He made the stairs up from the yard,
Without falling even once.
Entered the house with a feeble little
skip and a bound of renewed energy,
Wagging his long crooked tail,
wearing the shaggy faded yellow
coat of an aged Labrador.
Loose skin and bone where once firm
muscles shown.
Nearly blind and fully deaf he still managed
to grab up an unclaimed tennis ball from
off the floor. Tooth and gummed it a few times
then flopped down on his rug, exhausted and spent.  
Sixteen summers and winters lived,
Loving companion, faithful friend,
Raising my grandsons to the ages of seven and ten,
Slept by their beds and protected them.

The mobile Vet has come, it's the needle not the gun.
I can not attend, too soft of heart,
I've buried too many canine friends.
My son is stoic, tending to what must be done,
But later alone, he will grieve and weep as I have done,
He is after all his father's son.

Rest in Peace Bennie you brought our family much joy.

After I left Los Rabanos
The grapes were still not ripe
The cranes atop the churches spire
Had not yet taken flight

Soon they'll fly to Africa
I will not see them climb
A feather loose, an empty nest
How do they know it's time?

The gladiolas barely bloomed
Sweet lavender a blur
And now that scent stays on my mind
The feelings that they stir

The RioDuero calls to me
Her rock cliffs echo still
Of peace and laughter plentiful
I did not get my fill

At work I find my focus gone
To casa de verana
And what I should be doing now-
Put off until mañana

She heard the cry of her soul
With gory limbs akimbo
Asking for some help
From her, just to remember

She took that journey inward
Seeking God right in the zone
She was filled with more beauty
Than she had ever known

She wants the crown of roses
Stripped of all its thorns
Instead of constant sorrow
That she always mourns

Between her load of laundry
A walking meditation
Weeding out thoughts of terror
To quell her trepidation

An arsenal of anger
She can't stop stoking higher
Enslavement to her malcontent
Keeps fueling the fire

Relentless blame, resentments
Color every word she speaks
She won't staunch the flow of blood
Coursing through her rosy cheeks

Be still and know just how to go
When invited to the Feast
She remembered where she'd been
In her heart pure Love and Peace

~

The princess sat along a stream,
crying in the sun
Closed her eyes and dreamt a dream,
about the perfect one

For love had never come her way,
she longed for it so much
The tender words that he might say,
a gentle caring touch

When then a frog hopped into view,
a slimy little guy
He smiled and said, “How do you do?”
A twinkle in his eye

She frowned for she was feeling bad,
not real sure what to say
Then whispered, “I am kind of sad,
but how are you today?”

He croaked an answer quietly
“I’m sad like you, as well
A handsome prince I used to be
before that witch’s spell”

“But fear not, for it could be worse
It’s not so bad like this
The only way to break the curse
is with a princess’ kiss”

She rolled her eyes at what he said
“You must think I am daft”
Then saw the crown upon his head
and stopped before she laughed

Perhaps what he had said was true
and this could be her chance
To end this feeling, oh so blue
with a new found romance

He looked at her, tears in his eyes
Then said in sorrowed voice
“Don’t worry, I’ll just eat some flies,
it’s totally your choice”

Oh what the hell, she thought a while
this chance I shall not miss
And then he saw her gorgeous smile
as she gave him a kiss

A puff of smoke, the brightest glare,
then something did explode
And though she once was seated there,
now sat a princess toad

He never could imagine this,
his wish had just come true
When she gave him another kiss,
she felt the same way too

They fell in love, a perfect dream,
as joy now filled their eyes
And spent their days along that stream,
together catching flies

And they lived hoppily ever…

Oh wait, is that a tadpole I see?  
I guess they lived VERY hoppily ever after   :)

As I sit and sip a glass of wine,
I think about all the mistakes I've made,
Loving you is one of them,
Deprivation I felt when you left,
Destined were we for each other,
Rapturing was your soul,
Full of lustre and captivation,
Drawing me closer to yourself,
Where, vague to me was wtitten on your forehead, beware,
Zeus and poseidon weren't even that strong to set us part,
Metallurgy and chromatography were weaker than I thought,
Our lives together shone,
The radiance and heart amidst our relationship was at spark,
Why'd you go and vandalize what once we fought for?
I was mortified by society from that day on,
Promising to myself I'd never fall,
Destructing all chemistry to keep at halt,
Never have I moved on from that day on,
Never will I even ponder upon that thought.