Unmask
So I can see
Your eyes in
Fullness of
Their beauty
So I can
Hear your words
Without guessing
Smell fully
Warm smells
Of Autumn
And taste deeply
Earthy food
Hear your laughter
Listen to your snort
Oh to breathe
Fresh air again
And to hear
Your voice
Not mumbling
From the heart

Sun is going down
Along with thoughts
Of day
Both good and bad
Happy and sad
Mixing with fading colors
Of peachy pinks
Sky washed  blues
And downy lavender
In the quilted sky
Time to release all cares
And let mother nature
Take her course
Let the remaining
Warmth of sun
Rapidly burn away
Any bad thoughts
Of the day
Let the galaxy
Sparkle with
Happy thoughts
And the moon
Beam bright
And await
Another day

The widow sits
In his overstuffed chair
Knowing of his
No return
Hoping for one last
Smell of the
Day's  sweat
Mixed with shaving
Lotion
Accepting the faintest
Hint of work gone by
But tears wash away
All memories
Laying back with
Aching legs
Remembering days
Gone by
Eyes burning from
Salty tears
Ready to nod off
The dog reminds you
It's time to walk

Be careful
Don't drop
Fragile
Handle with care
A box containing
Who knows what
Perhaps something of
Value
How often do we
Drop
Are fragile
Are we valued
Enough
To be handled
With care

Printed word
Printed page
Printing press
Paw prints
Finger prints
Blue prints
Foot prints
Hand prints
Newsprint
Everywhere we leave
A mark

share your beach
With ocean waves
Unfurling
Warm speckled sand
A seagull or two
Share your jungle
Loud noises filling
The air
Monkies swinging branch
To branch
Share your desert
A cactus green and
Scorching heat
The deep blue sea
And all her fish
And the sky so
Full of stars
But mostly share yourself
With no one but me
My dearest friend

Miss waiting for the bus
Will need its service
No longer
No more work
No more waiting
Or rushing
No bus pass
Hot chocolate on
A winter's day
Freezing hands
And feet
No new people
To just say
Hi to
Or even a book
To read
Most of all
Will miss you
My friend my companion
You waited with me
Till my bus came
Sometimes with candy
Melted from your pocket
A poem to read me
Inked on you arm
A joke to tell me
A tale or two
Even a whistled song
Though Metro stops
For me
Hopefully you wont

Build a bear
Build a poem
Stuff with cotton
Suff with words
Put a stitch
Here and there
Place your words
Everywhere
Give it thought
Give it love
Give it blessings
From above

And I thought it
Couldn't get any worse
Till I saw no shoes
Upon your *****
Blistered feet
Weatherbeaten hands
Begging for even
A tiny crumb
Cracked skin from the
Heat and cold
Filth covered clothes
From gutters nearby
Hair tangled up
Woven into massive
Weeds of no beginning
Or end
A stench so bad
Animals ran away
No voice to be heard
Just tears falling down
Perhaps it wasn't
That bad afterall

Time has been given
And time will be taken
Some have a lot left
While others non left
Use it wisely
Before you
No longer can
Don't wait till
You can't run bend stand
Or see the dirt covered road
Ahead of you
Smell the fresh cut grass
Hear the sweet sound
Of birds
Sip a warm cup
Of tea
Read a book
You've been meaning to
Now is the time

I need me a woman cave
To hide in
With no entrance
Except for me
A place to hoard
My stuff
My insignificant stuff
Pile by pile
Season by season
Should be thrown away pile
Not ready to let go

Watching football on TV
I think of Sundays
Going to the stadium
With my brother
Giving me something
To look forward to
The crowd and noise
Crashing helmets
Hands held high
For a touchdown
High fives in the crowd
What a way to end
The weekend and
Another long week
To begin
Unless my brother
Surprised me
With a ticket
For next week's game

I so liked football
Going to the stadium
Now my team is gone

could be a typo
Could be a meanto

Can't force a friendship.
Can't force a poem
Friendship takes time
To begin and continue
Much thought space
Neededed for its
Fruitation
Watered with patience
And mistakes
A poem not
That different
Thoughts need time to
Mull through your head
And space to grow
Patience for the right words
Acceptance for mistakes
When combined apoem
Is a friend

you dipped your pen in
Flowing ink
Painted vibrant words
To read
Your canvas was
Lined paper
Revealing a masterpiece
Of  poetic words

