Honeymoon Hiatus

Have you been
wondering
about my
lingerning
silence?

It's been
so long,
she's not
written a word
since ... ?

I've gotten
married
hitched
unified
wed

My man now sleeps here
each night in my bed

Bonded
banded
tagged,
yes,
claimed

This newlywed blessed-bliss
has trumped everything

Though, I do adore
my
crazily cadenced
odes - those
words
with their
sing-song
rhymes

I've been
revelling
in this wife-life
where just breathing
satiates
this woman's
affection starved soul

Love astir
an
animated
being ...
whose
intensity is
maddening
does
dwell here

Love
so undeniably,
reliably
sublime

Beloved David

I’ve never been needy

But I need you

Resolutely

Refused

To be clingy

Yet, I do now cling

My own vulnerability

So underdeveloped

Has me quavering

Childlike

In awe

In fear

Independent

Untrusting

Impervious

Exoskeleton of

“Been there; done that”

Served to insulate and protect

I do wonder

At long last

What I fought so hard

To guard against

Why I battled with all that I am
Against the love
Which has recreated me
As though newly hewn
By the hand of God
An Eve in Eden
I am made 
Anew

For The Love Of A Good Man

"Dance at Bougival" 1883
Pierre-August Renior

For the love of a good man

My impatient wait

A weight

Of longing

Years too long

For the heart of a kind man

I did despair

Solely uncovering

Shattered spiteful souls

‘Neath layers of feigned tenderness

For the love of a generous God

Has wrought goodness

From evil circumstance

Leading me to find you

We, oh so perfectly, imperfect

Yet perfectly suited for one another

In the embrace of your heart

I do revel

Rejoicing

Grateful and blessed

For the love of a good man

Bad Puns for Great Poets

You ran me through

With pointed Shakespeare

Warmed my heart

With a Frost

Intrigued me with all of your

Cummings and goings

Enriching me by endowing

Your Poe words

‘Twas on the road less traveled

I perceived an odd Plath

An Angelou spoke to me

As I stood Emmerson in Wilde thought

Sun’s piercing rays caused Burns

Browning me to various Hughes

Although I could not Barrett

What's The Answer?

Ask yourself …

“What is success?”

That mini-mansion

Or expensive dress?

Kids in pricey

Private schools

Curricula teaching them

“Money rules”

Can one purchase

An audience with God?

For that would surely

Demand a wad

Is love for sale …

Or is it free?

My heart and mind

Do not agree

Where you dine

A chic address

Baubles that shine

Don’t mark success

 I ask myself …

“What is success?”

My actions have meaning

Not what I profess

The Sea Called My Name

The sea called my name

So hers I became

On the tears of my ancestors

I sailed without shame

On placid glass smooth

Was I comforted, soothed

By her gentle rocking

I am healed and renewed

In the womb of the sea

Happy, protected, free

Blissful – unconcerned

That terra firma

Waits for me

Taking Aim

Does the cure exist?

To quell this frail woman’s aim?

O’er hardened ramparts

I loosed flaming darts aloft

In hopes of igniting you

My desire confessed

I see now; I’ve missed the mark

Your eyes tell volumes

These arrows return to their quiver

Lest, in my fall to despair
I pierce my own heart through

An Angry Man

"Anger" by Charles Le Brun  c.1660

there was an angry man

born of an angry clan

all his kin were angry

ere since time began

he lived an angry life

he even took a wife

eventually she left him

for she craved peace; not strife

his angry days drew to a close

yet even in his final throes

his seething, raging, anger boiled

he found no rest in death’s repose

he ended up in angry hell

you must admit, it’s just as well

for anger's burning cancer kills

when invited by a soul to dwell

A Sign of Our Time

It’s a sign of our time

So many dear ones

Used up their last dime

It’s a sad commentary

I no longer read headlines

Their jolting makes me wary

I have surgically cut out

All luxurious “extras”

I abhor this burning drought

Has prosperity passed?

Grim-gritty-grunting-grind!

Can ingrained spunk outlast?

Or is poverty … a state of mind?

