10 words by Tatiana

autumnal, music, French, bounding, crowd, smoky, birch, crackle, accordion, lantern

Accordion Head

Be kind, and remind me,
Where should my mind be?

My head expands and inhales,
Taking in life, drawing it out,
Like a portable squeeze box.

Why doesn't this breeze ease?
Or appease? instead of just tease,
Before the impending deep freeze....

...Please.

Just enjoying my flannel outdoor setting,
Sitting on my French-style wood bench,
There should be musical accompaniement
To the dancing birch leaves and autumnal breeze
With its delicate scent of decay.

Hopes, yes, do remain, bounding,
Echoes resounding, browsing obtrusively
Current states of mind, rousing ...
...now crowding...

Be kind, and remind me,
Where will my mind go?

Memories are smoky, yes,
But they are definitively sound,
This sound should be...
...music...

Apple tree leaves crackle under feet,
Hopes are fragile, thoughts ramble,
Scrambling to remain thankful for so much,
Be it just keeping rational for the moment.

My eyes take in all, my brain,
Dissects, and takes dictation mostly,
This portable box vibrates annoyingly,
And doesn't let me sleep...

Like a lantern, I suppose,
A light of solace and comfort,
Encased in a delicate glass box,
Seemingly to provide sight,
But in the end...

... just a small glimmer in the darkness.

But I'll take it.

Dictation:
Protective
Reflective
Introspective
Retrospective
Suggestive
Congestive...

Be kind, and remind me,
Where should my mind be?

10 words by Nina for Amadeu

Beauty, woman, truth, life, feeling, meaning, sensual, line, white, black

Moments of Amadeu

What is life?
Strife in feeling,
Where is meaning?

Screening sensitivity,
The curse of creativity.

Why won't it leave me?
Forever immersed…

The white paper teases,
But sensual black line eases,
The beauty of woman,
My duty, my truth . . .

And the door opens,
And reopens...

10 words by Paul

fence, corn, listless, deafening, thick, blindly, graft, fallow, simple, freight

The Freight Handler

Blindly grafts the mind,
Freight handler redefined,
Roots from fallow lands,
Touched by artists’ hands.

Simple rhymes transcend,
Deafening madness ends,
Thick broad strokes of paint,
Expression without restraint.

Cornfields calming cascades,
Cerulean blue-green shades,
Listless moments awake,
Fenced in emotions break.

Free and open…

10 words by Ken

fiendish, rickety, moonlit, mist, rustle, wither, chill, dreary, raven, obscure

Almost Winter

Fiendish and demonic,
The chronic moonlit nights of autumn now,
Vow to give way, to rickety and unstable dreams,
But able, already living and loving the fable,
Insisting, persisting, twisting, coexisting...

Mist of fall, with a rustle, involuntary muscle,
Chill up my spine, only a faint wither of spring,
Winter is coming, slithering slowly, unknowing,
Unpronounced, just yet, until a chill, never mind free will,
When it arrives.

The dreary days may turn cheery for those focused,
On quantum theory, but the raven is at hand,
Though autumn is his true land, so only a few more months,
Heading down the road, heavy load on the weight
Of my shoulders,

An obscure detour taken prematurely, but surely,
And securely, I make it there, and smile in the warmth,
Of winter with loving hearts around me.

30 words by Omar (and his sons Ibraheem & Imraan)

Omar: dole, coal, sincere, derriere, quaint, faint, probable, plausible, meander, oleander
Ibraheem: chicken, cup, play-doh, stool, peanut, dinosaur, water, bottle, lego, pencil
Imraan: faint, sofa, mama, soap, second, starbucks, junk, peppermint, avocadoes, cable

Sincere Morning

Mail is early today, so derriere off the sofa,
Clouds are dark as coal, rain highly probable,
Seconds sorting junk mail, setting it on the stool,
I detect a quaint, faint scent of peppermint soap,
But perhaps it is just bright, colorful Play-Doh,
Love and appreciation of Ibraheem and Imraan,
Playing with Legos and dancing with dinosaurs,
Waiting for mama to come home, they are hungry,
Anxiously awaiting her famous chicken soup,
I doled out some salty peanuts to the two smiles,
Myself considering ripe avocados on the counter,
I’m fine with my cup of starbucks and bottled water,
Mail was early today, so derriere back on the sofa,
Perhaps a movie on cable, one with a plausible plot,
Or perhaps just “White Oleander,” my mind meanders,
I choose a pencil and paper instead, my life is sincere.

