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

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

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

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

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. 

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

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!

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.

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!

no digging

their mornings are always the same

sitting in their familiar chairs

drinking coffee with the same

amount of cream and sugar

he scrolls through his phone 

as she skims through the mail

a no digging notice from the gas

company falls to the ground

- Combination of two prompts: dVerse Quadrille #246: Let's get digging and 2026 April PAD Challenge Day 20

dreamscape

pebbles skip across

serene waters

an orange crush sky

lures me into dreams

I never want to end

but nothing ever lasts

in a blink of an eye

the sky turns slate gray

the tides now recede

revealing bones that

symbolize a past life

- This poem is a combintaion of two prompts:  dVerse Quadrille #245: Writing Down the Bones and 2026 April PAD Challenge Day 6: water poem

in silence

in the silence of a rising sun

I lie in my bed letting

my mind slowly wander

in the quietness of the 

morning sun  I take a breath

thankful for another day

my mind prepares for 

all that awaits me 

when I leave home

- Written for dVerse Quadrille:Shhhhhh.. Quiet, Please!

spring clues

do I hear the birds

singing in the trees?

do I see flowers

rising from the dirt?

do I feel the warm

sun upon my face?

does the sun lingers

a little bit longer?

my eyes search for

clues that spring

has finally arrived

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #243: Bird is the Word

hunger

what is this hunger that lies within

what can I take to satisfy this desire

would food or drink fill this void or 

only mask shadows that lurk in corners

if I whisper my fears, will the emptiness 

cease, freeing me from these chains

- Written for dVerse Quadrille#242 - Hunger Makes the Best of Poetry

in search of spring

my heart yearns for the view

of blooming flowers

under the blue sky

my skin yearns for the touch

of a warm spring sun

instead, frozen snow greets

me at the front door

frigid air brushes against my face

a reminder, winter still lingers

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #241: Swearing by all Flowers

mind trip

my mind wants to take a trip 

away from all the chaos - 

frigid winters, cutthroat politics,

the new volatility of American news

I just want my face to 

bask in the warm sunshine

let the body relax without

worrying about what comes next

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #240-: Fill, Zip, Trip

wine and roses

there was a time

your smile would

light up my room

the beauty of your 

eyes pulled me 

into a dream

these were the days

when love seemed

so simple

but in truth,

we learned that true 

love is not always 

wine and roses

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #239: Smile

in hibernation

when the days are cold, and the nights colder, 

all I want is to hibernate in my home

let me slumber under thick blankets 

or lounge on the sofa under soft throws

sipping hot cocoa, away from the frigid 

snow that covers the ground

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #238 the last one for the year.  

enough

I think I had enough of 

life’s noise and chaos 

I have zero cares to give 

to everyone’s causes

I just want to lounge in peace

dreaming of moon and stardust

I want to savor the autumn leaves 

and warm sunsets before the end

- Written for dVerse Quadrille #237:Zero