Sunday, November 25, 2007

Answers.Com Creative Writing Entry

The track my heart had taken caused me pain,
so with my ataraxia at stake,
I stepped aboard an oriental train,
expressly to relieve it's bitter ache.

As I headed down the aisle to my compartment,
the air was heavy with the scent of tea.
Later, I thought the berth-mate they had chosen
could only have been serendipity.

She called herself a mantic for romantics;
A teller, banking fortunes for the poor.
Seeing the future, far from just a hat trick,
was her way of bringing hope to every door.

As visionaries go, she was a vision,
With semilunar eyes of ocean green.
Her gaze released me instantly from tension,
And I wondered at the things she must have seen.

We shared a meal of halva and cucumber
And I told her of my dreams and of my sorrow
And as I drifted into golden slumber
She whispered "We'll speak more of this tomorrow.'

I awoke to find the lady and the morning.
Both had risen and were busy at their tasks.
"The praxis of prediction," said the lady,
"Is not just what you do, but who you ask.'

"Are you ready for a glimpse into your future?"
And she reached across the berth and took my hand.
"My trunk contains a myriad of secrets."
And she opened up her cask of contraband.

She pulled a sparkling prism from her casket
And laid it on a patterned velvet cloak.
Vials of colored liquid and strange powders
When mixed, produced a puff of sapid smoke.

She bade me taste the sweet and potent potion
Then tasted it herself and licked her lips.
"Not just a lick and a promise, but devotion.
That's what Helen used to launch a thousand ships."

"You can call upon the zeitgeist of the cosmos
And drink potions till your head begins to spin.
But the only way to find your true beloved
Is to give more love than you expect to win."

The next thing I remember, it was nightfall.
The sunlight and the lady both had gone.
But in my hand I held the lady's prism
And in my heart, hope for a brand new dawn.

writing challenge badge

I Won 2nd place in the Answers.com writing challenge

4 comments:

Sandra Hanks Benoiton said...

Congratulations. This is lovely.

Unknown said...

this is the most touching poem i have ever read
im twelve, b y the way
this also taught me something
thanks
max carroll

Patrice Eastham said...

Wow, Max - thank you! That's the most touching comment I've ever received! Best of luck to you in your writing, and feel free to email me at pbeastham@comcast.net

muhammed said...

nice