Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.
Randy and I went on a wonderful tour of the Minnesota State Capitol building (a couple of blocks from our home) a couple of weeks ago. Here’s Quadriga, the golden statue that adorns the upper front level.
This image makes me think of several things:
- the tour guide told us many raptors use that level as an overnight feeding spot, and there were a couple of carcasses near this gilded beauty
- King Midas
- the recent election
And here’s my first draft. There’s no easy answer to our complex problem of homelessness, but the contrasts between people in our city is painful to witness.
It’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS! (Title doesn’t count toward word count.)
I’m in Houston for NCTE, so I won’t be here this week. Have fun writing and reading!
11 Responses
Powerful words Laura and my first thought was Ben Hur. Then your verse brought to mind a quote by Thomas Dekker (had to look up the author), “a mask of gold hides all deformities.”
Optical Illusion
It’s beautiful, it’s bright
underneath lies
suffering;
hunger, sunken eyes
void of love’s light.
Love your observation. I’ve never been to Minnesota.…maybe I’ll try in summer.
her lucky number
was four…like a quadriga
charging full gallop
Poem by Jessica Bigi
The Minster
His hooves of
golden dollars
lead his country
into ruins
Maybe Minster-should be Mizar
The Mizer
OSCAR NIGHT
by Dianne Moritz
On Oscar night
I’ll watch the show,
but most winners
I won’t know!
“People wear winter”–that line carries so much weight (and an important reminder on a snowy day like today.)
Quadriga
Sun-bronzed horses
frozen in mid-gallop,
Charioteer’s arm saluting
our eternal ambition.
Golden horses
Stamp-trot-stamp in place
Impressive illusion
Glided delusion
Oops! Meant Gilded, not Glided, delusion.
This was a long time festering, deleted and then just appeared. It shouldn’t have been a long process, and it wasn’t when it finally arrived. Lol!
Bronzed are his fingers
and gilded his toes,
Polished his chariot
and even steed’s nose.
I guess you can imagine Pegasus for my poem. Wish I had time to comment, but best laid plans and all.
Keep watch at midnight.
Golden horses take flight
for a minute of fun
until 12:01.