Like Leaves The Color Of Fire

Just A Little Silly Song

2010-01-29T07:03:00.000-08:00

I like your love cuz it's so crazy-
Makes me swoon and makes me hazy-
Puts me in a spell for day-z's-
Come be my Valentine!

You got the cutest eyes I've ever seen
They hyp-no-tize me with their green
Bright like pricey kinds of bling-
Come see me, Valentine!

I want your hug cuz it's so cozy-
To touch your cheeks and lips and nose-y
And hug you from your head to toe-sies
Come hold me, Valentine!

You've got my heart forever, Honey
You are all I ever want-ey-
Makin all my days so sunny-
Come love me, Valentine!

The reason for this little rhyme-
Is to say I love you all the time -
And the best thing about you, Valentine-
Is
You. You. You...
Are mine!

An Old Familiar Song

2010-01-27T06:56:00.000-08:00

I stepped outside the other day
and on the wind, a voice did say-
"I'm coming soon- do not despair.
I travel quickly on the air."

I stopped and listened even more
To a voice beyond that distant shore
that whispered like a long lost friend-
across the cruel and cutting wind.

I tuned my ears, but barely heard-
The sweet promises in every word.
Then all at once, I heard her sing-
and without a doubt, the song was Spring.

Her voice was lost by a gusty blow
and muffled by a fluff of snow-
And nearly stopped before the gate-
But I screamed to her-"Yes! I will wait!"

An icy chill ran up my spine
and I was lost again in Winter time-
but even though I could not hear-
I know my Spring is somewhere near.

The song grew quiet on cloudy skies
As I watched for her with anxious eyes
My hope. My Spring. My faithful friend.
That never fails to sing again.

I cannot always hear her now-
Amid naked trees and silent plow,
but her song will push through Winter's wall
And surround me with it's pleasant call.

I huddle near the window frame-
and recite her sweet and solemn name.
"Spring, Spring- she comes again!
My ever faithful, loving friend!"

Another Winter

2010-01-10T09:08:00.000-08:00

I can take the snow-
it's weight of white
that settles in the wispy trees.

I can take the ice
that forms like cones
when the air starts dropping by degrees.

I can take the cold-
it's shuddering touch
that clouds me with a frigid hand.

I can take the winter-
it's restless soul
that blankets sky and sea and land.

But I grow afraid
with each new day
that my heart will freeze
and stay that way-
A solid mass of ice and chill
that tries to thaw...
but never will.

I Am You

2009-12-16T04:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes
the line between
where you begin
and I end
blurs like
a sweet valentine-
we bleed into one another
like spilled honey-
bound together
in an affectionate nectar
that defies separation.

Yet,
sometimes-
the line between
where you begin
and I end-
clashes like
oil and vinegar.

I am you.

I can't speak.
I can't breathe.

I wear your shoes.
I clip my wings.

I mold into your side
and am smothered
by the darkness.

I am you.
I am you.
I am you.

I Wonder

2009-12-14T07:23:00.000-08:00

We owned a cabin once.

A small, one room
musty-smelling house
with fragrant wood heat-
and well water
that you had to pump
into a tin bucket.

But from the screened porch
you could see the forest.
And birds
and deer
and the seasons of the sky.
Sunny days
and thunderstorms
and snowflakes spinning.

We sat there one day
holding hands,
listening to the silence.

Years passed by
before our eyes.

And then we finally got up,
fixed bacon and eggs,
sold the cabin,
and grew old.

I wonder if the oak tree there
still stands against the wind...
If tiny ripe pears
poke out of blooming buds...
If the cherry trees grow
thick and heavy in July...

..If some part of us is still there
on that porch swing,
holding hands.

Funny Sad

2009-11-16T03:45:00.000-08:00

I think I'll start my diet now
because I'm starting to look like a pregnant cow-
my face is fat-
my waist is broad-
So it's time to change this ugly bod!

But yet, here comes the pumpkin pie
that catches my nose and diverts my eye
and all the stuff
that just aint cool-
is making me drool!

Just one bite? It just won't work.
My appetite just goes berserk
till before I know it
I've consumed
the contents of the dining room!

I wish I was a grizzly bear
that could eat and eat without a care
And hibernate all winter long-
And come out later
all lean and strong!

But, alas, I must begin this thing
that causes me such grievous pain
and start to just look away
when fattening things
all come my way.

I must have faith-
because if I fail-
My sister will be a skinny rail
that enters the room and others "woo"-

...and when I come in
they'll just say "Moo!"

Haiku Thursday

2009-11-12T03:15:00.000-08:00

The year closes up
like a tired blinking eye
that no longer sees.

Loneliness

2009-11-10T03:19:00.000-08:00

A lonely leaf fell from the tree.
I saw the leaf, but it did not see me.

It lay awhile all curled and brown
like a feather on the velvet ground-
till all at once a breeze blew by
and caused that lonely leaf to fly.

It spun like a ballerina there
all poised and free without a care
and drifted off into a sea
of other leaves that did not see me.

I sometimes wish that I could fly
like a lonely leaf upon the sky
and never stop until I find
another heart that feels like mine.

Haiku Friday

2009-11-06T03:48:00.000-08:00

Money can't by love-
but if you want to try it,
just bring on the bling!

Sand Castles

2009-11-05T03:46:00.000-08:00

I once knew a man-
a beautiful man-
who lived by the ocean
in a castle of sand.
He was the keeper
of the sun and the sea.
He was a lover of life
and of me.

