heron’s haunts

crickets ‘n crawdads sing off-key
in surreal dream left condemned
on river surrounded by marshland
of carolina’s backwaters…look away
like empty windows that stare coldly
as lonely boat cradles dead body in
hull…cut memory loose, let it drift
through mind’s dark tunnel beyond
plaster and bricks’ clayed dilapidation


Written in response to d’verse ekphrastic prompt featuring art by Lee Madgwick. The previous evening, I’d watched the film, “Where Crawdads Sing,”based on book by same title.

dibble~toes

Summer Day, Brighton Beach by Edward Henry Potthast

seaside holiday

playing cat-and-mouse with surf

transport sand home

______________

A senryu for dVerse poets where Merril hosts ekphrastic poetry.

keyhole in the sky

tired old man in the moon
had had enough of listening
to earth’s noisy troublemakers!

how can anyone sleep with
that infernal decibilled racket?
he was definitely full of it, so

he donned his top hat and
swallow-tailed coat, locked
his door and set sail to a star.

Ekphrastic poetry at dVerse poets’ pub hosted by Lillian and featuring the uniquely surreal artwork of Catrin Welz-Stein.

primary matrix

Mondrian

Piet Mondrian: Broadway Boogie Woogie

 

Take me back to Broadway at night! Let’s experience the electric excitement in street lights’ shine, neon signs blinking, billboards’ glare, and stream of traffic headlights or taillights in opposite lanes. Life in Denver drives on pulsating grid.

White delivery trucks, yellow taxis, blue mustangs and red VW bugs follow the streets, avenues, and boulevards of my childhood and adolescence. Dibs on the back seat of school bus! An urgent siren sends all traffic curbside to let a flashing emergency vehicle past.

Be ready with horn or brakes and quick maneuvers. Circle carefully around bustling parking lots. Wait your turn at busy car wash or fast food drive-up window. Go slow through used car lot…lit by aliens? No, it’s a police helicopter checking back alleys.

 

girl’s eyes reflect lights
cruise city on summer night
buzzy as beehive

 

 


Kim hosts haibuns and invites us to “meet Piet” on “Broadway” at dVerse Poets pub.

 

iris in vincent’s eye

i begin as
dry ivory bulb
asleep in deep dark
until warmth stirs from
far away as sunshine
whispers, “come to me”

i stretch
uncurling in
moist brick soil
insects tickling my
pale skin as it peels off
with sigh, “love, arise!”

i reach up
to throw off the
heaviness of garden
bed’s blanket and am
blinded by yellow light
crying, “it’s spring!”

i grow long
sabered leaves
of vibrant green to
drink in cool rain and
shelter tender buds with
promise, “we’ll dance!

i bloom in
profuse blue hues
from cerulean to indigo
unfurling petaled banners
to reveal frilly stamens and
sing, “behold life’s beauty!”

i fade as
sun sets in gold;
plucked from roots
glory slowly wanes as
flowered energy wilts with
a moan, “remember me.”

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irises by van gogh

purple-urple

Mish at dVerse Poetics inspires us with the lovely art of Beverly Dyer…and today I did paint one wall of our living room “purple suede”!


 

paint a purple wall
pluck a purple plume
pick a purple wildflower
play a purple tune

write a purple poem
wear a purple dress
climb a purple mountain
make a purple mess

eat a purple plum
fly a purple kite
plant a purple garden
dream a purple night

tired of my purple riot?
let’s do violet!

 

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Purple Wildflower by Beverly Dyer

shadow tales of cedar

 

Goldi wander in wood?

emilycarr-red-cedar-1931-33

Red Cedar by Emily Carr

beware of three bears

see them growling!

 

is Red in the hood?

big bad wolf out there

hear him howling!

 

scare Peter but good

should tinkle bells wear

stop them prowling!

 

 

 

 

 


Link to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads‘ prompt inspired by Emily Carr’s art.

caws and effect

Linda tends dVerse Poets Pub today and invites us to write ekphrastic poetry inspired by the artwork of Jackie Hurlbert…


 

sassy young redhead named penelope
decides who in the world she wants to be

dark ravens perch upon each shoulder
speaking words that make girl feel bolder

independent defiance paints hot lips
her arms cross tight or hands on hips

fiery moods untamed, doesn’t give a care
determination steeps in eyes that stare

penelope’s ravens sing rebellious song
this teen believes ravens make her strong!

(but raven words may spell trouble
and raven beaks may burst her bubble)

 

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“Conspiring With Ravens”

weathered stones

This week, Sarah Southwest hosts dVerse poetics and invites us to write ekphrastic poetry featuring artwork by Mary Frances from her “New Worlds in Old Stones”…

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pond-erings

Sarah hosts “ekphrastic” poetry (inspired by visual art) at dVerse Poets!

 

Wheels
whizzing
on steep
downhill
bike path
trying to
avoid fallen
acorns and
slick goose
droppings
which may
skid tires
and flip a
rider over
handlebars
splashing
into cool
water and
algaed
scum of
Cooter’s
Pond…
may also
disturb
turtles or
crawdads
buried in
muddy
bottom

Whooaah!

 

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