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
*reblogging an old poem… Beneath the sparkling surface Under festive ribbons and bows Behind stockings hung with care Lurks another side to Christmas Filled with despair In the quiet night sits a young mother alone by the cracked ceramic jar emblazoned with “Pennies for a Rainy Day” She knows it won’t go far Across town the room begins to fill with the homeless … Continue reading Broken Lights
What if those iron bars that surround you were nothing more than gossamer threads, shredded remnants of broken dreams still projecting the illusion of captivity What if… What if that touchstone you treasured for all those years, revered and held by insignificant power, now fell buried in the muck, dull and cracked What if… What if what was, isn’t What if what was, never was … Continue reading What If
She heard the thunder but never felt the rain It rumbled and rolled through her chest and shook the ground beneath her bare feet but not a drop fell from that steel grey sky She witnessed the crash but never saw the impact It exploded in squealing tires seeking purchase and shattering glass raining on her unprotected body but not a sliver fell from that spider-webbed … Continue reading Living Nightmares
That I take umbrage would be insufficient a description of behavior that fuels fires burning beneath my cauldron red-hot with rage How my blood boils incited by accusations uttered by those who only know abuse of power while collecting souls of the naïve Speaking from both sides of one mouth, they condemn freely while encouraging deceit openly Daring the concourse to slip and disavow the … Continue reading Sour Grapes
Not because possible disappointments hang in the air, stagnant and stifling Not because possible changes hover in the shadows, imminent and impending Not because possible endings hide in plain sight, teasing and tormenting but because in the quiet of these moments I hear the music that orchestrates my future Because those closing doors open a million windows, crystal and clear Because those new adventures offer … Continue reading Open Doors
And so it is with blind trust that I stare at this blank page willing the words to appear knowing sometimes the stories we tell are written in invisible ink Prodded by a desire to release demons and capture angels my fingers race across well worn keyboards looking for that potent elixir Like diamonds from ashes the prose appears dipped in gold from straws immersed … Continue reading Unlikely Miracles
He saw it by the dusty curb dull and discarded Slipping it into his pocket he headed home Turning the key in the door with the faded numbers He announced his arrival in this place beneath the neon light that flashed “Weekly” His sister sat criss-crossed on a carpet that hosted too many shoes as her own tennis shoes, holes in the soles lay discarded … Continue reading Red Nose Reality
It’s a particular drive that urges us forward as we follow paths that define us Teacher, Nurse, Chef Carpenter, Banker, Scientist Entertainer, Minister, Mom We all began as children playing in the schoolyard For some, the call came early almost predestined in a grand plan For others, the way wound around several sharp curves and u-turns Still, we were once those children trying on roles … Continue reading The Paths We Choose
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
No one saw it coming back in the Age of Information already immersed in steady decline One hand dealing cards unaware as the other loaded the deck and played the fortuitous hand Cutting brake lines on an already speeding car racing toward the end of the road Stepping carelessly in the space in-between Moments measured in milliseconds Inevitable collision created in slow motion If only … Continue reading Near Miss
Presumed defeated in a faraway place, long ago Fear no longer invaded dreams Restful sleep came to all Confident vanquished demons now nothing but a distant memory The beast awoke in a spectacular wave undulating through pristine pastures Clawing its way through fallow soil it resurfaced, gnashing broken teeth Its bellowing reverberating through once sacred halls rekindling terror long since extinguished Time stood still as pendulous … Continue reading Resurrection
Protected in his crystal palace he inspects the world around him A self-appointed King his pleasure is borne on the backs of his subjects Resolute in their mission minions set to work diligently, earnestly for a job that brings its own reward Entertained by chaos created by unattainable rules proclaimed in his name the king had no shame witnessing the suffering Still, peasants labored finding … Continue reading Karma
Plaintive cries greeted me pausing the whirlwind the morning brings Deadlines slipped away Replaced with an instinctive need to answer the call for help Not sure who was more relieved as her yellow eyes met mine there in that old shed Sometimes a gentle reminder to look for joy in unexpected places Puts everything in proper perspective Continue reading Gentle Reminders
