O is for ORAL FIREWORKS #PoetryMonth

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

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 O is for Oral Fireworks and Orchids 

Photo I snapped at an orchid garden on Big Island

 

 

ORAL FIREWORKS

 

Hand-knit mohair sweater

Still a treasure,

though an outgrown style. 

Sugar-coated jelly slices

Stuck between the teeth,

don’t smile. 

Oral fireworks of

Nehi Orange-Ade

on a first date. 

Teen memories bear weight,

Adults cannot carry,

and nothing can replace. 

Relive,

pretend,

embellish. 

You are but once sweet sixteen.

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I still have that hand-knit sherbet-orange mohair sweater with the six-inch wide collar that my mom knit for me! Which item have you saved from your teen years that holds such strong memories that you pack it up to take with you every time you move?

 

Z is for ZIG-ZAG of RED #AtoZ #PoetryMonth

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth

 

Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:

1. To celebrate my appreciation of life

2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi

3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.

 

The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge

 

***   ***   ***

 

Z is for Zig-Zag of Red and Zinnea

 

 

 

A ZIG-ZAG OF RED, STARS

A white-washed canvas,

still life with fireworks,

promises of an exciting display. 

Colors intended only for dreamers

burst before her eyes,

lighting up the blackness left by

a long forgotten sunset. 

A zig-zag of red, stars

too bright to track

spiral down.

She hears the sizzle as

they strike the ocean’s surface

like lava streaming from a cliff

to cool and form new land. 

Thoughts spew forth.

A mind once fallow

now overflows.

A rocket launch

of crackling practicality

explodes to reveal stunning possibilities.

 

***   ***   ***

 

Where do you get your best ideas, while lying in bed ready for sleep or watching the celebration of fireworks on a warm summer's eve? Mine seem to burst forth at the exact time I am without pencil and paper.

 

For your visits to my site in April and your many interesting comments,

Mahalo and Aloha,

Gail