ACCEPTANCE

Lifted from English Literature

A poem by Robert Frost "Acceptance" 

Robert Frost

When the spent sun throws up its rays on cloud

And goes down burning into the gulf below,

No voice in nature is heard to cry aloud

At what has happened. Birds, at least, must know

It is the change to darkness in the sky.

Murmuring something quiet in its breast,

One bird begins to close a faded eye;

Or overtaken too far from its nest,

Hurrying low above the grove, some waif

Swoops just in time to his remembered tree.

At most he thinks or twitters softly, “Safe!

Now let the night be dark for all of me.

Let the night be too dark for me to see

Into the future. Let what will be be.”

A Collection of Poems by Robert Frost 

COFFEE GOES WITH MEMORIES

30 November 2024

MEMORIES 

(November 30, 1987)

Coffee goes with memories

Some are nice and some are not 

I keep the nice ones

I incinerated the not-so-nice ones. 

Today, I am looking back

My days as a Pharmacist 

Working in the busiest hub

In Quiapo, Metro Manila -

Thinking what would life be

Should I choose to stay 

In my homeland... which Today

Becomes a beleaguered country. 

The enemies of truth are out

In the open, no more in hiding.

The masks are taken down

To reveal the way of the clowns.

----

I brew coffee in that ritualistic kettle;

From a black kettle then pour into a pot.

A pot is calling the kettle black

The taste can never be justified. 

---

For the storms keep encircling 

Raging like monsters in the night 

The sleeping logs are stirred

They're torn apart slain and dead.

---

Destiny took me away from chaos 

Fate has me survived from misery 

Today, I found myself somewhere 

Holding my morning cup of coffee.

©️ Leah C Dancel 

30 November 2024

Orange 🍊 NSW

AUSTRALIA

I DO NOT LOVE YOU

Lifted from FB

I do not love you... 

~ PABLO NERUDA 

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz, 

or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off. 

I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, 

in secret, between the shadow and the soul. 

I love you as the plant that never blooms 

but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers; 

thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance, 

risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body. 

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. 

I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; 

so I love you because I know no other way than this: 

where I does not exist, nor you, 

so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, 

so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep. 

TO RISE ABOVE A COMMON GROUND

17 November 2024

A plea from a brother, a father, a grandfather... for the sake of peace who hasbeen deprived from being close to his own immediate family especially his growing grandchildren.

To one who seeks harm, and wishes us gone,

May love and light, awaken your heart's tone.

Why choose destruction, over compassion's way?

Can't we address mistakes, in a brighter day?

My son's young family, with dreams so bright,

Two little girls, shining with innocence light.

What drives your anger, your heart's dark night?

Can't we forgive, and walk in love's pure light?

Confront us, let's heal, with open hearts,

Embracing morals, decency, and love's sweet starts.

Fear God's wisdom, and choose a higher path,

Let kindness guide us, through life's turbulent math.

May your heart soften, and love prevail,

Let's break the chains, of hatred's heavy gale.

Let's rise above, and find common ground,

In peace, forgiveness, and love's profound.

SEEKING THAT PLACE

Late upload

Written a year ago today 

11 November 2024

I am seeking that place 

Where I can see the breeze; 

Fanned by the southerly wind,

Where the sun intimately feels my skin 

That mimics my cheeky grin.

A place that can sense my inner joy,

Secretly lurking beneath my Soul 

Bereft with conflict the world is known 

But happiness the day  exudes 

Upon my countenance it shall prevail.

There I will catch my breathe 

While basking in the beauty of the sunset.

©️Leah C Dancel 

Copyright ©️ 11 November 2023

All rights reserved 

NB

Written while in transit (train) to Cronulla, a spontaneous decision hoping to watch the sunset there but to no avail. It's my first time and apart from the sunset, I wasn't disappointed.  There's a next time to revisit the place again. 

Photo: 

This castle crown photo was captured as we passed through Regent Street at Redfern on our way home with my family.

HEROES REMASTERED

11 November 2024

On REMEMBRANCE DAY 

Yes, I miss my poetry... 

but my muse is still asleep.  

The seeds of inspiration lay dormant 

Not for long I hope and pray. 

My stubborn ilk lingers on

Finding that oasis somewhere 

Looking for healing of a drying fluid obscured by vagrancy 

of knots and crosses I can't win.

Yet...

