Picante

oh
man of mine
so spicy
free
I am, my dear …
emancipated me

gotta love that sassy fire

caught up in every breath
the air is hot
‘tween you and me

you don’t tell me what to do

(I wouldn’t listen anyway)
we are each at liberty
to go our own way
yet we choose to dance
these sultry tangoed steps
each day anew

dream man of mine
so picante
muy elegante
swivel me ‘round
life’s floor
once more

your blazing
hungry
fiery kiss
hits home
I choose - surrender
to passion's
all consuming
flare

blistered
picante
I'm seared
caliente
to the bone
marking me
indelibly
as
your own

Once an Angel Kisses You

Photograph by Anne Geddes

you will not recover

it’s quite impossible to do

to ever reclaim your heart

once an angel kisses you

I’ve seen strong men stricken

as by lightening from the blue

acting like lost children

not knowing what to do

I’ve seen hard soul’s softened

filled up with happiness

it only took the slightest brush

of a tender angel’s kiss

it’s my prayer that you will find

your own sweet angel soon

for when you do; you will know

that no one is immune

your life will be full

of sweetest joyful bliss

you‘ll discover purest hope

in an angel’s softest kiss

for you will not recover

it’s quite impossible to do

to ever reclaim your heart

once an angel kisses you

Castles in the Air

love slept between us

a babe between its parent’s

countless wakeful nights

spent attending to its needs

listless, weary, bored
carelessly you smothered

weight suffocating

love's last portion of breath

goodbye to us

farewell to my honeyed dreams

I’ve misspent my time

building castles in the air

eternal blot of

my ill begotten efforts
many years dissolved
to salty mist of tears

Wild, Wild Hair Song

I got a wild, wild hair

growin’ free without a care

when I woke up with it this morning

it was growing down to there

now I don’t want a razor

I really dig it, I swear

step back my friend

let me enjoy

this wild, wild hair

I got a wild, wild hair

flapping in the breeze

just wait another day

and I’ll be swinging from the trees

some people may not like it

but I don’t really care

‘cause I am gonna wear and bare

this wild, wild hair

I got a wild, wild hair

what is happening to me

I want to be free

from responsibility

let the people gawk

let ‘em whisper and stare

‘cause they are only jealous

of my wild hair’s flair

Yes, I got a wild hair
but I can not sing the blues
I'm enjoying dancing barefoot
now I can not find my shoes
let's stay awake 'til sun-up
karaoke if you dare
temporary insanity
'cause I got a wild hair 

I got a wild, wild hair

flapping in the breeze

just wait another day

and I’ll be swinging from the trees

some people may not like it

but I don’t really care

‘cause I am gonna wear and bare

this wild, wild hair

I love – I love - I love

my wild, wild hair

Fine Line

unguarded negativity
easily stifles
awakening creativity

such a fine line
betwixt a blessing
and a curse

contorting one word
twists the meaning

of a verse

I won’t quench the fire
in this belly exercising
frustrated-angry-hate
but I rather seek to be inflamed
by a passion for life innate

oh, the fire in this belly
I comprehend not how it grows
I know not where it came from
nor do I fathom where it goes

yet I discern that it is here
present my whole life long
for I was birthed with a poet’s soul
the fire's gift is its warming flame
such heat has made me strong

Mister Man

mister man -  mister man

reveal,  your blueprint

divulge your plan

are you just a player?

ego-swelled words created a mocker

not a doer - just a sayer

do tell, Sir Smooth Talker

are you a soul-heart-spirit slayer?

mister man – mister man

do you only prattle nonsense

upholding the pretense

thin façade of a decent, nice guy

your insides crammed full

with the goo of slippery-slick-sly?

mister man – mister man

I bid you goodnight

I’ll be on my way

‘cause I’m not buying

absurd fiction you bray

you‘ve attempted to hook

the wrong-strong woman

believe me mister, I don’t play

better luck with future fishing

than you have had with me today

Your Letters

Your lines

written

on childhood paper

not unlike

the scritchy-scratchy crows feet

which now perch

around my eyes

I see in them
dare I say it?
... love

Boy across the street

that’s who you were to me

for years

“His people

hardworking

salt of the earth

but ...

not washed
in the

soul-cleansing-blood-of-the-lamb”

So, I married a young man

who went to the preaching

like clock-work

The last time we met

really talked
we two

I was cold
cutting

drawing bad blood

between us

The young man

who attended the preaching

like clock-work
is gone now

but not before breaking
my spirit
and each
Commandment sacred

In between the lines

of your

timeworn letters

I belatedly

see

feel

understand

Dare I say it?

