hot concrete

Screen Shot 2019-07-25 at 4.37.51 AM

 

Playing with magnetic poetry online (poet kit) and thinking of sister I never met, miscarried years ago…used words given at first try.

annunciation

 

At heaven’s high command,
a white-hot beam of purest light
penetrates time and space
to touch our tiny blue planet.

In a peasant cottage,
silence is muted by
an alien presence; the
whispering whir of mighty wing.

Flesh crawls with palpable terror
as the dazzling creature, a holy flame,
fixes its piercing gaze on one
wide-eyed, trembling maiden.

“Do not be afraid.”

Surprising, melodious words
uttered by molten-gold messenger
to an ordinary girl who pales
in wonder, what can this mean?

Glory’s courier speaks favor—
words of prophets coming true
Spirit of I AM will overshadow you,
virgin chosen to mother Messiah.

Her eyes lower, palms sweat,
as dry lips answer from her
wildly-beating, totally yielded heart,
she burns but does not disintegrate.

“I am the Lord’s servant.”

 

(Originally posted in 2012 as “advent: trial by fire”; later, expanded and focused. I was privileged to read this at our church Christmas Eve service 2016, 2018, 2019!)

chinese empress

This tanka began as a “fusion” haiku inspired by Carpe Diem Haiku Kai


 

 

in mountain meadow

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source: leafsnap.com

 

one paulownia blossom

flutters through sunlight

 like an angel, brings message

of creator’s intentions

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: The paulownia tree, native to China, is also called “empress tree”.

_____________

Combination of these two haiku:

a distant mountain
seen in the sunlight:
a desolate field

a leaf of a paulownia tree
has fallen
in the sunlight

© Takahama Kyoshi (Tr. Katsuya Hiromoto)

 

 

april fools?

 

hellish laughter

disciples inconsolable

women go to weep

earth trembles

lightning strikes

angel descends

dead man alive

live guards dead

officially signed

sealed and delivered

heaven has last laugh!

 

 

logo-napowrimo

calm down, you’re not in control

 

hear!

fear not

a vision bright

be it angel or demon

bad politics or rad theology

apocalypse or alien invasion

hot warning of global warming

you can start living fearless

for I AM (is) with you

always…that’s aIMG_3668

promise, do

not be a-

frayed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My photo and quadrille linked to dVerse Poets for Victoria’s “be not afraid” prompt.

cemetery guardian

 

img_3561

St. George’s Cemetery, Bermuda

Near white sand beach,
inside the old church yard,
I stand watchful guard over
earthly body of departed child;
another angel, in human form,
who visited briefly here to be
caught in a rapid blue riptide.
I can only offer marble blooms
and silent stony vigilance.

Come visit the small grave
and cry on my empty arm,
broken from reaching; touch
my clipped wing, fractured
by gathered years of sorrow.
But even as heaven’s stars
gaze, I know the sweet spirit
has taken flight, like red scent
of hibiscus on ocean breeze.

 

Link to dVerse Poets Pub where Lillian is hosting a “chiseled conversation”…the photograph above is hers!

birth announcement

God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.  (1 John 1:5)

 

messenger of light

alien voice speaks good news

bright winged radiance

 

trembling shepherds shade wide eyes

angel commands, “Do not fear!”

 

 Link to CDHK “Angel” theme

angel-of-light

advent…a trial by fire

 

At heaven’s high command,

a white-hot beam of purest light

penetrates time and space

to touch our tiny blue planet.

 

Silence is muted by the

wholly alien presence with

whispering whir of mighty wings.

Flesh crawls with palpable wide-eyed terror

as the dazzling creature of holy flame

fixes its piercing gaze on 

a pale, trembling mortal.

 

“Do not be afraid.”  

 

Surprising, melodious words 

uttered by the molten-gold messenger.

But when he speaks again–

eyes lower, palms sweat, and

dry lips must answer with

the total stuttering truth

or risk disintegrating

in ashes and smoke.