April 23 NaPoMo 2021

[CRNDLSM]

Rules: Write a poem for national poetry month on the topic or form described. Each poem should appear as a separate reply to this thread. The goal is to, at the end of the month have written 30 poems for National Poetry Month.


NaPM April 23, 2021



Topic: tell a story backwards

Form: any

Line Requirement: any

[Mark A Becker]

A Real Day in Court

“Lock him up,” said the judge, “his sentence will begin immediately.

"You have the audacity to come before this court and claim that you were concerned
for the safety of your passengers?” asked the judge.

“I clocked his speed in excess of 100mph, your Honor,” the cop testified,
he appeared to be racing a Camaro on Route 1, just south of Stafford.”

“When the officer shot at my tires, I was worried that my passengers might get hurt,”
claimed the defendant, “so I was afraid to slow down.”

I thought it might be interesting to witness what offenders might have to say
so before I began my route that day, I went with a co-worker who needed a ride to traffic court.

“Can I get a ride?” he asked, “I may have to testify against this guy I was racing on Route 1.”

You never know what a day may bring…

[TranquillityBase]

Which comes first
the end or the beginning?
The end is right in front of you,
for all the time you haven’t got
for all the time you haven’t lost
just look out of the corner of your eye.
What you see is the accident of your going 
and the instant of your arrival,
both incidental to your thirst
to be immortal.

[CRNDLSM]

5:57 do I turn off the alarm now?
When the dark is bright as this,
a minute is an hour is a minute.
Digital clocks always move weird

when the dark is bright as this.
(You shouldn't be asleep, because you can't)
Digital clocks always move weird~
How much have I moved these past hours?

(You Shouldn't be asleep, because you Can't)
Choices do control the body motions!
How much have I moved these past hours?
When was the last time I went outside?

Choices do control the body motions...
(You knew what those little browns would do)
When was the last time I went outside?
That's right, while it was still light.

(You knew what those little browns would do,
excited to recognize them instantly.)
That's right, while it was still light.
*Magic* is how they always find me -

excited to recognize them instantly.
(An hour is a minute is an hour)
Magic is how they always find me...
5:57 Do I turn off the alarm now?

[Tiger the Lion]

Punishment and Crime

Watch his eyes;

manically shooting
back and forth
as we're read the verdict
as to Count One. 

Now, as to Count Two
and the eyes dart faster,
more frantic,

ricochets.

He's now questioning those choices
that delivered us here.

For a millisecond he looks right at the camera 
as the reality of the moment sets in,

it's full weight, 
like a knee pressing down on his neck.

[Leaf]

Sue said,
   Well, thank God he's gone!

The man had just left,
leaving a pile of leaflets
on the table,
the one on top proclaiming,
   HOW TO HEAL!
underneath a picture of a church.

He had offered them to Kath,
a wheelchair user,
believing that her incapacity
(as he put it)
could be healed through faith;
polite yet firm,
Kath had disagreed.

It was a shame, really;
Kath and Sue
had come to the park
to do a little birdwatching,
have a nice cup of tea...

but, as Kath's friend John had warned her,
you attract no end of weirdos
when you start using a wheelchair.

[Keith]

He's dead.
He's dead ? , are you sure ?
did you see his head bounce
that ramp was way too short
the run up wasn't fast enough
no one could land that.
He's dead.

[dukealien]

Upset


I just stood there and cried
water up to my waist
tangled up in
my yellow oilcloth raincoat
as my red plastic boat
floated by still attached
to its kite string
near the big rock
I’d fallen over
walking backwards towing
my red plastic boat along by
a kite-winder with a crank
along the side of the pond
with those little spring-steel clasps
I’d fastened on my yellow raincoat
because it was raining
that day in Eden Park
I was eight years old.