smoke screen

tell me this: 

were your words ever true

or just a smoke screen

hiding your true intentions

you said all the right words

and did everything right

to ensnare hearts and minds

pulling the wool over eyes

you played the game

all too well

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #258: Screen, Your Screen, We All Screen

7:00 AM

he came into the diner

to nurse a hangover

with greasy food

she was sitting in a booth

drowning her sorrows

in strong black coffee

their eyes met

he lazily smiled 

she sipped coffee

at the counter 

a waitress counts down 

the time left in her shift

outside the October sun

peaks through blinds

in her pocket

she carries words in her pockets

to lift her spirits when fading sun

sours her mood

when she wishes to write poems

to the moon and stars

sometimes she needs to wipe away

fallen tears

she squeezes those words in her

hands and smile

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #257: A Pocket in Your Poems

the lovers

"The Lovers" by John Atkinson Grimshaw

Courtesy of Picryl.com

in the early light

they embrace not 

wanting to let go

forbidden love keeps 

their hearts aflame

in the midnight hour

yet in dawn’s light

they remember their place

is not in each other’s arms

they depart solemnly

holding onto shared kisses

that will fade in sunlight

- Written for dVerse Poetics: Through the eyes of John Atkinson Grimshaw

on the eve of Autumn

Photo by Plato Terentev

Courtesy of Pexels.com

today I looked out the window

and saw the gray clouds that

announce autumn’s arrival

and I cannot stop my heart 

from grieving the loss of 

flowers and hummingbirds

dancing through gardens, 

the long hours of daylight 

and the warm sun on my skin

- Written for dVerse Quadille #256

xenolith

we sometimes smile 

to hide the pain

we bury our secrets 

deep into mountains

to never see the light

these feelings form 

a xenolith that one carries 

until the weight becomes 

too great as one slowly sinks 

into the deep trenches of the sea

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #255: X marks the spot

sevenling: love crime

for his love she was willing

to give up her family, her

dreams and her sanity

when his love broke her, 

she grabbed her gun, 

a shovel and her car keys

sometimes love is deadly

- Written for Writer's Digest Wednesday Poetry Prompt #797

summer snapshots

sizzling concrete under August sun

a group of girls jump rope 

an elderly woman sits by her window 

reminiscing about her youth

a mother pushes a stroller

while a boy zips by on a bike

on a stoop a man sits sipping a soda

- Written for Quadrille #353:Jumpstart your Poem

painted lady cafe

inside the Painted Lady Café

we sip coffee while a man nearby

devours a stack of pancakes

outside the sky is a Miami blue

on this August late morning

before we continue our journey

we leave a tip for the waitress

on the green marble table

to enjoy these last summer days

 

- Written for dVerse Poetics: But no, a butterfly

I used the butterfly names: painted lady, miami blue and green marble.

be careful

be careful what you wish for

it may not glitter like gold

take care of your heart

falling in love is beautiful

but it can also sting

say your words with care

for they can be hijacked

by others and molded 

into something else

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #252 - Quadrilling without a care

sevenling: traveling shoes

these shoes have ridden many

buses, trains and airplanes

they have touch the pavements of 

New York City, Las Vegas and Paris

these shoes have seen the world

- Written for Writer's Digest Wednesday Poetry Prompt #791

at night

at night she walks the streets 

listening to the stars

a man nearby puffs on his pipe

a couple walks arm in arm

she can hear the footsteps

behind her in search of easy prey

the poor soul doesn’t know

this lady has bite

- Written in quadrille form for dVerse Poetics: My God, It's Full of Stars.  I also threw in yesterday's Quadrille #251 prompt using the word "puff' in a poem. 

in this letter

in this letter 

I wish I could

enclose my heart

but I can only 

write the words 

that simmer within

I hope they bring 

joy to your eyes 

and melt away

all your worries

and perhaps one day

we will meet again

- Written for Writer's Digest Poetic Aside #788

in summer

summer always promises

good times with her

sultry smile

and yet far too many times

I found myself lacking

those promised fireworks

- Written for Writer's Digest Wednesday Poetry Prompt #787

a perfect summer day

a perfect summer day –

relaxing under a hot 

summer sun, but there

is a breeze cooling us

sitting on a blanket

the band’s rhythms 

fill the air

I close my eyes 

my ears seek out 

the horns' melodies

chasing away worries

that drain me

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #249: Toot Toot!

let them

let them say what they want to say

let them believe their words hold power

let them build pretty boxes to sort us

let them try to rule the moon and stars

let them think they have the last laugh

let me speak the words inside my heart

let me follow the road less taken

let me break free from those pretty boxes

let me chase after the moon and stars

let me write the ending to my own story

-Written for dVerse Poetics: "Let Them" Write Poetry

as sleeping dogs lie

should we address the

pink elephant in the room

or just let sleeping dogs lie

I want to believe that 

everything will turn out fine

but my brain won’t let me

fall for lofty dreams

I watch our world fall

into chaos once more

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #248   This wasn't an easy prompt for me but I still gave it shot.  Let me kow what you think.

among roses, a sun rises

Photo by Raelle Cameron on Unsplash

among the roses

we take in the sun rising

the sky turns golden

we hold hands for the last time

as stars say goodbye

- Written for WD's Wednesday Poetry Prompt #781

in bloom

since you have been gone

the flowers don’t bloom

the same

the sun doesn’t feel as 

warm against my skin

the melodies of our songs

no longer sound soothing 

to my ears

at dusk I watch 

the evening sunset alone 

wishing you were here

- Written for dVerse Quadrille: Come Bloom With Me!

where does love go?

where love goes

when its kiss

grows ice cold

does it sink

like ghost ships

lost at sea

or sleeps in

hearts until

it awakens

- A tricube poem written for dVerse Poetics: Where does love go? and WD's 2026 April PAD Challenge Day 14,