Taking It Slow
Two horses traveling along a fence
stopped partway on their journey
one nibbling at dead grass and the other
standing behind it, wondering why they stopped,
so soon
Is this what couples are like when taking it slow,
or are they simply uncertain what way to take
on the journey to their future?
In a star-crushed night
something rammed the side of my flanks
woke to an impish leak
trying to suckle the life out of me.
Then there was a black water silence.
It's not like bad karma to suddenly drift away,
so beneath my leaking float
the rammer will probably stay.
Early morning was spent bailing and patching
luring the silver shoals of hope within range
bailing and patching
nibbling and napping
obsessing
prodding the sharkness away-
Quiet day
no breeze-not even one little wave
a hot brain day
missing my chatty gull friend today,
maybe I was supposed to be its sacrifice.
Launched the final flare at a fancy yacht mirage
filled with cheap bikinis and plush caviar-
I rolled over the dream breakers, into the yellow morning
Quite late for work.
So many cloudy days
Moments where the sun beat down hot
Typhoons, hurricanes, tornadoes
Reminding us of what we ain't got
Sitting on a wooden bench
With a gentle breeze writing out hope
Feet in the creek without a care
Nibbling on the sweetest cantaloupe
The phone rings with unexpected news
Shattering the heart into a thousand pieces
Grieving all the losses of blunted connection
Trying to bargain with god through many fleeces
An act of kindness when depression rules
Takes the soul to the end of denying self
Listening ears open and expand
To take identity off the safe little shelf
Finally, LOVE has come and enveloped
The wondering mind into eternal flow
The refreshing water of connection
Has yielded to wherever spirit wants to go
...pulling up roots, and blowing kisses
Written by Trudy Schrader on 07-29-2026
you're a grease-fire film
attached to drywall like salt
s p i I l e d
over a cracked, unwashed shoulder,
the dull toothache
throbbing
through a 3 a.m. call,
growing older, sharper, colder...
get out of my mind!
you aren't some gothic ghost
in a tragic shroud,
but a raw static hiss on busted station;
a sagging weight ,
a stationary,
stubborn-as-a-mule cloud,
a parasite
fattening on my hesitation...
get out of my mind!
like orange rust,
nibbling at a clean steel blade,
the bitter, permanent
ink-stain you've made;
no velvet darkness here,
no weeping willow,
just concrete bricks
in my chest, and grit on my pillow...
oh, xanthippe....get out of my mind!
I wasn't entrusted soul;
Bartering to be whole;
The leaf of my arms;
My hands in prayer mode;
Liken a squirrel nibbling holding his food;
Lo' and behold;
I am resonating;
Hands raised in praise celebrating;
4/26/26
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr 2026
N- narrow rings of spaghetti cooked
O- oodles of steaming dish in platters
O- offshoot of Chinese gourmet, hot and spicy
D- delightful mix of veggies, egg and prawns
L- lovesome meal on a weekend outing
E- enjoyed with friends and family
S- special celebration on my son’s birthday!
C- chilli chicken with noodles make a good combo.
H- heavenly feel it gives that lingers on
I- intimate company of kith and kin.
L- laughter, teasing and merry making
L- lovesome ambience of a breezy evening
I- incredible aroma that made mouths drool
C- cooked in my home kitchen with
H- healthy ingredients carefully chosen.
I- Indian cuisine liked by young and old.
C- chilly and soya sauce make it delicious
K- ketchup also adds to its taste
E- everyone seemed to enjoy every bit of morsel
N- nibbling slowly, my son had a second helping.
a baby bunny as silky snow is out, nibbling at spring grass.
Dreaming of pink flamingos, their beauty,
their bite…dreaming of flamboyant flamingos,
so close to shore; I’m in the ebb and flow.
Where has my protector gone as I regard
the flock; awash with blue sea foam.
Dreaming of their carrot necks; nibbling
the serenity of their stretch; dare I touch
the earth or sky, the sandy beach, question why.
Where has my protector gone as my eyes stray;
why am I pulled by the surf; do I dare mingle?
A sudden shock of night in the brightness of bed.
a solitary digit in the bird’s beak. confident that
my husband will save the day, but it’s not day.
The pressure put upon; I can still feel the squeeze
as I awake in the third strange room of the week.
