вторник, 20 мая 2014 г.

My Homeland

My Homeland


Quiet. Too quiet. Random cars.
I can hear a train thumping in the distance,
and the staring, unblinking stars
are my only witnesses.

My balcony is my cell, my prison,
and the way to freedom where I breath smoke,
every night here is a self-treason.
I'm a lonely criminal, but a lenient judge.

These several feet under open sky
have been my country for so long
that here is where I want to die
now, or after a cup of tea.

Wars happen here, blood feuds:
reason fights against heart.
Gifting evils, trading goods,
I am the only citizen.

The country is torn apart
between what I do and what I wish I'd done,
reign is a tricky art
that I am no good at.

понедельник, 5 мая 2014 г.

April PAD Challenge Day 30

April PAD Challenge, Day 30
Prompt: call it a day
***

End of the World

let’s call it the final day
when everything is no more
a minute of no time
when troubles have gone away
together with joy, and we
have stopped and stared in awe
today we will feel no pain
no dreams will inspire us
no treasure will cost a dime
there will be no friends or foes
no wars or pointless feuds
all struggles will cease, all tears
come, people of Earth, don’t fear
let’s call it a day, or else
let’s rather not speak at all

April PAD Challenge Day 29

April PAD Challenge, Day 29
Prompt: a realism/magical poem
***

Couldn’t Sleep

look, the sun is rising
darkness turning to light
morning in all its might
birds have started singing
first just the modest few
then as if on a cue
flower are waking
to wash their honey eyes
waving at butterflies
look, all of this is real
though I can’t but think
there has to be some magic

April PAD Challenge Day 28

April PAD Challenge, Day 28
Prompt: a settled poem
***

Gamophobia

what can be simpler than getting married
what can be better
who wouldn't like to wear a white dress
who wouldn't say yes
how much joy having kids must bring
how great a thing
still when I think of being settled it's
so unsettling

April PAD Challenge Day 27

April PAD Challenge, Day 27
Prompt: a monster poem
***

Inner Demons

Dear Father,
all I know is that You are
love, truth and light.
I might think there's a part
of me that You can never
accept, ever. But when
I stand in the rain and sun
Your Son is revealed to me
See? It's not the rain, it's tears
it appears a mere thought of You
makes me cry and I try to speak,
but all that comes out
is a sigh, and I'm about
to go inside, because I'm soaked
through, yet Your love is my coat
and Your grace is what drips off it.

April PAD Challenge Day 26

April PAD Challenge, Day 26
Prompt: a water poem
***

Tea Ceremony

warm the cup
up
smell the finest
tiniest
aroma, think,
drink
up

April PAD Challenge Day 25

April PAD Challenge, Day 25
Prompt: last straw
***

every time I draw last straws
I get the short one
and clutch at it

April PAD Challenge Day 24

April PAD Challenge, Day 24
Prompt: tell it to the...
***

Fairy Tales

tell that sweet story of a prince
remember? when we were in Paris
putting a lock on a bridge
with our names on it?


tell it, the story is so nice
remember? I couldn't stop crying
you had to give me your tissue
your mother's present


tell it, I love it dearly
could you? there's nothing better
than when you get to the end
and hum the tune


do tell, you're such a talented
story-teller, tell it to that girl
I saw you with when you called to tell me
you had to work late

April PAD Challenge Day 23

April PAD Challenge, Day 23
Prompt: a location poem
***

Place in Life

sweet formula, my mother's song
wet sheets and talking animals
I'm in a good place now


a talking doll, the alphabet
a book about Madeline
I'm in a good place now


got spots, and weird body parts
one thing is clear: boys are jerks
I'm in a good place now


I am size 6, that's sooo fat!
but well, my boyfriend is a stud
I'm in a good place now


I can't believe, my own kids!
my own anti-age cream too
I'm in a good place now


warm quilt, a pair of socks, hot tea,
I'm looking at the book I wrote
now I am in a good place

April PAD Challenge Day 22

April PAD Challenge, Day 22
Prompt: an optimistic/pessimistic poem
***

Going for Retro

Sulking is now this season.
A moody, depressed, cynical
cad, preferably with clinical
record, is the latest trend,
pouting is a brand.


Painted all over T-shirts
is our modern attitude:
find some bad in anything good,
gladness is so yesterday,
grumbling is up-to-date.


Love? How unoriginal!
Romance? An old-fashioned whim!
Kindness? Terribly mainstream!
Sentiment? What a cliche! Nonsense.
So is innocence.


Future keeps no promises,
live and let live, hope is a lie,
remember, we're all gonna die.
If pessimism is the new hot,
I'm ultimately not.

April PAD Challenge Day 21

April PAD Challenge, Day 21
Prompt: back to basics
***

From Scratch

a friend of mine once said that
this world is simpler
than we'd like it to be
in order to understand it
go back to basics
to its origin--to God

April PAD Challenge Day 20

April PAD Challenge, Day 20
Prompt: a family poem
***

To my Pouting Sibling

There's nothing complex about family.
What can be simpler than mother's love?
Without a reason to think of,
she loves us for who we are.


Family's not complicated.
Even most tangled ties
look plain to our eyes.
Who ever questions blood?


Family is that simple:
we reap what we have sewn.
Nothing is complex about family,
let us not make it so.

April PAD Challenge Day 19

April PAD Challenge, Day 19
Prompt: make a color a title of your poem
***

Beauty of Simple Things

Shades of Yellow and Blue

aviculturist said glaucous
fashion designer said lovat
emo teen said caesious
military said feldgrau
nail tech said viridian
artist said myrtle
photograph said porraceous
writer said verdant
child said green and was right

April PAD Challenge Day 18

April PAD Challenge, Day 18
Prompt: a weather poem
***

Parting on a Rainy Day

Go out and give yourself to the wind,
let it touch you skin gently and kiss
your every inch with untamed passion.


You love the wind with all your might,
you've forgotten how angry it was, how mad
just yesterday.


Let the rain tickle your palm with its loving
drizzle, let it caress your smile when with closed eyes
you put up your face, laced with joy.


You love it. You don't remember, do you?
How that same rain sliced, lashed at us,
slashed our legs, it's a wonder we didn't bleed
just yesterday.


Go out and drink the gold of the sun
hovering over rainbows, wrapping you in its warmth,
making you feel safe and letting you love it;


and there! you do, because you've forgiven
its scorching rage, its restless torture
that made you feel stifled, remember?
just days ago


Do you blame the wind for being windy,
or the rain because it's rainy
do you hate the sun for its sunniness?


Do you hate the world for the way it is?
Would you give it up for another?

Then, why do we always give up
on each other?