A Toast - Micro Fiction

Image: Courtesy of Grandma's Goulash

A toast for the year
Love your nose,no offense
Your music,your hat
Love your everything
It's been a colorful year
Despite in black and white

(140 characters)
Grandma challenged us to write a Micro Fiction with the given
picture not exceeding 140 characters and to include the word offend where possible.

Written for Grandma's Goulash Succinctly Yours #93

Happy New Year!

                                                                             Author: Nevit Dilman
Image: A New Year card                                                                        
Source: Licensed through Wikimedia Commons (here)

What holds true for the New Year
That things ought to be better
Let's see the smorgasbord on offer
That's it! New Year resolutions galore

But one went through the works
This year, the year before even
Some changes yes, changes that quirk
Were there really learning points?

Well, not to be too hard on oneself
Imagine to covert within 365 days!
Work on percentages and change a little
Then it'll be a forgiving year to face

Happy New Year everyone
2012 gave lots of  fun!

Written for Claudia's hosting at d'Verse - Poetics, Change & Turns

Pretense

                                                                               Author: Philip Kromer
Image: A Strong Forearm
Licensed through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Limber up, tone the
muscles. Feeble minds feigning
swirl of profound strength

Notions of tedious 
endeavors splayed with
dreams of Adonis

To detonate in
deceit. Humbled by failures
Hurtled as fodder

Written for 3WW with words limber, detonate and tedious

December Showers

                                                                                   Picture by Paul Anderson
Image: Wet Christmas Eve
Licensed through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Showers of blessings
Confined indoors, high spirits
despite wet Christmas

Faithfuls of all creeds
Gathered at 'Open Houses'
Rejoiced together

Written for Brian's hosting at d'Verse OpenLinkNights week 76 - Holiday Edition

Merry Christmas

                                                                                                           Picture by Janine
Image: Christmas cake for Christmas eve
Licensed through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Wishing Everyone of my Christian friends Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Hank

Miscalculation

                                                                                Artist: Johan Christian Dahl
Image: A Volcanic Eruption
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Imagine
What could have happened
Forces beyond comprehension
Of disasters and eruptions
Of happenings beyond reason
The heavens disturbed
The clock-work disrupted
The rage conniving, against the human kind
God forbid, it came and went
But it's still intact
That's a  fact

But is it?
Perhaps not the end of the world
Perhaps just the end of an era
of peace and quiet
So they rationalized, unperturbed

But we foresee calamities
Some are already apparent
Reports of widespread floods
in Scotland, northern England
Jakarta, the east coast of Malaysia
Volcanic eruption in Argentina
Heavy snowfall in many places
In the last 24 hours

Imagine
If someone made a miscalculation
It's not Dec 21 but later
Or worst a misinterpretation
Not end of an era
But end of the world
Later very much later
But in our lifetime
It shudders the imagination!

It's not over yet!
Not to be too happy
Lest we forget!

Written for Poets United's Poetry Pantry#129,  Kerry's at Real Toads' Open Link Mondays #24 and One Single Impression #252 with prompt - imagine 

Santa

Image: Courtesy of Grandma's Goulash

Note:1 Karin aka K, Manicddaily, suggested to write of 'presents or presence' at d'Verse. Can't think of anything better than the presence of old Santa himself - and of his stockings full of presents for boys and girls the world over!

Note:2 I had always thought it was spelled with an 'e' ie 'imposter' as many thought so too! But the dictionary ( The Little Oxford Dictionary) had it with an 'o' ie 'impostor'. I don't suppose the dictionary is a misprint

I'm everybody's point-man
Been that long and loving it
I'm universal, neutral and everywhere
but rarely seen

Beware of impostors
Be warned!

(140 characters)
verified through Design 215 character counter (here)

Grandma challenged us to write a Micro Fiction of 140 characters or
less based on the above picture and to include the word 'neutral'

Written for Karin's hosting at d"Verse, the Poetics of Presents/ce and Grandma's Goulash, Succinctly Yours # 92

Parting

Process Note: The neighborhood kids would very much miss young Daniel whose family moved out to L.A. They had been friends for some years playing together at the nearby field, cycling around or were just a noisy lot during their PS3 playing sessions ( PS3 sessions were precious as these were only allowed during the school holidays)

Norman and Kimie are now more determined to go to the Anaheim Disney. The boys made a pact to meet there perhaps sometime next year. There are more reasons to go, now!