I went there one day-
one beautiful day,
and out on the sand
we embraced as we lay-
And we were the makers
of music and wine.
We were the masters
of ages and time.

That man that I knew-
that beautiful man-
Who lived by the ocean
in a castle of sand-
Gave me rings made of shells
and jewelry of stones-
Which I kept and I treasured
when I was alone.

One day I went
to his home by the sea-
and nothing was left
of the man who loved me.
The castle was nowhere
amid all the sand.
Nothing was there
but a great stretch of land.

And there was nothing left-
no dreams which to trust.
My shells turned to starlight-
My stones turned to dust.

Accolades

2009-10-30T04:22:00.000-07:00

Yellow leaves fall
like puddles of wet feathers
and the air smells
of tired rain.

Clouds dance
over the fields
and corn stalks bow
in withered surrender.

A black crow caws
across the sunless sky
and the pond swells.

I sit at my window
and watch
the scenery being set
for a new season.

Autumn-
I applaud you.

It's been a wonderful show...

Poetry Pie

2009-10-29T04:01:00.000-07:00

I set out before you my new poem-
freshly made-
carefully prepared-
a little proud that all the words
fit together so well.

Like a meal, I've presented it to you
and watch as you peck away slowly.

I watch your expression.

Wait for your approval.

Anxious as you digest the poem
right before my eyes.

"Too depressing."
"Wrong subject matter."
"Awkward structure."

I'm not surprised that
you found no flavor in it.

You have no taste.

Haiku Wednesday

2009-10-28T04:26:00.000-07:00

The flood waters burst-
like dirty chocolate milk
through loose rotten teeth.

Nothing

2009-10-27T04:16:00.000-07:00

I have nothing to say.

There is nothing new.
Nothing to write
and nothing to do.
No joy to release
or pain to suppress-
to plans to hide
or dreams to confess.
There is nothing,
there is nothing,
there is nothing today.

I have nothing to say.

Words

2009-10-26T03:44:00.000-07:00

When there seems to be no strength to hold me standing-
Words are friends that never seem to fail-
I know I can grasp words from my heart,
though it beats erratic, is weakened and pale.
And I toss them like friends about me-
like jewels that glisten bright in compare
that warm me up and give me hope
when I drown in loneliness and despair.

Words support me like bridges of steel
and wrap round me like a kindness, so rare-
Words are proof that I am still alive
and not oblivious to care.
Words are my lifesaver when the waves clash
and the lightning strikes close to home.
Nothing can take them away from me-
With words, I am never alone.

I drown without them.
Yet, with words, I swim no better.

I just die on the ocean slowly.

Someone's Shoe

2009-10-23T03:47:00.000-07:00

Of all the things that turn my head
On highways long and pathways worn-
it's not the rusty fields of corn
Not even starlit skies of blue-

It's someone's shoe.

How did someone lose a shoe?
Just a single one- and not two?
Do they not see one foot is bare?
And why did they leave it sitting there?

Sometimes it looks perfectly new-
So why didn't they keep that shoe?
Did it fly out without them knowing
that suddenly their toes were showing?

I've seen a shoe all wrinkled and worn-
with laces gone and leather torn-
Not worth keeping- But even then-
You think you'd see it's ugly twin.

I've seen all kinds- and still I whisper-
"Who's limping around without that slipper?"
"Who's sprinting with one Nike Air?
"Does the cowboy know his boot is there?

How sad to see a lonely shoe...
Does any of them belong to you?

Haiku Thursday

2009-10-22T03:59:00.000-07:00

The big pumpkin glows
like a wild orange fireball
with a toothless grin.

Rare Days

2009-10-21T03:43:00.000-07:00

There were days when she felt like dancing-
like pulling up her long cotton skirt
and floating to the music of the old Victrola-
The same days when she felt
as though the circles beneath her eyes
and the arthritis in her fingertips
was a thing of the past.
There were days when her age
or her health-
didn't matter.
She felt nineteen again.

There were those few, rare days.

There were days when she shed
the thick woolen socks
and tight leather ankle shoes
and wandered outside barefoot-
where the warm sun made
the stone walk hot
and where the summer shade made
the green grass cool.
And she would walk to
the edge of the meadow
and imagine an end
to the sea of cornfields.

There were days when she would
let down her hair
and brush it the length of her back
and count the strokes
until she reached one hundred.
Then she would sit
in front of the old black fan
and pretend she was walking
in a rain storm
on an exotic street in Paris.

There were days when she felt like dancing-
like there were no boundaries
to what she could do
and who she could be.
Like life was just beginning
and
it
was
hers.

There were those few, rare days...

Bring Me Lilacs

2009-10-20T04:06:00.000-07:00

Flowers are a gift of love
and if your heart is true-
Gather not roses, ruby red
tied in ribbons of blue.
But to prove your faithfulness
and love forever more-
Bring me lilacs- bouquets of lilacs-
gather lilacs at my door.
For dearer than candy or jewelry or wine-
In life, my treasure is this:
Bring me lilacs- bouquets of lilacs-
Just lilacs and a kiss.
And should I someday pass from earth-
Upon my grave, I request no stone-
Just a lilac- a beautiful lilac
that will be mine alone.
Just a lilac-a beautiful lilac
before I travel home.

Temporary Insanity

2009-10-19T03:25:00.000-07:00

I turn on the car radio when I'm alone-
Take a new route home.
Listen to a song from the past.
Full blast.
Soon I'm blond and thin and tan.
It smells of coconut and sand.
My hair blows freely in the sun.
My red lips glisten as I run.
I'm soft and happy and so carefree.
I'm a woman alive!
I'm finally "me"!