10 words by Omar

faraway. Milky Way, scars, jars, soaking, joking, unwind, behind, murmur, learner

Far Faraway Day

Smoking, choking, clearly joking,
It has been a far, faraway day,
Not enough play, but firm in mind,
I see myself soon unwinding,
Finding, and reminding myself,
To leave behind strange murmurs,
Always a learner, never an earner,
But tonight, without much delay,
It will have to be the Milky Way,
To inhale the scars of blue stars,
Hours upon hours outside to decide,
Brilliant light jars and surely collides,
With what was previously sought,
Pernicious thoughts, quite provoking,
Missed, ignored, neglecting the duty,
Appreciating, soaking in natural beauty,
Too true to define, an amazing design,
Not noticing, somehow easily forgotten,
That they were all free, and all mine.

Evening Flowers - by Nina Ulana

Evening Flowers

My soul, my soul,
My blood,
My soul,

Fireflies rise before
their demise,

Picking evening flowers,
The scent soothes, and satiates,
And fills emptiness,
To whole.

Evening strolls,
Lavender at night,
No more fight, just light,
Sound and perfume tonight.

As the hours end,
Unto dreams I descend,
To dream of lavender,
And transcend,

Perhaps comprehend...

For tomorrow is a new
day, a new
bouquet.

10 words by Mike

faith, beautiful, grace, sad, pain, smile, sunshine, love, feel, honesty

My Smile

To get one smile makes everything worthwhile.

At times pain drains,
But to remain sane,
I sustain faith and trust,
Readjust from sad to glad.

Breathing in fresh air,
At times, perhaps a prayer,
Helps me to be aware,
Of the beautiful and fair.

Soon, with great care, I am walking on air.

What I feel is the sure deal,
Almost magical and surreal,
As honesty and blind truth,
Flowing freely from youth.

Now the sunshine is all mine,
What an amazing divine design,
I embrace the grace I see,
In the vast space above me.

Love and beauty are real truth,
Life is as simple as that . . .

To get one smile makes everything worthwhile.

Almost there...

Almost there, almost in bloom,
Waiting for that sweet perfume.

10 words by Ken

rebirth, fertile, feverish, metamorphosis, tendril, migration, tentative, exhale, syrup, emerge

Spring Metamorphosis

Though spring is late,
It was worth the wait,
Earth yearning to break,
Rebirth in its wake.

Like a fertile tendril,
Climbing with such skill,
The plant of free will,
Spiraling consistently uphill.

Calling me to emerge!
Outside on the verge,
Demanding exploration,
For all spring creations.

Unknown destinations,
Unending inspirations,

My own unique migrations,
And choices of determination.

Syrup and pancakes,
Or snakes and lakes?
Breakfast will be missed,
Mistakes made to subsist.

Feverish.

A tad preventative,
Boring duties, tentative,
I exhale and inhale,
Prevailing the trail...

The scents of spring bring me to a place not easily explained -

Bliss in knowing,
Abysses forgoing,
Persisting to exist,
In my individual -

Spring metamorphosis.

Pleasure - by Nina Ulana

Inspired by a friend overseas for this one, actually, a kind of "opposite" mimicking to a poem that was sent to me...maybe another form of a "10 word" game (hmm...the "opposite" game?).

Pleasure

Always,

I have always,
Always,
Treasured pleasure.

Feeling or thought, pleasure to perceive, sense and sensation.

Always,

I can always remember,
Loving soothing water,

Caressed by light rain.

Always,

I have always danced,

And smiled in sunlight,
Relaxing in meditation.

Praying or wishing I were born with wings like a bird or angel.

Always,

I have always shouted,
Thoughts I dared not whisper,

Laughing at darkness.

Always,

I have always,
Always and forever,
Treasured pleasure.

10 words by Nikolai

drizzle, yellow, philosophy, curb, age, branch, leave, field, sleep, complacency

Apology

Intentions of philosophy,

In a technological age,

A warn out apology,

On a tattered yellow page.

Current field of vision,

Complacency in sleep,

3-dimensional drizzle,

Hopes still running deep.

Curbing all perceptions,

Branches lift and leave,

Instinctual detections,

Everything up the sleeve.

10 words by Dzvinka

promise, expectation, feeling, love, daisy, friends, blue, apple, fall, happy

Red Expectations

Blue promises and red expectations,

Struck with luck, but perhaps with lust,

Then falling lovely in love,

As the fateful apple, or just as simply,

As a single happy daisy.

First and foremost, fondly friends,

Then feeling to unending reeling,

And feeling again.

10 words (and illustration) by Ken

Recently my friend Ken (KPL) drew this illustration for his 10-word poem below, and I thought I'd repost both together today. Thanks Ken! Please visit his website to see more work - http://www.klambake.com/

blind, familiar, mystery, intimate, explore, babble, crawdad, immerse, obscure, solitude

The Crawdad and the Catfish

"How do you know what's around that corner?"

The crawdad asked in absolute horror.

