cool blue

in my dreams
all I see
cool blue sky
 
and your eyes
a soft brown
seduce me
 
with visions
of warm sun
silver stars

- Written for Twiglet#259 - cool blue in tricube form

winter solstice

the shortest day of the year
fades into darkness
a snip of smoke
echoes out of a chimney
lady winter has made
her promised arrival

- Written for Twiglet #258 - a snip of smoke

hair tinsel

I have seen girls tinsel their hair
in blues, pinks and purples
I wonder what dyes were mixed
to birth such vivid hues
 
I think I’m getting old at forty-three
with my cool days behind me, or
perhaps my best years really lie ahead

- Written for dVerse Quadrille#142

morning

morning
dawn on my face
dreams fade into sunlight
I awake again to warm thoughts
of you

- Written for Twiglet #256

I will crown this poem

I will crown this poem with gorgeous words
that will ignite a flame within hearts
it will be as regal as a queen knighting
citizens or a king conquering lands far away
or it will be a wallflower sitting in corners
blooming in silence

- Written for dVerse Quadrille#141

from here to there

up and down the stairs
from here to there we all go
from point A to B and back
on this merry-go-round
eyes seeking paths to go off-road

- Written for Twiglet#254

life is not fair or easy

life is not fair or easy
it has peaks and valleys
storms and sunshine
 
I walk along winding paths
eyes toward skies
searching for heaven
 
at night I slip 
into dreams of what
fantasies life could be
 
at dawn I awake
to new beginnings

- Written for dVerse Quadrille#140: Let's Go To The Fair!

love like a blooming rose

this love opens like a blooming rose
its fragrance tickles my nose open
in full bloom all I see is love
until the petals begins to fade
and love becomes a painful thorn
yet still I hold onto hope for a new 

rose to bloom when spring returns

- Inspired by WD 2021 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 9

to savor the season

my emotions careen
from side to side as
I observe autumn leaves
tumble towards the grass
the sun is setting earlier
plunging me into darkness
before dinnertime
my mind braces for
winter’s arrival
but my heart just
wants me to savor
the fall season

- Written for dVerse Quadrille: Closing in on the end of 2021

Colonial Diner

we sat comfy
in plush booth
menu in hand
 
our waiter stands
nearby in wait
to take orders
 
the night stars
slide into sky
to watch us

- Written for Twiglet#250 - in the diner

from ashes

the first time she died
she was fifteen 
in the halls of high school
 
then at twenty-four
her first taste of true
heartbreak
 
once again at thirty-five
another sad love ending
 
but each time she rose
like a phoenix from ashes
to soar again

- Written for dVerse Quadrille night: ashes to ashes

a beautiful night in autumn

a beautiful night

for poetic musings

autumn leaves whisper 

into the black sky

I string rhymes

along silver stars

to drift into galaxies 

far and wide

stones

daily she collects stones
placing them in her pockets
and each day her walk
becomes more difficult
 
the pockets grow heavier
matching the sadness that
has enveloped her heart
 
she hears a nearby stream
pondering whether to go there
or towards the warm light

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #137: Throwing Poem Stones

Photo by Yana Druzhinina on Unsplash

the sun sits pretty

the sun sits pretty
as we paint the autumn sky
we watch setting sun
holding hands, we silently
ponder what path to follow

- Written for Twiglet#246 - the sun sits pretty

Photo by Nathan Timblin from Pexels

linger

I spent many days and nights
waiting for your arrival
but hopes are starting to
fade like sun in autumn
 
perhaps you will arrive
like a bright spring morning
or under golden brown leaves
 
I can only hope and dream
though doubts still linger

- Written for dVerse Quadrille#136: Let's Linger

Early September

I listen to the softness
of a September afternoon
extended tree limbs break
the light casting shadows
across the grass
I soak in the remaining
hot sun before its retreat
at autumn’s arrival