Let me pause my quill aside 

Let me whisper a silent sigh 

Today, I remember the heroes 

Dead in blood for courage sake.

There in kachana Mediterranean Coast 

Their souls were laid to rest 

a hundred years and six years more!

©️ Leah C Dancel

All rights reserved 

11 November 2024

SH NSW AUSTRALIA

RAPUNZEL'S LOCKS

10 November 2024

Late upload 

Rapunzel's locks

Tresses in brunette 

Long to comb and braid

A climbing rope against the wall

Of  a secluded castle in sylvan's lair 

Forgotten by legends

Till a handsome Prince came  

To rescue his maiden fair 

From the wretched fairy

And took her to his kingdom. 

To be his queen forever more.

 ©️ Lola Inday 

11 November 2023

Ala mode

THE ARROW AND THE SONG

18 October 2024

PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO HIS LOVE

Lifted from Eng. Lit.

18 October 2024

Come live with me and be my love,

And we will all the pleasures prove,

That Valleys, groves, hills, and fields,

Woods, or steepy mountain yields.

And we will sit upon the Rocks,

Seeing the Shepherds feed their flocks,

By shallow Rivers to whose falls

Melodious birds sing Madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of Roses

And a thousand fragrant posies,

A cap of flowers, and a kirtle

Embroidered all with leaves of Myrtle;

A gown made of the finest wool

Which from our pretty Lambs we pull;

Fair lined slippers for the cold,

With buckles of the purest gold;

A belt of straw and Ivy buds,

With Coral clasps and Amber studs:

And if these pleasures may thee move,

Come live with me, and be my love.

The Shepherds’ Swains shall dance and sing

For thy delight each May-morning:

If these delights thy mind may move,

Then live with me, and be my love.

By Christopher Marlowe, 

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

SUNSHINE

08 October 2024

SILENT HOUR

Lifted from English Literature Info

“I love the silent hour of night,

For blissful dreams may then arise,

Revealing to my charmed sight

What may not bless my waking eyes.”

Anne Brontë - Best Poems of the Brontë Sisters.

Anna Billing

AUTUMN AURA

Quote:

“I loved autumn, the one season of the year that God seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it.” ~Lee Maynard

AUTUMN AURA

Midday draped the heart of silver crisps

Beckons far from the horizon 

I draw a joy of radiances in the fluffy clouds 

Seasoned happiness transcends 

When I illuminate a canvas of jubilant expression 

I embrace a dream of amber hues 

Meticulously, it grows to the Northern Sky

A flurry of zephyrs arrives with Autumn aura 

Traversing through a century of kisses 

That’s when a ripple reverberates on my body 

Riding over the moment 

With an abundance of joys

(C) Hum Ale 

PC: Google

"Enriched by a vocabulary, a flurry of descriptive autumn beauty that buoys the imagination of both the writer and the readers' spirit, this certainly is a place to go to." ~Admin. 

WHERE THE MIND IS WITHOUT FEAR

Posted at FB a year ago today

23 September 2023

Where the Mind is Without Fear

@Rabindranath Tagore 

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;

Where knowledge is free;

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;

Where words come out from the depth of truth;

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection:

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;

Where the mind is lead forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action–

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Photo by Rado Gatchalian at Macquarie University,  Sydney visiting Rabindranath Tagore place of Silence.

MICRO POEM: PEACE

By Leah C Dancel 

MICRO POEM 

Homefulness imbued peace

Serenity in place 

Alone and nonchalant 

Of vagaries at large.

Home defines me

Love and gratitude exist.

©️ Leah C Dancel 

23 September 2024

#ILA

EMPTY

By Estelle Cortes

Today would have been your 93rd mortal birthday Tatay Medes. The last strong grip of your hand before you closed your eyes forever. You are one with the Force now. Hasta pronto Papa. Te echo de menos. 💔. Here's a poem I wrote for you which is now a part of my published poems. I regret that you did not get to read my book. You who loved books so much. I wish.... If only....

(My father passed away 3 years ago. Today I am honouring him for what would have been his 93rd bday)

Empty

I have to wrap my mind around

The emptiness between us now.

Empty chairs, empty bed

In an empty house

Near an empty river bed.

Empty spaces in between

Empty words.

Empty laughters devoid of joy,

Empty eyes that once 

Housed a brilliant mind.

Then like a ray of sunshine,

In your world of gloom,

A moment of lucidity,

Perhaps a precursor of doom?

