Thursday, October 30, 2014

Choose Another Path


The path to a broken heart
Is short
Straight
Flat
And Wide.
It is no trouble to travel.
The path is
easy to find
And hard to leave.
It is a well-worn path.
And there are many companions
To travel alongside,
To entertain you
As you stroll on
towards heartbreak.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Wish Upon... Whatever You'd Like


Wish


Make a Wish:

Wish for a little more time….
…to linger between the sheets
….to keep them little longer
…to share just one more kiss

Wish for the best of luck…
…that a first date leads to a second
…for a steady voice on opening night
…for a successful tomorrow

Wish for time to fly…
…so that it will just be over
…to finally see her face again
…to finally hold him tight

Wish for good fortune…
…in matters of the heart
…in your professional endeavors
…in good old fashioned fortune

Go ahead, make a wish.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

The Leaf

The leaf,
Having given life,
Now gives it up,
Releasing a tenuous grasp
On that which it sustained
For a season or so.
Gravity takes hold,
As does the breeze,
And the amber ember
Floats slowly and serenely downward.
Then—just as the dear ground
Is within reach—
An ominous rumbling
Briefly precedes
A chill, silver rush.
Whipping the leaf upwards,
Whisking it away,
Thrashing it along,
Tossing it to and fro,
Intermingled with leaves of all sorts
And various refuse along the way




Thursday, October 16, 2014

All a Little Crazy

This is a poem for the beautiful oddities of the world.

"All a Little Crazy"


What's so wrong with crazy?
Don’t you like my weird?
How can you deny us,
When were here 
and here 
and here?
Who says strange is bad?
No one I'd listen to!
Yes, we are the crazy people,
And you're crazy people too!

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Dried Flowers

A few weeks ago, I went to visit my super-crafty aunt.  By super-crafty, I don't mean cunning and scheming, I mean she could make just about any inanimate object into something beautiful if you give her a hot glue gun and a few hours.  She's impressive, especially when all her works are on display.

She was showing me some projects in her work room, and I remarked on the number of dried flowers around the room.  I asked her where they all came from and if any of them had been special.  She couldn't remember the stories behind most of them, and it struck me as a little sad.  

And, of course, I wrote a poem about it.  (I know, you were expecting an interpretive dance number, but I thought I'd mix it up.)  



"Dried Flowers"

They hang from rafters
From hooks here and there
Left suspended
Spectacular
Lifeless
Beautiful

They are delicately preserved
Their memories and beauty
Faded
Dulled
Lifeless
And Fragile

They were bound to die
Destined to end
But are now
Determined to endure
Despite depleted aromatics
diminished aesthetics
And dramatically decreased value

At any attempt to move them
They whisper their dismay
Shuddering their objections
Brittle and unyielding,
They maintain their stance

A collection of shriveled shells
Of former beauties
Breathtaking in their time
They still bring a tear to the eye

Same eye,
in a new year,
with a new tear


Videos!

I've decided to start doing video readings!  I was working on some fresh material for tomorrow night's reading, and I realized that, as wonderful as a public reading is, I don't have to wait to read my work to people in person.  Hello, YouTube!  I have three of my poems posted, with more to come.  Enjoy watching!


Monday, October 13, 2014

The Creepy Continues

This poem could quite easily be interpreted as either pessimistic or optimistic.  The ultimate choice is left up to my readers, but for me as the writer, I like reading it in an ominous tone.  It might be the piece I choose for my public reading at DogStar Books this week.



"The Miracles Room"

This way To the Miracles Room
The Miraculous room
The room of the miraculous miracles
Yes,
This way to the Miracles Room.

Be prepared, my good people,
To be amazed.
Astounded
Astonished!

Ah, My dear,
A tear
In your eye
Already?
No, we’re not there yet

This way to the Miracles Room
The Miraculous room
The room of miraculous miracles
Yes,
This way to the miracles room

Steady yourselves, lads,
And be ready to give aid
To the ladies of the group
You may stagger
They may swoon

Don’t stumble,
My good fellow,
Hold fast
We’re not there yet

This way to the Miracles Room
The Miraculous Room
The Room of Miraculous Miracles
Yes,
This way to the miracles room

Ahh.
Shh.
Here.
The Miracles Room.


Head right in, folks,
Plenty of Room in there

Fill up that room
The Miracles Room
The Miraculous room
Fill the room with miracles
As you step right in.
Yes,
This way to the Miracles Room.