Poetry Challenge for July

The A and I Bilingual Poetry Challenge runs each month until October.

The prompt for July is:

Turn on the radio to any channel.

Write a poem inspired by the first thing you hear

(lyrics to a song, a commercial, etc.)

This is my contribution.

 

A Mother’s Lament

So innocent, and vital, that smiley young boy,

With giggles and laughs, so charmingly coy.

Growing so tall after you donned that uniform;

Jumping so eagerly at war, which the suited men had spawned.

At home here we hear of the deathly horror you’ve seen,

It seems like everything turned black, when you turned 19.

Half a man returned home; as your soul is still there.

Seeing you broken is more than a mother can bear.

Each day, the gulf between us slowly widening,

as you keep running from the shadows, there’s no denying.

No more giggles, no smiles and never a laugh;

I don’t understand why you avoid photographs.

You close down any talk, you’re consumed with hate,

War’s legacy sinks down on us all, like a lead plate.

But my clock’s running down as time’s marching on,

I  only hope for small reconciliations, before I’m long gone.

I see that smiley young face in the photo on the bureau,

realizing sadly, he’s a stranger, I once used to know.

Amanda – July 2018

For the Afrikaans version of the Poetry Challenge – Visit Ineke at   scrapydo2.wordpress.com

 

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Instructions for Joining the Poetry Challenge:–

Sign up by leaving a comment on this post, so we know you are interested.

Ineke and I will post a poetry prompt and writing tips and links, around 1st day of each month.

You might need to follow our blogs so that the posts show up in your WP reader.

• Using your own idea,  or the monthly prompt supplied, write a post with a poem, either fun or serious and post before the 27th day of that month.
• Include in your post a link or pingback to both:

  scrapydo2.wordpress.com

 Something to Ponder About – forestwoodfolkart.wordpress.com

• Please add the tag A and I Poetry Challenge on YOUR BLOG POST.
• As ping backs sometimes don’t work, please also leave a comment at Ineke’s blog, scrapydo2.wordpress.com and Amanda’s blog, Something to Ponder About, with the url link to YOUR blog post on the challenge post for that month.   N.B. If you do this, others can find their way to your challenge post and create a supportive community too.

• Include the Poetry Challenge badge in your post, if you so wish. (optional)