Bloom

Exotic Bloom by KAKruger @ deviantART

I planted a seed of normalcy,
Hoping for a life more ordinary,
But the bloom that burst forth
Was anything but commonplace,
A rare blossom unseen by mortal eyes
And destined for the exceptional.

Snow-Covered Memories

snow-covered memories  

fade and melt 

the echoes of four girls 

dancing through the drifts 

dreaming of what lies 

beyond that blanket of white 

carried away 

by the wintry winds of time.

The Watchful Moon

© Mama Zen Photography

The moon keeps
Her silent vigil over
The slumbering world,
But, every now and again,
She feels the need
To sneak a peek
At what we do
While she sleeps.

Ephemera

Love Letters by Ghost_DiRanders at deviantART

my heart is nothing more

than a stack of old love letters

emotions folded and creased

paper yellowed with the passing years

your signature still scrawled across in indelible ink

Vampire Dreams

Vampire by Duniax at deviantART

I had a dream he was a vampire,
A blood-sucking assassin
Whose piercing fangs linger at my neck,
Draining my life-force a drop at a time,
Weakening my defenses,
Preparing me for his final treachery.

My eyes flutter back to consciousness
And I feel his breath at my throat,
As another drop of energy leeches away,
The divide between dreams and reality
Blurring just a bit more.

Stargazer

Zodiac - 1896 - Alphonse Mucha

She charts the cosmic
Dance of the nighttime sky,
Taurus and Scorpio,
Gemini and Pisces,
In transient tango,
Each sign wielding
Influence over its house
As the eternal march
Of the planets continues,
Judging the aspects
To interpret some pattern
To aid those of us
Living underneath
The blazing stars.

A Limerick on the Waning Days of the Poem a Day Challenge

A small problem is starting to show
As I reach a new writing plateau.
     From inspiration drought
     I am suffering a bout,
And it’s ruining my poetic flow.

Ink-Stained Dreams

My ink-stained dreams
Have led me down
A strange and lonely path,
My eyes opened
To both the grand and minute,
The layers of life  
Swirling in circles
Through my heart
Expanding out into the universe.
Realizing that all are interconnected,
Symbiotic partners in existence.

My writing is a solitary pursuit
Colored by the efforts
Of those who came before,
Unmet friends whose words
Reach out to me from yellowing pages
Inspiring my pen to continue moving,
Writing my own history
One stanza at a time.

Wilder Angels

wilder angels whisper in my ear
urging me to reclaim my freedom
follow the wandering wind
and rustle a few leaves along the way

allow hope to lead me
from my self-imposed strictures
cages with bars of indecision
chains of conflicting agendas

rejoice in a moment
of impetuous recklessness
chaos bringing forth the springtime sun

Forbidden

He slithers through my shadows,
Speaking with his forked tongue,
Tempting me to partake,
To taste the knowledge
Of the forbidden,
Leaving me to wonder…

If I succumb,
Devour that luscious fruit,
Will the serpent devour me?

Love of Sports

On an almost worn out cassette tape,
Huey sang me his heart and soul,
Capturing my life and easing my pain
In bluesy harmonica and retro harmonies,
Showing me the heart of rock and roll was still beating
Even in my small Midwestern town.
Music has moved on since then, evolved,
But a few minutes of listening
Has me walking on a thin line.

If this is it,
What passes for music today,
I want a new drug.

Paper Hearts and Dragons

In his watery blue depths
I was swept away,
Lost in the discordant melody
Of a doomed romance,
Addicted to a man
Who only knew of dysfunction,
Not true intimacy.
Our love was plagued
By his unslain dragons,
Demons tormenting each step,
Sending us into an abstract shimmy,
A bizarre dance of avoidance,
Emotions folded and creased,
Reduced to scraps of refuse.
The ethereal spangling of angelic wings
Was not enough to save us.
The coda of our love song
Distorted into cacophony,
Then faded into nothingness,
Leaving only the aches
Of the origami heart he shelved,
Fermenting in exquisite agony.

