westbound wind and
scents of rosy lilac
~ dance of bumblebees
AP: 3rd place 2021
westbound breeze
bring whiffs of lilac
~ bumblebees dancing
AP: 3rd place 2020
in westbound breezes
weeping willow branches sway
rainbow paints the sky
Before the rain
She came calling again
Last to be kissed
Muskrat in mist
Copper kettle, smoldering coals
Papyrus letters, indelible scrolls
Westbound train, eclectic guitar
Powder blue taxi, front door ajar
Ballet slippers, nails painted pink
Descending those steps, feigning a wink
Where does she get off strutting that stuff
Prancing past puppets, acting so tough?
Drops of honeydew those wine glass legs
Round square fence posts, oval wood pegs
Old days are gone
And so are the dreams
No picking up on outdated themes
Fires do not burn forever
I told her “everyone knows”
Off-centered smile, dubious clothes
Left her standing there neither happy nor sad
In roundhouse gray and scantily clad
A picture’s worth a thousand words
Screaming to be spoken
Flowers and chocolate say hello
My aching heart is broken
Painted word pictures
Of flowers framed in chocolate
Read on a train by men down on their luck
Clatter of rail ends enjoining on ties
Providing a background of rhythm for lies
Hearing a melody humming along
Painted word pictures becoming a song
Memories of good times and battered old trucks
Bottles in bags and an old deck of cards
Sardines and crackers and light from the yards
They joke with each other to know they’re not dead
Five men all riding a roll away bed
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