A smile of understanding,

A worried frown

A lingering concern

For one you love so much.

How fragile the mind is,

How often hope is lost, 

How often does the bell toll,

And for whom?

~Estelle~

October 16, 2019

LET THE TREES TEACH YOU

14 September 2024

TOMORROW

Lifted from Bring Side Page

Today I woke and found myself

With less than yesterday

My life was missing things

I had assumed were here to stay

Things that had seemed little

‘Til they left a giant space,

Left an empty silence

And a longing in their place

And I began to understand

That when push came to shove

I longed for what I’d had

When I’d thought that was not enough

I’d always looked ahead

Was always chasing more and more

Growing so complacent

Of the things I once wished for

Running to tomorrow,

To the weekend, to next year

Forgetting I was lucky

For the things already here

And all this made me realise

That my life can’t buy more time

So maybe I should spend my time

Loving this life of mine

And maybe I’ll be grateful

For the little things I’ve got

That seem inconsequential

But which mean an awful lot

So, tonight I’ll thank the stars

Instead of asking them for more

And I will hope to wake with all

The things I’ve thanked them for

‘Cause now I see that my todays

Are filled with time I’ve borrowed

And I shouldn’t sit around and waste them

Chasing my tomorrows

****

Credit Goes To : Becky Hemsley 2023

Gorgeous artwork by Kristina von Wiesen Art

THE SANCTITY OF LIFE

By Don Luman-ag

THE SANCTITY OF LIFE

By Don Luman-ag

Though life is not perfect

It is in itself beautiful 

Even with all its flaws

It is nonetheless wonderful

There is beauty and wonder 

In both the great and the small

Life is sacred by nature

Even after man's fall

The proverbial Breath of Life

Money can't recreate

The rights of every being

Must be treated with respect

Each will answer to The Maker

On the day of reckoning 

All your loots and hoards

To the other side you cannot bring

©️ Don Luman-ag

All rights reserved.

September 9, 2024

Samal Island, Philippines

#heavenonearth 

#thirdcollection

I AM THE SCULPTURE

05 September 2024

Author: Jeffrey Cejero

Doble kuatro ngayong singko

I Am the Sculpture

by Jepoy

Carrrying a heavy load

As if the Earth is on my back,

Never shall I drop my knees

And bow to adversity.

I will make every struggle an opportunity

To build a better future.

I will make every pain,

A catalyst to improve myself.

Just like a workout in the gym,

The more I defeat my weakness

And surpass my previous record,

The more I improve myself.

On this double four as my age,

I've realized I'm the sculpture of my life.

I can carve my dreams and future

Into tangible existence of truth and reality.

THE PRAYERS OF THE INFIDELS

By Rado Gatchalian

13 August 2024

THE PRAYER OF THE INFIDELS

By Rado Gatchalian

13 August 2024

Here I am praying, at my own free choice, so that the people will know that I do not follow blindly. Hear me for my cause, not that I will be saved, but for me to be free. Free from fear, free from ignorance. 

I call upon all the masters, past and present, for them to graciously bless me with strength that I need, for me to endure all the challenges in life; wisdom, so that I will know the difference between right and wrong; and beauty, so that I will be able to enjoy this gift of life.

I pray that I may not only see the light but to be able to endure its duty to pass on the torch to deserving seekers of truth and humble servants of humanity. Allow me, my Dearest One, The Source, to shine beautifully both in my heart and my outer body. But as I shine like the morning sunrise, may I always remember to remain gentle and humble like the sunset. Then, to remain vigilant, curious, and passionate as I need to start life again in the next morning.

I beseech all my brothers to witness this moment of gratitude as I celebrate this opportunity to serve mankind.

I shall never turn blind eye to all wrongdoings. To promise to always give aid to those who are in need. To surrender to the will of the Order and to submit to a Grand Purpose, higher than all earthly religions and sects. 

But here I am now, a humble servant, silently waiting to listen to the Voice, so deep, flourishing, and powerful. I am waiting. Help me to know how to listen well.

And I pray that I remain vigilant against tyrannical noise and poisonous whispers of false prophets and masters who claim they hold the Truth. 

I pray that I will be given a power, so powerful, that I can be an instrument of peace and a messenger of love and knowledge. 

I pray that in my weakness, I find strength; in my greatness, I find humility; in my agony, I find joy; in my darkness, I find light; and in my ignorance, I find the truth.

