April 26th and April 27th, 2022 Poems

On the home stretch. here are my poems for April 26th and April 27th . Links to my previous April poems follow:

Tuesday, April 26th

Write a poem about a familiar scent.

Ode to Kombucha

I have been drinking
Homemade Kombucha
For almost five years now.

Kombucha has a tart flavor
And an intense aroma
A hearty mix of fermentation
Underlying spices
Tea and flavonoids

We add pomegranate juice
Turmeric and ginger
To the black and green tea base
Mixed with ever growing Mother

Kombucha gets me going
In the morning
Great cure for a hangover.
And cured my seasonal hay fewer
And helps moderate my migraines.

We make enough
To have it every morning
And occasionally in the afternoon.

Takes about a week
To brew up properly.

The intense smells and flavors
Wake us up from our slumbers,
Revitalizing our spirits,

Making it a great morning
Pickup drink.

The only downside
Is our kitchen smells
Like at time
Like a homemade brewery.

Life is a Dream of Chocolate Covered Trees NaPoWriMo Prompt

Life is but a dream, my friends
A dream of chocolate-covered trees
For to see what can’t be seen
For to hear what cannot be heard
To smell life inside
One’s inner mind
Lost in inner space
For to live in order to die
And to die
In order to live

The second oldest poem was written in 1972 when I was 16

Our featured online magazine for today is Longleaf Review, which has been publishing quarterly issues since the fall of 2018. From their recent issues, I’ll point you to Sara Elkamel’s “A Bride for a Flood” and Jad Josey’s “Not Bruise, Not Eggplant.”

And now for our daily prompt (optional, as always). A couple of days ago, we played around with hard-boiled similes. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that contains at least one of a different kind of simile – an epic simile. Also known as Homeric similes, these are basically extended similes that develop over multiple lines. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they have mainly been used in epic poems, typically as decorative elements that emphasize the dramatic nature of the subject (see, by way of illustration, this example from Milton’s Paradise Lost). But you could write a complete poem that is just one lengthy, epic simile, relying on the surprising comparison of unlike things to carry the poem across. And if you’re feeling especially cheeky, you could even write a poem in which the epic simile spends lines heroically and dramatically describing something that turns out to be quite prosaic. Whatever you decide to compare, I hope you have fun extending your simile(s) to epic lengths.

Wednesday, April 27

When Time Stood Still Stood Pensively

Time is a strange thing
We only sense time
As a one-way thing
A path from the past
To the present
Into an unknowable future.

But scientist says
That time and space
Is all the same.

Everything is connected
Everything is everything
As the old song says.

In the end
We all end up
In the same place.

When our time
In this mortal plane
Comes to an end

Lyrics

Everything is everything
What is meant to be, will be
After winter, must come spring

Change comes eventually

Everything is everything
What is meant to be, will be
After winter, must come spring

Change comes eventually

I wrote these words for everyone who struggles in their youth
Who won’t accept deception, instead of what is truth

It seems we lose the game
Before we even start to play
Who made these rules? (Who made these rules?)

We’re so confused (We’re so confused)
Easily led astray
Let me tell ya that

Everything is everything
Everything is everything
After winter, must come spring

Everything is everything

I philosophy
Possibly speak tongues
Beat drum, Abyssinian, street Baptist

Rap this in fine linen, from the beginning
My practice extends across the atlas
I begat this

Flipping in the ghetto on a dirty mattress
You can’t match this rapper slash actress
More powerful than two Cleopatras

Bomb graffiti on the tomb of Nefertiti
MCs ain’t ready to take it to the Serengeti
My rhymes are heavy like the mind of sister Betty (Betty Shabazz)

L-Boogie spars with stars and constellations
Then came down for a little conversation
Adjacent to the king, fear no human being

Roll with cherubims to Nassau Coliseum
Now hear this mixture, where Hip Hop meets scripture
Develop a negative into a positive picture

Now everything is everything
What is meant to be, will be
After winter, must come spring
Change comes eventually

Sometimes it seems
We’ll touch that dream
But things come slowly or not at all

And the ones on top, won’t make it stop
So convinced that they might fall
Let’s love ourselves and we can’t fail
To make a better situation

Tomorrow, our seeds will grow
All we need is dedication
Let me tell ya that

Everything is everything
Everything is everything
After winter, must come spring

Everything is everything

Everything is everything
What is meant to be, will be

After winter, must come spring
Change comes eventually

https://youtu.be/i3_dOWYHS7I

Today’s poetry prompt is the quote below. Let it inspire you to write about the concept of time, or maybe you can write about what the quote means to you – the options are endless!

“Time is a created thing. To say, ‘I don’t have time is to say ‘I don’t want to.'” – Lao Tzu

NaPoWriMo Duplex

It was in September,
A date I shall always remember.
That I first met my fate,
She had been in my dreams
For eight long years
Then one day,
She walked into my life.

