Oh boy...I NAILED it at the open mic poetry reading tonight!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

Here's what I read:

“Death’s Victory”

I stagger upon the path
I bleed inside

You are torn from me
Into the dark earth
forever

The thread that tied us
Is snapped
By death
He laughs at me
He has won
He has taken my prize

The journey that I never wanted to stop
Being on
Is over

A silver tear runs down my cheek
It stands for all my tears
But now you’re not here
To kiss it away

My body spasms
But not with joy
I howl against my loss

The wild birds spill
Their notes in the trees
But I don’t hear them
Anymore

The sun tracks overhead
But you are my sun
And you have fled my skies

Now that angry red ball
Slides into the sea
I am left in darkness

They say there is security in death
But I will not know
Till I join you there

*************

"To Balance On the Wind"

Up on a column of air
The gull does
A balancing act

The wind shifts
And rolls beneath him
He jockeys to stay aloft
His wings flutter and dip
As he rides

It’s the surging wind at the end of the day
We always get it here

The flags snap
The trees bend and sway
I hold my jacket closed
Against it.

The gull hesitates
As he climbs against the sky

He’s balancing
Upon the wind



:woohoo:

[Wetzelbill]

1. Very nice!

Its always good to have be on your game while reading.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear Wetzelbill!

Ah, it's great to see you tonight!

Yeah, it's a wonderful feeling...

Thanks, sweetie!

:hug:

[Wetzelbill]

4. aw shucks

:)

[hibbing]

3. Hi Peggy

Hi,
Nice poems, I especially like the line about the wild birds. Keep up the good work!

Peace

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. My dear hibbing!

Ooh, thank you!

Yeah, that line resonated with me too...

I'd written it some time ago, and when I spotted it recently, I thought it would fit here.

Guess so.

:hug:

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

5. Better and better.

Your style is really emerging now, and I'm glad to see you don't always stay on the brightly lit path. You explore it all, and that's what sets you apart from the ordinary. Instead of using your sight you've learned how to use your insight.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. My dear Prisoner_Number_Six...

You are too kind; no, really, you are.

Thank you!

I guess I haven't posted a lot of my dark stuff...I do a fair amount of it. I really wanted to see if I could make this VERY dark, even scary.

I have a lot of material inside...

I just have to have the courage to get it out.

Again, I thank you...

:hug:

[Lionel Mandrake]

8. My dear CP

Of course you nailed it.

Don't you always?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. My dear Lionel Mandrake!

Ha!

Oh, I wish!

Nope...not like I did tonight!

Thanks, sweetie!

:rofl:

[bluesbassman]

10. Way to go Peggy!

I was hoping you'd do "Death's Victory" soon. I knew it'd be a hit. Congratulations!:applause: :hug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. My dear bluesbassman!

Oh, thanks, sweetie!

They really ate that one up!

I wish you could have heard me...

I was having so much fun!

Your applause means so damn much...

:hug:

[bluesbassman]

12. One day I'll make the pilgrimage to SoCal and get to hear you.

Can't wait!:loveya:

Being "on stage" is kinda addictive isn't it? No rush like having people get into your performance!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. It's very addictive!

I guess I'm a ham at heart!

LOL!

That would be so damn cool, having you visit!

:hug:

[SeattleGirl]

14. Bravo, Peggy!!!

Those are two fine pieces of poetry, particularly the first one.

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

19. My dear SeattleGirl!

Ah, thank you!

That first one really made me crazy; I had written out a whole different poem when I decided that it wasn't good at all. So I erased it entirely, and started over, with more passion...

The results are what you see here!

:hug:

[NanceGreggs]

15. I just LOVE these two pieces together ...

... Death steals a life away - and yet that life is renewed by the Gull, who balances himself upon the wind.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

20. My dear Nance!

And yet it was entirely coincidental that I read these two together...

I had read the Gull poem several weeks ago, but my concentration had been interrupted by something noisy happening, so I decided to read it again last night...

Thank you, sweetie...

:hug:

[hibbing]

16. Just an aside from the poems..

Hi,
Peggy is so cool and fun and caring. Just a comment, carry on!

Peace

[CaliforniaPeggy]

21. ...

:hug:

[Callalily]

17. This is fabulous Peggy!

He has taken my prize Great line.

:hug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

22. My dear Callalily...

I felt that line profoundly...

The loss of a loved one is a scary prospect, indeed.

Thank you!

:hug:

[NYC_SKP]

18. Wow.

I read these twice, first separately and on the second read taking them in together.

I'm taken with the pairing of these poems.

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts: we're always needing to find that balance without which we may tumble to earth.

The elements sometimes challenge our balance, elements like the inevitable taking of our friends and family members.

That's what I was feeling.

:hug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

23. Good morning, my dear NYC_SKP!

Isn't it funny how things work? The pairing was entirely coincidental...

I had only written the death poem for this week, and I wanted to read another one...So I chose the gull poem.

There was no conscious thought in my mind that these would mean anything together, yet you and some other folk have made that connection.

I had no idea...

Thank you so much, sweetie...

:hug: