Cutting Edges

I'm not broken. The cracks

of the reassembled pieces

formerly known as me, each part,

merely a reminder – a contemplation

of who I thought I'd become

or once was: a work in progress.

The reality I used to live

never who I was meant

to be: myself – the

key to a mystery of

who I would have been,

or made into: a was

that never comes.

Quiet Flow

When the tail points forward

a touch of confusion, or

is facing the front going back?

How to tell the difference,

the truth of a direction:

aligned though not quite,

a different note to strike

that symbiotic balance?

An illusion of opposites

when they, in fact, complement;

like poles of a battery:

in still perfection, allowing

the flow of a current,

tides that harmonize – the

emergence of our young,

a presence of understanding.

Ekphrastic poem, written for Rattle's Ekphrastic Challenge October 2021
the artwork (here as a simple illustration) depicted two adults and two ducklings
 

Human Fashion

I am a woman of celestial design, in this lifetime's season

dressed in skin sensitive to the sun but, like any, soft and warm,

made to be touched. Well-suited for exchanging hugs, accessorized

with a generous smile. My mind in humble, supportive service

to my intuitive, embellished heart: rich glints of compassion tied to

a keen playfulness, never out of style. Together, they pursue balance

between sense and reason in their search for truth: a source of common sense

that wishes to learn and grow. Commonly in a stubborn mood

for glasses too rosy to some, adding a rising sun's glow: our innate warmth

so often lacking. Shaped – coated with a no-nonsense filter – to see differences,

though in a positively glowing light: highlighting the fine qualities

of our individual essence and tastes that should be celebrated, none used

as a weapon to divide. I am thrilled we're not the same since it enriches our world

in such vibrant fashion. Similar to the classics wildlife and nature:

the reason humankind, ever since its earliest history, continues to explore

the wondrous gifts our planet so selflessly offers. When our distinct,

uniquely talented personalities work together in free honesty

with respect for all, we create a transcendent cape of

multidimensional light – transforming humanity into its own superhero.

Colorful Dishes

My truth may not be your reality while

yours doesn't have to be mine – and although

much of neither may ever become the

best of friends or relate at all, fragments

will overlap with common ground to find.

The rest still has meaning and is important,

if only for you – a source of ideas for another to see

or maybe contemplate if there's something to take

to the collage of truths we naturally compile

in our lifetime: evolving, merging, or separating from

us at some point; like someone we feel closely connected to

at one stage in life yet worlds apart in another.

Any belief we hold hangs in the balance of ingredients

to a recipe of truth, adding flavor to a bigger one.

Like an archeologist, physicist, nurse,

anthropologist, farmer, interpreter of satellite images,

a reverend, housekeeper and psychic, biologist,

workers in logistics or philosophers, we all

have something to bring to a table of colorful dishes

for a shared meal that serves a better understanding

of our world, merely prepared in very different kitchens

from personal cravings. No matter how far apart our

tastes or views may seem or be, each an integral part

of the lock to a golden key with the ability to solve

the puzzling dish of life and the answers we seek.

Joy Of Elegance

New neighbors arrived some time ago,

an adorable family of five. Unfamiliar with the area

often seen exploring, the Swanson's residence

a modest waterside space just outside. Quiet and polite,

much to themselves, they appear friendly; their twins

and a third growing up crazy fast. Curious as they are

when spotted on their missions, their approach cautious;

perhaps not to come across cheeky – which would be unfitting

to their graceful reputation. Known to be short-lived

I savor their presence until the night of their dawn, disappearing

into unknown territories, one day to be replaced by

a newly nested family of well-behaved swans.

A Spider To The Sun

Tiny drops on a spider's web outside a cave, one by one caught

by blushing rays of our sun, slowly vanish inside its warm embrace.

Welcomed by a python near the entrance, her endless body

protectively wrapped around her young. Touched by this vision

through a highly advanced lens light-years away, a future ancestor

launches to explore this legendary blue orb. Each passing sun

reminiscent of the spider – planets, like dew, lounging

on the threads of our universal fabric. The earthly web

a small universe in itself: our cosmos an extraordinary display

of recurring and golden ratio manifestations.

My Geographical Heart

A midsummer gale of foreign words

struggling to understand, fresh exotic tastes;

whimsical streets dipped in architectural genius

while obnoxious urban noises rudely overtake

the melodious sounds from optimistic souls, shrouded

in the pungent smell of raw sewage. Still,

my heart breaks as the streets of this quaint old town

enwrap me like the world's coziest blanket.

Not for its peaceful tranquility as there is none;

it's the laughter, the organized chaos, unpolished fun

and meaningful chatter: the welcoming, uplifting charm

of a vibrant culture – its diversity in all directions.

A resonating energy beyond the limited scope

of any language and despite its shadow-filled past

reminiscent of my own: in all ways determined

to be alive, where I seem to belong.

In sharp contrast to my sensible native land:

despite its various lovely people, always an alien

even when in no aspect really out of place.

Home to me is where we feel who we really are

in all our unique, visible and non-visible weirdness

without condition: appreciated and free.

 

Jackied

A fluffy tail graciously cascades over the edge:

queen of the chair – her keen eyes instantly supersized

to chase something outdoors. Easily distracted,

the object of interest now a classified game overtaking the room;

an alarming pitch echoes. Briefly knocking the beat from our hearts

to soon melt, once more, by the endearing charm

of this little log of fur. Precious but naughty, a sea lion's stance,

her attention span too short to follow until suddenly

she lands: for a peaceful take-over of an unsuspecting arm,

with lap. Emanating her grace and loving essence for

a delightful moment of peace before she, once again,

catapults her youthful cuteness all over the place.

My Day In The Sun

Waves of a midsummer's heat

a silent invitation to travel south: a

colorful summer hive buzzing

from aliveness, dancing to the rhythm

of an ocean's heartbeat.

Traveling with varied strangers:

momentary friends who offer warmth,

pleasure or their kind assistance

when lost or stuck across various

obstacles along the way. To arrive

at this vibrant place – so unwelcoming to

my wheels of motion – where I love to be,

almost 2222 days from last.

Not just another time: reality currently

worlds apart in many regards since – its

youthful innocence a distant memory,

matured into an enriched version of itself.

Like I have: never the same for the agony

of a brutal past, in fact, so much better for it.

A missed bus, three musketeers at № 13

and a toast of wine the unexpected finale

to an exceptional day. To not just be

part of the world once again, but in such

surprisingly delightful ways.

With a gratitude-filled heart, laughter

still echoing my mind, I patiently accept

another unexpected detour: the

vastly longer alternative road home

into the late hours of a moonlit night.