SMOKIN'

Smokin'

Burning the Flag

considered disrespectful

Setting fire to the Constitution

tsk, tsk, tsk,

shameful

Torching the Bill of Rights

offensive, I say, offensive

The Declaration of Independence

was written on hemp paper

...

Roll it

light it

full session of Congress

everyone inhales

mandatory

Maybe

finally

everyone will calm down

and some shit'll get done

April 30, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

NaPoWriMo2018 Day 30 prompt: write a poem about something just plain weird.

Flag of the United States.

United States Constitution.

United States Bill of Rights.

United States Declaration of Independence.
Urban Legend: written on parchment.

BLACK

Black

How many ways

to describe the mood

wear it like

a heavy sable coat

whips me

like raven's wings

sticks to me

like pitch

maybe if I'm squeezed hard enough

my coal heart will become a diamond

I'm an ebony chest

drawers bursting with shadows

I cut my lava out

with an obsidian knife

bad habit I'm used to

like a noose of jet and onyx

my gangster

in the noir of midnight

my fire

this ink on my page

April 29, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

NaPoWriMo2018 Day 29 prompt: write a poem based on the Plath Poetry Calendar, saw "April 4, 1962: 'Crossing The Water', Next up, Plath continues her recent obsession with the color black..." and that was as far as I needed to go.

ROGUE WAVE

Rogue Wave

They look so beautiful

at first

surging and swelling

pulling you

carried away

then you discover

their depth is less

than your shore

Your internals

are set

at different densities

and they are seismic

plunging

as they pull everything away

and are gone

They're referred to

as rare

yet there seems to be

as many rogues

as there are

fish in the sea

April 28, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

Writer's Digest Day 28 prompt: "(blank) wave", replace blank, title of poem, write poem.

Different types of waves.

PRIESTESS

Priestess

As full as the moon

and as barren

As bright as a diamond

and as cold

Deep knowledge

little experience

Drawn to the magical

uncomfortable with the practical

Easier to exist in the spiritual

than to live in the secular

April 27, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

NaPoWriMo2018 Day 27 prompt: write a poem inspired by a tarot card.

Voyager Tarot Card A Day.

Voyager Tarot Deck images.

HANGING IN THE AIR TONIGHT

Hanging In The Air Tonight

The smell

of one's own sweat

deep to the back

of the sinuses

The touch

of thick, course fibers

embracing the throat

The sight

of the stars peaking

through old shed walls

The taste

of dust and wood

pulled deep

coating one's lungs

The sound

of neck bones snapping

then

not 

even

the

sense 

of 

nothing

April 26, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

NaPoWriMo2018 Day 26 prompt: engage all five senses.

CENSURE TICKET

Censure Ticket

Overly sensitive:

watch your words

April 25, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

NaPoWriMo2018 Day 25 prompt: write a warning label for yourself.

WHEN DEATH BIRTHS LIFE

When Death Births Life

How does one

celebrate

when a great man

dies

Note

I said great

not good

for often nothing

is as great

as cruelty

When the wolf Adolphus

bit the bullet

did falling stars 

uncover happy hearts

Did the vodka flow

when Uncle Joe

seizured off this mortal coil

And when the heart no one thought

the General had

popped

was there dancing from border to border

The life-long labor pains of death

in these great men

was torture for millions

their great deaths

was the birth of joy

for generations

Remember the pain

mourn the tortured lost

celebrate the joy

April 24, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

NaPoWriMo2018 Day 24 prompt: write an elegy with hopefulness in it.

The wolf Adolphus: Adolph Hitler

Uncle Joe: Joseph Stalin

The General: Augustus Pinochet

WICKED COOL

Wicked Cool

Nothing evil here

but the memories

of hanged innocents

and a crushed badass

The temperature...

Don't like the weather?

Wait five minutes

Just means

an awesome piece of work

an excellent moment in time

No morality

or fahrenheit

intended

April 23, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

NaPoWrio2018 Day 23 prompt: regional phrase poem, Massachusetts Masshole, wicked cool.

STRIKING

Striking

A people with too much time

and

a race with no mercy

collide

A good man goes to war

loses his place

burns it all

he continous

but never speaks

of the fire

until a bad wolf

and

an impossible girl

reset his past

wind his new future

and his cloister bell chimes

thirteen

April 22, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

NaPoWriMo2018 Day 22 prompt: write about something impossible; example: a clock can't strike thirteen.

Doctor Who ~ Peter Capaldi.

VANITY SCREAMS

Vanity Screams

Narcissus

didn't become a flower

he became all

narcisseae

his beauty spread

across timeless petals

and with every

"loves me"

"loves me not"

his vanity screams

he knows he is not

was not

worthy

not even of this

exquisite pain

April 21, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

NaPoWriMo2018 Day 21 prompt: play with the myth of Narcissus.

