Picture Poetry Contest (...continued...)

[motherhubbard]

It's going to be tough on me. I'm excited about what is to come. I think I'll set the deadline for Feb. 16. Let me know if you have a problem with that. I was thinking that there is another poetry contest and that would give people time to enter both

[schadenfreude]

Once she picked berries by the brown sludge they called a river;
and her sister raced the clouds to catch a flighty butterfly;
and her youngest brother crouched down to find a fish;
and the dog yapped and splattered mud about their ankles.
And- her mouth painted cherry red- she thought about the boy she loved,
and how their children would brighten the house they’d live in,
and how he had smiled when he asked: “Where will you be later on?”
But now,
her hands are old and empty.

[Pendragon]

Thanks. I almost stayed out of this round, because of the strong entries, yours being one of the strongest.

I wouldn't count yours as a weak one, Nick, as Jerry said that repetition throughout the poem that binds it together is powerful!

[motherhubbard]

I think this needs a bump- there are a lot of great poems, but a lot of great poets that haven't posted!

[dramasnot6]

Maize

They grind the maize
Soft leather upon yellow kernels
Back and forth knuckles worn to bone
Pain unto the marrow
Sweet powder settles on the stone
White flesh bubbles and splatters
Tortillas flat and smooth
Luminescent on earthen plates
They grind and pat and splat
Witness to every
sigh,
grunt,
shriek
and silent tear
Each callus, every line
Tells a story.

[browneyedbailey]

Old and worn the washing hands.
used for her babbies,
over and over.
Can you see the cutting scars?
Washivg, sewing, baking, and such,
who knew it would lead to this?
Worn from work the results of time.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Maize

They grind the maize
Soft leather upon yellow kernels
Back and forth knuckles worn to bone
Pain unto the marrow
Sweet powder settles on the stone
White flesh bubbles and splatters
Tortillas flat and smooth
Luminescent on earthen plates
They grind and pat and splat
Witness to every
sigh,
grunt,
shriek
and silent tear
Each callus, every line
Tells a story.

This is SO FINE! "Soft leather upon yellow kernels"! WOW!

[PrinceMyshkin]

Old and worn the washing hands.
used for her babbies,
over and over.
Can you see the cutting scars?
Washivg, sewing, baking, and such,
who knew it would lead to this?
Worn from work the results of time.

This needed to be a little bit longer, I think - not much, because you do such a wonderful job in such a short space! (I assume "babbies" is not a typo, because I like it so much in place of "babies".)

[browneyedbailey]

oops I'm not the best speller. although I'm better than mum and my grandfather (not poppy)

[dramasnot6]

This is SO FINE! "Soft leather upon yellow kernels"! WOW!

Thanks Prince! That means a lot coming from you!

[motherhubbard]

Time is getting short and I wanted to post the picture again so it wouldn't be so far back.

[Granny5]

bump...

[mir]

Once upon a time

I remember
watch these hands, stormed and weathered, too many days
I remember when
wordless they clasp each other, old now, no others' grips left to warm
I remember when I
loose with memories, rising from the skin veins, grey-blue rivers of lumpy time
I remember when I was
alone to their thoughts, thinking of younger dreams, tighter skin unmarked and held
I remember
hands old time held
I remember when I was young.

[dramasnot6]

Nice mir!

[motherhubbard]

six more days...