Hallelujah!

so peaceful
human utopia
life on earth
peaceable
harmonious living for all
hallelujah!

hallelujah
it’s not late to dream
thank you, Lord
second chance
acceptance, equality
love and peace abound

love and peace
simple things we need
be grateful
and rejoice
we make our own utopia
taking part in it

taking part
don’t let it be harmed
our whole world
everything
send our gratifying love
hallelujah!

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

by German artist Makis Warlamis

For: B&P Shadorma & Beyond – November 12, 2013, Microfiction challenge #22: Utopia Ark

Microfiction challenge #19: Under the sea

under the sea where the mighty king lived
his hair lengthy and his body so lean
the king saw her and made her his captive

we would never know what went in between
why did she keep coming back to the sea?
perhaps he promised her to be his queen

under the sea, there was lots of algae
and the sound of water flowing over
folks said she was as pretty as could be

lady swam into the wide blue yonder
was it to be with him at his kingdom?
pure white beach surrounding the sea azure

sometime later on she wanted freedom
sadly, but there was no way she could leave
she was then bored and he was so loathsome

she kept asking him, he was getting peeved
and then he did something unscrupulous
something horrifying, it made us grieve

that was the anecdote under the sea
she was fiercely taken, she couldn’t flee
under the sea where the mighty king lived
the king saw her and made her his captive*

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

* The Lauranelle, created by Laura Lamarca, is a hybrid (variation) of both the Villanelle and the Terzanelle forms. The poem is 22 lines in length opposed to the 19-line length of the aforementioned classical forms. Lines MUST be 10 syllables in length and also MUST be in iambic pentameter.

Rhyme scheme is as follows: aba bcb cdc ded efe fbf ggA(1)A(2)

Lines 1 and 3 MUST be repeated at Lines 21 and 22.

Poems can either be formatted in stanzas or as a whole piece without line-spacing

For: Microfiction challenge #19: Under the sea by Jane Dougherty

Microfiction challenge #16: Lovers

‘Lovers’ by Felix Nussbaum

As they climb up the tower
They wish to have the answer
On a calm night, the moon so bright
He and she holding each other tight
Echoes of birds twittering
Cricket chirping, wind blowing
They want this moment to last
They are not talking about the past
As well as of the future, only the now
They are both sneaking somehow
He and she mirror each other
They cuddle with certain ardour
Her scent ensnares him
Fills his desire to the brim
The softness of her body
Makes him full of glee
The manliness in him
Like singing in a hymn
Crowning with passion
Two bodies become one
Bent on partaking each other
Wish they could stay there as they were

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: Microfiction challenge #16: Lovers by Jane Dougherty

Microfiction challenge #15: Freedom

What freedom! As we shout with glee. Free at last! Free to flee from threat. We were with self-doubt beset. Freedom to fight on other people’s plight. Freedom to dream about things that make us gleam. Freedom to travel and win our own battle. Freedom to wander when we’re feeling some anger.

Oh what freedom! Freedom to be with each other, no matter what. Come rain or high waters, we are together. Freedom to love so we can coo like doves. Freedom to do what we want and to be where we want to be. To swim, to dance, to read a book and to have a nice cup of tea. Freedom is wonderful, indeed!

For: Microfiction challenge #15: Freedom by Jane Dougherty

Microfiction challenge #14: Spring

Crown of yellow buds
Pretty on her soft brown hair
But why the sadness?

Submerge in silence
Barefoot girl in grey skirt
Sitting on the grass

Such sorrow to watch
Previously naked branches
Now dotted with birds

Black birds tweeting
Saw her in solitary
Cheer up, they all sing

The nightingale sings
The first greening of the grass
Heralding of spring

Lazy wind pushes
Soft green grass, blue sky, white clouds
Blackbirds sing above

Stars of spring
Flower buds begin to peek
Hundreds of white blooms

Petals with silky hearts
Flutter down as gentle rain
Blossoms are here

Each one beautiful
Snowdrop, crocus, daffodils
Canvas of nature

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: Microfiction challenge #14: Spring

Microfiction challenge #12: Abandon

The Terzanelle is a poetry type which is a combination of the villanelle and the terza rima forms. It is a 19-line poem consisting of five interlocking triplets/tercets plus a concluding quatrain in which the first and third lines of the first triplet appear as refrains. The middle line of each triplet is repeated, reappearing as the last line of the succeeding triplet with the exception of the center line of the next-to-the-last stanza which appears in the quatrain. The rhyme and refrain scheme for the triplets is as follows:

1. A
2. B
3. A

4. b
5. C
6. B

7. c
8. D
9. C

10. d
11. E
12. D

13. e
14. F
15. E

Ending Type 1:

16. f
17. A
18. F
19. A

Persistent rain on a grey day
To an abandoned mill she walked
Persistent rain on a grey day

Perhaps she was openly mocked
Her past was the past no one knew
To an abandoned mill she walked

He whispered a subdued adieu
Then he packed his bags and left her
Her past was the past no one knew

She cried and everything seemed blur
Knew there was nothing she could do
Then he packed his bags and left her

Helpless with things she has been through
The world seemed to be against her
Knew there was nothing she could do

She wished she could have the answer
Persistent rain on a grey day
The world seemed to be against her
Persistent rain on a grey day

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: Microfiction challenge #12: Abandon by Jane Dougherty

Microfiction challenge #10: Far far away

The Mini-monoverse is a poetry form originated by Emily Romano. Each Mini-monoverse is made up of two stanzas of five three-syllable lines. The rhyme scheme is a/a/a/a/a for the first stanza and b/b/b/b/b for the second stanza. For a double Mini-monoverse just add two more stanzas. They rhyme scheme for the third stanza should be c/c/c/c/c and for the fourth stanza, d/d/d/d/d. It is desirable that the Mini-monoverse tell a story, but this is not a hard and fast rule.

faraway
by the bay
a grey day
don’t betray
please stay

I miss thee
bended knee
pray with plea
don’t leave me
let’s both flee

where are you?
I am blue
give me clue
please don’t shoo
wish I knew

I am lost
in the frost
so exhaust
what’s the cost?
hope we crossed

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: Microfiction challenge #10: Far far away