First lines

[epinephrine]

Nonsensical subtle silliness,

In response to absurd ambiguity

Taking into account complex contexts

Created by political perpertrators.

 

 

Aaargh and I've slipped into thesis mode. Apologies.

 

 

New Line: "A graceful leap into double meaning"

 

 

-epinephrine

[cryptomancer]

A graceful leap into double meaning,

Coffee paid the price,

Six shots of espresso,

And the joyously hidden devise.

 

 

A graceful leap into double meaning,

Moments of utter joy, devised

By the silken talking of lovers,

Upon the daylights late demise.

Liquid Laughter, subtle play,

Defeat desaster, love has her say.

 

 

Line: "Race upon the twilight clouds"

 

[drummondo]

A graceful leap into double-meaning,

And a splash as you hit the river bed,

But here, you'll find, there is no dreaming;

"Look before you leap", they always said.

 

A stumbling fall into double-meaning;

"I love you" sprawled across the floor,

And the million meanings for such streaming

Sweetness leaves me confused, and wanting more.

 

Leaves me sprawled across the floor,

As you head towards the door.

Ambiguity left before,

It's simple; It's not that simple anymore.

[Yui-chan]

Ah, the dangers of simultaneous posting. I see that Mynx submitted a next line that got overthrown by Cryptomancer's, so I hope I'm not breaking too many rules if I backtrack and give hers a go.

___

 

I believe in people dying

with their blind eyes open wide,

with their torn nails bent to prying

at the truth that tries to hide.

I believe in people wading

through a melee of a life,

through a dawn-to-sunset spading

down their pile of daily strife.

I believe in people building

peaks of shifting, pebble dreams,

peaks of too-deceptive gilding

stretching up to cold extremes.

 

I believe in people living

in a knife-edged daily game.

I believe in people dying

having fought through, just the same.

 

___

 

Gah.

 

Rather disappointed with the product,

~Yui

 

PS: The line for next time is still cryptomancer's "Race upon the twilight clouds".

Have at thee!

 

{Edit: Words shifted because I can, and I didn't like what it was. Changes are, respectively:

line 4 = that's tried >> that tries

line 8 = of a putrid pile of strife >> down their pile of daily strife

line 12 = telling bald lies with their gleams >> stretching up to cold extremes

 

Ponderance... why is 'gleam' a word that just always sucks in a poem? I've yet to find a way to use it that doesn't sound contrived. It's not colloquial enough?}

Edited October 19, 2004 by Yui-chan

[Tanuchan]

Race upon the twilight clouds

Soar into the red-bright sun

Hug the sky in its multi-colored dream

Go and spread your wings over the world

Give the gift of laughter and peace

Be a blanket to warm the cold

And a breeze to caress the sad

Let twilight be the sign

Of your beauty and soothing presence

Let the colors of a dying day

Be a reminder of your own name:

Hope, that lives in every setting sun.

 

...

 

Another first line.. .

 

Staring into the darkest night

[cryptomancer]

Please dont worry about the order of lines, write one for any of the lines so far given. As you may note, my last post had several lines that I had missed in my daily ratrace lap, so please, please please feel free to have a go, as long as the line was given here somewhere.....

 

 

Staring into the darkest night,

My eyes adjust to tungsten light,

Streaming upon the cracked ashalt

That wearily I tread.

 

In the hour that day departed,

Homeward my path had started,

Seamingly darkness caused a halt

To the workday's thread.

 

Softly my mind by music shifted,

As on the bus, asleep I drifted,

Past the gulls, and bay of salt

Away from the place of dread.

 

Home my heart call takes me,

Before I can dream completely,

And in my dreams draw the bolt

That frees love's wings to spead.

