Proko-poetitudes Redux

[prokopton]

Existential Angst

Hammered metal resonates
sending out vibrations in the ether
just as a recollection crashes like cymbals
when I realize that I should have done this
or that, but forgot, and cannot understand why,
or how. There's a gong in my head that signals
thought is proceeding, memories are receding.
Self-hood hovers on the brink of extinction
with every breath, every movement. Eerily, I recall
for the moment, that the I, of which I speak,
may cease to be and I would never know.


***
- my thanks to Andrea345 for the inspiration.

[Emilio]

OffeG, there's so much to like here, I thoroughly enjoyed reading through your poems! Some standouts to me, these lines from Juliet Slips,

The thin, lean line of her upper lip
was like the sweep of a distant albatross's wings
above a lower lip full of promise, vagina pink.

the delightful play on Gallic/Phallic symbol in La Tour, and my favorite of these, Literal Entropy! Nicely done,

Emilio

[prokopton]

Emilio,
thank you, you are too kind. Glad you liked it.
Thx for stopping by.

G.

[Sorella]

gefof,

congrats on doing NaPo while running, marking, herding cats... as usual, a thread like no other.
Fluffing the latest, I loved Lethe, very rich and sensual. as for Existential Angst -- who hasn't felt that way sometimes

Sorella

[prokopton]

Lita's Paradise

Lita's Paradise nestles
in a steep, jungle-clad
valley above Miaoli on Taiwan
the tropical isle off the coast
of China. Ubiquitous waterfalls
fill the air with white noise
and banish city life
from its tranquility. YoTong trees
shed their blossoms in the stillness,
carpeting the walkways
between picture perfect scenes.
Carp seem to pose in the
splash pools, their burnished gold
scales glitter in the morning sun.

[prokopton]

I have been away from my computer for a few days on a bike trip, but I managed to scribble some scraps down during rest stops. I'm playing catch-up now.

Cycles

The water behind the dark green
fern cascades in perpetual motion.
Droplets linger for a moment
on the waxy fronds before returning
to the flow in the pool beneath.
Fish flourish in the pond
exploring again and again
each effervescent nook,
greedily consuming the abundant
insect life, completing the
ecosystem, every part
planned by the gardener artist.
Suddenly, the sun sparkles
through a morning rain shower.

[prokopton]

A Spring morning in Miaoli


The sun is hot, peeping
over the crest of the ridge
that lies between deep steep valleys
above Miaoli and the hillsides
are white with Yo Tong blossoms.
Outside my window they fall
one by one in the still morning air.
April Snow, Taiwan style.

[prokopton]

Nyad


She sits cross-legged
beneath the Yo Tong tree
breathing deeply, her eyes closed,
conjuring another reality.
Her spirit force calms the shadows
as Yo Tong blossoms fall
on her shoulders, her lap;
one rests on her hand
where her thumb and middle finger
form a circle. A dragonfly perches
on her index finger.
The air fairly shimmers.
Above her, several butterflies
spiral in a mating dance.

[prokopton]

19. The Elements

The Chinese mother,when asked,
"Mommy, why do I always cry?"
told her daughter:
Woman is made from water,
that is why.
Maybe man is made from fire
- because he is always fighting.
Maybe man is made from Earth
- because he is always building.
Maybe man is made from air,
because he is always talking.

[prokopton]

20. Age

The tiny old house was poised in mid-collapse;
as we passed, I caught a glimpse,
of the rafters, arched, about to snap.
Even the brick and mortar
is fluid; with time it sags,
then flows inexorably down
into a heap. It slumps,
then breaks - a million
tiny fractures, grains separating
under the stress of gravity,
a pane of glass, apparently
solid, is thinner at the top
as it ages, and will eventually be
as a puddle in the sill.

[prokopton]

21. Goldcrest

Behold the Goldcrest,
Taiwan's evergreen tree,
indigenous to its northern
forests, - more temperate,
a wetter clime. The tits
and nuthatches thrive
in the protection of its
thick fragrant branches,
as does the passerine
of the same name reside within.
This one reclines against the hill
lush, glorious, whether drenched
in sunshine showing off its colour
or dew-draped in its bower.

[delph_ambi]

Full of exquisite imagery. I particularly liked the carp posing in the splash pools.

[Steven]

Hey Geoff,


Some beautiful ekphrastic works here. The sense of travel and adventure pervades.

My favorite was 'Cycles', very peaceful and idyllic. Sublime word-painting.

'A Spring morning in Miaoli' was another one I really enjoyed.

[prokopton]

Full of exquisite imagery. I particularly liked the carp posing in the splash pools.

Thank you Catherine. I am very glad that you liked it.
Thanks for posting a reply.

Geoff

[prokopton]

Hey Geoff,


Some beautiful ekphrastic works here. The sense of travel and adventure pervades.

My favorite was 'Cycles', very peaceful and idyllic. Sublime word-painting.

'A Spring morning in Miaoli' was another one I really enjoyed.

THanks for visiting Steven. I appreciate the kind words.
Taiwan is so full of beauty. Everywhere I look is a scene
worthy of a poem.

Geoff