My protector lies near me, oblivious of my plight.
snake or mouse? Take your pick
yes, in your house, yes, in your house.
take a risk, don’t be thick
choose one today – a snake or mouse?
snakes are more colorful of course
their scales creepy, hair not coarse
mice are creepy, they dart and scare
snake or mouse? Choose if you dare.
corn snakes, rat snakes, bold and black
mice with teeth, nibbling down your back
Make your choice please, get out your cheese
There’s a creature waiting, around your knees
angry antelopes allowing ants access
bashful buzzards behaving beautifully
curious calves cavorting in the corn
definitive ducks digesting division
eager elephants eliciting excitement
frenzied freckled frogs freely frolicking
greasy green grubworms groveling and grimacing
harried hyenas hectically hopping hopefully
ignorant iguanas ignoring the implausible
jubilant jackals jiggling jiffy jewelry
kayaking kangaroos kibitzing in Kenya
liberal llamas liberating little Libya
miniscule musical mollusks making merry
nine nervous newts nibbling newtons
orangutangs orchestrating outdated Ohio
pressurized primates providing privacy
quarrelsome quails quizzing quahogs
resurrected roosters receiving riotous relatives
sassy seasoned sea serpents sallying forth in secret
tantalizing tarantulas tasting tree lined treats
understated urchins undoing underwater ugliness
visible vixens vibrating toward victory
wily wise walruses whistling in water wrecks
‘xtraordinary ‘xotic eagles expecting easy eggs
young Yellowstone yaks yelling their youthful truth
zealous zebras zipping breezily through Zanzibar
Angelic, Axial, Animalistic, Anonymous
Balanced, Bullish, Brave, Boorish
Caring, Cynical, Charismatic, Contradicting
Daring, Doodling, Detached, Deep
Eccentric, Excavator, Engaged, Exorcising
Fatherly, Frantic, Fiendish, Faithful
Gamer, Gothic, Gibberish, Gentle
Heretic, Hippy, Horizontal, Hermit
Inspirational, Inquisitive, Impulsive, Interpreter
Jolly, Just, Jumper, Jack in the Beanstalk
Kindling, Kudosocial, Kinky, Karate zen
Loving, Lexical, Lavish, Lunar
Mysterious, Motherly, Musical, Mnemonic
Nurturing, Nibbling, Natural, Neanderthal
Outgoing, Outsider, Onlooker, Orthopaedic
Pious, Pepperish, Plastered, Porcelain
Quiet, Quixotic, Quester, Quicky
Repairman, Rider, Realistic, Remnant
Sweet, Sour, Single, Stamped
Truthful, Thinker, Tinker, Tumbler
Undecided, Untitled, Universal, Unknown
Vertical, Virgin, Vandal, Varsitarian
Whimsical, Waiter, Worldly, Wordy
Xenophobic, X-men, Xylophonic, X-rated
Yuppy, Yummy, Y era, Yoyo
Zany, Zealous, Zippy, Zapped
Did they say it round the tree?
Was it the initial-peek-a-boo?
Was it said with diamond-degree
or with rhinovirus achoo?
Was this thing called love catching?
His youthful looks and ruthless-hanky
and her wavy brunette sway fetching
before love sickness got too -panky.
A linen cloth could have harbored
the germs from which no antitoxin.
She’s amused by whistling on starboard
and forthright first-sight-neurotoxin.
Later, they stare into empty space.
She used her ring for scribbling.
Gin was her tonic, a cold head case.
His knuckles, not her ears, nibbling.
An unlikely spark brought them back.
They wrapped arms around the oak.
Surprised by touching fingertips, smack
of lips that mollified disparaging gin-soak.
His debonair looks and ruthless-hanky.
Her wavy snow-white sway, fetching.
Battling love sickness with its -panky
Forever-after-lips relentlessly catching.
GHOSTED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I've been ghosted!” cried Sly the Squirrel,
His tail drooped in a pitiful whirl.
"Sent her acorns ‘neath the moon,
But she just vanished—way too soon!"
Now he sulks where the oak branches curl.
His love note was inscribed on a leaf,
Full of passion (and slight disbelief).
But that sleek, hazel-eyed dame
Never answered his claim—
Just left Sly to his nut-gathering grief.
He'd rehearsed by the creek's mossy stones,
Polished claws and arranged shiny cones.
Yet her nest stayed quite bare,
Not a whisker stirred there...
Emotional eater is he, nibbling acorns in sorrow—alone.
Eating your leafy words
Is wise,
Not absurd,
Not a vitamin guise.
Sweet logorrhea of crimson carrots
And great golden potatoes
With blueberry beauties
Nibbling newborn walnuts.
Sage sachets invoke lucid lentils lore,
Rosy resonance forevermore.
The tastiest side salad awaits
With vanilla visions for all my mates.
I'm coherently linking leafy greens,
A poet's realm of vegetable things.
Linking lavender to raspberry resonance,
Merry mustard seeds, and petite pumpkins.
Starlit sunflower seeds are swirling
While the ivory cauliflower is boiling,
And raspberries on broomsticks baffle
The mischievous umber mushrooms.
Those who eat dinner with me
Will digest split pea poetry,
A discerning dinner with glee,
Filling our carefree cups with timeless tea.
.
hern pluperfect
Just az
Mine see
Mine lips
Nibbling dientes
Hot breathe
Lap
were
taut
nimble
agile
Loud
,)
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