Poetry Thursday, careful reminder

If you care 
about what others 
think of you, 
then you will 
always be their 
slave.
~ L. Tzu

Poetry Thursday, hummingbirds and souls

Hummingbird

~Robin Becker

I love the whir of the creature come

to visit the pink

flowers in the hanging basket as she does

most August mornings, hours away

from starvation to store

enough energy to survive overnight.

The Aztecs saw the refraction

of incident light on wings

as resurrection of fallen warriors.

In autumn, when daylight decreases

they double their body weight to survive

the flight across the Gulf of Mexico.

On next-to-nothing my mother

flew for 85 years; after her death

she hovered, a bird of bones and air.

Copyright © 2017 Robin Becker. Used with permission of the author.

Poetry Thursday

Things I Will Tell My Children About Destiny 

~Cynthia Manick

                          You remind them

             of weighted tumbleweeds,

hen-egg brown. Don’t let

                           them take the rag-

             time beneath your skin.

        It stirs earth’s curvature

and a choir

of frogs

when you enter

             or leave a room. Don’t

             leave a swallow of juice

                    or milk in the fridge.

A body grieved

is a whole new body.

             Give your shadow a name

                          big as a star, see

              yourself out loud.

Pick wild irises                          the best gifts

              roll under a ribcage, leave

              open mouths splendid.

  

I like your smile unpenned.

Keep your bird-

              song close, imagine

                     an hourglass full

                         of architects and dreamers,

the first taste of fresh

              scooped ice cream.

                         You will learn to master

                         camouflage among ordinary things—

            men who spill words

not thoughts, trigger fingers

                           ready

                           to brand loose.

  

I love your smile unpenned.

Poetry Thursday, Remembering Ben

Your heart 

and 

my heart 

are very, very 

old friends. 

~ Sufi Saying

Poetry Thursday - late entry

August

~Helen Hunt Jackson

Silence again. The glorious symphony

Hath need of pause and interval of peace.

Some subtle signal bids all sweet sounds cease,

Save hum of insects’ aimless industry.

Pathetic summer seeks by blazonry

Of color to conceal her swift decrease.

Weak subterfuge! Each mocking day doth fleece

A blossom, and lay bare her poverty.

Poor middle-agèd summer! Vain this show!

Whole fields of golden-rod cannot offset

One meadow with a single violet;

And well the singing thrush and lily know,

Spite of all artifice which her regret

Can deck in splendid guise, their time to go!