The afternoon sun casts perfectly defined shadows Standing sentient in glorious imitation Precise silhouettes chase changing skies Stretching to reach for wavering light Phantom images dance as hours grow longer Yielding to crimson hues on the horizon Unified in simplicity they stand splendidly for fleeting moments until the sun bids adieu Continue reading Shadows
Following a path of my own design, I wander alone Sometimes the weight of stillness invites me in, urging me to pause and just be… Embracing silence, serenity is found Sometimes an absence of distraction clears my head, allowing my vision to clear and find new perspectives… Finding fresh ground, I am refreshed Sometimes a moment of solitude is all I need, granting me strength … Continue reading Fresh Air
Bestowed with an adventurer’s hunger she yearned for new experiences Seeking the next anecdote to add to her ever-growing personal narrative Filled with a restless soul always on the move she arrived at the new homestead with eyes wide opened and spirit ready to receive the story waiting to be revealed Before her, a faded clapboard house shutters slightly askew invited her in Moving boxes … Continue reading The Muse
https://sundayphotofictioner.wordpress.com/ Not bound by ordinary conventions Nor a need to lie his head in a place called home The Wanderer follows his own path Writing lyrics to a song his soul knows by heart Beginning his journey by the sandy beaches of the Gulf Coast A plate of shrimp and grits to satisfy his palate The music of Donnie Fritts to soothe his spirit The … Continue reading The Great Journey
The Book of Life slipped out of my hands It fell to the floor and opened to the chapter titled Transitions Captivated by stories of change I wept as my trembling fingers turned each page Gone were the days of innocence Epic tales of good and evil recorded my personal narrative as my eyes scanned the story of my life Detailed accounts of triumph and … Continue reading Book of Life
Plans and promises made over a lifetime Best intentions and all the right reasons Thought I knew best My way was the right way Thought I knew All I never knew Balance shifted s l o w l y Frustration grew exponentially Time to relinquish control No room for the pity party every bit of me craves I’m handing over the reins Only took the … Continue reading Blue Skies Ahead
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 pains that now greet me each … Continue reading Sweetest Wine
Today becomes abstract as it is archived in the pages of history Destined to join the annals of long ago How much time must pass before the present becomes the past And flawed memories validate misrepresentation Quandaries and dilemmas so important in the here and now somehow become vague memories, inconsequential Solutions and agendas insistently employed start ripples of change that touch future days accepted, … Continue reading Flawed Recollection
The fairy tale began in the usual way Plans, dreams a vision of perfection Until the magic mirror cracked revealing the Dark Side Chapter Two brought together two fractured souls Desperately trying to slay dragons with broken arrows that somehow missed the mark Editing began frantic at first Slowly morphing into deliberate intention The heroine became her own hero as she rewrote the story Wasn’t … Continue reading Worth the Wait
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
Be still just still in your quiet space in your lonely place Immerse yourself in this moment just this moment As you trace your scars behind self-imposed bars Look within deep within Embrace the pain Let go to stand in the rain Release the hurt so much hurt Fear can no longer tether Take the time to shape a new forever Face your demons All … Continue reading All In Good Time
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
Sometimes subtle Gentle caresses tickle unsuspecting patrons Feathery touches barely perceptible Sometimes threatening Heavy tumblers sail across a vacant bar Crashing glass can’t be ignored Sometimes passive An apparition standing lost in thought at the window high above the floor raises nothing but questions yet to be answered Sometimes restless A woman from a bygone era strolls across an empty room searching … Continue reading Unexpected Guests
Assumptions Dangerous liaisons between desires and reality Institutions perceived to be forthright carefully cloaked in corruption Authority revered and trusted opportunistically exploited Realization dawns under harsh light and broken assumptions Continue reading Never Assume
Floating just above the surface she moves as swiftly as the fast flowing river at the end of the winter Her veins engorged with ice She shows no mercy Charming the gathering crowd she mesmerizes as the snake dances before her obeying her every demand Her hands orchestrate deception She shows no mercy Stunning in her power she sows the seeds of discontent Reaping her … Continue reading No Mercy
Kaleidoscopes create dazzling beauty by simply twisting together broken bits of vibrant charms Never portraying same image twice My masterpiece will never mirror yours Drawing upon individual slights of hand We each spin that magical cylinder to reflect our own colors And when the image is not quite what we had hoped it would be and the colors seem a little skewed We … Continue reading Kaleidoscope
