Thursday, February 28, 2019

Imaginary gardens with real toads

When traveling the roads, like many travelers, I dodge the potholes.   One must “do-si-do,” to avoid the holes, or your conveyance may be lost.  I have heard it has happened many times before. 

I am told, it is the” freeze and thaw,” that causes the holes.  This winter has seen much snow.  Spring is expected and rain is predicted.

A traveler dodges the potholes
Swerves to the left or right
Driver appears drunk

February 28, 2019

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Blame and Forgiveness/dVerse Blame and forgiveness

Blame and Forgiveness

You say, you don’t know how
I agree
The subject is difficult
Who is to blame

If it is you
Step forward
If it is me
Point with your finger

Still I am not sure…
Was it all a joke
Or just someone out of sorts
Words thrown to the ground

Bounced like a rubber ball
“Back at you”
Screamed silently
I thought if I said nothing

It would all be OK
Now, it has been four years
Since the scene
No one is quite sure

The words thrown that day
Are old and rotten
As the day they were said
At the top of your lungs

The love it there
But why would you say such things?
Somethings cannot be sorted out
But remain in a tangle

Lost in the bottom of a heart
Still wounded
Still smarts
Still broken

February 26, 2029

What the Heck?/dVerse Quadrille #74

What the Heck?

I read the words
Struggle for meaning
I understand each word
But what the heck is he saying?
Sometimes it is difficult
To get the meaning
Sip a little at a time
The door opens slowly
The creak of the hinge
Has as much meaning

February 25, 2019



Great Expectations/imaginary gardens with real toads

Great Expectations

All is quiet
The sun shines brightly
Shadows dance across the road
Camouflage potholes

The car swerves from side to side
Sometimes they are at such an angle
If you try to avoid one
You drop into another

It has been a hard winter
Too much snow
Freeze and thaw
Many more potholes than before

Spring will be beautiful
It seems what is expected 
Is always more beautiful
That what is remembered

February 26, 2019



Monday, February 25, 2019

Devastated By a Word/dVerse

Devastated By a Word

Hard to believe, but true
And it could happen to each of us
What is important to you?
We each hold “sacred ground” about something

And that something is hard to know
Perhaps it is something we are heavily invested in
Something we love
Something we have created

Yes, we are tender little children
When it comes to what we think of as ours’
On this day
It is four little paintings

Four little paintings
Four abstract paintings
And in these paintings
I have poured myself

The whole of me
The colors and transitions
Are stunning 
In my opinion

When you say you are not keen on them
I am devastated
Thrown to the ground
In deep sorrow

And yet
Why would I expect you to see
Perhaps they don’t even look like
What I see

They are simply what is “left over”
From time in the studio
I take out my heart
Examine it carefully

Allow it to bleed all over
What is in front of me
A work of art 
I have made for you

February 25, 2019









Sunday, February 24, 2019

Maybe/the sunday whirl -- Poets United Poets Pantry

Maybe
When my response is “maybe”
It simply means I won’t commit
I’ll remain on the fence
I cannot say you are right nor wrong

Don’t chide me
Nor put me on trial
There are times I don’t know for sure
Can’t decide

Just want to remain neutral
Ride the waves
Watch the tide come in
See the bay brightly sparkle
Often, I remain in a wormhole of time
Knowing life isn’t always smooth sailing
Within a vial of “sea”
Is everything you will need to know

February 24, 2019






Wordle 392:    tithe, 

Maybe, chide, trial, decide, just, ride, tide, bright, wormhole, smooth, vial,           


Saturday, February 23, 2019

Days Before Daybreak/imaginary gardens with real toads

Days Before Daybreak

The shades are drawn
The room still dark
Outside the moon hazy
Snow melts slowly
In the days before daybreak
Somewhere between dreams and waking
Robin greets the morning with song
The blue heron spreads his wings 
In celebration 
End of winter

February 22, 2019






Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Fun, Funny, Funniest/poets united midweek motif

Fun, Funny, Funniest

Life is filled with fun
Maybe not big fun
But little fun each day
I spring from my bed

The hour early
It will be some time before the sun rises
In the dark
I find my way

Open the door
Let the kitten out to  play
It is fun just to still be here
And funny too

Some have left, already gone
What am I doing still here?
Fun to have that first cup of coffee
Dark and rich

My brain trails two steps behind
What will the day bring
Will it be fun, funny, or the funniest
I follow myself to the studio

The work is planned
Some colors mixed
The sky is clear
No snow today and that will be fun

February 20, 2019





Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Cowardice and Courage/imaginary gardens with real toads

Cowardice and Courage

I am not a courageous virgin
Not courageous for the first time
Nor a coward
I have known them both

The feelings are not new for me
But feelings they are
I have been afraid
And didn’t think I could do it

Yet I did...