 Image:1 At their PS3 session, eve of departure ( Dickson, Norman, Kimie and Daniel)

Image: 2 My two other grandchildren came by ( Nabil, Norman, Sarah, Daniel and Kimie)

 Image:3 Just having some serious talk Daniel, Nabil and Kimie)

 Image:4 Nabil bade farewell as he had to leave

 Image: 4 Later in the day they played again when Dickson came by

 Image: 5 Time to leave, a last group photo so they thought (Dickson, Daniel,Kimie and Norman)

 Image: 6 Later, Daniel came back again to bid farewell (with Norman)

 Image: 7 Parting was just too difficult (with Kimie)

 Image: 8 On the morning of departure, one last time ( Norman, Imran, Kimie and Daniel)

 Image 9 No, not to be. They came back again to the house for a big yarn, just minutes to go

Image: 10 Parting was just plain difficult. Some famous last words from Daniel before leaving

Note: A previous posting on the neighborhood kids (here)

Been in the offing quite some bit
None would want to think about it
Young minds might not realize the pain
They knew good friends would meet again!

They knew young Daniel would move out
To L.A. it had been touted
The neighborhood kids took it plain
They knew good friends would meet again

They cycled with all shrieks and squeals
Or kicking football on the field
They were around with all the din
They knew good friends would meet again

The day came sadly last Tuesday
The day young Daniel went away
PS3 now played with restrain
They knew good friends would meet again

Norman and Kimie set their minds
Next stop would now be Anaheim
Parting was temporary pain
They knew good friends would meet again

Written for Gay's hosting at d'Verse, FormForAll - A Kyrielle ( a poetry form of rhymed quatrains, maintaining 8 syllables in each line  and with a repetition of the last line)

A Prophecy

                                                                                                   Author: theilr

Image: The Mayan Zodiac Circle

Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)
Note: It has been variously reported to happen on Dec 21st while others mentioned Dec 23rd. Anyway, does it really matter!

Treading softly in the clouds
of heaven's hinterland. Wondering
ecstatically of nature's clout
Having savored to one's desires
of ravenous appetite to fullness

What are there to test one's resolve
Purporting to echo a superhero of
countless victories with notions
of saving the world from disaster

What bunkum the Mayans are keen
to flaunt. An epoch-making prediction of
catastrophes, disasters and obliteration
of the clockwork ethics that makes the world
go round. The gullible not prepared
for hardships chose to end it all
cheating D-Day just days away

The sun will rise again the morning
of the 22nd ( or 24th)  A belief of Providence's
wonder! No change at all. None in heaven's name!

Written for 3WW with the words softly, echo and hardships and d'Verse OpenLinkNight week75

Planing

                                                                       Picture by Andy Magee
Image: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

Wintry days that many certify
Deja vu of years gone by
Cold, wet, dark and drab
With switched on lights
Solitary cars gingerly
Making their way slowly
In the misty morning
Forlornly chugging

It doesn't take a sorcerer
To fathom the horror
To determine what of coming days
Keeping sober on sodden pathways
May take some effort in many ways
Staying healthy following their forays

One hears of multiple cars
Of arrogance unsurpassed
Planing on slippery sheets of ice
With dire consequences as a price
Those with uncharitable attitudes
Speedster's car that packs a wallop
Semblance of awareness is asked for
Remember,
Christmas cheer is just around the corner

Written for Tess' Magpie Tales #148, as well as  Mary's Poetry Pantry #128 and Kerry's Real Toad's Open Link Monday

Details

                                                                                      Artist :  Peter Tillemans
Image: The Artist's Studio
Licensed through Wikimedia Commons (here)

It manifests itself in meager forms
One's belief of wanting to conform
To care for the small details is vital
Lest one is led astray in undesirables
Let's recap on what is expected
A maverick adamant in being selected
Spare a thought then, and be counted
Relating sparingly reasons for the onslaught

Pen and water-color the classic tools disregarded
Delve into it to get at the ideas to develop
Create a personal style and improve on designs
Journalize travels, sketch on site at real time

A sketch-book pregnant with information
Line drawings with color washes enhanced
Adept at moving sketched objects around
Liberty to create a well framed composition
Vanishing points and perspectives affords reality
Creates broadsides and looking down at infinity
Start and conjure little things with rough details
To complete at later time for what these entail

