One Hour and Twenty-one Minutes

That's how much time it took me to write this poem. No revisions. No time.

Today I stumbled across a poetry contest. The Best American Poetry Poem Challenge.

Do I dare? The deadline is Dec. 5th. Today is Dec. 4th. What are the rules?

Rules: In a nutshell, write an inaugural ode! 4 quatrains, 16 lines total. And here's the hard part....you must include one line from another poem in the 2008 book of Best American Poetry AND you must include three of the following words - honor, integrity, faith, hope, change, power.

So, without further ado, here's what I came up with. What do you think? Honest opinions welcome.

Ode to a Campaign of Hope

Germinating from neither ruffles nor flourishes
Rather, green lush grass roots from milk and honey
Sprouting from soil of our Fathers who led heretofore
Cultivating in the hearts, souls, and flesh of their posterity

Bringing not forth their axes to grind against broken fences
Nor mud to sling across rows of yielding fruit
Rather, spading bountiful ground with honor and courage
For the soil was a fertile foundation of our faith

Listen to small rocks grind the big one down
Tilling the earth one yes we can at a time
One phone call, one neighbor, one rally, one vote
At a time in history when we hunger for change

Lavish crops multiply across rows of labor
Seeds of audacity budding rain or shine
Blooming through the power of hope
Restoring integrity to the land on which we feed

©2008 – Michelle Hix