But...
Then I'm home and the song is done.
I'm fat and grumpy and never fun.
I'm old and blue and grouchy and gray.
And it's time to put my dreams away.

Storm On The Horizon

2009-10-16T03:05:00.000-07:00

This is another poem of mine I found while cleaning closets this week.
Must have been a really bad day! :)

November 16, 1990 6:32 am Friday

This is the storm that I saw coming
In the distance of the sky-
I hold my own- Am I alone?
(I'm so grateful that I can cry)...

At first it was just raindrops-
We've stayed fairly dry.
But then thunder crashes and lightning flashes-
(and I'm so grateful that I can cry).

You soared so gracefully for so long-
Soared successfully and high.
But we can't pretend that we can mend
Broken wings that cannot fly.

The rain is torrents now, I see-
The lightning hurts my eyes-
My heart is still- I cannot feel-
(But I'm so grateful that I can cry).

Perhaps there is shelter somewhere
To comfort you and I.
But after this weather- will we be together?
Or soar a different sky?

Legacy

2009-10-15T03:32:00.000-07:00

Someday
there will be nothing left of me
except a stack of photographs
lying somewhere
in a musty drawer-
with old buttons
and pennies
and pens with no ink.

Beware

2009-10-14T03:57:00.000-07:00

Note:This little sing-song poem
was written in 2002 about a camping trip
experience. My sister Linda named
this so-called mud hole-
(strategically placed in
the middle of the campsite)-
which all of us seemed to
avoid except my husband.
You had to be there, I guess.
I found this while I was
cleaning yesterday and thought
it might bring Linda a smile...

Down in the holler
There's a story they tell
And I'll share it now
if you'll sit for a spell.

There's a place by the river-
By evil possessed-
It's a hole in the ground
that lies waiting in rest.

Slick as snot
and thick with mud
It'll bring you down
with a thunderous thud!

It will shame your pride
and steal your soul-
So friend, just beware
of the Ass-Whippin' Hole!

If you've had a few beers-
it just seems to know-
It opens right up
and grabs your big toe!

When others see it-
the laughter will roll
At the sight of your ass
gettin' whipped by the hole!

Futile Wishes

2009-10-13T03:54:00.000-07:00

To will the seasons?
It cannot be done-
No matter how you wish it true-
Spring cannot ever come
until natures bids it do.

Cry for Spring?
It is all in vain-
Tears will not bring forth
flowers in the lane
or a sky of blue.

To will the seasons-
to hurry Spring
with daffodils
and birds that sing-
and whippoorwill?

It cannot be-
though your poor heart pleads-
It comes with time
and fills the trees...
at nature's will.

A Pair

2009-10-12T03:22:00.000-07:00

Like salt and pepper shakers-
We're a pair
Put together in a corner
that we share.
I'm salt. You're pepper-
flowing free...
Needless to say, you're a bit
spicier than me!
We hang around together-
perfect as our name
But no matter how we try,
we'll never be the same.
Yet, I love you always-
to differences, I pay no mind.
We'll always be individuals,
yet, better when combined.
Like salt and pepper shakers,
we're a pair-
Even though we don't agree
on everything we share.
But I am confident we'll survive
any kind of weather-
Because we're the best that we can be
when we're shakin' it together!

Searching

2009-10-09T04:14:00.000-07:00

Autumn is swallowed up by rain.

...stuffed into a globe of swirling
yellow leaves that soon rest
like wet, lemon feathers
on my doorstep.

I breathe the cool air,
wrap my sweater tighter-
look beyond the withered corn fields
and search for Summer.

It was just here.
In my arms.
I was just holding onto
its sunshine and greenness
and the perfume of life.

Now, Autumn steps in.
Smelling of wet earth
and burning wood
and dry hay.
Cradling me with
shaky arms and
a chilly smile.

The screen door slams
with a gust of wind
and leaves continue
to dance from the trees
and die on the ground.

I go inside.
Ashamed that Autumn
would greet me so rudely.

Afraid that Summer
will never be found again.

Weeping

2009-10-08T03:52:00.000-07:00

I know where tears come from.

From rainy days like this.

The rain just drip, drip. drips
into pools of despair
that pour down
into the creases of your heart-
that twists through your veins-
that invade your thoughts...

And the rain stays there-
all swollen up inside of you
till finally
someone
or something
touches your heart-
breaks that fragile vessel-
and tears burst forth
and flow out
like painful rivers
into
a salty sea.

It's True

2009-10-07T05:35:00.000-07:00

Too much Time
Gives us Time
To think about Time.

For Later

2009-10-06T03:32:00.000-07:00

I wish that I could somehow catch
A piece of October sky-
That I could hide, until one day
the snowflakes start to fly.

I wish I could slice off some sunshine
to treasure and to hold-
To make me smile and keep me warm
when the winter makes me cold.

I wish I could save the autumn colors
in a special, secret jar-
stuffed full with violet sunsets
and silver, falling stars.

I'd place within each flaming leaf-
each golden day- each sweet perfume.
And in the midst of winter, release it all
around me in my room.

I wish I could have it all to keep-
These sweet autumn days...because,
deep in winter, I seem to forget
how really beautiful it was...

Waiting for Erin

2009-10-05T04:46:00.000-07:00

Written April 22, 1979

I'll never be a Disco Queen-
A ballerina in a distant dream-
A cheerleader on an All-Star team.
But-
I'm gonna be a Mom!

