#aaronawbra

[think-through-pen]

Turmoil

There is a silent numbness in my heart—

it breaks, and breaks the reverie of mind.

This living, throbbing flesh has come apart;

the torment has been rough and less than kind.

Hark! the wind is slithering through grass;

Death shall spare no jolly lad or lass.

But soon, this tempest will subside

only to fall anon and rise.

Away, away, my eyes are full!

I need not you, nor words of lie...

No way, no way, can I then pull

away from you. Words don't lie.

Midnight is when this love is ripe,

but fits of terror seize me whole.

The beads of sweat on forehead wipe

away my worries, calm my soul.

My nerves are still, and I am calm.

The peace returned is my balm.

My Taglist: @most-ment @jordynhaiku @thecreakywriter @littlemissjahi @dreams-encapsulated-in-glamour @hauntedandwholesome @sunlovemoon @sweetwarmcookies16 @selene-stories @vixen1012 @distilledmelancholies @aaronawbra @yumiraaa

[fille--de--joies]

15 Questions, 15 Mutuals

Thanks for tagging me @infamouslyroggylives and @definegodliness 🌼

1. Are you named after anyone?

A character in a novel that my mother had read.

2. When was the last time you cried?

While watching Puss in Boots : The Last Wish with my daughters. 😿

3. Do you have kids?

Yes, two.

4. Do you use sarcasm alot?

No. I think I'm too straightforward and maladroit to master such a skill.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Their body shape.

6. What’s your eye colour?

Brown.

7. Scary movie or happy ending?

Happy ending.

8. Any special talents?

Asking questions.

9. Where were you born?

Bremen, Germany.

10. What are your hobbies?

Overthinking, writing, reading, playing chess, watching documentaries.

11. Do you have any pets?

Two cats : a Siamese and a Persian.

12. What sports do you play/have you played?

Freestyle aerobics.

13. How tall are you?

1m65

14.Favorite subject in school?

Math.

15. Dream job?

Songwriter.

I tag :

@aaronawbra @drcouts @undead-morrison

@ravensvalley @fairwayfinder59

@itisstillnotme @unflappable-wolf

@originalromanticsir @sharkygiovanna2

@woodsong @jerblake @area--52

@the-sea-lives-inme @oblivionwinds

@soft-lines

[followcb]

Autumn’s Fall

September harbors secrets,

tall tales about the fall,

and falling leaves.

Autumn was my mother's . . .

middle name; a name

she adopted as her persona.

An unpredictable character

who leaves summer lovers

somewhere in the sadness . . .

of late August. When changing

colors, send early notice.

Whisk me back to school days,

All the heat of Summer skin;

As if one world had to end

Before another could begin.

Midnight waters cooling down,

All the tourists leaving town,

Soon you’d be leaving too

For some dorm room with a view

Of a thousand fresh-shined boys,

All our promises were just noise.

When days start getting thin

You know Autumn’s closing in.

She looms over formerly gleaming

Heatwave days spent daydreaming.

Suddenly, now, she's all business,

No ways to ask for forgiveness.

October skies are always ominous,

Ever-present clouds reign, diaphanous.

Gossamer as a late-Friday-night lover;

Outside of obvious attraction - we discover

What we believed love was . . . runs thin.

Of course, Autumn . . . knows about sin;

she's been running in these circles for years.

All too familiar with summer flings . . .

sadly shed . . . September tears.

There’s a sadness . . .

Looking back on it now;

Has it really been this long somehow.

If only love could feel the same,

A kiss of sunshine rinsed with rain.

In May the Summer seems so long,

Her endless days go on and on,

All the world’s a prize to hold,

Without a thought of growing old.

But days pass by, like a river flows

And where they flow to, no one knows;

Until one day, the scene has changed,

You find your dreams all rearranged.

A certain ache rides the northern squall

And that is when you know it’s Autumn's Fall.

©️ @followcb @aaronawbra / Collaboration #2

September 3, 2022

Thanks to both the fun and response we've had with our 1st cowrite - Blood Love, we quickly dove into another session that now brings us - Autumn’s Fall. Another adventure. Another morsel. Another tale with a twist.

Thank you @aaronawbra for the continued enthusiasm and interest in writing alongside me. I'm a big fan of your poetry.