Denial: Keep putting off filling out all
           ....the paper work
Anger:   why do I have to retire I was
              ....going to wait till end of
                   School Year
Bargaining: What if  I wear a mask
.......                and keep my distance
Depression: I'll miss getting up and
          ...          seeing my students and
    ....................staff
Acceptance: I can walk 4 miles a day
   ...................and observe nature do a
    ...................bird count read more
   ..............    ...write poetry and read
    ..    ...          .great poetry Thank God
      ...      ........im alive and can retire

we are a seasoned people
I suppose
Frosty white snow
Warm summers to
Thaw out
Brilliant colors and
Toasty smells
New signs of birh
All around
Sled rides and hay rides
Pony rides and bike rides
Cozy fires forest fires
Campfires toasty toe fires
Apple pickin daisy pickin
Guitar pickin **** pickin
Bumblebees ladybugs
Turkeys  geese
Cottoncandy watermelon
Carmels candy canes
Hot tea ice tea
Hot chocolate pop
Firecrackers full moon
Harvest moon big dipper
Dance in the season of
Your choice
For we are called to
Celebrate in the
Season called
Life

I thought you were
A contradiction
Tearing me apart
Piece by piece
From your ego
Driven heart
Nothing sustained you
Happily bruising
My soul
Leaving me unmercifully
Ready to fight back
You expected war
But I came
To bring peace

How come I can find
Misspelt words
From letters you wrote
When I don't know
When a comma belongs
Or not.
How can i read with
Tear stained eyes
When yours are dry
As a well.
Why do I care what
You even say
When your words
Don't even mean
A silly thing.
Perhaps because you
Could only write it
In words.

You lay scattered
Deep within
My heart
For me to
Sort
Piece
   By
     Piece
And put back
Together again

Hurling words at me
Words you could have kept
Let me get a broom
To clean up
All the mess
You thought you
Could hurt me
With each word
You wrote
You only hurt yourself
Cuz now your
Left behind
to pick up
After

What am I
To you
A China doll
Easily broken
Licorice to twist
And twist
A piece of trash
To just toss
A storm ahead
A lighthouse dim
What am I to you
A broken record
Playing over
And over
Again
A pillow to toss
A turkey to stuff
Tell me what
Am i to you
If i really meant
Something to you
Would it really
Even matter

Gold drops out of
Pen and onto paper
Words of humanity
Love fear beauty
Stench and laughter
One may need a kleenex
Or a trash can
Nearby
Whatever it is
Don't stop writing
You have the
Midas touch

Coming from all
Walks of life
Sandy toes leaving
Footprints behind
Muďdy toes from
Leftover rain
Wet toes leftover
From morning dew
On the sidewalk toes
Keeping a straight path
Tender loving baby toes
Kiss them one two three

The melancholy sounds of
The Cicadas remind me
The summer is coming
To an end
As i am drawn into
Their mourning sound
I echo back
In silence
Hoping for fall
Preparing for wintry
Days ahead
Each season a
Song of their
Own to sing

Before my walk today
I put my red Hoodie on
My Mom gave me
For my Birthday
Such pleasant memories
My Mom knew how cold
I would get
And this would keep
Me warm
My body stays warm
But the memories
Of Her love
Will burn in my heart
Forever

Me
Any chair to sit in
Can walk up steps
Hang up clothes
Take a walk
Go outsideAnytime I want to
Unassisted
She
A wheelchair to sit in
Takes an elevator
Hand clothes to roommate
Use to use crutches
Can't anymore
We
We are a team
I'm her legal guardian
And she's a part of me
When we are together
We laugh cry share gossip
I push her wheel chair
But she's the one who
Gives me a push
Because of her
I am me
And she is she
And we are we

As night draws nigh
I think of today
A yellow black tipped bird
Hiding in the tree
Wet grass making my sneakers
Squeak on the pavement
Walkers bikers runners
In the park
A book to curl up to
Poems to write
And throw away
A time to prepare
For evening sleep
And ready myself  for morn

I need a poem
That will lift me up
Way up to the sky
Chocolates won't do it
Cookies can't compete
Feed my stomach
With food
But my heart
With your poems

A squirrel gathering
Nuts for the
Winter ahead
I collect my thoughts
Ready to store
Till summer comes

