Birthing the Verse

An elusive virtue drives the urge

for a bard’s excessive verbiage purge

The obscure phrase one seems to splurge

begins clear meaning to submerge

and song becomes a funeral dirge

as lovely phrases each diverge

One strives to make them all converge

by adding words to coax the merge

and blend them so they may emerge as

“Wow! Look at that beautiful sunset!”

BRRRRR

Frost splatted on windshield in

Leopard print pattern of no color

PHRASING

A congress of crows

Carouseling in clouds of caw,

Caw, caw, caw!

REPHRASED

A congress of crows

Fly-dancing the maples

Intriguing the ears

With their carousel cawing.

It’s bud time

What  pinions your senses

like darts in a board:

the arrow-sharp-tipped noise

thrusting with a zing through the air

when a beer can tab is set free.

bullfrog, you say

my frog is no bull

he's small, cool and hopping smart

for clever humans

FASHION SENSE

it feels like a red shirt kind of day

since I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve

with my funky red shirt on display

no one will know how I grieve.

ginger proud

I'm a ginger head and i don't care.

i am crazy 'bout my strawberry hair.

lots of people they just stop and stare

'cause they're jealous of my gorgeous

red hair.

Muse at Play

I sensed my body sleeping

while brain and the Muse did play.

they tickled gray cells fully unfettered

from dusk till the break of day.

and Muse in dreamland frolicked

as consciousness watched it all

while Cinderella, freed from her tether,

was whisked away to the ball.

I spent a few dream moments

engaged in the enterprise

of swapping out one word for another

attempting to organize

my futile, feeble effort

to comprehend what I saw

was bundled up and tied off with laughter

that burst at the rooster’s caw.

OF GREAT PRICE

The lowly oyster

enduring daggers of sand

turns pain into pearls

OLDNESS

Once I had freckles, now I have wrinkles.

Chalk it up to my oldness.

Once there was presence, replaced by flatulence

Oftentimes caused by my oldness.

Many’s the time I wanted to rhyme

and pour out my feelings on paper,

but life interfered and my choices were veered

and I thought I would get to it later.

So later is now and I find myself older

And taking the reins, I face life much bolder

By learning new things and seeing wild visions

and blessing each day throughout every season.

When this lifetime ends and another begins

I’ll count those as friends who wield mighty pens.

PAINFUL

I do not like this cancer pain;

I do not like it in the rain.

I do not like it on a plane.

I do not like it in the train

I do not like it in my brain!

I do not like it here or there;

I do not like it in the air;

I do not think this pain is fair;

I do not like it anywhere.

I think I'll turn into a bear!

Rhymin’ Rhythm Riders

Behold the poet posse

insisting on the beat.

All the poets duck and run

when those dudes hit the street.

Free stylin’ will not be allowed

And you can’t hide out in the crowd.

With cheap tin badges shining bright

They wield red pens to cause a fright.

Behold the Rhymin’ Rhythm Riders

Racking you up tight.

Synaptic

I found a memory in my brain today;

One I didn’t remember losing!

A very nice one, I must say

The kind you shouldn’t throw away;

Like taking a walk in the summer rain

Disdaining an umbrella or

Finding a five in an old coat pocket

On your way to the corner market.

This memory, though, was better than all;

It helped overcome a daunting wall

And provided me safety against a fall.

I left the coat at the clothing drive

Someone else might enjoy

The surprise of a five.

Too Much

Maybe it’s Maybelline

Maybe it’s not, I scream.

Moroccan my noggin

While I will be bloggin’

And gorgin’ pistachio ice cream!

Plasticize the wrinkles out

I don’t care if I get gout

Diet till I puke and shout

Someone get the demons out!

Oh, never mind…just a fart. S’cuse me

vamp with sweet tooth

(you got your chocolate in my hemoglobin)

sweet and salty, sweet and sour

what is your delight?

you can have it either way

it just depends on who you bite.

i much prefer the salty sweet

it dances on the tongue.

females are the tangiest

especially the young.

blood and chocolate in my mouth

the taste is so divine!

while chewing on a caramel

encased in chocolate cream

a pain severe shot through the nerves

into my anguished brain!

but, oh, the flavor!

 i realized I'd bit my tongue

and the blood so rich,

was mine!

These pieces are some recent works…hope you enjoy them.