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.

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

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.

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.

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?”

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.

Something a bit Fatalistic

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

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.