My Very Own Reality

Good morning, dear reader. When I received the prompt for our October 24 poem, I was as un-inspired as I'd been in a while. I really had no idea where to go with it, and seriously considered avoiding it completely and posting an un-related piece. But, in the words of a new acquaintance and fellow poet, inspiration is fickle but is rarely unfaithful. 

The prompt we were given was based on 4 different reality TV shows. I freely admit that I don't watch any of them. So, rather than being inspired by the actual shows themselves (the letter of the prompt), I created my poem from the premise of the shows (the spirit of the prompt). Our prompt TV shows are 'So You Think You Can Dance', 'Project Runway', 'FaceOff', and 'Ink Master'. I have never heard of 2 out of the 4. Our prompt words are 'Make-up', 'Tattoo', 'Dance', and 'Fashion'. 

In the end, I was inspired. I hope you enjoy this poem.

Rod E. Kok
October 24, 2014

My painting is colored

with words.

Shapes of emotion,

caressed into pictures

of passionate love,

become my personal

Picasso.

I wear a cloak

held together by

the thinnest thread,

barely keeping me warm.

Yet I will write a fire

into my heart,

surrounding me with

life-giving heat.

My blood flows

from fingers performing

a dance, staining the page

with smooth routines,

gracefully conveying

a message of hope.

My mind spurs me on,

to achieve heights

of creativity

never before seen.

My soul is laid bare,

knowing that every word I bleed

is my very own

reality.