DWT Poetry Competition: Third Round

1. Empty House by Ron Ricottone

A house so empty, yet full of dreams
My youth gone by, of love and play
Now reduced to garden – under skies of gray
I need, I need – what is it so?
Reflections of my happier days……

I sense you woman, in my garden green
I feel your love – in my soul so keen
I sing your faithfulness and kindness so
I trust your goodness
For that I know — oh that I know……

2. The Moon is My Cradle by Emily Comer

The moon is my cradle.
Through the long night;
The stars are my handmaids,
Lending their light.
The planets, my sisters, are dancing with joy,
To see the soft slumber
Of each girl and boy.
The earth is my slippers,
Heaven’s my crown;
And the air in between is
My shimmering gown.
The sky is the page
Where my portrait is drawn;
The sun is my mother,
And I am the Dawn!

3. Triskaidekaphobia by Jane Scott

Gone were the days
When the dreaded number 13 struck
A chord of distrust in my heart.

My mother chopped her finger
Instead of the chops for dinner.
It was on Good Friday, the 13th.

I was only a child when I learned
Of the story. Intrigued by the widely
Visible scar and lopsided tip

Of her index finger, I had to ask
The reason that caused
Such visual vulgarity.

I was for a time ambivalent
Towards this number though
My brother always swore

To its propitious charm.
It often brought him luck
In his business dealings,

So he claimed, but I could never
Recall the so-called windfall.
Then I met my husband

Who was born amidst a snow
Storm on the 13th of March.
He too believed in the number’s

Good fortune, which sent my mind
To a journey of more questioning.
But then I also watched movies like

Friday the 13th with its countless
Remakes and blood curdling
Sequences which sent me further

Into a tumultuous spin.
Just before Valentine’s Day
On Friday the 13th, I had to go

Under the knife due to a cancer scare.
Coming out from a deep sleep, feeling
Sick from the anaesthetic and

Looking like an alien predator
With tubes sprouting all over me,
That’s it! This episode has shattered

This unshakable myth for me.
I have grappled with the wily ghost
Of this obtrusive number.

And I’ve had enough wrestling
With the fearsome number 13.
Free from its unsettling grip, and

Heaving a deep sigh of relief,
From now on, this is just
Another number for me.

4. The Language Wreck by Rod Tanner

“She just reeked of poetry,” whispered the first one with a sad nod of head.
“I know. I could smell it on her breath,” the second one finally said.

“She may have been over-versed. We don’t really know.
She had spent the evening slamming Longfellow, Keats and Poe.”

“It is a mystery to us all how the poem even survived.”
“I heard that she left the page doing a hundred and twenty-five.”

Dented adjectives and mangled adverbs make up this pitiful text
To demonstrate how terrible was the massive language wreck

“She wouldn’t listen to me. I told her a million times
This is what can happen when you try to drive and rhyme.”

5. In One Moment by Anna Domini

Smile…
Be happy
And thank God
For every moment and
For every day.

Life…
Once careless
And seemingly safe,
Can change in single blink
And run the other way.

Despair…
Then shock and anger,
Reality too dreadful
To accept and realize –
All’s gone, all’s different…
Nowhere left to stay.

Scream…
The fight with nothingness
And blaming everything,
Accept the healing
Brought by emptiness
As temporary peace within.

Remorse…
My life, my everything…
What have I done?
Why me? I beg and cry –
Don’t leave us,
Help us, God –
That’s all one has to say.

6. A Dragon Fest by Laura Johnson

Up above, among the clouds,
Graceful creatures in a crowd.
Wings of gold and ash-grey eyes,
Above the earth they like to fly.

Hidden by the rays of light,
They take part in games of flight.
With flames that lick the gentle dew,
These displays might spark near you.

Scales of rubies, priceless jewels.
Caring eyes of silver pools.
None believe the sight they see,
Dragons soaring, always free.

Once they settle on the ground,
There are dragons all around.
The stories that these creatures share,
Make you wish you had been there

Other life joins in the fun,
Under both the moon and sun.
Dancing starts around the flames,
Amusement is a dragon’s game.

Riddles are a second feat.
Twisted words that none can beat.
If you pass a dragon’s test.
You’ll be seen among the best.

Then, the journey starts once more.
To spread the word of dragon lore.
If you’ve seen a dragon fest,
Then your life will be at rest.

7. On Being Still by Archan Mehta

Be still
And you will find
Peace of mind.

Be still
And know the wisdom
In moving slow.

Be still
And discover your dream
Life is not what it seems.

Be still
And find
Your own, intelligent mind.

Be still
In order to understand
Your life can be a magical land.

Be still
And, for a change,
Realize your potential
And increase your range.

Be still
Did you find bliss there?
If not,
You are not likely
To find bliss anywhere.

Be still
Bruce Lee was right
To relax
In the middle of a fight.

Be still
Stop the frenetic pace
And escape
From the rat-race.

Be still
Chew your food slowly
Your action is holy.

Be still
Listen to the silence
And to the inner voice
Which tells you to rejoice.

Be still
Open your heart
And broaden your mind
Freedom’s voice is kind.

8. Seasonal Alliteration by Kelly Babcock

Spring sings
Summer sizzles
Autumn settles
Winter sleeps

I go on
Year by year
Heartache fades
Love keeps.

9. Anguish by Tarun K Soni

Anguish, when you touch me,
I welcome you politely
My soul will feel a bliss because
I am consistent to your feeling
because I am yours

It is my frank advise that
condense your effect,
but that too will be accumulated by me

A cordial invitation to you always because,
You must search some one………
And remember I am always alone… alone…
And I am yours

10. We All Bow by Robert F. Epps

One cold day, a few decades ago,
With a very stern voice you told your daughter – No!

She had a baby boy that she didn’t plan for,
She was beautiful and young, and considered him a chore,

Your words that day saved his life the first time,
It would not be the last, for God had him on His mind,

She kept her son, to keep him from you,
That day a bond was created between us two,

You laughed as you said, you did some praying for me,
When I was close by, or in Antarctic for operation Deepfreeze,

You always knew when I was in trouble,
You would pray before God and be humble,

With the heart-lung machine off and my heart stopped,
You were there watching as my spirit man dropped,

For thirty-five minutes, I was clinically dead,
But God had a plan, He placed it in your head,

He used you again, to give me life,
Upon placing it back in my body, you knew everything was alright,

I’d come by to see you and you’d look in my eyes,
Without saying a word, you’d flash that beautiful smile,

The Lord has kept my life, through your hands,
You’re gone now and before Him you stand,

I’ll see you again a short time from now,
When we all stand before Jesus, and we all bow.