The sad foliage of farewell each year
makes Summer's glory fade away too soon-
and letting go acknowledges the fear
of losing those young verdant leaves of June.
So blessed are Summer scenes that last full term-
complete their fullness by the start of Fall.
But often nature fails to reconfirm
next season's entry includes one and all.
And yes, dear Mom, your Summer went too fast,
without a chance to complete Autumn's scene.
At fifty-five, that Summer was your last;
you left us on September-day fifteen.
I live each season with the thought of you
beneath the leaves of Fall and Winter snow.
But come September, realize it's true;
you rest in peace of your last Summer's glow.
I’m fully out of my slumber,
now knowing poems aren’t born in dreams,
but from a mind dipped deep in ink,
a brain awash with quiet resilience.
Yet in its silent agony, the paper stares blank—
befuddled by the jargon the nib dares spill,
deepening laughter in the sponsor’s folly,
rejoicing with the writer’s block
still unperturbed within my brain.
But there’ll be no excuse for defeat’s glare to scare;
so long as my mind stays sane and sound,
my “impossibility” shall be read as “it’s my possibility.”
Just give me time—and my fears will flee.
So fill again the pen that refused to write for glory.
Where is that page that once denied my excellence?
Within its belly, a masterpiece lies full-term,
ready—aching—to be born.
Take strength, my weary muscles.
Flee away, all stubborn sleeps—
for your absence shall birth my excellence.
Man weds cockroach in church ceremony
Guests munch on freshly grilled abalone
Pastor upholds his sworn duty
Lectures bride and groom on infidelity
Barely two months into marriage
Tiny baby cockroach appears in a carriage
Headlines shout out the bad news
Seems Mrs. Cockroach was groped and abused
Minister contacted Planned Parenthood
Lacking precedent, post-full-term abortion approved
Having A Thought
Miracle Man
2/25/2025
Thoughts remain in the delivery room
until the tongue gives them birth.
Many thoughts go full term
but some are birthed premature.
Thoughts kept corralled I hold title to,
but once shared they graze on open range
becoming vulnerable to any unscrupulous
cowboy possessing a running iron.
There is an expectant hush,
a kind of full-term birth.
The baby will be a green child,
leaves will be its hair,
its eyes will be green pools of light,
deep yet bright,
its limbs both roots and boughs.
It will know not conflict or strife,
only growth and blossoming,
fruitfulness and efflorescence.
It will be our child,
born from a love of life,
but hush,
we will need to hide it
from the death dealers,
conceal it for a little while,
then exiled,
escape to that legendary Egypt,
a symbolic land
where astrological temples
proclaim the green hearts
of cosmic progenitors,
those that once seeded this earth.
Listen now
with your evergreen soul,
harken,
for even to this day,
they watch and wait.
Help us to be the always hopeful gardeners of the spirit
who know that without darkness
nothing comes to birth
as without light
nothing flowers. ~ May Sarton
And
empower us to become
the always natural gardeners
mindful of cooperative metaphysical spirits
cultivating sun lightened days
and calming Earth empowering nights
Aware that with only darkness
every relationship comes to degeneration
Aware that with only light
nothing comes to full-term healthy fruition
Aware that with no light
nothing regenerates fertile blossoms
Aware that with no darkness
no silence
no winter
no deep sacred listening,
nothing roots uniting empathy
or transformative change
toward growing fresh
and wholesome integrity
Of sacred plants
with their people
sharing this EarthGarden planet.
Once a green worm gets an Agro journal
Finds a write-up about the fresh vernal
Stops eating cabbages, collard and kale
Gets thrilled and goes on reading its own tale
Reads highly and grows into a bookworm
Feels unsafe to be there for a full term
Gets panicked seeing killer solution
Figures out for a quick resolution
Mutates into a moth with glowing hues
Flights around flowers with a lovely muse
Kids Creativity and Learning Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Eve Roper
Rhyme Zone & HS
Date: 08-03-2023
A prolific poet
With a talented touch
He knew how to show it
Active, vocal as such
He loved a thoughtful write
Will be missed very much
A glowing, shining light
In his faith, standing firm
He had a deep insight
His wife, Deb would confirm
He wrote love from his heart
He served well his full term
A tribute to his art
On tearful diamonds built
From our minds, won't depart
Now walking on streets gilt
Our Kentucky friend, Milt.
3rd January 2023
"Keep writing, and keep entering contests, but never let the worth of what you write be judged by some contest. Know that your work is a reflection of what's in your heart and that is always rewarding! --your Kentucky friend, Milt"
(From one of his soupmails to me)
"I carry your heart with me
(I carry it in my heart)
I am never without it.” - E. E. Cummings
A growing sense of expectation built;
The rabbit died, and we were on our way:
A room prepared, a sweet commissioned quilt,
A heartbeat on the ultrasound that day.
