A Heaving Petticoats Poem

It’s true, I said, I’m musically promiscuous
but I thought you were too?  

Surely we belong together?
What a gorgeous catastrophe,

you replied, how we flamenco like this 
but never meet, not really.

Then let’s rewrite the script, I urged
let’s go one cerulean afternoon

to the cottonwoods 
where the bees wallow

and make like a samba in the zinnias.  
No one need ever know!  Besides

I wore my peignoir for you
and the moment is already cyanic.

You give me some kind of all-overishness
damn you! you declared, but got up

gruntled, took my hand
and led me there.

^{_{© N Nazir 2023}}

Written for Shay’s Word Garden where Shay brings us inspiration with award-winning poet Alicia Suskin Ostriker, with the word list taken from her poetry collection The Crack in Everything (words used: gorgeous, catastrophe, flamenco, cerulean, cottonwoods, bees, samba, zinnias).

Written also for Sammi Scribbles Writing Prompt: Script, 100 words.

*This is really a belated Throwback Thursday 🙂 But has also been my earworm this week.

Feeling Reflective #Wordless Wednesday

_{^{© N Nazir 2023}}

When Your Chakras Become Planets

I had a fit of the clevers the other day
ripped the arms off 
an oversized overcoat
turned it into a hibernacle
then crawled in to sleep away 
this ghostly winter that descended 
unwelcome
like an out-of-place glitter ball
(beautiful but wholly unhelpful)

I imagined us all around the fire 
like so many summers ago 
toasting our bones night after night
in the liminal autumn slimness
fending off the blade of chill
each of us telling a tale in turn
how we navigated this mortal maze
some gallant time or other

and I had to crush that sweet bitch
nostalgia, who tried to court me
in the wolf moon hours.  
What’s with you? I said.
Can’t you see I’m immune?
She slunk away to haunt someone else
and left me hunting dreams
in stealth fox mode
as I slipped between the worlds
beyond skin 
beyond heart’s language.

^{_{© N Nazir 2023}}

Written for Shay’s Word Garden where Shay brings us inspiration with lyricist Keith Reid (words used: overcoat, ghostly, descended, blade, tale, mortal, maze). The Word list is still up until next Wed 11th Jan if you want to take part.

The Streets Were Deserted

but for a lone hobo and his dog.  
I went to say hello, it was on my way
after all. He didn’t look well

nor did the hound, who I petted anyway.  
Come to the shelter, I said
you’ll get a hot meal and a warm bed.

The hobo shook his head
they don’t let you in with a dog.

Oh, I didn’t know that. Sorry. So trite 
to wish him merry christmas after that.

I’m sorry, I said again and gave him some change
little good it did, everything closed on the eve.

Then I walked to the shelter, huddled against the wind
late for my shift at the kitchen.

_{^{© N Nazir 2022}}

*Thankfully, this rule has now changed and dogs are allowed to stay with their owners if they check in at the homeless shelters over the Christmas / New Year period (in the UK).

Shared for W3, hosted by David, where Murisopsis, the poet of the week, invites us to write a poem of exactly fourteen lines on the topic of poverty (moral, romantic, financial, etc).

Shared also for dVerse Open Link Night, hosted by Linda.

*

And here’s my Throwback Thursday for you. I love this band. Couldn’t Care More by the Fine Young Cannibals from their album with the same name, first released in 1985. What have you been listening to lately? 🙂

Daily Reflections #Wordless Wednesday

_{^{© N Nazir 2022}}