Enlighten me, my Gracious One. And in the hour of my death, may I rest in peace and forever be with you - in total surrender to your will, to your compassion.

Amen.

BOOK

JULY 22, 2024

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

William Butler Yeats

Interesting Comment 

"Yeats fell in love with Maud Gonne, considered to be one of the most beautiful women in all Ireland, and a revolutionary. He asked her to marry him but she chose instead to marry a fellow freedom fighter John MacBride who beat her and later was executed in the Easter Rebellion. He wrote this poem to her." ~Daniel Callaghan 

Source: Eng. Lit. Info 

WHERE'S THE SNOW?

July 18, 2024

A sullen day, 

Antarctic wind, 

Chilly and freezing 

Numb my moments.

Drizzling icy drops 

No sleets pelting 

Not a flake floating

Snow drifts somewhere. .

lcd 

18 July 2024

WEATHER: LEAH'S HAIKU

July 20, 2024

Orange 🍊 NSW 

WEATHER 

By Leah C Dancel 

Copyright ©️ July 20, 2024

All rights reserved. 

The sun came shining 

at temporary moment.

Freezing cold unquelled.

Leah's #Haiku1

July 20, 2024

Clouds take flight higher
Away from the ground of mist
Covering the sun.

Leah's #Haiku2

July 20, 2024

Tiny drops pelting
On a paddled rippling song
Reflection moving.

Leah's #Haiku3
July 20, 2024

A downcast shadow
Beneath the sky; endless woes
Drifting through the gloom.

Leah's #Haiku4
July 20, 2024

Tender limbs swinging

Unseen wind twinning with rain 

Green leaves sheltered shades.

Leah's #Haiku5

July 20, 2024

Beautiful, rousing;

Heart-warming and passionate 

Ardent flames of love. 

Leah's #Haiku6

July 20, 2024

HOME IN THE CLOUDS

HOME IN THE CLOUDS

By Don Luman-ag

A cozy home 

In ethereal mists

On a rolling grassland

Amidst lush greeneries

The scent of pine trees

Cool mountain breeze

Believe it or not

This place exists

Not far from here

There it awaits

A heavenly place

Of celestial peace

No hustle and bustle 

Of the city life

Away from stress

My haven of rest

©️ Don Luman-ag

All rights reserved.

July 13, 2024

Samal Island, Philippines

WHEN YOU SAY GOODBYE TO A PARENT

Lifted from MBF

4 July 2024

WHEN YOU SAY GOODBYE TO A PARENT

You are suddenly living in a whole new world.

You are no longer ‘the child’ and regardless of how long you have officially been ‘grown up’ for, you realise you actually never were until this moment. The shock of this adjustment will shake your very core.

When you have finally said goodbye to both your parents, assuming you were lucky enough to have had two. You are an orphan on this earth and that never, ever gets easier to take no matter how old and grey you are yourself and no matter how many children of your own you have.

You see, a part of your body is physically connected to the people that made it and also a part of your soul. When they no longer live, it is as if you are missing something practical that you need – like a finger or an arm. Because really, you are. You are missing your parent and that is something far more necessary than any limb.

And yet the connection is so strong it carries on somehow, no-one knows how exactly. But they are there. In some way, shape or form they are still guiding you if you listen closely enough. You can hear the words they would choose to say to you.

You can feel the warmth of their approval, their smile when a goal is achieved, their all-consuming love filling the air around you when a baby is born they haven’t met.

If you watch your children very closely you will see that they too have a connection with your parents long after they are gone. They will say things that resonate with you because it brings so many memories of the parent you are missing. They will carry on traits, thoughts and sometimes they will even see them in their dreams.

This is not something we can explain.

Love is a very mystical and wondrous entity.

It is far better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all and grief, grief is the price of that love. The deeper the love the stronger the grief.

When you say goodbye to a parent, do not forget to connect with that little girl who still lives inside you somewhere.

Take very good care of her, for she, she will be alone and scared.

When you say goodbye to your parents, you lose an identity, a place in the world. When the people who put you on this earth are no longer here, it changes everything.

Look after yourself the way they looked after you and listen out for them when you need it the most.

