The Silver Sword

Truth
you are a silver sword
with which to slay the dragons.
For though their heads are many
and I cannot take them all
we can share the cutting truth
will you hear its clarion call?

Truth
from all around the world
as women we have spoken. (And men too! And non-binary, but this is a poem!)
We'll cut through the serpent's lies
knowing each is but a token,
then we'll take the fight to the Wyrms of greed
and dance as each head falls.


A.J. Ponder

A slightly more traditional offering this week, even if it's still within a certain theme. Apologies for using every synonym for dragon - because of the different flavour each has. At least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Have a great week, and stay strong. And remember, as Thom Hartman says, #democracy is not a spectator sport.

There's a Star Man - Goodbye David Bowie

You have to hand it to Ziggy
he had those spiders,
what rock star doesn't?

But Major Tom
and his shirts,
there's nothing we could do

But dance,
dance the night away
whirled along
by the silver haired
silver tongued
fey
the one and only David Bowie  

You decided
what kind of magic spell to use
no one needed the crystal
the power was in you
to turn the world

If we can sparkle he may land tonight

So come on
let's dance,
dance the blues away

The moonlight a puddle of silver
reflecting
the angel
on the dance floor

A.J. Ponder

Goodbye David Bowie, ashes to funky, you were the lord of the dance floor, and greatly missed - although you work lives on....

Sad news, but an amazing life, and a legacy that will not be forgotten -
Ziggy Stardust,
A Space Oddity

and more songs are available on Bowies Official utube site https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialDavidBowie/videos

A.J. 
Author of Quest, Prophecy, Omens, Miss Lionheart and the Laboratory of Death, Wizard's Guide to Wellington, Attack of the Giant Bugs - a You Choose Science Adventure, and The Frankie Files

Find my stories and support my writing on ko-fi   And tell me which poems you'd like to see in my upcoming poetry book—2024

 

 

Articles of Faith: Part 3 Dancing Pirates

Articles of Faith: Part 3 Dancing Pirates

Harden up, and pay me my money down
jibe-ho, harden up to the wind
For there at the port, is a lass who is waiting
jibe-ho, harden up to the wind

it's a hard life,
and we can hard-tack it
it's a free life
so you can unpack it-

Say I can't understand
why you sing the sea ditties
you know that the ocean
will steal all your pretties-

If the pursers' hand's in the pot-
feel free to cut the man down

Harden up, and pay me my money down
jibe-ho, harden up to the wind
But there at the port, the Jollies are waiting
jibe-ho, tack away from the shore

yeah it's a free life,
and we can free-wheel it
it's a short life
and we can die dancing
you take the cutlass
and I'll take the claymore
with a sword in the gut
and at least we'll die free

Harden up, and pay me my money down
jibe-ho, harden up to the wind
For there at the port, is a noose that is waiting-
yeah it's a free life
as free as the rope hangs 
it's a good life
albeit a short one
it's a hard life,
and it's better than starving

jibe-ho, I'm not much for dancing,
but I'm hard now, harder than sin,
jibe-ho, we paid down our money
to dance on the head of a pin.

A.J.Ponder

Alright, as promised, Dancing Pirates.  I'm wondering if I should give a glossary...

 Everything you could possibly need to know about pirates, except a lot less.

Many pirate ships had a code of conduct, known as articles of agreement, often romanticised as the pirate code, harden up is turn toward the wind, sail closer to the wind, the phrase I'm really sad about not managing to shoehorn is is to splice the mainbrace which, surprisingly enough, is to issue the crew with a drink.  According to Mirriam Webster a jibe is: to change a vessel's course when sailing with the wind so that as the stern passes through the eye of the wind the boom swings to the opposite side, which explains why Jibe-ho is the warning that the boom is swinging across the centerline, when a ship is jibing (gybing).

I hope you  enjoyed the poem, and now, instead of the more traditional angels, I'll hope you'll ask the burning question - how many pirates can dance on the head of a pin?

have a great week!
A.J. 

P.S. Articles of Faith PArt 1 and 2 are here http://anafflictionofpoetry.blogspot.co.nz/2015/05/articles-of-faith-part-1-pirates-life.html 

Find my stories and support my writing on ko-fi 

And tell me which poems you'd like to see in my upcoming poetry book—2024? https://ko-fi.com/ajponder

 

Articles of Faith: Part 1: Pirate's life & Part 2: How Doth the Deinosuchus

Articles of Faith

Part 1: Pirate's life

Hey Jollies,
it's a pirate's life we wanted,
with ne'er enough rum
to splice the mainbrace,
although our articles
were a work of faith,
when the land
was ruled by golden sharks.

Hey Jollies
it's a pirates life we live,
with never enough rum
to splice the mainbrace,
as our articles,
are pitched,
and long broken,
against a tide of green


while we dance silent and
barefoot amongst the flotsam,

and the gaping jaws of monsters
bellowing loud enough to break the heart...

Part 2: How Doth the Deinosuchus

How doth the Deinosuchus
Improve his shiny tail
And poor the waters of denial
On every platinum scale

How sadly doth he sympathise
How neatly spreads his claws
And welcomes all the foolish in
With gently smiling jaws.

A.J. Ponder

More pirates next week. Dancing Pirates. I hope. The last part of Articles of Faith - which is about right, because it's an act of faith, given all I have right now are notes, despite having had this one on the back-burner for a while.

Moreover, I hope you enjoyed the reference to Charles Dodgson's work. I've always taken by How doth the Little Crocodile. So much so, I think it was the first poem I ever learned by heart. Although I suspect that the main consideration was the length, the warning of lurking danger in apparent beauty never gets old. Watch out little fish, and have a good week!

A.J. 

