Friday, April 17, 2009

April 17 Poem - "All I Want is _________"

The prompt is the title

"All I Want is _________"

All I want in this moment
fits easily there:
One second
then another
Breathe in - Dasein - Breath out

-- Mistryel Walker

Thursday, April 16, 2009

April 16 Poem - Grey

The prompt - write a poem with a color as the title.

Grey,

by pigment: an amalgam of compliments
like lovers drawn to the qualities they lack
which in the end, they cannot bear.
First black: when painting with light
it's drawn with absence; In pigment,
with an absorption of all light,
Add White? In light it's too much
of a good thing, everything all at once.
In pigment white loves too much
is all reflection, gives everything away.

-- Mistryel Walker

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

April 14 Poem - Phooey on Pollen

write a poem on love, then an anti love poem:\
Phooey on pollen

1
Fickle bees approach
broach the hidden ledge of
nectar's privileged vault.
They buzz but never linger
though they find no fault.

2
But Venus fly trap's
always splayed
dew-drenched, friendly, baited
and hence the greater irony
that visitors are eaten, never mated

--Mistryel Walker

Monday, April 13, 2009

Christian right's odd position on Illegal Immigrants

A while ago, a relative who is a member of a "born-again" type church was talking to me about the "rightness" of arresting and deporting illegal immigrants. She quoted her pastor on the matter. As "de-converted" former believer, who is essentially an atheist, (though perhaps more of an naturalist), I thought this was an extremely odd position for an evangelical to take. The following is adapted from a letter I wrote to her.
Dear .....

I have been pondering how fundamentalism could have joined the bourgeoisie. I was under the impression that if you are an evangelical christian, your task is to spread "the gospel" the supposed good news so that "souls" can be saved. I heard you are "fishers of men" not "fishers of law abiding citizens and men with green cards."

According to the gospels Jesus had lunch with outcasts. Do you think that today he might be visiting the homes of illegals who are as reviled as the tax collectors, harlots and lepers of his time?

The gospels don't mention a single instance where Jesus hailed a Roman soldier or one of the High Priests and asked that a harlot get the punishment the law required. Nor did he ever ask that a homeless leper be escorted to the city limits. "Go and sin no more," isn't the same statement as Romans! Police! deport this criminal! Read your "holy" book, and think about the way a god who supposedly loves all humans and wants to "save" them would want you to behave towards the precious and possibly "unsaved" souls you want to deport.

Just a thought from your friendly local atheist

=========================================

April 13 Poem - The Palette

write a poem that incorporates a hobby
The Palette

Alizarin Crimson - a blush
Burnt umber lush garden earth
ochre fields of wheat
sienna in her sweet hair,
grey sky of mourning or
ultramarine in a starless night
Phthalo green, earth-marble sheen
cerulian blue sky-bright, the cadnimum sun,
the cadnium brothers are clean but loud
need to be heard, undiluted orange,
red and yellow burley fellows, raging
raging against this stretched white expanse..
Titanium laughs.
Ivory Black revels in its contradiction....

--Mistryel Walker

Sunday, April 12, 2009

April 12 Poem - No Sale

write a poem that starts "so we decided to.."

No sale

So we decided to sell
and move to Kentucky
but the bridge washed out

Later, already twister tangled
forest fired, weary with doubt

all our belonings now
in one red barrow on the
debris laden- once-was-a-lawn

Uncle Hank from Mass arrived
in a Nissan truck, and picked us up
Now we are New England gone

-- Mistryel Walker

Saturday, April 11, 2009

April 11 Poem - This Plain White Bowl

Write a poem about an object. Of course it's not really about the bowl.


This Plain White bowl

not porcelain, but cradled in grateful hands,
a perfect round of rice or rue or jello
carrot soup saucer, oatmeal coffer
ice cream chalice, strawberry short bake
the dark green leaves of lettuce and red
peppering take brief rest herein
before they become one with me,
I range plain as this round white bowl,
open to the menu's possibility.

-- Mistryel Walker