In your hands

Who’s gonna be with me in the Ratskeller?
Who’s gonna strike a clump of two with me?
Who’s gonna order steak burnt to a cinder?
Life’s better with you, I come with a plea
Without you, my life is like a big blur
Without you, I’ll remain acedia baby
Coiled myself in front of the television
Scrawling your name over and over, hun

People say we’re antipodes of each other
That I’m a walrus and you’re a tiger
That I move on and pull myself together
If I change, can we please stay as we were?
In your hands I’m waiting for the answer
I miss you from the summer to the winter
I miss you like a rain in the desert
Come back and I promise you full comfort*

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

* A Ottava Rima is a poem written in 8-line octives. Each line is of a 10 or 11 syllable count in the following rhyme:

one octive poem. abababcc
two octive poem. abababcc, dededeff

For: Monday Morning Melts #3, Wordle #130 “November 21st, 2016”

Open as breeze

call in and drop by anytime for a ball
ball of patterns as we work on the call
keys are never needed, flat is open as breeze
breeze so easy as righteous ends are keys
feed us with different experience as we all agreed
agreed to hold on lies and welcome things to feed

be grateful for whoever comes, give them a cup of tea
tea is always good for the soul so we accept them be
even if it’s bad news, one day it will shine, the sun
sun rises and sets no matter what happens even
as with life, it could be fun, sad, up, down and jazz
jazz up life with all the different experience so as*

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

* The Mirror Sestet, created by Shelley A. Cephas, is a poem that can be written in one or more stanzas of 6 lines each. The specific guidelines for this form are as follows:

The first word of line 1 rhymes with the last word of line 1.
The first word of line 2 is the last word of line 1
and the last word of line 2 is the 1st word of line 1.

The first word of line 3 rhymes with the last word of line 3.
The first word of line 4 is the last word of line 3
and the last word of line 4 is the 1st word of line 3.

The first word of line 5 rhymes with the last word of line 5.
The first word of line 6 is the last word of line 5
and the last word of line 6 is the 1st word of line 5.

The Mirror Sestet can also be written in non-rhyme.
All rules must be followed except there is no 1st and last word rhyming.

For: Writing Prompt #187 “Collage 34”, Wordle 275 Nov 20 by Brenda Warren

What future?

PHOTO PROMPT © Jean L. Hays

The alarm didn’t go off this morning…I’m still curl up in my duvet, my silvery hair all tangled up. I like the feel of velvet, so soft and cosy. The light peeking through the curtain, telling me to get up and start my day. I used to be a busy lady, getting up at the crack of dawn. I even used to burn the midnight oil. Our town used to be the jealous of everyone as we have enough jobs for everyone. I could still hear the echoing of different shops and factories. Our town looks like a ghost town, no jobs, no class and no future.

For: Friday Fictioneers by Rochelle, MINIATURE WRITING CHALLENGE #67, Wordle 272 Oct 30 by Brenda Warren

Who was she?

old woman portrait vietnam three tamarind m’nong

I was rummaging through the attic
in the filth, searching for some documents
old memento, toys and games of our antic
brown faded photos of our descents

I found an old photograph of a woman
she was beautiful, I save it as my keepsake
lines on her face tell us experience she’d done
her eyes conveyed her joy, hope and ache

an enigma, seducing me to deconstruct
I can feel her wraith in my zone
enlightening me of proper conduct
her past mistakes to atone

her alexithymia makes me want to express
something she wasn’t able to do
perhaps she was in distress
if only I could have a cue

like colouring her life with crayons
through the convex lens the search
looking for truth, spending aeons
thinking of it as my research

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: Photo Challenge #136, Wordle #126 “October 24th, 2016”

Music – Writing Prompt #183 “Collage 32”

music is a world within itself
with a language we all understand
making me find my own self
and where I stand

a thousand ways to make or break
waking up to a lovely music
I’ll bake a cake when I awake
getting ready for treat or trick

we can tell what mood we’re in
makes us bounce and thrive
genius and madness are akin
gives us the drive to strive

from birth to death it’s part of us
we can delve deeper into the matter
our energy so boundless
we can do things in a spur

planting us with roses as birds sing
making us travel to see the world
waiting for what the day will bring
as we swirled and twirled

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: Writing Prompt #183 “Collage 32”, Wordle 271 Oct 23 by Brenda Warren

Mr. Sandman’s Gifts

mimic of a dream
in a state of spin
flash and fade it seems
rim in the park I grin

in a state of spin
flip a coin and kick
insulate I have been
limit of a trick

flash and fade it seems
forgetting all my lines
swimming in stream
taking me to fine dine

rim in the park I grin
promise me the moon
you, the yang to my yin
your kiss make me swoon*

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

* Created by C. G. V. Lewis, the Quadrilew is a form of quatrain poem with an abab rhyming scheme, repeating lines, and contains an alternating syllable structure.

