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travelin north on rumblin boxcar trains
soft iron rails confess syncopated pains
slow rhythmic rush of spinning paddlewheels
full immersion baptism in Big Muddy swales
feint clip clop thoughts of ol Bess fade fast
hum a hue of delta blues to hard times past
I lift a quiet prayer to my Lord’s willowy ear
to quell the ugly whispers of yonder city fears

Jacob Lawrence
Panel 23
Migration Series

Duke Ellington:
Daybreak Express

Orlando
9/24/17
jbm
a snippit from a long essay The Path of Totality Part 2, "The Fire Next Time"
Tom McCone Feb 2015
we twist, moths, to the light
in one another's eyes. this slow
dance, through loneliness. nothing
looks like all verdant expanses- thickets
of wind, icesheets. spread heart to
fragments; points of light above
borealis, your spinning skirt. daybreak.

eight-eight hundred is a ****** of
a number, though. all volume does
dissect, though: given time, pace.
sheets smooth.
tunnels of sharp rock, most days.

and here we step, tiny specks,
blinks apart, in coat of grand
nameless machinery. words
leak, as the length of
mid-afternoon; i can
barely breathe, sometimes,
stuck in these swales of
blush& noise. it is
wonderful, sometimes,
this slow twist under
city lights.

we dance, moths, around
this sharp-tongued
flame of worldly woe,
of each other's lips.
still words escape me
Antony Glaser May 2014
strife isn't for free
boulders cost more than heft
lacklustre fate besmirches open mouths,
taking arms against the throne
ages man,
surviving on required pittances
swales the rivers end.
Martyn Grindrod Jan 2018
Haworth

Nestled deep int' Pennine Moors
Where Heights Wuthered
West Riding of White rose
Jealously guarded by rooks and crows

Enshrouded between swales and hollows
Look o'er shoulder something follows
Ghosts and ghouls behind you brood
Apothecary intake stifles thy mood

In harshest of severe winters
When river banks burst to gloom
Three Hardy sisters named Brontë
Hatched their nom de plumes

Currer,Acton and Ellis Bell
Formed as water levels did swell
Women writers surprise 1800's populace
With dashings of feminine grace

In death their fame more grew
Life taken too early more true  
Borne from life of drear
Fame and fortune found no panacea

Now their spirits prowl in adversity
Cats and dogs sense extra sensory
Shadowy graveyards protected by rooks  
Beautiful Haworth, A village of spooks

thank you
Haworth West Yorkshire . The home of the Brontē Sisters . Famed  for its ghosts.
Andreas Simic Oct 2017
At Sea II©

The start of an ocean voyage starts like life; fresh and new
And best served with a brew

The shoreline disappearing from view and star bright
Replacing the street lights fading fast into the night

The seas are calm in that cove as you leave a safe haven
Moving past that beacon with an escort from a raven

The gulls fly overhead their wings spread wide to catch the breeze
And the shrill of their screech fills the air as they escort you out to a distant somewhere

Soon we are alone at sea, no shoreline indicating safety
There is comfort and a strange sense of calm and serenity

But as time passes and the storms roll in
Rough seas are a sure thing

The waves pound the sides of our boat and
Swales high and low remind us we are quite remote

There is no way to swim to shore and a long way to the ocean floor
We say a prayer for all on board and listen to the roar

Our thoughts turn to those back ashore, family, friends, and others galore
And through it all there is hope that we are not a dope for being on a boat

As quickly as gale force winds came they are no longer found
And the smell of ocean air fills our lungs as we look around

Maybe getting there is worth the wait
To make that journey far and wide we shouldn’t hesitate

Instead of cowering inside and avoiding the ride
We should embrace her like a bride

And then it is there for all to see, land ** I say with such glee
Safe harbor has returned to me

Andreas Simic©
Andreas Simic, safe, harbor, ocean, sea, shoreline
Eric the Red Apr 2018
Raging winds
Surges over the planks
Sea walls failing
30 foot swales
Lightning
Tropical
Flags whipping

Then ...
It stops
Blue sky in the swirl
Sun peeking thru
Birds come back out
Waters subside
People emerge
Gather damage

Lightning starts again
Winds come from
Another direction

It’s starting again

What it’s like to love you...

— The End —