Hope everyone enjoys this latest 1!

Cheers, CB

[rhapsodyinblue45]

5 Things. I was tagged by @aaronawbra to write 5 things I like about myself:

1. I like the way my mind returns to second childhood at the smell of autumn leaves or smoke from a distant fire.

2. I like the unbearable tension that overwhelms me when a trembling idea forms words and my mind is held captive until that nagging poem eventually forms.

3. I like it when I can feel tremendous honesty with another person where my soul breaks open and I shake from the beautiful vulnerability of feeling their thoughts, of being perfectly understood in that moment.

4. I like the way my eyes betray what my heart feels.

5. I like the way my children and students bring out my best self- the selfless, loving person I wish to be all time, especially when no one is watching.

Thanks, @aaronawbra. I haven't been asked to do a challenge in quite some time. 😊

------------------------

*I am passing this challenger along to the following writers: @followcb @scriptedsilence @teaspirations @in-my-thinking @oblivion-wind @just-4-thought @mortalghost @aubriestar @dhritkavya-rasayana @poets-wonderland @imperiallefty

[kaleb-is-definitely-sane]

Me in Six Images ♥️

Tags: @girlonedge @hiswordsarekisses @imnotcrazyimkatie @hopefulmillennial @ell0ra-br3kk3r @authorofstories55 @metalvenomludens7 @slyth3rin-princess @edgy-aristocrat @feedingtheflockministry @lazydreamer19 @percy-the-hufflepuff @george-weasleys-girl @darkandbrightt @princessreborn @cosmic-nightmares @aeshwaryadudeja @princess-paramour @fromdarzaitoleeza @goodoldfashionedluvergirl @aaronawbra @moobrvoobl-moobmoob-oobmpoobroom @writingwitch007 @illusiono

Me in Six Pics...!! Anyone else up for it? Who you are in six pictures....

@arany-studio @she-posts-nerdy-stuff @wweasleyhp @thunder-by-nightfall @sleepless-crows @i-live-you-die-i-tell-your-story

And anyone else... Btw use unsplash.co for free pics to download...

[poetryriot]

Poetry Riot Prompt (Week One-hundred and Twenty-Six)

The participants for this week’s prompt are below:

ninjadebris

josephianni

autumnsunshine10

lzlabs

magdas-poetry

thevisualaftermath

just-4-thought

dovesdanceatdawn

mnpoetree

aaronawbra

failingglory

the-wordslinger

katrinnac

catsandmisadventures

claphandsound

echoes-of-me

virgilioastram

shecalleditsavagery

allnightsong

meno1972

birgerbosbach

wired-messiah

not-a-wish-factory

hangingoninquietdesparation

hermeneutica

poetry--etc

cruxymox

the-novelwriter

undertheheart

spilled-from-my-lips

rquideal

drearydaffodil

rarasworldbro

suadadeinmoonlight

madworlddiary

usuallyaboutaboy

aubriestar

alexofander

p1lgrim

mylittlemishka

rquideal

Laura’s Pick: @autumnsunshine10 - “Phantom Memories”

I liked the different take on this poem of nonexistent pictures hanging on the wall, giving the speaker of the poem false memories of what could have been if the images had come true. It feels as if the memories are there and the speaker can reach out and touch them if they try hard enough, but the speaker knows it is all a fantasy.

Honorable Mentions: @virgilioastram, @poetry--etc, @hangingoninquietdesparation, @mnpoetree

Sarah’s Pick: @shecalleditsavagery.

I really enjoyed this poem. I think it’s clever the way it starts with a tattoo of a hangman’s noose. The ending line is killer, really pulls it all together.

Honorable mentions: @drearydaffodil, @not-a-wish-factory, and @rarasworldbro.

A new prompt will be up shortly. Thank you for everyone that participated!

[followcb]

Blood Love

We are sons of the sun and stardust.

Sojourners on an adventure to salvation;

Golden wings luminescent in moonlight,

Children of night, children of darkness.

Artist - dreamers, melodramatic poets,

Born in each other since the beginning . . .

Our bones infused with a spark of life,

The holy truth which may yet inspire;

Eyes of glass forged of purest light,

Windows wide, forcing to inquire.

Daughters fair like the Autumn sky

Exceeding - rare as a precious stone;

Voice of night like the zephyr’s sire,

This greedy world waiting to atone.

Blood on our hands, blood on our feathers;

Is love an optical illusion is love . . .

A mirage, a phantasm, an oasis . . .

A refraction of Rumi's incandescent,

Spectrums of eternal, emotive wisdom.

Infinite interconnectedness of pure,

Love - magical energy of its universe.

Or perhaps love is just the recourse,

Seeking warmth beneath its torrid sounds;

Two bodies entangled in a galactic curse,

Longing for grounding without any grounds.

Blood stains to ruin - blood beats to life,

It pounds in the passion, it drains in the night;

If love holds the answer then fate wields the knife,

If truth is salvation then who shines the light . . .

©️ @followcb & @aaronawbra ☆ August 31, 2022

After briefly becoming acquainted through each other's poetry - we've written a first, and somewhat offbeat/eclectic piece. I cannot thank Aaron enough for saying yes. You're an excellent storyteller, so I'm honored to have my words paint amidst your words.

CB

[followcb]

Hopeful Dirt

Between covers, everyday

A page turner, a barn burner,

Excitement - tightrope walking;

Writing on the razor's edge.

Chapters - life's yet to etch

Unwritten verbs, unsaid words,

Bullshit people allege; human

Drama - nothing hurts worse.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

But on the edge of day,

The cusp of dawn;

Where yesterday

Is all but gone;

Washed away

By midnight rain;

Every nightmare,

Every stain.

The HOPEFUL glow

Of new begins;

The missing colors

Filling in;

Yes day is breaking

Like a church,

Where every soul

Can leave its DIRT.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

Today, tomorrow, we

Refresh, renew, release;

A lifetime of pent up sorrow

That we may return to dreams.

Restore the luster, that . . .

That makes us, us;

Who we are before we crash

Fall down on our knees - at last.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

©️ @followcb & @aaronawbra ☆ Sept. 27, 2022

This is our 6th collaboration - stemming back since Blood Love in early September. Sometimes serendipity yields the most unexpected blossoms of raw creativity. Thank you, Aaron, for your intuitive skills and willingness to create beside me.

Enjoy,

Chris

[followcb]

Imprints

Escaping into beauty,

A sweet stroll with lily

. . . . Lily-of-the-valley;

Absolute purity of youth.

Flowering bells of happiness

Awaken me from dormancy,

My annual winterization;

Subzero nights set to candlelight.

Hope in a frost-covered window

Constellations to guide each night,

Promise of gold with every rainbow;

Hold me - until spring shines bright.

○○○○○○○○○

The peck of snow upon the glass;

The fire’s glow on candles brass.

In warmings more akin to life,

I’ve cut the very chords of strife;

To dwell on days of purest sun,

The taste of youth upon my tongue.

For time has been a crimson gift,

Her breath has set my soul adrift

And I have feasted like a king

On every morsel love could bring.

Though empty now, my cupboard bare,

I meet the gaze of Winter’s stare

And choose to dream of sultry nights,

Of midnight sands and such delights.

If ever man could dare to ask,

Her essence dripping from a flask,

It is I who walked adventure’s path

And left my on the grass.

imprints

○○○○○○○○○

Faded footprints upon the beach,

Long days of summer not far from reach,

Carnival rides beneath starlight skies;

We held our breath, we rode up so high.

Love in blossom, passion in full bloom,

We danced the world, we played in tune,

Two wildflowers running up that hill;

Every single kiss - still a tingling thrill.

All of my life, my every returning season,

Living for loving you is my biggest reason,

You're who makes me feel so alive;

Your love is my every understanding why . . . .

○○○○○○○○○

©️ @followcb & @aaronawbra

This is our 7th collaboration since our debut Blood Love (#1) in early September 2022. We've had the biggest gaps in contributing to this one based on both of us having hectic schedules. Nonetheless, I'm really pleased with Instincts (#7), and the storytelling within and between our metaphorical lines. Thanks again, Aaron, for a fun run on this one!!

Enjoy - Chris

[followcb]

Luna's Drama

Moon-garden meditations,

Queen of the night;

Luminous, flowering incantations.

