Poems From the Porch 5

Thank you for visiting the porch again this week. Everyone is welcome, old and new friends alike. I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge of writing poetry based on the prompts you provide, though some are more challenging than others and really test my skills.

While I am on that subject, I must issue an apology to Marie Flint. I had intended to include a poem for Marie in this collection, however, Marie has added to her original request and now would like it written as a sonnet. I actually enjoy the challenge that the strict form of a sonnet requires but it will just take me a little longer to do it justice. So, if you are reading this Marie, your sonnet about plants linked with emotions will appear next week.

Ok, sit back and relax while I share this week's poetry from the porch.

"How about one on the joys of travel?"

OK Liz, your wish is my command, though I am not that widely travelled myself. I can tell from your hubs/articles though how much you enjoy it.

Beware the travel bug that bites

Infecting you with must-see sights.

There is no cure, so hold on tight.

You'll soon compare the price of flights.

Jetting to exotic lands,

Peru, China, Kazakstan,

Pacific Islands, Sahara sands,

Anywhere your passport spans.

Everywhere on Earth's a wonder,

So push your boring life asunder,

Trek across the icy tundra,

Visit that strange land down under.

Whether ship, plane, bus, or train

The travel bug gets in your brain,

And once the virus gets ingrained,

If you travel once you must again,

"That gives me an idea for you - a poem about an actual letter box. Although rarely used for personal letters any more, yet the memories it triggers could be worth writing about, if you wish to?"

Thanks for this prompt, Rinita. I thought this would be an easy poem to write but I have actually rewritten it twice. I hope you like the final result.

There's a letterbox perched by my gate,

It once would bulge with mail

These days it often sits unused,

A victim of e-mail.

Now, only bills and catalogues

Seem to grace its slot,

Or maybe a religious tract

I desire to read it not.

Letter writing‘s had its day,

But it seems that time has passed.

People now don't take the time,

They like things done too fast.

Those days I still remember

When I'd watch out for the mail,

For a letter from my loved one

To be delivered without fail.

The letterbox holds memories

And dreams of yesterday.

Like other relics from the past

That years just can't erase.

"I love the idea of asking your readers to challenge your poetry prowess.

How 'bout this one?: Smelly Sneakers."

Trust you Shauna haha. I have never been asked to write a poem about smelly sneakers before. Well, there's a first time for everything so here it is.

I wear my sneakers everywhere,

They're rarely off my feet,

Whether it is pouring rain

Or in the sweltering heat.

I don't have time to wash them

And wait for them to dry,

So I just wear them as they are.

I'm always on the fly.

I know they're getting smelly,

And everybody knows,

But thankfully they're on my feet

And a long way from my nose.

"Spring is my favorite time of year. With it rapidly approaching fall where I live I know winter will be here just as fast. Seasons changing gives great material for writing poetry. We seldom think about the seasons changing on the opposite side of the world being opposite also, perhaps learning about spring time in Australia will make dreaded cold weather seem less harsh to your friends in North America."

Thank you for your request Diana. Spring is the favourite season for many when flowers bloom, birds nest and sing etc. This poem about the Aussie spring may not be exactly what you were expecting, however. (* let me just add that Spring 2019 in Queensland, Australia is not typical, at least not to date, and I hope it isn't representative of the future.)

Springtime in Australia

Is unique in many ways,

Diverse flora and fauna,

And a distant smoky haze.

For although the days are pleasant

And temperatures are mild,

With rainfall we have not been blessed

In more than quite a while.

The colour green is sadly

Disappearing from the scene,

On only tough established trees

Are where it can be seen.

The grass is brown and withered

and crackles underfoot,

And where fires have been burning

There's nothing left but soot.

The animals are dying

For they have no food to eat,

Or water to refresh them

And sooth them from the heat.

Sometimes the storm clouds gather

and we hope and pray for rain.

There is thunder in the distance,

But it always ends the same.

Just a sprinkle of a promise

Before the clouds move on,

And we are left lamenting

What, before it came, was gone.

Though some plants have been flowering,

The very hardy few,

And the birds have still been singing

with the early morning dew.

Now, summer is approaching

And we hope it brings the rain,

To soothe this parched and ravaged land

So life can thrive again.

Although temperatures will soar

In the coming months,

It will be the cyclone season

With rains that lead to floods.

The climate has been changing,

Droughts are more extreme,

And bushfires are now so frequent,

The likes we've never seen.

When the skies do open up

And rains begin to fall,

Tears of joy will be shed too

That God answered the call.

Sometimes relief comes far too late

and stock and crops are lost.

I lament the plight of farmers

And their reoccurring costs.

For those in other countries

It's hard to comprehend

The harshness of this southern land,

With its different season trends.

So, this poem about the spring

Is not what you expect.

Blooming flowers and singing birds

Are somewhat circumspect.

But, truth is sometimes hard and blunt,

And just has to be told.

Springtime in Australia

Doesn't fit the clichéd mould.

* Just after writing this poem, the skies darkened and we were suddenly hit with a hail storm. It was short-lived but most welcome as it also gave us 15mm of rain...more than we have had in the previous six months.

Don't forget, if you have an idea for a poem you'd like me to write, then let me know in comments. Throw subjects at me and I will do my best to write poems about them. If you want to really test me you can even request the type/style of poem you want.

Next week I hope to fill the requests of Marie Flint, Lind Lum, and Gypsy Rose Lee. Until then, it's bye from the porch.