A breezy afternoon
Winds blowing my brown hair
And the sun shining in my blue eyes
A wave of nostalgia washes over me
Alone on the shore
With a lone lighthouse
And silhouetted palm trees
Which seem to touch the sunset
Of golden and of orange
The lullaby of waves
Sing to me
And soothe
My aching soul
With salty breezes
And sandy shores
Footprints in the sand
Leading to island adventures
And to ocean treasures
Buried under the ocean's waves
Horses galloping
Happily enjoying their island freedom
And their beautiful dreams come true
To be galloping on the shores
And feeling the cool sand
And waves
Oh, how I wish
I could stay here...
Forever
~Marian~
I wanted to lay for awhile
in the incomprehensible darkness,
eyes needling all the things
which they could not see.
I'd imagine I was on Mercury,
where the hot, hot sun once turned the ore
to slag rivers carving up the surface
now the miasma of heat roams
the barren hilltops and plains
starving
for there is nothing left to consume.
Or Venus,
breathing poison,
weighted down and cooking me,
hotter even than Mercury,
where I'd watch the lightening play
across the saffron sky,
from the calderas of spent volcanos.
Or Earth,
where I lay awake in the night,
dreaming.
On Mars,
digging up fossils,
prowling riverbeds,
searching for memories in the broken rock
and bloody soil
Olympus looming in the distance.
Jupiter,
where my heart would break,
amid all the thunder
shouting itself against the gales
There is Ganymede,
silent above the endless storm
Or Saturn,
floating in the shadow
of those celestial rings
where Titan guards over them
ready for thieves in the darkness
Uranus,
where there are oceans of liquid diamond
glittering endlessly
through the alternating
decades long days and nights.
On Neptune,
beneath the sky so blue
and torn apart by the winds
nearing supersonic
over the burning ice.
Or lonely Pluto,
where I'd forget myself,
there in the dark.
You are the only person I would suffer for,
From the winds of shame through the clouds of pain
From the ocean of tears through the sands of fear
From the mountains of hate through the rocks of fate
You are the only person I would suffer for
A thousand winds blow through a tree
a tree that is left with old memories
a tree that was once so beautiful and bright
is now living with a constant fight
as spidery moss balls suffocate branches
limiting life that was once full of chances
roots that promised their way deep into the ground
leaving only the soft quiet sound
of the leaves that were once such a sight
falling to the freezing ground on this dreadful night
leaving it's mark within this place
hoping one day to feel the embrace
of springs winds and gentle rains
coaxing it leaves that come again.
Summer winds are beginning to stir
salt and sea fill the breeze,
and the ocean is calling.
Our relationship stands on shifting sands
and
I need a walk on the beach.
Suitcase has been packed
a few days now,
and I'm latching it closed today.
Leaving my key
and
your memory...
It's time
to take that walk on the beach.
open up your window let the winds of change come forth in this whirlwind of a birth
feel the labour pains even though it hurts, let those in chains be free let them be
hold the child with ease feel feel the softness of the breeze
.........................................................
September warmth is in the air,
That playful tapping
Of the breeze
As it winds its way
Through the laurel trees
That line Eastwind,
And finally
Up over the cobbled stone
Of Mr. Willow's
Sarsparilla Soda Shoppe.
And there he is,
Outside his storefront
Sweeping away leaves
And dust
And late afternoon
Cigarette buts.
Jabe's running around
Like a bobber,
Up and about the yard,
Kicking at the nectarine tree
And demanding it
Drop its sword
And surrender.
And Annie tells on him
Right respectfully,
Pointing all the while,
Letting Momma know Jabe's
Gonna get himself hurt
Again if that tree
Ever gets mad.
And Dad's outside
Cleaning the windshield on the car,
Eying every streak he misses
And then giving it a name
I'm not supposed to ever say.
He hits the car again
With the garden hose
And washes her off,
Suds and soap splashing
Against the concrete
Of the driveway
As Momma hollers out
At Jabe to get his rear end
Back in the house
And get himself ready.
I go in and change my shirt.
It's hot, the best kind of hot,
And the sky is clear,
And the Summer air smells
Like a barbeque. The best
Parts of Summer always seem
To come when you're heading
Into other things - and if you
Don't keep your wits about you,
You'll miss 'em. They'll just
Wisp away like dew in the
Morning. So I get a clean shirt,
Change my shoes,
And grab my sweater
And head out.
And there's Momma holding
Onto Jabe's hand, and he's
Not too pleased. And Annie
Is holding her SusieQ Doll
And wondering about the fuss,
And Dad's smiling and shutting
The hose off and finishing those
Last few brushes across the
Windshield.
In just moments we're all tucked in,
Windows all rolled down,
Heading up the highway away
From the sun. Momma's got
Her pointy sunglasses on, and she's
Holding her hand out into the wind
Like a movie star. And Dad's
Shifting gears and putting his arm
Around Momma, and I see
Airplanes taking off not too far away
In an open field, those kind you pay
Three dollars for a ride on, and
They swoop you over the town
And you get to see everything lit up,
And you get to puke in a paper sack.
But that's not where we're going.
Dad just drives right on by, and
We watch as the planes and their
Pilots and the little fat kid with the red
Hair disappear into the haze.
