Five Words Thread

[aims]

compliant, reliant, folly, jolly, capitulate
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Self-reliant,
non-compliant,
not about to capitulate.
Perhaps it is folly,
but it feels so jolly,
not to knuckle under
to another's blunder
and instead follow my own souls
unerring identification of self
and to it be unfailingly true.
It is now,
just what I do!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
loud, arrogant, meak, creak, speak

[aims]

loud, arrogant, meek, creak, speak
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While the loud and arrogant speak
the meek creep with barely a creak
about their business irregardless.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
sensual, context, pliant, trance, ancient

[phantasm]

sensual, context, pliant, trance, ancient



Context is pliant
it's all in how you frame the world
and how you frame the world is what you've experienced in it
and what you experience is dependent on context

An ancient truth is on the prowl
it's hungry and it wants to devour our brains:
No matter the box you find yourself living your life in,
creativity and energy can soften the hard walls
even though it remains a box,
it can turn the box into something bigger and more interesting

A trance can alter your state of mind
You could find an alien living inside your chest
Or your inner child is still living in your head

Sensuality can open up your awareness.


reflect*turquoise*cosmic*housefly*sprite



(poor aims... I wasn't in the mood to do poetry for the last bunch of days... you still have playmates.)

[vulture]

I reflect...

If I were a housefly
it would be cosmic justice
were I to flit about and land
on the next meal of my haters
and void myself upon it...

Sweet though that justified action
might be a housefly experiences
an extremely short lifespan...

Instead, I choose to remain
a turquoise sprite
flit through the night
with sugar for the gas
tanks of my antagonists

~&~

wine*ravens*haven*corporeal*angst

[aims]

wine*ravens*haven*corporeal*angst
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The local watering hole. . .
haven for the corporeal
where the wine flows
and ravens roost
on the roof.
It's amazing,
the carefully cultivated,
as well as the naturally occurring,
atmosphere of youthful folly and artistic angst,
and the ravens on the roof. . .
quoth nothing,
nothing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
random, conniving, sear, fear, haunt

[phantasm]

random, conniving, sear, fear, haunt


Could the universe be haunted with souls?
Millions of planets could be harboring life right now
Is it random? Or is it conniving?
The truth is out there
as the X-Files music plays in the background
searing our minds with strange visions
What can stop us from going forth to find out?
Only our fears.


clipboard, sex scandal, wattage, mastodon, cashmere

[aims]

clipboard, sex scandal, wattage, mastodon, cashmere
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She is the stuff sex scandals are made of,
cashmere swagger
high wattage smile
that flickers brightly
between stern admonishments,
clipboard,
librarian glasses,
with a wooden pointer she pokes
and teases you
so commanding it pleases you,
but you,
you are a mastodon,
ancient,
and huge,
game over!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
wily, snicker, doodle, poodle, noodle

[phantasm]

wily, snicker, doodle, poodle, noodle



Would you doodle while you watched an asteroid hurtle into the Earth?
Would the thought fill you with dismay or mirth?
Would you walk your poodle in Central Park, or hunker down and wait for the end?

Wily fear-mongers post YouTube videos proclaiming, "I have it on good authority that
the next big one will come down in the North Atlantic Ocean this September!"

Oh yeah? How big? How massive? What kind of rock is it? At what angle will it enter the Earth's atmosphere?
Answer those questions, then I'll sit up and listen to you.

The devil snickers every time your heart leaps. Evil forces want us to be scared shitless.
Flip them the bird. Engage your brain. Use your noodle and think about the problem.
The world is awash with emotional manipulation. Don't surrender to -isms.


(Inspired by an actual YouTube video that I'd rather not link to, don't want people to fret over what might happen.)




moral, morsel, mortal, portal, hurtle

[aims]

moral, morsel, mortal, portal, hurtle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know it is not moral
but using foot to ass propulsion
I shall cause your mortal morsel
to hurtle through the portal
then laugh a hearty chortle
because I don't have to deal
with how you make me feel!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
lick, stick, wound, found, complicate

[phantasm]

lick, stick, wound, found, complicate


I found a passion and it complicates my life
Before I start, I dread it
After the fact, I lick my lips
Damn, what a pattern!
I'd rather go into the woods and wound my eye with a stick
than ever give it up.

Writing is the only life I can imagine for me.


housefly, CPR, tomorrow, pottery, taxes

[aims]

housefly! CPR! LO freakin L! this should be fun if no one beats me to it!!! but right now I got a show I want to see about to come on!!!

Phantasms words:


housefly, CPR, tomorrow, pottery, taxes

[phantasm]

you still want it, aims?

[aims]

been busy lately!!!

