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NOVEMBER 2015 ~”POEM-A-DAY”~ DAY THIRTY ~ “LET THE MOMENT BEGIN ” ~ POEM

1/12/2015

Image from the Net.

For today’s prompt, write a “let the moment begin” poem. Life is filled with moments–good and bad–and they all have to begin sometime. Share yours (in poetic form) below.

LET THE MOMENT BEGIN
by John Yeo

Today is the beginning of the rest of your life,
The future is in your hands.
Take control, stay in control, push away strife.
Let the moment begin.

To hesitate now is to give up your control,
Time is slipping slowly away
Be determined, be stubborn, seek your goal,
Let the moment begin.

Your aspirations are there to be achieved.
To wait, is to waste your chances.
The plans developed, the ideas conceived.
Let the moment begin.

Your whole future rests on a blink of an eye,
The signpost points clearly ahead
Follow your dreams, don't wait, give life a try,
Let the moment begin.

Push hard at the obstacles as they appear,
Time is rapidly racing away.
Do it now, while you can, the way is clear,
Let the moment begin.

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

NOVEMBER 2015 ~”POEM-A-DAY”~ DAY TWENTY-NINE~“OPEN LETTER” ~ POEM

1/12/2015

Image © copyright John and Margaret

For today’s prompt, write an open letter poem. When I think of open letters, I think of those editorials written in the newspaper or online that take a common problem or a media story and give their solution or take on the matter. Often, they spur more debate than solve problems, but they’re often written with a purpose.

A PLEA FOR THOUGHT
by John Yeo

An open letter to anyone who gets hungry on the move
As you travel through this beautiful land look closely
The motorways and roads slice through Nature's glory
Woodlands and farmland bordered with pretty verges.

Pastures, small villages with imposing church spires
Speed by as you enjoy your picturesque journey.
Pull into a pretty lay-by then look around closely.
Paper and plastic, carelessly dumped meets the eye.

An unnatural spread of detritus litters the area.
Plastic bags and food wrapping tossed by the wind.
Carelessly strewn by some unthinking travellers.
Spoiling and besmirching the area far around.

Continue your journey with new wide open eyes,
Notice the roadside verges as you continue along.
The gradual buildup of slow but sure decline,
Unsightly rubbish discarded, dumped everywhere.

Care and concern is the subject of this open letter,
A plea for the restoration of unsullied nature.
Eat and enjoy your meal on your journey,
Then please, for the love and care of our landscape.

Take your rubbish home!

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

NOVEMBER 2015 ~”POEM-A-DAY”~ DAY TWENTY-eight~“It Was a (blank) and (blank) Night,” ~ POEM

30/11/2015

Image © Copyright John Yeo

For today’s prompt, take the phrase “It Was a (blank) and (blank) Night,” replace the blanks with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles include: “It Was a Dark and Stormy Night,” “It Was a Bright and Sunny Night,” “It Was a Calm and Lonely Night,” “It Was a Long and Poetic Night,” “It Was a Short and Sweet Night,” and so on and so forth.

IT WAS A STARRY AND MOONLIT NIGHT
by John Yeo

The block was a surreal concrete kingdom of light,
The window lights went out slowly one-by-one.
The moon shone brightly in a cloudless sky
Set in carpet of a million twinkling bright stars.

The breathtaking beauty of a stunning delight,
Shading the graffiti-covered, sheer concrete walls.
Several shrill sirens sounded, in the nearby distance,
Breaking the spell of this beautiful magical sight.

Hiding in the shadows the creatures of the night,
Slowly and surely began to emerge from hiding.
A metal container suddenly crashed to the ground,
As a feral cat searched for discarded food scraps.

The moonlight and starlight mingled magically
Creating a carpet of light high on the rooftops.
In the shadows below a shrill woman's voice
Started screaming, echoing around the block.

Shouting and screaming as a row developed.
The sad sounds of a Saturday night in the city.
Obliviously continuing with a viral intensity.
Shattering the silence and breaking the spell

Of a sublime, sensual, starry, moonlit night.

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

NOVEMBER 2015 ~”POEM-A-DAY”~ DAY TWENTY-SEVEN~”LEFTOVERS ”~ POEM

29/11/2015

Image © Copyright John and Margaret

For today’s prompt, write a leftovers poem. With Thanksgiving in the rear view, many people may have leftover food in their refrigerators. Others may wish they had leftovers. Regardless of the holidays, some folks feel like leftover people or that they live a leftover life.

LEFTOVERS
by John Yeo

The family were gathered to hear the reading,
The distinguished solicitor looked round the room,
He caught the tear-stained eye of a lady in scarlet
In sharp contrast to the universal mourning black.

