We had not canoodled for ages,
we washed bed linen,
sloshed saggy skin with surgical soap,
put on face masks
(rubber gloves were optional),
but they did remind us
of more risqué days.
We had old people sex -
less frantic, more careful.
I think I heard God laughing
as we both encouraged
slow-fuse orgasms
that declined to arrive together.
At our bedside
a stretched-out chocolate lab
huffed, a little bollixed,
as if overhearing
two hamsters exercising
on the same training wheel.
I would have bought a pony for her
but I never had a daughter.
Maybe I would have sought-out a unicorn
in some magical realm –
I would have tried.
I see her now
she smiling at her loving father
a Princess in a dolls house.
My adult son
(who turned out just great
despite my lame parenting),
overhearing my soliloquy
said:
“Hey Dad!”
Colors, I see colors and textures around me.
The scent of the hot wires and every spark
that tames the perpetual falling and forever
running metro. There are people, all sorts of people,
eagerly waiting, clearly losing their patience and
people, standing so still in their own melancholy
of mind. The odor, oh, the odor mixed with the
array of perfumes. People chattering, some loud,
some discreet. Those glooming, little eyes. Waiting
to see the choo choo and hopping on it. Them
running around the station as if no one is watching.
The rush and chaos, the horn of the metro brings.
The pulling, pushing, rubbing of the passengers to
get in this one train. Finally inside, searching for
the empty seats for there are none. Even when
standing, the odor follows. People peeking into
your phones and overhearing your conversations.
The chaos subsides, as the horn goes again,
signaling the departing of the train. The platform
No. 3, standing there, still, lifeless, waiting for the
next set of passengers, to feel again what it's been
feeling for all these years, not murmuring,
never murmuring.
Stepping into an unfamiliar view
The room, the faces, everything is new
You've done what you're asked but no one's around
Barely quiet but hard to make a sound
Nothing left to do but sit and just wait
Watching the hours go by until it's late
Hoping a familiar face would drop by
Otherwise I'll just play with my wifi
Something new is what I really do hope
In learning things that's within my field's scope
For now, I think, that would still have to wait
Well it's just the first day, more things await
Surrounded by many professionals
Overhearing stuff educational
But here I am, a fish out of water
Whether there or not, it wouldn't matter
Such is the life of an only intern
Who's hoping that things would take a good turn
Letting time slip by, by writing this poem
Oh look it's almost five. Yay! I go home.
At times I wonder,
haven't we ever met before?
The thin ribbon of wind that once passed by,
kissing your chiseled bearded jaw,
hadn't it ever stopped for a bite of a second
on the nest of my fist to kiss my bony fingers?
Were we never together yet apart in the same movie hall
when Jack's canvas was seeking sanctuary in Rose's curves?
The lighthouse that stands still between our valleys,
were we never together witnessing its gorged rays?
Were we never together reminiscing the circles of past seasons
of the sunflower garden,
absorbing the perfume of the raw clay pots drying by the dusty road,
listening to the warble of the pigeons on the pavement of city square
and also overhearing each other's voices
while crossing the crossroads?
Maybe we were, maybe weren't
Or maybe we were always there filling in
Each other's moments of solitaire.
Time is not ours to run
we run out of a time
overhearing sometimes
timeless legends
of similar kind
in pursuit of onece own time
What makes you break into a smile
And makes your heart blissfully happy?
Sunshine after showers
A candle lit while thinking of a loved one
Lighting an incense stick in a moment of gratitude
A good book by the fireplace
Your hands wrapped around a hot bowl of soup
The cozy blanket over your legs on the couch
The aroma of baking cookies filling the air?
What makes your heart want to explode with joy
The fragrance of wild blossoms in the air
While walking along a garden path
A carefree butterfly fluttering from one flower to the next
Or overhearing a toddler’s infectious laughter?
Locking yourself away for a moment of absolute silence
Listening to an old favorite tune that touches your very soul
Holding something dear that reminds you of that loved one
Touching something soft and amazing that feels like a caress
Looking up at the sky to gaze at the moon and count the stars?
Let's you and I enjoy each other
Let's you and I not waste a day ~
Read on air by invitation ~ May 29, 2022 'POETS HARBOUR'
AP: 2nd place 2022
Submitted on February 17, 2018 for contest SUNSHINE AND SHOWERS sponsored by ROBERT HAIGH - HONORABLE MENTION
the crowd amassed ‘round —
HE gave orders to cast off
who would follow HIM?
