Five teens out joy riding on a country road
Pulling along side and now  having slowed

Driving around looking for something to do
What we were doing, we didn't have a clue

Motoring past many miles of empty pasture
We should have driven past that place faster

Driving closer to a strange site in the field
That old ditch should have been sealed

Drawn to the side of road and seeing wood sticking out of the turf.
Wondering what this little excursion to the edge of town was worth

We get out of the car and walk cautiously up to this site
We were so glad that outside was still blue and bright

It's a basement of a home that has been torn down from long ago.
What was down there we were quite scared and did not know

We decide to walk down those narrow wooden stairs
Wondering who were the former owners or heirs

But only walking the creepy stairs half way down
In that basement house, of my former home town

Heard a noise and saw something glistening at the bottom
For all we knew it could have been some rats or a possum

Scared we ran up the stairs jumped in the car to head back to town.
Could have been the ghosts, our trip upon them they would frown

We were all scared to death at what we heard and saw.
Never to return to explore as we all drew a long straw

Copyright 6/3/2025
All rights reserved
Published 2024 in a magazine

Sweeter, to adjust to a shadow
Fruition, in no way a sudden future
Survival to alacrity, glad to owe...
Where we are, a have to predict purity...

Same sense, same scent...?
Adrenaline fueled
A reason to foretell meant
With the ides of composure, silence due?

Mutual poise
Purpose ought, a halt
To obscurity, a wiser choice
Has said hello, for a salt...

Common, certain problems...
Just to save curiosity the trouble
Succinct energy's, sated by a whim
Share a decency, like it was ours, wonder

Shadows of change
Told to accrue accept, like another friend
Spare time, for the total of strange...
No matter how well done, we know life for its ends...

And
within moments of pity,
pride, possession, avarice;

and still, moments must resentful,
lustful, arduous, close;

some great current, unmoved
unblunted, unweakened, unswerved,
remains aflow;

for common nearness, a bondless magnetism,  
abounds through within faith-constance,
ever-surmounting that sight or scent
there without.