The most unthinkable
The hardest challenge…
When called
I showed up

I walked through fire
Held you close
Said goodbye
And faced life without you

I could not turn away
Took a deep breath
Eyes focused on the horizon
Though invisible you walked with me

And you remain with me now
You showed me your courage
Your strength
No one could say you were a coward

February 19, 2019










Selma/imaginary gardens with real toads

Selma

What to say about the Canadian
The one who became my friend
Full of life, or “piss and vinegar”
As she would say

A bit of a rascal in everyway
And yet as loveable as a kitten
Her familiar, the cat, Pablo
So much a part of her life

She would talk to him
Touch him
Care for him
Her soft furry companion

He stayed by her side
Cared for her, too
You called, shared the news

She could stay no longer
I looked out from my window
Not a star in the sky
Rain fell in a dribble

Like tears sliding down the cheek
She would follow the piper
A strong warrior
I am honored to have known you

Your winning ways
Your tricks 
And your manners
One of a kind

A very special person
We each will go in our own time
Your chair will remain empty
I will wait for your return


February 15, 2019

Selma  was a very special friend.  I will miss her.




What is Invisible/dVerse

What is Invisible

Isn’t everything we don’t’ see
And everything we don’t feel
And everything we don’t hear
And everything we don’t smell
And everything we don’t taste
Invisible

So much of life is invisible to us

Unless you tell me how you feel
I don’t know

Unless you sing for me
I cannot hear the song in your heart

Unless you tell me the scents of your garden
I will not know, for I may never visit your garden

Unless you tell me the taste of the apple you just ate
I don’t know

We might call the “overlooked,” invisible
How many nights pass
That we don’t see the moon and stars

How often have we stepped over something small
Without knowing it is there

Often, we are in the world
Without seeing the world
Or consciously experiencing it in anyway

February 19, 2019









Monday, February 18, 2019

What if the Moon Disappeared Tomorrow?/imaginary gardens with real toads

What if the Moon Disappeared Tomorrow?

I am running a wee bit late
As often happens
Trying to stay on schedule
I’ve been thinking about your question…

What if the moon disappeared tomorrow?
And right away
I know lovers were have nothing to say
People would be sad

Romance would die
Alice Walker would no longer gaze at it
Perhaps she would find no inspiration for her writes
In the darkest of nights

There would be no light for children to play out at night
Without the moon over my heart
I would have nothing to say
Tides would no long rise or fall

It shines light on dark paths
Shows the way 
Adds mystery 
And spice to life

February 18, 2019







Sunday, February 17, 2019

Selma/the sunday whirl --poets united poets pantry

Selma

Written on water
The message
Slides below the surface
Barely legible

With a stick
I draw a line in the sand
From my heart to yours’
The message said you are gone

Just disappeared
Climbed from your bed…
No one knows for sure
The story a bit hazy

Upon return
The room empty
All nooks and crannies were searched
The day ended on a high note

They said, you were happy
The dishes were cleared from the table
Water drained from the sink
Scraps offered to the dogs

The wind blew all night
The morning calm
Hard to believe
You are gone for good

February 17, 2019

Note: Sometimes it is just that way. You were sick, and couldn’t live forever…still death comes as a surprise.  How do you choose a few words that wrap up a life…a life lived long. Beauty, color, funny, faithful, fun, laughter, “the bell of the ball.”   I will miss my friend, Selma Cooper.



Thursday, February 14, 2019

Oh Love/poets united midweek motif/love -- imaginary gardens with real toads

Oh Love

Oh love
Who doesn’t seek for love
A precious pearl
A tantalizing glow

Oh love
Were for are thou
Hard to find
Like horny toads, and blue lizards

Oh love
My quest continues
Across the sands
A seeker I am

Oh love
Will I know thee
When confronted
Or will I walk on by

Oh love
I’ll wait right here
By the garden gate
Now don’t be late

And when I’m told
You have already passed
I am waiting still
Maybe, you will come back

February 14, 2019




Wednesday, February 13, 2019

What is Real and What is Not/ dVerse

What is Real and What is Not

It can be a dilemma
Caught in a web
Unable to move
Unsure which way to go

Are dreams real, you ask
Hard to say
For they seem so
Until you wake with a gasp

Is love real
It seems so
When you look into my eyes
Steal a kiss

Will it last
Hard to tell
Passion comes and goes
Like the wind itself

The sky turns dark
The wind blows a gale
A storm is upon us
And then it blows itself out

All is calm
What is real
The storm or the calm
Hard to tell
When in the middle of it

February 13, 2019





Tuesday, February 12, 2019

A Prelude to a First Kiss/dVerse

A Prelude to a First Kiss

Soft strands of music
Waft across the mesa
Low beat of drums 
The rhythm grew faster
A night like no other

At the end of the evening
You leaned forward
Lips missed their mark
It was a prelude to a first kiss

February 12, 2019


Signals of Time/imaginary gardens with real toads

Signals of Time

No, there are no signals
To mark the passage of time
It seems to hurry by
When I am busy

At work
Trying to solve
The issue of the day
I look up 

Time passes
Seasons change
Months and years
I have grown old

I can still hear
The sound of fog horns
On the channel
Arthur Dove’s painting

Wrinkles caress my face 
A map of where I have been
My hair thin and grey
The hair of my Grandmother

A soft silver cloud 
Floats around my head
In the mirror
A stranger 

Because of this passing of time
I am an unknown person
In an unknown land
Will Spring come again this year?

