20 Lines A Day

A Community of Writers and Photographers


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Message to Melissa

So, Melissa, now that we have arrived on the last day of April, are you going to ask people to submit their month-long-edited poems? It’s been an interesting exercise, and I only wish that I had begun a little of my poem at the beginning and added to it, rather than writing the whole thing and then editing for a month. That was tough, although it produced a lot of changes that I like.

Thank you for offering this challenge. I’m glad I took part, even though circumstances dictated that I had to miss a few days.

Cheers! (as someone we all know and love says!)


6 Comments

glide

what
benefit
has your love
so quiet and fearful,
dormant in its shrouded heart?

please
don’t believe
the pale vocabulary
of this ambivalant world,
silence its own sharp betrayal.

and what
benefit has my
abundant heart if
not sharing our pain?

i am
not afraid
of your fear.

reach then,
reach for my hand
the true sky is waiting.
couple these hearts together
and we can glide above this fray.

sunrise animated photo: Sunrise 1 sunrise.jpg

Written April 2013


4 Comments

cradle

how

did you

with so few words

and that infinite glance,

detour the world’s cruelties

never speak of forgiven mistakes

allay every fear and each lingering doubt

absorb life’s injustice in your enormous heart?

and the electricity of fingertips awakened my senses

yet i never thought once i deserved to be loved.

and now curling safely in it’s cradle embrace

how, is a question i hope has an answer.

but

how is

that question

i’ll continue to ask……

thCAFM6OAP


1 Comment

bloom

thCA42BGX3

with delicate and

slow unfurling

let me savor

then, every

curl and

ruffle.

our

spring

is upon us

i’m here waiting,

an ear to your soil

and listening.

always.


2 Comments

her last page

many thanks to Sky Vani, for sharing this song and beautiful video.
feel free to play it low as a soundtrack, as i did while writing this poem.

.
as early as her day begins, it ends
a sad memoir echoes an empty room,
and she breezes through her motions
without a care in this world.
as if her love never really ended
wrote the diary, it’s last page.

wide cupped latte’
a quick croissant
and her habitual daily stroll
to every place they ever met.
she’s hoping without a prayer
he’ll be sitting there as always
in his favorite, corner chair.

she chooses spools of woven thread
from the French village mercerie,
that suggestive red dress
he always loved
and it’s noticeable tear.
as if life never did really end
wrote the diary, her last page.

written April 2013


2 Comments

Through

Setting the Dark on Fire

Through that night

and from across a room

Through crowded strangers

and all my awkward shyness

Through every hurt remembered

and scattering debris of aborted plans

Through a slow death in every unloved soul

and that night, that miracle night

Through our infinity of eyes

and every hum and flutter

Through faith rewarded

and there was you

and every night

there was you


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gentle brush

thCA1S0L72

wash warm hues, gentle brush

across a heart forgotten.

it’s soft caress no sadness lingers

renew it’s every fray and tear.

create a masterpiece, my lovely

erase all coloring of fear.

nuance streamed light and shadows

our layered texture, sweet romance.

and devote each waking minute

as Monet with Lily Pads.


2 Comments

April Challenge

I have been dutifully editing my poem every day this month (except for the two days I was in the hospital)…and want to now simply go on record to say that I’m finding it more and more difficult as the days go on. This isn’t to say that I think my poem is complete. I know that extended editing can result in a really good poem. At the same time I don’t want to edit just for the sake of editing.

I am glad to be spending this kind of time on my poem. If you happen to be following my work on it, you’ll see that some days I make small changes and other days the edits are more significant.

I’m having trouble foreseeing doing this for two more weeks. But, I love a good challenge, so I’ll give it my best shot.


8 Comments

reach me

thCA1FLI0V

through

all of my life

i’ve hid inside shadows,

never willing to

believe

there was someone

like you

to

reach me.
.

please,

don’t give up

on who you think you’ve found.

because it’s you

and only you

will ever

find

me.

written April 2013


7 Comments

tiptoe

th

Amid this winter’s grey mist grip
our April mocks her Spring impression.
Rush hour red lights stop and start,
frustrated and my happened glance at

a waif like girl no more than nine,
she’s mouthing words of imagined rhyme.
I watch her whispering monologues
as she tiptoes boulders in the park.

Pure innocence her soft protection
from cruel worlds I suffer much too well.
I mouthed my thank you to the waif
and she tiptoed boulders until dark.


3 Comments

s.a.d.ness

crocus abd bees 2012 001

Sunless skies, endless
grey clouded over grey crusted
snow, creating havoc for crocus shoots
struggling to make their stand.

Winter, a slow
death by its thousand windy cuts
and imperceptable emotional fade, now
so few words shared between them.

All purple and
orange in full bloom swathed across
front yard lawns stirring expectations, and
memories of their languid summer days.

Teal sky
days that start warm ending warmer,
their uninterrupted steady sun and their
sleeveless shirts and moist sweaty skin.

Sun, her kiss
once assured his unsteady heart. So many
purple and orange reasons to be hopeful but
March, always the cruel reminder.

written March 2013
revised FOR April 2013 :- /


2 Comments

April Challenge – Day Three

Made some minor adjustments to parts 1 and 2. Part 3 has been altered and Part 4 has been added. Please feel free to provide constructive criticism and comments (or if you preferred a previous revision).

