This week, we use prompt superpowers to summon a quote from mike Maher.: “And sometimes I wear a cape.” Wouldn’t we all love to have a superhero cape in our closet, for use whenever we had the need? Where would your energy be funneled if you indeed wore a cape? Head for the nearest telephone booth, don your cape, and meet us here with your super poem.
MARIE ELENA’S STAB:
A WOMAN’S PREROGATIVE
Once in the super hero store,
I chose a cape and tights (size 4).
The clerk was rude
She did allude
To my being obese.
She asked how I will use
These powers that I choose
Said I, on cue,
“To squeeze in to
These tights. And for world peace.”
MY WALTER EGO:
LOVE IS MY KRYPTONITE
Love weakens my knees,
and my head gets light,
those bullets won’t bounce
in a raucous knife fight,
My tights get torn
and I can’t seem to fly
when the love bug strikes
I’m just a regular guy.
My x-ray eyes blur and
I just can’t see a thing
thanks to this
romantic fling.
I guess I’ll remain just a “paper” boy,
you’ve hit me with love…a dirty ploy!
POETIC BLOOMINGS 
Responses
I love the both of these – a great laugh to start my day, thank you.
Me too, Viv!
Chuckling my way to sleep…
If I had the power:
a power to choose,
I’d start out with opting
for power to lose.
But if that’s way to much
I’d be pleased
to be rid of the racket
made by my knees
What else do you want to lose, Barbara? I’m with you about losing the creaking!
Oh, about 80-90 pounds
Oy, I lost 50 pounds and they STILL squeak like the Tin Man! Loved this! Amy
Hee, hee.
Oh, this made me smile!! Chuckling with you!
I’d like to join this club of superpower users. I could use these wishes answered, too. Good one, b y..
YES…the power to lose those creaks would be wonderful.
Why…I could leap tall thresholds with a single bound!
Loved this, b.y.
Some limericks, serious and silly
What skill would I don with my cloak?
The will to stop wars at a stroke,
to make them stop fighting
by the power of my writing,
convert conflict to love is my hope.
*
What power would I wear with my cape?
it might be the art of escape
from imminent danger
of menacing stranger,
thus avoiding the dire fate of rape.
*
Hooray for my beautiful cape –
and its power to disguise ugly shape,
dispense instant glamour
in miraculous manner,
transform with its elegant drape
Wonderful, Viv; loved the variety!
All three of these hold such magical messages each, very nice way to start my day…thank you, Viv!
Well done, Viv. Enjoyed all three.
Viv, These are wonderful!
Viv, great wonderings! Loved the variety too…the rambling thoughts on superhero-ness.
UHH, WONDER WOMAN, I COULD USE A LITTLE HELP HERE!
I have read the books
the poems, prose; all the Lit.
Now, I need to WRITE!
You’re doing OK without help! Love the senryu.
Viv, I send you a big virtual HUG!!! Thank you, Hen
Love it. So very true.
Thanks, Claudsy! Hen
Good morning ladies! Off to a great start!
Marie Elena
~REAL SUPERPOWERS~
Oh, fairy-tale
fantastical,
cape of many
colors,
mantle of
magical powers.
Oh, rogue
that I should
charm you with
my robe,
shame you
with my shawl,
wrong you
with my wrap.
Oh, enchanted,
embers of
Christ-lit thread;
interwoven
in my cloak
of many colors.
Oh, humble
may I be
so that all
who look upon
may see,
beloved
be captivated,
by Your shining
presence,
rather
than by me.
© H.G.@P.B. 4/1/12
Happy April Fools Day everyone!!!
Marie and Walt!! I so look forward to Sundays and both of your words, my world made brighter for having been here. Thank you!
Hee, hee, maybe that’s why my comments did not post yet. Hen
Ha! I was wondering where the senryu that Viv spoke of was. I look forward to reading it!
Sorry, Hannah, I don’t even Know what a Senryu IS just yet… 🙂
I do believe that this is the only garden that I will ever play in. :)! Hen
:)!! It is a soul-feeding garden, Hen, isn’t it?!
Oh, so Yes, Hannah!!! As the highly-sensitive-person that I am, no other place feels quite like it to me… :)!!!
Oh, Hannah … your poem touches me greatly. Amazing, beautiful, truth looked upon in a totally different way than I have ever seen.
Wow, wow, wow…
Marie Elena
My heart rejoices in the knowledge that He’s happy right now,too! Can you feel Him smiling? I can, too! Love ya, Marie! ❤
And I wanted to add, to clarify, not just happy with me, a collective joy in all of us. I think poetry makes Him smile. 🙂
This puts super-power in its rightful place. Lovely.
Oh, Viv! Thank you!
Hannah, THAT’S IT!!! Loved, loved, loved this!!! Hen
You’re so sweet, Hen!! Thank you!
So are you, Hannah!!! :)!!!
Thank you! 🙂
🙂 ! 🙂 !
Hannah, This is beautiful and deeply touches my soul! LOVED IT!!
Such a heart-warming comment, Shelly, so appreciative! 🙂
I commented on your website, Hannah, but will reiterate. I love this prayerful poem. I also fully agree with the other comments here.
