My Path - a Metaphorical Poem {??} for Sunday Muse

Surreal Image by Robert Jahn

I walk a narrow road 

more narrow than 

the width of my foot 

It has no curbs 

nor a fence 

and 

not a shoulder at all

No intersections 

except 

for one 

One for the 

light beam walkers and 

most of them can fly 

Fly as the June bug 

the one who 

flies to its death 

trying 

trying to get to the light 

For the light I have no desire 

that path I'll not try 

My desire is to make it 

make it to the other side 

In one piece if I may 

falls are hard and 

there's no one 

to help 

Some never make it up 

their lifeless bodies 

waiting for the hearse 

Others give it up 

they're tired of trying 

so they too 

wait for the hearse 

The hearses go 

in two directions, 

up 

and 

down 

Like an elevator where 

gravity 

pulls it down 

The desirable path 

for us is 

straight across 

Straight and narrow 

is the path to take, 

leave it not 

Left or right 

those ways lead quickly 

quickly lead to 

Down

_ _ _ 

I am linked with Carrie at the Sunday Muse #237 

https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2022/11/sunday-muse-237.html?m=1 

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The Cat - a Prose Poem for Friday Writings

    Toxic Love*

Click photo for a larger view

I brought my cat home; he loved me at sight.  I was carrying a piece of fried chicken and gave him a hunk.  He ate.  He crawled into my lap, purring like he was my loving boy slave.   

That was nice but not, he wanted to sleep with me that very first night.  I put his bed on the floor and told him that was his bed.  

Wasn't long, the first program of "Murder She Wrote" was still playing when he jumped in bed with me.  I couldn't make him leave without making a big fuss.

Oops, we can't be doing this, tomorrow will be different.  

Next I knew he had wiggled his way under the sheet to be closer to me.  Purring a bit, he soon went to sleep.  That was good.  "Good dreams," I thought. 

About two o'clock, I felt an itch, a BIG ITCH.  I scratched it a little, it felt wet.  Blood was coming from my leg.  There was a scratch, "I must cut my fingernails closer".  After some suave and a band aide I went back to sleep.  

An hour later I scream.  The Cat was biting my nose.  Auch.  My nose was bleeding, and hurt, not just an itch.  I whacked The Cat and he went running.  I went after him but couldn't find, he was hiding someplace in the house. 

After that night, I closed my bedroom door, his bed was in the living room by the couch.  One night he woke me up, biting really hard again.  I chased him away and doctored my bod.  I am sure he had been hiding under the bed.

  

He's bolder now, thinks he should rule.  When I pass, he paws my leg.  And when I sit, he crawls onto my lap and purrs.  Some days though, he'll scratch or bite, bites me all over, he likes open skin.

I can't give him away; I love him too much.  I'd like for him to behave and even be back with me at night but seems he is a slow learner about how to be a welcome roommate. 

Now, nobody wants him.  I'm stuck. 

 _ _ _ _ 

 - Magaly has invited us to write (either a poem or a piece of prose) about "Toxic Love". [I wrote 359 Words, limit was 360.  I call it prose.]

 - Photo and Poem Copyright, Jimmiehov 2022, All Rights Reserved. 

 - The cat in the picture belongs to my daughter.  He does sleep with her and he will bite her while she is sleeping.  But the cat here is a metaphor (??) of sorts, I didn't write about my daughter.  I want the poem to stand alone, think cat or guy, it matters to me not.  Just enjoy.

 - I am linked with Magaly at The Friday Writings #43, at 

  https://poetsandstorytellersunited.blogspot.com/search/label/poetry%20prompts

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*Note: 

"In a toxic relationship, you might consistently feel drained or unhappy after spending time with your partner, according to relationship therapist Jor-El Caraballo, which can suggest that some things need to change.

"Maybe the relationship no longer feels at all enjoyable, though you still love your partner. For some reason, you always seem to rub each other the wrong way or can’t seem to stop arguing over minor issues. You might even dread the thought of seeing them, instead of looking forward to it as you did in the past.. ."  There's more, read here what the signs are for this strange critter (really not an oxymoron even if it does sound like one). 

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Our Days - a Poem with an Aphorism - Meet the Bar, dVerse

 

    Click on picture for larger sized viewing

  The Clock Ticks 

I'm facing the wall 

No turning around 

When I last saw him 

He was eight feet tall 

Bang. His gun went off 

I fell to the floor 

Down with a big thud 

My day is over 

When I awakened 

There's no blood no pain 

Why wasn't I dead 

Best wake and repent 

The clock is ticking 

and our days aren't long 

 _ _ _ 

 - Photo and Poem Copyright, Jimmiehov 2022, All Rights Reserved 

 - I am linked with Björn Rudberg (brudberg) in dVerse for Meet the Bar with Aphorisms, at  

https://dversepoets.com/2022/09/08/meet-the-bar-with-aphorisms/  

 - Is there a growing old?  The final two lines make my aphorism. 

 - Click Here to visit the others writing Aphorisms this week

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Sunday Muse - Will I open?

