Here is the latest installment of Poet’s Corner, presented by the Edmonds-based EPIC Poetry Group

Contest

Ocean tides rush over beaches,
covering sand, rocks, creatures,
only to flow out again
leaving barren rocks and sand,
pulling some out with the tide
in a seeming contest for the land.
Creatures of the intertidal zone
duck for cover until the ocean
water returns to nourish.

Surging emotions flood
heart and soul,
Timeworn stuff is stripped barren,
demanding that we grapple
with it once again,
only to subside, drifting away,
in an ongoing contest
for growth and maturity.

Marcia McLaughlin

~ ~ ~ ~

Terra Incognita

thresholds may be dark
an invite to an unknown future
offers choices

turn around
cling to familiar
acknowledged dysfunction

OR

stand on the brink
hoping for light
to shine a way forward

OR

bravely step forth
into the strange, tenebrous night
hands open wide
to receive the new

step into the void
allow transformation
to work its magic

Marcia McLaughlin

~ ~ ~ ~

A Question of Warmth

Blustery, chilly days
curtail November walks
prefer the warmth of home
Heating pad warms my bed
Hot chocolate warms me inside

In the rain and wind
autumn leaves swirl and dance
their way to the ground
covering the earth
providing warmth for plants

Tents in freeway green belts
vacant lots
provide meager shelter
from long nights
gloomy skies, raw temperatures

Warmth, taken for granted at home
inadequate, at best, in encampments
Is warmth luxury
or
basic need?

Marcia McLaughlin

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Marcia McLaughlin’s love of poetry arose from a lifelong love of choral music and of nature. She is an amateur photographer and it’s sometimes hard to tell whether the poem sprang from the photograph or the photo from the poem. She is especially interested in the natural world, how we interact with it, and the messages it has for us. Her poetry also speaks of the injustices of our world. She self-published a poetry book, Nature’s Messages, last summer. These poems are from this book. You may contact her at seaotterspirit@gmail.com. Marcia lived in the Shoreline/Lake Forest Park area for 50 years and now lives in Lacey with her spouse, Beth Seacord.