"Not sure," catfish said without a care,

"I guess I'll find out when I get there."

Immersed in obscure solitude tonight,

Nearly blind on this new moon night,

At peace with the intimate and familiar.

I smile because I can hear the river.

Listening to it babble, sing and speak,

Mystery urges me to explore and seek,

And though I've seen every eddy and bend,

I cannot say I know this mutable friend.

The river changes with every season,

It does not abide by logic or reason,

And though I can't see the road before me,

I trust I'll get there, no need of a warranty.

"How do you know what's around that corner?"

The crawdad asked in absolute horror.

"Not sure," catfish said without a care,

"I guess I'll find out when I get there."

10 words by Ken

bike, paint, gasoline, chrome, people, rubber, crazy, exhausts, tires, shiny

10 hours

10 hours of gasoline and chrome,
Now heading home on the highway,
Crazy people and loud exhausts,
At a cost, but doing it my way.

Miles now from angry suppliers,
Rubber tires and shiny paint,
Leather jackets and black pants,
Lunatic rants, customer complaints.

Happy on my bike and almost home,
In the zone and a lot to give,
Riding the road, open and wide,
Living to ride, and riding to live.

10 words by Amadeu

linda, azul, nostalgia, agora, mar, vida, luz, dança, branco, negro

Beautiful Blue

Light or dark, black or white,
Marching now to life's dance,
With beautiful blue nostalgia.

10 words by Peter

angelic, demonic, foreshadow, ukrainian, goddess, feast, static, fractal, blurring, arrival

snow (сніг)

psychedelic angels foreshadowing farewells
angelic goddess tears cast demonic spells

statically soaring high through ukranian skies
dramatically fortell the arrival of grey goodbyes

falsely dancing free, but blurring spirals guarantee
waltzing fractal snowflakes, future feast of the black sea

10 words by Omar

espouse, gratify, awake, amulet, anklet, sunshine, gemini, alpine, violin, sanguine

Opera House Ideology

In theory I espouse
An opera house ideology
To awake in a dream
In green neon mythology

Souls protected with amulets
Anklets worn on bare feet
Land of an alpine design
Sign of a welcomed retreat

Flight of twin Gemini birds
Words are adored and satisfy
Peace in an imaginary place
Embracing songs that gratify

With a slang spin sing violins
Sanguine sounds do soar
Without a road or any maps

Perhaps not two but four

Sunshine fills the mind
And in kind a sense exists
An ability to understand
By hand creation persists

10 words by Beth

plentiful, delectable, fluffy, whipped, round, soft, tender, moist, delightful, delicious

Karma Cake

Take a bite of karma cake
It is abundant, plentiful
Truly delectable

But if you partake in some cake
Do not make a mistake
Give and take

Thoughts, words and actions

There is no escaping
It is shaping
Future, present and past

Nirvana at last

Cause and effect
Do I detect fluffy, whipped icing
Very easy slicing

So whirl around to the soft sound
And listen to the tender voice
It is moist and delightful

Delicious
Not malicious
Though slightly
Capricious

10 words by Tamara

blue, clouds, trees, happiness, air, flowering, animals, contentment, spring, uplifting

Country Hue

Time tends to float and fly by quite fast,
Though ten years have certainly passed,

Since I left the big city and the crowds,
In exchange for blue skies and white clouds,

Grateful for the fields and numerous trees,
Ultimate happiness with the air and breeze,

My hope and vision are continually flowering,
Nature is gracious and truly empowering,

I am a friend to the animals and the wild,
Whether strong and fierce, or meek and mild,

From the harshest winter to the sweetest spring,
I find contentment in what each season brings,

Every morning is uplifting and moments new,
My bliss continues to consist of a country hue.

10 words by Ken

blind, familiar, mystery, intimate, explore, babble, crawdad, immerse, obscure, solitude

The Crawdad and the Catfish

"How do you know what's around that corner?"
The crawdad asked in absolute horror.
"Not sure," catfish said without a care,
"I guess I'll find out when I get there."

Immersed in obscure solitude tonight,
Nearly blind on this new moon night,
At peace with the intimate and familiar.
I smile because I can hear the river.

Listening to it babble, sing and speak,
Mystery urges me to explore and seek,
And though I've seen every eddy and bend,
I cannot say I know this mutable friend.

The river changes with every season,
It does not abide by logic or reason,
And though I can't see the road before me,
I trust I'll get there, no need of a warranty.

"How do you know what's around that corner?"
The crawdad asked in absolute horror.
"Not sure," catfish said without a care,
"I guess I'll find out when I get there."