Written for Brian's at d'Verse's Poetics - Sweat the Small Stuff

Hawks

                                                  Picture by Don O'Brien

Image: A 1957 Studebaker  Silver Hawk
Licensed through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Of strength and beauty
Spawned myriads of creations
Of striking colors

                                                                Picture by Vestman

Image: Midnight Hawks (BAE jets)
Licensed through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Durability

Fierceness,agility,whole

gamut of awe

                                                                                          Picture by Bernard Gagnon

Image: The 18th Hole at Hawks' Landing Golf Club, Orlando Florida

Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Of nature's vibrance

measure of calmness and scenes
of tranquility


Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #70 with prompt - hawk

Make Amends

You genuinely searched
Paring off fats still sticking
Stigma writhing bad

Soaring above all
Impacting your soul real hard
You ought to focus

Make amends, do it!
Unsung, whimpering, whirling,
Ignite the resolve

A big step forward
You perceived right, well done
Oversight made good!

Such a relief! To
procrastinate started it
Lesson learnt no doubt!

Written in the second person for Victoria's hosting at d'Verse: Meeting the Bar and Jenn's Sensational Haiku Wednesday #181 with prompt -search-

Ketupat

                                                                                     Picture by Sakurai Midori
Image: Weaved casings of ketupat made from coconut leaves
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Note: Appended are links of : 1) a video on how to weave the casing (here)
and  2) a blog posting on the preparation of and the finished product (here)

Highlighting two traditional staples
For every Hari Raya, a must offering
Lemang (here) cooked through hot embers
Luscious creamy glutinous rice fillings

Ketupat  in weaved  coconut leaves
The one other, either of plain rice or glutinous
Both staples with savory chicken or beef
Mouth watering season's food of choice

Written for Mary's Poetry Jam - Foods of the Season and Grace's hosting at d'Verse's OpenLinkNight week #74

Secrets of Old

Image: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

Gone skilfully through
the intricacies of trade
With deft touch of warmth

Yearning to advance
With precise discipline of
mistress of pleasure

Now entombed in codes
Hidden in lines of maps the
Secrets of Geisha

Written for Tess' Magpie Tales #147

Pain

                                                  Picture by John Storr                              
Image: Lion Cubs Wrestling
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

A measure of strength
One mobilizes the test
To emerge triumphant

No pleasure without
pain.It provokes the resolve
Right above all else

Written for Leo's Haiku Heights #199 with prompt -pain-

Scrooge

                                                     Sketch by John Leech 1843
Image: Scrooge's Ghostly Third Visitor
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

What the dickens! One is to encroach
on the once sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge
Following ghostly visits, his transformation
To one lauded later for its compassion

A Christmas Carol a novella by Dickens
Traced life's journey the author had taken
Inspired by humiliating childhood experiences
and outright sympathy for the down-trodden

Supernatural visits by the three Ghosts
of the Past, Present and Yet to Come
Was instrumental in effecting in Scrooge
A character change later in life of one

The tale had been viewed as a dig and an indictment
Of ills of the 19th-century industrial capitalism

Written for Ella's Wonder Wednesday #12 at Poets United with prompt -Scrooge- and
d'Verse's OpenLinkNight week #73

Plovers And Sandpipers

                                                                                    Picture by Alan D Wilson
Image: Western Sandpiper feeding at Cattle Point, British Columbia
Sourced from Wikimedia Commons (here)

Prancing on mudflats
Frolicking in the light breeze
With due abundance

Plovers, sandpipers
Small shorebirds of brown and white
Feeding in the sun

Nesting safely on
the ground, migratory and
friendly with nature

Written for Chev's haiku meme CARPE DIEM #61 with prompt Plovers and Sandpipers

A Strategist

                                                              Object to be Destroyed by Man Ray
Image1: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

Image2: A Digital Chess Clock
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

The constant ticking
Eyeing them at every move
In the process determines
No one exceeds his given time
The likes of the grueling showdown of
The Fischer and Spassky of old (here)
A classic never surpassed

The disciplined mind of a Grandmaster
Never cowed nor succumbed to pressures
Psychological or political
It gripped the attention of the world
Made Reyjavik known
A duo who battled with their wits
At the height of the Cold War
More for the country than personal glory

Unlike Fischer, Spassky was given to
backing of the powers that be
But the onslaught, mental strength and strategies
of a determined eccentric Fischer proved himself
a genius right through till the end

Written for Tess' Magpie Tales #146

Micro Fiction

Image: Courtesy of Grandma's

I'm doll-like
Say what you want
Do what you like
I look like a doll
No good in reprimanding me
I'm beyond reproach
I'm a doll
Can't you see?

