Optimism – A Poem by Natalie Bentley
It is an art
I carefully
cultivate
A way of looking
foreign to me
yet I practice.
contemporary poetry
Polished Pebbles – A Poem by Paul Tristram
Sometimes the poem lives,
pouring out of its own accord.
Sometimes it lays sleeping,
it loses shape when resting
and cannot be awoken
until it lays flat on the page.
So, you have to pull it out slowly,
It’s extremely flexible
like imaginary plasticine.
You give back to it shape,
stare at it briefly,
a wonderful polished pebble of thought.
Then close the book,
open up the mind
and set off in search
of the next tiny treasure.
More at http://paultristram.blogspot.co.uk/.
Bent Key – A Poem by Natalie Bentley
They called me
Bent Key
as a child
as if this were
some kind of insult
Little did they
know how I could
open new doors.
Shoes – A Poem by Ananya S. Guha
The man next door
has a draconian law
anyone entering must take off his shoes, on his hanger on the outer
room is well hung a retinue of shoes
black, white, brown and yellow.
Invitation – A Poem by Hannah Scarlet
I’m still waiting
for a white pristine
invitation that never
arrives
I’m still looking
for a dress that’s
long been shredded
I’m still tapping
my foot waiting
for the music
but the orchestra
is out on a bender.
The Strange Part – A Poem by Riley Coffey
Welcome to the strange
side of town, this is where
I’m from.
Once you live here
long enough it doesn’t
seem so odd anymore.
That’s how it is — abnormal
becomes the new normal.
Reminders – A Poem by Maggie Beck
I tie a string
around my finger
I tie a rope
around my arm
big and small
reminders.
Eulogy – A Poem by Alan Inman
This is a sad rite
for the person I used
to be, the words
I used to worry over,
This is a beautiful
release so that my
fingers can stretch
to explore a new
earth and identity.
Reluctant Recipients – A Poem by HR Creel
I carry a gift
they do not want.
I offer it and they scoff.
I write
while they look on
with rolling eyes
faces full of disdain.
Best Sellers – A Poem by Ananya S. Guha
A best selling author sells
best in our railway stations
when you waiting for the train
and the heat gives you blasts
of hot air which you want to fight with fists, then water and
sleep. And as you lie on the bunk you open the pages and understand why novels or fiction are best sellers.