Last but not least, here’s our (optional) prompt. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a “duplex.” A “duplex” is a variation on the sonnet, developed by the poet Jericho Brown. Here’s one of his first “Duplex” poems, and here is a duplex written by the poet I.S. Jones. Like a typical sonnet, a duplex has fourteen lines. It’s organized into seven, two-line stanzas. The second line of the first stanza is echoed by (but not identical to) the first line of the second stanza, the second line of the second stanza is echoed by (but not identical to) the first line of the third stanza, and so on. The last line of the poem is the same as the first.

What is Justice, anyway? Dew Drop Inn

Statue of Liberty in New York isolated on white

What is this thing
We call justice, anyway
And why should we care
At all?

Those who have the gold
Make the rules
That the rest of us
Must follow.

And they call that justice
And justice is for sale

To those who have the green
They get all the justice they need,
Those that don’t have the green
Do not get a chance to get justice.

Justice is blind they say
A blind lady liberty
Who looks the other way
When the rich and powerful
Need justice.

The poor and powerless
Need not apply for justice

Is not color blind.
The color of justice
Is in the end green,

Those that have the green
Get it
and those that don’t
Don’t.

And that my friends

Is what Justice really means
In the land of the free
And the home of the brave.

Justice is for sale
To the highest bidder

That is American style justice
In the end it is all about
The “Benjamin’s :

Nothing personal at all
Just the way of the corrupt
Modern world we live in.

April 27—“Define” or “explain” something difficult, like a feeling or abstract concept…

Sam Adams Ace Detective PSH prompt

Sam Adams ace detective
Came upon the crime scene
He said to his deputy
“Fig stains on the white kitchen tile
had me wondering about
who or what had done the deed.”

Lets dig a bit deeper shall we?
See if we can find out
Who did what to whom
And why?

They did their crime thing
Dusted the tile for prints
For DNA for evidence
Talked to the neighbors
And visitors.

And found out in the end
That no crime had been committed
The fig stains were just that
Fig stains.

No one had died
The case was closed.

This poetry writing prompt submitted by Susan Taylor:

COMPOSE A SHORT LYRICAL POEM, RHYMING OR NOT, INSPIRED BY THE FOLLOWING LINE:

Fig stains on the white kitchen tile had me wondering about who or what had done the deed.

Is Our Fate Written In the Stars? Dew Drop Inn

I was born
Under the proverbial bad boy sign
In the western astrological world

Scorpio rules my passion
According to astrologers.

I did my chart once
It revealed that I was born
Under the Scorpio sun sign
In late October 1955.

My rising sign was Scorpio
As were Venus, Jupiter, and Pluto

Moon was in libra
Mars was in Aeries.

What does this all mean?
I had a powerful sign
And would it have a large impact
In my world.

Somehow that sign and chart
Spoke to me
As I by all accounts,

A very passionate, driven man
Filled with emotional intensity
In my dark blue smoking eyes
Or so my wife and lovers tell me.

I was also born in the Chinese
Year of the water goat
Also an emotional sign
According to the Chinese,

My wife was born
Under the year of the pig
And the sun sign of Gemini.

Our charts reveal
That we are
One of the few
Scorpio Gemini couples
That can make it work.

The signs are challenging together
According to western astrology

But when it works
It is one of the most powerful signs
Of all.

To the Chinese and Koreans
A goat =pig combo is the perfect combo
The goat man is creative and emotional
But foolish with money and practical life.
Not good at the whole “adulting” thing.

While the pig woman
Is the kind of woman
That can take a one dollar
And turn it into millions
Given enough time.

The goat man
Will enjoy a life of leisure
And love with his golden pig.

That too has come true
So I concluded
That there may be something
To this whole astrology thing.

After all, it worked out
For me.

April 26—Astrology or tarot—let a tarot card or astrological sign inspire a poem

Scorpio isn’t the easiest zodiac sign to read, especially since a lot is going on for them. One minute they’re wearing their hearts on their sleeves, and the next, they’re clammed up and secretive. This is what makes a Scorpio one of the most intriguing signs in astrology.

Many of us have been associated with at least one Scorpio; whether the experience was pleasant or not, I’m sure you cursed the zodiac sign at some point. While it is true that a Scorpio can turn into something quite unlike who you first met, they have a distinct vulnerability that only a lucky few can tap into or see, for that matter.

Scorpios brand themselves as misunderstood beings, with others not intellectual or deep enough to bother with. But the truth is, some Scorpios can let people in but will bring on a not-so-pretty side if hurt or let down repeatedly.

Scorpio Facts and Tidbits

Scorpios Always Try to Find Meaning in Life

Scorpios have an innate sense of what our purpose is, as humans. Life isn’t about work-hard-and-play-after for them – it’s about doing those very things with gusto, but also looking for ways to make life meaningful.

Scorpios Refuse to Give Up

Scorpios refuse to succumb to failure or accept defeat when smacked in the face with either. They know how to rise to the occasion and fight wars with ruthless finesse, where even if they lose, they know how to pick themselves up and move on. Some may remain resentful, whether this emotion is directed towards a person or a past event. But eventually, if the right thing comes along, they may finally move past what was.