10 words by Amadeu

step, move, smile, touch, drop, close, closer, kiss, insinuation, kill

the dance

four steps, three moves
insinuation
frusteration

two smiles, one touch
kill
chill

a little close, a lot closer
stop
drop

five fights, one promise
kiss
bliss

10 words by Richard

chick, pea, purple, foot, marker, prick, ring, vein, pencil, salt

A little chicken soup

Once upon a tedious time,
Souls were nourished by prose and rhyme,

Today professionals dissect tired brains,
But pains still pulsate through purple veins,

Aches persist from foot to head,
Writing, reading and thinking, surely dead,

Doctors analyze our intricate fears,
But ringing persists in our delicate ears,

We sign checks in pencil and wills in marker,
Change time to make our trips home darker,

Online, every day, new and better advice,
What not to wear, what food, what device,

There are no tales like the Princess and the Pea,
No tests for identities or physical sensitivities,

We are still pricked by the thorns of a beautiful rose,
Hoping to be nourished by either rhymes or prose,

But present day bodies are clearly fed,
With bowls of salty chicken soup instead.

10 words by Leroy

miles, voice, true, correspondence, list, patience, yen, feel, one, passion

Yen

Yen…
When?

Miles of trials, then by choice,
Welcoming a wonderful voice.

Passion…
Compassion.

Every time something new,
Most of the time painfully true.

Patience…
Impatience.

Correspondence and emails,
Phone calls demanding details.

Odd requests for intricate lists,
One hundred things I have always missed.

Stealing the sun
Feeling one.

10 words by Steve

discovery, wisdom, truth, latitude, irony, glimmer, reach, darkness, science, span

Understand

Discovery or recovery?
That is the question.

Wisdom or truth?
Only for the youth, or uncouth?

As I journey on this latitude,
Praying for a scope for freedom,

Of thought...
Or of action...

I am enveloped in gratitude,
In effectual irony,
Or satire, that glimmers...
But smiles.

Simmers.

In my reaches in the darkness,
I turn to Science.

Always in compliance,
Spanned in my forever future,

Pretty much planned,
Giving my all, my last hand,
"Expand" I proclaim to the world...

"Understand," because…

10 words by Amadeu

look, funny, love, hand, all, touch, night, far, hold, free

Young Man's First Love

A look of indifference,

My last recollection.

Her name was Fancy, free,

Dancing as wind, acting at will.

No detection of any restraints,

Available in all degrees of rationalities.

A particular hold over me, eternally,

Life revealing odd surprises, slowly.

Forcing me to catch my breath, hold my tongue,

Uphold promises made, but indeed, fools gold at my doorstep.

Funny sensations in my heart, or rather in head,

Her speech sprang in lyrical twists.

Not questionable, but perhaps suspect,

My first love, above all others, proud of, void of,

impatient, neglectful, unworthy of.

Prayed for a hand at my soul, before

The big hand hit twelve, writing left-handed,

In pernicious peace.

"Hand me my pen, so I may create."

From her touch, my heart filled with hope,

But faced with the feminine voice of sarcasm.

Contact, clutch - too much.

Far into the future, beyond memories,

In real life, an artist will reach and seek solace.

She took my all, completely,

Absolutely, eternally, totally, but after all

my call, my all.

Vanished into the night, her right,

Flight, not fight, an easy decision.

Black or white,

Truth to live by.

10 words by Dave

omnipotent, superfluous, radiant, ordinary, hindsight, vain, mesmerized, melody, sabbatical, commentator

Spellbound

Running on uncommon ground,
Immersing myself in melody and sound,
Hypnotized, mesmerized,
Spellbound.

Would I want to be omnipotent?
To take on all of humanity's discontent,
Laments over chance happenings.

It would be vain for me to complain,
Only about my own individual pain,
Struggles of a life less ordinary.

My heart is resolved to remain in hand,
Though at times existing in no man’s land,
A walk or a run, a marathon or a mile.

Hanging on hopes, hopeful dreaming,
Having the occasional need for retreating,
Escapes at times misunderstood.

Taking trips and short sabbaticals,
Simply to avoid becoming mechanical,
But empathy brings me back home.

But always sensing and feeling my way,
Rather than following a planned day,
Have no use for superfluous maps.

Intuitive soul with humane intentions,
Changeable, pulled in opposite directions,
North and south, east and west.

Naturally perceptive in my own right,
Yet striving for a bit more hindsight,
Foresight has always been easier.

Online commentator and a speaker,
Radiant and spiritual seeker,
Future, present and past recollections.

Running on uncommon ground,
Immersing myself in melody and sound,
Hypnotized, mesmerized, spellbound.

