To the tune of Londonderry Air. Warning! Contains strong language and political themes: Oh Donny boy,The blatant lies you’re tellingStink to high heavenAnd right back down to hell: You claim it’s fraudIs that a rat I’m smelling?You say it’s fixedBut that you’ve won as well; And I’ll be damnedIf I hear one more slanderUpon the... Continue Reading →
EIF Poetry Challenge #9: Haiku
Haiku is a Japanese art form which has become incredibly popular in English. English haiku are typically 17-syllable poems split across three lines in the pattern 5-7-5. I did a little research, however, and learned that traditional Japanese haiku are formed of 17 on, a Japanese linguistic unit which is not quite the same as... Continue Reading →
Guest Post: Don Matthews Trilogy #5
Today I bring you another 3 poems from Aussie Poet Don Matthews of The Flippant, Comic, and Serious. Don is a regular contributor to this site, and he writes poetry which is often of a humorous bent, but with a serious twist. Visit his site to find out more! This week, Don is inspired by... Continue Reading →
EIF Halloween Poetry Challenge: The Results!
The time has come, for tricks and treats, for fiendish fun and frights, and for the announcement of the EIF Halloween Poetry Challenge winning entries! This week, we had a frightfully good response, and I would like to thank everyone who entered. I had so much spooky fun reading your entries. A special thanks to... Continue Reading →
Hostilities suspended #poem #Earthweal
Hostilities suspended for a few hours:hostility ofself-against-self;of inner darkness versus inner light;of the Devil whispering in my ear‘What if?’ What if today, I just embrace the moment? What if just for today, I hold my children extra tight?What if I kiss their honey-hair and focus on the love of livingembracing every single star out shining in the... Continue Reading →
Quick coffee – a short #poem
Quick coffee and thenclean the toiletquick coffee and then wash the clothes Quick coffee andkeep everybody happyquick coffee, doas every woman does: What of my dreamsand my desireswhich would read something like this? Quick coffee andwrite poetryquick coffee and thenread all morning long: Quick coffee, kiss the childrenquick coffee, wipe their faces cleanquick coffee, try to focus... Continue Reading →
The way you think/it is – #poetry
The way you think it is is not the way it is at all:We see through a glass darkly; we barely see beyond the veil. The doors of our perception dimmedby dullness of the daily grindsometimes a chink in the armour of agesshows us the light within, behind. There are more things in heaven and earthand... Continue Reading →
Hampsfell/Was it Folly? #poetry #dVerse
A lifetime's quest, or thatof half a life at leastwas born the day I firstclimbed Hampsfell. Lookout point on the CartmelPeninsula, high above Grange-over-Sands/stretched out below meout to sea Behind were all the mountainsof my youth and visionsof the mountains still to climb. As I approached the templeon the hill, I read the legend Ῥοδοδάκτυλος... Continue Reading →
Moonshine – dVerse Haibun
The land looks different lit in silver. That's most-of-all what I remember, the night of almost being stranded on a mountainside. True story: I was a romantic-minded, foolish teenager, determined to see the sunset from the summit of the mountain. Absolutely crazy. My dad couldn't persuade me to go back. Textbook idiocy. Of course, the... Continue Reading →
Tone Pavček – ‘Black cat’ translation #poetry
Oh black cat, little bandit sweet,who crosses my path every night, please do not run away from me,listen, I tell you, do not flee. I only wish to stroke your sleekdark fur, your silky neck. For I have also, so I'm tolda hand that's made to stroke, to hold. But no-one in the world knows... Continue Reading →