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Tuesday 29 April 2014

Poem: Persona



can you put yourself into a time table?
define the moments your personality gained
or lost a quality?
embellished with different adjectives
you look yourself in the mirror
and the more you pick them to describe yourself
the more you're proud of yourself
yet others would disagree
they would find something different in you
based on your actions
in every line you can find a lie
you can tuck it in any way you like
when you write a self-portrait
when it gazes at you from the paper
it either seems unreal or something out of the past
a person you've grown out of
and if your past seems bitter
maybe it's because you focused on the wrong things
wrong opinions
some people we carry with us
all our lives
in our minds and hearts
do these relations influence how you express yourself?
and because they seem so close we think we know
them completely
yet these are things hard to define
and there are some things that are only ours
and nobody needs to know about them


Poem: Muse



so many books
                the master has read
yet he leaves me here
                in front of this blinking screen
while he's still searching
                for inspiration
                               that muse
which would kick-start
                his career
but he never asked me
                never wanted to hear my ideas
the adventures I find
                when he's not around
so on this comfortable sofa I wait
                until he finds
                the muse in me

*
For the Mag#217.

Monday 21 April 2014

Poem: 20 questions (or more)

 
if there is an afterlife, can you travel in time?
who would you talk to and what knowledge do you think you'd gain?
what if heaven and hell exist only here and now in our minds?
how would you paint yourself in others and how much would it matter?
if you are the master of your own destiny, why do you blame it on others?
what would you change about your body?
and would we all really want to look alike?
who do you think of in your sleep?
and who makes your heart skip a beat?
has anyone supposed it lucky to be born in this world?
who would it take to face the cold, harsh truth?
if you could re-live just one day of your life, which day would you pick?
do you remember the first time your heart chamber started beating?
do you recall how your lungs felt as oxygen filled them for the first time?
would it make a difference if you knew when you are going to die?
if a fortune-teller predicted something will happen to you,
would you learn to live with it, or would you try to change it?
how would you describe absolute bliss?
if you knew your habits before conception can affect the health of your child,
would you change them?
what kind of a message would you like to leave behind to the world?
when you think of our fragile existence and limited time,
how can you say you're bored?
be grateful for this moment, it is all there is

*
Another prompt for NaPoWriMo day #14.

Sunday 20 April 2014

Poem: of Glee

Finland, 1968, photo by George F. Mobley


snowflakes pierced through the air
grazing birch trees along the way
as their faces brimming with delight
in celebration walked on, to remember
this day, when they felt they could
achieve anything; may the feeling
be immortal; no need for
speeches, no need for pages
filled with lies; a couple
embraced to shield themselves
against the gale, their lips
smiling as they hold peace
in their cradle; turning back
to their companions; stars are
sown on the floor. and she said
'Take me somewhere nice,
before you go.'

*
Written for the Magpie tales, Mag #216
"In Finland, as in Sweden, the white hats shown in this photo usually signifies that the wearer has finished high-school."

Poem: Incised moon



black thoughts in ambush
like ashes in the snow scatter
burying new roots at sea
to chase the future waves
and wonder how they will bend
time embodies many different faces
as it haunts us in our slumber
our feet running faster than fear
towards that everlasting light
yet there is a scream locked
deep inside this memory house
a heavy weight suppressing
the heart asking for pleasure
- sorrow sleeps with it
what makes you listen?
your mind incised like the moon
 *
Written as a prompt by NaPoWriMo day #19.

Thursday 10 April 2014

Poem: Are you awake

photo by Kelsey Hannah


are you awake?

your thoughts knitted between your fingers

hands drawing images of longing into the air

   remember, the dreams

and ideas, which pulled you forward?

   remember, the hopes

and ambitions, which helped to steady your feet?

all those premonitions you had

   are slowly finding its place

like skin - we shed our souls

   and stand as survivors

there is a certain ache of existing present

   somehow the glowing sunrays decrease it

a comforting sound, a silent echo behind our steps

   guiding us back into dust

                are we awake?

*
Written for Magpie Tales: Mag 214.