it bares its teeth and I remember I feel its weight in my bones I spew its language brown and muddy I am lost it settles in my skin and I shudder I miss sunlight I miss fresh air it digs deeper and I weep lost a familiar presence this beast my constant companion drawing fine lines that slowly crack along an old path These … Continue reading Blue
I will be attending the Austin International Poetry Festival later this week. In honor of that, I am posting the poems I plan to read at the festival. Like his father and his father before him This way of life coursed through his veins Up before the morning sun reflected off silos in the fields Out the door before the kettle cooled on the wood-fired stove … Continue reading Keeper of the Fields
Tears trace broken lines across a face weathered by a mother’s journey photo: Pixabay prompt: Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center Please follow this link to sign up for great prompts! Continue reading Joy and Sorrow
a single leaf clings to an empty branch twisting in the cool autumn wind waiting when the moment is right and colors explode in that perfect golden haze it surrenders the descent, slow and lazy marks the beginning and the end it’s harvest time photo: Pixabay prompt: #DimpleVerse Continue reading Chasing Seasons
When the sound of a slamming door echoes for too long, it reveals truths only a healed heart can hear Because before it closed, it framed the gateway to promises made and dreams held, somehow innocent in intention Because as it closed, it carried the weight of differences unreconciled and frailty revealed, somehow reinforced in anger Because after it closed, it defined the difference of … Continue reading Seeking Bridges
The cat is gone The porcelain beauty keeping vigil in the backyard atop a cracked boulder and flanked by a faded pinwheel Even the plastic flowers…gone Taking for granted, this guardian of someone’s beloved pet who greeted me each morning as I parked my car beside the dilapidated house next to my school I didn’t consider it might disappear Stealing my breath for just a … Continue reading Progress
Once I gazed into my crystal ball Clutched it in my clammy hands and willed it to reveal the future The absence of clear visions reflected my absolute lack of power Frustration welled deep within and burst through those shaky hands I shook it, cursing its honesty I slammed it, mourning my losses I buried it in the muck In the rebirth of Spring I … Continue reading Shades of Blue
If you wait long enough life comes full circle Each second ticks by meticulously measuring each step creating order amidst chaos With no regard for grand plans or purposeful intention things fall into place of their own accord while you ride rivers of white water pausing here and there in tidal pools, tranquil and calm that linger just before the highest waterfalls Sometimes you must … Continue reading Full Circle
It’s waiting that is most difficult My stomach churns as I force each breath to leave my compressed chest and gasp, starved for the next shaky inhalation Emotion becomes its own entity A twisted tangle of dreams, fears, anticipation that crushes awareness of anything else I am weightless as I meander through surreal days Years upon years striving toward this goal that many times seemed … Continue reading Graduation
When growing pangs become weapons in a war waged between father and son the world ahead beckons, it beckons promising victory in battles that can’t be undone Unaware as the old guard changes they are pawns in the game that history prearranges always designating misplaced blame Experience is said to trump ambition in a world with broken rules and hearts filled with suspicion by one … Continue reading Father’s Son
Holding the antique locket in her tiny hands she faced her class Today was her turn for Show and Tell Her face beamed as she said This was grandma’s Grasping the well-worn locket in his shaking hands he faced her frail body Today was his last chance to say Good-bye His eyes welling with tears as he said I love you, Mom Displaying the shiny … Continue reading The Locket
Juxtaposition A powerful tool skillfully used to compare the passion that fuels both love and hatred the fluid line between right or wrong the broken boundaries of ideology and reality the frayed edges connecting my side with yours Attempting to gather insight when weighing options Agonizing dilemmas battle in a troubled mind Employing complicated comparisons only works when a willingness to surrender allows karma … Continue reading Yin Yang
There’s a woman I know Who could be the me I was so long ago A young single mother navigating each day Facing the struggle of raising children alone Looking in the mirror from opposite sides I see the past while hoping she sees the future For now she’s too busy traversing a minefield of new experiences without a map to do … Continue reading Mirrored Lives
A pledge to begin anew Resolutions and restitution Make the wrongs right Committed to scrub away scarred skin to reveal tender growth buried well beneath Fresh faces Untouched places A chance to write a different ending to a depleted story A lifetime of miscalculated choices Creates determination to forge a new path Across a quiet room a familiar face An old … Continue reading Break the Cycle
So it begins Simple in its beauty Like fresh linen tablecloths on an old picnic table Crisp like the apples that hang from a nearby tree Hard-earned wrinkles will develop in due time Developing slowly Layers of complications grow Like weeds in the garden multiplying exponentially Prowling like feral cats that sneak in the night Wells needed to sustain life run dry in due … Continue reading In Due Time
