Chelsea created another terrible poetry competition and I’m onboard again. Her theme this week concerns the turn of seasons. And haven’t we all felt a nasty change in the wind lately?

So far my poetry has been universally praised as being consistently dreadful but has fallen just short of the ‘inexcusably terrible’ benchmark that Chelsea sets. This is a further dive for the bottom of the barrel. I expect extra points deducted for the blatant theft of lyrics at the end.

It’s also an opportunity to give a little wave to all my Northern Hemisphere friends. Spring must seem a bit out of place up there at the moment but rest assured that whilst we might all be in isolation we are not isolated. We are in this together and the end of it will bring a new Spring for all of us. In the meantime I wish upon you nothing but beautiful dreams.

***

The mercury is falling

I hope it’s just a cold

Is it destiny that’s calling?

Or part of getting old?

Is it just a shiver?

Or might it be a curse?

That Autumn will deliver

Could Winter be much worse?

A month of isolation

Social distance getting broad

I’m here for the duration

Already getting bored

There’s bad news in the paper

The TV’s on the blink

I fear the isolator

Might turn this man to drink

My Mama and my Papa

They left here just in time

I cough. I sneeze. I splutter

Cut down in my prime

So all the sky is grey

And all the leaves are brown

There’s nothing left to say

There’s no one left in town

***

Possibly a little out of my usual space (comfort zone?) here, but in the interests of locking down I perhaps should take a few chances behind closed doors. I’m a daring risk taker when people aren’t around.

A poetry challenge from the good people pouring coffee at the Cafe caught my attention.

The very thought of ‘poet’s lips’ is a rather enchanting one, don’t you think?

One is only supposed to commit about 10-15 minutes to a submission. That’s my sort of attention span.

I don’t know much about poetry. I thought perhaps if I just put a couple of words on each line and mixed up the pattern a bit that it might create the illusion of modern sophistication. That, as I say, was a risk.

***

The poet’s heart

It beats in time

Rhythm. Rhyme.

Anger. Art

And wonder

Echoes of

Distant thunder

A message heard

The poet’s word

A subtle reflection

Detection

Of the unseen

A vaccine

For blindness

Sweet kindness

In each line

In each thought a shrine

A light. A spark

Shelter from the dark and such

A torch in the eclipse

A chance to touch

The poet’s lips

***

P.S. I actually tried to find some lips (not necessarily those belonging to poets)as an accompanying photo for this. But, in isolation, they all seemed to look a bit pornographic. Or is that just me?

I don’t do a lot of challenges these days. Life itself has become far too challenging. But I stumbled across this one this morning via The Bag Lady and it appealed to me – most likely because it’s not about life and all those challenges.

Oh …. and the picture. You’re probably wondering what that’s about. I thought I might go out in drag. Why not?

***

There will be no obituary. It has been less than an instant, in the scheme of things. Nothing to talk about. Nothing to see here. Please move quietly along.

Will I linger somehow in the your memories? Yes? Perhaps just for another tiny piece of that instant, but no more. Memories will fade even more quickly than the light.

You might all gather around and exchange vague anecdotes together. And thus attempt to paint me a brighter colour in death than I had ever exhibited in life. Please don’t bother. Everything turns to grey eventually.

I’ll be dead.

I won’t care.

And not caring is something that I’ve come to look forward to.

***

https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2020/03/24/obituary/

Or even light drinking, for that matter. At times like these it certainly tempting, and I’m not trying to discourage it. Dive in. I’m right behind you.

But here’s the thing. Turn off your computer first. Hide all iPads, phones and even pens or pencils. By all means discard all of your inhibitions and clothing. BUT. No matter how passionate or playful you might be feeling DO NOT PUBLISH ANYTHING.

Here on your own site is ok, I suppose. You can delete it in the morning along with any incriminating photos that may have been taken during the night as you are cleaning up all the empty bottles and discarded underwear. BUT DO NOT PUBLISH IT ANYWHERE WHERE IT TAKES ON A LIFE OF ITS OWN BEYOND YOUR CONTROL. Once you push the thing under with the ‘submit’ button you never know where it might come up for air.

You are already guessing that I did it. That’s true. And I have zero memory of doing so and certainly no idea why, of all things, I chose to use this thing (I cannot,with a straight face, refer to it as a poem).

But Here it is. They supplied the photo.

Who are these people? I feel indebted to them (thanks Spillwords! I genuinely love you) …. but I question their taste.

Anyway. You have been warned.