Thursday, August 30, 2012

Hot Capsicum


Image: Hank's own soft pastel sketch on an A4 size dark drawing paper
Note: In grappling with a new form with repeat endings I decided to revamp an earlier poem (here) together with the sketch for a quickie offering. Hoping I'm forgiven this time for an easy way out.

Glistening with pride hidden a taste, spicy
Fondness for chili peppers amidst fine servings
A capsicum sneaky of yellow, red and green

Gives a kick at lunch mixed with other greens
A salad bowl for a taste bud for hot and spicy
Creates a howl for those timid in their servings

Hotplate with meaty offerings of fine servings
Gnashed, gnawed spicing up the chow of varied greens
Fitting for a King at a lunch sitting all that’s spicy

Spicy servings an adventure with greens


Written for Sam's Forms For All - A Tritinas at d'Verse

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Art

Image: I toyed around with the e-brush and came up with the above

Strength of imagination
Transferred on canvas
Kaleidoscopic hues of rainbow
Whets naughtiness of
eccentricity of creating
abstracts, still life, portraits
and scenic beauty of nature

Written for Mama Zen's at Real Toads where we are to write a 25-word verse of power image close to our heart



Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Artists,Poets and Philosophers

Reflecting and in somber mood
Nonchalantly unchallenged
The object of their wrath
Bared for the asking
Welcomed them with open arms
There were times of despair in their life
Where things just didn’t click.
But the ups and downs made it
all the more interesting
They embraced adversity 
It offered them a challenge
They were not the only ones
who had to suffer.
No moments of regret
Life had not been fair
Neglected at their prime
But friends offered hope
They found solace in numbers

Once they had a toe hold they went in with gusto
armed to the teeth, brushes paints 
rollers and permanent markers
There  were artists and poets among them
and philosophers in their own odd ways
There was a thin line separating wit and obscenity
No moments of regret, it would be fun
Celebrating diversity, it had come a long way
On the street,subway and bathroom walls
Graffiti galore!

Image: Subway graffiti in London
Picture Credit: Public Domain Pictures.net (here) with notation
'Royalty free stock photos. All pictures are free for commercial and personal use'

Written for Poets United Vice-Versa #13 with antonyms: object/welcome,despair/hope & embrace/neglect and d'Verse OpenLinkNights week #59

Monday, August 27, 2012

Kitty


Picture Credit: From Public Domain Images (Cats and Kittens) here

A cat generally is quite a friend
Just need to stroke below its neck
It'll purr and stretch to no end
It'll  brush your legs or lie on its back
It’s clean no wet tongues like a doggie
Anytime it is for a kitty

But wait you got to still clean up
Sieving through the sand
To stomach all the muck
For the love of a friend
A regular wash to avoid ticks
Clean hygiene uppermost
Then have fun with playful tricks
Never to regret to play host

Written for Real Toads in Open Link Monday

Sunday, August 26, 2012

The Sporting Spirit


                                                                Big Room 1948 by Andrew Wyeth
Image: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

An emptiness,a journey’s end
A stellar performance was expected
A talented group assembled
Much effort was made to ensure
The good of each to strengthen
For their own glory basking with enthusiasm
But where have they gone?

Not many months ago this room was full
Standing room only many waiting by the door
Hoping to be led in to be accepted
In a select group of celebrated persons
A frenzy whipped up of untold madness
For a group of athletes with a sense of purpose
But where have they gone?

They were made to understand then
And the message was drummed in
In fulfillment of the aspirations of many
On the shoulders of the selected few
There was no mistaking the intents
The hopes clearly enthused
But where have they gone?

The will of winning was not invoked
The elusive gold medal slipped through!

Written for Tess' Magpie #132

Saturday, August 25, 2012

An Honor Fulfilled

                                             Two Parts of the Road as a Whole by Borg de Nobel
                                                           (http://borgeous.wordpress.com) used with permission
Image:1 Courtesy of d'Verse with kind permission of artist
                          
Unfinished business
Midway in life's journey
As a bull elephant knew how
A modicum of honor
A mite too rash
But did it anyway
To avenge the demise
of a little one

It took the Iron Horse
to task head-on
It never had a chance
But it did find itself
In the annals of history
Heroics of a kind
The responsibilities
of a leader brought to extremes
Reckless ,virtuous,brave and plain madness
a living example,dead,for

an elephant never did forget!

