Statues

It’s a sad fact – there seems no rights left.
Evil lies; march against stability.
Orange flames burn, torching lives.
As the hood is pulled back on ourselves,
We can be statues no more.

By Sarah ©2017

Prompt: Sunday Whirl, Wordle 313

Wordle and image credit Brenda Warren

Fealty

Image credit By Sarah ©2017

There’s safety within
the fealty of the pack.
The alpha dog rests.

By Sarah ©2017

Prompt: The Syllabub Sea, Haiga Heaven, Challenge 35 – fealty

Keyhole

I fell for his grin;
It was a touch naive.
At the time I believed
it was a fata organa.

I was malleable.
He saw his opportunity.
Imbibing me with lust,
like a local dog.

The trammels of hindsight,
A keyhole.

By Sarah ©2017

* fata organa – noun. a flash of real emotion glimpsed in someone sitting across the room, idly locked in the middle of some group conversation, their eyes glinting with vulnerability or quiet anticipation or cosmic boredom

Prompt: Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie, Wordle #169
Words used: hindsight, trammel, keyhole, malleable, opportunity, imbibe, fell, grin, local, naive, touch, fate organa

The Girl Who Was Made Of Glass

Recitations of love fell on deaf ears,
She couldn’t risk the words shattering her perfect world.
She had constructed for herself, a fragile universe,
Where everything was made of glass.

She liked the way the light shimmered,
Reflected and bounced off the surface.
Here, she could control the pace; the energy.
Keeping everything safe, including her heart.

Until one day, drawn in by the glittering landscape,
A tiny bird flew into a window, breaking its wing.
She carefully nursed it until finally,
It could repay her kindness with its song.

The girl realised how lonely she had been
and decided to leave her glass kingdom.
As she opened the door to the world beyond
She broke into a million pieces.

Finally free from her glass coffin.

By Sarah ©2017

Prompt: Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie, It’s All In The Title – August 20, 2017; Daily Post Daily Prompt, recite 

The Well

Image credit Pixabay 

heart of the village
sweet water drawn from the depths
community well

By Sarah ©2017

Prompt: TJ’s Household Haiku, Challenge – well and sweet

Daffodils

Inspired by Mick E. Talbot who introduced me to Elfje…

Bulbs
Sprout green
Their fingers reaching
Towards the golden sunlight
Blooming.

By Sarah ©2017

Image credits By Sarah ©2017

Author’s Note: These bulbs were in the ground when we moved into our house in 2011. Every year, I try to dig them up (I’m not a fan of daffodils) and the following year, they continue to pop up again. It’s become a bit of a household joke about the daffs’ resilience and persistence. At least I got a poem out of them this time…

Prompt: Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie, Saturday’s Mix, 19 August 2017 – garden

Everlasting Love

mechanics of time
wound the clocks of good fortune
the summer we met

Though many years have passed, I remember as if it were yesterday; the way you sat shyly, shrinking into the corner at the restaurant. It was a mutual friend’s birthday celebration, yet this was the first time we had crossed paths. I sidled up to you, sensing your discomfort, and tried to put you at ease. Conversation was surprisingly effortless and soon the evening had whittled away. The pink hues of sunrise letting us know it was time to part. We exchanged numbers and eight years later, it is still the best decision I ever made. The shy young man, now, my self-assured husband.

vows long since exchanged
our precious hearts now complete
everlasting love

Prompt: Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie, Heeding Haiku With Chèvrefeuille, August 16th 2017 – everlasting love

Task: The challenge for this week is to create a haibun themed “everlasting love” and of course there are a few rules … your haibun can have about 500 words (including the haiku) and your haiku has to follow the classical rules as there are e.g. the use of a seasonword and the 5-7-5 syllables count.

Pizza Time

kneaded dough; toppings;
melting cheese in the oven;
delicious pizza.

By Sarah ©2017

Prompt: Only 100 Words, Three Line Tales, Week 81

Life On Corners

Image credit Bikurgurl 

The square was full
Of people that day.
Air pulsed with music
Of the band as they played.

It was a string quartet,
minus a bow.
Instead in its place, 
a young voice flowed.

They felt the music,
Tapping their feet.
Keeping the rhythm,
And feeling the beat.

As people walked past,
They showed their pleasure.
Dropping loose change,
To form the band’s treasure.

Without our buskers,
Our street performers,
What life would there be
Upon each corner?