Thank you, so much, Clauds, so kind of you!!
Hannah, I have a confession, I NEVER (well, almost never) 😉 read until I’ve written because, well, OKAY, I’m very easily intimidated. Words like this, Hannah, they come from that Super-power!This is the best thing I have read in a long time! God bless you and may you keep shining!
I’m in the same boat with you, Janet and in addition to the reasoning, I like to make sure my words aren’t swayed in any direction from what I’m, “supposed to be writing.
It is so hard to scroll past beauteous words though! A big reason why I get here early…Lol and big smiles!
I’m so grateful for this super generous comment, so very kind. 🙂 Big blessings all @!
🙂 You’re welcome. This week every poem here is fantastic, don’t you agree?
Love this! Beautiful, Hannah…we limit ourselves in our normal everyday self-perception, when we should recognize our Hero’s superpower to shine in us.
Such a perfect way to state it, SevenASky!! Takes away the feeling of falling short I think…So thankful for your thoughts! 🙂
PB: I left two comments that did not post. Do you see them anywhere on your end? Hen
Hi Hen! Nothing is showing up in the spam filter, so I’m not certain what might have happened to your comments. I’m sorry you are having trouble. If anything pops up, we’ll be sure to post it for you.
Oh, that’s okay; these things happen. Thank you for checking. 🙂 Hen
Cape-less Superhero
Little girl falls,
her weepy voice calls
her cape-less superhero.
Quickly he flies,
to answer her cries-
her cape-less superhero.
When she was born
his heart had been torn,
could he be her superhero?
Daddy’s the name
but to this little dame
the cape-less superhero.
Laughter and tears,
through all of her years,
Daddy, her superhero.
This is so very sweet, Shelly, so many that could relate to this. Beautifully written!
Absolutely, Dads don’t need capes.
Wonderful thoughts and words of truth!
I love this one, Shelly. Great job.
Sniffle and tears! This is so beautiful!
Shelly, a lovely tribute to your dad! Thanks, Amy
Aw, this is so sweet.
Tears in my eyes too…you got me in the heart, Hannah!
[…] @ Poetic Bloomings today, for a “Super-Hero,” Prompt. Rate this: Please feel free to […]
Lovely, Hannah.
Thank you!! 🙂
Okay, so here I go again…hope that is okay (to post again). If I could choose to be a superhero…here is what I would choose:
With or without a cape
the superhero role she chose
was motherhood.
To the son moaning scraped knee and loose tooth,
Superpower healing is in mama’s kiss.
To the daughter weeping first lost love,
Superpower comfort is in mama’s hug.
To the boy whose bullied and beaten at school,
Superpower protection is in mama’s arms.
To the girl rejected and made fun of by friends,
Superpower encouragement is in mama’s embrace.
To all of her children longing to be cherished and adored,
Superpower acceptance is in mama’s love.
To the little ones seeking to know so much more,
Superpower wisdom mama gets from above.
For all of the cape’s she’s worn through the years,
her most super powers came (and were needed)
when she chose motherhood.
Oh, such sweetness…. and precisely written!!! Loved this!!! :)!
Really nice, Shelly.
Amen. Standing ‘O’!
In tears….this is so very special, Shelly.
Well written, lovely pictures of the greatest superhero in the world!
Jihad
I am saving the world,
one starfish at a time,
and one flower, one tree, one human,
each precious to its kind.
I am saving the world,
transforming it with love,
with right action, too,
not white magic from above.
I am saving the world,
but it’ll take a miracle, they say.
Well, then, we’d best get started,
can’t think of a better day
Wonderful!!!
thank you for liking it
Great sentiments about saving the world, Daniel.
Perfect! There IS no time like the present. Let’s be a hero today!
one starfish at a time,
and one flower, one tree, one human,
each precious to its kind.
So very precious…each and saving with love, such a beautiful sentiment, Daniel.
oh, Hannah, I could get addicted to your kind messages…Ely feels the same way, too…you words are pure elixir
This just warms my heart, Daniel! Its a blessing to bless and vice versa, a continuous cycle. 🙂 Thank you!
Excellent thoughts, well phrased, Daniel.
I’m pleased to be writing with and for others who are also transforming the world with love
Love the direct and straightforward no-nonsense hero-ing.
Funny Hero
If I could save the world a bit
I’d dish out fun and lots of wit
for in my mind, I wear a cape
of laughs in varied size and shape.
I think if leaders of earth’s sphere
could learn to chortle (not Bronx cheer)
it would provide a great escape
with laughs in varied size and shape.
Because we all should take a page
from slapstick: that’s how to engage.
Instead of hanging up the crepe
use laughs in varied size and shape.
But I’m no hero. That’s quite clear.
No magic cape; no brave veneer.
I only make the gentle jape
with laughs in varied size and shape.
###
just what the world needs – a smile
I love it. I believe that those who help us see the humor in our human condition are indeed superheroes. You included.
Yes! Laugh on!!!
Oh, excellent one, RJ.
RJ, I disagree. With words like this you ARE a hero! for surely we will all smile ‘with laughs in varied size and shape.’ I love this poem immensely!