… love

My Offering

deprivation

of caring

has transformed you

to a sun-dried raisin

desiccated

membrane

I too

am a dehydrated

withered rind

envisioning myself,

in my minds eye,

to be a

sodden

soggy

moist

living-breathing

greenhouse

of life

longing to be

dripping

with vitality                             

scant, precious oil of

my very essence remains

well hidden away

until almost forgotten

gladly

will I

pour myself

out

for you
all that remains of me

to

cover

anoint

fill you

please …

I pray,

do not nullify

the bestowal of a most treasured gift 
this genuine, full heart proffered

infinitely, intimately trusting

allowing myself

to be poured out upon you

only to have it trickle into the dust

to be forgotten

trampled underfoot

as a minor,

inconsequential

token

of no value

even so
love converts doubt into hope
take my hand
so that I may submit my offering ...

Lone Wolf

spirit independent  

a quiet force

empowered-empelled me

to break away

from the writhing pack

of snarling-snapping-vicious whelps
ferociously battling one another over rancid scraps

each vying to be

primary

alpha

top dog

a
lone wolf

now

am I

hunting solo

persisting in solitude

endless this journey

through vast wilderness

daily survival
tests endurance

as night approaches

to enshroud the world

in murky darkness

I will
howl

bay
yip

yowl

calling out to declare

my status as lone wolf

aloof-singular-wild-free

I am oddly at peace

my sonorous voice accompanied

solely
by the rustling spirit
of the soulful wind

Joy Has Flown South

Joy has flown south,

for the winter it seems,

condensation beads

on glass panes

chill air of late autumn

kisses the warmth

of this house

on its windowed eyes

leaving tears

which adhere

with unshakable drear

Yearning

for long days

of bright, brilliant light

which have migrated

to warmer climes

introducing summer

to a different hemisphere

we’ve a bleak wintry slog

in the meantime, to endure

I will hibernate to daydream

of happier, golden days

whose promise

lies in the coming spring

like the sleeping bulbs

buried in the garden

lying dormant now

may the sun
in its fullness
reappear

What a Fright!

shimmering

ghostly

spectral sight

awakened me from slumber

one dim, gloomy night

scared down to my marrow

I did not dare alight

to investigate this vision

by turning on the light

I hunkered ‘neath the covers

hearing footfalls

faint and slight

a pouncing jolt upon my bed

I shrieked; screamed with all my might

for ‘twas kitty cat who was the ghoul

on the sill beneath the drapes

as he moved the moon shone in

flickering shadow

moving shapes

feline nocturnal meandering

had caused my anxious plight

nowadays Tabby sleeps
outside my boudior
goodness … what a fright!

Eve

"Creation of Eve" by Michelangelo Buonarroti

eurphoria
drips

from

every pore

on nights

like this

I thank the good Lord

in his infinite wisdom
for creating me

to be an Eve

I’m talking about  …

a classic little black dress
artfully sewn

to hug a curve

lavender scented

silk stockings

softer than a baby’s laugh

mass of auburn hair

up

in a classic French twist

two loose tendrils hang strategically as

face framing exclamation points

diamond drop earrings' glint

does not rival

the adoring sparkle of my emerald eyes

my glorious Adam

takes me in his arms to dance

whispering in my ear,

“You are delicious”

giggling

suddenly embarrassed - shy

I whisper a silent prayer

of thanksgiving

to my magnificent maker

his gift to me
in forming me to be

an Eve

He Ain't Got No Soul

glacial ice

crackled

cracked

fashioning

the shard

which is

your heart

inky night

descended

from its perch

in starless sky

to spawn you

grim shadowy

yawning - empty

human cavern

thou art a

soulless

man

The Difficult Lessons

When a man says …

“We’re just friends”

friendship

will have to suffice

believe him

or else ready yourself

for truest

bluest heartbreak

“I don’t ever want to get married”

he doesn’t

no kidding

nothing you can do

or say

will ever help him

to change his mind

“Would you mind picking up the tab, again?”

smile ...

your most dazzling, disarming grin

say, “Not at all”

as you reach for your wallet

to pay the bill

oh yes,

once more,

you’ve been taken in

At your first opportunity

gallop away

as quickly as you ever may

never, ever

glance back his way

lest your

best

highest self

you betray

Lord, Have Mercy

I am

a southern woman

having been painstakingly

trained to be

unquestioning

demure – docile 
imagine Scarlett O'Hara
without the sassy attitude
or hoop skirt

raised to be almost
sickeningly sweet
much like

those heaping cupfuls of

refined sugar added

to our

syrupy

iced sweet-tea

Like most here

I accept God

as being real

alive

listening

So, I dared asked him

"Hey, God

do you  

have any faith

left in me"?

