Poetry – 2009

“Sinking Slowly”

Slip your heart
Into my hand and you will
Notice the warmth that
Kisses your fingertips, as fleeting as an
Invisible whisper, sliding away
Now that you have heard the
Glimmer of hope.

Spinning around inside your
Long addled mind – the
One place you thought
Would keep you safe from the
Long scorned invader. GO. Open the door.
You cannot smite Love forever…

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“By The Wayside”

Beyond this moment, there is nothing left to say.
Your silence has always spoken volumes.

The infinite library within my mind is
Home to the unending serious of black,
Embossed, leather-bound tomes, every page

Well worn, faded with time, the truth of the text within
As frayed and pale as the ribbon marking the
Yellowed page. Every line remains the
Same as the last. Hastily scribbled lines read
I must go. I cannot stay. There is no other way.
Determining the meaning is simple, the reason not so. But
Every lie must be repeated to be believed.

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“Who Shot Sally”

Whispering pines are sentries on the
Hollow’s hidden paths, winding up and
Over the craggy ridges.

Steam slowly rises from the
Hidden mouth of a coiled copper snaked,
One of many in these woods.
These copper mouthed snakes save their

Sweet bite for later, much later.
After the clear, sweet venom is drawn up,
Like lightning in a bottle. The waters of
Life will course through your veins, if
You dare to drink.

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“Stripes”

Scars remind us of the things we thought we
Knew.  They recall every “once
Upon a time” that
Now sits quietly , gathering dust with the other
Knick-knacks once collected with the

Zeal of a child who knows only that
Every story has a “happily ever after”.
But we know differently now.  Gazing on the
Raised, reddened trails, striking allusions that
Are remembrances of times, well spent and

Trying alike.  Parallel lines cover the skin that
Is Mother Nature’s map, a
Guide to the past and a glimpse into the
Ever-changeable future.
Running circles around the limbs, and

Belying the failures of Mother Nature,
Each tiny, white dot acknowledges that
Every change for the better has a price.

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“Hospital Bed”

“How are you doing today?” The
Obvious question is posed as
Soon as the door is opened, the curtain
Pulled back. “Not so well” is the
Inevitable answer. whispered (or shouted)
Through the sneezes or sniffles –
And the winces of broken bones, all
Laid carefully upon the white gurney.

Before the day is done, each and
Every question will be thoughtfully answered, at least, until the
Discharge papers are signed.

[08/14/2009]

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“Fractured”

Four inches long and jagged, with a
Right handed twist on the way down.
A serious surprise.  A fever that
Cuts right through, from the tips of her toes to
The top of her head. Unusual and often
Unseen, this wound was reclusive,
Remaining in the background, like an
Exit sign, softly glowing about the
Doorway on the way out.

[08/20/2009]

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“Scar Tissue”

Some place, deep within the
Chest lay the remnants of the
Accident, like thick twists of
Rope – wrapped around all

They touch. Every stabbing
Incident occurs unnoticed as the
Shell of the body quietly covers up the
Shell of the human she has become.
Unyielding, unseen attacks slowly erode
Every little bit of her that was left in the ruins.

[08/20/2009]

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“Slipping Away”

Smiles are just the
Little lies we give to the world
In our moments of greatest fear as we
Prepare to do what we must,
Prepare to do what we need to do
In our moments of greatest crisis.
Never do we consider
Giving the world that swirls

Around us – the frown, the trembling
Whimpers or free falling tears that
Await in the eyes that are shining as
You decide that a smile is a lie you can live with.

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“Silent Duplicity”

Speak your mind if you dare,
Instead of smiling, speaking a million little
Lies without ever saying a word.
Each word that falls from your lips
Needs translation – as the time
To tell the truth seems to have evaded you- yet again.

Do not pretend otherwise, for I
Understand your unhappiness and the dark
Place from which you come, the
Life you live and the one you long for
(In which there is no place for me.)
Choose your happiness or mine –
If you must – but make the choice now.
There is no reason to prolong the pain.
Yes or no – these are not difficult questions.

[08/26/2009]

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“A Fresh Distaster”

Always the way with you – a

Fragile little boy, hiding in the shell that
Remains of the man that might have been –
Ever ready to bear the cross of martyrdom,
Showing off the crown of thorns, the
Hat you have decided rests easiest upon your head.

Determined to be unhappy, and
Impossible to convince that the
Sunshine on your face and the wind in your hair
Are not to be feared, because the
Shadow hanging over you would be lifted – and
The warmth remaining too much for you to bear.
Each smile that comes to your face is a harsh
Reminder of the man that still could be…

[08/25/2009]