I'll never be a famous star-
A jet-set lady in a fancy car-
Or travel long and wide and far-
But-
I'm gonna be a Mom!

I'll never be the sophisticated kind-
wrapped in mink and gold and wine-
Ordering "escargot" when I dine-
But-
I'm gonna be a Mom!

And it doesn't matter if I get
past the old front door-
Or spend my leisure hours
vacuuming the floor-
Because what I'll be is better
than I've ever been before-
I'm gonna be a Mom!

And if the only stars I ever see
Are those up in the sky-
I'm gonna take these
brand new wings and fly-
I'm gonna give this special
dream a try.

I'm gonna be a Mom!

And nothing is important
in this whole wide world but you-
I'll spend my entire lifetime
helping take you through-
There's nothing else I'd rather be
Or anything else I'd rather do-
I'm gonna be a Mom!

Haiku Friday

2009-10-02T03:43:00.000-07:00

The full moon shines bright
like a fat white belly
in the midnight sky.

Farewell

2009-10-01T04:46:00.000-07:00

He died today. He died today.
I tried to hold him. He slipped away.
Now the chill sets in. I'm cold.
No longer is he here to hold.
We had such good times- he and I
beneath the summer's fading sky-
The days were full of smiles and plans-
But he slipped away- right through my hands.
We saw the season change together-
Held on through rough and rainy weather-
Watched the leaves turn the color of fire-
As the yellow moon grew higher...higher...
Bathed in sassafras perfume-
we lived. We laughed. We danced a tune.
But the music has just stopped today-
The cold has come- I fear- to stay.
Rest in peace, my dearest friend-
These memories will never end...
Mr. September- I still can see your face
as Mr. October comes
to take your place...

New Bride Paranoia

2009-09-30T03:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in the evenings I see you watching shadows
And staring into hollows of the sky.
And sometimes you tilt your head way back
and watch the magic stars go drifting by.

And your mind belongs to visions not known to me-
Your dreams seem to cling to things that were-
And when you look at me, you're not seeing me at all-
You're seeing her.

Sometimes in the evening you lay quietly beside me
And stare at corners bare of light-
And sometimes I feel that if I touch you,
you'll float off far away just like a kite.

And your mind belongs to visions not known to me-
Your dreams seem to cling to things that were-
And when you touch me, you're not touching me at all-
You're touching her.

Games Of Time

2009-09-29T04:46:00.000-07:00

We have no control of the days-
but they have us.
Wrapped tightly into a place,
where simply- we rust.
Where our hair turns gray
and our hearts turn cold-
where we have no control
of growing old.

We have no control of the days-
We think they're far ahead.
Then suddenly, they're behind us
And we are dead.

Hand Me Down World

2009-09-28T03:25:00.000-07:00

My friends all wore new-bought fancy shoes
with buckles that would glitter and shine-
But Daddy couldn't afford such things,
so my shoes weren't quite so fine.

First they were Barb's, then they were Jewel's,
Then they were Linda's- THEN they were mine.

My friends all wore beautiful clothes-
The lacy dress-up kind-
But since our family was so large-
we wore what we could find.

First they were Barb's, then they were Jewel's,
Then they were Linda's- THEN they were mine.
But at least I grew up humble-
In awe of the sublime.
And I never regretted having been
The last hand-me-down in line.
But I'm always thankful for something new
Because once there was a time-

First they were Barb's, then they were Jewel's,
Then they were Linda's- THEN they were mine.

Cry

2009-09-25T03:51:00.000-07:00

On days like this
I want to crawl into bed-
cover my head
and cry.

I want to bury my head
and pretend I am dead
and shout to the sky-
"It's okay if I cry!"

Why should I hide
what's boiling inside?
Why should I lie
when I just want to cry?

But, I'll stay in bed for awhile-
Then I'll get up and smile.

Because nobody likes
when I cry...

Happier Than Happy

2009-09-24T03:10:00.000-07:00

Written May, 1975

Last night I met a gentle man
who opened doors in my life
I never thought existed,
Shut up the wounds of my heart
with the gift of his words-
And he made me smile real smiles
for the first time in a long time.
And I was happier
than happy...

I don't know where I'm going , God.
I'm so confused and hurt inside.
Don't look down on me,
but don't look away.
Give me answers before
I make mistakes.

Last night I met a gentle man.
Why am I so guilty about happiness?
Why am I so afraid of love?
***
(That was 34 years ago.
I married that gentle man.)

Relishing the Moment

2009-09-23T03:14:00.000-07:00

Floating in the sunlight
like a fish in some blue sea-
Thinking about our yesterdays-
wondering what's to be-
Hoping that you'll always
continue loving me...

Leaning to the breezes
Like a soaring bird up high-
Making dreams up in my head-
Stars falling from the sky-
Wish I could catch
one silver tip
as it came by...

Relaxing in the moonlight
Like a butterfly set free-
Your gentle, smiling face
is all that I can see.
Just hoping that you'll always
continue loving me...

Wish I Did

2009-09-22T03:34:00.000-07:00

Wish I had a strong, wise heart
Like hearts I've often seen-
Then I could reach out and grasp
that distant calling dream.
But if I ever caught that dream
and it's beauty all unfurled-
I would not keep it for myself-
I'd share it with the world.

Wish I knew the kind of music
that the night skies bring-
Wish my tiny, timid heart
was brave enough to sing.
Then I could partake
in the endless cricket tune
And I could dance the night away,
waltzing with the moon.