- Written for Twiglet #244 - breaks light

passing the time with music

as a kid I remember
placing the needle onto
the groove of vinyl records
 
in time music played
from cassette tapes
I collected in boxes
 
in college shiny CDs
eliminated the risk
of broken tapes
 
now electronic devices
fill my silence with
nostalgic songs

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #135: Shake that Poem Groove Thang

clean hands

I wash my hands
frequently every day
fighting off viruses
lurking on surfaces
 
they love him dearly
but his addiction broke
them, so they wash
their hands of him
 
the congregation watches
the pastor washing his
hands in preparation
for the holy sacrament
 
those seeking power
in the dark try to
wash off the blood
but the stains remain

- Written for Twiglet #242 - those clean hands

hearts

in grade school

I cut out hearts
from construction paper
 
in junior high
I wrote band names
on book covers
surrounded by hearts
 
in high school
I opened my heart
in a love letter

in adulthood
I guard my heart
from players and
deceivers

                            Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #134 - We (heart) poems

the stars burn

cries and tears fill the air
carried across continents
the stars burn as midnight
spreads her cloak again

- Written for Twiglet #240 - the stars burn

she stands

she stands under the sun
watching blue waves
crashing against rocks
ocean breeze tickles
her nostrils as seagulls
hawk above her head
 
she lets her mind wander
across those waves
searching for signs
on which way to go
at sunset she receives
the answer

- Written for dVerse Monday Quadrille #133 - Stand

feeling like Sundays

I wish everyday felt like Sunday
that lazy, chill feeling of having
no worries or cares
 
but Sundays only come once a week
so we must cherish them fully
to get through the week

- Written in response to Twiglet #238 - feel like Sunday

streams of words

the streams of words
that flow through my mind
usually never reach my lips
I sit wanting to tell you
all that lies inside my head
then I leave with unspoken words
one day my nerves will harden
and I will say them aloud

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #132: Stream

the last word

I only hope 
the last word
I speak is filled
with love
and not regret

- Written for Twiglet#236 - the last word

juke joint dreams

nearby kids saw the old man
sitting on his porch, his eyes
focus on something far off
they thought the man was
in a stupor, but he was lost
in a daydream of his youthful
days in juke joints playing
and dancing nights way

- Written for dVerse Quadrille 131

braids

she sat on a carpeted floor
as her mother’s hands
created art in braids
 
little girl glows in summer
sun with flowing braids
dancing in the breeze

perfectionist

she tried to keep her appearance
flawless and smooth like a shiny
new Ferrari, but something
would always wrinkle her lines
like fingerprints left behind
on clean windows, she could
never achieve perfection

- Written for Twiglets #233 - like fingerprints

shadows vanish

I look over my shoulder
trying to find that eerie sound
all I see is shadows vanishing
into the blackness of night

- Written for Twiglet#232 - shadows vanish

smudges

I remember back when
my mom would wear makeup
I barely wear lipstick
leaving imprints on glasses
 
as a child I finger painted
in school with colorful hues
smudged across construction paper
 
now I paint words across pages
still smudging lines here and there

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #130

cannot hold me back

they try to place me in pretty boxes
place shackles of steel on my wrists
but no rope can hold me back
from transforming into a butterfly

- Written for Twiglets #230 - no rope

curious

should I take the plunge
or stay in the shadows?
should I let my curiosity run wild 
or let my shyness prevail?

I reach towards the stars
wondering if they will melt
from my touch or seep into
my skin, bringing me to life

- Written for dVerse Quadrille#129 - A Curiosity of Poems

deranged silence

she did her best
to arrange the lines
in perfect formation
 
despite best efforts
the words still manage
to derange the meaning
 
she continues in silence
rearranging sentences
hoping to get it right,
eventually

- Written for Twiglet#228 - deranged silence

wounds

a band-aid or a piece of gauze
can stop the bleeding
from cuts and abrasions
but some injuries are
more than skin deep
despite our best intentions
some wounds never heal
leaving behind scars as
a permanent reminder of pain
that always linger within

- Written for dVerse Quadrille: What's in a word?

after the storm

we look towards rising sun
after years of darkness
hope rides the air
that storms have passed
rainbows fill our futures

- Written for Twiglet#226

planting seeds

as she looked into her newborn’s eyes
she smiled planting seeds within
the baby’s tiny heart
whispering you are loved,
you are special, you are strong
the glow in her eyes never wavering
throughout the years watching that
seed grow and bloom into adulthood

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #127: Planting Seeds

Although I do not have children, I imagine this is something a loving mother would do for her child. For the forthcoming Mother's Day holiday, this poem is dedicated to all the loving mothers in the world, especially my own mother.