And you’re living that out, RJ, you’re always bringing out the smiles in us! Thank you!
Randi, you are a hero of mine. Your knack for finding the fun in everyday life is amazing. Cynical old me has a hard time finding that sometimes…! Love, Amy
RJ, laughing is medicine, humor is balm. The powers we all have at our disposal if we can learn to laugh at ourselves! Great poem.
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SUPER POWERS
(a shadorma)
within you
lies a super strength
to face all
life throws you;
my Super Power would be:
to help you see it
2012-04-01
P. Wanken
You just did. How powerful you truly are!
Oh, thanks for the reminder! :)!
Brava, Paula!
Lovely!
What a great super power!
Such a wise power to choose, Paula. So good!
No one could ask for anything better.
X-ray vision at it’s best…great Paula.
If I Had a Super Cape
Hey, if I had a super cape
Like a bird, I’d be free
I’d sail away to Mozambique
And I’d be home by tea
I’d stomp grand grapes in Sicily
I’d see the Louvre in France
I’d twirl with whirling dervishes
And with “where’s Matt” I’d dance
But with a cape I couldn’t go
One moment back in time
To dine with lords and ladies fair
in castles on the Rhine
Neither could I see future worlds
Or meet strange aliens
Or skip along with Dorothy
And greet her three odd friends
I couldn’t eat cheese with Heidi
Meet Fagin and his crooks
And so forget the super cape
I’d rather have my books
Bravo! So funny, cute and clever! And now, I am going to return to my book!
LOL! You are sooo right! Delightful!
Connie, you have a great grasp of things here. I like your way of thinking.
What a Super-take on this prompt…all I can say is ME Too!
Oh bother, wrong sail/sale. And thanks, all.
I love this. I felt like I was flying with you the entire way and now I am ready to settle down with a good book.
I’m agreeing with, slockard here, such a wonderful journey, Connie.
I’m piggy-backing on to this one, Hannah.
LOVE it! So true–stories and tales and books — and poems — are our avenues to super realms.
Kampfen Mit Ubermensch
Had I not met her first
it is quite certain
that I would not have met you.
The causality cannot be overcome.
Yet this freshly woken love
found slumbering in a vast interior
has sinuated its way atop the primeval summit.
When it breathes and eats
and reveals its salacious fangs,
some lesser ordinal of you is consumed.
At six in the evening
the beast is noosed and led
back down to its familiar garden.
She is waiting,
as she always has—
a tamer of dreams and souls.
Oh, I’m not complaining.
I understand the relationship
between the principles,
and in this I do quite well.
Yet if I had not met her first
is it absolutely certain
that I would not have met you?
And if you should fully fall victim
to my genuine and impious desires
and know more of me than
just the cupid design of my mouth
could the incessant chain
of this reality be destroyed
and could we still be such precious beings
living like spineless fools
beyond the vision of God?
A hint of darker motives here. It sort of goes in line with my PA posting today.
A Sigh of Sound
Susurration slides past those unintended,
Targeting sweet young ears with soft meaning,
Teasing, taunting, telling of bliss to come.
Whispers waft on a tongue’s breeze, seeking
Vulnerable minds to influence with knowledge
Untrue, compelling a change of heart with power.
Soon his soft whispers would secure those within reach,
Taking control where none was needed, rousing
Testaments to his wisdom, while groveling for pats.
Whispers waft on a tongue’s breeze, seeking
Power from those without special gifts or
An invisibility cloak to shield one’s presence from view.
Beautiful alliteration and word pairing, Clauds!! Nice one!
Thank you, Hannah. I really can’t explain why I’ve been thinking on the dark side the past few days. I wonder if I should worry.
Nah…I get that way every once in awhile. I think it’s perfectly normal, Clauds. 🙂
Thanks!
I like it!
Welcome to Poetic Bloomings, Richard! What a fantastic start you are off to! We hope to see more of your work. Be sure to check out our menu at the top of the page, as we offer far more than our weekly Sunday prompts.
I started off declaring a favorite, but there are many favorite blooms in this garden today! WOW!
Richard, I’ve read this a few times. Wonderful, wonderful. A fav, for sure!
Thank you, Janet. I’m sure you recognize this poem is based on Nietzsche’s concept of the super human who is firmly grounded in this world and the tension that is created with the spiritual being who lives in a world beyond this one. Truthfully though, this was really inspired by the first season of True Blood. Go figure. Thanks again, Janet.
and know more of me than
just the cupid design of my mouth
I really loved these lines!! The whole poem had me riveted, great writing!
Loved these lines…
“Yet this freshly woken love
found slumbering in a vast interior
has sinuated its way atop the primeval summit.”
Welcome, Richard
The Powers That Be
No cape.
(She tripped on it once
and that was the end of that.)
She’s got
the bionic ear
and the six-million dollar arm
and the super sight
(with some villain-blasting lasers
thrown in for good measure).
She can run very very fast
in slow motion
(you have to make your own
ch-ch-ch-ch sound, though.)
She’s got all the gadgets.
