To Walk Again

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Annie Neugebauer

Originally posted on May 2, 2011 at 12:24 PM

To Walk Again

I remember when I died.
It wasn’t romantic, horrific,
or even interesting:
it was the flu, untreated,
left to fester and spread
to my already weak lungs.

I remember when I was born
for the second time.
Like a creature from King,
I crawled, gnarled, and gnashed
my way from the earth’s
cold, mildewy embrace.

I remember when I lived
as the walking dead.
An unmerciful hunger
tore at my gut and forced me
to seek the satiation of warm,
purifying, human flesh.

Oh, I remember when I lived.

© Annie Neugebauer Tilton. All rights reserved.

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Scarcely Caged

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Annie Neugebauer

Originally posted on April 20, 2011

Scarcely Caged

My mind is dreaming now about my date
ahead and puzzling where I might have parked,
and grateful that the store was open late,
I walk without a thought into the dark.
It isn’t till my car is feet away
that I look up and see the man inside.
His shadowed face, to me, seems to convey
evil intent; I’m frozen in mid-stride.
Just sitting in the driver’s seat, he grins;
I, fumbling for my car remote, press lock,
but long thin fingers pull it up again,
so while I thumb it down I start to walk
away. He’s caught, but mouths from in my car:
“The key remote can only reach so far.”

© Annie Neugebauer. All rights reserved.

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River of Life

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Annie Neugebauer

Originally posted on April 11, 2011 at 11:18 AM

This poem first appeared in the the Merging Visions Exhibit compilation titled Collections I. It also won first place in the Brazos Writers contest last year. For those of you who are interested/curious, the form is called a pantoum.

River of Life

Beneath the bridge, the water courses on,
over smooth creek rocks in copper and blue.
We, on the bridge, now regret that you’re gone,
leaving us in these mountains missing you.

Over smooth creek rocks in copper and blue,
we pour out ashes of you that remain,
leaving us in these mountains missing you,
arranging small stones to spell out your name.

We pour out ashes of you that remain,
scattering wildflowers into the wind;
they float past small stones that spell out your name;
we watch them drift onward, around the bend.

Scattering wildflowers into the wind,
we, on the bridge, now regret that you’re gone.
We watch you drift onward, around the bend;
beneath the bridge, the water carries on.

© Annie Neugebauer Tilton. All rights reserved.

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Marionette

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Annie Neugebauer

Marionette

The tiny puppet,
jerked by harsh strings,
rattles on his
faulty hinges,
painted lips
stuck in a smile
no more
than a baring of teeth.

© Annie Neugebauer Tilton. All rights reserved.

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All Things Poetry Blog Series

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Annie Neugebauer

Originally posted on March 31, 2011 at 4:59 PM

Wanted:

Poetry lovers, poetry haters, poetic followers, poetic debaters!
Poetry moguls, poetry paupers, poetic starters, poetic stoppers!
Poetry in verse, poetry rhymed, poetic scenes, poetry mimed!
Poetry professors, children, and takers…
Poetic variations on candlestick makers!
No matter your level, no matter your stance,
for this one month, let’s all take a chance
on poetry.

Poetry coughers, poetry sneezers, poetic babies, poetic geezers!
Poetry outbursts, poetry smiles, poetic messes, poetic styles!
Poetry free-verse, poetry metered, poetic balance, poetry teetered!
Poetry saviors, idols, and schmucks…
Poetic lines of proud yellow ducks!
No matter your hopes, no matter your rants,
for this one month, let’s all take a chance
on poetry.

Welcome to the All Things Poetry Blog Series! From now through May 13, I have a total of 20 amazing, fun-filled, info-packed, poetry-exploding blogs! For you! I’m going exclamation point bonkers, y’all!!!

Things you have to look forward to:

• 3 phenomenal guest posts
• 5 of my own poems (6 if you include the silliness above)
• several easy-access lists of all kinds
• a handful of great discussions
• a few “teaching” posts
• and wrapping up with my advice to beginning and advanced poets

And if you ever get behind, there’s a new category specifically for this series on the sidebar at the right. One click and they’re all there!

So this is the call. Spread the word. It’s going down. We are going to embark on a journey together and it is going to be beautiful. See ya there… er, here!

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