Left Leg, Matterhorn Pose

Some streets sport water features
and some continue bare,
except for straggly grass, or weeds
that flourish unaware.
But here a paradox we see
for what looks like a fountain
is nothing but a metal plinth
for an Old Man of The Mountain
sporting naked chest and cap!
I dare you, gentlefolks, top that!

A bit of nonsense for Tess at The Mag,who provided us with the illustration today, and for which I've written a ditty as a late offering for IGWRT's Flash 55, as well.

Two for the price of one has to be good?

Grasping at Shadows?

Late yesterday I noticed last Sunday's challenge on IGWRT's , and this afternoon was tempted to let my imagination play along. What came from my finger-tapping was as much a surprise to my keyboard, no doubt, as it may be to any readers who happen by. Hahaha!


Aurora grasps at shadows. One gets caught
inside her net of mind. She studies him.
"My!  What arresting features this one's got.
See them slide from scintillating to dim
while his face flickers as if in the shade
of sorrow." Suddenly, his spectre goes
sprawling, falling down into a wood-glade
in which a curling stream of water flows,
snaking-fast. Heavily he lands, and lies
unmoving on a boulder-bed of stone.
She can but watch him. Painfully, he dies.
The water's song achieves a diff’rent tone,
as sympathetic notes console The Dawn.
Without this Shadow Lord she'll live alone…

Whatever the Weather

Today had me tapping away at the keys, after listening to IGWRT's recording of  Mr Cumberbatch reading 'Ode to a Nightingale', by Keats.  I can't compete, of course, but did feel intrigued enough to attempt to follow the rhyme scheme. We've had plenty of the 'sun versus rain' weather over the past few weeks, hence my choice of subject. 

When I have a few hours to spare, I may attempt to write more stanzas!

Capricious forces conjure sun and rain
into eternal conflict. Dark lords and bright
wage their wars as moon-tides wax and wane
throughout the universe's star drenched night,
until, by morning, rotund Earth's revolved
in deference to laws decreed long since.
Then sun-flame beams put shadow-clouds to flight,
their unshed tears like morning mists dissolved
as Helios, our hero, on his plinth
stands proud, the great defender of the light.

A Reflection on Reflections?

Take stand behind a mirror which reflects
others to themselves, and discover that
honesty is a gift few will accept.
The shadow being of self delusion
knows well how to hide within an image.

Beguiled by a mirage of misted Truth,
the silvered glass mocks one’s own perception.

Words and image inspired by Tess at Mag 266
and now linked to IGWRT's, too.

Sshhh!

Hot gossip is best shared undercover
of darkness, when dreamers keep their counsel
and sleep draws veils over the memory;
whispered confidences fly to Lady Moon
whose silence never betrays one's trust.
Her wisdom?  Learned through countless centuries
she listens, she forgets and she forgives.



Written for Tess and The Mag 258

Lady Paragon

Action Figures by Edith Vonnegut

This housework makes me far too hot
and so I shed my clothes -
That's perfectly acceptable,
as long as no one knows...

But really, couldn't you have knocked
and not come bursting in?
You nearly frightened me to death-
though nudity's no sin...

Please!  Sir!  Don't blow my cover,
just quell your urge to shout.
Don't give my nosey neighbours
any more to talk about.

My blameless reputation
is at stake here, don't you see?
A scandal would be hard to bear
for a paragon like me!

Written for Tess and her Mag 257

Butterfly Kisses?

Butterfly dreams flit behind her eyelids,
as she savours memories of their lips
touching, kissing - soft as velvet wing-tips.


Written for Mag 255, with thanks to Tess.

No chore, this...

Washing Up

The kitchen sink holds extra charm
as she's encircled by his arm
and melodies unheard enhance
their poorly timed, impromptu dance.

The peeling paint or grime streaked wall -
they don't matter then at all,
for romance cloaks a mundane task
with magic. What more could one ask?

Inspired by Tess at The Mag 254

Goodbye

A soldier and his dainty lass
were sad to say goodbye
when he was forced to go to war;
they parted with a sigh.

"Take care! No matter where you roam
I'll pray for you each day"
and bravely holding back the tears,
she waved him on his way.

The soldier in his scarlet coat
marched off with noble tread,
while fearing that the girl might guess
what thoughts lay in his head.

"How will I live without my love?
And should I not survive
how will she fare all on her own
instead of as my bride?"


Inspiration gave out at this point, but I may add to it later! The adapted picture is of this week's Magpie which Tess gave us. Its original version is 'Bond of Union, 1956, by M. C. Escher', but I needed to play! 

Time Travel?

