This week, the W3 Weave Weekly Poetry Prompt #62 Poet of the Week is Pankaj Kumar.
Punjar’s Prompt Guidelines
Write a sonnet or any other 14-line poem about “The concept of time and how it affects our lives.”
I wrote a sonnet, At the Seam, for the prompt. It’s supposed to be Shakespearean (sorry Will, I tried). I also cropped (to fit the 14 line rule) and rehashed a rhyme, Time for Tea, from yonks ago, just for fun.
At the Seam
There is no time, ‘tis but a mortal’s dream. The clock marks its beat with a tick-tock-tick long summer days of cricket at the seam slow bowl to wicket or a neck in a crick A tyrant, a friend, a will-o’-the-wisp A treasure to find and keep for a day In the sunlit dawn and moonlight eclipse Time plays the game till it wends on its way A wizard of hope, a waft of a breeze, Watcher to the inexorable plan Spinner of dreams with a dastardly wheeze Sands of time running out every last man At the close of play, and however you look time is a cliché—an evil old rook (no offence to the rook, but it rhymes) Lesley Scoble, July 2023
THE ASHES At the close of play today, England won the third test of the Ashes. Phew! Which means the test match is still alive. Well done, Brook, Wood and Woakes. Come on Stokes and England! You can do it. We shall go into the fourth test at Old Trafford 2-1 to the Aussies. 🏏 Here’s to a good innings. Now it’s time for tea.
Time for Tea
Eergh! The alarm clock rang! Shouting me awake Shocking me from slumber For heaven’s sake! I hurl it flying across the bedroom floor The clock hits the door There’s a clang and a clatter Something in its works go twang Oh dear! What’s the matter? I’ve inflicted some harm No cause for alarm (notice the pun here?) I prise my eyes open hoping to see he’s brewed some tea (or coffee) for me— but he’s still snoring. Lesley Scoble, 2023 (cut and rehashed from old notes)
NOTES
At the Seam
The cricket term, “At the seam”, refers to a variation in seam bowling. It is when the bowler prepares to fast bowl with his fingers in line with the seam of the ball.
The bowler makes the plane of the ball’s seam tumble, rather than “stable at a narrow angle to the direction of the delivery (seam up), or almost perpendicular to the direction of the delivery (cross-seam)”
If you didn’t know this before, you sure do now! haha! Poetry is so educational, is it not?
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
My thanks to David, the host, W3 Weave Weekly Poetry Prompt #62 and to Poet of the Week Pankaj Kumar.
Lesley lives in the City of London Square Mile. An artist, actor and sculptor (her first ceramic sculpture won the V&A inspired by… Award). Scenic artist & book illustrator, playwright, (her musical play, Rapscallion performed in inner city schools and theatre school); TV dancer; Animator and illustrator for TV production. Set up Pinecone Studios Ltd and IIMSI Ltd drama and filmmaking workshops in London – producing award-winning films made by children.
LesleyScoble.com 
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