Tanka

Here is another poem I did in my writing class. It's a tanka, similar to a haiku. I'm not sure I did it properly; between the subject matter and strict form, it was a difficult task. Nonetheless, I'd like to share it, if only because it resides in a place deep within me and I'd like to let a little light in on it.

Tanka

The message should have

been spoken, not sent by text

Wiseless words be damned

Sister means heartbreak and pain

And it means leaving, like Mom

Sonnet Poetry - Purpose

Part of my writing class took me into a world of poetry that I had once ignored. I have now learned varying styles, word usages, and more which has opened me up to an entirely new way of viewing my poetry.

The below poem was created for an assignment. We were to write a sonnet. The typical theme of love was optional, as was the structured iambic pentameter (though my professor said she would give us "mad props" if it was in iambic pentameter). So I didn't do the iambic pentameter; I'm not even sure I'm able to identify it by simply reading just yet. I did, however, do a twist on a love theme. My first draft was a bit different than what you see below; my professor knew that the even numbered lines were actual scenarios taken from headlines so she suggested that I change it to read like headlines. I like this version much better.

In any case, here is my sonnet for your enjoyment or scrutiny, whichever you choose. :)

Peace, love, and rhyme,

Pamela

Purpose

 

I don’t understand the world. Why would I?

Five Children Murdered by Their Own Father

I can’t often see beyond my own eyes.

27 Dead in Mass School Slaughter

I glance outside with weariness of heart.

Journalist Beheaded by Terrorists

A slick and gliding fear within me starts.

Domestic Violence Takes a Fatal Twist

Out my window, life is horrifying.

Gay Teen Tweets, “Dad, love me,” Then Shoots Himself

I cover my ears; it doesn’t blind me.

Insurance Lets Man Die: No Wealth, No Health

There’s no doubt; I could have died with this view.

But I learned real Life when God sent me you.

Atlanta

Atlanta

I'd rather have my stars
I'd rather have that dream
That air
That open space

Atlanta: she moves with the speed of a turtle
Though her very name suggests fast-paced
Her arteries are clogged
As we trickle forth within congested veins
With others on our way to nowhere

Vibrant, promising, pride
Alive, unhealthy, though

Yes, I'd rather have my stars.

The Circle

The Circle

I try to see me the way he sees me
Light on my cheek
Love in my heart

I try to believe what he believes about me

I’m good, selfless
A mixture of bright color but ready to fight

I strive to be what he wants

A provocative, sexy thing
Lips leaning in, whispering softness

Sometimes I despise him for thinking so much and so little

But mostly I just love him
And mostly, I just be me

My Friend

Silence cannot cover what I feel
With the life you left behind
I know you're rejoicing
But now I'm blind

God give me strength
To tackle this new day
But without you in it
My heart just won't be the same

Someday I'll see light
Over the mute I see today
But just for a while
Let me stay

The Thing About Love

Love is a clichéd thing
With its edges and seams
Patches and protrusions

Love is a wild thing
With its cries and screams
Scrapes and bruises

Love is a tired thing
With its braces and themes
Branches and uses

But it doesn't matter.

Love is a true thing
With its life and dreams
Bursting with new

Though time wears us thin
And life rubs us raw
The trail is left dim
When a breath we can't draw

For love is a great thing
That binds us through
For when I think of love in this way
I always think first of you

The Path Alone

There's a leaf, you see
And it has detatched from the tree
It hangs out just a little while longer
To see who can offer comfort
But after a while it realizes
That it's alone
Just the wind is all He has to offer

The other leaves are sympathetic but afraid
Letting go of the branch is sadness
Not without bravery
But they can't give the leaf what it needs
The reassurance, the encouragement
There is none
To disrupt their bubble is beyond their ability

So the leaf moves on
Trying to find a way to live outside the haze
In the end, maybe there is something better

Double

It fell from the sky

From a place I called mine

A sudden realization I saw

To hit from one and all

Out of one life came another

From before a flame was smothered

Into a clarity of unreal

And into another heart I steel

A tailored plan one does not have

When one holds such a small hand

Everything settles there

Even if it’s too much to bear

And now I have this need

To focus on how to breathe

Without it comes death

And never ending unrest

To break free is the goal

No one will have this hellish hold

Just work a little while longer

Before it leaves me uncovered

Don't forget the blood drive...

For local peeps, tomorrow will be a blood drive at the Senior Center in Fyffe on Graves Street honoring Kolby Clayton, the 16 year-old Crossville boy who died from injuries sustains in a car crash on April 12, 2012.

While I didn't personally know Kolby, only saw him in passing, I'm lucky to be able to call his mom, Brandi Clayton, a friend.  She is the sweetest person you could ever know and has a God-given talent for being even-tempered in times where I don't know I could've kept from turning red.  She is hosting this event to both honor Kolby and thank the Red Cross for the 39 units of blood they used to try to save Kolby's life.

The drive is from 10am - 3pm. Pending they don't reject me (I currently have the crud), I'll be rolling up my sleeve.

