That counts the stars overhead

Because mystery is captivating

Because beauty is all around us


And when life reveals itself

And you feel so tiny

This is the poem that stares in wonder

At the maze of stars above

Like discovering a lost world


Evan Loker This IS THE POEM THAT stares

In the undisclosed basin beside your breast

That quakes and writhes in misery or ecstasy like a closing knot

Because it seems this vacuous dream sucked away your security

Because its foundation was solid as you beached self-portraits

And when rivers of pleasure turn into mirrors, you stone freeze

THIS is the poem that BREATHES

Beside the emptiest hill in our arid ocean

Denser than your wildest dream

Kelley Paugh



Squirrel Tail


This is the poem that angrily squeaks

In the bushes that line the pathway

That just had part of its tail torn off

Because it was chasing a fellow squirrel

Because it ran underneath my bike


And when surprise and pity

Rapidly fades to stunned amusement

This is the poem that left a part of itself

On the sidewalk in front of Tercero

As a memorial to the plight of the squirrel



Age


This is the poem that forms

In the corner of eyes

That cannot be wiped away

Because youth is ephemeral

Because life is stressful

And when dreading it,

These lines of age feel even deeper.


This is the poem that sleeps

Alongside you on a white, paper-lined bed

That had once cradled a newborn


Kevin Labarbera

2 poems


This is the poem that speaks
In the depths of an unusually bright well
That raises a fist
Because a hand merely whispers
Because a hand just won’t do

And when sadness
Becomes nothing more than complacency
This is the poem that pushes you
Down the well until blinding lights are seen even when eyes are closed
Like an unwarranted change in the atmosphere, as salty air fills the lungs of those afraid to move.


Aleksandr Sakhanyuk

2 poems

1

This is the poem that melts
In the sunny meadow of the heart
That soaks memories and waters dreams
Because it is the light to everything dark
Because it has no form and seeks none of its own

And when joy spreads
It holds you safe and gives you wings
This is the poem that flies
Through the skies of hope
The open space married to the wise and lonely earth.


2
This is the poem that crawls
In the abandoned corridors of thought
That wanders the metropolis of the mind
Because it is everything forgotten
Because it harbors unfulfilled ideas

And when love sights it
In gives fruits of tender kindness
This is the poem that consumes
The emptiness left by passing trains of thought
Unlike the heart, where life seeks to fill the vacuum


Amy Martin
2 poems

This is the poem that awakens you
In the morning of a new day
That gets you out of bed
Because it can.
Because you can.
And when you feel tired
and when the sun sets,
This is the poem that puts you to sleep
in a quiet, safe place
where the warmth of the blankets remind you of the sun

This is the poem that washes away
In the receding tide.
That disappears.
Because of the waves.
Because of the moon.
And when you feel sad,
or lonely, or glum, or blue,
This is the poem that will take it away
into the dark ocean deep
where it will remain lost, like a diary with no key


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