Time stood still in this place where that which was will always be Bitterness incubates as silent expectations ricochet across unanswered prayers A community borne of common misgivings bands together in unified disappointment And in the name of change, those storm clouds gather When the ways of old wrinkle, distorted by nuances some don’t understand the fabric of tradition tears and bleeds blackened … Continue reading Broken Traditions
Originally posted on Writing and Reflections:
Drink they said Offering the sweet spirits from the Fountain of Youth My refusal made clear as the ornate goblet crashed to the ground Wouldn’t trade shiny locks, long and luscious for my ever emerging streaks of gray Not for a moment would I take back these fine lines creeping across my face I welcome these new aches and… Continue reading Sweetest Wine
As a teacher in a Catholic school, I was required to attend a safety meeting last week. It was held in a church and two retired law enforcement personnel taught us what to do if there was an active shooter during mass. While an important discussion, I was struck by the contrast of the topic in a place that is supposed to be one of … Continue reading Just In Case
knowing in loneliness knowing in loving She waits balancing the distance between nowhere and here She waits points on a map disappear as time nullifies miles and minutes and minutia she wages war against desperation and wills the waves to stop rolling and waits standing alone as cold winds blow she feels the warmth of Spring even … Continue reading Love Perseveres
Sightless I am lost in reverie Thoughts undulate like tentacles grasping memories in the ashes of a fire I set long ago photo: Pexels prompts: In Other Words, #TastyPoem, #FebruaryFalls18, Continue reading Indiscriminate Musings
A curious power — finding magic hiding between the thorn and the rose with wounded words found in rain-soaked cities and wide-open fields between walls of glass that sparkle before dawn smudges and distorts clear blue skies the lonely poet wears a cloak meant for the malefactor he lurks in the shadows waiting to steal beauty from the grotesque restless … Continue reading Poetry Conceived
Demise beneath broken skies a cacophony of strident voices sentenced her to die by morning She’d be drowned in a well of shadows as the death bell tolled under a crimson moon such a hollow ring, a hollow ring Trust and love, a subterfuge Clandestine meetings in that old church passionate embraces beneath favissa and pooling wax Her lover unlaced her corset with gentle … Continue reading Accused
Because it isn’t about words… these poems we create these songs we write these stories we tell It isn’t about words that hold no power They can’t begin to exist until we, the writers, trust enough to let go to find the place where they become something more Words don’t matter Not without tears from shattered hearts or blood on … Continue reading More than Words
Barraged by noise, the clanging and banging sounds of industry insidiously creeping into every corner, every moment, every thought I lost the ability to find silence and when faced with adversity, issues and challenges relentless in their pursuit of chaos, of turmoil, of white-hot anger, of well-planned revenge I lost perspective I met a woman once by chance as we shared the same road Content … Continue reading By Chance
Sultry days retreat into cool nights where stars explode on velvet ink skies. We slip down that old dirt road past the soaring birch dropping its golden leaves to collect dew covered one-eyed susans before frost claims their waning blooms. Like runaway children, we laugh as we traipse through the mud to reach the top of the hill that overlooks the sea below, pointing to … Continue reading Change of Season
Gifted by time’s sweet perspective, twists and turns defined a solitary kiss To heal the hurt, his simple objective a lingering embrace, a rescue from the abyss And in that moment when time stood still, when faith and trust meant letting go I felt these intentions of his A connection meant to chase away that chill A chance to erase the trials of long ago … Continue reading Ode to a Kiss
It’s a blessing, this indecision No more hesitating to count what’s mine although a tear may blur my vision This choice, a final baseline No more hesitating to count what’s mine I’ll erase those mistakes and call it revision This choice, my final baseline for a future free of derision I’ll erase those mistakes and call it revision Surely a gift from above, some kind … Continue reading Gift of Indecision
Takes time to bury roots that seek a place to hold Struggle feeds wisdom Memories as fierce storms rage urge tender saplings to bend Resilience rewards even the weak sapling with a strong foundation Roots grow, given enough time to create mighty forests photo and prompt: #weekly tanka challenge – 53, WordPress Daily Post Continue reading Lessons Learned
Funny how years can melt away, slipping down those walls we built. A shared smile slipped in the locks of time and toggled open each yesterday. We fell into a familiar routine, one that lived in a place before a hinged door hesitated and shut with a whispered click. That day of goodbyes, the one roaming the corners of my mind, tugged on tethers we spent … Continue reading Bridging Time
She was somewhat of a local legend what with the way she always dressed in black An obsidian obelisk stuck in the candy-colored swirl of clouds, her youthful face obscured by the weight of her grief Still, she was woven into the community fabric, an example of the perilous journey betrayal invites A warning Trust long since left behind, scattered in the days when … Continue reading Scarlet Letters
