Five Words

My blog pal Barbara recently did a writing exercise in which a friend gave her five words to use in some kind of composition. Other than that, there were no real guidelines. I asked Barbara to do the same for me, and she gave me three sets of five words to choose from:

1. graffiti walking hidden green heat

2. writing editor capture surprise recognition

3. tricky relationship embarrassing love compromise

Instead of choosing, I decided to write something for each quintet. So last night I sat down and created a poem from each set. Here goes, for better or worse.

1.
Heat is walking up the wall, along a track of sun
Hidden in its obviousness.
Voluptuous graffiti curves
Morph and shimmer, each line
Gaining new meaning in the light.
Every perspective scrawls a new message
On the leaf-green walls
Of my living heart.

2.
The editor yearns for invention:
Writing someone else’s story
With someone else’s words
Leaves him oddly speechless.
It’s no surprise to him, this recognition
Of the bland potato life
Of a desk jockey.
He goes for coffee
But the coffee is secondary
To a precious capture
Of outdoor air.

3.
People think love is tricky.
I find it exceptionally easy:
Yin and yang
Courtship and relationship.
Each compromise seems
Sweet as a gift;
Each personal failing,
Otherwise embarrassing,
A breath of intimacy.

(Photo: Municipal building in lower Manhattan, July 2009)