10 words by Beth

luscious, succulent, supple, velvet, chalice, nebulous, mirage, lapis lazuli, mellifluous, iridescent

Amazon River Blues Dream

Traveling alone
Down the Amazon River
Floating in a flying boat
Letting the water take me

Night sky as dark blue
As Lapis Lazuli
Sparkling Christmas lights
A mirage above me

Iridescent fireflies
Decorating the branches
Silence, mellifluous,
Pleasing in so many ways,

Chalice in one hand
Full of heavy wine
Sweet and succulent
Luscious on the lips

Supple flowers at my feet
Red velvet curves
And yellow swirls
Nebulous meaning.

10 words by Steve

cannibal, carnival, broom, energy, remainder, troubled, lingering, plum, despot, vessel

My Virtual Reality

Some say a carnival of processions,
But indeed this is not my intention,

I should create a vessel that is flexible,
Mutable, inside and out, impressionable,
To transport my thoughts,

I should be drinking plum-colored rum,
On an island somewhere in the south seas,
Take my pen and see whatever may come.

Not a cannibal or a man-eater
Not that I am Saint Peter,
But not a despot or a dictator,
Just a creator and a debator,

They’ll get it sooner or later.

Lingering and unforgettable,
Some actions may be regrettable,
Perhaps one day even forgettable.

At times troubled by a nature,
That’s doubled,

Perceptive.

Remainder of my thoughts,
To no end, my mind bends,
But I ascend
And comprehend,

At times over extend, trust.

My energy and vitality,
Again, adaptable,
That duality of mentality,
Some call it abnormality.

But they are unaware,
It’s my virtual reality.

At present doomed to the broom,
Manual labor, like a living tomb,
And all I need is breathing room.

A seat on the beach, my recovery room.

10 words by Dzvinka

passion, music, love, future, past, flowers, green, yellow, earth, dance

The Line

Poets write of peculiar passions,
Dreamers speak of simple compassions,
Lovers dream of music and dance,
Imagination overflows at first glance.

How to find the yellow submarine?
Odd fellow from the sea of green.
Frenzied flowers spring from the earth,
Petals of hope, powers of rebirth.

Future and past collide in peace,
Moving ahead as one chess piece,
But in contrast I walk the line,
Holding fast to the life I myself design.

10 words by Amadeu

green, red, blue, freedom, see, passion, know, darkness, joy, you

Poppy Point of View

I’ve experienced green,
But only in one dream.

I’ve known ruby red,
Very read, enough said.

But blue is of a different hue,
Too new to behold, to view.

Freedom is the actual key,
Myriad of colors of others to see.

In darkness I cannot create,
Silouettes in shadow do not relate.

Known for passion in black line,
My artistic fashion, inspiration divine.

The forever child, urges of a boy,
Knowledge of man, spirit of joy,

You may one day see the hues,
Of my painted poppy point of view.

10 words by Everett

bombsquad, tiara, burly, dogma, hindrances, pantihose, grizzly, appendages, visage, detrimental

The Burly Tiara Bombsquad

The burly tiara bombsquad
early morning meetings
at the corner coffehouse café,

Apparent advent dogma
of bullet-proof vests & billy clubs
But hidden hindrances existing,
such as painted toenails and pantihose.

Cumbersome glamour hidden
under whimsical whines
rueful and regretful of daylight saving’s time.

Later to hone hatred
through wistful wine nights
of complaints
and conjuring up clever
wily and subtle ways
of concealing grizzly glands
and hanging appendages.

Then to another detrimental day
Veiling agrivated agony
with brutish timidity and tactfulness,
Over straight coffee and newspaper purchases,

With silent visage of the next bombing to come.

10 words by Beth

allowed, aloud, blew, blue, click, clique, dual, duel, elicit, illicit

Over the Rainbow

“Not allowed,” she vowed, then smiled,
Moderately, then aloud, a slightly wild child.

Winds blew in with new persuasion,
Only on occasion, a true blue equation.

She clicked her heels a slick three times,
Sometimes a clique would call to her at times.

Her dual nature and cool composure,
Designed a duel in her mind, a very fine line.

Actions elicited unexpected explicit emotions,
Commotions of illicit profound proportions.

But over the rainbow she did eventually fly,
Moreover, she'd never admit to an alibi.

10 words by Craig

chips, aces, flush, tension, exhilarating, all-in, table, cards, position, winner

Nina's Poker Face

I’m not sure why I’m here or playing,
I’m a virgin to this game, that’s without saying,
I know absolutely nothing about poker,
At best I hope to play mediocre.

Maybe someone could give me a few tips,
I really do like the color of my chips,
Red are five and blue are ten?
If I mess up, can we start over again?

Though I sense tension at this table,
I’m ready to learn, willing and able,
I’m not sure what all these cards mean,
It would be fun if we could play on teams.

I wonder who the winner will be,
It would be exhilarating if it were me,
I must admit and I am starting to blush,
Can someone tell me exactly what is a flush?

