3 Short Poems: "A Brief Life", "Our Hands", and "Betrayal Game"

I participate in a variety of hashtag games on Twitter, and sometimes the prompts involve poetry or inspire a poem.

Today, I'd like to share three of my mini-poems that I especially like.

A Brief Life

The theme prompt for this one was "fireworks". None of my works in progress mention fireworks, but this poem came to mind, so I shared it. It could work for a firework, or for a life lived like one.


It shoots for the stars
Shining as if it were one of them
A brief life
At its apex, it blossoms
Into beauty, light and flame
Then it vanishes
Leaving only smoke
And fond memories
Of one who burned half as long
But more than twice as bright

Our Hands

This poem was inspired by my Undertale webcomic, Just Cause​. The style is a departure from my usual approach; normally I try to avoid repeating words, but this time I decided to take a few repeating words and see how much I could do with them.


Violence of your hands
Forces the clock's hands
To stop and turn back

It's out of my hands
Future is in your hands
I must take it back

Hear the call
Fly the coop
Take the fall
Break the loop

While echoes of your hands
Far gentler than my hands
Lie soft on my back

Betrayal Game

​This poem was inspired by my in-progress fanfiction for Don't Starve, called The Puppetmaster and the Shieldmaiden. It's the sequel to Four Times I Begged Them.


A game I can't win
Yet can't bear to lose
Should never have played

Reward for my sin
Rests on what she'll choose
After I betrayed

Trust she blindly gave
Ere I proved to be
Far less than she thought

And now she can save
Me and set me free
Or leave me to rot
​

Which of these poems is your favorite?
​I'd love to hear from you in the comments!