 

 

Line: 'Thread upon the beading silk'

 

[Vlad]

Reading through this thread, I noticed that nobody took a line from a while back;

 

 

Intricate shells of transparent splendor

Gaze out amongst the stars so far away

A web of knowledge trapped deeply within

Rushing to the surface of this pond of memories

 

Life that gives and takes of it's own accord

A world that posesses self and desire

Shows everything I need to see

And shelters my lonely eyes

 

A fine film covers this existance

Constricting and binding

The shells that cover

And protect

 

~~~~~~

Blah.

Edited October 11, 2004 by Vlad

[cryptomancer]

"Blah"

Well maybe "haha"

Or just a "yeha"

Disbelieving "wha?"

Butler's greeting "siah"

tabacco spitting "ptwah"

frantic "gaaa!"

Ghostly "bwah"

it is all just so much,

"La de de da"

 

"Tra La la."

 

[Thanks to MIC for the last lines. The song 'Catch me' "tra la la, tra la la, tra la la, la de de da" is very catchy]

 

 

My line..... 'Intensly my soul spreads its wings upon the ocean point'

 

[epinephrine]

Intensly my soul spreads its wings upon the ocean point

Gently my mind lays it threads amongst the surging swell

Purposefully my body steps out onto the burning sand

Cautiously my spirit soars above the noisy roar

 

Tenderly my love reaches out to find a forgotten feeling

All in admiration for the beauty of creation

 

 

New line - "Coiled and ready, the serpent waits"

Edited October 12, 2004 by epinephrine

[Tanuchan]

Poison

 

Coiled and ready, the serpent waits

forked tongue testing the air

hissing his pleasure, awaiting his prey

poison ready to strike in surprise.

Thus the eyes do not see

the truth there is behind reckless acts

appearances talk louder than memories

midnight confidences forgotten forever.

The serpent hisses, rises, strikes

insidious poison spread its wings...

the serpent coils, waiting again

the next victim to its venomous lies.

 

~~~~

 

New line: It tumbles and rolls in defiant pleasure

[Katzaniel]

I'm glad the order doesn't matter, 'cuz I feel inspired by this one, too...

 

 

I believe in people dying,

I see around me people crying.

I know that some say love is real

But I don't trust those people's lying.

 

I believe in painful endings,

I see around me overspendings,

Many claim that life is good

But there's only so much room for mendings.

 

I believe in armageddon.

I see around me so much dreadin'.

Some think life's eternity,

But I know now where we are headin'.

 

I believe in people dying,

I see so many sick of trying,

Some may work to stick it out,

But in the end there's only sighing.

[Mynx]

I'm renewing an old line here...

 

Staring into the darkest night

I contemplate my fate

'Jaded' softly plays for me

As I stare out past the gate

 

I feel the end coming near

I know my time has come

Soon I will no longer be

The person I once was

 

A new path for me has opened

The next logical step to take

But first I need acceptance

Before I can move, I must wait

 

The music changes tune again

'When the world ends' fits the mood

I end this rhyme with wondering

Over my future I do brood.

 

New line: Where was love when I felt like hate?

[cryptomancer]

It tumbles and rolls in defiant pleasure

Of all my well meaning ways.

That seems to utter the measure,

Of all my scheming days.

 

Upon the rest of outward thinking,

My muse holds my thought

Her beauty with my eyes drinking,

By her love, inspiration taught.

 

The song of ink opon the paper,

That silent mind awakes.

Brandishing the lighted taper,

In the fall of imagery, my heart aches.

......

 

Where was love when I felt like hate?

The touch of caressing hearts

Mist the waves of eternal waters,

Tears drying upon the empty slate.

 

 

 

[Line: 'Softer words were never spoken']

 

[Appy]

This is a cool idea.  I wish I had some poem to post here, but at the moment, my muse is on vacation.  Which is why I have a first line and nothing else.

 

'I just want to be inspired'

~ Found two lines recently that I liked and almost finished it, and then got stuck on the last line... so allow me please to turn 'first line' into 'last line' and many thanks to Dragonqueen for helping me end this! PS: I had no idea where to post since I don't feel this one deserves it's own thread.. this here seemed to be the least affronting place for my ranting work ~

 

Where did this rhythm come from

and are there words to fit?

only random mumbling now

for hours I've been waiting

 

But they refuse to join me

and the rhythm in my mind

there's only jagged rambling

dancing the endless beat

 

I just want to be inspired

 

 

~ I'll even put in a new line in case someone needs it: Two colours on my desk

Edited October 13, 2004 by Appy

[drummondo]

Softer words were never spoken,

Simple whispers in the air

Wheeling wildly without care,

Seemingly a sincere token;

Signifying love now broken.