“wherever YOU go,”
a scribe attempts to follow
HIM into the boat
regrettably quick —
for the SON OF MAN’s homeless
and now rocks the boat
overhearing, one
decides he must go bury
— he stalls the SAVIOR
the writer pauses
‘would she make excuses too?”
stops reading — ponders
“come, follow ME,” says
the ONE who walks on water,
steps into the boat
suddenly the sea
shakes violently, pouring forth
buckets of water
unstable footing
thunder and lightning spurs on
tired hands, wrinkled brows
in peace HE slept
awoken not by the storm
but by those afraid
PEACE but stilled the storm
afraid and amazed, they ask,
“what kind of man is this?”
2/4/2018
A hot cup of tea greeting me—
first thing in the morning,
wife smiling unconditionally, xo!
hot water on tap, tsh…
neighbour’s doggy popping in to play,
“yap..yap..”
adding to the warmth,
a nice, steaming breakfast,
finishing the punch line of a poem—for a contest
colleagues in the department patting me on my new shirt,
boss on the phone, “good work, so and so!”
overhearing students chattering merrily—about my latest lecture
a brisk round of tick-tock table tennis,
back home for a sumptuous dinner
and chat with the family, “haha, cacka…packa.. he he”
dozing off while reading a book—zzz...
all these things do happen to me or anyone —
but not on the same day!
Actually, there may be water on tap—not hot
Or while petting, the neighbour’s puppy
pisses on your new shirt…etc!
It is after all my notion of a perfect day—a daydream!
***
Winner, Poetry Contest sponsored by Madison Demetros, December 5, 2017.
A fly on the wall,
overhearing a parent
chastise their teenage child
Shut up, when you hear me
laying down the law
No back talking ...
keep it quiet, yo
Don't wanna hear no squawking
When the riot act is being read,
silence must prevail I'm afraid
Don't wanna hear a peep ...
hold your tongue, yo
Say nothing, unless I say speak
Zip your mouth
Give me the sign:
two fingers running across your lips
Nod your head
north to south
Written words I don't mind
But be careful, you're only getting this one tip ---
When I'm righting your wrong,
keep your mouth zipped
No verbal pardon forthcoming this time,
so zip your mouth ...
unless you're willing to confess to your crime
It was just another ordinary day
Scattered notes are all over the place
Drums trying to maintain a certain beat
Guitars either strumming or singing
Violins studying their scales and arpeggios
The piano pouring out its player’s soul
Clarinets and flutes blowing out harmonies
A mesmerizing vocal cuts through
A white butterfly flutters freely
Basking in the building’s flowing melodies
Students rushing in and out of the cafeteria
Sheet music in their hands while eating
Leaves of variant colors fall from the trees
The wind blows in one direction
Compensating for the scorching hot sun
Taking turns as nature takes its usual course
Old friends reconcile and greet each other
Re-living past memories and narrating the present
Speaking of profound concepts within their discourse
Anyone overhearing may be left confused
It was just another ordinary day
Scattered notes are all over the place
Many things happening all at once
Yet the resonant music remained unnerved
Overhearing her shriek
At the trees, he
Keeps gardening, whispering
Soothing sounds to the soil
for andrea's acrostic contest
8/27/13
Being out of shadow, the half-shadow
Whispering to the ears of air:
‘Go forth, where there is an azure meadow
And tell to the boundless desire:
Would remain nothing, my dear,
But, immortal is Shadow.’
Overhearing a whispered conversation
It caused her a bit of consternation
She learned she was to be terminated
Her teaching job, she thought, might be eliminated
But an angry suitor she had rebuked
And mockingly called him a messed up kook
So when he first told a friend to “take her out”
She thought his matchmaking she could do without
The friend, aka “eraser,” she had never met
And she never realized her ex beau’s threat
Meant more than a simple ill-conceived date
And walking home one night, eraser lay in wait
But she needn’t have feared, schools would continue
They had just taken her to another venue
Eraser saw to it that she swam with the fishes
And now she’s one of Jaw’s favorite dishes
Depression knocked on my mind
and asked to come in.
Depression like a contagious
cold tried to settle in.
I said "no" I'm sorry you
are to easy to entertain.
Then depression let off a
whimper and threatened it
was going to rain.
Happiness looked at me and
said "I am harder to keep"
"You'll have to ignore
depression's suggestions and
replace them with thoughts
that are sweet.
Depression's brother,Anger
volunteered and said
"Give me a go!Cause once I
get my logic in the road to
you is sure but slow."
Happiness overhearing this
Prepared my mind with a
sheild-cross overhead and
simply declared,
"Anger nor depression shall
not get in ,a positive thought
shall replace these by the
hair on my chinny-chin-chin."
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