The original Day One version can be read here.

i. Torpor
Wolves unleashed by the darkened skies;
Like rapids they flow through the camp.
Stifled fires hide their hungry eyes
And the sheep fall, lost under the sleepy lamp.

Other lambs hide from the ravenous storm
And a lonely lion cub, raised by the flock,
Is uncertain that sacrifices are warm.
He wanted to fight, and not hide under a rock.

Surrounded by sheep, will the cub bleat or,
In time discover the truth and find his roar.

ii. Verity
In the wake of the wolves brash raid
The cub has to travel towards his truth.
His path mires the deeper he wades
Leading towards the end of youth.

Dawn raises more vacillant questions;
Swallowing dust, his words silent and dry,
Yet inside the mind bays frustrations.
Run or return home: what is the lie …

Blind in the darkness, he watches not his feet
Arriving at a cross road, which will he greet …

iii. Eschew
Scared to continue, but he can not return to a lie
Cold wet and hungry; the cub conflicted and alone
In the woods nightmares cast by the moon lit sky,
Branches claw and hollows gnarl teeth of bone.

Feeling like a marionette cut loose
Virgin eyes see that roots do not grasp,
And daemon eyes can not seduce
His freedom that callow fears rasp.

But an omen shadows his troubles with a cry,
To hear such; foretells that he will soon die.

iv. Freedom
The breaking light cracks the daemon’s grin
And courage fills him with every ray of vim
Lies left behind, the omen cries a muted din;
The desire for truth blinds the struggle in him.

The wood’s shadows are cast aside with light,
So little he knows of life and their pains,
But on he walks to the river town with sprite.
The cub far from a lion, living on stains.

A lesson in trust he’ll learn first hand,
No longer safe in his flock, he’ll fall not stand


2 Comments

April Challenge – Day Two

Had comments regarding the second line, and have made some other revisions. Please feel free to provide constructive criticism and comments (or if you preferred a previous revision).

Day One (previous) version can be read here.

i. Torpor

Bears unleashed by the darkened skies;
Like spirits they descend upon the camp.
Stifled fires hide their hungry eyes
And the sheep fall, lost under the sleepy lamp.

Other lambs hide from the ravenous storm
And a lonely lion cub, raised by the flock,
Is uncertain that their sacrifices are warm.
He wanted to fight, and not hide under a rock.

Surrounded by sheep, will the cub bleat or,
In time discover the truth and find his roar.

ii. Verity

In the wake of the bear’s ruthless raid
The cub has to travel towards his truth.
The path will mire the deeper he wades,
Leading towards the end of youth?

Dawn raises more vacillant questions;
Swallowing dust, his words silent and dry,
Yet inside the mind bays frustrations.
Run or return home: what is the lie?

Blind in the darkness, he watches not his feet
Arriving at a cross road, which lie to greet …

iii. Eschew

Scared to continue, but he can not return to a lie
Cold wet and hungry; the cub is conflicted.
An omen shadows his troubles with a cry,
Daemon eyes burn like stabs inflicted.

The breaking light cracks the daemon’s grin
And courage fills him with every ray of vim.
Lies behind him, in sorrowful tears of their sin;
The desire for truth blinds the struggle in him.

So little he knows of life and the greater land
No longer safe in his flock, he’ll fall or stand.


17 Comments

April Challenge – Day One

Little bit of a cheat, as I have written this poem before but I have not been happy with the poem series, and it is not complete either.  Through the challenge I will aim to revise, improve and complete the series.  I have previously published the first poem (Torpor) on my personal blog, but thought it best to include as they all flow into one another.  Please critique and provide comments on the poem for me, so that I can improve upon them throughout April.  I have no overall title for the poem series either at the moment, suggestions welcome.

i. Torpor

Wolves unleashed by the darkened skies;
As raindrops, they descend fluidly upon the camp.
Fires long extinguished hide their hungry eyes
And sheep fall forever, lost under the sleeping lamp.

Lambs seek shelter from the ravenous storm
Yet a lonely lion cub, raised by the flock
With uncertainties from sacrificing others wasn’t warm.
He wanted to fight, and not hide under a rock.

Surrounded by sheep, will the cub bleat or,
In time discover the truth and find his roar.

ii. Verity

In the wake of the raid
The cub travels towards the truth,
Unaware of the road that lies laid.
Leading to the end of his youth?

Dawn raises more vacillant questions;
Through dust his words dry,
Yet inside the ocean roars frustrations.
To return home: which is a lie?

Blind in the darkness, he watches not his feet
Arriving at a junction, which life to greet?

iii. Eschew

Too scared to continue, but to return a lie
Cold wet and hungry the cub’s conflicts
A wise omen shadows his plight with a cry
Daemon eyes glint, one of the crescent tricks?

The breaking light cracks daemon faces
Courage fills him with each ray of vim
Forging onwards to a new life with sturdy paces
Desire for truth blinding struggles in him

So little he knew of life and the greater land
No longer safe within his flock, does he fall or stand?

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