They never really leave.~

~Donna Ashworth

HEAVEN ON EARTH

By Don Luman-ag

HEAVEN ON EARTH

By Don Luman-ag 

I'm gonna live in the outbacks

Where I can sit back and relax

Watching the sea of clouds roll

As cool mists freshen my soul 

Coniferous forests -- all around

Negative ions in the air abound

Here, my self, I wanna be found

My spirit's free, no longer bound 

No more drama, just nature trip

Steamy shower, skinny-pool-dip

Lovely environs, sweet solitude

Living a blessed life of gratitude 

As I conjure up heaven on Earth

I am filled, with peace and mirth

I'm getting closer to my dreams

Much closer than you ever think 

©️ Don Luman-ag

All rights reserved.

July 3, 2024

Samal Island, Philippines 🇵🇭

FEAR

By Khalil Gibran

It is said that before entering the sea

a river trembles with fear.

She looks back at the path she has traveled,

from the peaks of the mountains,

the long winding road crossing forests and villages.

And in front of her,

she sees an ocean so vast,

that to enter

there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.

But there is no other way.

The river can not go back.

Nobody can go back.

To go back is impossible in existence.

The river needs to take the risk

of entering the ocean

because only then will fear disappear,

because that’s where the river will know

it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,

but of becoming the ocean.

~Khalil Gibran

THE ART OF LIVING

Lifted from English Literature Info

27 June 2024

We must be willing to get rid of

the life we've planned, so as to have

the life that is waiting for us.

The old skin has to be shed

before the new one can come.

If we fix on the old, we get stuck.

When we hang onto any form,

we are in danger of putrefaction.

Hell is life drying up.

The Hoarder,

the one in us that wants to keep,

to hold on, must be killed.

If we are hanging onto the form now,

we’re not going to have the form next.

You can’t make an omelet 

without breaking eggs.

Destruction before creation. 

~Joseph Campbell, Reflections on the Art of Living

PINK ROSES

15 June 2024

A birthday dedication to our Dear Carol

PINK ROSES 

Pink roses to the Lady of England:

Her royal blood runs not in her veins, 

But in her heart for fortitude and strength. 

Her loving kindness and caring ways 

Is her landmark for humanity.

Her loyalty is uncompromising and non-neglible -

Too huge to overlook.

Pink roses for a Mother, whose 

Unwavering and unbending soul -

To the call of service for those whom 

She loves; without bias, without prejudice. 

A Mother who made her presence known

Anywhere, anytime wherever you are:

"I'm here, if you need me Dear".

Pink roses to a dear Friend, who

For years has been my anchor. 

In friendship, she upholds me -

More than her flesh and blood;

More than a sister and a mother to my children. 

A Friend whom she never met

Until the day we'd finally embraced. 

All your goodness are not forgotten 

They may not have been expressed 

With eloquence, but, in the depth of my heart 

You will stay the person you are,

The Carol we knew through fate 

Whom God has blessed us through the 

 years.

©️ Leah C Dancel 

15 June 2024

All rights reserved 

Orange NSW 

AUSTRALIA 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROL

Many happy returns of the day!

Love, hugs and kisses

Leah, Lily and Noemi

ALONE IN THE COLD

15 June 2023

He stands tall beside his own shadow.

Lost in thought, feeling wrought.

This world is full of vagaries

Where justice is only served to those who gained favour by strong connection.

A morsel denied to this poor little guy

As food for the gods are offered to the heathens

But then he refused to take what's not his

He waited alone in the cold, this winter day.

©Leah C Dancel

Copyright ©️ 15 June 2023

All rights reserved 

SH-AUSTRALIA

YOUR TIME, NOT THEIRS

IN MEMORY OF STEVE LYMAN, UK

A fellow Poet at ILA, one of the most respected Admin Staff.
 

Lifted from the post of Annette Nasser 

14 June 2024

This passage Steve posted on his timeline, I believe shortly before he passed away.

**

"YOUR TIME, NOT THEIRS"

By Steve Lyman

Rain has finally stopped - I don't mean the weather - I'm talking about the showers of life - those dark cloudy days - The ones that drag you down - stopping you from moving on with everyday things - It's about time - You may hear me say - Well, in my opinion, this is how it feels - how it seems to motivate - but also cause us to deflate - There is so much that we go through in life - A time for this - A time for that - Good things - Bad things - Happy or sad things - all connected with time - So what happens if you take time out of the equation - Does it help improve your situation - Will it help you heal quickly - They say it will get better in time - Do they mean their time - or your time - You can never tell how long your time actually is - Putting a time on those dark times - when every minute feels like an hour - everyday seems to last forever - is that their time too - Somehow I think not - So, let's take today for ourselves - Let's use our time - Use the time of today in a constructive manner - make those minutes count - Do something that lifts your spirit - you know, with the power of positive thinking - You will be a lot nearer to their time - but you must own it - Take it for yourself - so, in your own time - you will actually heal - at your own pace - in your own mind space - that's taking time out of the equation.