I make no apologies

to any reader

whom I might offend

by talking openly of 

matters spiritual

know this …

my upbringing has

shaped my faith

my core

the very person

whom,

in essence,

I am

I’ve been praying

fasting

pleading

for an answer

to my prayers

maybe Jesus took a

holiday

my calls

deferred

to his voice-mail

or perhaps my inquiries have escalated

to be handled by his Dad

our mutual father-God

is it possible

our Creator

has grown tired

from my

too frequent pleading?

I am beseeching him

for an angel

beautiful

celestial messenger

to relate

from here

to near the foot

of heaven’s highest throne 
to whisper

of my

respect

honor

reverence

love

"Hey, God
it's just me again
I have faith in you
yet sometimes I doubt
whether you have faith
in me".

In Need of Some Reassurance

Will you still …

love me

once
all traces

of supple

toned

smoothness

melt away?

When this pate

is encircled

by a

silver

halo

replacing the

coronet of

thick auburn

tendrils

which I

now wear

will you still …

care enough

to smooth

grayed locks

with loving

absent minded

abandon?

Will you still …

want me

to cup your face

in my hands

once these fingers

wither

disfiguring

themselves

into

gnarled  twigs?

Will you still …

think me beautiful

once

my spine

curves

to form

a question mark

my shoulders

brought low

by time's

heavy

millstone?

Will you?

Cuppa Joe

Simple pleasures

sweeten this life

as a spoonful of sugar

dissolving

disappears

into

early morning coffee

my nectared cup

of warm ambrosia

If

I were a

gazillionaire

with loot to spare

I would not abandon

this custom of

quiet meditation

with a cuppa joe

brew most jolting

superb concoction

of roasted beans

so sublime

I Must Confess

I could lie

by saying that the wine had gone to my head

that I was somehow

inculpable

innocent

incognizant

of my actions

As I said

those claims would all be lies - on the grandest scale

for I knew, yet cared not about the consequences

with full knowledge

I leant toward you

to embrace

as friends so often do
I must confess
that I longed for so much more

You kissed me

fully … most fully

kissed me

with warmth

passion

the desire

 … so surprising

most unexpected

my soul

my life’s essence

soared

circling the cosmos

past heaven

to boomerang homeward

my eternity
past - present - future
melded

distilled

perfected

into that very instant

was paradise found

rapture was born

that night

rapture

on the grandest scale

Firelight

Autumn has self-announced

her arrival

wearing

a splendid coat

of many colors

rainbow of earthy tones

as did Joseph

in the bible

Dreary gray, chilly days

whose long shadows

of twilight

emerge earlier

each evening

giant of a sun

diminished

to a dwarf

First fire

of the season

lighted in this hearth

we revel

in its heat and glow

as an old dog snoozes
blissfully

stretched out

before the flames

to warm aging bones

cats chase the dancing

light, shadow

flickering

along the walls

Work

Oh, my boss is such a jerk

But I have to go to work

Gotta - gotta pay these bills

Which are piling into hills

So I’ll make a little rhyme

‘Cause it helps to pass the time

There are days I hate my job

Working for a stupid slob

I am dreaming of escape

My employer is an ape

Just about to lose my mind

Toiling at this thankless grind

A Hole In My Heart

There’s a hole in my heart

Where the love trickled out

Running down, to collect in my shoes

There’s a gash in my soul

From which innocence escaped

Betrayal's lethal blade pierced me through

Dancing the Jig in a Summer Rain

Did you ever long to run away by yourself to stop all of the noise in your life, feeling nothing but pure freedom, as one who is utterly untamed, unconstrained?

Have you ever abandoned your worries by dancing the jig in a summer rain storm, not worrying about getting soaked, struck by lightning, matted hair or ruining your good shoes?

Did you ever want to holler-scream-shout by letting loose with a grand yippee, loud enough to hurt your own ears, experiencing the air being expelled through your lungs and throat, to audibly revel in the gift of aliveness?

… me too

Impressions Upon Meeting Ms. Arrogance

Your condescension

Quite too much to stomach

For I have a mind

(Though it be all I own)

Razor wit shaves ignorance

Shouting over you

A futile exercise

Ego deafened dolt

Poster child of narcissists

Astonishing self-pride

How is your colossal head

Lifted from the pillow

By such a slender neck? …

Do you employ

A crane

A sling

Or a whachamacallit thing?

Farewell, farewell oh

Boorish bore

I trust we shall converge

No more

If we meet, I will not stoop

To converse

With such a nincompoop