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Ina Goodling Poem
Two ravens in the summer dusk
Were, back and forth, debating
From two phone poles, loud and brusque
They kept deliberating
When one gave their rebuttal
The other answered back
But far be it from the kettle
To call the raven black
And while I stood observing
They looked at me askance
A creature undeserving
Of a simple sideways glance
On this one thing they did agree
Those two birds of a feather
And, mocking all humanity
They flew away together.
Copyright © Ina Goodling | Year Posted 2023
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Ina Goodling Poem
The sun is setting in the west
While crowned in gold, the eastern crest
Stands sentry in its scrubs and sighs
Offering its sage advice
A single lizard darts about
Driven forth by searing drought
Towards healing waters beckoning
Seeking Horeb’s rocky spring
Among the endless rocks and weeds
Between regrets and sinful deeds
Above, a pale blue sky so clear
Who knew that Heaven was so near
And through it all, this wayward soul
Uprooted outcast, blindly rolls
By gentle zephyrs carried on
Comforted by desert psalms.
Copyright © Ina Goodling | Year Posted 2022
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Ina Goodling Poem
If I could take it all back
Every wrong ever wrought
Every regrettable thing
Every broken wing
I'd lay it all to rest
In an unmarked plot
Over which I would plant
Quiet thyme
And no-leaf clovers
Lilies of denial
And forget-me-nows
There would be no memorial
No elegy, no eulogy
No monody, no dirge
Not even a calaverita
Unless one is desperate
Enough to count this poem
This nobituary, if you will
No lamentation
No regrets
No go-away birds
No mourning doves
Nor egrets to bear the pall
Only leave the dead featherless
Laid down without down
To comfort them
And the egrets
Stand stilted and white
As nothing
Melancholy
As marble statues
In the silk gray dusk
Like lilies on a grave.
Copyright © Ina Goodling | Year Posted 2022
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Ina Goodling Poem
I told my love that we should meet
He asked me when and where
I said “At dusk, of course, my sweet.
Let’s meet up then and there.”
Yet of my love I see no trace
For the dusk is wide and vast
As I wait here in our trysting place
Alone in twilight fading fast.
Copyright © Ina Goodling | Year Posted 2023
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Ina Goodling Poem
What can you see from where you stand
So tall and brave and strong?
Where will you go now that you are a man
And what wisdom will you bring along?
Like the eagle, ever steadfast in flight
You’ll find the mountains ever nearer
The stars have never looked so bright
And the future never clearer
Amazing how your whole view can change
When you stand just a little bit taller
And it can feel, at first, rather strange
When you begin to lead instead of follow
Like the eagle, ever higher you’ll soar
Beyond the mountains, and farther still
To see the same bright stars over distant shores
And a future that’s yours alone to fulfill.
Copyright © Ina Goodling | Year Posted 2024
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Ina Goodling Poem
To the boy who battled dragons
In the mists of yesteryear
Did you ever imagine
That you’d be standing here?
To the man who’s made of stardust
Our brightest son and sun
Will your light shine the farthest
When all is said and done?
To the boy who built his castle
In the once-upon-a-time
On the day you turn your tassel
Did you know how bright you’d shine?
To the man who’s making history
As you light the way for others
Is it really a mystery
That I’m proud to call you brother?
*For my brother
Blake Burgess
Copyright © Ina Goodling | Year Posted 2023
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Ina Goodling Poem
Leave all else behind
And bring only pockets to fill
Sandals to kick off at will
And a very open mind
Collect shells and rocks
The holey ones and sacred
And pearly bits of nacre
While you collect your thoughts
Lastly, leave no trace
No sign, no mark, no clue
But let it leave its mark on you
In the sun, salt, and smile on your face.
Copyright © Ina Goodling | Year Posted 2023
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Ina Goodling Poem
And now we are two otters
Set peacefully adrift
In kelp strands entwined
By anemone gardens
There is just you and me
Upon emerald waters
The simplest gift
Is your hand in mine
And I am safely harbored
From the perilous sea.
Copyright © Ina Goodling | Year Posted 2023
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Ina Goodling Poem
In this blue hour between branches
The waxing gibbous moon
Hangs like an almond blossom petal
Gleaming bright at noon
And the little tree that wreaths it
So breathtakingly blooms
That I’m inclined to float away
With this almond blossom moon.
Copyright © Ina Goodling | Year Posted 2023
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Ina Goodling Poem
I.
I strolled through a field of clovers
Looking each one of them over
When I found that fourth leaf
All my joy turned to grief
When my prize was snatched by a gopher.
II.
Last night as I left the bar
A leprechaun stood by my car
He offered to drive
So I’d get home alive
And now I don’t know where we are.
Copyright © Ina Goodling | Year Posted 2024
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