Sonnettics

I stood beside the Blackbird and inhaled
I didn’t just inhale; I caught my breath
The planes I saw around her simply paled
They built her more for graceful speed than death
I wondered if her spirit was at rest
Or if she flew above, where eagles soar
To godly heights her spirit can attest
 And even in her peace, her engines roar!
Her body calls the Udvar-Hazy home
I love to visit air and space with her
It seems a shame our bodies cannot roam
And yet we still remember what we were
She’s more than just a bird; she is a queen
With grace that’s more than I have ever seen.

I took my son (who just started hockey last year) to watch the Washington Capitals play against the Tampa Bay Lightning in DC tonight.
(Caps won 4-3!)
I actually wrote this sonnet during the game.

We came to watch the Caps command the ice
Ovechkin and the other boys in red
Their blades were knives and they knew how to slice
If blood was pucks, the other team was bled
They blew the horn, the fans yelled, “Let’s go Caps!”
We made some noise to tell the Caps they rock!
We watched ’em check the other hockey chaps
They gave those other chaps a brutal shock!
A power play became a classic score
The Caps went up, and then went up again!
For them the game’s a game; it’s not a chore
And yet, they play this hockey game to win!
We watched the Caps command the ice with grace
And put their poor opponents in their place.

I know I say that words are only words
And that they need to be poetic right
They flit around my head like little birds
They may not be sonnettic, but they might

If little songs are all my words can make
I’ll sing them like a Poe to my Lenore
But if the golden bowl is bound to break
I’ll sell my words like some sonnettic whore

They’re only words, but please come watch them whirl
Not everyone can see them like you do
They’re only wisdom to some silly girl
I won’t believe that silly girl is you!

Sometimes I write poetic wrong, or shit
But if you read my words, I’ll never quit!

Bright stars are all too far away to touch.
Is life too dark, or is it all too much?
Too distant in the future or the past?
What god would make a universe so vast?

The closest stars seem just within my reach;
I want a warm and brilliant kiss from each;
But even they are still too far away.
Why can’t their light, within my darkness stay?

Which of us here has ever touched a star?
Why do we seal our lights inside a jar?
Why do we try to touch the brilliant sky?
And seal our little lights away to die?

To god, the universe is just a spark;
Stars give us light, within this stretch of dark.

Say “Us” again and babe I will believe
in all your words; they have the sound of truth
I don’t believe you ever could deceive
my heart; your words are new, they feel like youth.
Your beauty permeates the things you say
And “Us” is beautiful like you; it’s true
I know we’re real and know that we will stay
As real as words proclaimed by me and you.
Reality is you and “us,” we’re real
I feel reality when you are near
And how I love the “us” of you I feel
You love “us” too, so babe I’ll never fear
that “Us” will cease to be; we never will
And I will say “forever” then and still.

The world is where my friend and I both live.
I’m glad I live and glad my friend does too.
I write with words I write with rhyme, I give
my words, my rhymes to one I love, to you.
the world is where I found the glory bright
and felt the warmth of love within my friend
I like to liken friendship to my light.
I like to know our friendship will not end.
The world is big; it’s easy to get lost.
But I will never lose my friend, I know
she cares for me, regardless of the cost
I love her more than I can ever show.
The world we live in gives us both the chance
to live good lives, my friend, can we go dance?

My name is Joy, please don’t be sad for me
I challenge you to look within your heart
Then ask yourself, who do you want to be
Use kindness and compassion as your start

Each person needs a friend like me or you
This chain reaction’s stronger with your link
It’s built from kindness in the things you do
Each act, though small, is bigger than you think

It doesn’t matter what you choose to wear
Wear funny hats or wear some silly shoes
Although it may seem like some people care
What matters is the thoughtfulness you choose

So, don’t be sad for me; please don’t be blue
I challenge you to be both kind and true.

Click here to learn more about Rachel’s Challenge.

The depth of life is night when all is dark
My dreams all drown beneath a steady tide
I float upon the sea of time I mark
In sleep, exposed to waves on every side

Like tides that ebb and flood, my life persists
Like water pushed and pulled from day to day
In weeks and months my dream of life exists
And in dark dreams it seems to flow away

At times I long to rest from darkened time
Last night I fell asleep by heaven’s grace
And in this resting state I dreamed, sublime
Then woke to moonbeams shining in my face

My smile betrayed the joy my life had found
Sweet “hallelujah!” came, without a sound.

An Ironman is more than one who Tris
We swim, we bike, we run; we do all three
One forty, then point six, we’re girls and guys
I’m one of them, but now there’s more to me
An Ironman no more, I hit a car
My bike was trashed; I almost lost my foot
And yet I need to thank my lucky star
And surgeons who made sure my parts stayed put!
My ankle has titanium inside
The plates and screws keep everything secure
I’m able still to swim, to run, to ride
I’m more than most triathletes, that’s for sure!
I’m back in training now; I have a plan
To challenge M-Dot. I’m an AlloyMan!

I wrote this sonnet while flying from Seattle to Chicago on my way home to Virginia.

Dichotomy is silent words of truth
In silence I can hear the roar of thought
I miss the solitude I felt in youth
I hear the poetry that time has brought
Together, words like precious pain inspire
If inspiration comes from words at all
I love the cool intent of rhythmic fire
I watch it rise and hope its heights will fall
When lies belie intentions, hope recedes
Like tides that ebb from beaches of deceit
The water that brings life, brings life to weeds
Sweet flowers drown and feel their roots retreat
There has to be a middle road or song
Where all my silent words and thoughts belong.

Yay! My first high altitude sonnet!