Process Note: A tribute to a bull elephant in defence of its herd had rammed head-on against a train . A train had the day before ploughed into a baby calf. Read (here) and (here)

Written for Claudia's at d'Verse appreciating talented contemporary artist Borg de Nobel, Poets United's Poetry Pantry #112 and Carry on Tuesday #170,  to use Midway in Life's Journey as a prompt

Friday, August 24, 2012

Salvador Dali

Image: My quickie sketch of  his extended moustache

Long wavy hair, eyes constantly
wide open looking surprised 
Pointed moustache extending beyond
his cheeks, not unlike Fu Manchu
mouth twisted, a measure of talent
Could he be mistaken?

For someone ordinary? No!
Extraordinary? Yes!

His works out of the ordinary
way out, loud and weird
but well chronicled known and accepted
Brought inner satisfaction
to him but consternation
to those around

Melting clocks, somber surroundings
The Persistence of Memory
His most famous painting
In some others elephants
long legged gallivanting
Cannot fault him for insisting
He was way above other beings
The whole gamut of culture
Within his repertoire
Graphics, paintings, architecture
Sculpture, notable quotes, the whole works
Nothing up his sleeves, no tricks
To think he was eccentric!

Shared with Ella's Think Tank Thursday #111 with prompt Salvador Dali  at Poets United  and Victoria's Meeting the Bar at d'Verse with  prompt - writing character

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Harmony


Image: Hank in Gay Paree a long time ago

Note: Mindful of copyright infringement as highlighted recently I have resorted to rummaging through my assortment of old snapshots. This pic can safely be titled as Harmony (I think so)

A treatise in respectability
Many a youngster ought to see
Elders are great at guessing
Extending harmony to make it pleasing
Keeping discord in check is fulfilling
Searching the conscience is revealing

Walk tall in triumph and bare the essentials
Maximize the strength and enhance the potential
Tread gingerly onto something valuable
Cut off eagerness to fail and stamp off squabbles
Arms akimbo a measure of consternation
Declare a truce and check turbulence
Trudge with care path of non-violence
Startle adversaries into submission

Written for Poets United's Vice-versa #12 with antonyms Harmony/Discord and Triumph/Fail and
d'Verse OpenLinkNight week #58

Monday, August 20, 2012

CRASH!


                                                       Under the Bridge by Adolphe Valette 1912

Picture Credit: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

Staring into the mist
He allowed his gaze to wander
Had he seen this before?
He thought he saw movements
Was it a big ship speeding fast?
It was heading directly at the pillar
His thoughts went back to those days

He had seen action before
Now a similar scenario was about to unfold

He had hesitated 
He was on the bridge
Imperative he should react
A split second decision
He should act!
But he was numb
He couldn’t move, he panicked
There was time but he froze
Time stood stlll
CRASH!

Dereliction of duties
cited at the court martial
He paid for it!

Now a similar drama is about
to unfurl. He is on the embankment
He is an innocent bystander
Those on the ship ought
to do something fast
He remembered the destruction before
Now it’s worst, a bigger ship, a stronger pillar

Now he can hear the sirens blaring
There is a great commotion
Too late!
CRASH!

Somebody ought to take the rap
It was painful, it wore him down
He knew too well
It happened to him!


Written for Tess' Mag #131 and Real Toad's Open Link Monday

Sunday, August 19, 2012

It's Not Summer


 Image:1 My son Azhar enjoying the sun on the beach

Image:2 A sanguine view of the hot equatorial sun blazing swathes of rays over hot sands

Image:3 A solemn sunset is a must but hid away by dark clouds

The sun beats down hard
Lines of sweat down the cheeks
Trickling at many places to the neck
The T-shirt is all wet as if caught in a dreadful shower
It’s hot, it’s sweaty akin to summer
So we are told.

We have summer here all year round
Can you beat that!  You get more than just a tan
This is the equatorial lands
Is it the same experience of a summer that you have
in temperate lands?

It is hot and bright
It beats down the skin
Gives sunburn blisters
It gets all sweaty

No, it’s not. It’s all that but…
Humidity lends a hand

It seems like summer all year round
But it is not, if not for humidity which is close to 80%

Let's see again,
Just like summer
Hot like summer
All year round but

We would rather have just a day of snow flakes
Yearning for the impossible, silly!

Written for K's at d'Verse anything akin to summer and Poets United's Poetry Pantry #111

Friday, August 17, 2012

Jungle Green


 Image:1 We were dressed in jungle green uniforms even in the classroom. Hank, the cheeky one facing the camera in the centre

Image:2  Hank in jungle kit. This was how we dressed on jungle assignments for our 'campings' and expeditions
Image:3 Hank at age 15 dressed in greens. We were not issued firearms but we learned about them. On occasions we experienced target practice at the .22 (indoor) or the .303 (outdoor) firing range.

Military kind
A unique institution
Disciplined bearing

School days in greens, had
rifles and machine-guns** as
‘toys’ on Saturdays

Process Notes: I was in the Royal Military College as a student from age 15 till 19 before entering the University. We had normal classes on week-days and military training on Saturdays.
** it was the LMG (light machine guns)

Written for Leo’s Haiku Heights # 158 with green as a prompt 

An Angler's Luck


Image:1 Hank with two of the spoils, not quite biggies but ok for fun's sake.

Laid back feeling miserable
Lazy stupor crying out loud
The quietness is unbearable
Designs of landing a wallop
Far from grappling with big shouts
Resolved to fate hoping to fight
Divine intervention is allowed
An angler waits for the big bite

A huitain where a rhyme scheme of a b a b b c b c and of an 8 to 10 syllables are taken as guides provided by Gemma

Written for Gay's presentation of Gemma's huitain at d'Verse in Forms For All 

Monday, August 13, 2012

Red Okra


Image:1 A Red okra image graciously extended by Pak Cik from his collection. Thanks Pak Cik for allowing me the use of the image. Pak Cik in his blog had highlighted his Red okra plant. Pak Cik was given some seeds and he had through care and affection nurtured the plant to bear 'fruits' measuring 9 inches long.

Image:2 My quickie pastel sketch of a ladies finger (or I would call it Green okra) on an A4 size dark drawing paper done a few minutes ago

An okra with hues of red
Unique, rarely exchanged in trade
Made its presence quite recently
Cultivated rightly as a hobby

But seriously the green kind
Ordinary, thrives as a vege in Eastern cuisine
But ‘ladies fingers’ it was long known
Who in their right mind had such named
Never to have seen slender hands?

Condemned not anywhere as near
Rough, slimy rather vaguely queer
Praise be, 'Green okra' is more acceptable
Let’s us not involve ourselves in squabbles
Ladies fingers as a name is not in vogue
More pleasant Green okra is now invoked

Written for Poets United Vice Versa #11 with prompts comprising antonyms Unique/Ordinary and Condemn/Praise and Claudia's OpenLinkNights week #57 at d"Verse

Shell


                                                              Image by Francesca Woodman
Picture Credit: Courtesy of Tess' Mag #130
A shell, a musical tool
Primitive but cool
A long beat, melodious
Sounds of the sea, the obvious

Got a second to spare
Blow well to nowhere
Blow as you might
Not for a long flight
Nor bidding to fight
Just blow, kudos

For a good show
Blow away
Vibrating the air
With an inner fare
Blow away
You’re doing fair
Good for a dare
Blow away
At your lair!