Play me Tchaikovsky’s  Romeo and Juliet  theme, on a violin, and I’m back in a London street on a snowy winter’s afternoon, transported by coach for a day out , but transported by the music to another time, to that day spent in the company of my first boyfriend. We held hands and shared magic…

Fireblossom, in the Imaginary Garden for Real Toads, set a challenge last Saturday...Here are my 55 words which capture a moment in time.

Afloat

Bold seafarers dream
as wind-waves dance together.
Moonlight adds magic.

Interpretation of original photo by R D Stainforth, for The Mag 233

Dream Time

Angel wings? Or Batman's cloak?
Which of these your muse invoke?
Will you escape the fires of hell
as Sunday's Magpie rings your bell
and sets your mind to lateral thinking
when you really have no inkling
as to where its lines may lead?
Will you write a full blown screed,
or will you do verbal gymnastics
and pen a poem? How fantastic!
I wish you joy - and come what may -
have fun with Tess this august day
of August as you scratch your head
and think 'I wish I'd stayed in bed!
This artwork is a Dream Time tale
but clever words seem set to fail
for who can catch a waking dream
when all is not quite as it seems?!'

Thanks to Tess and the image by Keith Haring at The Mag, from which I used a detail to create my accompanying effort. :-)

Reversed Reality

People's living ghosts
admire a gleaming image
of Nefertiti,
legendary immortal -
thanks to ancient history.

Uncanny image thanks to Tess and her Mag 230

Family Portrait

As a family portrait, the work left much to be desired.

But now he was full grown, the son seemed to hear his mother's playing every time he stood before the painting. 

He'd remember the time he'd been standing by her at the piano, the time when he'd noticed his father turn and walk away.

 Since then, nothing had ever been the same.


Written for the Mag 229, where Tess gave us an image of quite another persuasion...but which I translated into something else....
I hope you get the picture. :-)

Architectural Illusion

The painting was huge.
Once unveiled, the scale of it
could fool the senses
into believing they saw
a steel and concrete town-scape;
dark-glass reflections
creating strange images
of alien things
hovering just out of sight
behind a wire forest.

Written for Mag 228, with thanks to Tess and the un-named photographer.

P.S. Though it may look like random line breaks, I've actually used two of the Tanka, five line, 5/7/5/7/7 syllable count.

Shuffle & Deal

Thanks to Tess at Mag 226 with her prompt image by Meredith Frampton, entitled A Game of Patience, 1937

Dreaming?

Have you heard of Charlie Dimmock? She's the water feature Queen
of TV gardening programmes, which you've probably not seen,
but you'd recognise the gardens in which she's reigned supreme.

There's always lots of water gushing from a spout
or shooting up into the air, or winding in and out
along a crafty water course which gravity can't flout.

Charlie's tanned and winsome, with a head of wayward curls
which she allows to wander free - not like other girls
who tie their locks atop their heads, or wind them round in whorls.

But when she did my garden, there were no less than four
of the water-spitting lion heads - I couldn't ask for more -
as they played their water music in the pool outside my door!

(In all honesty, I can only dream of Ms Dimmock doing a makeover in my sad, slabbed patio - but what are Mags for, if not to dream?!)

Thanks to the artist John William Waterhouse  and Tess, from whose Mag 225 this detail was taken.

And if anyone would like to see how to earn a gold star, pop over here 

Headline News

Shadow beings lie within us, waiting
to make their presence felt; to bend the truth
till our conscious minds are set in turmoil
by unaccustomed promptings of temptation.
We feel the warmth of all their whispered goads
which hold us, teetering on wisdom's brink,
ready to misread a situation;
to falter in our stride and lose the way...

It's then we have to choose to take control,
to push our finer instincts to the fore -
ignoring what might be the easy choice -
and strive, however hard, to do what's right,
with no regret, no thought of recompense
except a well earned sense of justice done.

Oh, Tess! I've decided to re-post an edited version of the illustration and poem I did first time around. Full marks to anyone who spots the changes to Mag 224 and apologies to Rene Magritte...LOL

Rewind

Sometimes a  switch will flick and it sends
you into overdrive; I recognise the
warning signs of a mechanism which
has lost control, as needles oscillate
and register maximum overload.

Unplug wires; reverse polarity
until currents flow unhindered again,
and a temporary peace is achieved.

But still you'll wind me up and reel me in,
with no thought of my deflated spinning
mind, or damaged resolutions inside
my bruised components as the tape replays
an old story, instead of recording
a better history for the future.

Written for Tess and The Mag 223,  
and linked to IGWRT'S Open Link Monday

Artists come in many forms...

Image by courtesy of Hilary at The Smitten Image

            Light weaves tapestries
            to hang as a canopy
            above our bowed heads,
            as we honour the artist
            who created such beauty.