Week 4
Prompt: ON THE ROAD
Paint Chips:
in the dark
bone
terra-cotta
sun rays
penny
For our fourth (and final?) week of PaintChip poetry, our prompt has us On the Road. I’m sharing two of our poems below. One reflects on a literal journey, a familiar drive; the second, perhaps the metaphorical journey of a life?
Have a look, and enjoy!
On the Road
by Patricia J. Franz
the rhythm of leaving
in the dark–
cover the furniture,
lower the thermostat,
lock the doors,
touch the broken terra-cotta pot
for luck
the drive is part of what I love
last vestiges of a lake
before it is bedazzled by sunrays
one more time
my bones doze, I know
the curves, the rise, each crest
small town rivers
new roofs and hillside scars
imagining elk and honeymoons in the rain
a penny for your thoughts
a few more years
©draft, 2022
on the road
by Kathy Pon
buried sun rays
once fell from the sky
upon this terra-cotta desert
I hike in search of
a flash, in-the-dark clue
somewhere, penny colored thoughts
copper my memory muscle
with shiny options
strength to bone bygone days
courage to taste a cache of light
found on this fixed point
before proceeding
another endless journey
Patricia Franz is a kidlit writer and published poet. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 