Triflin'

Urban Dictionary's Definition of Triflin': Consistently lying. Always up to no good. Sneaky. Suspect. Whorish. Always scheming. Conniving. (Should never be trusted)

Triflin’,

Triflin’

Makes me grateful

For barrel's riflin’

Lord,

Help my shot

Ring out

Straight and true

Gonna rid my life

Of triflin' you

A triflin’ man

You’ve been

Triflin’

Triflin’

E’cept you didn’t know

Who you was

A-triflin’ with

Tell it to

Da man,

Da man

‘Cause he don’t care

No more ‘en I do

He know’d too

Just as I do

You was just

A triflin’ fool

Who got caught up

In all dem lies

Oh, so lady killin’

Shockingly a-chillin’

Ain't never said though
I wasn't a willin'

You ...
Oh, so stiflin’

Predictably triflin’

That is much too

Pitifully true

Sneaky-snaky
I'm dyin' if I'm lyin' 
Or exaggeratin'
'Bout the story of
Rotten old,
Irresistible ...

Triflin'
Triflin'
You

Space

I need some space

Glued-glommed

Onto me

You are

Ever present
"In my face"

So closely
You do

Walk behind

Often stepping

Onthebackofmyshoe

I yearn for room
To turn around

Without tripping over you

Struggling to get a breath

Your neediness squeezes me

Like the Anaconda's dinner
I'm longing to be set free
Frankly,

Somuchtogetherness

Ain't all its cracked up to be

Insomnia

I hear rhyming-chimes

As grandfather sounds  

He ancient, tolls the hour --- BONG!

Unknowable tick-tocks pass

Tock-ticking-tick-tocking

Could drive one to madness

Cheeky tickity-tick-tick – infernal mocking

Grandfather,
Thou,

Precise machine

Plugging-chugging away

All the night through

I tossing, do ponder … what (the tock-ticking) else can I do?

Where are you tonight, my Lord?

Am I so far from you?

Bing – Bong

Streeeeeeeumph! – At last, the clock strikes two

Have I not sought your face

Oh, creator most divine?

Be near me; most dear to me

Galloping heart keeps tempos time

Alone, with fitful frightful thoughts

So strange, they only haunt at night

My nerves, a tangled ball of knots 

I will time's hand to move for me

Bing – Bong - Bong

Streeeeeeumph! – At last, the clock strikes three

Watch over me Lord

(My soul does pray)

In your loving care do keep
Chase this restlessness away
For I've counted a flock of sheep

On the pendulum I swing

From drowse to aware

 ... Drat it all!

Why can’t I sleep?

If You Must

Go now,

If you must,

To conquer the world

Though it lead you far from me

Think me cold,

If you must,

With my cool, smooth façade

(Though inside pummeled blue)

Go now,

For I see you must,

The die has been cast

Alone, you'll cross the Rubicon

The We of Us

too well

do I remember

the we of us

immature bliss-blessed

our clothes lay

around us on the floor
scattered like petals

from a fading bloom

we were the center

of both the universe

and blossom

pistil and stamen – we

I squandered springtime

sowing a mighty whirlwind

in ignorant arrogance

I did harvest the squall

only too well

do I remember

the we of us

still I do mourn

for that infinite loss

Little Susie Sunshine

good morning,

good morning

little Susie sunshine

I welcome your return …

(and not a moment too soon)

I have yearned for

your happy face

that frilly collar

of finest lace

understated

elegant grace

welcome home,

welcome home

most dear
little Susie sunshine

whose bright warmth

has brought a beaming smile

to this winter-weary
heart of mine

A Cure for Writer's Block

"Show me a woman sporting a new pair of shoes
and I'll show you a new woman", K. C. Nash

