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

I want out

I really want out

but where will I go?

I don’t own a fortune

many responsibilities

calling out my name

but it does not stop

my mind from wandering

off to fantasy islands

where everything is warm

nothing weighing me down

- Written for WD Wednesday Poetry Prompt #799

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

protest

they march the streets

with raised fists and voices

towards the blue skies

while on the other side 

elites dine on lavish plates

or play rounds of golf

drowning out the protests 

on civil rights, corruption, 

senseless wars, Fema failures

or lack of water

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #354: I Protest

once in a lifetime

once in a lifetime,

or perhaps twice,

you will see a face

that will stop you

in your tracks

your heart will flutter

drawing up a symphony 

of daydreams filled 

with a perfect love

until your mind brings

you back from the clouds,

and see that fleeting star 

a bit more clearly

- Written for dVerse Poetics: Once in a Lifetime

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. 

jokes on me

every year you make the same promises

and every year I believe them

and after the dance has ended

you disappear like a phantom at dawn

every year is the same, yet I still fall

for every charming promise you make

I know how this ends yet still have hope

I guess the joke are really on me

- Written for WD Wednesday Poetry Prompt #789

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

the man, the myth

he had a way in charming the masses

had them eating out of the palm of his hands

with the wool pulled over their eyes

they were myth-taken by his dubious

promises he never intended to keep

now they’re lost to the fading light

- Written for dVerse Quadrille#250 - Mything Poems

in my younger days

in my younger days

I had my life all planned

it was naivety that led me 

to believe life is a straight line

but in time I learned life’s journey

is filled with u-turns and detours

the plan long ago lost into the wind

- Written for Writer's Digest Poetic Aside Wednesday Prompt #785

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

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!

a love poem

I wanted this love 

to stay young forever

like a bud just breaking

out reaching their arms

up towards the sun

but time waits for no one

our love matures like

our eyes and minds

this love blossoms

like roses in full bloom

the journey takes us

to high and low country

we sometimes got lost

in the mundane roads

or waver when the 

storm clouds take over

yet I still cling to hope

that in our twilight

this love will stay

strong and beautiful

- Written for Writer's Digest 2026 April PAD Challenge: Day 28