Here's a poem I wrote. I dedicate it to Brandi and her family in honor of Kolby:

Storm and Calm

There's something magical about the sky

How it's never-ending blue

How it holds the world together

How it hides behind ominous clouds

Only to reveal its beauty

Arms open

After the hardest of times

There's something enchanting about a rainbow

How it bends so easily

How the colors blend but stay separate

How it is God's promise

Of a world safe from flood

Solid

Yet unable to grasp

And there's something about a passed loved one

How they are so close

How they are so far

How the heart aches in shreds

But knowing they are happy

And exploring

Brings a sad peace

There's something beautiful about heaven

How we pray

How we wave

How we look forward to the day

We, too, take that step

Into the blue

To hold them again

Suddenly

Sometimes I can see it

It just lays into my head

Suddenly, I can hear all the voices

That once bled

Sometimes I can see it

It just breaks into my soul

I can feel, I can breathe

I can sing what was foretold

Suddenly I cry and

Suddenly I lie and

Suddenly I lay down and die

Suddenly I cry and

Suddenly I lie and

Suddenly I break down and fight

What else can I do?

I've tried it all anew

And maybe it's just time that I face it soon

I can always see that

It isn't just me and

How I got this far isn't written in the sand

Sometimes I can see it

It just feeds into my head

I can dream, I can scream

But still that life is dead

Sometimes I can see it

I'm just worried I'll forget

It will come and it will go

And I'll be faced with regret

Suddenly I cry and

Suddenly I try and

Suddenly I find that I'm alive

Suddenly I smile and

Suddenly I feel and

Suddenly I realize, it's all real

Suddenly I breathe and

Suddenly I believe and

Suddenly I'm stronger than I've ever been

Suddenly I see it

It just lays into my head

Suddenly, I can hear all the voices

That once bled

Suddenly I see it

It just bleeds into my soul

And now it stays and never breaks

And it's here until I go

Debitum Naturae

On the shore of a star
Below the spear of dark
A life speaks and bursts
Born of a dirty mark

She moves forth
And studies the shore
Water breaking, lives taking
Her fate that of the torn

Shrouded in fog
A murky move to her walk
She moves about each village
Destruction her only fault

A beauty unsurpassed
Life and love suggest a change
But a hurricane cannot be peaceful
She fears her doom near range

She soon settles in
His lips a source of comfort
But ecstasy can last for only so long
She grows restless in the slumber

Her fate sealed in
She sweeps his breath away
And proceeds down her own path
Heavy guilt and pleasure sway

Poetry from "The Influence"

Poem from my novel, The Influence:

For life is always mysterious

The sun, the rain, and the moon

After struggling through the night

The daisies begin to bloom

Something so miraculous

And yet

Something so pure

Can see passed the reminisce

Into life’s dark cure

To Protect Her Daughter

*Some fictional poetry ~ Enjoy!

Her hands worked the clay
Long spindly fingers display
The age of the clay maker
Up beyond as the trees

Back in her youth she fell
She was doomed for hell
She took his life
Then stabbed him more

The crime she made
The plan she had lain
It made no matter now
The end of her life was near

Having served her time
They said God would forgive
But how can he forgive
When she'd do it all over again?

Everyone first revered him
Thought he was grand
But in dark closets
He'd forced her daughter's hand

If to see Satan she was going
Then it might all be well
She'd take delight in his burning flesh
Because nobody would touch her little girl
Without going to hell

The Water People

It's everyone's right, everyone who sees
The vastness of the oceans
The continuous widening of the sea

It occurred to them that when the land fell
They should find someway to survive
The new Earth they called hell

And live as they might
With each trembling breath
They cough the whole night
With a disease they call death

But the sun dawns
As it does every day
And they ride along rough wind
Going along their way

And this cycle they know they're keeping
Because it a dim future where the cruel waters
Are never, ever sleeping

The Wanderer

Dark of sky
Pure of heart
With eyes that ramble
Gouging the mark
The land goes on, far away
This place she sees
Surely will stay
But it moves through her mind
Leaving waves of uncertainty
And now she can't find
Where she was meant to be.

Do Us Never Part

In the cry of the subtle wind
With arms he'd lost in the war
He felt her heart and her mind and her soul
He'd loved her long ago
Meaning wrapped around words
The found not lost
And in his eyes, she was the same as she had ever been.
Here he'd waited all this time
The gate stayed open for him
But he'd insisted, he'd promised
He would love her forever, not just until death
And here he was keeping his word
Waiting as eternity past
Waited
Waiting again.
He'd felt her song as she came to him
And she smiled

How love threads through the soul
He knew it was true
She was the light of his life then
And now after it, too.

Colors of the New Year

At the time, it seemed right
Bathed in hues of deep red
Only few we keep
Most we lose

In that time
There was love

At the time, it seemed crazy
Bathed in hues of floating blue
Simple to imagine
Harder to realize

In that time
There was peace

At the time, it seemed inspiring
Bathed in hues of overwhelming yellow
Daunting in task
Not many who care

At that time
There was charity

Crossing from past to future
Ready for what's to be...

At this time, it seems magical
Bathed in hues of shimmering purple
Holding fast to our hearts
Giving light to the life we breathe

In this time
There is hope

Happy New Year.

An *Exclusive* 2012 calendar filled with Haiku poetry!

For the last year, I've been working on a calendar that would combine beautiful images with my Haiku poetry.  Each poem is inspired by the month itself.

This Haiku a Month calendar is my first released collection of poetry. Not only would it be a great gift for the poetry lover in your family, it would be a beautiful addition to your home or office. If you click on the cover below, you'll see previews of each month.

And I'll be happy to sign them. Just send them to me with a self addressed stamped envelope to Pamela Caves, PO Box 743, Fyffe, AL 35971. Or if you live near Fyffe, Alabama, email me and we'll set up a place to meet.