Morning Dew

Morning Dew by Inside_My_Art

Dewdrops suspended
From blades of grass,
Tiny iridescent orbs
Radiating the morning’s first light,
The dawn drying the tears
Left by the night’s departure.

The Path to the Dark Side

Hearts crumble and die
With only fear and hate
To feed upon,
Allowing pain
To spread like a cancer
Through our lives.

A Blank Stare

Proposagnosia by Jean-Jacques Henner

not pain
only emptiness in her face
no love or joy
no grief or anger
not a hint of the larcenous tragedy
that robbed her
of all she held dear

Slivered

Am I too Lost to Be Saved by Princess_of_Shadows

Slivered spirits 

Caused by calloused hearts 

And closed minds 

Shine a light 

On our own shortcomings.

Blood Diamond

Her carefully measured words
Are always monitored
For any hint of rebellion,
Her dependence on him
Crucial to his master plans.
The ring on her left hand
A mark of his ownership;
Her life,
Her body,
Her blood,
All his for the taking,
Sacrificed on his altar of cruelty.
A rumpled bed,
A sullen glance,
A dinner served five minutes late,
All reasons show why  
A woman needs to kept in line
By whatever means necessary.
Tonight, however,
She will reap
Her carefully measured revenge,
And the blood sacrificed
Won’t be hers.

Let's Dance

twirl me around the dance floor
strong arms guiding my steps
adoring eyes that penetrate my defenses
a man who would slay dragons
move the moon and stars at my whim
even though I’d never ask

Baby Steps

I remember her first steps,
Shaky and tentative,
Trying to find sure footing
As she ventured forth
Exploring the wide world
While clinging to the security
Of her mama’s hand.
Today she still takes baby steps,
Shaky and tentative,
As she ventures forth into
The ever-growing world
That is waiting for her,
But these days
She’s just a bit more reluctant
To hold onto mama’s hand.

Horseshoe Sandwich

Who knew that good luck

Could come on a toasted bun

Smothered in cheese sauce?

The Ultimate Pursuit

Searching the cosmos
For that soul mate whose love can
Transcend time and space.

Tequila Sun

The sun’s intrusion through my bedroom window
Pushes back the Patron-induced fog.
Tequila’s evil tricks swirl in my head,
Last night’s events only a hazy blur.

Angry words ricocheted around the room:
You’ve changed…
Why do I even waste my time?
I need someone younger…richer…
More energy…more flexible…
Then after our dramatic exchange, the bar…
Shot after shot of smooth agave blend
Stoking vengeful flames…
Attitudes soften, igniting a different fire…

And now, with daylight rudely insisting
I return to coherent consciousness,
I feel his hand splayed across my hip,
Forceful and possessive,
His hot breath on my bare shoulder.
I cast a sleepy glance
Toward his sweet brown eyes and whisper,

“What was your name again?”

Graveside Vigil

Cemetery by Susie Clevenger

When I cannot look
At your face again,
I shall sit
In the quiet shade
Of an ancient oak tree
And caress the granite
Inscribed with your name,
Wondering how so much life
Can be defined or contained
In three engraved lines.
A cold chisel cannot
Invoke your smile,
The warmth of your arms,
The brush of your lips on mine.
These solitary cemetery visits
Give new life to my memories,
My only link to you
Until our paths meet again
In the next world.

Love Gone Viral

contagious in the summer sunshine 

love bubbles over 

tenderness made ethereal 

effervescent 

floating away 

to the next heart 

lucky enough 

to be infected

Showtime

Rainbow suspender straps
Holding up my voluminous pantaloons,
Feet floating in my floppy shoes,  
Oversized flower in the buttonhole of my lapel,
A slash of red across my white greasepaint
Marking where my smile should be.
You must be a fan...
You always return for an encore performance,
An opportunity to watch me
Dance from ring to ring to ring,
Juggling the pieces of a broken heart
As I mask my pain behind the follies.
The show must go on,
Even one strictly for your amusement,
And the last of my dignity floats away
Like a lost helium balloon.

