Illusion

Illusion

Illusion, sleight of hand, smoke and mirrors
the trickster taunts, test with toothless grin
teases, makes you believe before he tears
the trust out from under, then leers, leaves,
mirror behind his back, as you lurch, then
capsize, hopeless in a heap, wondering
what you didn't see in the mirror.

(Submitted to Writers Island and Poets United Poetry Pantry)

Fire

This poem was written for Poets United. The prompt was: Fire. This is what came to mind.  When I was in my early 20's I had a dream that I couldn't get out of my mind.  I was hanging on a rope from the ceiling of my home, and there was fire on the floor. The fire was reaching ever higher.  Then the flames started devouring the ceiling.  This dream haunted me for a long, long time.....until finally someone I talked to about the dream urged me to conclude the dream, to jump.  The dream is as relevant to me today as it was way back then and at different points in my life.  It is one of only TWO dreams I remember.

Fire

I swing on a rope above a sea of flames.
If I let go, I will be engulfed. I scream
hang on tight as I can, hope to evade
sudden death, but my hands weaken.
I swing, swing, heat inches closer,
my feet now seered by the flames.
Hands hurt, grip loosens. I am not
yet ready to die. Voice yells Jump.
I yell back, If I jump I die. Voice
says, No, jump into fire, embrace
the flames, have faith, it is the way.
I trust, I jump into the fire. The only
way out is through.  I jump and ____.



Morning Wake Up Call

Morning Wake Up Call

Alarm rings, I've been awake,
for how long, doesn't matter,
not enough sleep, rise from bed,
greet the day, turn on coffee
hopeful, face another day of life,
dogs bark, pull on jeans
and sweatshirt, outside cold,
spoon kibble into bowl, dogs eat,
then outside again, prepare bagel
and cheese, organize mind,
catch news, weather, snow today
gulp breakfast bagel and cheese,
drink coffee, more coffee,
remember vitamins, little time,
set routine, what to do now, later,
don't forget anything, anyone, self,
each morning heralds one more
day of life, so breathe.

Clarity

Clarity


All appears clear
everyone smiles, knows truth,
toasts the knowledge. Full glass.
To life! Raise your glass high.
Then something changes, subtle,
almost imperceptible
fogs the big picture.
Now confusion instead of clarity
blurred ideas, smudged lines
crystal clear no more
muddy waters reside
and I wonder if clarity is
only an illuson.

Time

Prompt:  Time Goes By - Poets United

Time

As time goes by I realize time
is the most valuable commodity
and if I have no time I have nothing.
There is no substitute for lost days,

no way to retrieve what was lost.
One never knows when time will end
your time, my time, our time.
Humphrey and Ingrid may live

on the silver screen forever
(their smiles fixed, they never age)
unlike we mortals who will die
so raise a toast to today, my friends,

as it is all we have. Tempus fugit!
To life. Ein prosit. Amen.

Three Women

(For Magpie Tales)

Three Women

Three women anticipate,
alive, stylish in winter finery.
ready to skate on the lake,

to take in all life offers.
Who can today imagine
skating in long coats like this?

Who can today imagine
these women so fine, alive,
so beautiful, are dead?

Conversation

(For We Write Poems)

Conversation

What do I wish I'd asked you?
So many things I'll never know
not because you don't know
but because you cannot say.
I thought we'd be able to talk
forever, had all the time in the world
to chat, reflect, philosophize;
but life didn't turn out that way.
A person doesn't know what
she'll miss until it's gone.
Too soon. Gone soon. Gone.
I wish I'd asked much more.

Courage

(Written for Writer's Island - prompt:  courage)

Courage


Courage is easy to claim
before one is put to the test.
We can all pretend, can't we?
Consider Superman, Joan of Arc,
Robin Hood, Calamity Jane,
Buffy who slays vampires.
Why not? We can brag,
smirk, talk a good line.
Who will know the difference,
while everything is fine?
We can be superheroes
in our own mind. But when
the tide turns, and turn it will,
where does the superhero go?
Behind a cloud, over the moon,
out of sight, just like courage.

Froth in the Mist

I wrote this in respone to a prompt at a new poetry prompt site. It is called the Poetry Tow Truck.  (Thanks, Pamela.) We had to watch 3 minutes of television, have 3 colors written down, write down things which were those colors (I chose red, white, blue), and somehow work some of the objects into a poem.  Here is what I came up with after watching a few minutes of the movie "Forrest Gump" on one channel or another.

Froth in the Mist

The American flag flew proudly

on the small fishing boat

though rain beat down hard

made the sailor's blue shirt

saturated grey, soggy, clinging.

All the while white frothy mist

rose from the sea, a ghostly sceptor,

as the sailor's red and white bandana
drenched, dripped. The sailor waited

for storm to cease, wished waves to let up,

to return to shore, to dry, awaited a rainbow,

for nature's rampage to conclude

as it began, for sun to shine again.

Just Walk

This is written for Big Tent Poetry, where the prompt was 'foot.'  I have written many poems during this past month where the theme was 'one foot in front of the other.'  I didn't think I had another 'foot' poem in me, but I gave it a shot anyway & came up with "Just Walk" which is relevant to me just now.


Just Walk

Move your foot just a little
position it right, like this
one foot, other foot, again
try hard, it will get easier
pivot now, you can do it,
just take one more step
and if you take one step
the next one will follow
let me take your hand.

How Much Does a House Know?

This poem was written for We Write Poems. We had to use sentences from a non-poetic work. I went to my book shelf and picked out a likely book: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. I chose some sentences to work with, plus added my own sentences to fill out the poem. Ann Patchett's sentences are italicized.


How Much Does a House Know?

How much does a house know?
Can a house really know anything?
Can a house cause pain, limit freedom?

Wasn't there still freedom in the deepest sense
if there was still freedom to pray?
What is prayer anyway, she implored.

What use is prayer in the worst of times?
All night long the outside world bellowed.
No one was frightened of the darkness.

At least that is what she said to convince herself,
but even she did not believe her words.
Some things were against the rules,

rules that were memorized and repeated in drills.
She learned them in school as everyone did.  Rote.
Good is rewarded, evil is punished, right?  Wrong.

The simplest things they believed, they had a right
to open a door, that they were free to step outside,
were no longer true. There were no rules now.

How much luck is one person entitled in the night?
She heard loud music, dissonant. Someone was playing.
The lights flickered.  It was nothing, nothing like a song.

When the lights went out the accompanist kissed her.
She screamed, but no one heard.  The door was locked.
How much does a house know? Does anyone know?

Lights go on, go off. And outside the door?  There
weren't more than half dozen stars to see.

Embarkation

(The theme for the Writer's Island prompt is - Embark.  I feel I should apologize for the downer quality of my poems of late, but then again maybe I shouldn't. Poetry reflects life. This is presently my life; and it does help to write what I cannot easily speak.)

Embarkation

The new year begins, and I have no choice
but to embark on the journey into the year
I don't want to face.I am pulled forward,
though I want to resist. I'd give anything

to go back in time to another year, one of
smiles, dreams, hope. Some years
I've had plans, but this year only prayers.
My life is a shell surrounded by loneliness.

I go through the motions, smile, hold up.
I try to smile, hold up, shed private tears.
There are few people who understand,
few people with whom I wish to share.

People really don't wish to know, I find.
In poetry I write feelings I cannot speak.
My fears for the year are painful. Many
unknowns, roads I don't want to follow.

I pray fervently and loudly. Please God
hear my prayer. Please God, hear.