(140 characters)
Counted through Design215 Character Counter (here)

Grandma challenged us to do Micro Fiction not exceeding 140 characters
with the picture above and to include the word 'reproach' 

Written for Grandma's Goulash, Succinctly Yours week# 89 and Poets United's Poetry Pantry #126

Alor Star

                                                               Picture by Johnsonooijunsheng
Image: The Menara, the tower in Alor Star
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

It took a good part of six hours
then, by road to Alor Star. A journey
of love and hope. The first of many
through the years

It started way back forty-four years ago
That long and how time flies
I used to make it to Alor Star
for short visits. The courtship for
my beloved Shadah in fact started
a few years before that

It was Orientation Week on campus
I spied a shy lass with books and papers
in a sling bag looking with anticipation
A 'freshie' lost in the crowd
I was a 'senior' ready to pounce
on unsuspecting 'innocents' of
beautifully garbed young ladies
who had just arrived as new students

One thing led to the other
Many hours together,in the library
Visits to the Third Residential College
the residence where she put up at
Cheap meals at the nearby eateries
Or just walking hand in hand evenings
where there were open spaces within
Whispering sweet nothings just as other
couples bent on building a relationship
Those were the days of courtship
on a meager stipend of limited wants

We don't make visits to Alor Star anymore
My father-in-law had passed on, my mother-
in-law is now with us. Our house there is left
empty just so we still have a place to stay
should we make that rare visit again

How we miss the place. The food was
cheap with a variety of the local fare
The environment was healthy.  Many places
around were still undisturbed (perhaps there
were changes lately) The pace was slower
It was ideal for retirement.

Thanks for the memories, Alor Star!

Written for Stu hosting at d'Verse with Poetics: MISSING YOU

Storm

                                                                              Artist: Gustave Courbert 1871
Image: Stormy weather, oil on canvas
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

A gathering storm
starts rather innocently
but lashed with fury

Provoked and enraged
stormy union knows no bounds
love disentangled

Rantings pacified,
endearment tormented was
but an oversight

Written for Leo's Haiku Heights #198 with prompt -storm-

Moment in Time

                                                                       Portrait by J.B.Yeats
Image: A youthful W.B Yeats drawn by his father JB
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

The thoughts drifted I had my share
To times long past to times laid bare
I had the wisdom I had her praised
Her image so clear I was amazed

And yet for all that I had felt so right
Believing every word that I had said,
I praised her that made her eyes grow bright
Basking in that special moment's limelight

We sat silent she'd not said a word,

Were it not for the ridiculous crowds that meet
A heart that laughter had made so sweet
Would not know until we walked the very street
Whereon a thing once walked, for one to greet

We walked silently without a word

Suspicious darting eyes of sorts
Friendly folks but we let them be
Slowly and surely without a nod
We passed them by in all dignity

Hand in hand in a world of our own
Two souls but with one heart all alone

Note: I had based the above from the poem below,

A Memory Of Youth
(by William Butler Yeats)

THE moments passed as at a play;
I had the wisdom love brings forth;
I had my share of mother-wit,
And yet for all that I could say,
And though I had her praise for it,
A cloud blown from the cut-throat North
Suddenly hid Love's moon away.
Believing every word I said,
I praised her body and her mind
Till pride had made her eyes grow bright,
And pleasure made her cheeks grow red,
And vanity her footfall light,
Yet we, for all that praise, could find
Nothing but darkness overhead.
We sat as silent as a stone,
We knew, though she'd not said a word,
That even the best of love must die,
And had been savagely undone
Were it not that Love upon the cry
Of a most ridiculous little bird
Tore from the clouds his marvellous moon.
ALTHOUGH crowds gathered once if she but showed her face,
And even old men's eyes grew dim, this hand alone,
Like some last courtier at a gypsy camping-place
Babbling of fallen majesty, records what's gone.
These lineaments, a heart that laughter has made sweet,
These, these remain, but I record what-s gone. A crowd
Will gather, and not know it walks the very street
Whereon a thing once walked that seemed a burning cloud

Written for Anna at d' Verse with Meeting the Bar - Erasure poetry

Rich and Poor

                                                                          Picture by Jamie Davies
Image: Banner 'Capitalism Plunders' at G20 Meltdown Protest, London 2009
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Haves and the haves-not
Social conflicts besetting
deemed rich and real poor

Bridging the wide gap
To right the social fabric
Fairness to the fore

Capitalism
as against socialism
keeps grinding the wheels

Given the present,
Capitalism leads the
way, widening still!