The bracelets and the lasso,
and all of Batman’s finest
(Mr. Wayne had an EverythingMustGo!
garage sale after the Joker died.) Robin made
off with the Batmobile, sans one wheel,
but she was able to pick up the rest for a song.
She hasn’t gotten angry lately,
so who knows if anybody likes her or not.
There is no kryptonite. She’s tried
everything, but it seems she truly
is invincible. So far.
Mama always said
to use her super powers for good
but she’s still not really sure what
that means, so she just sort of wanders
the streets, waiting for a sign, or for Sweet
Polly Purebred to call, or for the bad guys to
actually be wearing black hats, or evil lab coats
or for someone to make pithy, snide statements out
from under an impossibly long handlebar mustache.
So far, her spidey senses tell her
that all is quiet on the western front.
And she, in this ridiculous chartreuse suit
with the ability to fly.
Batteries not included.
Wow! You did an entire novel in a poem. This is awesome!
Yes, I so agree! You just have this AMAZING ability to capture life, De– Love this! :)!
This was fun. Truly enjoyable.
De, I especially loved the Snidely Whiplash reference, if that is indeed who you meant by the moustache! This sounds like my mom, mysteriously enough. She was a stitch. Love, Amy
DE, 🙂 Brilliant! How do you do it?!
AHHHH…I LOVE THIS!!! My cheeks and smiler hurt, De!!! 😉
How much are the batteries?
Yes…a woman’s story in a poem. Loved the completeness of this…
HERIOIC
I’d like to fly .I’d like to soar.
But some things matter even more.
I want to be the one admired
And recognized while finely attired.
I’d love the glory and high acclaim:
For everyone to know my name!
A lottery winner! A superstar!
A rapper in a fancy car.
Someone known by a single name—
Unlimited money and massive fame.
Is that what makes a person great?
I thought so, but my heart said, “Wait!”
Is this what determines a person’s worth—
A talent or accident of birth?
No. Heroism is so much more.
Its what is at a person’s core.
No need for cape, money, or glory.
A hero has a different story.
The man who saved a person’s life,
Or helped a friend through pain or strife,
The mom who raised her kids alone;
This is how true strength is shown.
We are all heroes every day,
Doing something great in some small way.
My feet are now back on the ground.
To be a hero, just look around.
Just find someone who needs a hand,
Or perhaps a friend to understand.
There is so much that we can do,
So let’s be heroes, me and you.
YES!!!
Beautiful, Linda. I agree wholeheartedly.
Amen, sister. Beautifully stated. Choose the right thing over the bling every time, and you will always be a hero! Peace, Amy
Hear! Hear! Amen!
Such truth and beautiful simplicity, if we all as humans thought this was, imagine…. Thank you, Linda.
*way
Linda, this was true to the core, such an honest conclusion shared from the heart. Thanks.
Haiku’s on Superhero
Bat, Spider, Super,
You’ll always be a hero
when you are a man.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
With you in my arms
I’ll fly at the speed of light
and you will be safe.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I can see thru you
and open locks with my mind
while you are silent.
by Michael Grove
Wow, Michael….. just Wow!!!
Excellent, Michael.
What they said…WOW!
WOW! EVERYONE! Poetic bloomings is full of Prize-hero Blooms today!
I really like the third of these, Michael! Great haiku.
Fabulous, Michael!
Thank You all. Sometimes you’ve just gotta Haiku.
Michael…loved these. My favorite..?
I can see thru you
and open locks with my mind
while you are silent..
Already There
TV super powers seem so unimaginative to me
Now that I’ve studied Biology
They things we could do, you wouldn’t believe
If we could control just the simplest things
Our body already does
If I could control my immune system, I never would get sick
Or control my memory recall and never ever forget
I’d know everything, could do anything without fear
I’d even be able to choose when not to hear
You talk to me
And that’s not even touching those neurotransmitter things
Which make you feel and think and grow
Hunger and love, thirst and pain, lust and sleep
If you could control that, what else would you need?
Who would you even be?
Arrgh. “Grow” is supposed to be “breathe”, to at least have a slant rhyme 🙂
Good questions, all. Good job.
SO TRUE! We really already are amazing and to pin super on that…. :)!!!
“Who would you even be?”
Last line nails it, Lori…It reminds me that so many superheroes, when you really look closely at their lives, have a hero-identity crisis!
Walt, I love your smitten super hero. And Marie? I nearly spit coffee this morning, thanks to you. Hilarious. 🙂
Cloak of Invisibility
You cannot see me.
A purple
cape renders
me invisible. I fly
through the sky and spy.
oh, i get it, really, i do……and i like it, the very idea of it
It would be cool, right?
I’m with Daniel! I get it, I feel it, I love it!
Marie Elena
Thanks, Marie.
Hee, hee. Gotta love that Purple cape! :)!
Thanks.
Oh, if we could all sport one from time to time! Yes, Sara, that would be super cool!
Yes…I’ve had dreams of flying. I don’t remember a purple cape, but now I’m sure I had one…neat!
Thanks, Seven. If you can’t remember the cape, let’s just say it was purple.
Superpowers
Saving the world seems
a rather lofty pursuit,
tall buildings never really
needed leaping anyway.