Written for Tess' Magpie #130 with picture prompt and Real Toads Open link Monday 

Saturday, August 11, 2012

A Novel

                                                            View from Ischia, Italy by S. McPherson
Picture Credit: Courtesy of S. McPherson
Lazing and lounging on the cushion chair
Leafing through the novel reading intently
The world out there appeared warm and bare
Most are glued to the idiot box serving
a live performance of the on-going London fare
The Olympics had progressed well now tapering

Clifford had refused to be wheeled around
He would do it himself. He had a nagging suspicion
The grounds of the estate were extensive
The gamekeeper was all too aware

He put down the novel. He had read the review
Of steamy scenes of the unexpurgated version
He was half-hearted in wanting to view
what was then on the air. It brought shivers
Diving scenes of ‘a reverse one and the half somersault’
Of pikes ,tuck, twists, were all too familiar
He remembered  the dull thud and the searing pain
Of hitting the platform  and passing out and of nearly drowning
Diving accidents were rare that he was told
but it happened. He reflected on what it could have been
A paraplegic just as Clifford? He was thankful fate
was kind to him. He looked at the book cover again
‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ he’ll continue reading later

Written for Stu's Poetics The Beautiful Sadness at d'Verse reflecting on works with D.H.Lawrence in mind. Shared with Poets United's Poetry Pantry#110

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Impressionists


Image: A quickie image done using the bemomo interactive tool utilizing the bubbles and lines schemes

Get a brush on
The virtual kind?
Interactive locations
One so refined?
Just a demonstration
Got a good find?
Am in luck,man!
What kind of versions
Bubbles and lines
Good for this occasion?
One so sublime
Ideal solution?
Akin to fine wine
Get a move on then
Never you mind!

In keeping with Claudia’s suggestion we are to mock the impressionists that she saw. It was deft loose brush strokes with a touch of shade and lights, done quickly without much time on details . If it’s not perfect it doesn’t  really matter. That was what I did within 10 mins for an impressionist image above ( so  I think) 

Written for Claudia's Impressionistic writings for a quick impressionist image and verse in d'Verse's Meeting the Bar

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Human Conflicts


Image:1 Human aggression was long in fashion
(Picture Credit: Google images)

Profiles of courage
Begotten of heroics 
in wartime exploits 

Pitting man against
man with fire power where
killing is virtuous

Is it true wherein
morality,rights,wrongs are
yet to reconcile

Human conflicts, means
to justify aggression
used extensively

What is life worth, snuffed,
ostensibly for freedom
but full of deceit

Shared with Jenn's Sensational Haiku Wednesday #163 with prompt -courage- and d'Verse OpenLinkNights week #56


Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Stripes



Image:1 Peek-a-boo! fooled you!
(Picture Credit: Google images)

Black stripes on white
Or white stripes on black
The perennial question
often asked. You want a
visual answer or a scientifically
proven answer was the retort!

Gathered in a group you could
not even make out. Was it the head
or the rump looking your way
It was perfect harmony, an ogre
of black and white with blinking
eyes at certain points and moving
tails swishing slowly at other points.
Those were the only tell-tale signs.

They must have laughed at us.
You stupid humans! They must have
said that many times. Must you try to
unravel the discord?

Do not scatter us or you’ll be confused
Just be happy with the crossings across
the road. Our heritage to humanity!

Written for Poets United's Vice/versa #10 with antonyms gather/scatter and harmony/discord as prompts

Monday, August 6, 2012

Shortcuts


 Image:1 If you risk taking a shortcut you may get stuck in the mud. You get angry in the process

Image:2 It's apparent many risk taking shortcuts even before.

Picture credit: from Google images

May all start as fun
Taken as a challenge but
a joke gone awry

I know a shortcut!
Yes! heard many times before
Many took it through

May be pressed for time
A real emergency that
prompts a risk taker

Impatience result
in dire consequences
Men just never learn

Note: Given Amy's magical touch (Thanks Amy!) 

Shared with One Single Impression #232 shortcut- , Poets United's Poetry Pantry #109 , Open Link Mondays at  Real Toads  and Chev's Haikublog Tackle it Tuesday

Sunday, August 5, 2012

A Dinner That Wasn't

                                             A Dinner Table At Night 1884 - John Singer Sargent
Picture Credit: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

Looks like he's not coming at all!
No, couldn’t be. He was all too happy
in the afternoon. He even reminded me
Yes, he had graciously invited me
‘A dinner if you may?’ and I had relented
Not that I lack dinner invitations
My admirers are aplenty
I’m fairly good looking. Better than most
around  here I see.But why?
Why must he do this to me?

