Sunday, July 12, 2015

Mother Lode



I squat like a miner;
sift through rubble,
barefoot in Levis.
Memories swirl the pan
most of them look the same;
unfossilized, too liquid to keep.
Ruby lips. The American dream. 
Now and then a sparkle a nugget
looks up at me with human eyes.  
Clementine!  Can't take everything, darling.
Just a few. I pack it neatly in the box
labeled "Initial Boom".
Souvenirs line up like herring.
Gradually decompose,
bloom sweet and pungent;
fertilize a second chance
my destiny.


tk/July 2015


R.A.D. Stainforth brings my words to life...





21 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Great interpretaion of the prompt!

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  3. The final 'bloom sweet and pungent' suggests that this adventure had mixed blessings, but then, there's always tomorrow. A great write capturing the pioneer spirit.

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  4. This poem is captivating - I could almost smell it at times! Fabulous.

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  5. A different and delightful take on the prompt. I like it!

    Visit Keith's Ramblings!

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  6. Head to California would be my advice .... Hhhmmmm

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  7. Oh my darling Clementine ~~ could hear it playing softly in the background ...

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  8. Love the human eyes, Clementine.

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  9. Swirl that pan; I'm sure there's even more gold...

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  10. 'Souvenirs line up like herring'....all these special moments...

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  11. "...fertilize a second chance" Talk about learning from mistakes, and truly using those lessons. Love this.

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  12. A great take..gold seeker who headed west def comes to mind.

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  13. a nugget
    looks up at me with human eyes.
    Clementine! Can't take everything, darling.
    Just a few.


    What a marvelous reminder of the gems in our lives, how few, how rare. Like this poem itself.

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  14. Sublime opening:

    "I squat like a miner;
    sift through rubble,
    barefoot in Levis."

    I also love these:

    "unfossilized, too liquid to keep.
    Ruby lips"

    "I pack it neatly in the box
    labeled 'Initial Boom'"

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  15. Impossible to believe, but this so reminds me of a visit to South Dakota or some other outstanding by rocky landscape and I want to bring it all home with me! Living naturally through your lines.

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  16. I can feel my fingers running through the earth....

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  17. How do you do this? I look forward to your poetry each week!

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)