I’m not really sure of my position,
What to bet? Perhaps I’ll rely on intuition,
By the look of your faces, I guess I’ll go all-in,
After all, I’ve got four aces, does that mean I win?

10 words by Matt

Great Dane, frisbee, pillow, turntable, skeeball, doorknob, baseball bat, pencil, bookshelf, calendar.

The Great Dane

They were to meet at the Great Dane,
A super eight-lane bowling alley,
A holy communion, a reunion of sorts,
A whale of a male rally, or perhaps a finale,

“Frisbee” was their password and key,
Or passport, to a "free tour at sea,"
As they entered, they felt sexy and strong,
As their old song played on the turntable,

They had returned and were willing and able,
And the bookshelf overflowed with past awards,
Silver shining, long-lasting rejuvinating rewards,
And on the wall, the familiar girlie calendar,

Petite and small Shirley with gallon stars,
Doorknobs that would make men sweat and sob,
Some spent their money and time playing skeeball,
Some were entertained by virtual boy baseball,

But the invisible bat didn’t quite suit Matt,
Scores were written half-hazardly in pencil,
Drinks ordered at will but not a spill or a drop,
Aside from what was drunk by the midnight mop.

Not until 4:00 am did they hit their pillows,
While some wives grilled, some threw blows.
But the saucy bunch never felt one feminine hit,
Too happy, too tired, too young, too old, too lit.

Favorite Things - by Nina Ulana

Favorite things

Geese flying south, a beautiful mouth,
Peach kisses, "do good" wishes,
Smoked salmon, tea with jasmine,
Fresh strawberries, familiar movies,
Unexpected flowers, warm showers,
First day of Spring, unconscious paintings,
Cinnamon Bay, bellow of a blue jay,
Star sapphires, autumn fires,
Conversing with cats, night bats,
Crescent moons, flowers in June,
April Fool's Day, the month of May,
Lilies of the Valley, empty allies,
Interesting conversation, pleasant relations,
My face in the sun, feeling one.

10 words from Rickie

english, house, dogwood, daffodil, palladium, clean, grass, clouds, blue, bark

Brunch with Betty

Though a great venue for purchasing art,
I had to depart the colossal Merchandise Mart,
Full city block - Orleans, Kinzie and Wells,
I had to escape from whom the toll bells.

Walking, running, straining to board my train,
Hopes running high and body in slight pain,
Workday was weary and also slightly dark,
Demands, orders, ten shouts, one bark.

iPod music drew me into blue clouds,
Happy to be away from the Loop crowds,
Riding the mean Chicago Green Line “L”,
Looking out of the window in a wistful spell.

On the way home I ran into a neighbor,
The day was long, but no more forced labor,
She smiled and insisted we take a different route,
My instinct was to doubt, perhaps even to shout.

Silently walking down the quiet streets,
Reminding me of the visual aesthetic treats,
Passing pleasant flowers of beautiful Dogwood,
To enjoy the present was completely understood.

We walked by a stately English Tudor,
Alarms sounded loudly, an unexpected intruder,
Drowned out the pianist practicing Strauss,
From inside this elegant three-story house.

It had a staircase the color of Palladium,
Playing with senses like radioactive Radium,
Big beautiful broad lawn of man-made grass,
Daffodil designs in intricate stained glass.

Hemingway would rather relax on Bimini,
Favoring narrow minds in handsome bikinis,
Compared to the city, Oak Park was clean,
Such a relaxing scene, everything so green.

Because of the walk I felt very much reborn,
Passed the house where Betty White was born,
I remembered the Palmer House brunch in May,
What a pleasant end to an awful workday.

10 words by Tatiana

erotic, space, time, change, structure, force, energy, number, quantity, symbiotic

Making the Artist's Due Date

Erotic race in a symbiotic space,
Change of mine in a range of time,
Forced-fed energy, a sourced quantity,
Invisible numbers, divisible structures,
But sleep is soon, next phase of the moon.

10 words by "Little" Craig

dimension, screw, backward, crazy, draft, infuse, complete, slide, comfort, creation

Composing Lyrics

Diverted attentions and inverted dimensions,
Infused with a creation of a screw sensation,
Drafted hues to a backward musical muse,
With fresh tattoos and a bit different views.

Chords as colors, sound boarding off others,
Crazy and complete, with a lazy hazy beat,

Slide and support, vibes of distain and comfort,
New comprehensions, the miracles of invention.

10 words from Tatiana

daydream, ennui, grateful, height, practical, partnership, gingersnap/s, conversation, learning, reciprocate

The Next Portrait

Daydreaming to keep from screaming
Can’t help this feeling of ennui
Should I call on Screwy Louis?
Or just be grateful, not hateful, of my art?