And what exactly does the
speeding bullet thing prove?
While these may be worthy
goals for the man in tights,
if I were to be granted the cape
and powers of my choosing,
I would simply be the man
that my children think me to be.
Wonderful thoughts beautifully expressed. If only we could all be who our children believe us to be…
Oh! Right ON!!!
There is a world of heart and wisdom in those last two lines. This is so well penned!
So touching. Makes one want to aspire to be better, too. Great poem, Mark.
If we could really live in our childrens’ (and grandchildrens’ ) eyes!
[…] Poetic Bloomings offered a prompt asking what we would do if we had the cape and powers to go with it. Superman logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. […]
[…] Sunday Scribblings (reflect), Poetic Bloomings (super hero), and Poets United’s Poetry Pantry. I thought about the prompt […]
REFLECTOR BABE
If I could have one power
it probably would be
a magic mirror carried
all over town with me.
If someone shouted, “N*****!”
I’d take it from my purse
to hold it up before them
and then they’d want to curse;
for they would see a black face,
they’d stare quite quizzically.
And then I’d asked them plainly,
“Do you see what I see?”
Or bullies shoving gay kids
into the garbage bin.
My mirror’d show them how they’d look
once they had been tossed in.
The rich would see the homeless,
the cheaters, a square dealer.
Oh, with my mirror, I might have
the powers of a healer.
For even if they didn’t change,
perhaps they’d take some time
reflecting on their ways, o Lord!
Would that not be sublime?
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Reflect away, Babe!
Hearts to you!
Marie Elena
Thanks, Marie – and double thanks for leading me back to read Iain’s triumphant return to the blog!! A
Good one!
Another ‘best’ in the garden today! Today I know there are many ‘bests’:) LOVE it!
Oh. Janet, thanks. I never worry about the bests… this is a garden run riot with creativity and love! Glad we are all here contributing to the growth… Amy
Very true…we are all ‘best’s who give it our best:)
Very well stated. We all give our best therefore we all are bests!
So excellently said. That mirror is just what we all need…
Goose bumps…Amy, just what’s needed. Thank you!
You had to know I’d get all political on ya. (wink) Thanks, Hannah. Yours was excellent, the mirror pointed AWAY from yourself, essentially. Beautiful quality in that. Amy
It’s good to think/act on the things that are unjust around us. If we didn’t it would surely continue, if we do It probably still will, too to a certain extent but our conscious-es are better off for it and the examples we’ll leave… 🙂
I’m pleased that you enjoyed mine, Amy, thank you!
Now that’s a true magic mirror, Amy.
Love it! This is a superpower that reminds me I need to look at the mirror myself, for sure! I remember James 1:23-25, and that’s a hard mirror to carry round…it demands I see myself as well.
SUPERWOMAN SCENARIO
It’s not that she’s sweeping the floor,
it is that she’s doing it twice
today and
yesterday.
It is that she tells the world that she did it and
doesn’t say your name though
she knows
the floor didn’t need
sweeping
at all.
You’re the steady sweeper who
sweeps this floor
every day without
mentioning.
Oh, yes. Even if all that made it to the page was your understated first stanza, every woman in the world would be smiling and nodding in agreement.
Excellent!
Marie Elena
Me Too!
I’m on vacation. I’m on Zealand and need to go outside a couple of hundreds meters up to reach a spot where I can get connected.
I’m over here with no dictionaries, nothing.
But you are here with me – Janet, Hen, Linda and Marie Elena – even out here. Incredible!
And my poem worked. Incredible.
I’m so touched that I had to go down to the lodge and write this to you so I can go back and paste and post it. Thank you.
Oh, Andrea!! I love this and the power of connecting and the power in your super poem, this really is stunning! Great writing! 🙂
Awww, I’m Loving being on vacation with you, Andrea! Thank you for your sweet, special effort to “connect” ! Have fun!! Love, Hen
Hear, hear! 😀
Marie Elena
Yes!
That is indeed the true hero!
Yes…the faithful, the humble, the servant–those are the heroes.
ABaAabAB
Those powers always come with drawbacks and little quirks:
arch-enemies, your manias, your kryptonite. And life’s the same
like with the best-laid plans…you know how that works?
Powers always come with drawbacks and little quirks
so what’s easy come, goes on to make us jerks.
Just jerks in funny clothes, jerks with a talent for a game.
Powers always come with drawbacks and little quirks,
arch-enemies, your manias, your kryptonite– life’s the same.
Oh yeah. We sometimes forget (or ignore) the drawbacks…very good point and artfully expressed.
I agree with, Linda! Love your wording, Barbara.
Loved the imbedded rhythm, and this line in particular…
“so what’s easy come, goes on to make us jerks.”
That’s the bare-bones truth about convenient powers.
Haven’t written for 5 months—here goes nothing!