Haiku Monday

2009-09-21T03:45:00.000-07:00

Autumn steals my heart
as leaves the color of fire
fall about my feet.

He's Coming

2009-09-18T03:16:00.000-07:00

Here comes Autumn.
He is standing just over the hillside,
waiting for me.
His hair is a nest of leaves-
the color of lemons
and pumpkins
and pomegranates...
He wears a flannel shirt-
a straw hat.
And his cheeks are stained
a sweet Jonathan apple red...
His eyes are the color of midnight
and turquoise
and robin egg blue.
His perfume is sassafras
and cinnamon
and cider...
He brings gifts of wine,
woolens
and wonder.

He smiles at me
and hurries across the hillside.
We'll play and sing and dream-
Until Winter-
-(like a bully)-
comes and chases him away...

Plastic Princess

2009-09-17T03:21:00.000-07:00

She lives in a dream house,
She drives a Corvette.
She never gains weight
and she never sweats.
She has a pool and a boat-
A dog and a gym-
Her man's always loved her
and she's always loved him.
She has minks and furs-
bikinis and gowns-
Her makeup is perfect
and she never frowns.
Her shape is perfect
and she's a natural blond.
Sexy and beautiful-
the list goes on.
I'm really not envious,
but I'd give my all-
to have the life
of a Barbie Doll!

Respect Life

2009-09-16T03:30:00.000-07:00

I visited the graveyard the other day-
Just to see what Death would say.
And the stories the bodies told
was "Life is more precious than gold."
I chuckled a little, and then they said,
"Oh, child, if you waste your life- you just as well be dead."

2009-09-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

CANVAS OF LIFE

I take my finger and hold it up
And trace the outline of the sky-
Sketch in the wispy pine trees
and the inky clouds up high.
I pretend I am the artist
that created such a sight.
I step back to study the vivid lines
that I adore with such delight.
My humble palette holds no color
as violet as that sky.
What artist paints with such precision?
I admit- it is not I.
No color holds as red a tone
as the autumn maples there.
How exact each fiber of the earth
He has painted with such care!
Every sight that I behold-
He has colored with His hand.
And I could never imitate
the brilliance of this land.
But, when I paint, I like to feel
that the Master guides my eye
And smiles at all that I create
from His workshop in the sky...

Monday Haiku

2009-09-14T04:15:00.000-07:00

The autumn leaves fall
One by one, like miracles
the color of fire.

A Long Time Waiting

2009-09-11T04:39:00.000-07:00

You can wait for the train
Though it may be late-
Though it may take its time,
you know that the wait
will not be too long
Because you hear it afar-
A rattle- a clicking-
of each metal car.

You can wait for the rain
as it grows in the sky.
But you know it will come
by the clouds drifting by.
And maybe a raindrop
or two may be all-
But you know it will rain-
It's spring, after all.

You can wait for the day
Once night time is here.
Though midnight seems long-
daylight is near.
And you know it will come
though no one has said.
The sun will arise
and come to your bed.

You can wait for love
for days and years-
through smiles and laughter,
pain and tears.
But even when you wait
and waiting is done.
Love isn't here
and may never come.

For love you may wait-
if you can survive
waiting for something
that may never arrive.

Regret

2009-09-10T03:19:00.000-07:00

The autumn trees
and gentle breeze
softly spoke my name today.
I ignored the call,
because, after all-
I have no time to play.

Then the bright, warm sun
shouted, "Let's have fun!"
and I ached to join the crew.
But I turned my head
and cried instead,
"I have my work to do!"

Then I heard
A tiny bird
sing, "Come outside with me!"
I said,"I cannot
Because I've got
all this work, you see!"

So they played and played
and I stayed and stayed
quietly at my task.
They begged some more,
so I shut the door
and said, "Don't even ask!"

Night has come
and all the fun
is gone for another day.

I wish I had gone out to play.

Afflicted

2009-09-09T05:06:00.000-07:00

The days have all been good to me-
Alas- but not always I to them.
For I change face at every whim
and covet what I cannot see.

One eve I'll curse the length of day-
One morn, I'll cry "How brief!"
and find myself in silent grief
that I have let time just slip away.

I have promises I cannot keep
to the days that have been kind.
Here hails the passing ghost of time
and I, in wasteful shadows, weep.

Bar Star

2009-09-08T03:53:00.000-07:00

We went to the bar on Saturday night-
It was loud and crowded and smokey.
The beer was cold- the food was good-
But I was there for the Karaoke!

I know there are those of you who think
that this singing is a little bit hokey-
That you'd never get up on a lighted stage
and belt out some Karaoke.

Cuz...
I didn't think I'd ever be one
to get up and sing Karaoke-
But when they came along with the mic
I jumped up and said-
"Okie-dokie!"

I really can't sing or carry a tune
And most people just wanna choke me-
But I'm not here for the food or the beer-
I'm here
for the Karaoke!

To a Flower

2009-09-02T04:27:00.000-07:00

You sit along the roadside
in your yellow petaled dress-
The summer sun beating down on you-
(I'm curious, I confess)-
How such a lovely one as you
could have suffered such demise.
Where did you get the black eyes, Susan?

Fickle

2009-09-01T03:21:00.000-07:00

Last night I dreamt I had a balloon
for every person in the world.
At noon, I passed them out
and they gracefully swirled
.... up beyond heaven.