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    The door is locked  

I have the key the door is locked 

You can't come in without the word 

Your magic word I'll turn the key 

Works better than cupid's arrow 

You know the word don't say in vain 

Please, want it seriously said 

When I know you really mean it 

I'll turn my key, open the door 

Door to my heart and shoot your dart 

Let Cupid's Arrow sting my heart 

    

      "Cupid's Arrow" Artwork by Jimmiehov 2021

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 - Poem and bottom Photo Copyright, Jimmiehov 2021, All Rights Reserved  

 - Photo Prompt furnished by Carrie at The Sunday Muse #187  , http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2021/11/sunday-muse-187.html?m=1 

 - The heart and arrow drawing in  the "Cupid's Arrow" is on a picture of a piece of paper that I have been carrying in my Bible almost ever since we were married, 48+ years ago.

 - A song similar to my ditty:  

    Bob Dylan - "Is Your Love in Vain?" (Official Audio)  

Official audio for "Is Your Love in Vain?" by Bob Dylan Listen to Bob Dylan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWlM790UJLk

 Lyrics (sing along?) --

    Is Your Love in Vain?

Do you love me 

Or are you just extending good will? 

Do you need me half as bad as you say 

Or are you just feeling guilt? 

I've been burned before and I know the score 

So you won't hear me complain 

Will I be able to count on you 

Or is your love in vain? 

Are you so fast that you cannot see 

That I must have solitude? 

When I am in the darkness 

Why must you intrude? 

Do you know my world, do you know my kind 

Or must I explain? 

Will you let me be myself 

Or is your love in vain? 

Well, I've been to the mountain and I've been in the wind 

I've been in and out of happiness 

I have dined with kings, I've been offered wings 

And I've never been too impressed 

All right, I'll take a chance 

I will fall in love with you 

If I'm a fool you can have the night 

You can have the morning too 

Can you cook and sew, make flowers grow 

Do you understand my pain? 

Are you willing to risk it all 

Or is your love in vain? 

Can you cook and sew, make flowers grow 

Do you understand my pain? 

Are you willing to risk it all 

Or is your love in vain? 

Thank you 

Source: Musixmatch 

Songwriters: Robert Dylan Is Your Love in Vain? 

lyrics © Universal Tunes 

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Friday Writings - an Allegorical Poem

    "Don't judge a book by its cover"** 

 

book with a face that tells a lie 

must examine to its fullest 

horse's mouth look him in the teeth 

is it a book of fiction tales 

book of fables, nursery rhymes 

beauty lies in deceit and smiles 

delights we like breaking the rules 

those bad pennies come back to haunt 

battle scared covers bled for naught?

listen to your heart, it's your call 

         (and a Senryū)*** 

Book of the Dead 

Truth behind the lie 

The secret of me and you 

Shakespeare for the squirrels 

(My book runneth over) 

Two hunters sitting 

  in a duck blind:  

 "M.R. Ducks." 

 "M.R. Not Ducks." 

 "O.S.A.R. C.M. Wangs?"   

 "L.I.B! M.R. Ducks."  

I fail to see any value whatsoever about the above conversation which has gone ballistic years ago and still lives. [a Joke or a Poem, google doesn't know either (URL)]

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 - Poem and Photo Copyright, Jimmiehov 2021, All Rights Reserved

 - I am linked with Rosemary for the prompt described below on the Friday Writings website,   https://poetsandstorytellersunited.blogspot.com/search/label/Friday%20Writings 

 - Rosemary has invited us to "reinterpret a well-known saying."  I picked this one from a googled list, "Don't judge a book by its cover.  You can visit her instructions by going to the link above, also you can visit others who have posted their writings and recorded them at the bottom of her post. 

 - Notes:

    ** My answer to Rosemary's request was "Don't judge a book by its cover" which saying is my writing's title.

     *** The final Senryū I composed at our public library as a "Spine Poem" using the titles of four books found on their bindings spines.  I have not read any of them although I am thinking about checking the bottom book out to read.  

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A Poem for 'Wordy Weekend'

There's water in my glass
A tall clear glass brim full
The water's clear as well
But not clear yesterday

There's water in my glass
Yesterday the pipe leaked 
The water was rusty 
and tasted bad not fit

Not fit for pigs to drink 
Today all was okay 
What about tomorrow 
No one knows our next day 

It might be fine again 
Broken pipe the worst case 
Treat the rust as warning 
No water is the end 
 _ _ _ 

 - Poem Copyright,  Jimmiehov 2019
 - I am linked with Sherry Blue Sky at http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com/2019/08/wordy-weekend-mini-challege-messages-in.html?m=1

 - I have 77 words based on the one word theme/prompt, "water".

 - Note:  This is only an allegory  your pick of what it be for.  For sure in real life actual water absence we have alternatives.  Call a plumber or buy bottled water for fixes.  I could have carried things further but here I wanted the lack of to be final.

 - Also, today in the U.S. is National Fajita Day.  I heard a weak, really horrid, Fajita joke.  If you have heard a better one you could leave it in comment.  Google might help us?