Stay smart and impart my ideas
While I decide between tortillas and gingersnaps
For dinner, the winner is tapped
Cookies wrapped in plastic wrap for later

Will cater to the height of my emotion
To the height of my delight
And ignite perhaps another portrait
Not a self-portrait, more practical

Realistic, non inventive and tactical
Not of a partnership or pair
A bargaining chip, that’s fare
No desired conversation

No elation and no vocation
But learning, yes learning,
A bit disconcerting, but turning my pages
On to better ages and stages

No one will reciprocate
An intended fate that I graciously await
Funny life is, with the variety
Of physiologic states

10 words from Beth

leather, hard, ecstasy, submissive, chocolate, agony, juicy, bound, tongue, strip

Bound to My Bag

Yes, I did swoon that afternoon
At the Juicy Couture in late June
In the young chic posh boutique
My thoughts all tongue-in-cheek

I was bound to that beautiful bag
Didn’t care about the pricey price tag
Hardly submissive and a bit course
I’d take this bag by hook or by force

It turned into a playful strip tease
And for myself, this beauty I did seize
Impossible to resist, this leather delight
On my shoulder and the world was so right

A tangible feeling of enjoyable ecstasy
I’d accept this one-time spending spree
With anticipated annonying grilling agony
No more purchases my husband decreed

It did have the cutest chocolate colored strap
Which lay sexily along my natural naked back
I decided not to worry and also not to brag
I am bound to my Couture, bound to my bag

10 words by Richard

table, under, toes, heels, playing, foot, massage, live, naked, her

The Unusual Dinner Date

Delicious delight discovered under the table,
A beautiful blunder did instantaneously enable

Me to see those beautiful rows of sweet toes,
Those toes, do make me compose lovely prose!

The high heels silently slipped off her feet,
And did reveal stunning, satiable, sweet,

Playing and displaying those gorgeous beauties,
Made me start praying and forgetting my duties.

“Can I massage your foot?” I heard myself say,
“My entourage will stay put,” I tried to convey.

Though she was indeed naked and partially nude,
Much to my surprise, she found me quite lude!

I tried to reassure her and ordered some wine,
I told her I cherished her and thought her divine.

After that comment, she decided to let me live,
She found me amusing, and indeed, did forgive.

Truth, she never found her feet very aesthetic,
But I’ll always view those beauties as undeniably poetic!!!

10 words from Dennis

drunk, doubt, impatience, liquor, drama, love, fuzzy, focus, gentle, crazy

Fuzzy Thoughts

Drunk in doubt,
Liquored impatience,
The drama of love,
Of a fuzzy focus,
A gentle crazy,
Is always welcomed.

10 words from Paul

stop, go, up, down, red, green, good, bad, yeh, neh

The Piano Player

Stop at red and go at green,
Forty-eight, going on eighteen.

Thoughts in blue, so apropos,
Ten minutes left till the show.

Up in beat, but realistically down,
Pressure sensations all around.

The good, the bad, and the ugly,
Stark raving mad, he smiles smugly.

Yeh and neh, the crowds reaction,
Another day, welcomes another distraction.

10 words from Venkata

smile, lucky, god, respect, change, silence, master, survival, faith, existence

The Player

It wasn’t long till he mastered his serve,
In lines of play his birdie never swerved,

Conservative and disciplined was his nature,
Prudent ambition was consistent behavior.

His moves would astound and silence the court,
Tolerance for losing he was indeed a little short.

A deeply-held belief in competition and winning,
Halfway was never rewarding or fulfilling,

Always wanting nothing or all was undeniably true,
Facades he had the ability to see clearly through.

This sport was a way to earn a certain respect,
Mostly with himself, but would urge him to direct.

With each single smash, the man would smile,
With each dangerous drive, the audience he’d beguile.

A spiritual rebirth with each perfect clear,
Survival of the fittest, a man with no fear,

With no fear or lack of faith or trust,
Lucky and propitious, and winning a must.

Set in his ways and extremely tenacious,
Blessings from God he was always gracious,

This was consistent and would never change,
His schedule to be at the court he would arrange.

Perhaps winning was his sense of well-being,
Of getting a task well done, a very freeing feeling,

The fun of testing ones strength and persistence,
Conviction of self worth in ones own existence.

10 words from Tatiana

tall, periodical, spears, chills, hairy, intense, shark, January, voice, chin

Waiting for Chess

Though the January snow was persistent,
She was determined, consistent, insistant.

She was on time, always steady and reliable,
He’d be late, this fact was undeniable.

They were scheduled for coffee and a bit of chess,
She pondered future moves that would impress,

She flipped through a nearby pretty periodical,
Her page turning was unconscious and methodical.