Everyone smiled.
It was a beautiful sight.
Then they went back into their houses
and locked their doors tight.

Broken Promises

2009-08-31T03:32:00.000-07:00

I promised I'd stop crying-
I promised never to be blue.
But I never keep promises to myself-
I never do.

I promised that I'd smile again-
Laugh and play again, too.
But I never keep promises to myself-
I never do.

I promised if the sun came up
I'd take control and live.
I'd stop trying to find myself
and just sit back and give.

I'd forget about time
and tomorrow
and all that is new.
But I never keep promises to myself-

I never do.

A Timeless Love, Part 2

2009-08-28T04:31:00.000-07:00

"My name is Anna," she said to him.
"I'm Antony," said he.
And she secretly eyed the gentleman
as he slowly sipped his tea.
Briefly then, he touched her hand,
As now his empty cup she took-
She laid the tray on the bedside stand
and handed him a nearby book.
"Rest now, Captain Antony.
I'll be back very soon."
And he rose his head to bid farewell
As Anna left the room.
And through the day- in every place-
he saw her eyes, her smile, her face.

The next day Anna bid him stay
till he was no longer ill.
The Baron had long ago passed away
and she was now mistress of the hill.
So every day their eyes would meet
as she nursed him back to new.
Slowly friendship bloomed so sweet-
And then the passion grew.
Till even in his deepest sleep
Anna was at his side-
Each passing moment he sought to keep
love that could not be denied.
And the more and more he thought of this-
he imagined the lips of Anna, kissed.

So Anna and the captain there
Spent all the spring together-
Weaving such an intense care
that no wickedness could sever.
And pleasantly they lived upon the hill
Where they spent a happy life.
So certain that their love was real,
they took vows as man and wife.

And when the nights became windy and black
and the waves began to toss-
They would sit by the fire and remember back
To the nights their paths did cross.
Now there upon the Baron's hill
The two are resting- silent and still.
And sometimes you can hear Anna announcing "tea"
as Antony comes running up from the sea.

A Timeless Love

2009-08-27T04:18:00.000-07:00

At midnight violent waves did crest
Upon the ragged rocks they tore-
Till a tattered vessel came to rest-
crashing, crippled, on the shore.
The Baron's daughter, from her bed
heard crying from below
And prayed that none the men be dead
amid the fog- now thick and low.
When dawn came then, she hurried so
and found a sailor on the sand
Where torrent winds came up to blow
the lantern from her trembling hand.
And there fell she- a tearful sight-
fearing then the captain's plight.

The young captain's head then up arose
and the Baron's daughter cried-
"Can we save not one of those?"
Said he- "They all have died."
Looking out to sea, she wept
For the bodies washed from shore-
Their eyes folded as if at sleep-
To live- to laugh no more.
She led the captain up the lane
to her father's house upon the hill-
the captain's leg in frenzied pain-
the wind now ebbing close to still.
And by the fires warmth and light
the captain slept throughout the night.

"Twas springlike air that entered in
the open window when morning came
And there was no sign the storm had been-
except the captain, tired and lame.
The Barons daughter then tapped upon
the wooden door- said she,
"Captain, sir, it's way past dawn-
I've brought you food and tea."
The handsome man sat up in bed-
He smiled and bid her stay
as the Baron's daughter's hair of red
Glittered in the light of day.
And the captain's heart was quickly won
As she stood, enchanting, in the sun.

(To Be Continued...)

The Greatest Magic

2009-08-26T04:31:00.000-07:00

Like a magician you appeared...
and with amazement and
with awe,
I set you on a stage
and you performed.

Yours tricks made me smile,
Your touch made me weak.
And you put me under a spell
from which I've never recovered.

These years later,
you still delight and enchant me-
You still know the secret magic
that has stolen my love
and captured my heart.

Don't ever disappear.
Don't ever stop being the man
who pulled happiness out of a hat
and
made it mine...

False Alarm

2009-08-25T03:49:00.000-07:00

The paintbrush speaks- I hear it speak
in the corner near the door-
It stands among the paints and pencils
and canvas on the floor.

It cries to me when I'm alone-
when no one else can hear-
"You must paint a masterpiece!"
It echoes in my ear.

I shut it out- ignore its plea
And go on with my work.
But then the brush speaks louder! louder!
Makes demands! It goes berserk!

Until everything I do or say-
My sleeping nights and during day-
Is the obsession that will not cease-
I must paint a masterpiece!

So, to please the voice-I pick up the brush
and select a canvas of white-
Prepare it with care and set it firmly
Near the window's natural light.

I dip into a mound of paint-
Anxious to create the dream I seek.
Suddenly the brush is silent.
It is dead.
It does not speak.

Let Me

2009-08-24T02:10:00.000-07:00

Let me tickle my tender toes
In the slushy-sinking sand-
Let the rusty winter wheat
reach in wonder for my hand!

Blow you breezy blue-breeze!
Muss and mess my heather-hair
Let me freely feel good-greenness
Along with summer sun's gold-glare.

Let me racey-run on brown-baked beaches
and stare silently into velvet-violet skies-
Oh, let me loose from winter's world
And meet sweet spring with sugar-eyes!

Stalker

2009-08-21T04:53:00.000-07:00

Last year Winter came
and I resisted.

Thinking I could hide away
and never be found.

Thinking I could stay inside
and lock the door
and pretend
he wasn't there.

But I was wrong.

While stepping out a moment
for the daily mail,
Winter caught me by the coat
and kissed me hard.

