Koan poems: Sepia sky and faded lace

the red silk embroidered robe
bereft of buttons, wide sleeves edged of gold. 
a white swan walks in salty mud-stained shore,   
her graceful neck arched to the sepia sky.    


~0~0


she was simple farmer's daughter,
living on goat's milk, eggs and sweet purple yams. 
a black swan glided with bright red bill, crooning softly, 
the buttons of her dress fell into cornfield and sun.  


~0~0


she keeps a jar of odd buttons, fabric squares and 
torn lace from old dresses, along with faded ribbons.     
a man in the street plays a violin by an empty cup.      
she knits a quilt, one square a day, till she is whole.        

Posted for:   D'verse Poets Pub:  Poetics : Button, Button 
and Imaginary Garden with Real Toads:   Chinese Koan poetry form - In four lines

Line 1: The first part makes a statement about one's subject.
Line 2: Continue to describe the subject of the poem with a new image:
Line 3: Start a new subject. The third line of traditional Koan poetry leads the reader away from the subject of the first two lines into a completely unrelated topic.
Line 4: Relate the lines. The fourth line unites the themes of the first three lines. Think of it as a circle that comes back.

A mid-summer night's dream

she was confused 
as the moon crossed the northern solstice 
a snapped sprig,
a fish out of emerald sea 



her lover was bewitched 
by magic potion on the eyelids, 
as if the Gods played a cruel joke
or changed the rules, she didn't know   
   
love is a battlefield,
a sharp knife on her breast, a cut in her wrist,  
when ardent eyes turn black and empty river  


or a theatre for entertainment 
for the puppeteers and forest imps,
playing chaos and bumbling actors, but for her   


the foolish one who gave everything away
in exchange for a night of passion and 
promises, now gone on the whim of wind  


or maybe it was written in the stars
that she will get a blank tarot card,
a jester's awkward lines instead of a love letter  


maybe all is just a cloud's figment,   
a chimera in the pool of fallen leaves,   
we are all made fools of love 
in this mid-summer night's dream




Posted for Kerry's Wednesday Challenge:   Our challenge is to find a phrase or quote from Shakespeare to either inspire a poem or to use as the title of the finished piece.   
and Poetry Jam:  Mood Swings 




picture credit:   here

Glass and lavender

in this land 
of maple trees, i am a

sugar cane harvested in summer 

stripped of roots and leaves, my tongue 
twisted   as   you   blow   pipe   my   ears 

give me your lips, open your thighs, 

come  to   me  like  a   thunderstorm 

pen drips of molasses, darkening spoon on white plate 

rippling the rock garden, raked into stillness by monks 

how   well   you  cleave  me,  my  wind   whisperer, 

i thought i was made of hollow bowl, seedless grey,  

but i am young again in mouth-blown Reidel glass 

   flowing ice wine, soft lavender on your palms,      

stem bent listening to the  

    

sea and sun 

Posted for Imaginary Garden of Real Toads and D'verse Poets Pub:   OpenLinkNight 


picture credit:  here

Windswept

                                                                 @Margaret Bednar


i am windswept for words
in these long sun-baked nights


sometimes i stand, immobile as moai* 
on Easter Island, lost-angst lover


i throat sing in my bid to find you, 
pulsing click-chunk-click, galloping the field, 


until the emerald sea whispers to me  
Come and be with me  


silky mane and forelock flows
as i hurl myself over the white edge,  


your hand urges a tumult run, wild grains on hooves,   
until all i see is blaze marking on my nose     


there is no safety net when i free-fall
you are either a ball of fire or silent stone falling    


i choose with my eyes closed 
as the wind lifts my wingspan on my descent   




Posted for Imaginary Garden with Real Toads:   Photography by Margaret Bednar
and D'verse Poets Pub:   Poetics:   Logophila 

* Large stone statues made of volcanic ash in Easter Island

Slow beating of the night

Clasp your moon heart to mine

in the swelling waves of shadows,

closely entwine our cold hands  

like twin seed pods with wings    

Carry me across the ocean steps

where the tide is blue and sand washes 

shore in quickening shades, elusive wind

to artist's fingers huddled over the canvas

Love, because of it, hold me close   

as if an arrow pierced your side, 

as if it is the last call of midnight train 

hurling over the bridge of mud stones

Tie your heart at night to mine, love*,

so I awake to slow beating of your

chest underneath my palms, to the breath

of summer and crust of freshly baked bread       

"So that our dream might reply

to the sky's questioning stars

with one key, one door closed to shadow."

Lines and Inspiration from Pablo Neruda:   Tie your heart at Night to mine, Love

Posted for:   Imaginary Garden with Real Toads and D'verse Poets Pub : OpenLinkNight    

picture credit:   here