Category: poetry

Like Snow on Stony Ground

Chris Hall74 Comments
The image shows a rough track leading to a cottage in the woods. The track is bound on both sides with a wooden fence. There is a layer of snow on the ground.

you melted my heart
that chill winter’s day
when you lured me
into the woods

by the flickering fire
clothed in candlelight
I rapidly fell
for your charms

night after night
smouldering bright
my whole body
liquified

but by Dawn’s harsh light
my love for you
fell like snow on
stony ground

~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Sean Boyd @ Unsplash
The image shows a rough track leading to a cottage in the woods. The track is bound on both sides with a wooden fence. There is a layer of snow on the ground.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #125 photo prompt

Escape

Chris Hall78 Comments
The image shows a girl carrying an oversized geometry set in her arms, looking directly at the camera.

snatching up the tools of her trade
gathering together
her books, her notes
small remnants of her life

eyes wide with fear
her flatmate clutches
their little dog
to her chest

travelling by train, on foot
they finally reach the border
her skills, at least
are portable

~~~~~~~~

inspired by an article from yesterday’s SA Sunday Times in which three SA final year students escaped from Ukraine to Slovakia (their little dog, Mowgli, made it out too)

Image credit: Houcine Ncib @ Unsplash
The image shows a girl carrying an oversized geometry set in her arms, looking directly at the camera.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #124 photo prompt

Outsiders

Chris Hall68 Comments
The image shows a red neon sign that reads “Vacancy” over a black background.

Trudging through dark, rain-drenched streets, sodden feet sliding over cobbles, hope ebbs away, like rivulets flowing over muddy gutters. The storm rages beyond the border, and wave upon wave of the cowed and the cowering flee; families struggling, dragging straggling old folk and hungry, wailing kids. Doors open, women beckon, many are taken in. But not us.

midnight approaches
and now the streets are empty
will we ever find refuge?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Carter Saunders @ Unsplash
The image shows a red neon sign that reads “Vacancy” over a black background.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #123 photo prompt

Flatline

Chris Hall110 Comments
The image shows two skeleton’s hands reaching towards a digital device enveloped in purple-pink haze.

fingers slipping
joints clicking
every moment counts
digits creaking
thoughts fading
time is running out
no more posting
no more scrolling
you can’t WhatsApp me now
battery’s dying
signal’s failing
.
.
.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: 8machine@ Unsplash
The image shows two skeleton’s hands reaching towards a digital device enveloped in purple-pink haze.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #122 photo prompt

A picture of a tin of spam

A Cry for Help!

Yep, my little spam problem is back *sigh*
If you see I’ve just popped a like in your post, please check your spam. Very likely you’ll find me there fuming. Please fish me out🎣

Unrequited

Chris Hall87 Comments
The image shows a couple dining. The man has a glass of wine in his hand and he is looking at his companion. The woman is staring the other way, holding a few long stem flowers.

He eyes her through the filter of his almost untouched wine glass, while she stares absently through sparkling windows at manicured gardens. Stiff as the starched collar of his borrowed shirt, he rehearses the lines he wants to say. He takes another taste of wine, the unfamiliar liquid rolls across his tongue. She sweeps from the table without a glance, leaving long-stemmed roses scattered in her wake.

seizing the moment
clutching a crimson flower
he strides after her
but she’s already dancing
in the arms of another.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Olga Solodilova @ Unsplash
The image shows a couple dining. The man has a glass of wine in his hand and he is looking at his companion. The woman is staring the other way, holding a few long stem flowers.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #121 photo prompt

List Maker’s Lament

Chris Hall96 Comments
The image shows a chalk board with a caption, “Before I die” on the top. Below are slots where people can write their opinions.

She’d always been a great Maker of Lists:
(her memory was awful)
to do lists,
shopping lists,
books to read,
movies to see,
places to go,
even lists of lists!

She’d always said:
‘if I put it on the list, it will happen’.
And usually it did.

But now, on this, her birthday,
another milestone passed (largely unmarked),
it dawned on her.

Perhaps now, not everything on her great List of Lists
could be achieved (especially the books).

Future plans might have to be
a little less ambitious.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Google images
The image shows a chalk board with a caption, “Before I die” on the top. Below are slots where people can write their opinions.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #120 photo prompt

Like catching falling leaves

Chris Hall87 Comments
The image shows three young men standing by the roadside and laughing at a shared joke.

Oh, did we savour
time’s sweetest moments?
Fleeting memories
of shared jokes
of youthful conquests
of time gleefully misspent.

We should’ve savoured
life’s honeyed passage.
Fading recollections
of vows exchanged
of time well-spent
of dreams almost fulfilled.

Oh, we should relish
our happy golden years!
Savouring remembrances
like catching falling leaves
precious memorials
to time now past.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Jed Villigo @ Unsplash
The image shows three young men standing by the roadside and laughing at a shared joke.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #119 photo prompt

Dying Embers

Chris Hall82 Comments
The image shows a pair of spectacles to which a pair of rose-coloured clip-on attachment is affixed. You can see a view of skyline near a shore through these colored clip-ons.

She sits alone, staring into the crimson flames, a glass of ruby wine in her hand, the half-empty bottle on the wooden floor beside her. Muddy rivers run down her cheeks from red-rimmed eyes. She takes another sip and puts the glass down. Carefully. She rips off the pretty new blouse which he’d failed to notice – his eyes were elsewhere all night – flings it into the fire where the fabric curls like dead leaves; buttons pop in the heat. More wine sloshes in the glass.

betrayal revealed
in long lingering glances
scales drop from her eyes
sorrow seeps into her heart
dying embers fill the grate
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Tathanhtaun @ Pexabay
The image shows a pair of spectacles to which a pair of rose-colored clip-on attachment is affixed. You can see a view of skyline near a shore through these colored clip-ons.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #118 photo prompt

He will conquer

Chris Hall73 Comments
The image shows a person standing on top of a rock, his feet straddling two projections. In the background, you can see the skyline and down below some houses.

solo traveller
striding through life’s long journey
youthful confidence
casts trepidation aside
to reach the ultimate goal

he seizes the day
glorying in his triumph
all demons vanquished

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Suliman Sallehi @ Pexels
The image shows a person standing on top of a rock, his feet straddling two projections. In the background, you can see the skyline and down below some houses.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #117 photo prompt

Afterwards

Chris Hall72 Comments
You can see a young person’s silhouette against a pink sky. You can see a subdued sun in the sky and birds flying in circle.

emerging at last
from an underground cocoon
pale sun still shrouded
yet emerald shoots glisten
birds are calling to the dawn

post-apocalypse
nature is undefeated
what will man do now?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: LuizClas@ Pexels
The image shows a young person’s silhouette against a pink sky. There is a subdued sun in the sky and birds flying in circle.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #116 photo prompt