Strange, arriving here
The birthplace of thought
All movement ceased
Feeling, nonexistent
How does one live
....I can't be here
how do I leave
Like an abused child
Whose soul has retreated
All humanity encased
In a flat affect
No seeing in, no going out
...just safety
my soul cries to leave
The body continues
To grow into adult form
Without knowledge
Without present consent
Like a plane on auto pilot
...flying high
my soul MUST leave
...Ground Zero
Written by Trudy Schrader on 09-16-2026
You used my body
For desires that
Should never be expressed
You sealed up secrets
In a place you created
Because your soul needed caressed
You used my filing cabinet
To store documents
Full of theft and deceit
You bought items
That needed hiding
And gave me the receipt
I did my duty for years
As my bottom grew
With the weight in my pockets
I brought every case
To the One True judge
But never appeared on his docket
If Justice is to be served
Someone must take a step
To sort out responsibility
Today, I release, all that's not me
With dignity and decorum
So that we live in the civility
...of LOVE
Written by Trudy Schrader on 09-10-2026
A single leaf, adrift on windswept air,
Descends from boughs where summer held its sway,
A vibrant hue, now tinged with autumn's care,
It dances down, to greet the fading day.
It whispers tales of sunlit, leafy green,
Of gentle showers and the robin's song,
A silent witness to the woodland scene,
Where ancient roots have held for ages long.
Now soft it rests upon the mossy ground,
A humble shroud for seasons past and gone,
Yet in its stillness, beauty can be found,
A quiet end, till spring begins anon.
So, let us watch this fragile, falling leaf,
That like human life spins for short while brief.
Dust on the Ground
Written, August 11, 2026, For Poetry Challenge: One-Syllable Words
Rules: All words should be one syllable.
August 10- August 16, 2026
*************
The cold night sweeps in,
the stars hide; the sky dulls—
wind hurts deep,
and dust coats the ground.
Pain is a wide cut,
weighs the heart—
with more beat,
tears fall slow,
while eyes weep.
Hope sparks bright,
warm lights rise—
hands stay tight,
dreams lift, then drift,
and fade from sight.
Light breaks dawn,
arms reach out—
peace moves soft,
home leans near
love finds its way—
and stays true.
Emotions that have casscaded
I have never felt so overwhelmed
If not a whirpool then blockaided
My head goes round and round
Feels like that l have now faded
Some where into the back ground
But also l am feeling more jaded
The fact happiness is unfound
When moments of clarity invaded
Even if its by the slightest sound
Going through the motions unaided
As by my very thoughts l am bound
Follow up to solitude writtem n¨ january 2025
CHILDREN AND THE WET GROUND
Children run and play.
Suddenly, thunder is heard;
But no raindrops fell:-
What came raining down were bombs:
Leaving a bloody wet ground:-
A baby is born
from a comfy womb torn
Many years later the baby dies
put into the earth with maggots and flies
In the time above ground
baby has ‘his day in the sun’
I water the garden flowers
In the early morning glare
They bloom brighter after hours
Later, in the fresher air
In the coolness of the evening
Flowers smell more vividly
Their scent reminds of feeling
That you are here, close to me
We’re just sitting biding time
Till it gets too cold to sit
Faces blur, and shades entwine
There’s no ground beneath our feet..
few laden winged flies
buzzing round the inside crest
sensilla smells muck
5/7/26
by James Edward Lee Sr. 2026©
Syllables Per Line: 5 7 5
Total # Syllables: 17
Total # Lines: 3 (Including empty lines)
Words with (syllables) counted programmatically: N/A
Total # Words: 12
Poem Syllable Counter Results
In Ireland we see 'groumd heros'
Who will max out.' Against
The clueless; political zeros.!
In the depths of rock bottom, I hear a voice so clear,
a calling echoes, "Rise and claim the ground that's dear."
Like Joshua, I'm summoned to stand strong and bold,
facing challenges, with faith as my shield to hold.
Daily tests, like cheques and balances, I face,
a narrow path unwinding, with a sacred, ancient pace.
Written in stone, ten laws guide my way,
a beacon calling, through life's turbulent day.
The burden's heavy but I'm called to shine a light,
for those in strife, a refuge, a hope in the night.
God who heard Hannah's desperate plea,
hears our prayers too and answers, "Be set free."
WHERE THE MARINES GO
NO BOOTS ON GROUND THEY SAID SO
BUT WHAT DO I KNOW
Out of the darkness
Into the world
See the light
Problems in the life
It happens sometimes
Getting it the
out the way
Rewards come your way
to the ground yeah to the ground
Stand by the word
Walk that way
Wholeness and pure
Doing what you say
None of your actions
Can fail bring
your feet down
Listen and plant down
To the ground yeah to the ground
Yeah…..
HIGH FUEL BOOTS ON GROUND
TRUMP PLAN NOT LOOKING SO SOUND
THE PROBLEMS ABOUND
Boots in the Ground
Boots in the ground, where the red dust breathes,
Morning breaks slow through tired leaves.
Steel in the heart, resolve in the bone,
A soldier stands though he stands alone.
The road is long, the sun burns high,
Sweat and silence beneath the sky.
No drums, no glory, no trumpet sound,
Just steady boots on stubborn ground.
Each step a promise, firm and plain,
To walk through fire, through loss, through pain.
The wind may howl, the night may fall,
But duty answers every call.
Dust on the face, courage within,
Battles outside and wars within.
Still forward they move, mile by mile,
Through fear, through doubt, through trial.
Boots in the ground, steady and strong—
Holding the line where hearts belong.
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