Mountains majestic / rising tall above us all
Solid and strong they stand immovable.
Until shaken, they crumble and tumble;
their strength broken and their high position
brought low, scattered across the landscape.
You see, mountains are simply rocks waiting to crumble…
Even the tallest mountains turn to sand in time.
Sand is the great equalizer!
Photos: Dwight L. Roth
The political debates rage on
Nasty politics as usual
Twists of truth filled with lies;
and we believe…
what we have already set in our minds
But, with every election
there come a Trojan Horse;
One of beauty and promise
captivating the minds of believers;
Promising they are on you side
The Trojan Horse of politics
doesn’t come sculpted in wood or stone;
Rather, ladened with sculpted words
carved and shaped to entice…
Believing there is nothing within them
that would change or harm us
Don’t be swayed by outward words.
Look deep into the sculpted belly
of hidden agendas and dark money;
Into the self-centered soul of the beast (politics)
that in the end will burst open
disillusion // and destroy us all!
We are at a crossroad of the mind
Not of dirt and gravel // asphalt or cement
Rather, a crossroad of thinking…
One that permeates our being.
Elections are not about the man or woman
They are about a mindset
A way of thinking that affects attitudes and actions.
It is so easy to get lost in the superficial
Age, gender, personality, party, or politics;
But it is much deeper than that…
Elections are crossroads of the mind;
Forever changing the landscape of thinking;
Changes that cannot be reversed only adjusted.
Elections often come with lies and broken promises;
Expectations that repeatedly remain unfulfilled
Leaving us disillusioned at the next crossroad.
Remember, you are not choosing a person
You are choosing a mindset for the future.
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Watching change taking place in my lifetime makes me conclude that it doesn’t happen quickly. Seems like paradigm shifts are happening all around, demanding immediate changes in society. History shows us it may take awhile.
Ocean’s white head slams
Against solid rocks of time
Change happens slowly
White foam creates a big splash
Hard heads take time to erode
Photos: Dwight L. Roth
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
I used a repeated Tanka format for this poem.
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
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Photo: Dwight L. Roth
It pains my heart to see the way one policeman’s deadly action has reopened the door to division and strife that has been stewing for years in the United States. Peaceful protests are very much in order, but the violence of opportunistic looters and destructive vandalism in no way honors the memory of George Floyd. How can one call for respect when their actions show otherwise. The lack of wisdom and understanding in this situation is very disheartening!
Painting: Dwight L. Roth
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Lara at d’Verse asked us to choose a room to write about. Rooms almost always have doors to pass through, so this is the theme of my poem. This poem began this morning as I was trying to wake up! It also took me to a deeper meaning as I come into the winter of my life.
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Photo of my tree today: Dwight L. Roth
A follow up of the five-line Japanese poetry given to us yesterday on d’Verse Poets Pub. The form I am trying to do here is Kyoka! Today I lost the top half of my maple tree, so I could laugh or cry … or write a poem about it!! Inspiration can be found in all of life!
Kyoka is to the senryu what tanka is to the haiku. That is, Kyoka is a five-line form of parody poetry. While tanka savors the nature/human nature intersection with heart and pathos, kyoka explores just human nature, usually in as satirical a way as possible. Or, at the very least, in a self-deprecating way.