Even now,
in the midst of August,
I can still hear Winter
laughing against
the window pane.

I can still feel his kiss
stinging like a bee.

That Road

2009-08-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

There is a road that winds
on the far side of town
where the trees
surf the breeze
and cover the ground.

There is a road that winds-
I have seen it before.
To most, it's a road
and is nothing more.
But that lane
calls my name
and I cannot ignore.

There is a road that is green-
open and free.
It winds as far
as I can see.
I don't know
where it will go
but I know it waits for me.

Someday before I get too old
before my dreams
all rust
or mold-
Before I waste-
I'll leave this place
and go on down that road.

I will go on down that road...

Capricious

2009-08-18T04:25:00.000-07:00

The days have brought me here again
where winter waits around the bend
And I hear whispers on the wind-
calling out my name...

I bow my weary head and sigh
and mourn for summer days gone by-
Aware that time with always fly
And nothing stays the same...

Oh, but to feel the summer heat
upon my hair and face and feet!
Nothing else feels so complete
as a Sunday in July!

But, yet, how fickle I do turn-
because on summer days, I sometimes yearn
For a winter landscape to return
and to have snowflakes fill the sky!

Mermaid Song

2009-08-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

Swim the sea
and come to me-
across the sand and tide.
I've a castle made of moonbeams-
I'll let you come inside.

We'll watch the stars
and starfish eyes-
Like diamonds on
the sea and skies.

Swim the sea
and come to me-
I will be
your fantasy....

Reflection

2009-08-14T03:07:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I look into the mirror
and I see no one there-
Just a stranger
with avocado eyes
and cardboard-colored hair.
Dreams crisscrossed with cobwebs-
An unwrapped heart
for all to see-
I shudder at the very thought
that the stranger there
is me...

I speak to her and her mouth moves
Like a silent picture show
And I reach up to
brush away the hair
that tangles near her brow.
I see the tears that glisten there
in the corner of her eye.
How can this stranger
in the mirror
Let life just pass her by?

I see the dreams like drifting smoke
dissolve and float away.
It leaves the stranger empty.
She has no more to say.
But I brush her hair
and dry her eyes-
(the only way that I can show her)-
To just hang on
and not give up-

Because tomorrow I may know her...

Places We Have Been

2009-08-13T03:31:00.000-07:00

These are days worth saving.

Pieces of time,
like pockets-
ready to be filled,
formed,
fluffed-
with moments
and memories
and the magnificence
of life.

These are a charm bracelet of days
waiting to be worn-
adorned with
treasures
and trinkets
and tenderness-
Strung into a circle of sunshine
and smiles
and sparkling summer stars.

These are days worth saving.

Days that we must
memorize
and master.
Days that we must not let pass
until they are plump
with prayers
and promises
and places we have been.

Love Is Blind

2009-08-12T03:48:00.000-07:00

She 'oft complained while he stood afar
That never was he fully aware
How sweet her faithful, scarlet lips-
How flaxen was her heather hair!

She said that he was surely blind
to her body, like a flower fair-
And what a shame that only death
Could convince him of her steadfast care!

She 'oft in angry voices cried
That she deserved a caring mate.
I spoke not- but only observed
her selfish all-consuming state.

For did she not see that- if not for him
Her sweet lips would turn sour
like wine untouched for many years
beyond the perfect hour?

Could she not see that her golden hair
would be a horses mane- unkept?
And her fairness wilt as flowers do-
And her worldly ways- inept?

For it was he who made her wise
and beautiful- she did not know-
That she was who she was
because
His love had made it so!

No Perfect Time

2009-08-11T03:40:00.000-07:00

I don't want to die in the winter
when the cold crackling ground
is covered in snow
and the grass is brown.
I don't want to lie in a chilly grave-
Have the wind blow the flowers away
from my bleak resting mound.

I don't want to die in the spring
when the earth starts to breathe
with the sweetness of life-
Oh, how could I leave?
I don't want to lie in a rainy grave-
watch the birds all fly away
and yellow daffodils grieve.

I don't want to die in the summer
when the hot, sultry sun
shouts of picnics and pool sides
and places of fun.
I don't want to lie in a stuffy grave-
beneath a dusty summer wave-
and life be done.

I don't want to die in the autumn
when crimson leaves begin to fall
and inky skies come alive
with the geese's call.
I don't want to lie in a lonely grave
while the smells of autumn drift away-
and days grow small.

I don't want to die at all.

A Life Invisible

2009-08-10T03:35:00.000-07:00

There was a tiny fairy princess
That lived in the shaded wood-
in a dress made out of spiderwebs
with a dandelion hood.

She built a house of emerald moss
with a tulip as her bed-
Her lamp was a tiny firefly
that she hung about her head.

She danced among the violets
and sang amid the flowers-
That tiny fairy princess
lived such fulfilled hours!

But one day as she roamed about,
the wicked North wind blew-
and she fell and drowned in a tiny puddle
of honeysuckle dew.

Me. You. Love.

