Fourlinegraphia

  Deep in a green and whispering wood, Where bamboo bowed to rain, A black crow and his feathered love Lived far above the plain. Their trust was deep, their bond was pure, Until one dawn displayed- A golden-blue egg in his nest, Where morning mist was laid. High up upon a hidden branch, A clever cuckoo smiled; She left her egg for him to raise, To save her growing child. The crow returned and stared in shock, Unsure what he had seen; When suddenly a myna cried From out the shady green: “She brought a stranger to your home! She broke her vow today! I saw her wings before the dawn As softly she flew away!” Another bird repeated it, A third bird made it worse; By noon, a tiny whispered lie Had grown into a curse. The faithful bird returned at dusk, Her wings still wet with rain, To find her lover’s guarded heart Now filled with doubt and pain. “I did not do it,” softly came Her trembling, tearful cry. “My heart was ever true to you- Why must you say I lie?” But no one listened. One b...

  Where golden wheat fields meet the evening sky, And amber sunlight turns the world to gold, We walked together in the quiet light, While summer whispered stories left untold. The mountains stood beneath the painted clouds, A red barn rested as the day grew late, The old windmill turned slowly without sound, While peaceful shadows gathered at the gate. No words were spoken in the soft country air, For stillness held a truth we both could feel; The wheat bowed gently like a golden sea, And in your smile, the fleeting world stood still. A gentle breeze stirred through the endless grain, Tracing the path where side by side we strayed; The quiet road stretched outward to the hills, Beneath the sanctuary evening made. The last warm ray rested upon your face, And caught the quiet hope within your eyes; Between the grounding earth and fading day, We found a stillness under changing skies. Two wandering hearts found home within the breeze, A sudden grace no fleeting hour could rend; I loo...

  Falling autumn leaves upon a silent stream,   The old River bazaar dissolves into a dream.   The bullock wheels, like pulses, fade away;   The tea-shop doors close softly with the day.   *** Down by the river, dark and wide and deep,   The wooden longboats glide as though asleep.   Their measured oars keep time with water's rhyme,   And carry home the shadows of old time.   *** He sailed away beneath a summer sky,   With promises that lingered in her mind.   His words, like seeds, sank deep within her heart,   Then drifted with the boat as it would part.   *** The river took him gently from the shore,   His voice grew faint, then faded evermore.   She stood alone beside the wooden door,   And listened for the footsteps she adored.   *** At dusk she lights the lantern's golden eye;   It burns like one small star b...

  A shadow prances through the swirling dust, While quiet grace turns gently to the light; In trailing silks of memory and trust, I walk beyond the twilight of the night. The untamed spirit runs beside my stride, Bound to the wind that sweeps across the plain; Though silent shadows gather by my side, My noble form shall ever free remain. I carry dawn within my searching eyes, A hidden fire no darkness can subdue; Beneath the fading colors of the skies, I find a path where dreams may still come true. The roads behind are woven into scars, Each distant footstep echoing my name; I have learned to read the language of the stars, And turn the ashes of the past to flame. The wind may whisper stories of the years, Of love once lost and promises once sworn; I do not bow before the weight of tears, But wear my sorrow like a crown at morn. Across the fields where golden grasses sway, My footsteps leave no chains upon the ground; I follow neither fear nor yesterday, But listen for the freedom...

A sharp, unruly, twisted thing, That hides within its fleshly frame, It bends, it slips, it coils, it clings, And plays with truth as though a game. It crawls and curls behind the teeth, Then peeks beyond the roof of the mouth; It knows no bounds, no law beneath, No north, no south, no east, no south. A restless creature, quick and sly, It speaks before the mind can think; It lifts a mortal to the sky, Then pushes him beyond the brink. With flattering words it builds a throne, And raises one above the clouds; It carries pride to heights unknown, Then casts the same soul to the crowds. It praises, crowns, deceives, and charms, It makes a stranger seem a friend; Then turns its words to subtle harms, And watches broken ties descend. A blade more keen than tempered steel, It cuts through peace without a sound; It leaves a wound no time can heal, A scar no passage can confound. No sword is needed, none is drawn; One sentence can become a spear. A peaceful heart before the dawn Can wake to h...

I am the tempest, the force and the fire, The wild woman climbing higher and higher. You thought I was a breeze, that was swept by the rain But I learned how to uproot like the strongest trees. You threw me to shadows and locked me away, Hoping my spirit would weaken and decay. But every small spark of your anger and hate Became a bright flame as I rewrote my fate. From every deep wound, I gathered my flame, From every quiet silence, reclaimed my name. I forged wings of fire through darkness and rain, A mother of thunder breaking every chain. Behind my still silence, an ocean had grown, A depth of emotion I carried alone. Now thunder erupts from deep in my chest, Releasing the power I once suppressed. Stand back, old borders; fall, ancient stone! She has found the courage to stand on her own. I am not the shadow you wanted to see; I am the woman whose soul demanded to be free. But listen before you name me destruction and flame; There is more to my fury than anger or blame. I need open...