Poem #26 of 30

Hop Dream

Soil readied
precious petals planted
Weeks
Before the sun
hugs the ellipse
Up the wire lines
They run
Building verdant necklaces
as they go
Each gem
a magic part
Of drinks for gods
and queens

#25 of 30

Cocoon

Time presses

into itself

until six months is

just a day

Every time I get it right
I have to leave again

Gone-
To that other home where
Parts of me live out

Those same parts that cocoon
over winter

Dream of color and sound

Hidden beneath a cold,

white blanket

And in the moment

of making the most of a home

and its quiet refuge-

it’s time to emerge

and soar

again

somewhere else

How I love the warm nest

I have made

But how I also love the flying

Poem 24 of 30-

Woman’s Best Friend

Most of my life has been spent

in the good company of dogs-

Shoulder bumping my leg as we walk;

reminder that they were still there.

Dangerous tails clearing coffee tables

Missing holiday turkey when left unattended

Drive by face lickings

Peaked ears at strange noises after midnight

From shared warmth

sleeping pup, nuzzled on my neck

to stretched out long against my back

My ear pressed to a sturdy chest

to hear a heartbeat

I could listen to forever.

My dearest creature friends

who gave

all their love

all their loyalty

all their lives-

It’s so quiet now,

except for the river of tears I make

upon their leaving

NaPoWriMo 2019 challenge- 30 poems in 30 days. Poem #23

One Fell Swoop

In one fell swoop, my heart

was lifted off the roadway

where I had

been traveling without

a true destination,

awaiting a sign

from unseen guides;

advisers all my life-

What did I know of

destinies and

agreements made

before this earthly incarnation-

Promises to ferry in

two beings

needing passage

from the ethers-

a contract on my soul to

shelter and nurture

their hunger for knowledge.

Promises fulfilled-

ear to the sky

alert to the arrival

of new instructions

and where

I am needed next.

NaPoWriMo Poem #22 of 30

What I Cherish

This thing we hold
softly in our hand-
vowing promises to
keep it shining-

These things we keep
ever,

always
tucked in the safe reaches
of our hearts

where they remain unchanged-

Still- the captured starlight

Still-the flower’s best perfume

Still- the sparkling light on water

Still-the perfect melody

What we gather close to

protect from harm-

this is what we cherish most

Within my collection,

I keep your voice.

I keep the presence of wonder I have witnessed
and
how it made me feel

Each fragile,
fleeting memory
that left me honored
having witnessed it
in my life

What transformed
my ordinary existence
for a moment-

Like an angel’s wing

brushing my face

with
a whispered message
in my ear
“Pay attention.
THIS is special.”

This,

this is what I cherish most.

Dragon Kite Mouth

Someday, your mouth will get you into trouble, he said

Oh, Dad, if you only knew the wonderful, awful trouble its led me to.

To people who touched the sky

And to the border walls of hell

Words stream out like a tail on a dragon kite.

Out of my mouth and into the air

Sure and true

For me

In the moment

In truth-

That is all we have:

Sure

And true

In the moment

In Context

Music
experienced
Out of context
Is like a partial ocean view
Seen only through a tiny window
Accessed at the top
of a rickety ladder

Created in sacred space
Layered note on note
Voice on voice
Side sounds- small and large
Quiet pause leading to twelve different instruments filling

the
Sound horizon

All that careful planning-
And still if
Heard only
through tinny car speakers
The listener misses out on
Treasure, there for the taking
A kingdom awaits
Needing only decent headphones
To enter
And experience
The work
In context-
Holy
Sound

A sacred offering

from a music artist

To the world

●●●●

The Mix

Here I am
So full of words
That they spill out

At 3am
And I have to argue
with my brain
to shut the hell up
So I can sleep

And there you are
With narily but a shrug
Sleeping like a baby
With a full belly
And a silent world

How did we put this mix
Together-
You and I

Was That You?

It is one thing to
Say a last goodbye
to older
Relatives
It’s natural
It’s expected
Though painful
We hold the consolation
Of imagining they lived a
Long and full life

But to let go of the hand of
A friend for the last time
Makes a rip in the world
that we will trip over
the rest of our lives.

Each gathering of mutual friends
Contains a crater in the center
where
They once stood
When a stranger just ahead
on crowded city street
makes us rush to catch up-
Certain that we saw them
Same height
Same build
Same hair
Same gait

What cruel trick is this
That tears my heart open

like it’s happening

all over again

Just when I thought
The tape I’d used
would hold me back together