mezzanotte

dyslexic christmas scene
stories told
of pasts i don't know
painted on the backdrop
of frozen evergreen
with open-windowed noises
whispering summers
voices
have another drink
to new year's cheer
try to find
the peace
in turbulent air
as revelers count down
mezzanotte
longing, far from home
i listen
for traces in the pause...
of comfort
i look
toward the unknown
standing in the shadows
of what was
answers in the flames
that burn
in the hearth
of my new year's
lullabye

stardust

new moon sky
filled with
starry delight
cracks in heaven's floor
stardust
falls upon the shore
of nighttime's
winter dreams
moving slowly
in between
midnight thoughts
& slumbering nods
darkness holds
a long reign
with trails of stardust
in its wake
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
one single impression

a winter's day

late dawn peeking
a pink layer
across wind chill...
snuggle deeper
under down
comfort.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
a fire building
in the hearth
& heart
with steaming mug
in hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
early twilight leaving
a wake of starry sky
candles lit
& vespers sung
a winter's day
is done.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
one single impression

hope

in quiet hush

hear the angel's

whisper

softly across

december twilight

comfort

wrapped in soft
by fire's warmth
winter content
in early dusk
candle glow
against the frost
while in the dark
beyond
snow gently falls

tired

as life drips
slowly
from the container of my being
i've less reserve
& more stillness;
the widening spaces
within
are receptive,
taking in & turning over
expanding while time
is shrinking

childhood memory

slipping through the cracks
of ordinary life
during a movement
a stirring of air
when i smell her perfume
slipping through the cracks
of celestial veil
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
one single impression

just...

write your baggage
neatly in script
wrapped in pure white;
then...
crumple it
toss it
burn it

send it

publish it

& feel your burden

lessened.

courage

to wake this day
knowing the flood of memories
saps my courage
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
i miss you, daddy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
one single impression

surprise

dreams long dormant

find their way to the surface

of my new reality

my smile is smug with certain joy

knowing you lifted the lid

of my pandora's box

to a flutter of life's confetti

paradox

smile
even though the heart
weeps
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
one single impression

still

i could not cry
so i let
the condensation
of my cold water glass
trace tears
for me

disguise

under the guise of
cheerful smile & wave of hand
i mourn your absence
one single impression

gift

echoing across
time's never-ending
whispers of wisdom
your words
to my childhood ears
a gift
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
one single impression

never ending

little breaths
in & out
each day
until the last one
but love
is never ending
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
one single impression

gold

they say gold is found
at the end of the rainbow,
but in the chase
to that one small place
all one can see
its undersided knots
of tapestry.

i say gold is found
in the light bending vista
sun streaming cloud
elegantly shroud
where one can see
the whole kaleidescope of
its tapestry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
one single impression

late

life's untender mercies
fleeting as sparrow's wings
leave in their wake
a solace
found on sun-warmed stones

lingering

for a fraction of time
slide between
blissful sleep
& pounding awake
a moment's awareness
cascades into recognition-
dreams skimmed from the surface
of nighttime tide
compete with practical reality
the reverie of memories
recalling things that did not occur
& yet their presence with a clarity
not so easily lost in normal elegance
of daytime's passing events

fleeting2

you believe
that you know a summer leaf
in the green,
but one morn you wake
discerning a change
to red
& the next...it's gone

serendipity

fork in the road
of humble options,
path less tread
looks serendipitous
to me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
serendipity
is not found
in backward glances
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
of all the wide world
through view of your lens i see
serendipity
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
one single impression

fleeting

just as one bud
turned autumn leaf aflutter
& so your presence

chill air threatens
to invade every crevice
& so your presence

warmed sun behind
wind-driven cloud of dry
& so your presence

round seasons ply
in tangible hope espied
your fleeting presence

one single impression

autumn

exhale of summer

one achingly beautiful

red leaf releasessea of field

yellow bloom belies the turn

soon to brownautumn wind

whispering through tired leaves

of firelight to come

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

one single impression

flow

ocean wide

these dreams are pulled

in timeless currents

that lead me back to you

pilgrimage

all the hard words in the world
will not settle
the undercurrent of unrest;
life on the journey
is not home,
a divided soul
stumbles on
sidestepping in a terrain
that will always be foreign
but not without
a promise~
whispered above the din
in time, to know
as we are known.

spectacle

close up

life's spectacles all look

familiarthrough the lens

of life's grand vision

see as seen

one single impression

homecoming

standing in the shade
a glimpse of home filters through
shift of summer breezein the longing, light

shining down on the journey

home is in your handpathway leading home

gliding over sea surface
spyglass safe return
one single impression

hope

for josiah...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
bedside vigil
uttered prayers desperate
please don't go
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
unreal world
night is daytime, sounds incessant
that keeps you alivepray for breath of hope
hanging on each spoken word
nap in waiting room
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
life's fragile balance
hovering between two worlds
one hand keeps you hereplease, pray for Josiah.