REFLECTIONS

By Paul Guerin

This is a new poem just drafted, called "Reflections". 

Reflections

 

I’m on a narrow winding way

I search but cannot see the end

So I reflect upon my day

And matters that I need to mend

I struggle down the narrow way

Recalling old forgotten dreams

Wishing for a brand-new day

When reality is all it seems

My mind runs over hills and dales

I think of times long past

Some happy days and some sad tales

Romantic dreams that couldn’t last

My mind drifts on to valleys green

With tall dark mountains looking down

White beauty of a winter scene

That lifts my thoughts so I won’t drown

I wonder where this road will end

Is the destination getting near

Does solace wait around the bend

Will there be hope and quiet here

As the narrow road winds on along 

I vacillate from hope to fear

If past mistakes have made me strong

Perhaps I can walk out of here.

THE WORLD AT LARGE

13 June 2024

THE WORLD AT LARGE

Inching t'wards the real thing. 

Call it winter chill or winter freeze;

Freon thickens on the ground. 

There's fire by day and night

Chunky woods by the fireside

For slow combustion overnight.

Warm home, warm heart

Where love and peace reside 

Winter stills the world at large.

©️ Leah C Dancel 

13 June 2024

All rights reserved 

Orange 🍊 NSW 

AUSTRALIA

IN THE POET'S MIND

11 June 2024

Post by permission from the author, name Gav Smith of Victoria.

 Created in the poets mind,

a mel-o-dy inspired he,

what was about that stirred him most?,

a way to think, deliciously, 

that took away the usual aim,

creating prose or verse recite,

it really chose to bother him,

what put he down, did surely write.

I do not like all music, no

with some it seems to come from hell, 

to cause the brain to vegetate, 

and from a lofty height it fell,

but some, dear God, angelic be,

I presuppose a wondrous sign,

so musical and voices praise,

and with my brain it does align.

In colours too, what can be done?,

a painting that shall lead the way,

so etched upon your mem-o-ry ,

The water, flowers, they say Monet,

you look and gaze, so much aroused,

you learn to say most truthfully, 

this simpleton, a man called gav, 

a wondrous sight is shown to he.

I long to learn to think like this, 

I do not mind, so differently,

and draw from all that one may see,

but try to cope, how shall that be?,

and place my books, of poetry, 

a thrill indeed,  so marvellously,

and future means to dwell indeed, 

Of writings pure, may this succeed.

Copyright ©️ Gav Smith 

Founder of SOUPEE'S

Victoria AUSTRALIA 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I came across a FACEBOOK Page called THE SOUPEES. 

BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD

07 June 2024

by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Don't leave anything for later.

Later, the coffee gets cold.

Later, you lose interest.

Later, the day turns into night.

Later, people grow up.

Later, people grow old.

Later, life goes by.

Later, you regret not doing something...

When you had the chance. 

Life is a fleeting dance, a delicate balance of moments that unfold before us, never to return in quite the same way again.

Regret is a bitter pill to swallow, a weight that bears down upon the soul with the burden of missed chances and unspoken words.

So, let us not leave anything for later. Let us seize the moments as they come, with hearts open and arms outstretched to embrace the possibilities that lie before us. For in the end, it is not the things we did that we regret, but the things we left undone, the words left unspoken, the dreams left unfulfilled.

   — Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a 2015 novel by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Source: English Literature info 

UNTITLED by Estelle Cortes

28 May 2024

I want to live simply. I just want to plant and grow my trees, frolic with the birds and butterflies in the fields, hug my fur babies, and watch my son become a man. I want not to be governed by money or clocks or any artificial restraints that humanity imposes on itself. I just want to be- boundless and infinite.

I shall rest one day soon,

Where the wild things are,

Among my beloved trees,

Hidden in the field of wild dandelions

My weary bones shall lay,

With the sky above me,

And the valleys sing my song,

The mountain ranges 

Shall stand guard over my grave,

The Sun will celebrate the life I lived,

And Luna will mourn for me at night.

Even when no one cares to remember,

Bury my bones where the wild things are.