He had been most polite. He chose his words
well. I had a feeling when he called
He wasn’t pushy, nor was I obnoxious
We talked informally, I mean how much you
need to when inviting someone out
Sure, I could  play hard to get
But that was not for us
We’re mature enough to act adults
I thought the evening was made

I told him not to pick me up
As he had to come all the way
and back again. It was more convenient
for my sister to drop me here
I know better now!

There must be some reasons
It is not like him
But how am I to explain to my guest?
I just wonder!

Note: Given Amy's magical touch (Thanks Amy!)

Written for Tess' Mag #129

Saturday, August 4, 2012

A Moment in Time


Image:1 The imposing Abe

This day I stood before him
In awe of the man larger than life
Who espoused rights and equality
And being remembered of his words

Four score and seven years ago……..
…..conceived in Liberty, and dedicated
to the proposition that all men are created equal

His gaze across towards the Monument
Imposing, a sitting position compounding his greatness
Very unlike others standing mostly
Sharing the spectacle again of the glittering moments
Of the changing of the guards on the concourse in front
together with tourists from the world over
( including Hank many years ago)

The Capitol in the distance
The custodian of his ideals and aspirations
The White House his abode to his left direction
(not this particular one I would think)
But still his, until that fateful day in the theater

Image:2 The simple Bob Kennedy's grave where a small flame was kept burning at the plaque in the fore ground. This recent Google image doesn't show the flame anymore.

The spirit of the 2-minute Gettysburg address
For fallen heroes was still with us
At Arlington, where an eternal flame
Flickered in the slight breeze
Of another fallen son
Marking Robert’s resting place

Image:3 The Museum of Modern Art, so unique a structure
(Picture Credit: All From Google Images)

A sojourn in DC would not be complete
Without a peek at the Museum of Modern Art
Where the  building itself was poetry
A marked difference from the staid Smithsonian
And other Museums across from the White House

Written for Brian's Poetics at d'Verse for some historical happenings

Stars


Picture Credit: Google images
Two sets of haiku

The rich and famous
Glittering and glamorous
Untold opulence

Strutting the catwalk
Or of screen stars or crooners
Rich talents abound

Coterie of stars
Astounded and enraptured
All generations

*************
How I love to see
shooting stars in the night sky
Showers and tailings

It must be fun but
must I wait in the open,
in the cool night air?

No, save the bother
Have someone thumb hard on your
head, you will see stars


Written for Leo's Haiku Heights #156 with prompt - stars -

Thursday, August 2, 2012

A Scheme

He came with a little smile, a toothy little smile
Broader it became as he got a little closer
Broke into a small laughter and all the while
A quizzical stance hidden behind the laughter

Broader it became as he got a little closer
Seen this act a few times had seen it before
A quizzical stance hidden behind the laughter
Scheming intention, a suspicious one I gather

Seen this act a few times had seen it before
Upon reaching an extended hand in friendly gesture
Scheming intention, a suspicious one I gather
Responded likewise not wanting to create a furor

A quizzical stance hidden behind the laughter
Began with a few good words without a falter
Scheming intention , a suspicious one I gather
The sling bag  is opened its contents spilled over

Began with a few good words without a falter
All the charts, the legs, the returns, too familiar
The sling bag  is opened its contents spilled over
I knew it, a ‘get-rich-quick’ a Ponzi as it were

All the charts, the legs, the returns, too familiar
Broke into a small laughter and all the while
I knew it, a ‘get-rich-quick’ a Ponzi as it were
He came with a little smile, a toothy little smile

Picture Credit: Google images

Written for Sam's Form For All: Pantoum in d'Verse

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Talent


Image: Courtesy of Google images

Ability most
profound but wrested through no
fault of the being

Latent talent not
discovered is a quagmire
to potential gain

Hidden talent may
cause one to tower above
innate regal sway

Extend bounds to reach
beyond human limits of
pristine nirvana

Written for Jenn's Sensational Haiku Wednesday with prompt -talent-