Oak leaves showing us a full range of colours – Crispina Kemp
~~~
a beautiful sight
all those wonderful colours
there’s russet and red
bumblebee golden, chartreuse
and plus magnificent mauve
such a good season
it rings it’s changes so well
what else will it say?
young leaves are gorgeous, and that
oak will be extraordinary
~~~
Robbie is our host this week at #TankaTuesday, and she asks us to write about trees.
‘What’s this?’
‘Bizarre.’
The two boys had just stopped by one of the shops.
‘I don’t remember seeing this.’
‘Me neither.’
‘But what is in this window anyway?’
Then one of them looked up to see the sign.
‘It says that this is a barber’s shop, but it seems, well, odd.’
The shop door opened with a happy ding-dong bell, as a large jolly man waved some scissors at them. ‘Want to do you’re short back and sides then, young boys?’
The two of them grin, then one of them said. ‘It was only last week, so no thank you.’
Then the other one said. ‘Please can we see what’s in the window?’
‘Do come in. You’ll like this!’
‘See, they should sing but not until the fourth one is back. Just a little crack to make him better. Then it’ll be a barbershop quartet, and that will be lovely.’
~~~
150 words
~~~
big buttercups, buzz
darling daisies walk the talk
golden butterflies
fling nectar through those tall trees
the summer time vibe goes on
Summertime, and the living is easy. —Ella Fitzgerald
let’s lie on the hay
drinking some boozy bourbon
eat eggs and mustard
just a mellow afternoon
as a black crow cracks a joke
~~~
~~~
ahh baa-lambs
so very, very cute
delightful
skip and jump
there’s almost always
two, they’re twins
spring, summer
are both very nice
oh, but then…
they slow down
they’re more mature
just staring
so off to market
we must not mention this, no
bye, goodbye, baa-lambs
so something
very different now
more than good
we’ve some spuds
some lovely mint sauce
‘lamb for lunch’
~~~
up, up, up, from the deep pool
this pretty water maiden
is hungry, actually ravenous
she scans the pool edge
aha, there’s wild wood garlic
there are artichokes and chives
and even some watercress
this’ll be a great feast
so she’ll munch and munch, and burp
since there is no one around
she’s sometimes sad, but not much
she lives a good life
one day she will find a mate
and that will be quite awesome
but now everything is fine
going down, down, down
~~~
young dragon
was living in a deep forest
he pottered around there
and life was so good
but a problem
then reared up
poor dragon
he hadn’t expected that
such a great tragedy
it was cold and wet
freezing, but what
could he do?
young dragon
fled and flew into a cave
it was dry and warm too
and he mostly dozed
but then he sniffed
is it spring?
dear dragon
then flew down, back to that forest
he skipped and jumped too
his dragon wings
were beautiful
life was good!
~~~
Ladybird,
or maybe,
Ladybug.
Either way,
it matters
not a bit.
I have red
and black too,
polka dots!
It’s summer
afternoon
busy time.
I’m lucky
and also
good fortune.
Now I will
eat aphids
and many!
~~~~
Peacock Butterfly – Crispina Kemp
what happened to me?
I’m a peacock butterfly
look, I’m so pretty
I’m going to have a mate
and a family, but what then?
such a whirlwind month
I’d been a caterpillar
and before an egg
at least, I think so, but now
I’m afraid I’ll be no more
~~~~~~
Jisei – A traditional Japanese Buddhist death poem which discusses death and the meaning of life in the last moments before death. This form uses the syllabic form of the Tanka (5/7/5/7/7) and is generally serious though it can be humorous. We have all mused on our own demise – try to do it in this form.
Plus, I felt I needed two of these.
Thanks, Val
~~~~
WWII sea mine – Crispina Kemp
It was him!
It was a sea mine
To keep our coasts safe.
World War Two was dreadful
As many lives were lost.
So victory was needed.
He was in the right place and the right time.
It was Winston Churchill,
Man, War Correspondent and Prime Minister.
~~~~
Acrostic – This form requires that the first letter of each line forms a message. It was used for messages in code between lovers, spies, and mischief-makers. Write a message to other poets.
Or possibly a writer, an artist and more much.
Thanks, Val
~~~
The two boys braked, then wheeled around and stopped.
They peered at the sign.
‘This looks interesting.’
‘Do you think there is a castle down there?’ as he read what it said.
‘Could be.’
‘Well, it doesn’t say that we are not allowed to go along that drive, does it?’
So they started to bike while looking around the long winding road. It was pretty overgrown, and there seemed no-one around.
But then, what a vista!
The two of them stopped… dead.
‘What is it?’
‘Certainly not an old castle.’
They dropped their bikes, then walked around the imposing round building.
Just then, a large door opened from the inside, and a man appeared, and smiled. ‘Do come in, you’ll like this, I’m sure.’ He pointed up.
The two of them looked up. For a moment they said nothing, but then they both said: ‘Wow, a wonderful observatory – how cool!’
~~~
150 words
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