~Estelle~

072523

©️Estelle Cortes Pimentel

All Rights Reserved

JUST LIKE BEFORE

27 May 2024

THE MORE YOU COUNT THE STARS, THE MORE YOU GIVE UP

Lifted from Rado Gatchalian 

THE MORE YOU COUNT THE STARS, THE MORE YOU GIVE UP

By Rado Gatchalian 

The revolution of the mind:

evolving like a little piece of chalk

which serves no purpose —

and all those dust become remnants

of consumed effort,

days and nights of attempts

to change the world.

But to what end?

How would logic

become a mentor of fortitude —

when it won’t be able to supply 

the last amount of oxygen you need?

But shall you just oblige to faith

and surrender to a cause or purpose

you can’t even fathom?

You read the books — and want to find

answers to all your questions;

but endless nights of erudition

can still not satisfy the hunger of your mind:

the more you know, the more you give up.

Then, you try to quiet your mind,

silence covers your whole being,

you walk in the forest:

count the flowers, leaves, and rocks,

the trees, and those beautiful stars;

then you stop counting —

because the more you count,

the more you give up.

Then, you surrender to peace

which is called by many names:

Joy

Beauty

Contentment

Now

Love.

Here: you stop counting

but you become part of those beautiful stars.

Because you are.

You become what you are 

when you let what is in you shine:

not because you know more

but because you believe.

MUM'S THE WORD

12 May 2024

ON MOTHER'S DAY

To Lily, Noemi 

Mum's the word
With arms that measure love
From east to west and north to south.
They encircle you with warm embrace. 

Mum's the word
Whose mind thinks deep
Where thoughts of you dwell-in

Wond'ring about your safety and well-being.

Mum's the word
With heart as tender as a bud

Yet strong and firm in discipline 

Encompassing peace and joy.

Mum's the word
With lips that encourage 
When you're down and broken 
Her kind words heal your wounds.

Mum is the anchor of your life

When the foundation turned asunder

Enshrine her with love and affection  

For her faith in you is beyond limits. 

©️ Leah C Dancel 

Copyright ©️ 12 May 2024

All rights reserved 

SH-AUSTRALIA 

ON MOTHER'S DAY 

WALTMARIE CHALLENGE

ILA 

WOW

Let's Twist to...A NEW WOW POETRY CHALLENGE!

Choose any one of this week's (WOW) Vocabulary Words:

(PERT, DIGRESS, PERUSAL or BON MOT) and apply it to your poem. Here is the twist. You must find as many words as you can within the WOW you choose and apply all your found words into your poem. You may write up to 12 lines but NO MORE THAN 12. You may choose to rhyme if you so desire though it is not required. If you are not sure what the definitions are for each word, please look it up on this week's post. If you get stuck in trying to find words within the WOW, there are two great sites if you search on Google, like Word Maker or All Scrabble. 

**

BEGINS TODAY (June 28, 2023) and ENDS SUNDAY, (July 2, 2023).

Looking forward in reading your great work!

FASHION SENSE

Her charismatic beauty compelled me to WEND my perspective 

About 

fashion trends that DIGRESSED in recent years, away from conservative style of dressing. 

I am

firm and STOLID by not conforming to the whims of women in society.

I frowned 

upon their glitterati temperament of endless demand in emulating the Hollywood

 glamour,

Who snubbed 

their mediocrity in fashion sense which to me is rather a

SELCOUTH. 

©️ Leah C Dancel 

Copyright ©️ 25 December 2023

All rights reserved 

SH-AUSTRALIA 

#ILA MAGAZINE 

#WALTMARIE 

#WOW: DIGRESS, SELCOUTH, STOLID, WEND 

ILA MAGAZINE - WOW Poetry Challenge:

The "WALTMARIE" - a two-in-one poem invented by Candice Kubinec.

**

It is a ten-lined poetic form

**

ODD LINES have NO SPECIFIC SYLLABIC COUNT, which means, the poet can write in as many syllables as he/she desires

**

EVEN LINES are written in 2 SYLLABLES, only.

**

The even lines create a "mini-poem" if read apart.

**

There are no rules for rhyme or subject - the option is left for the poet to choose whether to rhyme or not

**

The poem is usually titled but this is left for the poet to choose.

**

ODD LINES: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9

EVEN LINES: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10

**

EXAMPLE OF MY POEM (I only used one of the wows yet poets must use ALL 4).