Now Is the Time to Panic

Tsunamis…earthquakes…
An erupting volcano…
Killer asteroids…
My doomsday scenario?
A morning with no coffee.

Superstitions

The wheel of fortune spins,
Throwing omens of ill will onto my path,
Attempting to instill fear into my life.
I laugh at the owl outside
My window in the dawn’s light,
As I snuggle close to my black cats.
Wrapped in the fragments of  broken mirrors,
I step on sidewalk cracks with no qualms,
Tempting fate underneath ladders,
Dancing through rooms,
Open umbrella in hand.

I’ve no need for lucky charms,
Horseshoes or four leaf clovers,
Rabbit’s feet or found pennies.
The omens mean so little,
For once upon a time
A spider wove my initials into her web,
Bestowing good luck upon me
For the rest of my days.

Looking for the Key

Moving along in the draft
With the countless other seekers
On their own journeys,
Attempting to locate the proper key
To get where we think
We need to go in life,
A meandering road
Lined with obstacles
And locked doors,
Unsure which key is right for us,
Unsure of which door
Is the one that leads to serenity,
Not realizing until well into our quest
That the key we choose
Is not as important
As the lessons learned along the way.

Something a bit Fatalistic

We dig our own graves,
Fates sealed with every action,
Every inaction,
Our moments of consequence
Building toward our destiny.

In Praise of Disorganization

An actual shelf in my house...pretty representative of the rest of them!

I thrive on the pandemonium
That reigns in my house:

Myriad stacks of paper
On every horizontal surface;
A filing system that makes sense
Only when twice translated
Into alien tongues;
Bookshelves filled by whim,
Arbitrary and capricious at best.
Structure and systematic organization stifle me,
Prison bars holding my inner artist hostage.

I draw inspiration from the randomness,
A vision with a slightly skewed perspective,
Creativity springing from chaos.

After the Fall

Heart shattered
Into millions of pieces
Covering my path,
Nothing to do
But walk through the shards,
Slicing my feet
Into a bloody mess,
Another attempt
To keep me prisoner
In his private torture chamber,
No parole or reprieve,
Merely a captive
To his anger and cruelty.

I may be weakened,
Anemic and drained,
But the fire continues to burn,
Propelling me into the fight,
A fight I have no choice but to win.
The consequences of losing
Too dire to consider.

True Love Always

Love’s
Dream
Carved in
Willow bark,
But when that dream fades,
Two will bear a weeping, scarred heart.

The Visitor

The shadows of eternity
Have fallen on this house once more.
Death lingers in the quiet corners,
Keeping a patient vigil
Until his moment of exit arrives,
Leaving grief as a reminder
That his departures are only temporary.

Unfinished

Sorrow...by sweet-lovely-death at deviantART

His promises cannot redeem
The dusky shadows of a dream,
A mate who finds truth obsolete.
Her story is not yet complete.

Overwhelming feelings flood,
Addiction buried in her blood
That reawakens when they meet.
Her story is not yet complete.

She dies a bit with every kiss,
Staggering into the abyss
While destiny makes its retreat.
Her story is not yet complete.

Nothing but a wounded sparrow,
Lies have cut her to the marrow.
Deserving much more than deceit,
Her story is not yet complete.

Singing broken songs of sorrows,
Focusing on her tomorrows,
An ending she will not repeat,
Her story is not yet complete.

Strangers in the Night

The air in our room is toxic,
Anger lingering
In a venomous cloud
No apology can clear,
Leaving us almost strangers,
Love teetering on the brink.

I queue up that song,
Our song,
A musical reminder
Of what sparked
The magnetic attraction
That always leads me to your arms,
And in a heartbeat the air clears
And we’re swaying gently
Around our bedroom.

Frank always sang it better than we could ever say…

Shoreline

Photo by Tracey Grumbach

Cowering on the shore in fear
Only leaves you stranded and alone.
Fill your lungs with courage
And dive into your life.
Swim through the swirling shadows
And revel in the taste of freedom.

Miracles

The beat of my heart

Came wrapped in a package with

Ten tiny fingers.