Dream walkers
Sleep walkers
Even in the park
Walkers
Let me thinkers
Hurry on Homer's
Explorers all around
God thinkers
Step in timers
Not a care in
The world walkers
Walkers all around
Which one are you

Am I ready to
Take on a new day
Meet Life's gifts and challenges
The sun peeking through
The window
Dressing the clouds in
Blues and pinks
Morning roll call
As birds chirp tree
To tree
Thoughts scatter through
My mind
Can i do everything
That must be done
Its a new day
Time to get up

curling in my lap
Motor sounds growing louder
Happily purring

Sometimes i hear soft footsteps
Walking in an empty hall
Softly invading empty rooms
Nothing to see
Only to hear
Are these my spirits
Walking around
Trying to gather
My thoughts

How do you know
Who to bully
Who to make cry
Till their well
Runs dry
Burn their soul
Till ashes are left
Leave bruises on
Their skin
And scars on
Their heart
Degrading so low
Making it hard
To get up
Do they wear a tag
Saying crush me
I'm yours
Or perhaps worn out
Clothes or nonbathed skin
From sleeping on the ground
What is the clue
Even geese  go after
An unsuspecting victim
How do they know
Who to taunt
With powerful wings
And fast webbed feet
Are we no less then
The animals

It's  that time again
The darkness outside
Awakens the mornin
Within
Thoughts piece together
To weave a quilt of magic
But nothing can surface
So the ink disappears

It's a tough world
Out there
The turtle surmised
Crawling back into
His shell

I try so hard
To make Life meaningful
Perhaps the  meaning
Is Life

Yesterday the sun
Faded slowly into the sky
Darkening. my world
The moon danced
Behind the clouds
Trying to make
Me laugh
All I could offer
Was a Cresent smile

Made it through
Another day
Of heartache
And mistakes
Look forward to
Another day
Where i might
Get a break

Tic toc  tic toc
My thoughts
Back and forth
Travel around my
Clouded mind
How will they surface
Or are they
Ready for another
Go round

Awaken the thoughts
In me
They lay dormant
For some time
Crawl over wadded
Paper ***** that
Missed their mark
Break through cobwebs
Of yesteryear
Rattle the skeletal bones
Of feelings deep within
Let what has haunted you
Flow free
And magically
Transform before you

Such colorful words
You used
A picture with
Each thought
Leaves imprints
On the mind
Like your
Picturesque pen

Black wooly worm
Dark and fuzzy
Where are you
Running off to
Do you hold secrets
Underground
Like words stuck
In a thought
On the run
Ready to hide
Till completion
Go on your
Merry ol' way
While mine are
Just beginning

Today achild wakes up
Without a parent
Who sacrificed their Life
A spouse looks at
an empty side of bed
Where once they lay
Who sacrificed their Life
A child does not awaken
No longer here
Who sacrificed their Life
As we sadly remember today
Let us sacrifice our Life
To the cry of others

nineteen years ago
As the twin towers
Burnt to the ground
Lives lost all around
But the Spirit of man
Prevailed
Those who risked
Their own lives
So others may live
Gasping for breath
In heated flame
Others helping each other
To hold on and escape
Prayers food shelter
Lined  the street
And now Ground Zero
Sacred Ground HolyGround
Let's take a moment today
Giving thanks to those
Who died
Let's resolve in our
Own place in Life
To be a hero in
Our everyday walk

Bare feet touch
Warm concrete
In prayer
Toes wigggle in
Blades of grass
In Praise
Dirt stained fingers
In gratitude of
Moist soil and
A worm or two
Eyes squinting from
Radiant glow of sun
Blinking in heavenly rays
Well tuned ears
Awaiting the sounds
Of nature from earth
To sky
A thankful heart
With a joyful voice
Sings a Joyous song
To you oh
Heavenly Father

The mist upon the
Concrete colored  lake
Hard to see through
The thickness
Like the words
In my soul
Thickly hidden
The mist lifts from
Above the lake
As my poem
Rises from my soul

was it really worth
The lack of sleep
Wrinkled sheets
Sunk in pillow
Puffy eyes
Chills from early morn
Dried out pen
Hansel and Gretels'
Leftover crumbs
Leading to a
Paper trail of verse
Perhaps the answer
Lies in a candy coated
House
Inviting one in
Or a stove inside
Ready to burn
Words that make
No sense to
The unheeding world