Face in the Window

Art Credit: Lost Moments, 2012
by Nick Gentry

A face in the window 
on memory lane, 
phantom perfumes 
on melancholy winds, 
the discarded negatives 
of long ago days,
randomly drifting
in the light of the holy. 
Life goes on, 
always timely, 
always provocative,
as I crawl 
through the remnants
of my human history.
Many moons circle 
and I continue on, 
to see the healing power 
of my soul singing, 
barely above a whisper,  
wishing to stay there forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Written for a prompt from dVerse Poets Pub asking us to draw inspiration from the art of Nick Gentry. You can find more information on this talented artist here.

A Good Egg

Photo Credit: Barbara Young

Sometimes a good egg,

Scrambled by life’s twists and turns,

Finds herself broken.

~~ Written for an ekphrastic prompt over at Poetic Bloomings.   Many thanks to Barbara Young for providing the photo for the prompt!

The Value of Freedom

The Declaration of Independence - John Trumball, 1819

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  From the United States Declaration of Independence, 1776

Fifty-six men
With pens on parchment
Changed the world,
Declaring their intention
To pursue an ideal
Of equality and freedom,
Knowing that failure
Would leave them branded
As traitorous cowards
Hanging in the public square,
Knowing that the cannons of war
Would destroy the lives
They had sacrificed to build,
But inaction would cost so much more.

Those fifty-six men of vision
Understood the value of freedom
And were willing to pay the price.
Do we still possess that courage,
The willingness to stand
In the face of tyranny
In defense of the values
Earned by blood and cannon
All those years ago?
Sacred honor is a concept
Forgotten by politicians
Masquerading as leaders,
Relegated to dusty books and epic movies,
Yet in the heart of the patriots
Spread across these United States,
The burning desire for freedom survives,
Just waiting for someone to fan the flames.


~~~  This poem was written in response to a prompt from Poetry Jam asking us to write about value and values.

Vampire

Vampire - Edvard Munch, 1894

Her seduction is subtle,
A tender vapor drifting
Through the crevices of his soul,
Her innocent demeanor
Masking a coquette with fangs.
Her words of love eternal
Are easily believed,
And another willing victim
Volunteers for his own demise,
One more withered corpse
Desecrated and discarded
On her path into immortality.


~~~ This was written for a prompt over at Poetry Jam asking for poetry inspired in some way by painting.  I decided to write an ekphrastic poem inspired by the painting Vampire by Edvard Munch, 1894.

Stargazer

Zodiac - 1896 - Alphonse Mucha

She charts the cosmic
Dance of the nighttime sky,
Taurus and Scorpio,
Gemini and Pisces,
In transient tango,
Each sign wielding
Influence over its house
As the eternal march
Of the planets continues,
Judging the aspects
To interpret some pattern
To aid those of us
Living underneath
The blazing stars.

A Blank Stare

Proposagnosia by Jean-Jacques Henner

not pain
only emptiness in her face
no love or joy
no grief or anger
not a hint of the larcenous tragedy
that robbed her
of all she held dear

Woman of Clay

Inspired by In Bed The Kiss - Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, 1892

He closes his eyes to reality,
Lost in his private passion,
Paying no mind to
The feigned ecstasy
Of yet another trivial connection.
She plays her role well,
Always the consummate actress,
The well-disguised deviant.
She is moldable and compliant,
Anything he needs her to be
With miniscule consequences,
As long as the price is right.