National Poetry Month Celebration 2019 - Post Poems Here!

mfwilkie · Post by **mfwilkie** » Wed Apr 03, 2019 4:13 am

Today's Monostich

The Mind, and Writer's Block

Lots of unsecured thinking. Make some lists.

4/3/2019

NicoleMichaels · Post by **NicoleMichaels** » Wed Apr 03, 2019 6:10 am

CAROLINA GROCERY

Church lady comes zappy down the aisle toting
a banana for the bagel she’s going to buy

at the bagel place down the street.
When she grins, it’s a glossy occasion,

as if the day rolled out
just to display her immaculate teeth,

lips lined and filled,
eyes shining under penciled brows.

She puts her handbag on the counter with bluster,
states she has a new routine,

a plain bagel with cream cheese, yes ma’am,
just add the banana in slices mmmm mmmmm.

Only thing that can ruin it even a little
is when one of those onion bagels gets too close,

sometimes they’re in the basket,
bagel folks don’t keep 'em separated like they should,

and it only takes one or two, you know,
to leave that taste behind. Sixty nine cents? Okay,

no,

this rainy day won’t ruin it, not this cold rainy April
day, snowing in the Piedmont, in Greensboro even,

just a little rain here down East, drops from the downpour
caught in her hat, rhinestone brooch piercing the fat crown with glazed seeds,

receipt in her hand like hail with her keys,
handbag jingling its storm cloud. 　

Post by **Tracy Mitchell** » Wed Apr 03, 2019 7:33 am

Wow Nicole, what a delightful read! I know I have encountered this woman.

Post by **Tracy Mitchell** » Wed Apr 03, 2019 7:34 am

#3

~

Post by **Tracy Mitchell** » Wed Apr 03, 2019 7:36 am

Maggie -- sweet! Monostich - new to me.

Gyppo · Post by **Gyppo** » Wed Apr 03, 2019 8:34 am

Nicole,

The bagel lady leapt off the page in full colour. You triggered a memory from nearly fifty years ago. We used to have a lady like that who'd visit the village bakery three or four times each week. Slightly larger than life, but not vulgarly so, trailing a faint waft of face powder. Probably older than she looked, but well-preserved.

She usually bought the same thing, but treated each visit as an adventure, as if one day she might buy something really different and surprise everyone, including herself.

Gyppo

Post by **indar** » Wed Apr 03, 2019 8:39 am

April 3 Invasion

Summers in the fifties,
roasted in the heat of nuclear fusion,
basted in lake water,
never heard of basal cell carcinoma
until it was too late.

Dr. Patel blasts it with cryoguns,
it prevails.
Special forces are enlisted,
dermatologists
stealthy with a knife,
excise--same root as excorsist--
offending cells.

Sometimes the simplest methods
and the wisdom of the elders
assert themselves.
Remember they said eat your carrots,
good for your eyes,
fish is brain food. How did they know?

Henceforth, I will cast off the evil eye
with sunscreen and incantations.

binx · Post by **binx** » Wed Apr 03, 2019 8:46 am

4/3

Interlude

April music sings
for us

moon bass &
insect alto—

for me, who goes
for you, who stays

each evening
is a different song

by George

Post by **indar** » Wed Apr 03, 2019 8:58 am

Nicole, that church lady is right about one thing: second hand onion on a bagel is funky

Tracy,

Today is a bird
black with dread
flying into a dust storm
chirping

This is a poem in itself--stand out. Love the whole thing.

Amazed at the writing so far, I want to comment on everything. What fun this is.

Gyppo · Post by **Gyppo** » Wed Apr 03, 2019 9:03 am

What a glorious spread of both subject matter and styles. Lots of new names as well as the more familiar ones. We seem to have 'hit the ground running' this year. It's a pleasure to meet you all.

Lay on, Macduff, and damned be he who first cries 'Hold! Enough!'

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