APRIL PAD CHALLENGE DAY NINETEEN

April PAD Day 19, 2015

For today's prompt write and Authority poem.

AUTHORITARIAN

He, absolute Sun

My total eclipse

has obscured him.

J Kuykendall

APRIL PAD CHALLENGE DAY EIGHTEEN

April Pad Day 18, 2015

 For today’s prompt, pick 2 vowels and write a poem using words that only contain one or both of those vowels. 

FAILURE

I went warily, fearing 

the coming torment

I knew there were more

horrible tortures

I stopped, panic

seized me

minutes  ticked, ticked

still I stayed, waiting 

fear held me,

imprisoned me

the sweat trickled soaking

the thin shirt, skin sticking

hair plastered

breathing heavily

heart racing

he's sitting,

sitting grinning,

greedily grinning

patting the seat

behind the wheel

drivers test  honey

hope dims

surely failure 

is waiting 

again, then

he will grin 

his slick grin

tell me cheerfully

next time honey

J Kuykendall

APRIL PAD CHALLENGE DAY SIXTEEN

April Pad Day 16, 2015

Today's prompt is write a science poem.

THE MILKY WAY

Astronomy is the branch of science that has always fascinated me.

A million stars fill the sky

above the New Mexico mountains

wrapped in a red Navajo blanket

I stand on the porch of my cabin

my breath steaming the air

head tilted toward the stars

The constellations of the Milky way

spread out like diamonds

There he is, my great hunter, Orion

son of the great  god, Poseidon

Betelgeuse, his right shoulder

Bellatrix, his left, 

Rigel, his left foot,

Saiph, his right 

and Mintaka, the westernmost

of the three stars of Orion's belt.

I know I will not see Scorpius, 

for they are never seen 

in the sky at the same time

my mind is filled with wonder

spilling over with delight

of the celestial show 

that fills the sky each night

J Kuykendall

APRIL PAD CHALLENGE DAY FIFTEEN

April PAD Day 15, 2015

Today's prompt is pick an adjective and make it the title of your poem.

ZEALOUS

He dips his pen, scratches a line

stops, closes his eyes

leans over the page, crosses it out

lays his pen aside, stands

paces to and fro, stops

leans down, takes up the pen

hesitates, dips the pen

scribbles furiously, stops

crumples the paper, throws it on the floor

sits down, takes up the pen once more

writes a word, then another

words flow out of his fingertips

at last he stops,

fingers rake his hair

his hand drops, crumples the paper

throws it on the floor 

J Kuykendall

APRIL PAD CHALLENGE DAY FOURTEEN

April PAD Day 14, 2015

The prompt for today is write an honest or dishonest poem.

A DADDY'S WORDS

You told me you could lasso the moon

and bring it down to earth

so I could keep moon beams in a jar 

You told me unicorns were magical 

and could carry me up to the Milky Way

where I could dance among the stars

You told me the trees and wind 

whispered secrets to each other

and if I listened I could hear

You told me fairies lived in moss houses

and danced at night to the tunes

crickets played on their violin legs

You told me Santa Claus, the tooth fairy

and the Easter bunny were real

You held my hand told me you loved me 

more than all the stars that fill the sky

You crossed your heart and told me

that you would never,ever leave me

Then, you went far away 

to fight a war in a foreign land

You kissed me and told me not to cry

You told me you would come back soon

But you lied, they told me you died

Now all I have left are these words 

these empty words you told to me.

J Kuykendall

APRIL PAD CHALLENGE DAY THIRTEEN

April PAD Day 13

The prompt for today is Confession. I had no time to write this as I was busy with company until ten at night. I wrote this in about ten minutes.

A WIFE'S CONFESSION

When I was a young wife

I sometimes hid the dirty dishes

and lied about the cost of some 

little thing I bought for myself

When I was married ten years

I sometimes hid my tears

and lied about the bruises,

made excuses for the things he did

When I was married twenty years

I no longer waited up at night

when he came home smelling of perfume

with whiskey on his breath

J Kuykendall

APRIL PAD CHALLENGE DAY TWELVE

April PAD Day 12, 2014

Today's prompt is write a damage poem.

DAMAGED GOODS

Momma left when I was two

and I never really knew

why she left us three

Poppa, my brother and me

Poppa never said a word

but somehow I overheard

about why she went away

the story of why she didn't stay

Momma didn't want to be tied down

didn't want to live in a small town

two children and a husband

wasn't the life she had bargained

These and more words were said

after I was safely tucked in bed

she just couldn't stand to be mother

and worse, she didn't want another

She was too young they would sigh

and they agreed, no one could deny

another baby wasn't in the plan

and this was surely the reason she ran

but, Momma never did return

and it was hard for me to learn

I was the reason Poppa was cheated

and finally died a man defeated

Now I am twenty and three

and the one I love just left me

and I am left to wonder why

Everyone I love says goodbye

Momma left because of me

Left Poppa, my brother and me

J Kukendall