Poetry

Uncovering the Extraordinary

Posted on by Khaya Ronkainen / 33 Comments

A crow plucked my heart
And hung it on a tree
For the whole world to see.

Pleas and protests, in vain
The mischievous creature
Pecked at my core insisting
“Be love, be bold and bare it all!”

Litha, the Baby Crow
pic by MagicLoveCrow

process note: I’ve mentioned (somewhere else) before that I never regarded crows as extraordinary birds. But that was until I got introduced to this amazing work.

Sometimes it takes an extraordinary person to shine a light on the ordinary, and Stacy, who blogs at MagicLoveCrow, is that person. Anyone can be that ordinary person trying to uncover the extraordinary in their own way.

The poem excerpt is in response to Midweek Motif, “Seeking the Extraordinary in the Ordinary” at Poets United.

Poetry

Small Pleasures

Posted on by Khaya Ronkainen / 30 Comments

A pinch nestles
in the chamber
air between leaves

A light tamp
another pinch
thumb seals aroma

A little murmur
fingers fumble
the match strikes

Anticipation―
the flame dances
tobacco crackles

Lips pleasured
the senior draws
pipe long as arm

A mouthful taste
before release;
she builds clouds

Another puff, stares
unblinking into the
Indian Ocean

note: The poem is in response to the Midweek Motif at Poets United. Pipe smoking ritual in Xhosa culture is practiced by elders of both sexes. The practice is deemed a way of communicating with the ancestors, and less about addiction to smoking.