DOCILE SILENCE

Docile Silence

The first time you step back

when someone steps forward

begins the ease

of stepping aside

till there's no idea

of being a rebel

and you can't remember

what it is to yell

April 20, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

NaPoWriMo Day 20 prompt: poem that involves rebellion.

PULLED THREAD

Pulled Thread

Red

following the blood that boils

or

giving in to the blood that burns

Yellow

running in the risky light

or

staying in the safe shadow

Blue

soaring up sky high

or

drowning deep ocean depth

Which

string

unwinds

which

tightens

the

tapestry

of

our

life

April 19, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

Writer's Digest Day 19 prompt: "(Blank) Thread", replace blank, that's your title, write the poem.

ME RUNNING OUT

Me Running Out

This town

and my town

I know nothing of the flow

the feel

the personality

Spent my life inside

between the warmth of dead trees

and the company of stolen souls

Now I'm stripped down

pat the skin of my teeth

to the quarks of my soul

Fleshless

unsafe

a flash-flood of me

splashes up the edges

then slips down

I fall into a pond of me

as the knife clanks

on the bottom of the tub

April 18, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE

Burning Down The House

Old voices echo in the air

dead smoke from Camels and Kents

vitriol sticks to the rooms

nicotine stains the wall

memories fall down the stairs

ash drops on the worn floorboards

family succumbs one by one

ancient tobacco crumbles to dust

and I take up the habit

Cuban cancer sticks

the home is hollow

April 17, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

TEN MINUTES IN TOON TOWN

Ten Minutes In Toon Town 

Even the Magic Kingdom has to rest 

wands must be set down 

Less then a dozen moments we had 

to paint tourist empty Toon Town red 

We ran through every alley 

we rolled down every street 

All the houses became our homes 

all the rooms became our hideaways 

Mickey, Goofy, and Donald 

were our neighbors 

and 

ten minutes in Toon Town 

was a full childhood 

April 16, 2018 

Tressa Lee Breen

Prompt from Poets On The Page: 

write about a time you did something incredibly playful 

by Wabi - Sabi - Beauty in Imperfection

CAUGHT

Caught 

He stopped before his home 

knowing it was too late 

The flames rose and merged 

with the fiery sunset 

his modest but beautiful house 

would be gone 

with the day 

But that was not 

what caused his tears 

He knew his work as Catcher 

had pleased the Baron & Baroness 

They would supply him with 

a most modern Vulgarian replacement 

It was what could not be replaced 

that made his dancer-graceful legs give way 

his black cape storming the dusty cobblestones 

His long, sensitive nose 

which served him so well 

in finding dirty, outlawed children 

told him 

his Rikki burned 

No more would they break fast 

together in the morn 

No more would Rikki 

carry lollipops and bells 

bait 

into his Catcher’s wagon 

No more would he hear 

the running of little feet 

to great him 

the clutch of paws 

running up his black trousered leg 

Rikki’s white, furry body flying 

into top hat held outstretched 

No more would they break bread 

together in the eve 

No more 

No More 

NO MORE

His long-time companion 

his magnificent ferret 

his friend 

was no more 

The Child Catcher of Vulgaria 

crumbled 

and wept 

April 15, 2018 

Tressa Lee Breen

NaPoWriMo Prompt 15: Villain faces unfortunate situation, revealed to be human but still evil.

The Child Catcher of Vulgaria from "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" played by Robert Helpmann.

ROLL THE BONES IN YOUR DREAMS

Roll The Bones In Your Dreams 

Ballet Slipper: 

deliberately causing yourself physical pain and permanent damage because society is convinced it’s beautiful. 

Dentist: 

your inner-closeted Sadist has learned how to pick locks. 

Hammer: 

positive social change through violence, destruction, and death. 

Rowboat: 

how you really feel about your physical appearance; 

you don’t launch a thousand ships, 

you couldn’t launch a rowboat. 

Seagull: 

you’re the reincarnation of Jonah’s whale 

or 

you can’t swallow enough dicks, 

whichever 

(I’m a Dream Dictionary not Penn & Teller, WTF do you expect?). 

Shark: 

your Id dreams of being an entertainment lawyer named Bruce. 

Teacup: 

you’re suffering from extreme tea poisoning that is disintegrating your uterus/scrotum – 

WAKE UP & GO TO THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW! NOW! 

Wobbly Table: 

fear of an earthquake during a romantic dinner which ruins your chances to score. 

April 14, 2018 

Tressa Lee Breen

NaPoWriMo Prompt 14: write entries for an imaginary dream dictionary.

Dentist.

Hammer.

Jonah and the Whale.

Penn & Teller.

Shark.

AROUND AND AWAY

Around And Away 

He danced around my heart 

like blue bells in a meadow 

until he became an air raid siren 

during a blitz 

He dumped me like a lead balloon 

my pump he turned to stone 

I shattered 

a hematite heart 

And we never knew of each other again 

The meadow 

with its bells 

was mine again 

What runs away, goes away 

Thank god. 