…and sometimes I wear a mask
I wear a long black trench coat
and a smart black hat
I look like a cold war spy
the appearance can be confusing –
my Jewish neighbours say
I look like either the Gestapo
or a tailor – both have their drawbacks:
the lady across the street begs me to spare her kids
and the guy two doors down wants me to run him up a waistcoat
I think I look like George Smiley
not a super hero with a cape
a dark hero of silent dealings
a man of shadows and mystique
confident and suave
I swagger about town
I tip my hat to the ladies
and brush a finger across the brow
with a wink as a knowing hello to my pals…
…sometimes I am filled with doubt
and the hat and coat cannot hide me
from the bright stares of the sun and those who know me well
on these days I stay at home when I can
but venturing onto the thoroughfare,
sometimes I wear a mask
fashioned into a smile
Iain
WELCOME BACK, Iain. Not just to “Bloomings,” but to writing. Not just to writing, but to writing brilliantly.
Yes, welcome back!
Marie Elena
Thanks Marie Elena 🙂
I guess a little rest is a good thing. Really like this, Iain.
oh, thank goodness…just the other day, i was wondering where and how you were, hoping you were in good form…now i see that i had nothing to worry about – you are in excellent form, indeed…so pleased that you are writing and sharing again
Cheers Daniel 🙂
Brilliant, indeed, Iain. This is outstanding, I can hear your character breathing…so real! :)’s to you!
Iain, so, so happy to read your poem. It’s true about people’s preconceived notions based on appearance. The same holds true for racism and homophobia. I was touched by the idea that sometimes you stay at home with your “mask,” and I “get” that loud and clear! Congrats on a most welcome return… Amy
You came back with a true winner, Iain. What a great poem!
I agree! Brilliant, hidden then not then hidden and then that tender admission at the end. I heard the sighs throughout, the sighs of hope then sadness.
Marie and Walt! Gosh, I love seeing what you come up with and your poems NEVER disappoint! For a sec, Walt I thought your last line was going to be ‘I guess I’ll remain a play-boy’ 😉
Dear, I’m always a “born-again” playboy! If only in my mind. 😉
🙂
….and sometimes I wear a Cape
I must not neglect
To don this cape each day
It helps me rise above
Come whatever may
Within this cape I sense
A glorious super-power
A genuine defense
In life’s most troubled hour
One day I rose without it
Despair and fear loomed tall
Then suddenly I heard it
A Super-power call
I felt Him wrap about me
No ephemeral thing
But, a cloth that’s kindred
To the angel’s wing
The unbelieving call it
Fantasy on dead air
The believer whispers humbly
And simply calls it Prayer
one day we might weigh in on whether or not the believer requires the unbeliever, but, today, i’ll simply immerse myself in the loveliness of your consistent sincerity, “no ephemeral thing” for sure.
Ohh YES!!! Lovely……….. truth!!! I am most comforted by this Janet, and I thank you! Hen
Your last two stanzas are wrought so prayerfully and beautifully, Janet! 🙂
Yes, loved this truth too. My cape in the morning makes the day.
Lovely, Janet. We all need our capes, whatever or whomever it may be.
Daniel, 🙂 That would be an interesting debate for sure!
Hen, Thank-you so much
Linda, yes, capes do come in various shapes and sizes. thank-you~
A Learner in a Cape
On Sundays, I Reverie with Joseph Harker,
It turns my brain to dust but try I must
Keep challenging the old grey matter.
On Tuesdays, I gather words with Margo,
A test to see how far my brain can go
before it perforates into breeze holes.
On Wednesdays, I have my Aside with Robert,
where I started, and where I’ve tried
to post, if the website doesn’t choke and
if it’s able. On Thursdays, I wash and iron,
and clean the house, and on Fridays I bake
a mean loaf of bread. On Saturdays,
I’m smelling Blooms and whistling tunes
that Walt subliminally strings on air.
And now it’s April PAD, the month when
I write whilst wearing a Wordworth mask
and a big scarlet red cape with an L.
:)!!!
LOVE this, Misky!!
Many thanks! Glad you both liked it. 🙂
Misky, weeks well spent, in my humble opinion, although the Thursdays would be better spent at Poets United! Ha ha. Loved it! Amy
Delightful Misky…I can imagine you masked before you keyboard as your fingers fly!
Leaps and Bounds
I feel invincible,
tough as nails
and ready to relieve
Atlas of his burden –
and while holding an invisible shield
all sharp, edged words
and demeaning smirks
bounce right back,
smacking the giver in the face –
with a smirk of my own
I continue conquering my day,
relishing in my accomplishments
until the day winds to a close
and a weary cape crumbles at my feet
leaving me vulnerable…
until the next time.
“…leaving me vulnerable…” Powerful admission… thank you.
Conquerer of our days each, inspiring and I agree with , Hen. 🙂
conqueror..sorry hit send too quick. 🙂
ooh, those last couple of lines!
Michelle, I love this, and the other poems where powers reach their limits…honesty factors always deepen a poem.
Cape Hope
A towel draped across my shoulders
tied in front and fear non-existant.
A nose is not resistant to bleeding
and needing a great running start
to depart this earthly plain. No jolt
to the brain when my landing gear fails,
frail as they were, a broken fibula heals
but steals from your legend.
Neighbouring lassies in fancy dresses
are less impressed with hard fallen heroes.
They hold zero hope as husbands.
The right kind of people are impressed with them. This is captured well and I like the title.
