stone

by

till death do we part…

digital collage cwmartin 2011

she lie
on the earth
clawing at it
with a slow
and steady pace
digging with her nails
pausing just briefly
as i walked up
her clothes
were new
freshly pressed
her handbag
most stylish
for her age
the veins
in her hands
pulsed with passion
and beads of sweat
like tears flowed
from her face
she said nothing to me
i held my breath
for a moment
and asked
what is your name
she once again paused
sighed
and said
mary
mary b franklin
and then
she resumed
her digging
i turned to go
but
looking down
beside her
i saw a stone
james
w
franklin

by

conquistadors…

in the harbor
a black ship
sails toward shore
the new land
the americas
below the decks
crimson warriors
satan’s own
wearing crosses of white
we see them come ashore
so many men
with strange dress
metal arms and heads
weapons that flash
like thunder
killing without a single
blow of the axe
elders tell us to flee
but we the young eagles
say we shall fight
for our sacred ground
for freedom
for all that the gods
have given us
but
rocks burst open
the blood of our nation
pours from each stone
of the village
flames consume
the living
and the dead
waves of fear
cover all who stand
before these beasts
our gods
have forsaken us
our gold
our freedom
our land
raped
by
messengers
of a
foreign
god
who
came
to
save
our
souls

This poem represents my fourth response to  the third challenge series between Jade and I.  This challenge is somewhat different in that the prompt is now an audio prompt.  Each poet provides the other with five instrumental songs (so that the song’s words do not interefere with the poet’s) from which the poet is to write a poem.  Jade has written her first response which can be found here. 

by

doubting thomas….

reach out with your finger
and touch the doubt within you
behold the wounds of fear upon your hands
thrust your hand into the side of yesterday
and begin to understand your fear
as nothing more than
a death shroud
placed around your tomorrow
your self-doubts
nail you to the past
hold you to the cross of other’s expectation
you cannot reach your dreams
without rolling away the stone of fear
that holds you in  a sepulchre
of your own design