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!!

stranded

tumultous wave
ebb & flow in fractured light
stranded on the sand
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
crashing thoughts
stranded in verbal debris
pause of silence
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
chaos all around
washed on the shore of my need
island moment
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
one single impression
celebrate national poetry month!

passing

cloudscape in motion
thunderheads storm out to sea
blue horizon west
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
celebrate national poetry month!!

being

to be present
as branches in the breeze
eyes, hands, heart
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
celebrate national poetry month!!

rain

april showers
after glowing days of sun
petal drops
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
celebrate national poetry month!!

fools

i, the april fool
fell for your silly charade
my own holiday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
celebrate national poetry month!

beckoning...

jewel-toned hush
of evening shadows
on my restless mind,
dinner nagging for attention
that has walked out the door.

light lingers~
who am i to ignore
the slide of the sun
back into my hemisphere,
greedy in the hug of warmth
i drink the air
of blossoms & birdsongs
like a dying woman.

make a sandwish, i call
over my shoulder
to the hungry masses;
or rather have your fill of this:
a feast for the eyes, longing
for color painted
over death's brown.

let go of other's realities
filtering into the so-called living
room,
start living your own
the breeze
a perfect dance partner,
never winded
& with no left feet.

let twilight settle
on your skin,
you wear it better
than any designer suit;
take a moment to unplug
your ears
from others' odes to joy;
listen to your very own
heard before you were born.

do not assume
that your task list
is more important than
the crickets' evening chorus;
they sing for you, you know.

as light grows wide
step into its glow
to see who you are.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
celebrate national poetry month!!

enchanted april

teasing days
sun scurries from cloud to cloud
dashing raindrops
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
transforming
each drop from leaden sky
green-jeweled branch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
birdsong on the wind
woven with sun's warming rays
tapestry of spring
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
celebrate national poetry month!