2009-08-07T03:13:00.000-07:00

Bell bottoms. Tie dye.
Summer heat. You and I.
Simple glance. Electric smile.
Cold beer. Stay awhile.
Handsome eyes. Pretty hair.
A song. A touch. A stare.
A date. A night.
Feelin' alright.
Laughter. Wine.
Good. Warm. Fine.
A kiss. Embrace.
A smiling face.
Hot sticky weather.
Every day together.
Blue Datsun. Dusty day.
Want you. Love you. Stay.
Months pass. Love for real.
Marry me? Yes, I will.
Little house. Old car.
Water bed. The Inn Crowd Bar.
Playin' poker. The pond.
Fights. Fun. Growin' fond.
Tuna casserole. No meat.
Makin' love. Ohhh. Sweet.
Dogs, Puppies, Chickens. Geese.
Undying love. To never cease.
Baby girl. New car.
Lucky us. Still are.
Another girl. Becca Ann.
Can we do this? Yes, we can.
Baby boy. Our little Jake.
Cookouts. Bicycles. Heaven sake.
Gray hair. A wrinkle or two.
So little time. So much to do.
Electric smile. Still hot.
What you had- still got.
Still in love. Sweet. Fine.
Still yours. Still mine.
Yes. I do.
I do love you.
I do love you.

2009-08-06T04:22:00.000-07:00

I love these days that wander in-
Softer now, like an age-old friend
that without a word, I somehow know
is here to share my wealth and woe.

I love these days- the colors pure-
Like masterpieces they endure
And paint a rainbow in the trees
that whispers with each gentle breeze.

I love these days- the nights of skies
that glisten with a million eyes-
Of stars I still do wish upon
As I watch my life continue on...

I love these days- I treasure all
the secrets of the coming Fall.
I hold on tight and cannot let go-
For I am
so afraid
of snow...

Two Faced

2009-08-05T03:58:00.000-07:00

I'm a little girl again-
(I pretend)-
Lift the weight of the world
off my shoulders
And then...
Open my eyes
to days that have been-
Open the door to my dreams
and walk in.

I'm a little girl again-
(I pretend)-
I'm back in my blue cotton dress
and then-
swinging slowly at first
until I begin
To touch the clouds with my toes-
With my tongue,
touch the wind.

I'm a little girl again-
(In my mind)-
Where life is soft
and real and kind-
Where I never measure
age or time-
Inside my secret world
I climb.

Then I must come back
and be
the person people
see in me.
So I shut the door
so carefully-

And pretend I'm a woman again...

August 1975

2009-08-04T03:22:00.000-07:00

I remember watching you
From across the dusty room-
One June day
when they
were out of beer.
I painted mental pictures
of every smile you wore-
and memorized the shadows
on your hair.

Then one night
beneath the silver summer stars
You touched my life
like no one has before.
I'm glad that I was ready-
waiting when you came-
Willing then
to open any door.

What I have to give you
Are only simple things-
Winter dreams
and songs I sing inside.
Time that never stops-
Hopes that never go-
And gentle love
that's much too strong to hide.

And if love could be measured
simply by miles-
No place would prove too far.
My love for you
would reach the moon-
and every heart
of every star.

I love you.
I love you beyond imagining...

Mama's Hands

2009-08-03T03:25:00.000-07:00

Even though the years have passed,
I recall my Mama's hands then-
The tiny lines so deeply pressed
into her leathered skin.

Age and time and work had left
their memories behind.
I studied well
the hands so frail
that she cradled within mine.

I thought her old- although she wasn't-
But I felt sorry, none the less-
That she had the hands
that held the scars
Of too much time and stress.

Now that I'm no longer young,
I see the years take hold-
Time and pain and memories-
Like clay- my hands they mold.

But time passes in a silent way
that no one understands.
I suddenly looked at myself today-

I have my Mama's hands.

The Turns Of Time

2009-07-31T03:30:00.000-07:00

Time turns us all
like a magician with no face
whose cape
brushes our lives
and makes us disappear.

Time turns us all
like a desert wind
that carves hollows
in our hearts
till be become earth again.

Time turns us
round and round
like a tilt-a-whirl
in slow motion
amidst the carnival
of our lives.

Time turns us
like a clock that
grows weary from being wound-
that soon loses time,
becomes useless,
and ticks no longer.

Time turns us
like a partner in dance
who leads us through our lives
until the last dance is danced
and the music
grows
silent.

I'll Do What's Right

2009-07-30T03:16:00.000-07:00

They said marriage would be like heaven
Until the day I died.
They said it was sweet
and couldn't be beat-
Well...
Somebody lied!

They said housework would be a pleasure
Any wife would do with pride-
With a smile on my face
and an apron of lace.
But hey-
somebody lied.

They said children would be a blessing
Forever innocent and wide-eyed
I've come a long way, baby-
But maybe
Somebody lied!

So someday when my children grow up
And are fearful of saying goodbye-
I'll hug them tight-
And I'll do what's right...

I'll lie!

What Comes Beyond Today

2009-07-29T03:58:00.000-07:00

you can tell it is August by
the dry hot air that hangs in humid drapes about the window

the sudden rush of a wet smelling rain that kicks up dust
and sprinkles the ground with leaves too young to really die

you can tell it is September
by listening to the earth breathe
long, labored, heavy sighs
that echo in the tall grass
and moan
in soft surrender
to the days that float away

days that wander
straight into
another season
and are swallowed up into the cloudy skies

you can tell it is October
when I begin to get afraid

wrap up in my dreams
and stare out the window
knowing

winter sneaks up behind the pine trees
crosses the pond
and comes
to find me hiding...

Stay.

2009-07-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

If you were gone,
my life would be
tossed as raindrops
to the sea.

And never more
would happiness be
something that
belonged to me.

If you were gone-
my life would go.
Melt away like
springtime snow...

And never more
could I possibly know
the way to laugh-
to live-
to grow...

If you were gone
my life would be
Lost like a ship
upon the sea.

And no one
could ever
rescue me.