By Sarah ©2017

Prompt: Bikurgurl, 100 Word Wednesday, Week 32

Clinging

life is a struggle
and survival sometimes means
the wisdom to know 
when you’re clinging to branches
that may really be fences

By Sarah ©2017 

Prompt: Ramblings Of A Writer, Wekly Tanka Challenge, Week 58 – survival and life; Our Write Side Ink, The Darkroom – Hey, Squirrel

Amaltheia

Image credit Ooberxandxdavie6

The warm honey glow of the late afternoon sun, was a contrast to the prickling cool of the mountain air on her skin. She climbed to her vantage point, high above the valleys. The ‘T-tree’ had been formed one night when Zeus’ lightning bolt had cleaved it in two – destroying the wine-red leaves of Autumn. The remaining limbs had sagged and sighed their defeat, for it was Winter now and the cornucopia were full for the cold months ahead. It was from here she loved to watch over the world below. The mountain goats were drawn here also and she liked to imagine it was because they were summoned by her power; taking their place beside her in the stars.

nourishing earth’s child
Amaltheia; Capricorn;
goat goddess endures.

By Sarah ©2017

Author’s note: In Greek mythology, Amaltheia is the she-goat Goddess who nourished Zeus as an infant. In later years, Zeus broke off one of Her horns, which then became the cornucopia, providing sustenance for all earth’s creatures. Amaltheia’s themes are success, humor, reason, devotion and providence. Her symbols are goat, cornucopia and stars.  For Her diligence and service, Amaltheia was transformed into the constellation Capricorn, where She remains.

Source: Journeying to the Goddess

Image credit Journeying to the Goddess

Prompt: Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie, Photo Challenge #176; Daily Post Daily Prompt, prickle; Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge, #46 – honey and wine

 

Hippo

Image credit Pixabay 

soaking my blood sweat
in the dry African heat
hoping to stay cool

By Sarah ©2017

Author’s note: Hippo’s skin secretes a natural sunscreen substance which is red-coloured. The secretion is sometimes referred to as “blood sweat”, but is neither blood nor sweat. All hippos, even those with different diets, secrete these pigments.

Prompt: Ronovan Writes, Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt, #162 – hope and stay

Vanquished

conquerers of past
may be vanquished forever
in statues of bronze

By Sarah ©2017

Prompt: The Syllabub Sea, Haiga Heaven, Challenge 34 – vanquished

Second Chance

I couldn’t feign love any longer.
Your malformed heart
Had started to infect mine.

Nothing remained
Except the labyrinthine void
Between us.

It was time I left before
The dead-reckoning of our course 
Smashed us both upon the rocks.

I had been a girl with grit back then
– to get out when I did.
Even if my gait had been slow;
Unnatural; a clumsy waltz. 

As I relearned the steps,
I looked around with caution.
Until where once I was torn,
I had been stitched up whole again.

I press my hand to your chest
And feel your heart beating.
I promise you it forever
Be embedded in mine.

By Sarah ©2017

*Labyrinthine – adjective. complicated, torturous, resembling a labyrinth

^ Dead-reckoning – noun. In navigation, dead reckoning is the process of calculating one’s current position by using a previously determined position, or fix, and advancing that position based upon known or estimated speeds over elapsed time and course.

Prompt: Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie, Saturday’s Mix – 12 August 2017, flashback ; Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie, Wordle #168
Words used: feign, gait, dead-reckoning, torn, press, left, labyrinthine, look, embed(ded), malformed, gritty (grit), (un)natural

Release

For TJ’s challenge this week, I have reblogged a photo which I feel depicts chaos and order working hand and hand…

an ordered release
rains celebration chaos
upon bride and groom

By Sarah ©2017

Prompt: TJ’s Household Haiku, 13 August 2017 – chaos and order

By Sarah

Image By Sarah ©

This photo is a contradiction of itself. Portraying both order and chaos – the order of everyone releasing their confetti at the same time while conversely, creating chaos with this same release.

I love this photo which was taken at a friend’s wedding in 2012.

Prompt: Weekly Photo Challenge, Task: Share an image that sends chaos packing (neatly).

View original post

GHD

wrestling knots; brushing;
I glide the straightener through.
No waves here today!

By Sarah ©2017

Prompt: Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie, Heeding Haiku With Chèvrefeuille, August 9th 2017 – waves

No Walkies Today

Digging up the soil.
Mounds tell of something buried.
Naughty animals!

Time for walkies the next day;
Where has my other shoe gone?!

By Sarah ©2017 

Prompt: Ramblings Of A Writer, Weekly Tanka Prompt, Week 57 – soil and animals

Sushi Train

‘Round and ’round they go;

mouth watering sushi plates.

Can’t stop at just one!

By Sarah ©2017

Prompt: Haiku Horizons, Week 180 – stop

Pride

Standing proud their ground,

while choking out my garden 

…hateful noxious weed!

By Sarah ©2017

Image credit Pixabay 
Prompt: Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge, #45 – hate and pride

Mehendi

ancient body art

awakens inner light of

a painted lady

By Sarah ©2017

Author’s Note: Mehndi or “Mehendi” is a form of body art from Ancient India using a paste, created from the powdered dry leaves of the henna plant. Decorative designs are created on a person’s body that are intended to be a symbolic representation of the outer and the inner sun – “awakening inner light”. 

Prompt: Ronovan Writes, Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt, Challenge #161 – painted and lady