February 12, 2019

“Time,” wrote Thomas Mann, “has no divisions to mark its passage, there is never a thunderstorm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year.” 


Sunday, February 10, 2019

Fly to the Moon/the sunday whirl -- poets united poets pantry

Fly to the Moon

Take a chance
Don’t be shy
Ride a shooting star
Fly to the moon

Don’t let a misstep mar your day
Be sly
Hide (if you have to)
Let it all pass on by

Stand apart from the fray
Barter for a better day
Give your wishes credence
Chart your course

Get out your crayons
Make some marks
The rhythm of your life
Is the cadence of your own heart


February 10, 2019


Wordle 390:   

Chance, fly, shoot, star, shy, mar, sly, apart, barter, credence, chart, cadence    

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Morning After/imaginary gardens with real toads

Morning After

Morning after
After what? you ask
A sleepless night
And what was the cause

Sometimes it is hard to tell
It seemed every nerve in my body
Was a jangle
No rest for the weary

Yes, I was tired
But there was something…
Or was it just my body
Running through the day

Or some “old something”
Revisiting the site
Did worry get the best of me
Sometimes it is hard to put your finger

On exactly what it was
The morning broke
The sun shining 
Silence is my companion

I am on the brink of beginning
Each new morning
A new beginning
The hands of the clock advance

February 7, 2019

On imaginary gardens with real toads, we were asked to talk about the present moment.



Wednesday, February 6, 2019

I Follow the "Light"/dVerse



I Follow the “Light”

I am a traveler
I follow the “light”
Of course, we cannot see “light”
But light allows us to see everything else

Artists have always come to Taos
Because of the “light”
The color is more intense
Goes beyond the eye

Touches the heart
Color welcomes us home
Color sets the mood
Color gives meaning

Color is changeable
Like water
It takes different forms
You may say

Yes, I have it just right
That is exactly what I want
Paint it down
And then paint the next color to it

It changes
We never experience color alone
It is always in relationship with other colors
I am a traveler
I follow the “light:

February 5, 2019



Zero Tolerance/poets united midweek motif/zero tolerance

Zero Tolerance

I put my foot down
You have gone far enough
Too, far
Your cruelty is larger than your ego

No one calls
Asks me how I feel
What I want
Who to toss

Instead I find myself
In an unknown forest
What happens…happens
without consultation

I find my way thought twisted brambles
Overgrown branches
Thick undergrowth
No trail to follow

I have my own tricks and manners
I will wait for you to catch up
Speak clearly
Thread the needle

See the signs
Time to step back
Get out of my space
Make amends

February 5, 2019








Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Mules and Mountains/ imaginary gardens with real toads tuesday platform

Mules and Mountains

You spoke of feeling like a donkey
And I was reminded of Susan Griffin’s
Book, Woman and Nature -- Mules
She begins, “We are the mules.”

The work we were bred for
The cleaning, nurturing
The raising of children
Cooking…calculating the measurements

It is said, we are not logical
The mule balks for no apparent reason
Suddenly we find ourselves in tears
Susan says, “…she is clumsy

With the dullness of labor.”
Form and function
Labor also has its’ grace
Grace, unnamed, invisible, surviving

I stand harnessed to the plow
I see the mountains
And remember
My burden is small in comparison

February 2, 2019

I have taken some of Susan Griffin’s words from her book, Woman and Nature, The Roaring Inside Her -- Mules.







Sunday, February 3, 2019

A Long Cold Night/the sunday whirl -- poets united poets pantry

A Long Cold Night

The night is long and cold
The snow still on the ground
Temperatures low
A chill in the air

I swipe the slate clean
Wait for signals
Hints about what I am thinking
Can I touch the deepest part of me

The shy part
The part that remains hidden
The master of the files
Where each day is recorded

Becomes my past
Long strings of words
Wrapped around cylinders
Filled with people

I have known
Loved and lost
Like a gold mine
These saved words

Fill my poems
It is my history (herstory)
I will not be inhibited
Nor judged by my words

I am not on trial
I sit by the fire
No longer chilled
Words flow in the warmth
And the memory of summer

February 3, 2019
Wordle 389:    Night, chill, swipe, signals, hints, touch, shy, files, mine, inhibit, sitting       

Saturday, February 2, 2019

The Turning Point/imaginary gardens with real toads/the turning point




The Turning Point

It is usually in hindsight
That I recognize
I have reached the turning point
And have gone past it

Usually it is outside myself
That it happens
The door opens
And without knowing

I walk through it
Colors are brighter
Sounds are softer
More melodic

Everything tastes brighter
The air is fresher
I am new again
The last turning point
Is behind me

It is not to say
There won’t be another
For who can say
Where each turning point resides

February 2, 2019






Not Just A Cup

  Not Just a Cup       Southern born Not a tea drinker Always coffee For me   Although I often find  Bitter taste Of the dark brew A bit muc...