Monday, July 31, 2017

FEAR/ dVerse

FEAR

i looked into your glittering eyes           saw the darkness                      from which you came

quietly                                      i whispered your name             you did not answer      

i shuddered                              put my hand to my throat                     covered my mouth

drew a breath              then exhaled and slowly whispered the words           …happy birthday!                               


            

Sunday, July 30, 2017

How to Write a Poem/ The Sunday Whirl -- Sunday's Whirligig -- Poets United


HOW TO WRITE A POEM

how to write a poem            when your mind is empty    you look out

across the sweet scent of sage        to the horizon           try to remember/surrender

to the early morning             the past appears                   what a surprise

think about someone            who sailed the archaic boat     green against the blue sea

           

the joy of it all                      the laughter we shared        as we stitched the sails       

and scanned the horizon     sea gulls followed                  the little black dog

as he swam                            in the waves              that sparkled and reflected the

morning light                        he heat of the sun               warmed our skin

                       

the deceit was           that we thought it real          the mermaids with yellow hair       

the seashells we collected   best of all                   we wouldn’t grow old          

thought it would last forever         such a silly “think”   since nothing ever does

everything ends                    as surely as it begins             the trip is over



we flip a shiny silver coin                 bend down to pick it up       heads or tails

we begin again                      …we wonder which comes first      the beginning or the end


July 30, 2017

Thursday, July 27, 2017

You Hike the Valley Alone / dVerse

You Hike the Valley Alone

i think of you now                   far away in a distant land         we are separated by

more than distance                   you hike the valley                  of the shadow of death            

 you do not stumble                 like the hike                              years ago                                  

 in haversuepie arizonia           the descent was straight down     a ten-mile hike 

             

 in that hot canyon                   most of the day            the mules passed us

they carried the mail                   in and out of the canyon            the dogs run alongside    

barking at their heels               hooves clatter on the rocks       the men yell

encouragement                          hoo! hoo!                                the sun beats down

            

the canyon an oven                   we stopped often                     to rest in the shade            

took our time                           descending slowly                    deep into the earth

the village another world    protected by vertical rock walls        cool at last

it is there we witnessed     the dragonfly/fire engine red        silently waiting



as if for us alone                stared into our eyes                 we stared back

camped near the falls         emerald green water                cascading over the rim

leaving all cares above...    on the last day                        we hiked most of the day

the hike had grown much harder     late in the afternoon          the final push



back to our waiting cars     the trail seemed to go straight up/ into the sky        days before

when we began                  we hardly noticed the descent       but the return assent

back to our lives above                  was very difficult                           out of water

we stopped often                for short rests                  we found three bottles of water



gratefully we took two       we met a young man on the trail     just beginning his hike

ten miles into the canyon       hot as hell                                    dressed in black

with black parasol               a definite spring in his step            for all the world

he appeared to be out for a stroll/ in a downtown park    the canyon floor many hours ahead



often wondered                 if he made it                                    did he find his way

or did he turn back            for you                                         there is no turning back

your heart is strong           though broken                          you hike the valley alone



April 4, 2016








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