death

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Spring

cherry

winter suspension
life or death is the question
-spring rain gives answer

sun rising, geese are moving
cherry-flower blossoms are near

                                                          -cj holm

Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge 237 Answer / Question
5-7-5 7-7

ronovan-writes

https://ronovanwrites.com/2019/01/21/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-237-answerquestion/

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Warrior’s Death

valkyries-death-1880-oil-on-canvas-arbo-peter-nicolai-1831-92

Paintings from Norse mythology Peter Nicolai Arbo, Valkyrie’s Death Oil on canvas 1880

Hero’s tears tumble
on lips pursed in dying breath
-life’s struggle over

noble effort undertook
cost of honor bravely paid

                                        -cj holm

Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge #103 – 10/1/2018 Fall & Try – Synonyms Only

Per Colleen’s Tanka Challenge, I chose tumble and struggle as my synonyms for fall & try

(Tanka Form 5-7-5 7-7)

join-us-every-tuesday

https://colleenchesebro.com/2018/10/01/colleens-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-recap-no-103-fall-try-synonymsonly/

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Ring Out!

A neighbor died this week. He was a fixture at St. Olaf Church, a small country church with a congregation of less than a hundred. Every Sunday, for many years, John would ring the church bells for the beginning and end of services. It was something small he did that not everyone noticed, but was part of the worship.

Next week someone will take up his role, but no one will do it better.

Ring Out

John’s hands gripped St. Olaf’s bell tower rope,
Sounding God’s message of forgiveness and hope.
A practiced cadence and years of measured strokes,
His special gift; a heartfelt call he shared with prairie folks.

Ring out the sound of salvation; Ring out God’s loving call
St. Olaf’s tower won’t be silent; John’s soul rings for us all.

                                                  -Clarence Holm