OTI:Ten poems and notes:9/14/17

Open To Interpretation

Flimsy

Dana was feeling a bit flimsy,

Fidgeting with the performance mask

Held in his lowered hands.

"Here," said Ishmael,

"Give the mask to me,

I'll have a go...

Poems are just funny sorta harpoons."

Petra

There were Black Dragons all over the sky,

You no where to be found, answer our calls,

Dulcinea, Lenore, looking low and high

Over our embattled Black Ship's red brawls.

To Nevermore and Volcano Never

We sailed, found you astride your new Pet,

Black Dragon Ametrine.  Petra to her,

Your new names changeless changing ever net.

Then Pet returned one day wounded full sore

Brought down by harpoon wheeling clumsy Greeks.

Without solace we stood as one before

The Land Of Nevermore when no one speaks.

From Dragon Pet, you fell to the Ocean.

We flew, sailed, seeking without notion.

Sixes

Petra sat in her high backed judge's seat,

Thought long, and said,

"'Did I Doubt?", I score a six.

'Petra', I score a six.

After Two

"So," Nemo announced,

"After two innings,

The score is tied.

Hexagons 2,

Pentagons 2."

WTH
 

Petra rejoined her crew.

"What the hell?" asked Ishmael.

"'Petra' had but one line of merit."

Said Petra.

"And what of mine?" asked Dana,

"Did you score it true?"

"I was taken,

It stands as it stands."
Said Petra,

"I had no notion of the rules."

"Just so,"

Said Nemo,

"The Hexagons discerned, and have a card to play, arguably,

If a cheat can be construed as naivety."

"What to do?"

"They have a poet!"
Said Dana.

"Send Orpheus into the list."

Said Jason.

"Just so." said Ariadne.

 Inning Three

Songbird

 

Songsingingbird, you made the Dragons fold their wings,

Nightingale, leave off from all they had stolen,

Troubadour, only to find you and I sold things,

Serenader, traded away from now to then,

Roundalay, and so forever no Town nothings.

Destiny, these poets' chains my untold reignings.

 

Pale

Orpheus could manage some corporeality, and carried the performance mask with him up onto the stage.  But when he put it to his face, it fell through him down to the floor.  The seated Hexagons turned pale.  Their spokesman protested.

"A champion is a champion,

Alive or dead."

Said Blue Sky,

"Let him continue."

The spokesman thought long,

And took his seat.

Stop

Incorporeal my lyre can sing

And brought  'round the dead, stopped from shuffling.

To Hades dismay, his pet underling,

Cerberus, thrice barking too joined my ring,

Howled the chorus shaking Hell's ceiling.

Fallen leaves shook, beside the Styx rustling,

Waves and waves rocked the ferryman's boating;

Hades shocked no new forlorn arriving.

"A funny kind of lyric you're singing

To make my macabres slow dirge waltzing

Stop.  Take your girl without backward glancing,

Join blue sky, leave fated to their reeling."

Who's to say among the Worlds' glancings

Mine was the one to return Hell's dancings?

Fives

Petra judged

Blue Sky five

Orpheus five.

The Hexagon spokesman rose up in protest,

""Stop' has too many lines."
He said.

"Leave it be," said Blue Sky,

"Least Orpheus whistle up Cerberus."

And at that the Hexagon spokesman sat.

Inning Three

"Inning three:

Hexagons 2

Pentagons 4."

Said Nemo.

DolphinWords

Notes:...rolled out Tuesday to OCPC at Gypsy Den and read out 'Turtle Island'...proofs of Elizabethans came in mail from CreativeSpace...so I had that, my own chap book, to read my poem from...can't begin to say what a roundabout circuitous way it has been to arrive straight up with my own self published book in hand...

:)

DavidDavid