lines drawn star to star
plastered up there in the sky
a map where birds fly
ancient navigator’s hand
leads my paper crane heart home
***
This was written for Colleen’s weekly poetry challenge. This week’s challenge was an ekphrastic using the picture at the top of the page. I chose to write a tanka.
Blinders keep us focused on our “now”
Only living for the moment
We move mindlessly forward
Harm gone unrecognized
Impact unnoticed
Neglect unseen
Greed unchecked
Selfish
Now
Gone
Future
Sands creep in
No going back
Relentless changes
Damage accumulates
Once pure is now decrepit
If we could see, could we change it?
Or is it too late to turn back time?
***
This was written for Colleen’s weekly poetry challenge. This week was an Ekphrastic, that is, we needed to create a poem that explores a piece of art. Anita Dawes, who won last month’s Ekphrastic challenge, chose the image at the top, an image by mollyroselee from Pixabay. I chose to do a double nonet.
**
OK, not so subtle about our environmental impact ;) But Earth Day is almost here!
She is listening
When the tree falls in the woods
One is there to hear
Nature sees through smoke and snow
Can life ever be alone?
***
This was written for Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge. This week the challenge was an image which we were to write an Ekphrastic poem (a poem that explores art). The poem at the top of the page was provided by D.L. (Denise) Finn. I wrote a tanka.
Thunder in my ear
Torrent pulls all into void
But then there is you
Storm’s raging maelstrom paints grey
Your bright rainbow shields me
***
This was written for Colleen’s weekly Poetry Challenge. This week she provided the wonderful photo at the top. What we wrote was up to us, though she suggested doing an Ekphrastic and to talk about the psychology of color. I chose to write a tanka.
The hills reflect you
The wind is filled with your scent
The birds call your name
You may not be by my side
But in nature, I find you
***
This was written for Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge. This week’s challenge was to write an ekphrastic poem based on the watercolor that Colleen provided (top of page – Image by Barbara A Lane from Pixabay). I wrote a tanka for the challenge.
(Ekphrastic poetry explores art. It is poetry that gives the poet’s impression of a work of art. It can describe it, but it can also tell a story about the work or give the poet’s impression on seeing the visual artwork.)
Naked and alone
In the heart of the forest
Is all really lost?
When innocence is taken
Do we mourn it gone or live?
***
This was written for Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge. This week the challenge is not only a photo challenge, it is also an “Ekphrastic”, that is a poem that explores a work of art. The work of art, provided by Diana Peach, is the famous image by John Bauer of Princess Tuvstarr gazing into the deep pond forever, mourning her lost heart. She had lost all as she journeyed into the deep forest, but it was her heart of gold that ended the journey. Many think that she was mourning her lost innocence, which is the interpretation that I took in my tanka.
