Persephone's Pets

For those of you who don't have the good fortune to live in an area that's being visited by Brood II of the 17 year cicadas, here are some pictures of recent visitors to our back yard. 

showing off his (her?) cool new wings

Cicadas emerge

Seventeen years underground

Reborn in the spring

Useless husks traded for wings

and a brief taste of the air

hatched cicada and empty cicada shells

Absolution

For this Sunday's prompt, mindlovemisery asks us to choose a song from the decade of our birth and then write a poem inspired by the song. I grew up listening to my parents' original Broadway recording of HAIR (1968) and always loved this song. As a child, I'm sure I didn't understand the meaning entirely, but it moved me nonetheless.

This is the 1979 version by Cheryl Barnes from the movie. I think it's even better than the original.

You brought home strays

Tended to their wounds

Helped them heal

and loved them all the more for biting you

You forgave your father

for hitting you

You forgave your mother

for not stopping him

You forgave your sister

for leaving

You forgave your friends

for being traitors

You took every hurt

and made it a medal

to pin on your heart

But you could never absolve me

from loving you.

submitted for mindlovemisery, Prompt 4, Music and
Poets United, Poetry Pantry 150 and
Imaginary Garden With Real Toads, Open Link Monday

Are You Listening To Me?

Old Couple, Togan Gokbakar

You said we wouldn’t have to wait long

for the train

I’ve been standing here so long,

a pigeon started building a nest in my hat!

The sign says not to smoke, you know,

but if you’re going to ignore it, I may as well too

Train travel is so romantic, you said

We’ll see the country, you said

All I see is pigeon dreck and dirt

I have to pee,

but if you think I’m going in that lady’s room, you’re crazy

It’s filthy and filled with drug addicts

I’ll probably catch a disease and die!

Oh, this was another of your great ideas

I wanted to take a lovely cruise, but

you always think you know everything

You’re more full of yourself than a Matryoshka doll!

Your ego is more swollen than our kitchen door when it rains!

Next time, remind me not to listen to you

Hey, you got a mint?

submitted for The Mag, Mag 168

Oy! sters

source

Oysters

Boogers in shells

Slimy wads of grey snot

Glistening gobs of gooey guck

Slippery slide down my throat makes me gag

Aphrodisiac my fat ass!

Some things I won't swallow

Squishy, salty

Oysters

submitted for Imaginary Garden With Real Toads, Sunday Mini Challenge, Rictameter