Express In Eight

February 2022

Express in eight February 2022


2-1-2022
Spring is here.

Spring is in the air, green’s the grass
Flowers are on the bloom, lake’s calm.
Bird’s on the wing, hare’s on the run.
Soon melts the snow, the chill is gone.

The earth turns green, the sky is blue.
Moms and babes are out in the open.
The blue sea beckons, the white sand
Calls, young and old race to the beach.

Prompt: Write an eight-syllables in eight lines-poem

2-2-2022
Calm and collected

When I give it a thought
I see no rhyme or reason
to wring my hands
at every unexpected event.

So therefore I've started
to surprise myself by
staying cool and composed
...till the next big crisis.

Prompt: "I don't worry about anything anymore"

2-3-2022
“Dust thou art…”

All’s to dust and ashes
That makes life a precious
gift I realise, respect, and relish.
Nature, people and God I cherish.

One wonderful life to welcome
endless things of fulsome
beauty, joy, peace and love
till the wind returns soul to the One above.

Prompt: “Dust in the Wind,” by KANSAS

2-4-2022
Punished

What creates crime?
The need for power?
Or the power of love?
Look at it any which way,
crime doesn’t pay.
A criminal escapes
perchance, yet guilt eats
at the very roots of his life.

Prompt: Crime doesn’t pay

2-6-2022
The bell tolls

Few can say,
“Death! Come and
whisper to me.”
I need not put on
a “face of fear”
on meeting him.

He’d be the friend
to let me find the final goal.

Prompt: poems by John Donne& Lucille Clifton

2-5-2022
Release

Buds found release
with the start of spring.
Their beauty in the open
mesmerising millions.

Time to get out of the shell
darkness no more
with the light of joy
sending thrill thro’ the land.

Prompt: “Risk” by Anais Nin

2-7-2022
Love failure


When his cherished dream of love
failed, overnight he became a poet.
His crazed imagination spun poetry
of incredible beauty, painted colorfully.

Failure in love and heartbreak thereof
are strong agents of inspiration waking
his latent talent at creating words of magic.
Might he be "the lunatic, the lover and the poet"?

Prompts: Lunatic, Cherished

2-8-2022
A bit dull

Some camera shots
Cut my confidence.
Face(long enough)elongated,
Ears(nice ones)protrude.

“I touched up wherever
a bit dull for my liking,” he said.
Those hooded men behind
camera might have done better.

Prompt: Early Camera

2-9-2022
Irreplaceable

While passing through
trying times, they were
my sounding boards.
My cherished friends
through our twenties
till date, sure till the end.
Friendship bonds, precious,
unique and irreplaceable.

Prompt: Bond

2-10=2022
Fear

Alarm went off in my mind,
the moment I spotted
a yard-long snake molt
close to the fence in the yard.

The shiny sequin skin
sent shivers up my spine,
leave alone its shedder.

What if it hides in the closet?

Prompt: Molt

2-11-2022
Not hostile

I found the red-capped
friendly garden gnome
nestling in the grassy
abundance of our lawn.

I decided not to get rid
of the quiet spirit, for
he looked game enough
to protect my green treasures.

Prompt: Garden Gnome

2-12-2022
Honest Abe

Abe Lincoln reaches out.
That larger than life character
is endearing to many a humane heart.
Unusually tall, strong and supportive

studious, and spellbinding,
easily one of the best in the century.
Ever in the living memory of
lovers of liberty, equality and brotherhood.

Prompt: Abraham Lincoln

2-13-2022
Why Cheese?

Cheese is everywhere
has nothing to compare.

Not much competition for cheddar
still strong and popular by far.

Yet, the little girl wanted something
different, grated Parmesan or nothing

Cheese burger or cheese sandwich?
How about cheese ice cream deliciously rich?

Prompt: Cheese

2-14-2022
Across the hills.

The young woman hoisted up
on to the pale reddish chestnut
in one fluid movement,
sat with effortless balance.
Nudging the horse gently
she led him to trot and canter.
Then they merged with the green hills
galloping with the velocity of a high wind.

Prompt: Velocity

2-15-2022
Ravages

Certain things shouldn’t change
but you did.
Given the fact that time erodes
I understand.

The sun and the stars never change.
And true love?
Its champions claim it’s eternal.
Yet, you’ve changed.

Prompt: You’ve changed

2-16-2022
Dropping by

We looked in at the big house
by the bay.
Conversation over tea and biscuits
unlocked memories
of long ago for the pretty old lady
dressed in laced lavender.
"When I look in," she said, “I feel refreshed
by happy memories."

Prompt: Looking in

2-17-2022
All’s fair in love and nature

Love makes me flexible.
I keep my options open,
never choosy if it’s nature.
“Would you like hills of sunrise,
or fields, endless carpets
of green or the spot of splendour
where the river meets ocean?”” she asked.
“Anything goes my dear!”

Prompt: Write a flexible poem

2-18-2022
Three sides

Actually, there are three sides
to every story, mine, hers, his.

He says, “ you said ….”
Pat comes her reply,
“ it was you that blamed..’
“I want to know exactly who
said what …” my voice.

Oh no, the going’s getting tough.

Prompt: There are two sides to every story

2-19-2022
The Bureaucrat

Where I live,
a bureaucrat’s like
an aristocrat or a demi-god.

Flourishing signature on
long awaited files
he feels like God’s chosen.

In a free country, a majority
is captive in the cells of bureaucracy.

Prompt: Bureaucracy

2-20-2022
Chased out

Monster greed
Superseded flower farms.
mortar and concrete
replaced nature’s charms.

Dappled sun no longer
filters into our rooms,
chased out by a stronger,
taller shadow that looms.

Prompt: Supersede

2-21-2022
Delectable

Speech, manner, demeanour
stylish, flamboyant.

Distinctly humorous with ready
repartee, carrying bag-full
of jokes, he provoked laughter
from friends and foes alike
spilling sunshine
any place, any time.

Prompt: Flamboyant


2-22-2022
City lights

Night lights shine
like rows of stars

Cars speed and slid
on the high way.

Drunk driving,
road rage, what a risk!

Urban folks face the music
of fire trucks or rescue trucks.

Prompt: Urban scene


2-25-2022
Lawrence Welk

When the sky is grey,
you can brighten the day
remembering Lawrence Welk,
the maestro, whose live music
captivated millions with melodies
of delight, beauty, truth and reality.
With ground-breaking variety,
he filled many a heart with gaiety.
Prompt: 1982 - Final episode of "The Lawrence Welk Show" is televised

2-26-2022
In my memory

Saturdays still sparkle
like stars in memory scape.

Mom and dad’d leave
for a movie, their weekly break.
It’s like freeing chicks
from motherly prison.

We’d yell and run amuck
till they arrive at ten sharp.

Prompt: Saturday

27-2-2022
Playful

In the hill-chapel
on a bright Sunday morn.

My parents and I
sat at ease on a shiny pew.

Saw Angela, her mom
on other side of the aisle.

Guess what? Angie was busy
playing with her nimble knee.



Note: she used to pop her knee off the cap and fix it in. A habit she ended after much admonition from teachers and parents.

28-22022
Organic

As I looked at those seeds
I was reminded of black beads.

Tiny ones in my palm
looked like eyes of charm.

Planted them in the backyard
where the bright sun filtered.

In six short months of magic
the seed fruited, sweetly organic.

Prompt: Write a magic poem