Circularity

Inspired by Poefusion: The Pantoum
The Pantoum is a repeating form written in quatrains (four line stanzas). The 2nd and 4th lines of each stanza become the 1st and 3rd of the next one. In the last stanza the 2nd and 4th lines repeat the first stanzas 1st and 3rd lines to bring the pantoum full circle.

This is also inspired by Cafe Writing April Prompt Five: Coming Full Circle.

Circularity

we always end as we begin
lost in a circle that never ends
travelling a path wrought with strife
stopping at times to measure our lives

lost in a circle that never ends
meandering minds to try again
stopping at times to measure our lives
but always wanting to discover why

meandering minds to try again
broken hearts will always mend
but always wanting to discover why
that from the beginning we start to die

coming full circle is the path we wend
we always end as we begin
experiencing all that is our life
travelling a path wrought with strife

Poefusion #15

Inspired by Poefusion #15: Write about a place you long for.
Poefusion #15 comes from the book A Creative Writer's Kit by Judy Reeves
I've also decided this fits with Sunday Scribblings #108: Future of the Planet

The Longing

I long for a place of hope
far away from fear
where children always dream
and some of them come true

I long for a place of peace
far away from war
where people never kill
and all are in accord

I long for a place of wisdom
far away from fools
where prejudice cannot hide
and fairness rules the day

I long for a place of love
far away from hate
where sadness is unknown
and compassion freely reigns

I long for a place like this
that does not yet exist
except within the hopes
of those who dare to dream

Poefusion #12

Inspired by Poefusion #12:
"The window had other views" (after Wislawa Szymborska)

A Perfect View

If the eyes are windows to the soul, then how do we use them to reflect our heart, hopes, and dreams? Perhaps they open in more ways than one. Or is it that each contains multiple panes to look through: one for the soul, another for the heart, several for our hopes, and the rest for all our dreams.

Thoughts race through my mind
Revelation overwhelms me,
as I feel each time I blink,
I reveal something new.

I wonder why you stare,
so deeply when I’m speaking;
are you looking for the truth
I work too hard to hide?

I hope you are not minding
that I look away so often,
but no one's ever seen
all I have inside.

I’d like to take some time,
to learn much more about you.
But the windows to your soul
are hidden from me too.

Please remove the shutters
and let me look in wonder,
and maybe we’ll discover
each other’s perfect view.

To My Son

Inspired by Poefusion #11: I've never seen his face.

child by ~ohnurre on deviantART

I’ve never seen his face
look at me in a way that makes me feel unloved
so sad that my world shattered in sympathy
grow weary at the stupid stories I tell
show anger when I do those things he hates
happier than when I say I love him
And I hope I never do

Poefusion #11 comes from the book A Creative Writer's Kit by Judy Reeves.

Hidden Treasure Hunt

Inspired by Poefusion #10
This writing exercise is by Maureen Seaton from the book The Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry by Nikki Moustaki. Wherever you are, come up with a list of things to find and then go looking. Or use the same list everywhere and see how the details and poems shift. Notice the eccentric and neglected details. Really search for something no one else might find. Walk around.

cases askew
stacked haphazardly
dusty electronics
perpetually on
speakers abound
in every direction
sound encompasses
deafening thought

stuck in a corner
always forgotten
dusty as ever
never turned off

why is it always
the way of the world
that the things
men can't live without
become forgotten
gathering dust
as soon as
their home

buried in dust
treasures abound
sorted by title
ready for viewing
allergies tell me
to go read
so I do

I breathe

much easier
and my ears

don’t hurt

now this

is a true
hidden treasure
solitude and a book
and sweet
golden silence

Poefusion #8: Hands

Write a poem about your hands.

Poefusion #8 is from the book The Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry by Nikki Moustaki.

Framework

Standing here heart in hand,
I watch it melt, oozing through the fingers
that once caressed your skin.
Soon, only a skeleton remains.
Bones stripped bare; a framework reminder
of what was once animate and tangible.
All that is left is the ability to manipulate by rote.
These automaton hands, a visual reminder
that I can no longer hold onto the pain of our existence.
They are free of feeling, free of pain, and free of you.

Poefusion #7: 13 Part Poem

Poefusion #7 is from the book The Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry by Nikki Moustaki.

Write your own 13-part poem using one repeating image or symbol.

The Calling

I
Stars and moon shine brighter on the mountain,
where no city lights diffuse their sparkling wonders.

II
High above the rolling plains,
a cabin in the mountain offers a respite
from the restlessness of humanity.

III
Rocky mountain paths among
stands of pine beckon every morning,
calling this traveler to its bosom.

IV
Deep within the folds of granite, a mountain lake glistens;
its silky coolness entices me to enter.

V
Climbing atop the tallest peak,
the vista shows the truth;
that this mountain is one of many in a vast range of rock.

VI
But this mountain is special, it is like a lover
who knows my every need, offering warm breezes
like kisses upon my worried brow.

VII
Soon I am soothed and lay here among
the rocks of my mountainous Eden dreaming
of clowning Scrub Jays and dancing Marmots.

VIII
Awaking refreshed, the mountain sings
to me a song in order to renew my soul.

IX
Listening intently, I hear the whispers of the pine
convincing me to never leave my mountain retreat.

X
I could live here on the mountain and never
miss the chaos below that was once all I knew.

XI
The mountain is wise, its knowledge unending;
its love eternal like the rock that makes up its heart.

XII
I will learn from this wisdom, living amid the pine
and the mountain stream which wanders like my mind,
drifting through the ever changing seasons.

XIII
This mountain has chosen me from among others,
making whole what was once fragmented,
making alive what was once dead.
I am home.

Poefusion #6: A Fortune Told

Write a poem using two fortune cookies from a box or Chinese restaurant.
Use one as your opening line and the other as your closing line.
Poefusion #6 is from the book The Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry by Nikki Moustaki.

when life throws you a pleasant curve
never fail to observe
never question how or why
never let life pass you by

always try to rise above
always be the one to love
always try to understand
happy days lay close at hand