2010 April PAD Challenge: Day 14 Poetic Asides  
Posted by Robert

For today's prompt, take the phrase "(blank) Island," replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write the poem. You could do a well-known island, such as "Treasure Island," "Ellis Island," or "Total Drama Island." Or you could make up the name of an island. Or you could even have a long drawn out title, such as "You'll never get me on an island" or "If I were on a deserted island."

I have two poems tonight. Lost Boys Island came first as I wrestled with the second, the one I wanted to capture but kept wriggling fish-like from my mind. I think that my initial resistance came from the fear that I wouldn't do the topic justice. I finally had to just step back and tell myself, good or bad, you will write something tonight. Ah... deadlines as motivation. Anyway, it worked. This one's for Jim.

Our Island, or Undiscovered Paradise

We spin through cerulean spindrils
Through starlit depths,
fingertips glimmering
we scissor through noctilucent fish
as we swirl toward our shore
and slide into sands of powdered pearl.

Under the wheeling helix of stars,
Under the soft flannel night,
we carve out our crenellated dreams
from foam and hope and tide,
while the breath of breeze
stirs fireflies from the trees.

We are safe here, on our island
in our cantilevered treehouse
with its chorus of monkeys,
and its Victorian bath tub
crouched on clawfeet
and its telescopes reaching
for the kaleidoscopic stars.
Here we can rest and be who
we cannot be.

On diaphanous wings we flit
diving, darting, looping
through the canopy,
the heartbeats of our liberty
counted like wingbeats
that bear us up to the
opaline dawning of a new day
that will meet us, refreshed.

And when I open my eyes,
I will dream of you.

And here's the other poem: 

Lost Boys Island

We have never met
never met
But you and me are mates

We swim and swim
legs pumping
fingers scissor 
through sea and salt 
toward our shore 
Where by night we meet
by night we meet.

Here! – build a sandcastle 
Here – give it a shell for a flag
and a tower
and now run and run
and jump.

Now let’s climb:
a tree house
Climb up up up
It’s called a canopy
It sways and sways
Like a cradle
But it will never
Fall

Here is where we light
our torches
Here is where we wave
our signals
To the sea,
the ever-watching sea

Do you see us
on our island?
See our splaying fingers:
This many
I’m this many.

We have never met
Except by night
by light of this dream.
Goodnight.