Moonflowers under moonlight,

Opening . . . glowing . . . dancing

Poetry of these hours is outta sight.

Moon-shadows

On the moonshine hills;

Owl in the distance

Giving me the chills.

Ghosts of the valley,

Whiskey for the Fall;

A suck-egg mule,

Riding shotgun on the squall.

Fire in the ginny,

White-lightning on the rock;

Fifteen silver dollars,

buried in a sock.

Super blood, full moon

Circling closest to earth,

Hope aglow, a splendiferous balloon;

redemption - salvation, ascension - rebirth.

To whisk us away - onto eternity,

Nocturnal dreams of foreverness;

Erase nightmares of uncertainty

Foster a state of grace of togetherness.

Tenderness and caringness

Burgeoning within the heart;

Regardless of any preparedness,

Can any of us - ever make a new start . . .

Moon of old,

time to plant the crops;

Moon of new,

comes a killing frost;

Moon of blue,

brings the old maids beau;

Moon of black,

where the banshees go;

Moon of snow

and the cake will fall;

Moon of blood,

sounds the judgment call.

Won't you . . . Oh . . . ! Won't you . . .

Meet me on the dark side of . . .

a luminescent, crescent moon.

Latest collaboration @followcb & @aaronawbra; #5

[followcb]

Big Alan

Country in the big city,

Green parks and giant trees

Encapsulate the streets - so pretty

Anything you want, whatever you please.

Downtown shimmering lights

Skyscraper dreams mid-flight;

Young lovers ready to scale the heights,

Against all odds - tonight.

I’ll take my country in the country,

Keep the city and its sights.

Mine’s a pathway by the river,

Mine’s a galaxy filled with lights.

We’ll ride horses in the pastures,

Give their legs a little stretch.

Make our hearts start racing faster,

See which kind of dreams we’ll catch.

We both like it where life feels best;

Sunday back round to Sunday,

Nothing better than a day of rest

Every other day - we go our own way.

So busy doing this, and doing that . . .

Both in the country or the city,

Days scream by and nights come fast;

In either place - life sure can get gritty.

Brother it comes at you fast

And it comes at you steady.

It’s a big pan of biscuits,

Or a plate of spaghetti.

Whether out on the homestead,

or at home in the city;

In the words of Big Alan,

“It’s alright to be little bitty.”

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

©️ @followcb @aaronawbra ☆ November 4, 2022

Another fun cowrite for us - #9. This one has been fast, and happened basically overnight. The complete opposite of Empty Feast (#8). Thanks, as always, Aaron, for your wit with words!!

Enjoy - Big Alan!

Chris

[followcb]

Empty Feast

Moonbeam illuminations

Held me captive, a prisoner,

To beauty and elegant light;

An observer, behind bars.

How dare you blame it on tonight . . .

How dare you fault the stars . . .

When it's your lover, not your love,

Who shattered your illusions;

Illusions of love in the limelight.

An ever-changing kaleidoscope,

No anchor, for hope.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

I won’t pretend to know the night,

Though she’s held me in her spell.

I don’t pretend to have her sight,

Though she’s loved me oh so well.

In the distance of the dawning

There is longing in my soul,

Every wistful sigh of morning

Makes its plea to see me whole.

Beyond these myriad stars,

Sets a blind man’s empty feast.

There’s a world made from the scars,

By your alabaster beast.

So I wait neath moon bent clouds,

For a chance to meet your smile.

Every promise ever vowed,

Every famished lover’s mile.

Now the age dries on my lips,

Though you never age the least.

All my lusts reduced to sips,

As your pink glows in the east.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

Sunbeam ruminations

Captured my active imagination,

Dream segment - fascinations;

Explorations of a passionate pioneer.

In the shadow of a melody,

The one that you played for me.

How is it over before the dream has begun . . .

Where haa the love gone . . .

The promise, you promised me;

Us, burgeoning before the break of dawn,

Surrendering into the contagious . . . .

Chorus of our special song.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

©️ @followcb @aaronawbra ☆ November 1, 2022

Empty Feast - marks our 8th collaboration since early September 2022. Our cowriting style is evolving while simplifying at the same time.

Thank you Aaron for your words and structure with them - it's wonderful!

