The Princess (Take two)

She was the princess
of her own mind and his.
She knew all about life
and love; she'd seen it all
through horn-rimmed glasses.

She was the fairest of the land,
if not the easiest, and all men
knew her most intimate secrets.
Each new tidbit revealed intimately
was soon ridiculed in public knowledge.

She never knew what others really thought.
Her private forest was riddled with wolves
who found the princess to be just as tasty
as the men who sampled dishes readily
and slept peacefully besides their wives.

A Winters Tale (Round Robin)

The seeds of winter settle in
as nature clears a path
for the deep roots of loneliness.
Snow blankets and protects
the offerings that fester
as they take hold beneath
the frozen soil.

All living things require
light that forces them to rise above.
They know not what they seek,
yet seek nonetheless with growth.
Companionship and community give rise
to reproduction at its simplest
since man needs other men.

Winter cannot forestall the coming
of new life and hope. It cannot
obliterate the warmth and brightness
of the sun as snow melts to nothingness.
Only muddy pools of water remind us
of where we've been. Blue skies
give promise for the future.

Him

Blackness sucked him down,
down, down, into oblivion.
His choices seemed limited.
With blinders, he plunged
head first
into the deepest, darkest hole
only to find it was not
where he was meant to be.

Left with nothing;
he sought the light.