Time passed, then came the devastating news;
The drum of joy gone quiet on the field.
The loss, so palpable, did much confuse;
Completely caught off-guard, our senses reeled.
How could the little life I'd never seen
Evoke such sorrowed grief as I now felt?
A hole both in our hearts and on that screen,
An unexpected blow, like none ere dealt.
Two daughters since, both precious girls to me,
If she had gone full term, one might not be.
[ Lost to Heaven - Child ]
----------
for the Writing Challenge- In My Heart- S Forms - Poetry Contest
sponsored by Constance La France
Written on 09/22/22
If good things come to those who wait full term,
Then why is the early bird getting the worm?
They say not to beat horses already dead,
But will it hurt much to speak ill instead?
The world is a nail if you only have hammers.
If the world is your oyster, is ‘shucks’ in your grammar?
If the world is a stage, do scared oysters stammer?
If not letting a sleeping dog lie is uncouth
How sure are we barking dogs will tell the truth?
If it isn’t about whether we win or lose
Can we skip slow, steady, go fast if we choose?
These darned aphorisms bewilder, confuse
Don’t judge by their cover, walk a mile in their shoes.
A New Year celebration, a time for joy and cheer
Another chance to make things right
For all that failed last year
This year it will be different though; a resolution firm
No stopping after days or months
This time you'll go full term
With all the plans that have been made; resources stored away
Research has been completed
There's no time to stop and play
Get up! Get out and do it! Let nothing stop you now
Move past all obstacles in your path
You'll reach the end somehow
No more procrastination; stop wasting precious time
The goal is set - reach hard for it
It's going to work out fine
Just don't give up! Stay on the course; don't turn yourself around
The finish line is just ahead
And you will wear the Crown
Puniverse universe
Arnold Schwarzenegger
former bodybuilder -
muscles went slack!
Full term as governor
Verisimilitude
Terminator Actor ...
Says 'I'll be back'!
*the appearance of being true or real.
Double Dactyl (Win For Paid Membership) Poetry Contest
Sponsored by William Kekaula
Checked with how many syllables 6,6,6,4 6,6,6,4
02/04/21
Hearts tattered and dilapidated
Eyes warn with worry, looks vacated
These souls beaten and exhausted
Their love devoured by a raven
Birth of a child with a crib now empty
Baby food jars uneaten, dippers unused
Thoughts now linger with no purpose
Time no longer has a meaning, it has stopped
She carried a child to full term
Nine glorious months of laughter and cheer
Planing and organizing then naming
This name now placed upon a stone
Years have now passed this name still appears
Memories never to be forgotten, of that day
The day their son was placed into Gods arms
Life moved on but their thoughts have stayed
On the Day their son passed away
“Written for my Niece and her husband each year since his death they have a gathering letting balloons go up into the air it has now been 18 years”
How do you really know what's wrong or right?
As when we leave our nest and begin first flight.
How do we learn that when we spread our wings,
That we will glide through life to learn new things.
Sometimes our journey wont be smooth sailing,
As we over come some hurdles but still feel we're failing.
How do we call it Love when there's only blood and tears,
Then feel so secure yet it's our one big fear.
How do we carry a child and go full term to birth,
To then ditch our blood to walk alone on this unknown earth.
How do we feed the darkness that takes over our heart,
To then allow all this hatred play out the emotion of joys part.
Negativity is heavier then any weight we gain,
To forever feeling sad and living life with our pain.
There's good in everything but I guess sometimes not,
It all depends how you want to live the life you got.
Say goodbye to the sad and shine light through the dark,
The put a smile on your face when the igniter don't spark.
Wash your worries away with your toes in the sand,
And believe in yourself to feel proud where you stand.
A little flight takes off nearby
Oops! It does not drift into the sky;
A tailor bird delves into the nest,
feeds the chicks, the food best
So whenever I step into my garden
I ask them "May I come in?"
Some babblers stare at me sullenly
Oh! They're aiding grownup kids fly.
Umpteen birds "Who's the mom?", I wonder!
"We live in community" they thunder.
So whenever I step into my garden
I ask them" May I come in?
Common crow butterflies glide in the air,
and seek their host plants everywhere;
Finalized the pink oleander as their host plant
Soon, a kaleidoscope of butterflies gonna enchant
So whenever I step into my garden
I ask them" May I come in?
White bubbles encroach the green grass
Bubbles emanate cracking, become like glass;
Oh! A big head with small eyes emerges,
garden lizard raises and starts to diverge
So whenever I step into my garden
I ask them" May I come in?
Squirrels scamper everywhere
Munias, hoard millet seeds from here
Bulbuls, busy eating the worms
Biodiversity works in full term
So whenever I step into my garden
I ask them" May I come in?
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