Scorpios are Very Creative, Ambitious, and Quick Decisive

Scorpios are creative and can be quite ambitious if handed a project that allows them to exercise this trait. A job or responsibility that requires adroitness, decision-making, tact, and dedication, is where a Scorpio fits perfectly into.

Scorpios Do not Idealize Monotony and Settlement

Scorpios hate the idea of leading a monotonous, quotidian life. They seek to thrill and adventure in ways that only close friends or family would understand – we’re not talking about skydiving or bungee jumping (although, they’d love that sort of crazy stuff) – but things that invite excitement and pleasure, even if it is just another day of the week.

Scorpios Believe In Love That Equals The Conjugal One

A Scorpio is widely known to possess an insatiable sexual appetite, but not all of their trip and fall with eager anticipation, into the bedroom. Sometimes, they need that much-needed space to do as they please. When they feel the need to display acts of carnal heartiness, then yes, they can be quite… well, naughty. Most Scorpios will agree that for them, love-making needs the same kind of attention and work one would give in marriage. But then again, that ring’s true for all unions.

Scorpio Compatibility

The most compatible zodiac signs for a Scorpio are – Pisces and Cancer. In close succession, we have Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo. Not-so-harmonious pairings are with zodiac signs, Aquarius and Leo. While there may be that rare case of either of the two making it with a Scorpio, the odds of such mighty signs coming together are rather slim but worth a try.

Scorpios in Friendship

Scorpios make great friends and are quite trustworthy when it comes to maintaining a great friendship. A word of caution, for those of you who are friends or in love with a Scorpio – they can be vengeful, vindictive, and unforgiving, but only because they were hurt by someone close.

Make one wrong move and a Scorpio will not be pleased; disappointment is not something they take lightly. Most Scorpios willingly hand over their hearts to someone, but it comes with a cautionary message – handle with (extreme) care.

Master/Mistress of Contradicting Moods

A Scorpio has the kind of mood that is only comparable to the weather; stormy one day, cloudy the next, and sunny the week after. Tiptoe around moody Scorpios like you would a ticking time bomb; they’re hard to read on some days, where the best way to deal with such behavior is to give them plenty of breathing room. Don’t probe, intrude, or ask too many questions – you don’t want to witness the wrath of Thor.

Scorpios Loyalty – Dreamlike and Addictive

Most Scorpios are impressively loyal; like what best friends share in the movies – the sort of stuff that lasts forever. Be honest and loyal to a Scorpio, and you’ll automatically be on the receiving end of those traits, and more. Just don’t mess with their feelings, because as pointed out earlier, revenge and a despisal heart are the only things that will surface.

Scorpio’s Bucket list – Excitement, Excitement, and More Excitement!

To be in love with a Scorpio means having the greatest time of your life. Every day there’s something cool to look forward to since Scorpios hate routine and anything that spells ‘bleak’. You’ll hardly ever bump into a drab Scorpio since their lives swirl and rotate around the good life. Anyone who has to keep up with one will know how exhausting (yet exhilarating) it is, to be around a Scorpio.

Scorpio – An Ocean of Emotions Beneath that Composed Exterior

Scorpios have the kind of intensity that can be endearing one day, but mortifying the next. This is because they have extreme qualities that can be a tad overwhelming for those closest to them – like being extremely emotional, possessive, jealous, angry, dominating, or dramatic.

Extremely Possessive and Powerful Beings

Those that they see as weak are in trouble since Scorpios tend to expect submissiveness without question. While the drive to be the best and on top may seem like applause-worthy traits, they can prove to be a Scorpio’s downfall, in the long haul.

Scorpios are a force to reckon with, what with their hardworking nature and determined outlook on life. Their passion and strength for what matters to them are reverent qualities no doubt, but it would do them well to tone things down a wee bit. These facts are just a smidgen of what a Scorpio is all about – the best way to know one better is to meet one.

President Trump and the Seven Deadly Sins PSH

President Trump
Has been hailed by some
As the messiah
Others have denounced him
As the “anti-Christ”

It is clear that his actions
And deeds exhibit
All the seven deadly sins
That the church preaches against.

How then can a true Christian
Overlook that and see this charlatan
As a “Godly” man?

That is the one thing
I just don’t understand
About Trump

Why are so many so-called Christians
Following him as if a religious cult?

I mean it would be hard to find
A better poster child
For what a Christian should not be

How can any Christian follow
Such a vain, jealous, mean spirited,
debauched character
Is beyond my understanding.

As I am not a Christian perhaps
It is a Christian thing
I would not understand.

This poetry writing prompt submitted by Stan Galloway:

Choose one of the Seven Deadly Sins (pride, wrath, greed, envy, lust, gluttony, sloth) and use it as a starting point for a poem. The specific sin should not be mentioned in the poem, but its characteristics should be identifiable. Create a clear purpose for the poem.