*

"ETCHED ON A TREE"

Should I digress on something I least desire

Before

I utter with myopic stance which I may be intolerant of

or more

Expressing proverbial logic in a cloud of words that fog

in time

traversing through a squall of reasons and of rhyme

My brain

unshackling new strength I have inside me now

feels free.

Annette Nasser

**

THIS IS A WOW CHALLENGE, so you MUST TRY TO APPLY all 4 words: (DIGRESS, STOLID, SELCOUTH, WEND), to be considered as a “BEST ENTRY”, which I will choose (several), shortly after this challenge ends. 

**

BEGINS NOW (12-14-23)

ENDS TUESDAY (12-19-23)

**

If anyone needs guidance, please do message me.

GOOD LUCK, POETS!

NOTHING

PENSEE POETRY 

NOTHING
is emptiness.
No one can do anything
Under any circumstances
For nothing is but void.
©️ Leah C Dancel
20 January 2024
SH-AUSTRALIA 

LESSON: 

ILA MAGAZINE PROMPT - This is NOT a WOW Challenge.

**

PENSEE Poetry Challenge!

*

PENSEE Poetry Form is a 5-Lined Syllabic poem - no rhyming or meter required unless you desire to write in rhyme.

LINE 1 is the SUBJECT and written in 2 Syllables.

LINE 2 is the DESCRIPTION and written in 4 Syllables.

LINE 3 is the ACTION and written in 7 Syllables.

LINE 4 is the SETTING and written in 8 Syllables.

LINE 5 is the FINAL THOUGHT and written in 6 Syllables.

REMEMBER ME

By Margaret Mead

“To the living, I am gone,

To the sorrowful, I will never return,

To the angry, I was cheated,

But to the happy, I am at peace,

And to the faithful, I have never left.

I cannot speak, but I can listen.

I cannot be seen, but I can be heard.

So as you stand upon a shore gazing at a beautiful sea,

As you look upon a flower and admire its simplicity,

Remember me.

Remember me in your heart:

Your thoughts, and your memories,

Of the times we loved,

The times we cried,

The times we fought,

The times we laughed.

For if you always think of me, 

I will never have gone.”

Source: American Literature 

HOPE

By Emily Dickinson

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.

By Emily Dickinson

FEAR

It is said that before entering the sea

a river trembles with fear.

She looks back at the path she has traveled,

from the peaks of the mountains,

the long winding road crossing forests and villages.

And in front of her,

she sees an ocean so vast,

that to enter

there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.

But there is no other way.

The river can not go back.

Nobody can go back.

To go back is impossible in existence.

The river needs to take the risk

of entering the ocean

because only then will fear disappear,

because that’s where the river will know

it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,

but of becoming the ocean.

~ Khalil Gibran

MY HUMBLE LIGHT

By Jeffrey Cejero

My Humble Light

Grains of sand continue to drop

As the waves of seasons ebb and flow.

A tiny me started to pulsate

Until I have my flickering light.

The great sun shows its might

Illuminating the sky with its full bright

Where day is born, glowing like divine,

Leaving no place for me to shine.

Night time comes

And silvery moon hung up in the sky.

Only those powerful gems could still shine

Unlike me whose glow, like fainting fireflies.

Then storm came bringing chill to everyone

Where sky is covered by thick black clouds,

Where the moon has finally set

Bathing in the cold waters of disputed west.

The night was flooded by tears

Till the clouds emptied its burdening load.

The sky finally gave way for everyone to shine

And found myself shining with my humble light.

PHOTO POETRY

by Leah C Dancel

29 April 2024

Part 1

1

I desire your warmth 

Stay longer to kiss me more

My face is cold 

And my soul is still 

Longing to be soothed 

By your ardent embrace.

Part 2

A Sequel

#photopoetry 

2.

Last time when you kissed me

I was down the ledge of the ocean.

It was cold and I was shivering.

You came to me and gently

draped around my shoulders 

A shawl of your warm embrace:

The tenderness of that unforgettable 

moment will be a memory. 

3

Here you've found me at my highest peak

Where none could follow to ruffle

my peace.

Though the mist blanket my unmolten pinnacle 

Your shining ardour brightens my sombre world.

Words Copyright ©️ 

Leah C Dancel 

30 April 2024

All rights reserved 

Orange 🍊 NSW 

AUSTRALIA 

Created and Written  

Marsden Place 

Orange 🍊 NSW 

Photos credit to the owners 

Source: National Geographic