Further up the road the lights of the town
Gently flicker away, and the sun
Rests over the horizon, and stars
Peek out overhead one by one, watching
Us I suppose, keeping an eye on the
Shiny not so new car with the three
Streaks across the windshield Dad
Missed.
And the wind picks up just a little,
Still warm, still alive. And I stick my head
Out the window just to get the wind rushing
Across my face, through my hair.
Nothing like wind racing through your hair,
I thought. And I was right.
The horns brought me back to reality,
And up ahead I saw cars waiting in line,
And there was laughter, and the long
Tall green wooden fence lined the road
Half way to forever and back again.
Inside giant white unpainted signs
Stared at you, and as we pulled up
To the old man smoking on what was
Once a cigarette, he asked how many
And Dad said two adults three kids
And the old man peeked at us inside
And Dad paid a few dollars and we drove
Inside. Slowly, up and down and up again,
Like a sea of black asphalt. And Annie
Giggled.
Dad finally parked, and the car was
Facing up, like it was reaching up
Into the sky, except that the big white
Signboard was in our way. And outside
People were happy, had their radio's on,
Jumping, running. Other kids were there,
And we wanted to get out and run around too,
But Momma said hell no. And Dad kissed Momma
And got out and left us, and the dark grew,
And I breathed in the scent of hot dogs and
Cotton Candy and Popcorn and Pretzels and
French Fries and Hamburgers and it was
Like Heaven.
Seemed like forever since Dad had left,
And Momma got out and hoisted up a metal
Box onto the back window right beside me,
And then she got back inside and closed her
Window some. Annie asked Momma what
We were waiting for, and Jabe shoved his
Sling-Shot into my ribs and said "Stick 'em up."
And I took it away and tossed it into the front
Seat, and he cried.
Then the giant posterboard lit up some, and
Mentioned a snack bar, and I wanted to go.
After that they showed a Popeye cartoon,
And Dad made it back in time to give us all
Something to eat, say shut up, and take his seat
Up front.
I'd never seen a screen so big. Never knew Popeye
Could punch Bluto and still be nice to Whimpy.
And we laughed, and the warm wind tapped against
The car, and radio's quieted down, and everyone
Was drawn to the giant picture. And we laughed.
Annie and Jabe were both asleep by the time
Dorothy made it back home. And she was telling
Aunty Em all about where she'd been, what she'd
Done. And they rolled a bunch of names,
And Dad said so how'd you like the drive-in?
And I stared at the big screen with bright,
Wide eyes, wanting more,
I didn't want the words to stop,
The story to end.
All I said was that's the biggest tv I ever saw.
And it was. And I was right.
And I guess that's when Dad
Had to laugh at me again.
Copyright © 2012 Richard D. Remler
Shrieking winds caress my inner hurricane, emotions haven't gone numb
Basking in five hundred degree weather, beneath a desert sun
I'm awake now, towards the moonrise I run
Every piece of me thrums, my heart drums
Across a frozen meadow, wither wildflowers in snow,
I am caught by shimmering eyes of gold
Two hearts beat
It's a lie, you're not alone
I've found us, and for now a home
So much to know
Soft hills of grass, warm with summer
Picking flowers, eating out of orchards
I fondly remember
Catching butterflies by the light of embers
Flickering fireflies in late november
Wandering through emerald fields of memories
Wishing for this moment to last forever, however temporary
Time for now is slow
While the sun sets low, we always know
We wander together
And never alone
When the pitter pat of your mouse heartbeat fades utterly away
As easily and distinctly as throes of thunder in the stormy distance,
I may go - in melancholy, there will be nothing else to do or say.
And once the rains froth on warm cement and the winds sashay
Across the treetops, and of you there is a startling absence,
I will know the pitter pat of your mouse heartbeat faded away.
It will sting, surely, to wake up every Monday through Sunday
Knowing you are not here, but I will remember your brilliance
And I may go - in melancholy, there is nothing else to do or say.
Still, the years will fly by and someday my mind may neglect to replay
Those memories of importance, and I will forget your presence,
Even as the pitter pat of your mouse heartbeat has faded away.
Then the world will move on and storms will return. In the midst of the fray
I will arrive, on the way to my own departure, a mind full of grievances.
I may go anyway - in melancholy, there can be nothing else to do or say.
And while there may be some last moment of frenzied grief, a ray
Will eventually split the clouds open; of you, I will recall some semblance,
And the pitter pat of your mouse heartbeat will roar, not fade away.
Then, finally, I will go - in lieu of melancholy, there will be much to do and say.
She has a bouquet of big bulging puffy dandelions
A wish bouquet she calls it, handing it to me with a very big smile
So I think and I think, don't have any wishes to make
Except to see she and her sister smile, giggle, then ROAR
With laughter
So I wish it as I blow all the puffed dreams into the winds
And later that night as both are in jammies and in bed
I slowly sneak up and with fingers stretched and ready
Attack! Attack! ATTACK!!!!!!!
Tickles and tickles and tickles till screams and loud shouts
have them estactic and begging for mercy
That was a fun night and the wish of my heart,
Happy and healthy...my beautiful children.