stairways

looking up, i see
a journey toward heaven
one step at a timeover timeworn stairs
sea of humanity flows
longing for the view

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

one single impression

faces

faced with challenges
under the guise of a smile
memento morifrom afar, your warmth
hidden under marble mask
slips as i draw nearcaptured in content
time slips through centuries
holding your smile

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
one single impression

one year...

with these simple lines
one year of written words flow
from my heart to you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
one year of poetry @ write away!

nap

tired scratchy awake
after night of every number,
should i hear just one lull
of cicadas...
slumbery noonday
in gentle repose.

more travel...

back & forth, jets fly

contrails of longing to go

fasten your seatbelt!

through a window

through a dusty pane

outward glimpse of light & hope

forget the dishescozed lamplight billows

piercing the darkened street with

internal yearning

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

one single impression

vagabonding...

i feel quite badly

no posting, no visiting

another journey...

independence day

by fireworks' light
we reflect on sacrifice
freedom is not free

haiku!

with only three lines
some tell whole stories
five, seven, five

permanence/transience

the only thing of

real permanence in this life

is its transience

one single impression

jet lag

i am awake

but on the wrong continent

six hours behind

reflection

in the water

i see ripples of hope

staring backsilent glide

across mirrored surface

two skiesone drop falls

onto still surface

ripples outwardspatter of sunlight

shimmering dance of surface

tickled reflectionmirror image

reflection in stillness

morning light

one single impression

bleeding

across the white page

words of a fountain pen bleed

infusing new lifebleeding hearts pass by

with nary a sidelong glance

stranger to your plightone careless word cuts

with skill of a surgeon's knife

hope bleeds from the wound

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

one single impression

warm

in stony repose

block of stone becomes vision

of warmth in sun's raya week of burden

grown heavy on the heart

warmed by love's prompthope is a flower

warmed in sun-showers of love

that blooms in the heart

deserted/desert

once in newborn joy

you crashed into our world

and now you are gonesea of lonely sand

but not without lush center

desert oasis

one single impression

flowering

springing upon us

from the ruins of winter

open full-flower

heady scent of air

petal soft breezes enchant

dance of bumble bee

ascent/descent

poems from the road...firenze
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
out of touch
with everything i knew
& yet something found...
a thing i have always known;
paradise
in the swirl of an ancient stair
with drifting scent
of fresh rainwater
& carved earth,
the view from the top
is one i always knew.
sunlight pouring through
i pause for descent
to be swallowed by the walls
of the aged city.

cimitero

poems from the road~~ venezia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
pass through the arch
portal of ancient stone
even the sleep of death
is not quieted
while the heart beats
filling ears from inside
with clamour for life;
trickle of fine mist
competes with tender touch
of notes falling through trees
cascade of loss
tumbles outward
through broken glass,
peeking between spaces of solid wrought
twirls of floral arrangement
that do not die
an angel frozen in hope
with a fine dust of incident
guarding your cramped bones;
they say you rest
and i must catch a boat
returning to the mainland.

poems from the road...

Touchdown
they say life is not your destination,
but rather life is the journey along the way.
the view of angels from 35,000 feet
holds marvels for certain
but I like to think that sometimes
the touchdown on terra firma,
is just a bit more comforting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stop & Go
a series of hurry up & wait moments
peppered with sleep deprivation
cannot quell the hopeful tingle
felt on the last leg of the journey
just before arrival

poems from the road...departure

on the journey from north carolina to venezia, italia...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
wanderlust
spreads out before my heart
cupid's contrails
celebrate national poetry month!!

winds of change

how can it be
that a night step onto the deck
yields wind chills
from the north
that smack of january
but in just a few short hours
that same spot is wrapped
in fragrant swirl
of southerly breeze
that bears lofting petals
of april's soft embrace?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
celebrate national poetry month!!

vagabonding

journey of thousands
of miles
beginning, not with a step
but with a click
to a window on the world
i long to see.


many months later
after electronic plans laid,
seconds ticked by
days crossed off
(though living in the present,
relishing with gratitude
did not put the X on the calendar's
pages)
it is time to fly.


almost caught off guard
& yet living a dream,
bags packed with love & smiles
(the just-right shirt
is an afterthought)
do i need more?

i do
but only that
which is found
along the way
on the path
of my vagabonding dreams.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
celebrate national poetry month!!

nice

ul...i'm a bit late on my gratitude for this honor...but thank you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

in these days

of rush-about madness

nice does matter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

please take a moment to visit ul & enjoy a truly nice blog...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

celebrate national poetry month!!