Maybe it was the summer heat a perceptible shift from the mundane maybe it was the summer heat first attempts washed away the stain a tentative push toward rebellion a perceptible shift from the mundane tired of leaning backwards, of the Machiavellian a nudge to stiffen the spine and vent a tentative push toward rebellion partial became whole with each voice of … Continue reading La Gaudiere
You say tomorrow is a clean slate…beckoning Relieved, I urge time to hasten this day photo: Pixabay prompt: WordPress Daily Post Continue reading Pushing Time
I dreamt of my past last night… the ultimate paradox that place where my dreams lived when all the edges were smooth and promises opened to possibilities that blossomed in the night where even the tension that beckoned each morning serves now as my muse and the drama it owned told stories that would fill any playhouse with audiences who urged the ingénue to bite … Continue reading Paradox
When we are apart I lose sight of my center I speak to angels searching for the sound of your voice whispering above the clouds photo: mine prompt: Three Words A Day Continue reading Waiting
A quest for instant satisfaction drives fools to the edge, a rush of adrenaline to fuel fleeting desires wrapped in pretty packages It’s never enough to satisfy the need lurking just beneath Disjointed ambition pandering to greed, to need, to concede Settling for less when what the heart craves, what the heart knows, seems too daunting a task Take time with the things … Continue reading Each Small Moment
With parallel experiences, our lives are intertwined though you tend to get lost in spice and smoke, preferring to walk blind Your strong desire to please, a dangerous mission leads you astray These roads you follow, silent footsteps on a fool’s array Wander as you must, choices and consequences become solidly combined Your blood running in mine, spirits before us whisper and remind our background, this … Continue reading Intertwined
a moment to collect these fragments of time by chance, a moment to turn it inside out if only for a moment scaffolds of despair layered under a rain-kissed sky imaginary temples to honor seclusion beneath a nectarine sun as the wolf, beaten, howls at the door for a moment a woman, more than blood and bone, seeks truth aspirations drawn out on … Continue reading Moments
Scenes played out, familiar but not quite intimate. A slight detachment between performers and audience, yet a story shared by many. Mutual connection separated by varying degrees of separation. If each experience is unique, is the collective result skewed? A responsibility to warn of dire consequences hangs in the air, drowning out voices repeating old lines a silent witness unmasked as worlds come undone … Continue reading Silent Detonation
the power of memories a trip to what had been I let go I surrendered the power of a song a reminder of what had been I heard echoes of laughter I danced with ghosts burdens of today weigh heavy a prison made from scars I needed to slip away I cast a lifeline to yesterday If for a moment, relief … Continue reading Nostalgia
After the rain it all looked different, a reprieve Those city streets covered in grease and grime sparkling just enough to make us believe Cracked and broken sidewalks glistened on a midsummer’s eve almost beautiful, washed clean of blood and crime After the rain it all looked different, a reprieve That driving storm hid mothers who grieve Strobes of police lights fading in … Continue reading After the Rain
I thought I knew who I was until I became the person I am not Following that twisted path because I had the audacity to believe a false claim I thought I knew who I was It wasn’t until I became adrift, stopping to untie knots, that I allowed this true reflection to stretch until I became the person I am meant to be, laid … Continue reading Change of Heart
I suppose it’s well enough for now this departure from reality It’s well enough for now Ensconced in a world of strained repartee true believers cast a spell, an ordination in this departure from reality Packaged and sold as one’s vocation Weak and weary accept the transition as true believers cast that spell, an ordination Fact and fiction dance in this place, a juxtaposition and … Continue reading Before Flight
Sometimes illusion eviscerates expectation like reverse reflections mirroring shattering glass Defiant, the faithful pursue unattainable goals embracing intent to entice new roles Wading into dark and deep crevices that lurk outside defined boundaries some are waylaid on hidden shoals sinking deeper into predetermined holes But for some who dare to fly with clipped wings those jagged shards cast shimmering points of light A beacon when … Continue reading Courage
Found a discarded photograph by the side of the road Yellowed by time, its shadows whispered a story Frayed edges framed tattered dreams in black and white A packed suitcase on a perfectly made bed beneath that cracked window Yellowed by time, its shadows whispered a story A simple wedding band there on the pillow next to a one-way bus ticket out of town Frayed … Continue reading Abandoned Dreams
Sometimes I slip back to that place where troubles can’t intrude My mother’s garden, filled with flowers and lace In need of respite from life’s fast pace I wander and let waves wash over this unsettled mood Sometimes I slip back to that place In search of comfort, it’s childhood footsteps I trace to release these problems I’ve accrued My mother’s garden, filled with flowers … Continue reading Going Home