 

Lying lonely, life seems lost,

Love has left me in despair,

Happiness beyond repair,

Looking back, I know the cost of

Loving someone more than most;

 

Weakness partners joy unknown;

Happiness shall bring us down.

 

~

 

Two colours on my desk;

The brown of wood,

The black of marker,

Blackening the death of nature,

But for what? A simple ode

To passing favourites, or sport,

Such disrespect to show support

On what was once a tall abode

For many a noble creature.

How fitting; the ink's darker,

Like its purpose, never good.

Destructive art; yet more grotesque.

 

EDIT: A plethora of first-lines for you to butcher. Do with them what you will;

 

I'll leave you here with nothing but the silence of absence,

 

The faceless reflections in the window fade,

 

Words can't speak through the pain,

 

She's the kind of girl I want...

 

Writing his life away,

 

The slow, swaying shuffle of the crowded queues

 

I wish I could take a picture of this scene,

 

I sit at this desk where the lamp's long gone out,

 

Have fun

Edited October 13, 2004 by drummondo

[musicevangelist]

Writing his life away,

A sacrifice of sanity

Buried by prose

Enveloped by words

A challenge of time

A question of faith

Reaching the end

Is his only goal

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Words can't speak through the pain

An outward expression of what you meant

Nothing can ease the loss

A empty hole where you should be

I loved you my whole life through

To continue I cannot imagine

Without you in this life

You will by missed

 

 

New Line: I cannot stop this train of thought falling into infinity

 

(This is for the Dreamtheater fans, see if you can fit all the album titles into a poem:))

[drummondo]

I'm not sure if this is allowed, I figured it didn't deserve its own thread, even though it's all my own work.

 

Basically, I set myself my own first line today;

 

"Mere moments make men mad"

 

And I changed it to fit into iambic pentameter, and came up with this poem;

 

Time; Unsigned

 

Mere moments make men mad; my own meek mind

Masks not my many malliable mights.

Instead, while waiting wistfully, the white

Incessant glow of glorified, unsigned

Cold contracts closes in; control reclined.

 

And, fitting though it seems to brag or boast

Of potent hopes and soon-to-be tied times,

A second thought, minute, steadily climbs

And makes its humble home higher than most;

Indifferent to the will of its host.

 

Now, waning with the light of gloomy skies,

And labouring to drag the pen across

The paper, in an effort to emboss

A signature; I fold the unsigned lies,

And fling the paper plane; Oh! How time flies!

 

So yeah, see if you can do any better

[Mynx]

I cannot stop this train of thought

Falling into infinity

Depressive concepts circle my mind

And drag me deeper still

 

I look at the proof of my achievement

And also at the cost

The tears, the blood, the pain I went through

The thoughts drag deeper still

 

I have everything now to prove my place

None can question me

And yet I ask the questions myself

While the thoughts drag deeper still

[Ayshela]

Hanging on the promises of yesterday

my soul has slowly shriveled and decayed.

The trains of thought collided at the end

of all the choice allowed. No time to spend

on vain regrets or thoughts of what could be.

Running backwards never lets one see

what's left, what might have been is washed away.

Yesterday is done. Live for tomorrow, and today.

[Yui-chan]

Not a poem, here, just a note:

 

Pulling open this thread is like lifting the lid on a fat chest of pirate's treasure. Squinting in the gleam of so many wonderful, shiny things, you never know what to touch first. It's wonderful to be presented with so many beautiful things, and I'm awed by the raw talent displayed here.

 

Marvellous work, everyone. Thanks for sharing the exercise with us, Cryptomancer and Mynx! It's a great inspiration.

 

Now, get ye're pens back to waggin', ye scurvy seapoets! Ah'll keelhaul yer india ink if'n ye don't spin more treasures fer me trove! Yarrrrrrrrrrrrr!

