The family’s place was on the front pewso mine was there, too, visible,or so I felt, to the whole altar and both transepts.Eyed and evaluated. Grand-daughter. Youngest,too short to see but hungry to watch;the kneeler was my ladder and I was the rapt audienceas father called upon the Fatheras per the instructions of the SonandContinue reading “A Memory”
Tag Archives: Memory
Pinehurst
Golf townsand and spapines and pubscoddled traditions and legendsaround every corner My Grand-merealways spoke of azaleassparkles in her milky eyesand soft hands arounda pottery cup of chicory coffee another timeanother placeanother south This poem is a second one that I wrote for the photo, with the villanelle being shared on Tupelo Press’ website for thisContinue reading “Pinehurst”
Remembrance
Nostalgia is a warm soft beddowny, drowsy, a burrowwell insulated by last year’s leaf-fallthe earth turned and fragrantwelcoming a snug hollowwhere memory can dwell what slept all year awakens nowbrought forth by the changing light,the yawning season stretches and emergesbedhead crazy wild withprolonged hibernation,stuck with twigs and leaves like an old nest the kitchen fillsContinue reading “Remembrance”
October
seeds within the orange month of sweetness:the cauldron full of candyspooks that knock for treatsplaying tricks on the memory time folds, past meets presentlike a ghost in the machinesuddenly showing its face night gathers, softensthe faithful beat a path through the cornfieldamazement-bound forthe labyrinth of childhoodthat never really ends Fall has always been my favoriteContinue reading “October”
Indefinite Leave to Remain
displaced and out of placefor years I was lostin the rush hour crowd ofKing’s Cross Stationtongue-tied with wordsin the same language buta dialect whose defencesI never could break through the same but differentseparated by an ocean my peoplefought to cross death by a thousand cutson the edge of a paper my peoplefought to sign theContinue reading “Indefinite Leave to Remain”
Absalom
Faulkner is a heavy weight of old grievancesunresolved, the fester of yearsburning an indignant holein a pocket full of rusty nailsthe bitter smell left upon thefingers that reach insidea taste like blood on the tongue It’s my Mother’s words about the familyhow her Daddy was the twin born lastseparated by mere momentsfrom the seat ofContinue reading “Absalom”
Sunday Tanka
On Sunday morningeverywhere smells of breakfasteggs, biscuits, baconwaffles in the cramped lobbycoffee at the gas station Back home now from our annual summer camping road trip, I’m trying to settle in again, but reading this tanka I wrote on the morning that took us to Colorado makes me long to head out again! Thank youContinue reading “Sunday Tanka”
Carnation | Orchid
Carnation A coronation for a buttonholenear a man’s impenetrable heartcloves drift from the spottickling the nose, begging entry A crown for the wristsof beautiful youth boundin a fancy dress for the promfull of promises not yet broken A tightly ruffled wreathin the bundle from interflorawho outlasts the roses and otherless hearty blooms,with its princely feetContinue reading “Carnation | Orchid”
Chrysanthemum
Lion headed autumn prizesroaring outside the doordaring to show fresh faces in Maycarefully preened manessparkling the early summer dewdaring the sun to bequite as brilliant in hisyellow raptures Once upon a timemy Grandmother planteda host of these rampant kingson a far forgotten side of the housean offering to the neighborsa place of pleasant pilgrimagefor usContinue reading “Chrysanthemum”
Gladiola
Mightier than the swordthese gorgeous stalks piercememory, arranged in cutglass in the tiny London houseawaiting the return ofthe bride and groom Outlasting the tide of realitythey burst with myriadfire upward througha field of knives,spiked-guardians in silentobservation with a stabof passion at the sky Thanks for reading!
The Poetry Patio 