Monday 11 May 2015

Alchemy

Anger flows; eyes flare at those
Whose words are swords in trembling hands
In morbid might spite grips and grows
From poorly composed blind demands.
My best intentions ash to dust
Dis-ease consolidates to Lead
A warm thump of power lust
On drum skins stretched across my head
A single droplet from a leaf
It’s presence ripples pure
Sweet clarity is my relief
Compassion is my cure
The frailty of others shown
Is Gold that sets me free
That's Magick from the Wise Oak grown
My Friend – that’s Alchemy.

Sam Edge

Friday 26 September 2014

The Secret

Today at the Pond - Herotomost is asking us to tell the universal truth of life - as seen through eyes of a child. He explains it much better here. 

*******

When Nana died 
She didn't cry.
She just blinked
And asked why... 

... Daddy Why?

Then together
In a thinking state of mind
We decided Nana lived
The kind of life you only find
At the end of roads travelled 
In a way we both surmised
That even God would have approved of.

Nana always used to tell us 
we all get a certain sum of ticks and beats
and using them the best we can
is what makes a life complete.

So I told her Nana lived life well
and her time had just ran out.
Then I waited with breath bated
Fretting over if she got it.

This all was a puzzle to her
So she sat a beat to see 
If she could sort it out. 
I watched her work
across the possibilities with
a curiously furrowed brow.

Then in just the right amount of ticks 
And with a teary big-eyed look 
She turned to me and said:
"If Nana died when time ran out,
Dad, let's just take our time."

I knew just then she’d found The Secret
and I hoped that she would keep it
until such a time as she would need it 
 for a life lived to completion.

********


This is based on a real conversation with my Daughter, Emma, when my Nana died (her Great Nana). I've written about it before but today seemed appropriate to revisit her innocent wisdom.

Best Sam

Wednesday 3 September 2014

Back to School

Wide eyes true 
are back to school.
Played right up
to Labour Day.
Try to be cool 
with butterflies.
Hide your Sponge Bob 
lunch box virus.
Miley Cyrus - so '08
Wonder who the 
cool kids are?
Under just know 
you are okay.

*******

 Out of the lake and into the Pond :)

Saturday 24 May 2014

Baby Proof

It's been a while. I've been resting. I'll ease back into it with inspiration from Mama Zen and Words Count from the Garden - "Write about being safe in 53 words or less"

It try to spend at least an hour 
each day playing with my baby. 
She reminds me just how baby
proof and happy life can be.

She reminds me simple things are safe and easy.

Giggling and peek-a-booing 
tickling the best of what's left
from the baby that I used to be.

(52 Words)









Tuesday 15 April 2014

The Ballad of Sam and Nona

He came from the dust of bullets and muck
and she with the grace of lilacs and such
Between the two was one fierce soul
two halves that made a whole

Together they could not be beat
he made her tough she made him sweet
they made their way and paid the toll
and slowly grew into two sacred souls.





*****



The Toads are writing Ballads today. I've been away from my poetry for a while busy working of some other projects. This was a good one to get back on tract. I think there's more here but for today that all I got.




Friday 4 April 2014

Registered Mail

Shay is kicking it old school in the Garden with some old fashioned snail mail. I took a bit of a dark turn turn on this one. The last letter I got was registered mail for the Custody Agreement mediated between me and my Ex - by far my darkest hours. 

I worked in my favourite song of all time Behind Blue Eyes. I posted both versions of the Song - the original by the Who and and remix by Limp Bizkit. I like the Who better. The new version is well sung but they left out the one verse that is my favourite lyric of all time in song or poetry: 

When my fist clenches, crack it open 
Before I use it and lose my cool 
When I smile, tell me some bad news 
Before I laugh and act like a fool 

And If I swallow anything evil 
Put your finger down my throat 
And If I shiver, please give me a blanket 
Keep me warm, let me wear your coat 

[That's why Fred Durst is the Worst.]


Behind Blue Eyes (The Who Original)

I refuse to sign today
for self-inflicted tragedy
the evil that I didn't swallow
my hamster had a speed wobble
then Speedy had a heart attack
I had to stop and take a tick
but if I choke
who'll stick their finger down my throat?

I hate those pricks 
those courthouse bricks of family sicknesses
held by mortar made of horrified 
and mortified little kids
who had to choose
and always loose 
no matter what they did.

Should I sign for misery?
register my apathy?
In the case of him and her 
Overseen by hatchet face
Gunna put me in my place
I'll take the head 
You take the rest 
If I confess would you take less?
Would you feel these feelings like I do? 
and I blame YOU

"Wah Wah Wah Wah Wah"
What the fuck was that?

Charlie Brown's teacher talking 
reading mediated papers
in the the case of me and you
no adultery but we're sick 
of getting screwed
Roger Daultry ringing in my ear
nobody knows what it's like
to be jaded and so faded
and to carry all these lies

Discover whether weekends 
and a birthday here and there
are enough to Limp along 
and show how much I care 
but maybe there's loophole here
maybe I won't fail?
if I never sign 
Maybe I can buy more time
if I never sign 
Registered Mail.

Behind Blue Eyes (The Who Original)



Saturday 22 March 2014

My Wild Woman

Inspire Howl Wing - Ella's Edge
*******

She exploded onto the scene 
with a roar
exaggerated by silence
and patiently waiting
for my Wild Man to mature

She taught me strength 
by embracing weakness
with tender nipples 
and mid month bloating
she showed majesty 
in the face of travesty

She showed me I was too strong
to be powerful
bleeding is beautiful
true beauty moves 
it bends mountains and men

Once her presence was known
she folded into gentle steel
growled quietly
at dangerous strangers
and watched with amusement.

*****

Toads are revisiting old prompts - I chose to get in touch with my wild woman.


Thursday 20 March 2014

It's Okay Day

Just for today we can be
Just be

Just for today it's Okay Day
It's Okay to be fat and white
It's Okay to be black and right
God doesn't take sides today

No stranger danger for today
No bills to pay
No one suffocates today
No one hates today

Even the sick can take a break
Break the chains of yesterday
No one starves or runs from carbs
We even let the bad guys pray

Just for today it's Okay Day
It's Okay baby girl
It's Okay to be afraid
It's just Okay

Just for today we can be
Just be

********

Today the Toads are celebrating our own special holiday in our imaginations - Happy Okay Day :)


Thursday 13 March 2014

Frozen




*****

Seems like a lifetime
since I've felt sunshine
that north wind keeps blowing

I'm frozen. So frozen.

Wind blown snow angels
hard crusty drifting
across a dark carcass
the lonely forgotten
smashed jack-o-lantern
and Christmas tree ashes
spread solemnly calmly
in deafening stillness
surrounded by breath clouds

So frozen. I'm frozen.

The crack of the ice
a warm breeze at night
icicles trickle and drip
is Mother tricking me?
Roll over and dream of
the sweet smell of spring
out there somewhere
a flickering candle
Lord knows I can't handle
much more of this winter.

I'm frozen. So frozen.

*******

Sunday 2 March 2014

Apple Happy


Inside every apple seed
is a perfect apple tree.
Pure potentiality
engineered delicately.

Inspired by the great divine?
Intelligently designed?
Happy apple accidents,
random happenings of time?

Each seed has the will to be
to manifest its destiny
to grow and bare precious seeds
achieve immortality.

Apple trees never ask why.
Can't bare pears and never try
or lay awake wondering why
branches point towards the sky.

They're just plain old apple happy

******



Today the Toads are inspired by the metrical verse of Robert Frost. One of my favourite American Poets.