Yes, I agree with Hannah!!!
Sad heroes are sometimes the most lovable…liked this, Neerwain.
Feeling Super
Not feeling very super
never fear
wear a cape
let down your hair
zoom around your living room
arms outstretched
like when you were young.
Just remember you can’t really fly
if you jump off the balcony
you’ll surely die.
Lol, so cute!
Ah! So THAT’S what I’m missing;)
Thank you for the warning! Lots of things should come with warnings like shirts for instance…never iron while wearing, should certainly be printed on its label! 😉
LOL!!!! Oh Hannah, I hope you didn’t burn anything! :)!
Glad you liked that!!! :)!!
!!! :)!!!
Very cute! Gave me a really good giggle 🙂
Play is supertherapeutic. Except on balconies.
The Legend of Supermom
I have a secret identity
That I cannot escape,
In reality I’m Supermom
In a stain-resistant cape.
Daily I bring order
To our frenzied home-front scene.
My lack of sleep means little,
‘Cause I’m powered by caffeine.
I can leap large piles of laundry
With just a single bound,
And my skill at fighting dust bunnies
Is certain to astound.
Alarm clock, breakfast, out the door,
We hustle off to school.
Juggling errands and appointments,
And I never lose my cool.
Then it’s practice, lessons, dinner,
And a giant homework stack.
Dishes, bath time, PJ’s,
And tomorrow’s lunch to pack.
Armed with only humor
And a quick imagination,
What’s the best reward for Supermom?
An extended solo vacation!
AaaaHahaha! That was me….. and my Mom…. and her Mom…
……! :)! :)! :)!
Thanks so much, Hen! 😀
Oh, Mary, this is great. From the stain-resistant cape to leaping piles of laundry (in a single bound, of course!), this paean to moms everywhere is a delight! Amy
Thanks, Amy! 😀
Laughing out loud! This is so good…love this:
My lack of sleep means little,
‘Cause I’m powered by caffeine.
I need a shirt that says that. Mary, I loved it! And I’m not even a Mom.
Glad this gave you a laugh, I giggled my way through writing it 😀
In reality I’m Supermom
In a stain-resistant cape.
This is AWESOME, the whole thing!! So very, very true! Cheers and BIG smiles to you, Mary!!
The reading of this is so smooth, by the way! 🙂
Thanks, Hannah! I thought I’d try something a little more light-hearted this go-round. Glad you enjoyed it! 😀
I can really identify with it and super cheers to you, super mom! 🙂
Yes…smooth, I agree. I love smooth poetry.
Yeah, I’m thinking about reciting this at my first poetry reading in a week, I think it will be a nice contrast to my usual dark and dreary fare.
I think that this shall be a lovely read, Mary!! So happy for you!
They asked me: “how do you do it?”
And I said: “Oh, it wasn’t so hard.
“I just bent my knees and blew it
“Reaching for the stars.
Sometimes I never hear it coming,
But when my dreams give the call,
I always hit the pavement running
And run into the nearest wall.
I’m a secret super slip-up,
Wouldn’t find more super if you searched.
I like to keep it on, you know, the down-low,
But sometimes I wear my cape to work.
Hee, hee, be careful…!
Ha! Running into walls is probably a common symptom of heroism for most of us! This was fun.
Hi folks,
I don’t normally get into multiple commenting so I just wanted to say thanks to anyone who commented on my poem that I haven’t already acknowledged and that it’s good to be back.
Also and more importantly have really enjoyed reading here…well done all!! 🙂
Best
Iain
It’s a good, comforting, fun place to write, Iain! Hen
Your welcome and thanks for this, too, it’s nice bumping poetic elbows with you!! Great to read and be around! 🙂
Iain, it is indeed a thrill to have you back in the fold, Brother. Your work NEVER fails to touch a chord. Hope to see much more here and at PA. Walt
I’m Not Superman
I’m sorry I’m not Superman
any more but if you would
please pull the knife
out of my back,
I’d still take a bullet
in the chest for you.
By Michael Grove
Now that’s love, in any language, in any form. Loved this, Mike. Amy
Yes…that’s heroic. Liked it Mike.