April 13, 2013 

Tressa Lee Breen

NaPoWriMo Prompt 13: upend meaning of a familiar phrase.

I chose "what goes around comes around" and changed it to "what runs away, goes away".

THE WINE IN WOBURN

The Wine In Woburn 

Lay down the bricks 

that lead to home 

Set up the sticks 

for vines to climb 

The leaves unfold 

as the children grow 

Grapes ripen 

as young adults blossom 

A boy drowns 

a harvest washes away 

A fever rots some vines 

as a girl fades away 

The yard is still blooming 

when the daughters move on 

ready to grow their own 

April 12, 2018 

Tressa Lee Breen 

My grandmother Mary grew up in Woburn, Massachusetts, USA. 

Her parents, John & Anna, grew grapes in their yard. 

Her brother, John, drowned in the Charles River before she was born. 

Her sister, Ellen, died in her early teens. 

My grandmother Mary and her older sister Anne lived to be 94/81.

ILLICIT ILLEGALS

Illicit Illegals 

I’ve washed the hands 

of guilty men 

I’ve massaged the feet 

of malicious males 

I’ve kissed the asses 

of abusive guys 

and 

yeah 

I’ve gone down on the cocks 

of total dicks 

Descendent from a family 

of mental gangsters and molls 

My cunt’s become an open prison 

where the emotional criminal class 

gets to cum 

and go 

April 11, 2018 

Tressa Lee Breen

APRIL ABATTOIR

April Abattoir 

The month of showers indeed

Mist

the bad news

Sprinkling

the inevitable fading

Overcast

the expected decline

Calm

the final transition

Trickle

the still warm touch

the last release of air

the flatline

Torrents

Gales

Sheets

after the earth

has taken back

all that comes

after the birth

The Alive and the Dead

alone in the dark

April 10, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

Abattoir: slaughterhouse

Father deceased 13 April 1995

Grandfather deceased 28 April 2000

Grandmother Mary deceased 13 April 2014

Mother deceased 14 April 2015

I should spend all Aprils in a safe room in a medically induced coma.

CHINA CUPS & CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

China Cups & Childhood Memories 

Thin 

so slim 

edges almost sharp 

faded patterns 

pastels and birthdays 

gemtones and holidays 

smooth 

clink with laughter 

stained with life 

delicate 

holding 

less and less 

as time fills 

April 9, 2018 

Tressa Lee Breen

MEGRIM

Megrim 

One eye beats 

with the should’ves 

the other 

with the shouldnt'ves

and the mythical third eye 

beats with the reality 

of both 

April 8, 2018 

Tressa Lee Breen

Megrim: Migraine.

JUST ADD INK

Just Add Ink 

And then there were 

little concepts 

around the corners 

small ideas 

popping over the margins 

tiny thoughts 

unhidden between the lines 

compact suggestions 

rising from the pulp 

All the notions 

of the world 

forests of feelings 

waiting 

in every leaf 

of paper 

April 7, 2018 

Tressa Lee Breen

PUBLIC PARK

Public Park 

Around the bend 

polliwogs ‘n’ tadpoles 

over the glen 

acorns ‘n’ chestnuts 

children’s delight 

barks ‘n’ birches 

adults aimless flight 

pine cones ‘n’ needles 

Narnia meets NeverLand 

Where The Wild Things Are 

and we all 

prance ‘n’ dance 

in our own little 

Hundred Acre Wood 

April 6, 2018 

Tressa Lee Breen

SHRINKING

Shrinking 

Goin’ deep 

goin’ down 

sloughin’ off 

whether wanted 

or not 

the size of the house 

the size of the family 

the texture of skin 

the color of hair 

the breadth of dreams 

the length of life 

two inches closer 

to the grave 

April 5, 2018 

Tressa Lee Breen

SEASONAL MASSHOLES

Seasonal Massholes

New England winter

that cigarillo-chompin’

bitch

with crazy cold hair

tendrilling every

witch-way

staggering into April

nor’easter drunk

pukin’ in potholes

New England spring

that bong-suckin’

hippie

with big bald top

donkey-tailing down

liberally

gratefully deading toward May

Hampton Beach high

munchin’ on Dunkins

April 4, 2018

Tressa Lee Breen

Masshole: a contemptuous term for a native or inhabitant of the state of Massachusetts.

ARANEAE VITA

Araneae Vita 

Plans fall 

like a spider 

with no tail spin 

no net 

and all the arms 

in the octo kingdom 

can’t make a purchase 

no catcher on the fly 

We all risk jumping 

We all risk wandering 

We all want to hunt 

We all want to be the wolf 

We become the recluse 

the widow of our dreams 

April 3, 2018 

Tressa Lee Breen

Araneae: spider

Vita: life