How much light
will vanquish darkness?
It can never
be eradicated fully,
only lessened, brought
into some balance.
In today’s world
light’s a pinprick –
so much dark matter
crowding it out.
Yet it doesn’t
take much light
to pierce and illuminate
the deepest shadows.
Written for Quadrille #231: Making Much of Poems (44 words, including 'much') at dVerse Poets Pub .
Thousands march
in our major cities.
(I too, if younger, fitter.)
No mere rumpus,
although impassioned.
Determination!
One placard arrests me:
WAR CRIMES ARE NOT
SELF-DEFENCE.
Next, an overseas bulletin.
I recoil, shriek,
cover my eyes.
Children’s bones
poke like sticks
through empty skin.
Written for dVerse, for Quadrille #230: Let's kick up a rumpus! (44 words excluding title, which must include the word 'rumpus'.)
Comments are disabled for this post. (I appreciate that the topic is very hard for any of us to engage with, and I don't wish to start a quarrel here – but sometimes a poet must speak up, as a matter of honour. You are of course free to use your own poems, on your own blogs, to express yourself on this subject if you feel an urgency to address it.)
He jabbers of nothing
in empty sweet-speak;
refining its shape,
giving a tweak.
Then he adds tinsel,
a sequin or two,
a frill of paper lace,
and hands it to you.
Are your eyes alight?
How trite,
how absurd!
He means not a word.
Written for dVerse's Quadrille #229: Shall We Jabber On? (44 words not counting the title, including some form of the word 'jabber'.)
When winter turns spring,
shall I still be here?
A certain music
sounds ever more clear –
sometimes alarming,
sometimes tender, dear.
The river,
once wide to cross,
dwindles: a stream
I could step over with a toss
of my hair. But –
gain or loss?
A quadrille written for dVerse Q227. (44 words exactly, excluding title, with one compulsory word, in this case 'turn,' and its derivatives.)
I’m very occupied.
Honestly.
How?
Telling that
needs greater honesty.
Almost unknown to myself
I decided:
The time left – mine! –
I choose to use
indulgently.
Once
I did the needful things.
Now I laze about,
reading, eating …
occupied in selfish pleasure
if I’m honest.
Written for dVerse Quadrille #226 – Honestly!
(A dVerse invention, the Quadrille must be exactly 44 words, excluding title, and must include one specific word – in this case, 'honest'.)