How dare he delay the game and make her wait,
Already half an hour late for their chess date.

Of course he’d come in with some tall tale,
And as always leave out any important detail.

As she sat and waited for the male opposition,
Pages were torn, tattered in that limited edition.

What would she say when he’d finally arrive,
Perhaps she’d be nice and allow him to survive.

Or maybe her words would feel like spears,
She knew she was not afraid to cause tears.

But upon his late arrival she just sat and smiled,
It was a friendly game, but definitely not tame or mild.

She kept secretly silent and muted her voice,
Uncharacteristic, but smartly strategic by choice.

Chills ran through her with every single move,
She would win just to teach him and to prove

She was a natural, a vicious shark at defense,
Plans of attack were fierce, merciless and intense,

Her moves were hairy and quite alarming,
Yet she remained beautiful and always charming.

After three challenging and harrowing hard hours,
No player lost, and surprisingly no one was devoured.

A grin came upon her chin and likewise on his jaw,
The game between this man and woman ended in a draw.

10 words from Dzvinka

pine, daisies, warm, air, breath, field, song, clouds, stars, storm

Field of Daisies

Pine for cloud nine, or so it seems,
At least in dreams where the stars were aligned,
I thought and talked to my second soul.

I walked past a field of daisies
I craved feeling whole on this solitary stroll
In my crazy, hazy state, the flower healed
Not much was revealed, the air bare,
My prayer was not answered, but listened to.

The sky just barely blue and the air was warm
before the storm and allowed me to prepare.

In despair I saw a single daisy
in the breath of its last song,
So strong in all its glory, yet alone,
Wind-blown, and nothing to atone,
No sense of right or wrong,

A cue to me
As the crowds of clouds grew near,
I knew I would always adhere
To my feelings.

10 words from Amadeu

feedback, poppy, Blake, feminine, difference, meaning, confessions, misunderstood, thought, intervening

Consessions & Expressions

Do I crave feedback?
A little poppy seed back
An attack for Blake
In the wake of my dream

Masculine and feminine
A difference? That is the question.

Many more digestions of
Permeable impressions

Do I strain for some meaning?
Leaning and learning as I go along?
Perhaps certain confessions
Long hours of concessions, expressions
Would do me good?

But I am apt to be misunderstood
My color is different than the other
Another of my brother, more so sister.

Bit of a twister, subtle and elusive,
But conducive to thought and condition
With permission I may transmit
If she would permit me to submit

My thoughts for the minute?
And only for the minute,
for that is my nature
As I wonder about meaning,
Pre-existent ideas intervening,
I can only hope I keep my scope

As wide open,
As the Seven Seas at Rhye.

10 words from Craig

uninhibited, sunset, moon, oasis, beauty, manifest, crazy, angel, rhythm, highway

Kaleidoscope

Allergic and impressionable
susceptible
swelling with sweet blood
inhaling.

Always, always –

As free
As uninhibited
as I felt baring all
to the southern shores at sunset,
the wind at my skin
singing “Amazing Grace,”
the gracefulness of seven sea birds
souring in unison above one wave’s crest
with the crescent moon behind me.

An all-consuming opium oasis
where I dance on firm ground
and above the water of past
inflexible odysseys.

Obvious and evident.

Password’s sweet blood
mandarine seranade
of garden beds and beauty.

It’s okay that I am a little
off-key and disordered,
helter-skeltered and upside down,
Confusion twice confounded.

It is manifest.

He is as crazy as me,
off-beat and on target.

Drunk in honey,
slap happy, dazed and silly,
all unfolding and opening
like an angel’s trumpet,
suddenly.

His voice
capturing and arresting
rhythm, stroke and pulse
seizing and grasping

Immersing myself in melody,
bathed in beauty overflowing
exploring, devouring,
dilating and expanding,

expounded.

I look towards the highway
and I know I’ve found my home.

10 words from Matt

challenge, shoes, chair, oven, mirror, telescope, sword, reciprocate, awareness, ticket

Winning Ticket

She was a challenge from the start,
Smart and seductive, state-of-the art,
Bright red shoes and a strapless dress,
I knew this night would be a success.

I invited her over to my bachelor’s lair,
I led her inside and offered her a chair,
Dinner was prepared, dancing planned later,
Meat in the oven and actions that would cater.

She silently stood and admired my Doors poster,
She smiled slightly, so I moved in closer,
Caught a glimpse of her back in the mirror,
I grinned widely and drew a bit nearer.

My telescope ready for the starry night,
The wine was chilling to satiate and delight,
I surrendered my sword and also my fate,
She hesitated, but finally did reciprocate.

Absolute abandon, complete awareness,
Physical surrender in all bareness,
A winning ticket fell into my hands,
A perfect pair, this woman and this man.