Simply Marquessahosts #FictionFriday, inviting us to respond to a song lyric prompt with a piece of fiction in any form. This week the prompt is “I’ve been all around the world and as a matter of fact, there’s only one place left I wanna go…” fromBon Jovi, Jennifer Nettles – Who Says You Can’t Go Home.
The Peace Poem, 2016, the collection of poetry begun under #PoetsForPeace, has been published in Praxis Magazine. It’s available as a free downloadable pdf. Each poem is worth reading and savoring. (You can find mine on pages 199-200, if you’re interested. 😉 )
#PoetsForPeace will accept your poem until August 31, 2016.
We will combine all contributions and welcome suggestions for what to do with the resulting collaborative Poem…”The Poem Heard ‘Round the World” something that would make Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, and Martin Luther King Jr. sigh.” #PoetsForPeace
The Cycle
by S.T. Ranscht
Dark Age
ignorance, destruction, violence
the fearful band together
to contain, restrain, constrain
civilizing this Time’s
Golden Age
to question, create, explore
achieving complacence
once again
Shadows creep unnoticed from horizon
into unwary hearts that have no fear
or sense of other
or of love
Their first act shocks the world
to flurry anguish settling
to comfortable couch outrage
binge-watching shoot-em-ups
from the fifties
Was that the news
or just another episode
of mass shooting senseless violence reckless hate?
What can we do?
What can anybody do?
It is insane.
I see no hope.
Yes, this is a very comfortable couch.
Until it isn’t
Springs poke through
Too much anger, frustration, discontent
the hundredth monkey finally arriving
after the third act
or the fifth
or tenth
Standing to make room
swallowing their fear with the blood flowing
past their homes. along their streets, in their veins
until it boils
over
away
to purify us all
Space, Time, and Raspberries 
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