Trippin’ through 100 Words

lillian11 Comments

She got up on the wrong side of the bed
to a cacophony of sound.
Cats with top hats chased red booted unicorns
down the neon road
beneath her webbed feet.
Flamingos squawked,
slipping up a red licorice slide.
A bubble floated by
with Dorothy and Toto on a hammock inside,
stretched from one iridescent curve to the other.
She wanted to climb inside and lie down
or find some peppermint tea.
She licked her fingers
and slowly remembered
those funny looking mushrooms
on the other side of the bed.

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Photo taken on our Alaska hike through the Tsongas Forest.

Here But Not

lillian7 Comments

stockvault-macaw137674  photo credit:   Geoffrey Whiteway

The macaw flew out the window
and my world became inescapably grey.
Poe’s raven without naming text
no black, no white.
Like peering closely at a newspaper,
pica type-print not visible
only paper fibers
etched in fine lines of shaded grey.
Guaranteed indelible ink
smudged by presses.
And no voices.
Only empty word bubbles
suspended from flapping mouths.
Filmed eyes watch stick figures
slink nearby in slow motion.
What happened to me that day?
The day the macaw flew out my window.

Dedicated to those who live in the throes of mental illness or depression,
invisible too long.

Disappearing Hood

lillian8 Comments

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Wrap around porch with hanging swing
iced tea chats and potted plants
playing dolls with Junie Z
on a summer night lit by fireflies.

Sliding glass door shut ramrod tight
concrete slab with charcoal grill
removed from prying eyes.

Two steps to double locked doors
reined in yard with triple garage
and wooden horse blinder fence.

The word neighbor? Gone.
It hopped a moving van,
took a right on the expressway
and drove right out of our lexicon.

 

Carefully I Ask

lillian2 Comments

This prayer I say as dark draws nigh
and she slips off to sleep,
may angels stand their guard nearby
as she dreams softly deep.

And when the sun begins to dawn,
wake to the new day’s light,
tell her she should continue on
the hope is near, within the fight.

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Photo from visit to an Orthodox church in Estonia. Post motivated by Daily Photo Challenge and dedicated to my dear friend Louise.

Decision Time

lillian9 Comments

traffic jam

Lines and lines of cars move nowhere
tempers flare, boxed in, horns blare
appointments fester in my mind
hands clamped on wheel,
like talons on prey.
I crave, I need, I must have space.

Foot to brake, pump and pump again
peck my way, inch by inch
peer through smog and fumes
find a seam, create a crack
desperately seeking blue.
I crave, I need, I lust for air.

What if I quit?
Leave it all behind.
Try new wings, not a migratory line.
Free form, to soar, to find
real, life affirming air.
I can, I should, I will.

She Liked to Taste Life

lillian17 Comments

Sample the edibles
while sauntering by a vendors’ stall

savor the sour and the sweet
lemon tarts with a marzipan carrot beside

devour her lover’s kisses by night
and wake up to humorous tidbits

and some evenings, dine by candle light
lick beads of moisture

from her wine glass
while supping alfresco by the sea.

She fancied herself a chef
stirring the pot

and turning up the heat
if it simmered too low.

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Written for Margo’s Poem Tryouts, which I recently found thanks to Chalk Hills Journal, a wonderful blog.  Margo asked that we find highly-descriptive words relating to a ‘simple’ subject, make a list of those, and then write to those words. I chose the “simple” subject of eating. Photo taken this past summer on the deck in Provincetown….indeed, eating alfresco!

We are Present

lillian8 Comments

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One step at a time
through difficult uncertainty
we navigate ups and downs.

Watch as eagles soar,
stand in wonder at mountains
firmly rooted, standing tall.

Embrace this fullness of life,
a course to learn trust
no matter the challenge.

We live with the good news
blessed in His care,
every day to count.

Photo:  Bryce Canyon National Park – mountains extraordinaire. Dedicated to all those facing difficulties looming ahead. A reminder to live in the moment, thankful for every day.