Magpie Tales Photo Prompt Week Three

Willow has provided her weekly photo prompt.  I was a bit stumped, or weighted down, if you will by this one!  So after a couple of days I wrote the following poem (almost a limerick) just for fun.  Thanks again, Willow!

the fisherman 

in a rusted toolbox lay a weight,

ringlet empty, pitted face. 

just one kilo lump I found, 

two point two it gave in pounds. 

neatly tied on nylon line

I cast it heavy just one time.

splashing loudly in the lake 

the too too heavy leaded weight 

sank more quickly than I could wish, 

broke the line 

and killed 

a fish! 

Poem © 2010 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo courtesy of "Willow" from Magpie Tales blog. 

centuries ago 

you wrote of 

longing for 

ancient beauty

and brick roads...

for thousand year-old 

buildings teeming 

with life...

about being seduced by

understated gentility 

and finding your 

fit there. 

back in the 

mundane of daily effort

you talk of sharing your 

wanderlust sensibilities 

with a soul 

like yours...

you tell your tales 

having never noticed 

the thousand year-old 

window to my soul 

that opened to you 

centuries 

ago. 

Poem © 2010 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo © 2005 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo taken by R. Baker.  A window at Eastman House, Rochester, NY 2005. 

Weekly Magpie Tales

From Magpie Tales linked below, Willow has offered her weekly photo for those of us who tell tales, write stories, or find poetry in everyday life.  My contribution follows.  I encourage you all to visit her link and read the stories of others who have carried that matchbox in their imaginations!

Thank you, Willow! 

Rick Baker 

February 22, 2010

Rochester, NY 

cigarette and passions

with one strike

I lit your cigarette 

and our passions.

along cobbled lanes 

we feigned Bogie and Bacall

as Hotel Bratislava

slept aflame.

Danube waters 

roiling near 

could never dampen 

this matchbox of 

burning 

desire. 

Poem © 2010 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo courtesy of Willow at Magpie Tales

floor to wall 

cast from 

floor to 

wall,

I'm defined 

in gray 

by 

sunlit 

shadows.

Poem © 2010 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo © 2010 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo taken by R. Baker February 21, 2010 at the Greece Mall, Greece, NY. 

yawning winter

prison bars of ice:

with sunrise 

begins a 

yawning winter 

thaw. 

Poem © 2010 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo © 2010 by R. Burnett Baker 

The photo above comes from "willow" who is posting photographs each week on her blog and encouraging anyone to write a short story or poem about it.  Her blog is "magpie tales", and it's listed on my blog list below my profile. You will find links to other writers and bloggers there, and will no doubt find some wonderful writing, art and photography for your enjoyment. Below is my small contribution of poetry for her photograph. 

face with no name 

a wreath of glory 

embossed its face

with no name to 

claim victory: 

a chalice ready to 

be palled with pride 

yet poured 

over and again 

with 

humility. 

Poem ©  2010 by R. Burnett Baker

 heart

heart 

upon heart

in simple embrace

held for a moment lingering in space 

one felt for an instant 

this was the start of 

a moment embraced

heart upon 

heart.

Poem © 2005  by R. Burnett Baker 

spring reflected 

I saw spring 

reflected in a 

pond 

trees bare 

on water's 

edge.

Poem © 2010 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo © 2010 by R. Burnett Baker 

Cell phone photo taken by R. Baker February 3, 2010 at the Baker Farm, Shepherd, Texas. 

live oak green 

as if to 

live forever 

a live oak 

green 

yields nothing 

to the 

seasons. 

Poem © 2010 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo © 2010 by R. Burnett Baker 

Cell phone photo taken  by R. Baker February 2, 2010 on the Baker Farm, Shepherd, Texas. 

nothing above 

calmly silent

morning came

no breeze

or singing bird

clouds gray

to blanket 

the sky

nothing above 

could see 

me 

stir. 

Poem © 2010 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo © 2004 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo of overcast sky in eastern Taiwan taken by R. Baker, 2004.