Jesus, the
Questioner,
when followed,
turned around
and asked,
dark eyes
so focused,
“What do
you want?”
Earnestly,
he asks us
too, what
is it you
really,
truly,
want?
Is it
Me?
if angels gave birth
03 Apr 2016 Leave a comment
in free verse, Uncategorized Tags: angels, cherub, Elon, granddaughter
if angels gave birth
their offspring would
be cherubic with…
round rosebud cheeks
innocently wise eyes
beguiling half smiles
petal-soft scented skin
miniature untried wings
slippery hot-pink halo
and a kissable bald pate
….almost as perfect
as our granddaughter,
Elon LaShay, loved by God.
perfect skipping stone
31 Mar 2016 2 Comments
in free verse Tags: forgiveness, heart, pocket, stone
bitterness weighs
like smooth stone
in a deep pocket,
turned over and
over and over, worn
by the long fingers
of hurtful memories;
familiar, uncomfortable
too full of mean-ing.
choose to limp
with lumpy baggage
or let forgiveness
reach firmly into
heart’s hidden folds,
remove hard burden
and fling it far,
leaving space
for lighter grace.
for my brother
29 Mar 2016 36 Comments
in free verse Tags: brother, hike, mountain, summit, vista
Yesterday, you and I hiked steep slopes above timberline together.
Yesterday, we scrambled to the mountain’s rocky summit, shouting;
Yesterday, both of us could see for miles into the future’s glorious vista.
Today, we sit on this boulder, gulping for oxygen and squinting at horizon.
Today, trail is precarious scree and semi-obscured by fog of fears, tears
Today, we rub our aching muscles and commiserate with breaking hearts
But tomorrow…tomorrow will dawn brilliant where sorrow will be no more!
Linking this poem (revised from an earlier version) with d’Verse Poets today. I’m hosting “poetics” with a mountain theme and the online pub opens at 3 EST. Come join us!
follow the light
15 Dec 2015 6 Comments
in free verse, Uncategorized Tags: baby, Christmas, light, solitary
light of the
photo by lynn
world shines
in baby’s eyes
happy flame of
solitary oil lamp
flickers from barn
starlight burns
unusual brightness
above sleeping village
angelic aether
outshines campfire
of blinded shepherds
holy spark
igniting faith fire
in heart’s cold hearth
For God, who said,”Let light shine out of darkness”, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6
november colors dakota
22 Nov 2015 Leave a comment
in free verse, Uncategorized Tags: colors, Dakota, geese, prairie, soil
honk gray geese vee tattoo
across low-flying sky’s ceiling.
ice-edged blue pond fingers
reedy border of dry wild rice.
undulating green winter wheat field
interrupted by bare windbreak.
peely red shed leans lopsided into
prevailing prairie headwinds.
buff-brown buck grazes placidly
among herd of hardy range cattle.
flap black crow caws contrary to
silently melting snow pile.
tufted straw-gold crop debris
disk-mixed into fallow, fertile soil.
sunny silver beams gleam earthward
between radiant cracks in clouds.
inspired white church steeple points
gratefully back toward heaven.
the accident
06 Nov 2015 21 Comments
in enjambment, free verse, story Tags: accident, hay, horse
Linking to De’s prompt at dVerse on enjambment…
(Enjambment occurs when a phrase carries over a line-break without a major pause)
If i remember right,
his grandfather told
story of when
they were filling
barn loft with
hay crop of
rectangular bales in
clutches of six, hung
from clawed
bale hook swung
from hay wagon up, up, up
in-to
loft’s massive open
door,
slide creeeaking toward back of
loft and released with a
jerkkk
when close to position of men stacking
bales (by hand) inside barn.
Metal framed hooks hung from
pulley on cable while entire
mechanism was
operated by horse power; this day’s
chosen
beast of burden was
neighbor’s loyal work horse, well-trained to
obey master’s voice commands.
They had un-loaded
a few clutches of hay bales when some-
thing terrible, when some-
thing went terribly
wrong…
The horse, wearing blinders,
un-expectedly sidestepped, shying
in fear from un-certain threat, whether
dog barked, kitten scampered, or
barn swallow
swooped,
that horse jumped off path, over low curb of wide
shallow well, covered by light lumber;
the now terrified animal’s weight
broke through
boards…
men watched helplessly as it
f
e
l
l
down into
the w
e
l
l
and drowned.
bare passages
11 Oct 2015 1 Comment
in free verse Tags: birth, death, hospital
it was time,
they tore down the
community hospital;
insulated with asbestos,
warmed with memories of
loudly wet births of sons and
quietly dry death of grandfather.
life at dis-ease tries to heal,
bursting forth or fading away
within tired brick walls
now demolished,
dust to dust.
you are the gift!
06 Oct 2015 10 Comments
in free verse Tags: companionship, company, love, present
i’d like to think
companionship is gift
we give each other
mutual mutuality
congenial congeniality
a cup of tea and poetry
in the garden
beg God’s pardon
walked together three
traditions worthy
bring dear family in
closer company
grand alma mater’s
anthem sings loyal
camaraderie
as faith enables
hungry sinners join
around graced table
dare to cross borders
dare not burn bridges
open eyes to see
friendly faces in
surprising places
tap hearts deep spaces
to simply be present
(and mostly pleasant)
is love’s best present!
My gift to Abhra & friends at dVerse Poets and in observance of Random Acts of Poetry Day!
best dog days
03 Aug 2015 25 Comments
in free verse, mirror poem Tags: dog days, humidity, Lily, summer
At d’Verse Poets today, Toni invites us to write about the “dog days” of summer…
not gonna miss ‘em
our dog days are over
weather cools to 80’s
summer humidity drops
we can breathe again
heat made us both pant
my sweet silly Lily girl
husky-lab fur face friend
her final breaths labor
humidity of tears drop
105 fevered body cools
my dog’s days are over
oh, how i miss her !
Lily: faithful friend, walking partner, and quite possibly the best dog ever!
grateful
14 Jul 2015 29 Comments
in free verse Tags: grace, laughter, mothers, women
Dedicated to my “sister” friend, Joyce, who recently let go of her mother’s hands…
strong women’s hands
shape my life and yours:
grandmas instill faith
aunts stitch laughter
sister friends en-courage
mothers mold hearts.
even if we can no longer
touch those dear hands,
we still hear the voices
of influence cheering us
on like birdsong
in a garden of grace.
Invited by Marina to write poem including words important to us/we are thankful for, on the occasion of the 4th anniversary of dVerse Poets
inversion // diversion
09 Jul 2015 1 Comment
in free verse Tags: lemon, orange, sky, sun, tangerine
tangerine sun
rolllling deliciously
down
to/ward blue sky-bowl’s rim
sWELLs briefly into
navel orange…then
ruby red grapefruit
e-long-gates to lemon wedge
be/fore drrroppping
off
green earth-table’s edge.
a poem in my pocket 
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