Written for Ella's at Poets United's Wonder Wednesday #11 with prompt -bridge-

A Lone Survivor

                                                                            Picture: Red Chair (source here)
Image: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

Life's tragedy of a sad reminder sadly
Wherein the aim staying at its prime
With expectations of rehabilitation
Patiently waiting, they came and went

All of them, they had all gone
They took all one by one
The furniture, furnishings, everything
In the name of development and progress
Except the red chair no less

Made to wait to know its fate
For what reasons no one knows
perhaps,

The upholsterer would have got it freed
or,
The wrecking crew, a casualty of the developer's greed

Written for Tess' Magpie 145

Appreciation

                                                                            Picture by Bohringer Friedrich .
Image: Large flowering head of a matured sunflower
Sourced  through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Given to niceties
When growing up through the  years
Life had been forgiving

Now more towards
challenging times
Opening up to old age

Health-wise afflictions
slowly creep in,on the quiet
but progressively

Testing times on hold
or arrested wholly, lucky me
Work or at play one takes
the middle road

Thankful for the morrow
That offers so much for those
who strive at their own pace

Written for Sam's Forms for All at d'Verse with theme 'Giving Thanks'

Beach

 Image:1 Hank at the beach in Bali. The hotel conveniently fronts the beach

 Image: 2 Azhar my youngest having the time of his life

Image:3 Shadah with Azhar (some Aussies in the background)

Sea breeze nodding by
Rapport with the light waves to
quiet slow ripples

Hitting the beach to
countless holiday-makers
enjoying the sun

Ravenous tsunami
Not part of the equation
On with it, people!

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #51 with prompt -beach-

Wrestling

                                                                  Picture by Staff Sgt Jason Carter USMC
Image: Capt F Workman USMC competing in a Greco-Roman bout
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Physical combat
sport. Grappling opponents with
locks, holds and take downs

Greco-Roman style
No tripping but to pin down
to register wins

Freestyle allows more
use of  legs by both, thrilling
variety of moves

Written for Jenn's Sensational Haiku Wednesday #178 with theme, freestyle and Brian's hosting at d'Verse OpenLinkNights week 71

Rose

                                                                      Attribution to Fir0002/Flagstaffotos
Image: A Wild Rose
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Regal dominance
Rose,by any other name
Gracious in beauty

Thorny but perfumed
Nature's benevolence, a
protective stance

Myriads of colors
Radiant, undeterred by
vagaries of weather

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #49, with prompt, Rose

Warehouse

                                                                               Squall 1986 by Andrew Wyeth

Image: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

Trees kept wondering

Saplings outside the warehouse

Full grown since stood tall

Crowds streamed endlessly

in but emptiness at dusk

Misty in the dark

Accentuating

suspicions were crates moved in

in stealth of late nights

Note: Was on the road. This was meant for the preceding Haiku Heights ( trees) and d'Verse ( photos) Had it adjusted for these later submissions.Will catch up with comments of those on my recent postings shortly. (apologies!)

Written for Tess' Magpie 144, Chev' CARPE DIEM #48 with prompt Mist and Poet's United Poetry Pantry #124

Mona Lisa

                                                                                          Picture by Edal Anton Lefterov                                                         

Image: Visitors of the Louvre in front of the Mona Lisa

Image sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci,has been acclaimed as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world" - Wiki