A moment of silence when the family finally calmed.
The sobbing matriarch and her grieving daughter
Two sons and their wives and families and more,
Waited expectantly as the respected solicitor began.

"This is the last will and testament of a literate man
'I lived my life to the full, working long and hard,
I did my best for everyone of you gathered here
I have lived and loved as happily as a writer can.

I was never very wealthy, just comfortably wise,
That I have no fortune should be no surprise.
After I have paid my final accounts,
I leave the leftovers to my very dear friend
Who met and stayed with me right to the end'."

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

NOVEMBER 2015 ~”POEM-A-DAY”~ DAY TWENTY-SIX~”LUXURY”~ POEM

28/11/2015

"Luxury Yachts and a Cruise ship" IMAGE © Copyright John and Margaret

For today’s prompt, write a luxury poem. To tell you the truth, I’m not even sure how I’m coming at this prompt just yet. But luxury can be a good thing for people who experience, though also a bad thing. Plus, luxury often comes at a cost to those who don’t have it. And the dream of it can help some people in dire circumstances.

THE MILLION POUND CHALLENGE
by John Yeo

"Survival of the fittest will be the way to get through
You will be marooned on an isolated island alone.
Life will be tough, limited supples will be provided,
To see you through until we return in a month.

You will be allowed to choose three luxurious items
To remind you of the life you once lived over here.
These will be additional to your basic supplies
What three luxury items would you like to take with you?"

"I have given the matter considerable thought ,
What would I miss most from my life, over here?
My dear wife would be at the top of the list,
Sadly I am sure she would never join me.

Next I considered a wind-up gramophone
With a selection of soothing classical music
An unlimited supply of pencils and paper,
A luxurious bathtub with expensive potions.

A selection of books to improve my mind.
A luxurious last meal, a veritable feast.
A selection of garden tools with seeds
Paints for art, or a fishing rod would be fine.

I would be very sad to leave my wife behind.
The love and companionship and free-easy style
With her supporting presence and her smile.
Luxury will always begin and end at home.

Staying behind is the ultimate luxury for me.
Let's call the whole thing off!"

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

NOVEMBER 2015 ~”POEM-A-DAY”~ DAY TWENTY-FIVE~”ECHO”~ POEM

27/11/2015

Image © Copyright John and Margaret

For today’s prompt, write an echo poem. This could be a poem with a refrain, or a poem that echoes another poem (or poems) written earlier in the month. A remix poem, if you will. Or it could be about the process of echoes, echo location, or any other spin you can think to put on it

THE STORM
by John Yeo

Clouds speedily gather as darkness descends
The storm takes hold with a vicious vengeance.
A deafening clap of thunder loudly resounds
Echoes and re-echoes with explosive force
Lightning slashes in a jagged flash of fiery fury.

Trees bend and sway as the wind rages relentlessly
Stripping off leaves and tearing the branches away.
The pouring rain sweeps and swirls ceaselessly
Severely soaking the storm battered tiny valley.
Repeated lightning bolts light up the night

Thunderclaps crash and boom repeatedly
Echoing and re-echoing, endlessly rebounding
From the craggy slopes of the rocky mountain.
As streams rapidly turn into rain-filled rivers.
Lightning strikes with an illuminating power.

The wind suddenly drops and the rain gently eases
As the storm slowly passes over the mountains.
A distant booming thunderclap rumbles around
Echoing and re-echoing with a muffled sound.
As the passion of the storm is over and spent.

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

Image © Copyright John and Margaret

LIFE
by John Yeo

A neurone has fired in an amazing display
Brain-powered ecstasy in an orgasmic release
Powerful minute forces have delivered
An awesome force of pleasurable power
As an ejaculation is repeated and echoes again
And again, and again, and again.
Re-echoing as seeds of a new life begin.

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

NOVEMBER 2015 ~”POEM-A-DAY”~ DAY TWENTY-Four ~”LOVE AND/OR ANTI-LOVE ”~ POEM

26/11/2015

Image © Copyright John and Margaret

“Two for Tuesday” prompt
Write a love poem.
Write an anti-love poem.

LOVE
by John Yeo

"Dedicated to Margaret"

The right combination of magic appeal is difficult,
Two minds connecting and relating together.
An almost impossible mix to achieve,
The situation is a conundrum that requires study.

And yet? Wham, bam, a pair of blue eyes connect,
With a smile that seems to envelop your mind.
Love comes with a surprising turn of a moment
That changes your life and outlook forever.

