Black & Kinky Amongst Brown Waves

some thoughts on hope
© 2013 by margaux delotte-bennett

hope should have big, broad shoulders
arms that can carry our broken bodies
and tired souls

it should be strong enough to hold
to even be shaken
but resistant to tears
and tears

hope should not be surprised by the fears
and the sorrow that sometimes seep
into and through the cracks in our resolve

hope should always have something to resolve
as we fight to retain our grip
and to know

hope can take years to grow
but the harvest of this sweet and tender crop

will never stop

the climb
© 2013 by margaux delotte-bennett

he says I climb
up and into words
and I do

I find a foothold and
step into the meaning
I grind my heels into the syntax
trying to heave the weight
of education and mis-education
into how I want to know
how I wish to sound
in this tongue
all my own

and once I am up
I use language to get down
deep into the belly of the words
dismantling stories
that tried to erase my voice
made louder now
because I have no other choice
but to keep climbing

this pen is my trusty pick ax
and this paper is my rope
as I make my way through
this rugged terrain

i realized why this year’s challenge was more painful than the first time around… at some point, the poetry writing started to feel like a chore.  it was not practice, it was not skill building, it was not fun.  i think it’s because i have been a bit tired these days and my batteries need to be reset and recharged.  but i made it though.  and i hope that some of my creations pleased you as much as they pleased me…

rainy days
© 2013 by margaux delotte-bennett

rainy days remind
that all is not always
fair weathered

clouds
must gather
water
must be released

sometimes
like mist
sometimes
in torrents
with light shows
and rumbles.

i started this piece, thought of this banksy image, and then completed the piece…

sticks & stones
© 2013 by margaux delotte-bennett

sticks and stones
can break a lot more than
bones
they can break down regimes
unilaterally focused on oppression

they are seen
hurtling through space
marking time
a physical reminder that there is unrest
dissatisfaction
and angst
here

bullet and bombs are expensive
and run out

sticks and stones
regenerate
are sustainable
are harmful enough to cause a stir
commanding that notice be taken
locally
nationally
internationally

throw your sticks
fling your stones
fight your fight
to break down barriers
not just bones

once again i took a day off and then wrote 2 poems today…

each spring
© 2013 by margaux delotte-bennett

in front of my house
there is a bush
that explodes with blossoms
each spring.

though pale and pastel pinks
have never pleased me
the sight of this bush
is like a balm
and a trumpet call
for hues more fair and enchanting
to come forth
and greet
the lengthening day.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

this second poem was created using an online, random word generator. the bold words are the ones i was given to create my poem…

through that doorway
© 2013 by margaux delotte-bennett

his dim and dusty roadside café
is an oasis
a power place where souls recharge

the scattered tables are always populated
with wayward cowboys
and sobering soldiers
trying to find their center
shooting to get themselves together enough
to make it home
or simply out
of the door and on to the next fine establishment
worthy of their coins

there was once a young man
who wandered in
it is still unclear if he
was running from or to
he was a pilot
but when he talked about “up there”
his disgust was palpable
it seemed to singe his very tongue

he offered the pilot a cot
but had no idea that it would be
occupied for a full year
and like he wondered in
one day the pilot wandered out
leaving only his pewter wing pin
found in the basket
on the top of his shelf.