Noah’s scouts

raven
black, strong
pumping, soaring, cawing
scavenger, bully, nester, peacemaker
cooing, flapping, alighting
delicate, white
dove

 


A diamante is an unrhymed, seven line poem. “Dee-uh-MAHN-tay” is Italian for “diamond”.  See www.poetry4kids.com for more information.

sorrow’s train

 

squabs hatched near old depot
downy nestlings have flown
lonesome dove cries softly
for orphan far from home

destiny now switches course
where railway freight cars roam
wail of distant train horn
calls orphan far from home

mothers, father, grandparents
took one-way ticket loan
my heartsong of mourning
as orphan far from home

 


Meeting the bar at dVerse poets pub with Laura Bloomsbury’s challenge to write “epiphora” with watery eyes and repetition…

messenger pigeon

 

He cried tears of sorrow

over creatures who rebelled

and washed the earth clean

of violence in ancient times

( humanity hasn’t changed )

faith-full Noah rode out storm

with motley-crewed menagerie

in huge hand-built (pitched

and precariously pitching) boat

until drencher rain stopped,

floodwaters began to recede

when raven embarks from ark,

on long reconnaissance mission

pumping back and forth across

expansive sea on strong wings.

days later, Noah let out a dove,

delicate creature in search of

nesting place for her young.

first flight aborted, exhausted

re-released after (weak) week

she returns with an olive branch

of peace to the human family (who

bowed) under God’s bow of promise

— aimed back at Him who would

bear our sin and rescue the world.

 

 


A prose poem linked to dVerse poets where Laura Bloomsbury encourages us to take flight!

feathered peace

Weekly challenge at Ramblings of a Writer using words: paloma & imagination


 

do you hear birds cooing?

paloma blanca

rock dove

tumbler

common pigeon

turtledove

 

what do you imagine?

ear worm of once-popular song

nest in niche of ancient stone wall

performance of flying back flips

disrespected military statue in park

gentle hearts of monogamous mates

 

 

 

planting poet-tree

 

time to plant a poet-tree

gently dig a loamy hole

water roots creatively

fertilize with wit and soul

 

nurtured by attentive love

sapling poet-tree will grow

spread out branches, shelter dove

harvest of ripe fruits bestow

 

 

 


The tanaga form is part of an oral tradition going back to the early 16th century (eg. Twinkle, twinkle little star). It comes in stanzas of four lines with seven syllables per line. It often rhymes, even rhyming each line of a stanza on the same rhyme sound, but it can have variable rhyme patterns. It can also have more than one stanza. Frank hosts tanaga prompt at dVerse Poets.

sign of his presence

Exploring new (old) form of poetry,  the ghazal, at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai

 

symbol of peace whose spirit we know

surprised by shadow, white dove in snow

 

swift owl or coyote’s bloody salvo

moonlight reveals white dove, still, in snow

 

on pilgrim road, choose which way to go

follow the sun or white dove in snow

 

cemetery where winter winds blow

watchman on headstone, white dove in snow

 

soft, lynn, pure sign of his love to show

alights branch above, white dove in snow

 

 

sanctuary stones

 

cleft in ancient wall

rock dove coos benediction

peace rest upon us

 

IMG_6414.JPG

Byzantine ruins at Avdat – photo by lynn


 

Carpe Diem celebrates 4th anniversary this month.

wings of a dove

 

my thoughts flutter

like birds in the tree

i slowly raise the window

hoping to hear them sing

but they scatter with wings

i watch them fly away…

should  i try to follow?