Poetic Heart

Poetry. I've loved it all my life, even as a child. The flow of the words, the meaning behind them, the power they carry. Mini stories all on their own. I've written poetry as long as I can remember. My early attempts were rough. I remember re-reading them awhile back, and although I kept the book, I cringed at the rudimentary attempt. Life is about growing, and I did, especially with my poetry. Now and then I go through spurts of needing to write a poem-a-day. It can be about anything or anyone; they just make my heart happy. I was just reading some I stumbled on in a file from 2011. My random thoughts on life and living are really about the poetry of life; how I see it, how I feel, what life instills in me and how it inspires me. Sometimes the best name I can give them is the date they were written, and that is the case with these below.

April 26, 2011

The midnight once,
long ago was my friend,
my confidant.
we’d spend hours together,
the velvet midnight and I.
Somewhere, somehow,
along the way, the midnight
lost its grip on me –
the quiet of the hour
frightened me for awhile
The soul I bared
became lost somewhere
in the darkness –
caution, fear – life – all took over.
Tonight I find the midnight
holds me entranced again.
I’ve missed you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 27, 2011

Cats soft head
bumping my arm
stealthy paw reaching out
to touch; toes curling
around my finger.
A pleading “meh”
asking for something –
attention, the time of day
a scratch under the chin.
Sleek, warm body curled
up at my hip.
Life is good for Boots.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 28, 2011

If I could describe
the dream come true
of my trip to Italy –
another April 28
I am finding myself at a loss for words.
Rome, ancient and yet new
beautiful, grand, crumbling, full of life.
Chianti, where the pace
of life is slow.
Lilacs and jasmine,
sweet, peaceful, gorgeous
fat bumblees living la dolce vita in the
profusion of blooms.
Florence, small, vibrant,
haunted with ghosts and history
-incredible, delectable art.
Venice – the most serene.
Indeed.
La bella – che bella Italia.
Amore; mille baci e un forte
abraccio.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 29, 2011

I dream of green spaces –
long stretches of road,
no traffic in sight
shaded, hushed corridors
of leafy canopies.
Waves crashing the shore line,
huge islands of rock
standing sentinel
offering safety for none
but the seagulls.
I dream of tidal pools, primordial forests
but the dream – it scares me for the distance and the difference
offered – for the chance I cannot seem to take.
What is this hold that cannot –will not
release me from here?
The hold that keeps my dreams
to the dark of the night.
Is it opportunity I am unable to take
or, is it opportunity
waiting to find me here?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 30, 2011

Tonight I wore loneliness like a glove –
tight around me, letting me know it was there,
holding on so I had to do nothing
but sit
and do nothing
while listening to the quiet around me.
The cold will come
when the glove comes off.
For now, there is nothing
except the quiet loneliness
and my life,
ticking by,
second by second
not looking back to see if I am following.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 1, 2011

Tears, I think,
are often poison in our souls
that the body tries
to give back to God.
With tears, tonight,
I asked God to help me get rid of the harshness in my life-
the harshness in my heart
for the things I have let
build inside of me.
Natural disasters –
volcanoes;
they build over time,
pouring lava from the center of the earth
when just the right
pressure builds.
So too, are tears
--a volcano purging
my fears from my body.
My heart cries out—
I’m lonely
but somehow?
The tears help.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 2, 2011

Bruce Springsteen—
I always think of a
winters night in February 1981.
Oh, so long ago now.
Snow falling all around;
one of the most beautiful,
romantic moments of my
then young life.
A blue down ski coat,
  snowflakes falling,
  blue white in the night,
  blue eyes falling into
  my own
a first kiss, light,
sweet, then more.
Bruce Springsteen later
on the stereo; Born to Run
over and over;
I lost track
of time, of myself
of the moment.
Time did pass eventually.
Sunday morning came
but I never forgot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 3, 2011

The day? It came and went.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 4, 2011

I think of my mother today—
her birthday; it would have been
her 69th..yet she will remain
forever young
in my mind;
always laughing,
her smile,
her eyes
missed, but oh, so loved.

Her birthday, before she died,
I was in Italy.
I brought her card with me
and I mailed it from there,
the Italian stamp thrilled her and she
told me she’d keep it
forever.
and she did—
but who knew her forever
would be so short?
I was in Italy six years ago today—
thinking of my family--and what a time I had.
How proud I believe she was.
I love you Mom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 6, 2011

The heart doesn’t always
know what is good or bad
--right or wrong
the heart just
knows what it knows.
How can it be wrong
to want something
that was right to be again?
The heart—
it knows
and does not judge—
wrong, past hurts
past cracks.
It only knows
broken hearts need healing
often not caring how,
just reaching
for something—anything
to fill it up again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
May 15, 2011

I woke to a storm
early this morning—
thunder, far off, close,
lightning flashing like a
neon strobe.
rain—a deluge from above
I watched for a while,
then drifted back to a
restless sleep,
waking to a morning
   bright, sunny, fresh.
A new day, shiny
  with green grass
  already growing
happy from the rain
reaching toward the sun.
Rain, washing away
yesterday
leaving today wide open
to all it’s possibilities.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 8, 2010

Diamonds glitter on the
  dark road tonight—
    reflections of starlight
      on the sandy roadside.
I am reminded of watching
snow fall, silent
late at night;
the night a shimmering
joy all around me
diamonds on the snow
diamonds on the road.
Now and then the simplest of joy
and beauty reflect
upon my soul
  and I smile.