Month: May 2017

Forever Valor [Alexandrine]

Sword and shield in hand to ‘go a Viking’,
To fight with Normans and Saxons for my lord,
Sailing seas on great longships with the coming of spring,
Lodging near cliff-side fires along a far distant fjord.

For I am not meant to be a saintly pilgrim,
I would rather face death itself, the reaper grim.

Warrior’s blade bites deep into a foe’s broken limb,
Lesser men will bow to the Norse or turn to slaves,
There is no hope for them, no angelic seraphim,
If they do not yield, their homes will soon be graves.

Gaze high into the night sky at ancient Cetus,
Choose allegiance or vengeance or deadly quietus.

Hold your breath at the dawn of battle’s new sting,
Pray to Odin for swift death, in not for victory,
Cut down your foes for glory and for our king,
Herald the words of an old skald’s oratory.

And if we all die today, again glory in Valhalla,
Where eternal battle rings on in forever valor.

Lost on the Bus [Reverse Prose]

I have seen so many things lost on the seats of a bus. Each new ETS ride is a wonder of misplaced jus. I have found lighters, pens, newsprint, old gum and other garbage (yuck!), plus forgotten backpacks or always only one glove — flattened thus.  I can imagine an old man, his name is Gus, who has gotten off two stops before with a quick cuss, and when I bring a lost item to some drivers, he or she doesn’t see the need for all the fuss. But, at least, I can say I’ve never found an old worn truss.

Broken Water [Found Poetry]

(Based on the headlines from the March 2016 issue of Alberta Venture Magazine.)

We wait for the rain to fall,
For water is life.
We move full steam ahead,
Forgetting water is life.
We ignore the dirty truths of plastic,
As we bottle drink to live our lives.
We expect it to be clean and safe,
For water is life for the future.
Yet, it must also lift our industries high,
And water is dying.
We need to talk about the world’s water,
Or water won’t be life.
Have we reached the end of our lifeline?
Water woes its life.