P.S. Articles of Faith Part 3 is here at http://anafflictionofpoetry.blogspot.co.nz/2015/05/articles-of-faith-part-3-dancing-pirates.html

Tuesday Poem: Dance of the Tarantella by A.J. Ponder

Dance of the Tarantella

I told you
I have nothing to bring to this party
and still you dance to my tune

capering, clapping, cavorting...

my invitation was the smallest thing,
one might
presuppose
There is no hope
other than the whirl of
your colours in the night


only darkness
soft and yielding

as the world tumbles by 
and other dancers call,
slapping their hands
in a denial of the truth

warm and welcoming,
dangerous jewels on velvet

let me hide quiet in the shadows
for truth is silent,
my bite is less deadly than thine


A poem :)
check out more on tuesdaypoem.blogspot.com/

Snow White

There is a god

not The God

but worshipped

nonetheless

"...as we bow low

and break our brittle bones

and grind them with our bread

let us give thanks

"As we walk across the sand

as we crawl over the mountain

as we eviscerate the sacrificial lambs

let us give thanks

"As we flagellate our bodies

and fill our minds with sweet opiates

and forgetfulness

let us give thanks..."

Yes, there is a god

wealthy beyond compare

powerful beyond knowing-

so bow

and scrape

and worship

and shun the unbelievers

for your god is mightier than mine

a physical presence

a rod, a cage, a red hot poker

no son, but a soft white daughter

to feed your intoxicated soul

I must be the evil queen

to hate her so,

let me pick up the burning slippers

and dance.

A. J. Ponder 

 All right - was going through a hundred and one poems to try and find some work on Eastbourne - there's surprisingly little in my collection - mostly just the beach poems or complaining that I'm too busy for the beach.  It's quite sad really.   So is the fact that I have a fairy tale portal and still don't have all my fairy tale poems up.  Not that this is so much your traditional Grimm's version, but a little sidestep away from the traditional poison apple.  Think of it, if you will, as a rail against the worship of the artificial prettiness so prevalent in modern tales, after all that is as true as anything else.

...BTW this is my hundredth post.  I'm now an old hand with over 13,000 views, .  It must be almost time for a break :)  My most popular poem is still "Sex Sells" - which does rather prove the aphorism I guess.  Also I'm rather pleased the rather traditional "Stolen Time" has hit the top ten.  I'm hoping this means that others also like the rather deadly romance of fairy-tale poetry, where dancing is not always the harmless occupation one might think - and even songs and sight are dangerous...

A.J. Ponder 

 A.J. Ponder's work is available through Rona Gallery, Amazon, and good Wellington bookstores

Dancing with the Devil to the tune of Lord of the Dance.

If this poem/song stops in a strange place - you're not seeing all of it, just click on the title. 

I ran to the devil

And the devil did sing

Take this pen

Sign 
On the dotted line

So I took that pen

And I signed my name

Now nothing will ever be the same

I asked for peace

And he gave me blood

For the dead don't fight

And they do not hold a grudge.

I asked for money

And I asked for fame

Now I don't want either

I've lost far more than I gained

I ran to the devil

and the devil did sing

take this pen and this parchment fine

and sign in blood on the dotted line

So I took that pen

And I signed my name

Now nothing will ever be the same

I asked for jewels

And he gave me those

But in the land where he dug them

Nothing ever grows

I asked for appliances

More than my share

Now my house is flooded

I can hardly breathe the air

So I ran to the devil

and the devil did sing

take this pen and this parchment fine

sign your name in blood right here

So I took that pen

And crossed out my name

Surely this time
Things wont be the same

Don't play with the devil

He doesn't care enough

Take your soul

And invest in other stuff

Don't sign your name

On the dotted line

For dancing with the devil

It will get you every time

Don't sing to the devil

With the devil don't dance

Take your soul

While you still have the chance

Don't sign your name

On that dotted line

For dancing with the devil

It will get you every time

Yes, dancing with the devil

will get you every time.

A.J. Ponder

Alright so it's not a "real" poem this week, just a bit of fun.  I haven't actually tried it with the music yet.  Must have a go sometime to see how close it is. :)

For more poems, why don't you check out the Tuesday Blog?  There's always a poem up for the week, and some fantastic award winning poets on the side bar to check out.

Have a great week.  
A.J. Ponder

A.J. Ponder's work is available through Rona Gallery, Amazon, and good Wellington bookstores

Dancer

Dancer

Once there was a dancing girl

She ran among the beggars, oh.

Sang among the beggars, oh.

And danced on the street

Some would throw her coins, oh.

Some would throw her silver, oh.

Some would watch the coins

As they scattered at her feet

She danced among the coins, oh.

Spinning to the jingling, oh.

And jangling

At her feet.

Beggars threw their kisses, oh.

Ladies threw their glances, oh.

But suitors threw their hearts, oh.

And laid them at her feet.

Yet she cared nought for suitors, oh.

Never heard their sighs, oh.

Didn’t see the hearts,

That lay trampled on the street.

Don’t cry for the girl, oh.

The suitors as they sigh, oh.

The rags as they fly, oh.

Just listen to the song as they dance on down the street.

A..J. Ponder

Ok so it's Valentines day, or so close to it you're still sneezing from the flower pollen, so here it is - probably my most romantic poem :) 

Originally it was a shape poem - I've  focussed more on the sound since then - but you can still just see the slim waist and a skirt that flies out as the girl spins around with abandon as she dances.  

P.S. I found it particularly hard to find a decent uncopyrighted picture of dancing feet that looked right, and not all pigeon toed or ballet dancery - and then I tried to find a dancer that looked even vaguely right without infringing copyright and had to give up - but I did find this lovely painting of Cherie Knott's, and I know she won't mind that I'm using it.

A..J. Ponder 

 

PS this poem has been updated. It was never meant to be insensitive, but more a love of dancing for dancing's sake.