__________________________________________

housefly, CPR, tomorrow, pottery, taxes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow, tomorrow,
what shall I do?
Go shopping?
Visit a friend or two?
Do my taxes?
Send out some resume faxes?
Mold some pottery on the wheel?
Go to a flea market to look for a deal?
Do CPR on a dead housefly?
What shall I do, my oh my?!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
consume, collect, recall, swarthy, mild

[phantasm]

Bravo, aims!

He was swarthy; she was mild. He was a barbarian and she was civilized.
They were opposites, therefore they were identical in a counter-intuitive way--
that's why they clashed and fought all the time.
Every argument recalled consumed their lives
leaving no corner of their lives unscathed
by the ever-expanding void that burned their souls.

That's why they had to collect all their grievances
and bury them under a substance-less mound of forgetfulness.
Does (a) matter still exist when you choose to ignore it?



wraith, glib, evanescent, tender, knucklehead

[aims]

wraith, glib, evanescent, tender, knucklehead
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Such a tender heart
for such a knucklehead,
taken in
by glib promises
from an evanescent wraith.
Love used to be flesh
and blood
and bone
tangible and wearing a name.
Now,
only a ghost
a shadow in the mist
a dream on the threshold of waking
and affirmation of faith merely faking.
Truly
truly
truly
heartbreaking!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
needle, pin, begin, solitude, regrets

[phantasm]

needle, pin, begin, solitude, regrets

In solitude many look back on their lives, seeing only all their regrets.
I myself find myself nostalgic at times, longing for the past through watching TV shows I liked to watch
I look back and therefore wondering what I could've done better:
Steal dad's car and run away, make a scene in front of my mom at the mall,  or make more friends, or get a girlfriend, or choose different classes in high school.
Given a time machine, would I begin anew?
Tempting

Life would be easier, if only.......
No, it would be plain different, is all.
The past can be uncomfortable, like sitting on pins and needles

But only if you allow it to.


paprika, space shuttle, carpet, thinking, cannonball

[aims]

paprika, space shuttle, carpet, thinking, cannonball
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paprika is a spice
and well,
it's just so damn nice!
Spice is to paprika as
thinking is to space shuttle,
as,
carpet is to flying magic,
as,
cannonball is to pirate ship.
Just a little mental, abstract, obscure, dip!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
soliloquy, mull, skull, convoluted, miserly

[anirbas]

soliloquy, mull, skull, convoluted, miserly

convoluted this skull
where in I mull
the miserly conduct
of so many breathing
on this planet
that are so cotton
picking mean
you just want
to interrupt
your soliloquy
ranting and raving
about them
cross the line
and slap the living
stupid out of them
convoluted this skull
where in I mull
the miserly conduct
of so many breathing
on this planet

~*~

detonation*destination*abomination*aberration*bread

[phantasm]

detonation*destination*abomination*aberration*bread

The abomination of aberration:
That's what we're guilty of
in case you had difficulty figuring out what our deal was.
Society simply doesn't have structures to help people
get to a creative destination.
There's a wasteland of sulfur and 1000-degree heat
between us and the oasis of the blessed city of all-consuming creative work.
And we have to eat bread while we're on this side of the wasteland, after all,
so work disrupts our lives and keeps us from reliably doing our heart's desire.
There are structures I very much would love to detonate,
if only I knew where to aim the bazooka.


Enriched*fertile*eternal*depth*quick(in the sense of alive)

[aims]

Enriched*fertile*eternal*depth*quick(in the sense of alive)

Quick,
look Quick,
Enriched,
Fertile,
and as though the Eternal springs from your depths,
and perhaps,
just perhaps,
someone with the talent to immortalize you
will notice,
and do so. . .
and your memory will still lie
buried in the dirt of centuries,
perhaps to be discovered again,
perhaps not,
but likely to be unknown
by the universe as a macrocosm!
It doesn't really matter if you are remembered. . .
You Were
You Are, present on the long tapestry of eternity,
and in that spot,
You Matter!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
right, left, string, vacuum, dark

[anirbas]

~right, left, string, vacuum, dark~

in the sweet vacuum of the dark night
standing alone in the backyard
though none could see her
she first looked left
then right lifted
the instrument
to her shoulder
hit the e string
with an aggressive
down bow stroke
and off she went
into a tangent
of tangled notes
rilling and spilling
one over the other

at this auditory assault
floating on the hot summer breeze
the crickets did halt their cricketing
the locusts carried on
pretty as you please
in the crowns of the trees
and the dog next door
began to hooooooowL
thinking himself
a troubador

~sentinel*archaic*voluptuary*random*mace (either the spray kind or the medieval weapon, your choice)

[aims]

~sentinel*archaic*voluptuary*random*mace
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sentinel swings his virtual mace
and bashes in my virtual face
no,
no its not random
a technology/voluptuary tandem.
If only real violence
were as archaic
as this detached world duel is rampant.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
clamp, sleeve, connive, brash, crate