Enjoy All ~

Chris

[followcb]

Aqua Tofana

Run the clock out on this one,

Draw your dagger If you must;

The damage is gravely done,

End it with a well placed thrust.

In the beginning were your words

And they were eloquent indeed;

Mightier than a thousand swords,

Like a savior to this soul in need.

Yet with time those lips of poison

Left a pus filled wound to bear;

You dressed it with sweetest lotions,

Though the motive was hardly care.

And I clung in my weak confusion

To the flesh you sauced with trust;

So that lost in my deep contusion,

Was the antidote for your lust.

A cure I early on, learned to endure

Pawn that I was in your game of chess;

Presumption was mine, intentions pure,

My love for you - how I lived to express.

But you were never ever mine to lose

Only one person was in this relationship;

The one who's left - singing the blues,

Lost at sea like an abandoned ship.

Unknowingly lured into your sweet net

Black widow - Venus fly trap- seduction;

Was nothing about you I wouldn't let,

Pleasure victim of love's sinister reduction.

Easy target for the knives you wield

How many others might know my plight;

Out there - out there in the fields,

Suckered by your Aqua Tofana kiss each night.

©️ @followcb @aaronawbra ☆ September 6, 2022

Collaboration #3

We've mixed things up a bit on Aqua Tofana, our 3rd cowrite. Aaron took the lead, and I did my utmost to follow him to the finish line. Be sure to research Aqua Tofana if you're unfamiliar with its place in the history of Naples, Italy in the mid 1600's.

Thank you @aaronawbra for your continued interest to collaborate. I appreciate your enthusiasm and willingness to simply dive in . . . CB

[followcb]

Life's Mysteries Unfold

Shower me with northern lights

Fantasies of infinite imagination

Fairytale castles piercing

Marshmallow, marmalade skies

Sweetest fragrances of summer

Bathe my senses with mother's beauty

Majestic and powerful,

Mighty and minuscule

◇◇◇◇◇◇

Such are the dreams

When I labor in sleep;

To escape from the doldrums

In this melancholy keep.

For long blows the winter

That has dripped from the fall;

Her ice points the finger,

Which has brewed up the squall.

And I am her captive

All alone with my verse;

A toast to the fire,

A rose for the hearse.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

For death in her aftermath

But a matter of spring

Renewal - rebirth - return

The revolution of evolution

Perpetual without contribution

The young become the old

Life's mysteries untold, unfold

. . . are you ready for this dream . . .

©️ @followcb @aaronawbra ☆ September 9, 2022

This latest poem is the 4th collaboration between Aaron and me. We'd love to know how our pieces strike, connect or provoke you . . . Always grateful to co-create with other passionate artists. Art ignites!

[poetryriot]

Poetry Riot Prompt (Week One Hundred Twenty-Three) Eeny Meeny Miny Moe

The participants in this week’s prompt are:

spilled-from-my-lips

oldbodyyoungeart

cruxymox

p1lgrim

katrinnac

self-artsorbed

the-wordslinger

onthecuspofsomethingbeautiful

autumnsunshine10

jacarterwinward

subtextures

wired-messiah

sehnsucht-9

readingwithadam

just-poeticjustice

allnightsong

writesoftlytay

poetry--etc

throwaway-poems

poetic-beats

gillianbb

aaronawbra

mariposaheart

fenix7263

just-4-thought

hermeneutica

nocturnical

midnightinterruptions

restlessmuseum

alexofander

mysublimejourney

rarasworldbro

aubriestar

fakesurprise

2wrongs-make-me-write

verar0driguez

m-a-e-w-d

weholdonforever

electricarmchair

avolitorial

catbush

snuffyart

rained-onparade

Sarah’s Pick: rarasworldbro “A Thousand Choices “.  This piece feels like a living thing. A slow decent into hopelessness. The reader starts out with a blind sense of hope, one they cannot control, until they are led to the realization that nothing they say or do, no matter which path they take, it doesn’t matter. I found myself aligning with the writer, feeling the indecision deeply, at the end I gave up too. Well done!

Honorable mentions:subtextures, cruxymox, and electricarmchair.

I apologize for my lack of picks this week. Had some family visiting and school is rather busy as well. I’ll get back to it next week!

~ L.

A new prompt will be up shortly. Thank you to everyone that participated!