Drastic Measures

I came home for work
and couldn't help
but feel like
an old rag quilt
that had been cuddled
for too long.

I needed a good soak
in a hot bubble bath.

I poured a glass
of cheap red wine
from the carton
and began to make
long-overdue plans.
I would win.

I needed to get
my life on track.

I would quit my job
and start anew;
I had some money
stuck in the bank.
I was more than
a sidewalk for others.

I wouldn't be there
for them to walk over.

It felt good to make
such a resolution.
Only, I went to sleep
and lost my will.
The next day was just
like yesterday.

Gentle Pool

Gentle rain
washes me clean
as tears slip from
my eyes to pool
at my feet.

Hold Me

Hold me tight
as your warmth seeps
into my heart
keeping me safe
in your arms.

Forever Delightful

Forever new,
a light caress
of lips against
sensitive skin--
delightful.

Clutter - Round Robin 3

She always was a doer.
Even if it wasn't broken yet,
she'd fix it. Her life became
cluttered when she never,
ever threw anything away.
It could be fixed.

Her husband lost his way
trying to find the wife
amidst her things. He gave
up making it work when
she tried to fix him. It
was only a splinter, but still...

So, when her heart
was broken, she set out
to make it right; it was
what she did best. She worked
harder at fixing everything
she laid hands on. Until

they found her buried alive
under all the clutter
that had become her life.
While she recovered, safely
tucked into a hospital bed,
they removed the evidence.

When she was discharged,
she had nothing left.
...She died a broken woman.

The Moon

The moon winked at daybreak
and acknowledged my greeting
a mere nod to a peek-a-boo
existence. Almost full, it
shared space with the rising
sun, satisfied in its cycle
as a thin sliver of pie fades
away. Movement of the sun,
moon, and Earth soon make right
with the world in replacing
the tripod with the bipolar
alignment. Two extremes,
constantly pulling, cause
chaos. All is normal today.

Answers

Getting philosophical
doesn't yield answers;
it provides better questions.
Unless some supreme being
were to gain a voice, we
spout our seeds to the air.
Echoes may answer, but rarely.

I need to know.

Much of what we don't know
lies within faith. Unknowns
based on beliefs guide us
in the darkest hours before
dawn. The truth isn't out there;
the truth is buried deep within
our very souls. Unlock it now.

I don't want to know.

Fear keeps us from discovery.
What is real may not be as we expect
or desire. What we know is more
comfortable for us to wear
in our daily lives. Only true
courage finds starkness
to be attractive. Bare it all.

I might not like the truth.

Acceptance helps in palatability.
Accept yourself and those around you.
Live in what is rather than could be
or should have been. You'll be more
prepared for the "should be" that way.
Never take for granted that which
is given in the spirit of hope.

Maybe I really don't want to know.

Learn that "I" is the smallest
of all words known to man. "You" follows
close behind. Start thinking of the other
and appreciate what they offer. In doing so,
you'll reap the benefits of solidarity
and reciprocity can seamlessly alter
life as we know it today.

Round Robin 2

Dusk descends slowly upon us.
The encroaching darkness allows
me to shed some of my inhibitions.
I wear the night like a cloak
that is light and carefree.

He, though, melds into the shadows
and becomes reticent and withdrawn.
He slinks silently into blackness
that cannot be penetrated. He doesn't
know how well he wears moonlight.

He is at his most attractive and least
approachable. Even as I wrap myself
around him, I know he isn't really there.

heptasyllibre

Sunday

Sunday is the day of rest.
Seldom do we work too hard
on this, the last day, each week.
Instead, we spend time with friends
and family. The week's done.
We wind the week down slowly;
we know it starts again on

Monday

Monday we are back to work,
another week with noses
pressed against computer screens.
We cross our eyes and dot teas
and often wonder how we
got where we are; if ever
we could begin anew on

Tuesday

But Tuesday brings much the same
in deed and thought; it is just
another day to lament.
It is too close to Monday
to be comfortable and not
close enough at all to end
the week on a brighter note.

Wednesday

Mid-way between the two ends,
Wednesday makes accomplishment
possible to the half-full
optimist. The pessimist
might find this day a daunting
reminder that time will slip
by without warning too soon.

Thursday

Thursday, a day to prepare
for what lies ahead. 'Tis time
to slowly close out our tasks
and be ready for weekend
pleasures away from whirlwind
office life and attire. Quickly
empty that inbox today.

Friday

We've only got a few loose
ends left to sew up before
we can call it a good day.
Friday is here; time to start
playing. This is the adult
recess. Only, the playground
is hopelessly different.

Saturday

Saturday is for sleeping
a little later. Better
get the chores done earlier
so tonight can be just us.
Let's forget everything
and have some fun. A dozen
ideas come to my mind.

Saving Myself

The city is a rancid river
where I dare not tread.
The dead float silently past
as I try my hardest not to look.

While I want to make sure
these are not bodies I know,
the most I can do now is save
myself from the same fate.

I can't carry myself to safety
and drag you along as well, you're
already beyond the confines
of this earthly paradise.

If I can, I will come back
and show the proper allegiance.
I'll bury you with ceremony
only if I, myself, live on.

New Orleans

Amid the chaos, people get killed
for having more than their neighbors.
A bottle of water can cost blood.
Others simply vacantly stare and wait
for the angels to come. The angel
of mercy is also the angel of death.

For a time, we do what we absolutely
must in order to survive, but sometimes
we cannot afford to follow instructions.
Sometimes, we are the victim of circumstance
and suffer the consequences of both man
and nature. Sometimes, we just are.

Further away, good hearts beat rhythms
giving a musical flair to human nature.
The haves can help the have nots;
it may not be enough, though, since
the nots are being tied into knots
in their stomachs and in their minds.