Ohhh…. that knife wound hurts me for you! Hen
[…] 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil For Poetic Bloomings – a second take on their prompt, Superheros, which I had answered earlier with “Reflector […]
Only April 4 and I’m already getting snarky! Amy
MRS. CLEAN WIPES THE SLATE
Woe to you, lobbyist and profiteer
Avenue K will be set on its ear
Begone, day traders sipping hot
MochaccinoSkinnyNoWhipLattes,
as your fingers scurry over the laptop keyboard,
some letters and most numbers worn off,
scars of fiscal battle
Gird your loins, o members of Congress,
for your days of feasting shall draw to a close
as I focus my wrath on your graft
Whosoever can be bought will be for naught
Sweeping streets and slaving in call centers
(for a living wage, of course)
The payola shall be purged
Elections no longer auctioned to the highest bidder
(or Brother), nor Diebold election machines
glean false numbers from pro-Machine hackers
Even the Supremes will feel my ire for
conspiring to convince us corporations possess
ears, eyes, tongues… and souls
For I, Mrs. Clean, now hold the power:
Contained in the Golden Rule,
affirmed by the Great Commandment of Love
I am trusted by even the crustiest atheist
(because I’ll drink coffee and shoot the shit
with people of every belief or non-belief)
Mrs. Clean will change the scene and proclaim
the mighty truth: Democrats and Republicans
stink of graft equally, and in good measure
President Obama should bring our troops home NOW
And when that is set right, the real work begins:
Mitt Romney will wash windows at women’s clinics
Newt Gingrich will scrub toilets in public restrooms
Hillary Clinton will bake free cookies on 12-hour shifts without
breaks, just like Chinese children work on her watch
Ron Paul will oversee Area 51 but make no more money
than the baristas at the low-cost local cafes
Rush Limbaugh will be bombasting “Would you
like fries with that?” in a little paper hat
Michelle Bachmann will be sent back to middle school
to learn history and how to recognize gay boyfriends
And Sarah Palin? Field-dress THIS
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Amy….you DO have a sharp pencil! OUCH!
HeeHaw … I so do love your style girl … and how you roll …
I just can’t see myself as a hero…but I do know plenty. Hero #1 in my life is described below…
HEROINE IN GREEN
She wears a cape of green—
unseen, of course.
Her power is delight in growing things.
Marigolds, zinnias, daisies and random seeds she flings
across a brown tilled bed
of dark warm soil.
The weeds all dread
the burning stare
of fire in her eyes that
wilts villians found there
invading Gardenopolis.
And evil beetles
tremble, die away
in terror from her deadly spray.
Ferns and pansies sigh relief,
azaleas feel no grief
for murdered pests.
She keeps the growing citizens
of her fair city safe,
and nurtures root, and stem, and leaf
in every suburb bed,
as required by her belief.
“Green things must grow,”
the whisper of her faith says.
So,
she crouches,touches dirt,
caresses blooms and petals
finding hurts that she might tend.
“Green things I mend,”
she breathes,
and smells the nectar sweet,
the damp-earth vapor at her feet,
and hears a songbird’s joy.
“A garden of song
to heaven I send.”
She smiles, looks up,
and wipes her hands
in prayer
upon her sweaty blouse.
As she surveys the charges of her care,
My sap is gently roused.
I feel a budding smile begin to form,
my leaves unfold, my tendrils curl,
and the warm soil of my heart
softens around the roots of love
she’s tended there.
I pray she will forever wear,
for them, for me,
that cape of green, unseen.
Love this…
IF I HAD MY WAY
In my wardrobe lined in order, I would keep
A set of capes at the ready to match my magic
Women’s intuition I have always had running deep
My super-duper crazy heightened awareness cues
Would be such that I would know when to grab the red cape
And swirling it high like a matador fly to save you from the blues
But should my antenna set to twitching for the purple woolly
Then that would be my next task for sure and flying off with haste
I would be on my way full speed ahead to thwart the next big bad bully
Of course I’d have two all purpose things and perhaps
they’d be all I’d need
I’d pack the rainbow one most days and carry an invisibility
cape too
I’d love all of them the same but know to save the world
it’s necessary to heed
The call to right the wrongs of the disenfranchised and
the innocents crying in the dark
For some are granted riches and capes galore
but with capes comes awesomeness
So sound the trumpets, find a phone-booth or some place
where my normal self I’ll park
Then watch out bad guys, the be-caped crusader’s on a tear
and ’til you’re down she won’t rest
Like a thief in the night she’ll steal your strength, your every mean-ness and turn you into someone good
Before you know it, she’ll change your mind, your team, and
reshape you into one who does what’s best …
THAT’S WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, IF I HAD MY WAY
S.E.Ingraham©
OMG, Sharon!!! Fantastic Heroine you are!!! I (suffer, at times) own a piece of that heightened awareness!!! So glad to know that I am not alone!!! Love this poem!!! Hen
I envisioned writing poetry and pages of my book while on the beach or bay. The trip is winding down real soon and I just got to writing today! (guess that’s a poem, too!). Hope to read all the wonderful posts once I return home…for now enjoying time away with the family!
I Want to be Your Hero
Sometimes I think I need a cape
to prove to you I’m strong.
But then you come to me for help,
I guess you’ve known it all along!
So sweet and strong! 🙂
Revealing
Cutting words
are glassy cold,
but cocooned behind
a cape of mirrors
hatred’s image
flies quickly back.
Only after
all guards are down
will evil be allowed
to hit its mark.
Then the thrower
can hear their cries
and shatter
the darkness
with a guilty sliver
of hope.
There are so many super-heroes here (and great poems to match) – not doing individual comments; can’t keep up this week, sorry – just wanted to say, bravo to all you caped crusaders!
[…] week on Poetic Bloomings we are asked to, Head for the nearest telephone booth, don your cape, and meet us here. To find out […]
mantle
I’d be strong,
I’d save people,
But there would be times
when I’d fly just to be alone
My cape flapping gently
in the stratosphere
Above the clouds
above the noise
Quiet and stillness
just for me
So I could go back
and continue to be strong
YES!!! Words to live by!