To the Sea

I must go down to the sea again
And answer the siren’s call.
Emotions crashing
Onto my rocky shores,
I long to dive in,
Swim past the breakers
Into the open ocean,
Lose myself
In his watery blue depths.

Same Ol' Dance

waltzing to mystery’s music
dancing around our secrets
never allowing truth to be revealed
a little sidestep shuffle
past the obvious
seeking to remain oblivious

Only in the Movies

  

      

Those classic leading men 

Understood a few things

The younger generation 

Seems to have forgotten,

The importance of being

Unapologetically male…

The cut of his suit just right 

And complete comprehension 

Of the purpose of a belt,

No piercings or tattoos

Flaunted for all to see.

Strong and firmly in control,

Oozing charm and fedora cool,

Martini and cigarette in hand,

With a great appreciation

For the luscious curves

Of a real woman.

Note: pictures above, left to right:  top row, Cary Grant, Clark Gable. bottom row, Dean Martin, Tyrone Power.

No 100% Guarantee

Fate spins her chances,
Weaving ambiguity
Into delicate
Webs,  reinforcing the fact
That nothing is absolute.

Guest Post - Couplets for Springtime

These couplets were written by my 10 year old daughter Emmy for a classroom assignment.  She has been dabbling in writing for quite some time now and has finally consented to let me share a bit of it.

Springtime butterflies roam

Pretty often at my home

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Really beautiful springtime days

Inside and out fill me with praise

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nothing is better than the spring

Growing and growing everything

Unapologetic

I have nothing to apologize for.
I’m not the one who started this war.
I won’t be the one to accept the blame.
You turned love into a sadistic game

And left it bleeding on the floor.
I have nothing to apologize for,
Only regrets that I stayed too long,
Made decisions that I know were wrong.

I know I’ve paid an enormous cost.
I may never recover all I‘ve lost,
But I have nothing to apologize for.
So call me a bitch. Call me a whore.

The lies you spew shatter like glass,
Empty words that hold no mass.
I won’t be your victim anymore.
I have nothing to apologize for.

The Legend of Supermom

I have a secret identity
That I cannot escape,
In reality I’m Supermom
In a stain-resistant cape.

Daily I bring order
To our frenzied home-front scene.
My lack of sleep means little,
‘Cause I’m powered by caffeine.

I can leap large piles of laundry
With just a single bound,
And my skill at fighting dust bunnies
Is certain to astound.

Alarm clock, breakfast, out the door,
We hustle off to school.
Juggling errands and appointments,
And I never lose my cool.

Then it’s practice, lessons, dinner,
And a giant homework stack.
Dishes, bath time, PJ’s,
And tomorrow’s lunch to pack.

Armed with only humor
And a quick imagination,
What’s the best reward for Supermom?
An extended solo vacation!

A Woman Apart

I’m merely a visitor
In an unfamiliar landscape,
Wandering through the world
I was meant to inhabit,
But not knowing if I’m just
A half-step removed in time
Or if the ground beneath my feet
Shifted while I paid no attention.

...Before I Wake

Evil stalks my dreams,
The restful peace I seek
In the quiet of my room denied
As unseen beings swirl around me,
Half-specter, half-shadow.
They see right through me,
My dreams, my fears.
Hands reach out to me…
Clawing…grasping…
Attempting to drag me
Away from the safety of my bed
Into pits of unspeakable torture.
The terror permeates my psyche.
Sulfur and brimstone overwhelm,
Filling my lungs with toxic fumes
As I struggle to keep my sanity,
Wondering what else might lurk
In the oppressive darkness.

When the Words Won’t Come

Words are my passion.
They float on silvery wisps
Through my subconscious,
Swirling whispers waiting
To be plucked from the air,
Shaped and molded
Into snippets of emotion
Released into the wilds.

Even after years
Of practicing my craft,
I still find at moments like this,
When loss reaches
Into my world yet again
The words just disappear,
No consoling phrase to tender
A soothing balm for a mournful soul.
All I can do is offer a hug
And a prayer directed heavenward,
Asking for some sense
Of comfort for the bereaved.