Pushing the envelope outside the box
if only here to accentuate
the many ways in which
emu may emulate
by delivering nutrients' benefits
and what's more
help repair with anti-aging hydrate
yet won't clog your pores
they herd the birds in a mob
not a troublesome job or task
with ladle fire pit pot and hob
'How is it collected?' I hear you ask
as allegedly good for the skin
anti-inflammatory emu oil
is scooped off the bubbling surface
when they're brought to the boil
I -Ninety Five was the catalyst,
all of it’s traffic so prominent.
That golden opportunity wished,
I-Ten is a brand new environment.
Harmony always seems to elude me
in a sea of loud noise and clutter.
Still a part of me’s linked to the city,
I was built on lime bread and butter.
Rudimentary train maps I dismissed,
I’m familiar with this urban pavement.
However there are things on my list
that I must have to truly feel content.
Palm trees accentuate the sea
and divulge coastal life with a stutter.
It’s a different life in the country,
but with change I don’t fall, I flutter.
Fond of stability with a bubbly twist,
I hold dear places with time spent.
Bouncing around longing to coexist
I’m a catcrobat, one hundred percent.
When it’s quiet in the city,
It’s a temporary hush,
A break from all the noises
Of the normal urban rush.
The bustle is suspended
For a holiday, perhaps,
Or the hour’s just so early,
From the hustle there’s a lapse.
When it’s quiet in the country,
That’s the way it’s gonna stay,
Though some birdsong or some scampers
May accentuate the day.
Many love the peace and silence,
Where their stress they can suspend,
But I much prefer the city sounds,
Just waiting ‘round the bend.
little things
today
lets use lots of words
to say little things
we can lay four-word sentences
beneath paragraphs
and put exclamation points
in places normally reserved for commas
we can say ‘tuesday’
several times
and call dandelions beautiful
we can wonder why ‘morose’
is not a color
and accentuate the wrong part
of three-syllable words
lets use lots of words
to say little things
today
tomorrow will be here soon enough
and words are reusable
‘tuesday’...
dandelions are beautiful
on tuesday
tolbert
Henri Matisse's Studio
Scattered about like fish in a pond
are paintings and objects in a secluded room
in a sea of red shouting out loud;
Connoisseurs please enter, others not welcomed
The pink studio expresses acceptance
of chic bourgeois realism, re-enforcing boredom
with sunlight streaming through the window
and a welcome mat laying on the linoleum.
The colour-contrast room interiors
accentuate artworks during creative years
of avant-garde innovations
that have captured an audience’s attention.
One version is neat and tidy and the other chaotic,
peering into one and looking out from the other,
revealing Matisse’s mind in motion
from realism and post-impressionism to Fauvism.
Vibrant glow of Spring
enthralls heart with triumph
as lovely daffodils radiate hope
while cheerful violas brighten the day
and blooming hyacinths accentuate garden’s beauty.
Spring, grace-bestowed
manifests Creator’s artistry
as buds of magnolia exude life
with tulip bulbs showcasing growth
blend well with azaleas in wafting freedom delight.
As Spring birds serenade
with their melodious rendition
blossoms keep on waltzing and swaying
offering praise to the Almighty for existence-joy
reigning against blight … in celebration of triumphant birth.
Accentuate the positive
Follow your heart
Fulfill your dreams
Inspired by higher power
Reach for the sky
Make it happen
Apply yourself
Think big
Intercept negative thinking
Own your challenges
Never give up
STARS OF CLARITY
The stars look down as I look up to them
I sense meaning in the darkness between
The tiny twinkles of light I see and respect
Accentuate what appears as the black void
They offer an insight to solve life’s problems
‘Til now, lurking unseen in the undergrowth
But these stars of clarity offer a new prospect
To examine all the pits and scratches of life
And for the first time, see the bigger picture
Perspective is the first real step toward sanity
Yet I wonder, who else sees stars in this way
Maybe millions, but billions just see blackness
guru chakra and sahasrara
combine to accentuate
mood and mode contemplative
bliss hums with potent power
as toroidal heart joins the play
feeling soma nectar dripping
forgive our diction
but this is fact, not fiction
and certainly not metaphorical
Autumn sings her spirited solo.
Ululating in a heightened voice,
Teasing with Her best and brightest show.
Undulating leafy skirts, loud choice.
Mindful of the season’s pleasant flow.
Never short on reason to rejoice.
Syncopating with gust and low breeze
Only accentuate Her beauty.
Notice the gorgeous gemstones ease
Accentuating Her costumery.
Tunefully serenading tones that please
Accepting the ardor of Her duty.
So seldom does she sit alone by day
Gently smiling amid the fawning blue
Had she just grinned and slyly walked away
Without the starry quilt the heavens threw
To cast a shadow long o’er rolling hills
Enjoy the shining warmth upon her arc
Rejoice in dance with roiling frothy surf
Bask in the moments unknown after dark
And yet she feels the sting of cheater’s angst
That moment when she knows she must return
Accentuate the diamonds siren call
to reignite the embers that still burn
Though she is cloaked beneath a million lights
Old lovers bring sweet joy into her nights
John G. Lawless
©7/8/2023
The epitome of frowziness
Unkempt, with a dash of wild
Stylishly disheveled
Beneath an unexpected
Yellow bow.
Soft stains accentuate
The drape of her dress
Highlighting invisible features
Pencil drawing
On a moving canvas
Gliding smoothly
In unlaced ballet slippers
Leaving no trace
But the hint
Of her presence
"and the birds twitter like whispering violins" - Constance La France
SEMIQUAVERS
In the warm, late summer day, I lie in the verdant meadow,
Head cushioned on my discarded jacket.
Way up above, the drone of a small plane
Seems only to accentuate the stillness of the day.
I close my eyes and, in my mind,
I see you standing there, that haunting smile upon your lips.
That haunting smile I long to see again.
A new sound wakes me from my reverie
And, opening my eyes I see
A swoop of swallows circling in a confusion of patterns
Before settling on the overhead telegraph wires,
Looking for all the world like semiquavers on a music score.
The drone of the plane fades away
"and the birds twitter like whispering violins.’
Lost in the beauty of their chorus,
I could swear they were playing our tune.
15th May 2023
Writing Challenge A Quotes poetry contest
Sponsor - Constance Le France
ADVOCATIONS
accentuate
& emamate
in subtle
tonality
demonstates
magnetic
pomp
contemplates
significance
suspended
interwined
&irregular
in
organic
automuny
installed
wide open
with
focussed
sensations
&
impacts
fleeting
thoughts
with
explicit
feelings
to
transcend
the
entire
ensemble
stuporous
guard down
past tendencies
rise within instinctively
manifesting as rage
condoned by ego
as being fleeting
thus leaving residue
of past animal nature
within our radiant soul
the faint traces
of identity nurtured
enables us to bilocate
between the immanent
and the transcendent
unique wabi-sabi stains
like the spots on the moon
diminish not soul’s beauty
but rather accentuate
innate luminosity
we forgive ourself
21-March-2023
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