Yes, I had to make a rhyming joke name for this thread... But I figure, since I share this poetry I've been working on lately with people on other sites and on writing discords... I might as well force you all to witness it too! Since I have quite a number already, I'll be using spoilers either way... But yeah. These are all poems I'm trying to write in the style of a character of mine for a story. She's technically a ghost by the time the story starts, but these are all poems I'm writing to learn how she wrote when she was alive, 'cause the main character (her son) is obsessed with her published works.
I'll include the prompts (which I got from various places) in the spoilers with the poems as makeshift titles. I'm gonna be lazy and not note the kind of poem each one is though... Since 99% of them are freeverse of some kind anyway. If you have a prompt idea, let me know. I need all I can get. xD Future poems will probably be in new posts though, since this one's already got a lot.
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Prompt: It Was Like Falling Off The Log
The spirits wander, endlessly;
The wind billows the leaves.
As leaves fall, winter comes.
The spirits we watched go missing.
Over yonder, where warmth abounds;
Time stalls, the wind slows.
Blossoms bloom, but only silence speaks;
The spirits are waiting for us, once more.
As a tree falls in the distance,
Eyes follow the thud that echoes;
The tree vanishes from view,
Just like the spirits.
I shout to the sky,
Praying for a sign;
Where are you,
O’ child of light?
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Prompt: Dancing Shoes
The children dance
To the tune of adults
Waiting to prance
Only to find insults
The children play
But are surely scolded
For asking if they may
Not end up molded
All children are taught
All children learn
But what are they brought
If just for adults to spern?
They dance away, crying
Falling down, still trying...
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Prompt(s): The Greeter, Sunset
As the sun sinks into darkness
The stars begin to sing a melody
Of gentle, irreverent light;
An ignorant wish for peace.
The children would shout
Thankful for their luminescence,
While the spirits would hide
In the shadows they’d leave.
Darkness sings a lullaby,
Soothing the terrified children
From the visions of monsters
Roaming the land...
From whence do they come?
Not from under the bed, nor the shadows-
They come from far closer,
Hidden in plain sight.
And so, the darkness hides the children:
Letting them rest and recover
From a day of fear and play,
To see a new light shine in the morn...
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The trees stand tall,
Their leaves slowly fall,
The birds may call,
As time starts to stall.
Near to the flume
A bud begins to bloom,
A spirit makes room
Near to its tomb.
A wolf gives chase
To the rabbits that race,
As the child’s face
Lights up with grace.
Watching, waiting,
The children are skating
As their mother’s plaiting-
The world is baiting.
The world stands still,
Time halts on the hill.
The length of the twill
Grows with their will...
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Prompt(s): The Greeter, Sunset
The children stare, eyes wide-
Their jaws lay agape, surprised.
The blood red moon bellows,
A treacherous laugh-
Dangerous as prophecy surmised.
The spirits had warned them,
But their warning was unheard-
The children flee in droves,
Footsteps echoing on cold ground-
They wish for the wings of a bird.
The laughter roars-
There’s no escape, it’s clear.
They’ve nowhere to hide, and
Can only run for their lives-
Losing what’s dear.
The shadows loom tall,
Evil drenches the rivers and sea.
There’s no longer a place for
The children to rest-
No place to be free.
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Prompt: Where were you when the sun went out?
Rather than just falling down
To the horizon’s floor-
The sun bursts into shadows
Cinders on the door.
A star exploding always
Spells fear for those that see-
Despite it, though, they watch
For the end that’s sure to be.
No one can remember
Where they were when darkness ruled-
For no one could see a wink
As their eyes were surely fooled.
Do not protest, O’ child:
Just watch the world fall down.
It’s fine to even smile-
There’s no need to frown.
Surely you will remember
The terror of light’s drought-
The feelings of fear and wonder
As you watch the sun burn out.
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Prompt: Helping Others
A hand in a hand
A nail driven into wood-
We work together,
Or at least we should.
Side by side
The spirits dance
Watching us with
A sideways glance.
Why do we try?
Why does success conquer all?
Is it really so important
We make others fall?
There once was a time
Where help was found at ease-
But now we’re all selfish
Just doing as we please.
The spirits watch us
With eyes so skewed.
We must listen,
Lest our greed intrude...
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Prompt: The Shadows
Hidden in the darkness,
Where light can no longer reach
The shadows hide a secret-
A secret they wish to teach.
O’ child, listen closely
To the spirits as they wail.
Do not follow shadows closely-
Only in light will you prevail.
The shadows lurk in silence
They wallow in your wake.
They sit under the sun-
Taking all that they can take.
They growl and gnarl,
Feisty and sly, much like a fox.
Run while you can, child-
Lest they catch you by your socks.
The shadows are stalking-
While we’re simply talking.
Are you still walking?
O’ child, you should be flocking!
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Prompt: Rewritten
History repeats-
Yet it’s regularly ignored.
Stories are told each day
But slowly, we grow bored.
History is rewritten-
Memories seem to change.
Somehow ever moment,
Slowly, we rearrange.
History conquers all-
Yet we try so hard to win.
We try to become part of it,
Only to cower deep within.
History is a spectacle-
A hindrance, horror and show.
It sits and waits for a reaction,
Waiting for a casket to blow.
Here lies history’s eulogy-
As time comes still, to an end.
But even if I’m now just history,
In spirit, I’ll always be your friend.
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The spirit grows impatient.
It glows red, burnt by the sun.
O’ child, don’t make it wait-
Go on, towards the exalted one.
The spirit calms its nerves-
It floats upon the breeze.
Seeing you smile, seeing you laugh-
It seems to put it at ease.
The world is up in flames
But the spirits no longer mind.
To them, you are one of many-
To me, you are one of a kind.
O’ child of light, remember:
Even when anger may be boiled,
You are still you, no one else-
Do not let your soul be soiled.
The blue sky calls for you,
O’ child. Will you listen to it’s plea?
Run towards the exalted one-
Only then will you be free...
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Prompt: In the Shadows
The end of the world is near-
O’ child, do you hear them?
They who lurk in shadows,
Behind the world’s own hem.
‘Tis the end of the world, they cry.
The shadows watch the sun,
Burning, yet seeking warmth-
The shadows, they’re on the run!
But shadows cannot move-
Not without light’s aid.
It’s not truly shadows that want
Our attention to be paid.
O’ child, listen closely.
I’ll only say this once, as I must:
Those that hide in shadows
Eventually all become dust.
The world will end someday,
Soon or not, it’s hard to say.
Even as the sun swallows them-
The darkness, kept at bay.
Eventually it will end for us.
Eventually, time takes its toll.
So focus on your heart, child.
Focus on you, and your soul...
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Prompt: Clouds
The soul is hidden by the body,
Just as clouds hide the sun.
O’ child, do you see it?
The aura that surrounds you,
They who help you run.
The clouds part as time goes by-
They wander upon the wind.
They bellow on the breezes,
Floating calmly,
Slowly thinned.
Just like the clouds will part-
So too will you and I.
For nothing lasts forever.
Not you, nor I, nor the sky.