now the empty room
no longer welcomes me in
but reminds of grief
it feels lonely; not waiting
for my time alone to write
once there was a fire
that I made for all of them
before they arose
then it became my solace
for my quiet time to write
can it again warm
fill with laughter and their love
not just memories
but a new family's love
maybe some progeny's home
Written: December 09, 2025, for contest Sponsored by: John Anderson
*******************
1/
Clock ticks through cold nights
shades aim long as the light fades—
pages grow flimsy,
the ink of forgotten names
smudges dissolve in stillness.
2/
The rain of spring knows
steps shod on the silky soil—
sighs mirror orchids
their fragrance widens for years
festering yet ephemeral.
3/
Sun shines through summer
Smiles of kids in the landscape—
brilliant and boundless
but even the dazzling fire
fades in the quiet of dusk.
Conclusion:
4/
Leaves shed in the fall
a rustling thread each season—
woven in tandem—
time is the loom of our life
fabric of recollection.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cinnamon-dusted,
dough remembers Mother's hands~
warm as her embrace.
Pressed between childhood tales,
each sweet cookie sings of home.
Sorgham swirls slow,
dark as wintertime at six.
the oven hums low~
patient, like my grandmother
caroling hymns in her sleep.
Cookies crowd the rack
still soft at the edges where
time hasn’t touched them.
Bite by bite the year unwinds~
memories blend into space.
Tidal connection,
wild flowers woo a Clownfish;
Anemone bond,
give in give up a little;
Flourish and flow together.
Seeds of ambrosia,
birds fight over leftovers;
Mammals with munchies
pass around shareable plates;
It’s never polite to gorge.
Dancing Bryony
playing both sides of the coin,
grant don’t play my wish;
Trusted you with a secret,
don’t drown my faith in poison.
Peak of abundance,
blushed pizazz peppers the air;
Cherry Blossom blooms,
so whimsically festive;
Big shot missed their own party.
Calia purple,
always makes an impression;
Moths flock to its flame;
Hot swells of a royal shade,
such enticing perfection.
Honeyed Ambretta,
the taste of a Summer fling;
Perennial blast,
enjoyed but over too soon;
Sweet seasonal time share.
I.
Being bipolar
is like a Rose whose bloom is
missing some petals:
but her color is deeper
than all the other roses.
II.
She may never be
part of a "perfect" bouquet:
but her rich pigment
is a rare, precious paint for
Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa."
III.
Alas! She might not
be like the long-stemmed lily
from the dells of life:
but her scent is the choicest,
and makes the finest perfumes.
IV.
Being bipolar,
therefore, is like a Rose that's
missing some petals:
but her savor is sweeter
than all the other roses.
A ripple in time,
we are here for a moment
like fleeting vapors
in this vast, great universe--
members of a divine God.
Into the night sky
I gaze, awed by space and time
and the wide expanse
of the Milky Way, a dot
among endless galaxies.
They spin and swirl in
a dance in the gaping voids
of space and blackness,
their light coming to us from
a time before our Earth formed.
A ripple in time,
we are here for a moment
like fleeting vapors
in this vast, great universe--
members of a divine Whole.
Like a Hungry Bear
I approach the Honey Jar
Slurping the Sweetness
Pearls of sticky glue dripping
Fast I Lick my lustful lips
Now the jar's empty
I Scoop the Delicious Dew
My restless fingers
Rushing to work honestly
Leaving not a drop to wipe
My taste buds do speak
Savor the lingering last
Reaching the zenith
Grateful to flowers and bees
My blissful heart blesses them
just in few moments
as the dusk obscures the sky
lids cover my eyes
my mind begins to reckon
the things I’ve done the whole day
a flurry it was
missing the sun in your eyes
my heart in regrets
didn’t sing you song last night
or gave you right back sweet hugs
now I sing my song
but ice cream melts on its cone
what else will I do
to win back the love from you
and make me smile and heart grows
plead down so deeply
asking you not to leave me
I am so sorry
this is the best melody
be sung in my poetry
I hope you can hear
song being played in G-Clef
lonely but lovely
Tanka Song with love I sing
hoping to ease all our pains
Written: Oct. 7, 2012
Second Place Winner
Contest: Tanka-Sad Song
Judged: 10/21/2012
Poet Sponsor: My Greatest Poet, Poet-Destroyer
Fourth Place Winner
Contest: Tanka me this, tanka me that, tanka me anypoem you want...
Judged: 10/23/2012
Poet Sponsor: SKAT
“Swinging on A Star”-1
Oh “Bethlehem Star”
Bright multi-faceted points
Still shimmer from far
Above my old aching joints
Reminding me of His love.
deborah burch©
07/22/2012
“Swinging On A Star”-2
Diamonds on blue
Yours glimmering by the moon
Is “Venus”…still true...
Holding your heart, as I croon
Sweet love songs in moonbeam hues.
deborah burch©
07/22/2012
“Swinging On A Star”-3
Catching golden love,
These moonbeams in a jar,
You watch from above
As if swinging on a star--
My "Mem'ry”…my love…you are.
deborahburch©
07/22/2012
Before my eyes blink
In rays of a waking day
I can see you smile
As my arms gently embrace
Another night spent with you.
My lips can still taste
The passion found in your heart
Relighting embers
Of my own sensual hunger
As I move into your kiss
I know your essence
The scent of your love lingers
From my dreams each night
My hand reaches the pillow
But you are no longer there.
Form: Tanka
deep in the pool
the harvest moon
bleak and surreal
too soon the image
dissolves in space
MOON TANKA
a single owl screech
breaks the silent
November night-
the Hunters moon
waxes blue
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