#25 of 30
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-
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
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
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.
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
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
●●●●
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
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
Motion of the roadway
Opens floodgates
To almost forgotten journeys
Other people
Other places
Each, all my world
In their own golden moments
Tattooed now onto my heart
Every face
Every voice
~my private gallery
National Poetry Writing Month ~ 30 Poems in 30 Days ~ Poem # 16 of 30
So,
It’s down to this, is it?
You, who can not handle the beauty and significance of a building you did not build, you do not love; you have decided to burn it to the ground
You, who can not handle the beauty and the wisdom of women; you have decided to burn them, assault them, rape them, sell them, murder them
You, who are insanely jealous of the fact that females carry life inside them; you have decided to pass laws about what is in their bodies or not.
You who can not control your own erections; you have decided to cover women from head to toe so you won’t have to mature and control your own penises.
You who can not handle the thought of anyone else having water or shelter or food or good health; you have decided to covet the water sources, the food and the access to shelter, doling out small tastes of life sustaining elements for extortionist prices while you hoard the lion’s share
You, who can not handle the thought of a country that allows its citizens free speech, its women to vote and drive cars and have their voices heard at a boardroom table; you have decided to wage war against their open hearts and minds
It is down to this;
The jealous fits of rage of an adolescent male are the role model for religions, corporations and military organizations
Eleven Year Old Boys are running the world while hiding inside old men’s bodies.
It’s down to this.
It’s time for the sane adults
to bring these wicked boys in line.
Word Ninja Girl 