Adorned at a section of the Louvre

A permanent display on  view

Who was she of mysterious identity

Was it a portrait of Lisa Gherardini

None could  claim with all certainty

But it created an aura that captivated many

Fascination with the smile over many a century

Had subjected it to numerous cases  of study

But sadly

Being acclaimed had created envy

In minds of those wrought with insanity

To cause mischief with impunity

Peruggia a Louvre employee

Had it stolen to return it to Italy

Vandalized  with quite a variety

A rock, a mug, red paint, and acid damaged it severely

But restoration effected with all ingenuity

In a  bulletproof glass case for safety

The enigmatic smile accorded immunity

Now preserved for posterity

Written for Victoria, hosting at d'Verse with prompt Meeting the Bar - Literary Allusion 

Target Practice

Image: An old picture taken after weapons training lessons. Two LMG's seen in the foreground.
From Left: Squatting - Rahman Torch, M.Sham ( Datuk) Aji ( Datuk, Dr) Standing: Hooi, Razali Bai, Daniel Chan (deceased) and Hank

‘Fire’!, familiar call

Saturday’s weapons training

Self Loading Rifles

For target practice

Outer, Inner, Magpie,Bull

Butt Party’s  response

Live bullets were used

Fun, but just as dangerous

A teenager’s dream

Process Notes:  Hank had his secondary education  ( equivalent to High School years ) at the Royal Military College.  Military Training, comprising, Parades, Weapons Training and Map-Reading were on every Saturday mornings. Target Practice was just one aspect of weapons training.  It was at the 100-meter Shooting Range using Self Loading Rifles ( SLR ) or Light Machine Guns ( LMG) with .303 live ammo. The Butt Party at the far end would indicate after each shot  the outcome.  It could be  a Bull’s- Eye,  Magpie, Inner , Outer  or off target. It was fun!

Written for Joe's hosting at d”Verse’s OpenLinkNights week 70 and Chev’s  CARPE DIEM # 45 with prompt - fire-

School Holidays

Image:1 The neighborhood kids. Kimie got them all rounded up. From left: Abu, Daniel (of Portuguese/French parentage) Norman (foreground) and Kimie (at the background) both my grandchildren, Dickson (Chinese) and Imran ( of Malay/Chinese parentage )

Image:2 They came for a tame birthday do. It was Kimie's. He turned 10 on Nov 09! Among themselves they are a neat group. Last night both Norman and Kimie were at a sleep-over at Daniel's house! Daniel's family will be leaving for home ( in France) in Dec. They're making the most of each other now!

The school holidays are here again!  It’s practically mid-November through early January!  Those younger ones are already at it. It’s the carefree days for them beginning this week. Those older ones are mentally sweating it out. They are in the midst of major exams that will eventually determine directions for their future. As for the minders  (I for one) we have to think of ways to ease off the boredom. It’s a pretty long stretch and activities must have variety to make it interesting for them.

The choice is an open book.Trips overseas (not many can afford that) Trips inland, excursions that cost less, entertainment centers at the Mall, private clubs ( here ) or just freebies at the beach or libraries. Whatever it might be, it'll be thrilling time! Childhood days are never forgotten!

School is over, great!

The neighborhood kids are here

They do their own thing

Minders are busy

thinking ahead on how to

fill up their free time

It is a challenge

Must be interesting but

cost is a factor 

Written for Real Toad's Open Link Monday

Verdun

                                                                             Verdun 1917 by Felix Vallotton 

Image: Courtesy of Tess' Magpie

Man against man

A common cause

of human conflict

A flare up of fire power

A common course

of conflict resolution

A test of strength

A show of strength

The Battle of Verdun

Soldiers against soldiers

Reportedly the longest

For the whole of ten months

One of the most devastating

In World War One

A war to end all wars

So it was known

But human conflicts persist

To this day battles rage

Now soldiers against civilians

with added precision

A crying shame

Excuses so lame

Women and children are game

Collateral damage is the name

A description given

without conscience

Written for Tess' Magpie Tales #143

Anti-War

Image: War Veterans Marching in Boston

Image Source: Through Wikimedia Commons (here)

A gun in his hand

Folks all around him

Fallen unlucky ones

Others looking grim

Where does it all end

Months here without relief

Tour of duty a second time

Something’s got to give

Came by in the night

All on his own, alone

His gun viciously sprayed

Dead more than a dozen

Back home he is on trial

‘Revenge killing’ so it seems

All alone facing the rap

But is it fair only him?

Those that he didn’t trust

Sent him there for what reason

Others showed their disgust

Jon Michael Turner for one (here)

Written for Karin's Poetics - Making Peace at d'Verse