IT'S COMING (Shadorma)

IT'S COMING (a shadorma)

It's coming
Slimy black monster
No escape
Not our fault
Tragedy wrought by their greed
Killing our homeland

(c) 2010 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil

SLICK (For Linda and other Gulf Coast dwellers)

Poem by poem, many of our community are venting our anger about the Gulf Coast tragedy, which was completely preventable. It's true that writing poems does nothing to hands-on help victims or restore the environment; it's a way to vent. I post this is hope that it will get you on the phone to the White House and Congress, demanding heavier regulation of the oil industry; an end to off-shore drilling; and finally, get us walking to the store more often instead of driving.

SLICK

Big Oil greased the palms
of elected officials
Thousands weep; their lives destroyed

© 2010 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil

Back home... to a new form!

Well, after a wonderful gig in Binghamton where I played a full hour overtime and with lots of friends (and some new friends) present, I am back at my little computer, yippee. God bless my wonderful husband, Lex, who lugged all the equipment, etc., because the bursitis in right shoulder is not getting better... OK, enough about real life.

Poetic Asides has a GREAT interview with The Poetry Bomb (check out his bright blue suit on his Facebook profile) and a new form, called a Lune. There are two forms - one 3-5-3 syllables; one 3-5-3 words. Sort of a haiku broth with some extras. This is based on a Long Beach, Long Island walk in the 80s.


FOUND DELIGHT
Barefoot beach combing
A purple and white stone
the simplest treasure

Pleasures my pocket
Keeps me warm silent company
Til I'm home

When First She Knew (ghazal, imaginary)

Not strictly autobiographical - I didn't marry because I was pregant, etc. But we were challenged by Robert to write a "ghazal" (Persian form; complicated rules, including using your own name in the final stanza) but gave it a try anyway), so here goes:

WHEN FIRST SHE KNEW

When first she knew, it was big-deal time
A few short weeks to hide, to conceal time

To see how the life she’d known until now
and the new life within would congeal – time

to see if the man she loved would be a worthy father
to this child… a critical moment: “I’ll” or “we’ll” time

All day, absent-mindedly clicking away at her desk
until they meet back home, it’s give her spiel time

For if they start a family, it won’t be casual
It’s make or break; it’s “get real” time

His warm smile says more than his words
Her eyes fill with tears, then it’s squeal time

A quick but lovely wedding, the blessed event before
the blessed event… two hearts make a seal time

Life grows within, she grows round and wobbly
Harder to find her even-keel time

Yet expectation grows in Amy too, keeps pace, keeps peace
God watches the child at her breast, baby’s first meal time