Two minds coming together and sharing a life,
A mutual love incredibly rich and powerful,
Courtship builds trust and sharing the pleasure.
Then the years of developing a lasting real love.

You have fallen for a common illogical state,
Head over heels without a clear answer.
With gratitude you wake up with a smile
Your love is your all, and your life is complete.

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

Image © Copyright John and Margaret

ANTI-LOVE
by John Yeo

"Fiction"

Father looked at Mother in a state of shock.
When their beloved daughter broke the news
"What do you mean? You can't be in love,
He is from a different circle than us!"

Mother agreed with tears in her eyes. "No!
She screamed, "We will not allow it,
You don't even know what love really is!
He will never be good enough for you!"

Her feelings and her love for him were strong,
Although he came from a town nearby
The hard set customs seemed set in stone.
She was sure her Mother and Father were wrong,

The tears ran down her face with angry fear
Disappointment at their strong reaction.
Her calculations had gone horribly wrong.
Love made her blind to this turn of events.

Their strong faith in ancient long held custom
That blinded them to this heartfelt situation.

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

NOVEMBER 2015 ~”POEM-A-DAY”~ DAY TWENTY-THREE ~ “SORRY,” POEM

25/11/2015

Image © Copyright John and Margaret

For today’s prompt, write an apology poem. I’m sorry, but I don’t have anything to add to what this type of poem might entail.

SORRY
by John Yeo

As a member of the human race and a resident
I would like to formally apologise to you Earth,
For our treatment of your wonderful habitat.
We have burned you out and abused you badly.

Our numbers have increased beyond control,
More people are struggling to cling to life.
Hunger is forcing deforestation and pollution
Fossil fuel is contributing to global warming.

Sorry for the need for nuclear power stations
Generating long lasting radioactive waste.
As the planet heats we need alternatives fast
To power the lives of the next generation.

Acid rain is killing your tender green growth
As rapid industrialisation takes a terrible toll.
Generating wealth for the world to feed
On the meagre remains of wealthy greed.

Sorry for the wanton, blind sad destruction,
That pollutes your seas and savages the fish.
Sorry for the onward hungry desertification
Spreading rapidly over your once green pastures.

A final apology will formally be made one day
When we have the technology to colonise Space.
We will then move on to many worlds far away.
Abandoning this once blue, beautiful place.

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

NOVEMBER 2015 ~”POEM-A-DAY”~ DAY TWENTY-two ~ “Waiting for (blank),” POEM

24/11/2015

Image © Copyright John and Margaret

WAITING FOR FREEDOM
by John Yeo

The time drags by so slowly, as seconds become minutes.
Minutes become hours, and hours become long days.
Days stretch out into weeks that double into a fortnight.
The fortnight is soon dragging along becoming a month.
Three months is a quarter, six months is halfway through
The first long year. Waiting for the magical day to arrive.

Morning breaks with the first light of dawn, keys rattle.
A face peers in through the grill, when the door is unlocked.
Breakfast of porridge and bread is arrayed on a metal tray
The first highlight of another long prison day has arrived.
Lunch, then exercise, tea, then a late dinner before bed.
Time drags. Oh so slowly as the seconds become years.

Mind numbing hours of inactivity, stretch time to infinity.
Time is a degrading entity that seems to linger on
Pent up frustration comes to the fore with hopelessness
The imagination brings an immaterial rich hallucination
With the freedom to be gained with the release date near
Waiting for the day when I can walk away free from here.

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

NOVEMBER 2015 ~”POEM-A-DAY”~ DAY TWENTY-ONE ~ “STRANGE” POEM

23/11/2015

Image © Copyright John and Margaret

For today’s prompt, write a strange poem. What is strange to one person may be completely normal to another and vice versa. So get strange, which may be normal, or be normal, which may be strange.

A STRANGE FASCINATION
by John Yeo

A very good friend is fascinated by personal art.
Depictions that tell a story in picturesque fashion.
Her personal gallery started with a broken heart
A heart split asunder, in stunning decoration.
A permanent tattooed remembrance,

This was followed by two more pretty symbols
Of Peace and Love, joined by a coiled snake.
Knives were shown then a collection of animals
A vampire then smiled with a biting heartbreak.
In a complicated pictorial dance.

Her circle of friends watched the gallery grow
With squeals and cries of admiration.
All over her body above the neck and below
The tattoo artist added more decoration.
Her mind was in a pictorial trance.

Every enchanting tattoo is a gradual depiction
Of her need to illustrate her inner condition
Her need for attention becomes an addiction.
Her personal story becomes one of rejection.
A strange story of fate and chance.

Copyright © Written by John Yeo All rights reserved.