I’ve hit a dry spell

my own personal

Gobi-Sahara

where once a well-spring did gush

I am become a cactus

prickly-stickily dry  

cranium’s well drained

verses, not one, race-chase now

uninspired … MEH …

tired old poetess needs-needs

sweet, bright fuchsia peep-toed heels

to resurrect noggin's wit

En Pointe

Arched foot exquisite

Too delicate to be strong

Or so it would seem

Resilient grace pirouettes

As the awed gallery gasps

Smooth satin toe shoes

Cradle twin twinkling rockets

Music incarnate

Athlete-acrobat enchants

Heart’s soar in breathless wonder
Effortless, her arabesque

A Cold, Cold Leaving

‘twas a cold,

cold leaving

knocking us flat

suffocating us

gasping

our breath labored

each-trapped-alone
grief's hostage held

in a room without air

‘twas a bold,

ancient trek

oldest known means of egress
as you tread through
that narrowed portal
betwixt lightness and dark
yes ... 
yours was a form
most extreme of

a cold,
cold leaving

we

stupid with shock

stumbled about

lost utterly

strangled-mangled

bruised, our bodies desperate

to escape

the reaper’s scythe, so near

we blundering-blinded

lurched into the walls

a fire extinguished

doth leave the ground smoldering

hot

even whilst the smoke rises

heavenward

‘twas a cold,

cold leaving

now

quick on the heels of desertion 

does the frost reign supreme

frigidity-rigidity

immoral mortality

forces me to wonder

if your flame

solely flickered

imaginarily

amongst those corridors of
vacant echoing

empty chambers
which my heart
became 
in the wake of such

a cold,
cold leaving

Be Careful What You Wish For ...

‘tis the nature of humans
yearning always
for that
which we may not have

to have a prayer answered

in the affirmative
is not always
the pleasant dream-come-true
imagined

disappointment

disinterested distain
can settle in
once an object of desire
is obtained

how is it …

neath the searing beam
of penetrating reality’s glare
is bright lustrous allure
transformed to revulsion?

snuffed out

as a guttering candle
passion’s flame all consuming
extinguishing ever
affections warming light

take great care, my friend

your treasured heart's desire
which you …
wish for
pine for
pray for

may one day
come to you

A Blustery Day

biting wind

ferocious damp

chill permeating

bone, soul and sinew

a day most ideal

for sitting near the fire

with a nice cuppa tea

steaming bowl of stew

pattering rain

has shattered

doggy’s daydream

of a walk in the park

she sniffed misted air

never leaving the stoop

retreating post haste

to the warmth of her bed

her loud snoring belies

a lack of disappointment

some days are not meant

for walks after all

Liar, Liar

I

have kept

in a laboratory beaker

each drop of

poisonous venom

you have spoken

without so much

as second thought

not for a second

had you envisioned

that I would collect

save

preserve

the raw

complete sample
the data unaltered

liar,

liar

(and a stupid one at that)

hurting

an innocent

whom

I adore

only …

because you thought

you could

the evidence

now

has spoken

its truth

scurrilous  notes

written in your own hand

can not

be attributed

to anyone else

except

you

liar,

liar

shame on you

though you are too hardened

by self-pity

self-loathing’s shell

of narcissism

has inured you to guilt

liar,

liar

go away.

you pester

like a droning,

biting

fly

know this

liar,

liar

if I one day

get the chance

I shall …

strike out

swatting you down

to

eliminate

you

as a gesture
of mercy

for all decent people

to sweep you away

into the compost heap

is fitting justice

liar,

liar

you shall

lie (and lie and lie)

forever

unmoving

and

un-mourned

Dance of the Circles

dance of the circles

lassoing legs with chirps and meows

as I do formally announce

the long anticipated

dinner hour

annoying  …

bare bowl

has lain empty

since lunch time

most unsatisfactory

state of events

no cream

in the saucer

lapped up

hours ago

the service here

I daresay

has quite … gone to pot

elegant am I

having deigned to grace you

though mere serfs and peasants

with my revered, regal presence

I implore you to respect

the divine right of cats

Meow!
the lateness of the meal
has awakened my tiredness
I will dance in a circle
of ever decreasing size
here, in your lap

Y-a-w-n

You may pet me now

s--t--r--e---t--c--h

I will ...

... allow it ...

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Ready to Dream

I am ready …

To lie still

On these sweet, clean sheets

Odor of sunshine

Airy fresh breezes

To listen to voices from within

As though from afar

Relating to me what is most real

From the vantage point of

My most vulnerable self

Yet unschooled in guile

To effortlessly glide

Into an inner world

Freely roaming

This realm of mind

Hearing the truths

From which I’d prefer to hide

Honest sub-conscious

Does utter reality

Incising me with its

Precision blade of exactness