Constantinople, Pluto, Enigma, Lemon

I think this selection might have my favourite title so far. Such an odd collection. I know it sounds like this is the wrong way around but I find it much easier to write poems when one of the given words is a proper noun. It gives my imagination a handle to grab onto. I tend to build up from that, whereas with three 'ordinary' words I have to find a way of tying down everything that the words evoke when I think about them.

Poem one this time is based upon the words, "Oranges, Erratic, Constantinople" which were given to me on the Etsy forums by Naomi/Shalotte, whose Etsy shop is here. Naomi has been great on the forum so a big thank you for being so supportive as well as for some excellent words!

“Golden Horn”

Right in the heart a clock ticks on,

chiming a history of people and their 
daily habits an erratic movement of time 
that maintains changes in the city.

An ancient construct.

Oranges roll from where they are dropped

down towards the river, or another

choosing a path backwards and away from 
the tall buildings built on the foundations 
of Constantinople that remain unchanged.

Two girls skip down the streets hopping over stones

and as they travel along their faces twist,

new hair colours and an older shape to their bones

but they still smile knowing that some things will always be the same

whoever they are and whenever they breathe.

Poem #2 comes from AndiaCreations also from the Etsy forums. Andrea gave me "Patience, Pebble, Pluto" to play with and this is where it all ended up:

“Daughter of Parents”

A memory of pomegranates in a lake

shakes her as she wakes up in the darkness

without a bruise and the memories creep back to her.

She has unlimited patience and too much time,

her mother taught her too little and cannot

see her again while she mourns, weeping snow.

The field was ploughed to remove anything unworthy

down to the very last pebble.

New growth ever expanding from fallow soil

while the horses chained to Pluto’s chariot rage on

and upwards towards the coming summer.

The land and everything inside it waits.

The next poem is based around the words "enigma, clear, wisp" which were again donated from the Etsy forums this time by Rachel/flyingcheesetoastie whose shop is here.

"As Time Goes By"

Liquid reflections in a glass ripple distorting

the mirrored image within,

a couple sat on a wooden piano stool.

A clear picture of a well loved melody

hummed and then whistled or sung.

The evening ritual never a routine

for either of them as the conversation

start a new life every day together.

One wisp of hair falls down -

daydreaming its way past her chin

and tangled through two visions.

Friends pictured within an enigma,

a mystery of hand held symbols

that mean something to each one.

Today's final poem comes from the words "love, beach, lemon" by Lisa/StitchedWithLove once more from the Etsy forums. I love doing the Etsy poems but it takes ages longer because each time I get a new suggestion I spend about half an hour on each person's site looking at all their lovely items!

"June 6th"
There were fourteen grains of sand left
in her shoe, weeks afterwards.
The beach had long washed away leaving
behind grains of memories.
It had rained all weekend so that they
had huddled in the corner of a
bus shelter exchanging love tokens
while old women in pink scarves
looked on sourly at their twisted joints.
The cruel memory of a long lost life
sharp as the cut of a lemon
through bitter black tea.
Then refreshed they clamber onto
the number nineteen bus to sit tall
and enjoy the superiority of age.

That's all for now, I'm hoping to find some time during this week to sit down and write the next ones. I've got a great batch to be working on.

Vick.