  

new world

their eyes on lands
across the sea
where new paths
lay before their feet
 
for others that land
were solemn reminders
that their eyes will
never see home again

- Written in response to Writer's Digest 2021 April PAD Challenge: Day 26

with age comes bothering?

they say with age comes wisdom
well since turning forty-two
my bones and muscles
bother me more than at twenty-two
 
some days I feel like shouting
why bother – toss aside my sneakers
until I look into the mirror
and decide to get up anyway

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #126 - Come "bother" up a poem

fall into dreams

let us fall into dreams
paint sunsets into
blank canvasses
 
let us sprinkle stars
into night sky,
dance with the moon
until sunrise
 
let us whisper secrets
into the breeze
lifting our burdens
from shoulders
 
let us stay
in this dream
and never awake

she brought wine

she brought wine
a token olive branch
to heal wounds from
harsh words she said
 
her friend wanted
to slam the door shut
but couldn’t stop
her curiosity of
that pretty red bottle
 
they sat and sipped
under the blue sky
mending broken bonds

- Written for dVerse Quadrille#125-In Praise of the Grape

Photo by Kym Ellis on Unsplash

cherry blossoms

cherry blossoms dance
in the breeze under blue sky
as spring sun smiles

Photo by Oleg Magni

Courtesy of Pexels.com

knots of anxiety

she tries to stay calm
thinking of peaceful waves
or butterflies on a summer day
 
yet still her stomach ties
in knots when sensing omens
coming her way
 
she hopes one day she will
only see the glass half full
instead of half empty

- Written for dVerse Quadrille#124-knots

our eyes on the Ides of March

our eyes on the
Ides of March
but no wind blowing
as Winter takes
her final bow
Spring is waiting
behind the curtain
to take center stage
under April rains

- Written for Twiglet#218 - no wind blowing

a call to arms

they were swift to close our mouths
fearful of what we may say
they were quick to color our stories
in different shades to look pretty
we will not go quietly or dull our lights
we will shout our names loudly into the sky

- Written for dVerse Quadrille: swift

on the edge

we stand upon the edge
overlooking paradise green
and cerulean skies
 
one wrong step and
we all fall down into abyss
 
yet we stand here willing
to take the risk

- Inspired by dVerse Poetics: Edges and Fringes

let it go

I know I should let it go
that holding onto this will
only hurt me in the end
 
why is it so difficult to
open my hand and let it
fall freely away?
 
perhaps I still have hope
when I should just let go

- Written for dVerse Quadrille#122 Going...Going...Gone Poeming

we have more

we have more to say
yet our voices get lost
in the strong winds
 
we have more to do
yet our feet drag along
not getting anywhere
 
we have more to see
yet our eyes grow heavy
missing the view
 
we have more time
we believe yet the clock

never stops moving its hands

- Written in response to Twiglet #214 - we have more

the road ahead

I embrace the road ahead
despite questionable clouds
and worries that seep into mind
 
the world is changing while
turning on its axis and like many
I’m trying to find my balance
 
I see tall mountains ahead 

but I walk towards them unafraid

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #121- Let's Embrace

lie in close

today was not good
bygone memories flood back
opening old wounds
 
she gets lost in waves
arms pressing against currents
shoreline within sight
 
storm is passing by
to lie in close to calm sky
her peace now returns

- Written in response to Twiglets#212-lie in close

which way?

are you going my way,
or are you taking a different path?
will we meet again along the road,
or is this our final farewell?
 
I walk towards purple horizons
as you walk towards ivory clouds
which path is the best? who can say?

- Written for dVerse Quadrille 120 (aka 119 pt 2 - No Way. Way!)

when it's over

she tried to hold on
her arms were tired
so she walked away
leaving baggage behind
 
he watched her walk
towards new sunrises
her heart now up for grabs
 
she searches for love she desires
he searches his soul to be a better man

- Written for Twiglet#210 - up for grabs

getting pretty

the young girl watches
her mother before a mirror
combing out soft curls
gliding red rouge across lips
placing dabs of perfume
upon her neck
 
the young girl plays with
pearls dreaming of the day
she will be sitting before
the vanity getting pretty

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #119-Dabbling in Poetry

something new

maybe I should turn
over a new leaf
shed this old coat
or paint the sky
a different hue
 
perhaps something new
will reignite the spark
to keep me going
on long cold nights
when the only thing

I want to do is stop