[phantasm]

clamp, sleeve, connive, brash, crate

They connive and plan with grand, elaborate schemes
They aren't brash like thugs
They're smart and they've gone underground
Until it suits them to come out in the light of day
They've got something up their sleeve, that's for sure
They know how to resist a clamp-down
There's just one problem: they're expecting a crate coming in as first class mail
It's massive and moving towards them like a snail

But when it gets here, it'll make a huge bang.


cockroaches, fire ants, snails, spider web, mandibles

[anirbas]

cockroaches, fire ants, snails, spider web, mandibles

~*~

The cockroaches and the fire ants
clacked their mandibles in appreciation
when the platter of free
escargot was laid before them

But, you can imagine the consternation of the snails
at this delicacy displayed before them at the dinner
of the Best Pests Association...It was bad
enough there was salt on the table!

But, this! Was an outrage! Sacrilege!
They'd not stand for this if they were able...
First, salt. Now escargot, their French cousins!

The snails fumed and slimed at the slight
with all their globular might
til the Queen of the BPA
joined them one slim
leg at a time
at the table.

Then promptly
attacked them all!
Cockroaches and fireants
never knew what hit them!
Postehaste, she wrapped
each attendee in arachnid silk
then tossed each one onto her
glittering spider web
for later consumption.

Appears when invited
to the Best Pests banquet
they were the entree
the sides and dessert!

Afterall, the Queen
only dines on the best...

Which is why she left the snails
to slink away leaving glittering
trails in their wake

She agreed with the snails.
They shouldn't be eaten.
Everyone knew snails
tasted like boiled
okra-slimy and gross!

~*~

indigent*furtive*defiant*succulent*entrancing

[phantasm]

indigent*furtive*defiant*succulent*entrancing

Entranced by the idea of ending it all,
writing the final word and being done with it,
Sucking on the succulent creation for the last ten years
like an eternal lollypop
Indigent that the project isn't done,
yet combing furtively over the details and the not-so-disposable major scenes.
Defiant, my own project stares back at me, asking,
"You are going to finish this, aren't you?"


plot*plan*unplanned*purpose*arc

[anirbas]

plot*plan*unplanned*purpose*arc

~*~

unplanned
a plot
blossomed
in the nether
reaches of my mind

then a plan with purpose
did arc across the chasm
of my convoluted thoughts

why, yes, I could do this!
disappear from the strum
and drang of everyday living,
fall off of "the grid"

so, I packed my valise
with all my coins
some bread and cheese
wine and dreams
of utter anonymity
then joined a carnival
as The Bearded Lady

~*~

extraordinary*contrary*elliptical*apocryphal*vial or vile, you choose

[phantasm]

extraordinary*contrary*elliptical*apocryphal*vile


Our lives keep going, same as always
Just like the planets, in a more or less elliptical orbit
around the star that's at the center of our lives--
Vile ordinariness that causes longing for excitement,
even if contrary to our local environs, we long to live stories,
not merely read them or watch them on TV.
We long to be extraordinary.

Our lives lie hidden beneath layers of work and obligations,
apocryphal rumors to anyone other than those within
our immediate social circle, creating the illusion of
irrelevance. A perverted mixture driven by social media and
tribal impulses built on the thinnest of abstractions: that "we" are better
than "they" are.

We keep going 'round and 'round our social circles like we always have,
like planets orbiting a star. How do we break the gravitational hold of habit?


dive*delve*splash*sink*choke

[aims]

dive*delve*splash*sink*choke
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, do delve!
did she dive
or did she choke
did she splash
did she sink
or disappear in a puff of smoke?!
Uncover the truth. . .
or let the unmanifested mystery linger.
let everyone wonder
or point the finger.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
enigmatic, plastic, dark, bubbling, rude

[phantasm]

enigmatic, plastic, dark, bubbling, rude


Plastic masks abound, showing the face the world expects:
Financial well-being as you go on a shopping spree.
It doesn't matter what the economy is really doing, as long as you and your kids
personally are well-off. You can run around thinking everything in the world
is effectively free for you and me. As if we all command similar sums of cash.
"Say what? You think I have more money than you do? How Rude!
You're just a country rube who doesn't know how to get to Stonewood Road from here."
Economic bubbling doesn't bother these people. Their plastic masks are impenetrable.

Beneath the mask is an enigmatic face
Some people don't even know their own reflection anymore without it
There is a darkness they don't know how to confront without running a race.

Who are you when you're not spending money?


mortgage*stock market*cash*obsession*rash

[anirbas]

obsession
to keep up
with "the Jones"
leads some people
into the rash decision
of putting a television
in every room of their home
with their hard earned cash

I guess while mortgages rise
they can watch the stock market crash
from the big screen telly situated
in their bathroom directly
across from the toilet

~*~

mordant*morbid*macabre*audacity*candelabra