 

Pirate mode,

~'Patch' Yui, most vicious privateer on the Pen sea

>:}

[Tanuchan]

Dead

 

I sit at this desk where the lamp's long gone out,

wondering at myself, tired as I am

where has gone all light, all brightness

when did darkness fall, and this cold around me.

 

I stare into the shadows, looking for any light,

my fingers tap a forgotten rhythm that fills my ears;

closing my eyes, diving into true blackness

there's nothing to see, nothing to feel, just emptiness.

 

I talk to myself, to listen to any sound other than silence

reaching hands to touch the lamp, small sign of reality lost

feeling the touch of tears on my own cheeks, soft oh so soft

tasting the salty bitter flavor of memories gone mad.

 

My fingers find that wrinkled paper, a letter so old

I don't need a light to read what ink scrawled on yellowed paper;

a ghostly voice comes from a past I thought so long lost

cold hands closing over my heart, taking it to where it belongs.

 

Buried.

 

***

 

A new line: Bright ice comes, cold to the touch

 

[Mynx]

Renewing another old line here...

 

A graceful leap into double meaning

A perfect dive into twisted words

Crafted dancing amongst silent secrets

Selected steps into another world

 

A graceful leap into double meaning

Weaved words gift air to winged soul

Changing words to escape the prying

Words for us, not for all

[cryptomancer]

I'll leave you here with nothing but the silence of absence,

Walked away with no hope of return, nor compassion to turn,

I never saw your parting gaze that fell upon a barren back.

My soul died that day, my pride burned my heart black,

Charring the spirit of life, kindled so fully by you,

I cannot walk away, yet my feet lead, and onward

I stray, further from the love so pure. Adored angel

My lover, I seek still that path, the dusted footprints

Of what was ours to cherish. But in anguish, I stand

Slowly to perish upon the winds of timelessness

As my dust of solitude settles still, I remember

All dreams come to pass, all hopes outlast pain

And I know you will be with me again.

 

 

"Mere moments make men mad"

Quoth to me the magi

"For in the pain of solitude

To your pride you can die"

I slept fitfilly that night,

Neither dream nor vision

Aided my plight, for long

Upon the silken sheets

I wove my memories of you.

Madness like a creeping vine

Upon my brain does cling and climb,

Thoughts of you destroy the chime

Of morning rays upon the clock's design.

Mist of dawning relived again, mist of shielded

Iron cold rain, pelting down upon my brain,

Hapless thoughts from me drain,

The love of self to easy the pain, that tears my soul

My heart my vein, and in my maddening solitude gain the

Fleeting glimpse of endless pain, love devised

Lost agian, to the madness of my brain,

Withering yet and yet again in the silence of disdain

And the gnashing teeth of pain, same upon same

Again the same, that drifts madness drips sadness, cautious

Creeping sneaking slips into the shattering rain

 

Thoughts spiral, I am the same.

Maddness made, Whole again.

 

[cryptomancer]

The faceless reflections in the window fade,

The grey street, a city glade.

Visage of forgotten souls

That drift beyond my captive walls.

 

Unknown the features recognised,

Niether liked nor dispised.

For unknown the faces to me lie.

From my greeting they are shy.

 

 

I cannot stop this train of thought falling into infinity.

Beauty so full of pure and utter divinity.

Lingers in my heart and soul, my lost memory

Of all I know, misplaced upon the softening gaze

That her eyes blest, upon my aging face.

Love of all I ever had, her heart so true to me.

Love of all I ever wished, by her heart caused to be.

 

Ever shall I love

That with which, to infinity

I fall.

 

[cryptomancer]

I sit at this desk where the lamp's long gone out,

Its shadow no longer falls on the wooden rest

That holds my head, upon the pillowed page unread.

Shadows no longer dwell in this room, the wooden wall

The carved roof and polished floor, that echo with

The contentment of my written words, but lay asleep

Unshadowed deep, dark dreaming as my eyes peek

At the drying ink, that upon the page, as I rest my head,

Stares back at me, in the dark, from the page, unread.

 

 

[Line: Does the dream convince the soul?]