Category: Poetry

Brambles

~ Jo-Anne Teal ~ 38 Comments

Before our worlds unraveled, then knotted,

Before life pulled our friendship apart,

Untethered our hearts, then shattered,

Do you remember,

Our laughter and blue stained fingers,

Our common goal, our only enemy,

The laden branches and brambles,

At the edge of your grandma’s garden?

44 words for this week’s Quadrille on d’Verse Poet’s Pub. The prompt: brambles.

Dust motes

~ Jo-Anne Teal ~ 8 Comments

Closed window blinds hide her form from view,

Though a sliver of sunlight spies its way through

Dust motes.

It doesn’t matter.

Paper scratched, life-weary words flutter about,

Then fall away.

Her silent silhouette slumps,

Disappears.

Her heart’s voice breaks,

But no one hears.

44 words for this week’s dVerse Poets quadrille challenge: voice

Descending up

~ Jo-Anne Teal ~ 5 Comments

Disappointments descend, flutter, circle down, surrounding me

Like autumnal crimson leaves fall to rest at the base of a maple tree

Like layers of discarded, crumbling leaves, covering me up

Like last night’s blankets and denied possibilities

Like last night’s dreams

Disappear      

Like me.

44 words for this week’s d’Verse quadrille prompt: up

Ace

~ Jo-Anne Teal ~ 5 Comments

And while I was within
An ace of falling for your lies,
Believing your cries of devotion,
Waiting for Spring to begin.

I heard my heartbeats.
Louder than words,
Moving me towards,
A life that would not repeat,

The pain of loving you again.

***

44 words Quadrille for this week’s d’Verse Poets prompt: ace

Still waters

~ Jo-Anne Teal ~ 13 Comments

We spoke for hours that dusty cloud day,

Grandfather and I in a dented rowboat,

Fishing lines poised over a cool, still lake,

Trolling shallow.

Yet with water surrounding,

We caught by surprise, threads interweaving,

To something deeper, a gathering place.

Respect,

Understanding,

Love.

 

44 words for d’Verse this week. The prompt: Troll

Sip

~ Jo-Anne Teal ~ 12 Comments

Together, our moments, first gently, awaken this
Unexpected, fragile flicker.
Warmth rises from deep within,
Blush rushes to my surfaces,
Exposing my quietest secret.
Your voice is autumnal afterglow,
Baritone whisper a sip of fine wine.
My lips part, always wanting one drop more.

This week’s d’Verse  Poet’s Pub’s quadrille prompt (44 words): ‘sip’. 

Rapport

~ Jo-Anne Teal ~ 25 Comments

We could not capture the rhythm nor rhyme of each other’s stories.

Conversations weaved and wandered, mundane and misunderstood.

We heard sentences not sentiments,

Feigned commitment to our cause.

Curiosity faded so we cast hopes towards the stars.

Too many explanations spoiled our love.

44 words for d’Verse Quadrille prompt today: ‘Spoil’

Extinguish

~ Jo-Anne Teal ~ 10 Comments

What molten rage appears behind frosted windows
Your panic rises, scorching, then cools icy and remains
Tempers your home cannot, scarcely, contain
Trembling crumbles your well planned calm
You’ve known the truth for far too long
A wink, a blink, a flash, you’re gone.

d’Verse quadrille: 44 words using the prompt ‘wink’ (which admittedly I used in a darker way).

Unedited morning

~ Jo-Anne Teal ~ Leave a comment

I love the early morning on dark rain pitter-patter days
When the hours after will stretch out unspoken for
When the choices of time are only mine
The serenity of the cool pavement filled with water from sodden clouds
Bursting at the seams to unburden themselves
To share the sadness created, brought together from a thousand miles
Clouds see a thousand sights, stretch slowly, stretch slow lee across the gray skies
What do they see? Only tops of buildings, apex of trees trying to touch them
Or do clouds fill themselves with the thoughts of those whose lives they cover and uncover
Are clouds full of memories and is that why they rain?