In the first verse, the poet may either start with a five or six syllable line. If the choice is five then the ‘sounding’ syllable count is (and opposite if the count is six):

VERSE ONE,
Line 1, 5 syllables.
Line 2, 6 syllables.
Line 3, 5 syllables.
Line 4, 6 syllables.

VERSE TWO,
Line 1, (which is a REPEAT of line 2 of the FIRST verse) has 6 syllables.
Line 2 new line of 5 syllables
Line 3 new line of 6 syllables
Line 4 new line of 5 syllables.

VERSE THREE,
Line 1, (which is a REPEAT of line 3 of the first verse) has 5 syllables.
Line 2 new line of 6 syllables.
Line 3 new line of 5 syllables.
Line 4 new line of 6 syllables.

VERSE FOUR,
Line 1, (which is a REPEAT of line 4 of the first verse) has 6 syllables.
Line 2 new line of 5 syllables.
Line 3 new line of 6 syllables.
Line 4 new line of 5 syllables.

For: Writing Prompt, October 16th, 2016:Gifts from Mr. Sandman, Wordle 270 Oct 16 by Brenda Warren

Think! – Writing Prompt #181 “Collage 31”

Think left and right, think low and high
A needle in a haystack, clouds in the sky
The view from the bridge, that’s amazing
Put chillies in cooking that gives it zing
Play hide and seek by the big pear
And all the while she’s sitting on a chair
So cosy enjoying the breeze in the garden
Trimming the soil and the job’s done
Three dried roses on the wall
Still some mist this morning’s fall
Colourful bowls from my last trip
Filled up the cardboard, that’s a blip
Giggling I walked down the stairs
The end of rose petal trail, you my bear!

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: Writing Prompt #181 “Collage 31”, Wordle 269 Oct 9 by Brenda Warren

The girl in green – Photo Challenge #133

– Slrlounge.com

billow of steam coming from her hair
wisps of smoke rose into the air
reflecting the water as she spins
barging her way through as she grins
like finning along the sandy bottom
this time by the river lock she comes
as she pass by the bridge, one wonders
a grain of truth, is that what she’s after?
shadow of shoulder filtering her green dress
bless her, she’s running like a train express
perhaps she’s got something to solve
her brain’s trying not to dissolve

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: Photo Challenge #133, Wordle 268 Oct 2 by Brenda Warren , Sandbox Writing Challenge #58 — It’s all in your head!

  

One more chance!

He really stepped in it this time. He has to remain in focus, despite the pain in his chest. After the three men left him in this awful state, he has to think fast. He tried to free himself, wanted to scream but couldn’t. He suffered in silence. What a mess he got himself in. This time, the love of his life is also in trouble, if he cannot give them what they wanted.

When he woke up, the pain was gone and he could stand up. He went home, rinsed himself and made himself a pot of tea. They gave him the date when he has to submit what they needed. He has to steer hard right rudder to get out of this trouble. The will to survive this is stronger, especially if it also involved the safety of his lady love. One more chance to live or die.

For: Writing Prompt #179 “Collage 30”, TBP’s On-line Writer’s Guild #32, Wordle 267 Sep 25 by Brenda Warren

Music Prompt #61 – Evanescence ‘My Immortal.’

Your name in glitters written with my microlith
Are you real or just a myth?
In my heart and soul, you’re always the one
My superstar, my full moon and bright sun

Perhaps exalting you for what you really are
When you’re gone, I’ve got the biggest scar
Even though nothingness comes out
And my life’s one big blackout

I don’t regret what we had, I mull
When the whole process is futile
Wherever I go, your silage lingers
My heart you definitely capture

Your breath I can still taste
I don’t want our memories be erased
Your brown eyes haunt me
Mesmerize with the taunt

Esurient of your affection
What we had, that was fun
Let me be among the brambles
A single bramble or in bundles

The roses, lavender and hyacinth
I’m sure one day I’m out of this labyrinth
But for now, here’s wishing you the best
Having known you, I know I’m blessed

For: Music Prompt #61 – Evanescence ‘My Immortal.’, Wordle #121 “September 19th, 2016”