April 23 poem - Preparation's End

write a poem of regret:

Preparation's end

Mr. Buzz - with his careful stripe suit and
showroom of grand pianos - asked me to teach
voice in his music school in 1973.
Fresh from three years music study
(three not four)....I declined. This was just the start...
I've made a life-time study of self-doubt detours:
on other paths, watching the second choice
half-succeed at jobs I thought
I wasn't good enough to take...
Does a flower appraise its petals?
What difference would it make - it
cannot stop itself blooming...
Only a human being is stupid enough for this.

-- Mistryel Walker

Bent Pin: Nature Poems by Polly Brody

Nature poems and bird photos by Polly Brody are up on Bent Pin.  Follow this link to take a look


UPDATE: Bent Pin closed in November of 2009. The Bent Pin Archive and Index are moving, albeit slowly.... to:

http://bentpinquarterly.blogspot.com   Note: the author index now at http://bentpinquarterly.blogspot.com/p/author-index.html is part of the archive

April 22 Poem - Thankless

write a work related poem

Thankless

windows turn from yellow-peach
to black, don't bother with blinds
don't drown in razor coffee just
keep grinding out copy
think, type fast as you can
calves tucked under, body wriggling
in a roller chair, in a tiny cube.
think, edit, make a call,
nuture six stories all at once,
one last quote, double check the math
by midnight you file and swear.
Nap on the orange vinyl couch
Tomorrow, both sides call
You make them sound wrong, they say.
so this time, you did it right, pissed off both sides....
Every day another test.
Go home, sweat in your sleep.
in your dream every one is swearing:
"GOD DAMN MEDIA"

-- Mistryel Walker

April 21 poem - Forecast

haiku, poem about the haiku

Forecast

tight spiral green ferns
uncurling near the stone wall
hard frost tomorrow

On forecasts:

If we knew what was coming
would we set out anyway?
Follow the map until we
sail off the edge of the known world
and make a brand new map?
Let the revisions begin.

Uncle Eddie on the lamb: Edward H Smith

Mom came home from the hospital Saturday morning, and Sunday - early in the morning - we got a call from mom's sister, my Aunt Flo in Florida who wanted to let us know that Uncle Eddie, who was 83 years of age, had died. It's been a heck of year. Oddly I find I know less about my uncle at the moment, then I do about any of the other folks I lost this past year. I know he was in the Navy. That he loved to go to VFW everyday at 4p.m. for beer and conversation and enjoyed eating breakfast at MacDonalds. He and Aunt Flo lived on Hazel Street in Norwalk, CT for many years. Though I know a bit about his habits and personality in later life - I know next to nothing about any other aspect of his life. In this video you can see Eddie engaged in two of his favorite pastimes: drinking a beer and being a rascal.....


 Edward H. Smith, 83 of Kenneth City died April 19, 2009. Mr. Smith was born in Stamford, CT, and was a Navy veteran of WWII. He was the beloved husband of Florence; loving father of John and Denise, grandfather of 11, great grandfather of 16. Funeral services will be held at Bay Pines National Cemetery 10:45 A.M. Friday April 24, 2009. In lieu of flowers memorials to a favorite charity. Arrangements are by R. Lee Williams & Son.

April 20 poem - the godless heathen

write a poem of rebirth (You should really read the poem for April 19 first before reading this poem....)

the godless heathen

Born-againer of seven years
thumper of holy books
emerges Word-less
without the crutch
limps a bit, then walks away free
healed by reality....

-- Mistryel Walker

April 19 - Unholy irony

Prompt - write an angry poem

Unholy irony

You burned supposed witches
staked reputed vampires
launched crusades
drank the cool-aide
blew yourselves to bits
in crowded squares
to show us what -
infinity?
perfect love?

-- Mistryel Walker