rose

by

night rose…

night rose

when the mind
retreats
from the day
and
each sound
steps onto
center stage
then
the petals
of the night rose
begin
to bloom
by
moonlight
petals
hold
more than
memories
spirits
have been found
to live there
warm breaths
of lovers
and kisses
as well
gentle embraces
ah
i sense
your doubt
of these things
but
if you wake
in the darkness
take a moment
and breath deeply
and
you will see
that i am right
and all
will be gone
by first light

by

a moment of doubt…

his words
unlaced
her fears
baring
the shoulders
of her desires
desires long hidden
now pressed naked
against his chest
his gentle tones
nibbled softly
on her ear
his promises
like kisses
moved slowly
down her neck
and although
she approached
the dawn
with fear
a single rose
and
breakfast in bed
soothed
even
her fears

by

crystal rose…

like an incomplete picture
i visualize her mind
sketched upon a cosmic canvas
of life
a configuration
which confronts my mind
transient
yet lasting
like the still beauty
of a crystal rose

by

pandor’s jar…

Image by Toni Cross

man
as usual
missed the point
of what the gods
had said
it was
a jar
not
a box
nor do we know
whether it was the scent
of
jasmine
rose
or
apple blossoms
that tempted her
to open the it
but open it
she did
and into the world
poured the foul smells
of hate
greed
and war
shaped as pools of tears
quickly
spinning beneath the jar
whirling into all times
a milkyway fear
and remorse
so she grasped the lid
and trapped hope within
and hid the jar
for fear
of what else
was within
but hope
was all that was left
and to this day
it remains within the jar
if we could
but find the jar
hope could be freed
and we
could be
as we
were meant
to be
free
of life’s
miseries   

My friend Toni Cross presented a challenge to me today…’write a poem for this photo of mine’…I of course sent her one of my photos with the same challenge…above you find her photo and my poem.   

by

the blood rose…

Image provided by Jade

as a student
i asked bapa dola
what is a blood rose
his eyes
filled with tears
slowly he spoke
a blood rose
is one that collects
all the sadness of a soul
i did not understand
but one day in haiti
i place a white rose
upon a pile of rubble
where my friend was sure
a child’ body was entombed
and before my eyes
the rose began to bleed
i asked bapa dola
why this happened
he said
beneath this rubble
lies a mother’s
second heart beat
and a father’s pride
ignored by all those entrusted
with the world’s alms
so that they may
gain more profit
like shylock they guard
those coins
letting these unmarked graves
stay here day
after day
and as i listened
the last rose i held
began to bleed
as if it felt
my pain

 

This is the seventh part of a series of poetry challenges between Jade (http://jadepaloma.wordpress.com/) and me. The whole idea behind it is to send a picture ( in this case by Vlad) to the other as inspiration (or visual muse, if you want to), and the other has to write a poem inspired by the image. Visit her site to see how she has responded to my sixth challenge photograph on her site.  As a note bapa dola is an african soothe sayer who has been with me in spirit since high school….he is getting very old.

by

rose starlet…

Photography by Vlad

when was it
that you first began
to believe
all that they said of you
      fairest
      of them all
      in the land
so you let them
prune your wild branches
shaping you like all the rest
removing all your thorns
to make you safe to touch
      far more commercial
      they said
socially acceptable
and then
they cut you from your roots
betraying promises made
placing you upon a pedestal
of wall street’s profits and gains
to be sold to the highest bidder
now just
another slave on the market place
a solitary rose with promises made
placed in a lover’s vase
a vow soon forgotten
a mere footnote of passion
with wilting petals of hope
as your sole companion
a rose
suffocating in guilt
drying in the heat of despair
longing for a love
long
gone  

This is the sixth part of a series of poetry challenges between Jade (http://jadepaloma.wordpress.com/) and me. The whole idea behind it is to send a picture ( in this case by Vlad) to the other as inspiration (or visual muse, if you want to), and the other has to write a poem inspired by the image. Visit her site to see how she has responded to m fifth challenge photograph on her site.