Sand, once forest,
graveyards for ghosts of trees,
soft whistles in breeze
soon rumble with trucks
laying foundations,
proclamations of soulless dominion
over ten thousand things; foul matricide.
Sand, once forest,
crawls with mud and afeared
who claw for last arks
for floods consume waste.
Jack o’lantern face
grins grimly when they gurgle, flounder, sink
as fixed straws drawn sees them tossed off the side.
top image: “Self Portrait with Clear Cut,” by Jennifer Walton
I am the host of today’s dVerse’ Poetics. I say:
Today’s challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to write a poem speaking to a human attribute that is particularly irritating to you — and it must have a Halloween or Samhain theme to it.
For extra candy corn bonus points, write the poem in the Duodora form!
Tao Talk 
‘foul matricide’ indeed – the worst of Halloween horrors! Well done on the form; I didn’t have it in me this week.
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Thank you, Ingrid, yes it is :(
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How scary and dark are these images. Nature destruction is the most terrible of all mankind’s sins.
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Grace, I’m 100% in agreement with you. I remember when “someone” said, “they know not what they do.” I think they know what they do, they just don’t give a damn :(
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Who’s FDUODORA? 😆
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This is skillfully woven, Lisa! 💝💝 I especially resonate with; “Sand, once forest, crawls with mud and afeared who claw for last arks for floods consume waste.”
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Sanaa, thank you, I can see this scene vividly in my mind and there is no shaking it :(
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Outstanding Doudora, and a perfect illustration for your prompt. A strong poem and statement, so much so, the form is nearly invisible. I took the dare, and did the form. The free verse in 5 of the lines makes it easier.
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Glenn, thank you for your high praise. I was chilled by your entry. Likewise agree that there is a lot of play within the form to let the muse speak.
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You capture the foulness of the crime in this beautifully wrought duodora, Lisa, full of richly deserved disgust and at the same time lamentation.
pax,
dora
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Dora, thank you very much. Yes, there is much sorrow in this vision :(
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This kind of waste and blindness just tears me up. I’ll include a song in case you haven’t heard it. I can’t listen to it too often because it makes me cry every time.
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Me too, Shay. Every day I see it, one piece at a time, until it will all be gone. I love Loreena McKennitt’s voice. First time hearing this one :(
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My Over-55 community sprawls on what was once prime farm land in Indiana, so your poem struck home. The accompanying image is poitnant.
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Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Beverly. Glad the poem connected with you.
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There is so much said here Lisa, important stuff. I boil when I see the clearcuts all over the PacNW. Such a better way to sensibly harvest trees, if that be the goal. But those were the days of ecological ignorance. Sad fact is, such ignorance persists. Strong write my friend.
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Rob, it hurts to think that clear cutting is happening across the globe. A death of a thousand cuts on our dear mother. It’s devastating to dwell on for long :(
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Way beyond just irritating. (K)
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We are creating the queen of haunts, by killing the planet. {{shivers}} and checks over her shoulder.
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It’s such an important message Li.
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Thank you, Sadje :)
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You’re welcome my friend
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deeply profound and masterfully written, perfect pic to match. We all want homes and facilities but constant plundering swallows our resources … :(
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Thank you, Kate. The planet can’t support our burgeoning human population in the style to which it has grown accustomed.
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exactly my point, we need to think vertically …
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I found this so chilling Lisa. It is something so many take for granted everyday. They want new homes and will not see the destruction of something that was once someone else’s habitat and they wonder why foxes roam through neighborhoods or alligators end up in swimming pools.
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Exactly, Christine. We had a black bear wandering through the city a few years ago and the bear was regarded as the one out of place :(
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Oh, this is great Lisa! Your comparison to the Ark and the Flood is perfect. Floods consume mud… so true as land is cleared. Well done.
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Dwight, thank you, and your comment clarifies it even more in my mind how the end will come.
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I think there may be a few scenarios of our demise!
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There are worse horrors than our imagined ghosts and monsters–we are the monsters in this poem, and that is just the literal truth. The form rings your words like a bell, taut and damning. I especially appreciate the way you have embodied pathos without bathos in your second septet. Thanks for the introduction to this form, and for hosting, as well.
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Joy, thank you so much for your feedback and kind words. I had to look up bathos. I really don’t see any happy ending to the story which is why no (false) hope is given… My pleasure on hosting.
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Terrifies .. as it is happens here in my corner of the world ~~ Mother Earth sobs. Thank you for an amazing challenge, will have to practice my duodora skills.
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Helen, thank you very much and glad you liked the challenge for this spooky time of year.
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Thanks for hosting such an interesting topic Lisa and throwing in a new form to consider working with.
Your poem is all-powerful – one senses the indignation and anger bubbling behind the words (of the poet) and yet your poem speaks with an elegance (which sounds weird given the nature of the subject matter) well versed.
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Wild Child, my pleasure on hosting and offering the challenge. Thank you for the wonderful feedback!
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We keep plundering, denuding relentlessly! Powerful and poignant write, Li. And such an apt pic.
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Punam, I wish it wasn’t so :( When I ride down the road on my bike, I see the “bites” where the green light has been given to destroy nature as if it was just a casual thing and a right.
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It is the casualness with which we treat nature that is so alarming and heartbreaking. 😔
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Nice one
much❤love
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Gillena, thank you <3
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Appropriately horrific scene Lisa – the true stories are always the scariest.
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I know :( I just got back from another bike ride, or should I say tour of the messed up forest. What enrages me most is when I see a “for sale” sign go up on them when they are finished. These are the people who are doing it for pure profit, which is even worse than someone building a personal home, even though that is bad enough.
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We see it so often in the south of England. When I see a field on the edge of a town or village, I just think how long before that is dug up for expensive housing. 😢
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I’ve lived in my current home for 10 years. This past year has outnumbered all others combined in tearing up the forest to build houses. This might be an acceleration of our demise :(
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Frightening isn’t it? 😞
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sands once forest…repeated to begin each stanza provides the gravity….
and the horror comes from the images….well done.
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Lillian, thank you.
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