Someone recently, generously, commented on my poetry:

“Your poems swing from playful snapshots of orange lipstick and coffee grounds to deeper, soul-level stuff like angels, dry bones, and widening circles. That mix is what makes your work feel alive.”

Yes, I write about all things living,
All things happening in my life,
All things I am pondering
All things that are rife —

But, there is one thing about which I don't write…

L O V E

I am not a love poet like the sublime @onlylovepoetry

Love is what my heart longs for the most — yet it's the one thing I can't fix.

I cannot write about the thing I know the least about,
But, I will croon out the longing and the fight!

I want to write a love poem, but perhaps I need to know love first to even qualify…

I say the words
That may or may not help me
I say the names
That may or may not be heard.
I cry the daily tears
That may or may not heal me
And gather up the strength
To face another day of pain
Without a bird outside my window.
         ljm

How shall I discover, uncover, and re+cover you?

the goal?
to make you mine, a follower. a fan, an intimate, a lover of'
each others (words?)

My options?

offered thee three to me!
A~Z,

or  
your successes by
Popularity!

then of course,
read each crafted in order
of appearance,
but even that,
can be forward and back,
latest to last~est,
oldest to the knowing~est?

value your insightsfuls,
oh! on how to get best
into your insides but through
your
insights...

do I detect a tiny tremble,
in your finger writing tips?

random < in no particular order order>  helter skelter?
you mean, be keen,  like falling in loving,
discovering, the nuances,
old and new, prior and au courant,
just jump in, and let the au current
take me//

mmm
do admit, like a bit,
being big fandom of random,
which feels a tad like falling in love...
when the little surprises,
come best unexpectedly

tonight,
I will stuff myself with carbohydrates of additional sugar,
me love me sweets,
love me my bittersweet chocolate of triste,
which in english, has multiple levels of
most interesting con-
notations....

so down the hole,
who knows what will be
discovered
unveiled,
recovered,
hidden weaknesses,
historic strengths,
you asked...
and I shall be
the uncoverer
of the little tidbits,
that satisfy so much more
than just poetic simplistic curiosity

it is no wonder to me
that prolific and profile,
are rooted from the same
rivered source...
until later, then
sad eyed lady of the lowland (see note)

Oh gosh, how has that day of the year
Come around so fast again…
Dreaded school photo day!

The day that marks progression,
The day that celebrates successful transition,
The day that snaps aging,
And the day that puts front and centre all that I have been avoiding!

Everything in me wants to dream up
Some wildly legitimate reason for my (ab)sense —

But then I am reminded of the sentiment from a wise friend,

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle…”

Ok, Paul, I will bear up!

I won't hide and be a prisoner to this Western world of beauty —

But, I will celebrate my aging with this portrait,

It will thus be known as,

“Portrait of a lady who lived authentically” —

Happy or sad,
That's all there is
in a country song --
Can all life experiences
be filtered down to this?

We can get too complex
sometimes, in claiming our condition,
We are masters, yes, of our own destiny
And of course, retribution --

I have several large, red chillies
Stored away in my freezer,
Awaiting the next time
I chop them up and smash them in my blender -
I will load in brown sugar, caster sugar when I have none,
A squeeze of lemon, or lime,
And then I eviscerate until slender.
Will the frozen chillies transform the taste and texture?
Or will they wilt, weathered and wounded by the dramatic snap,
And make the taste lacklustre?
Or send my tastebuds into an all-out baritone rap!

Many years ago,
I purchased my first,
Orange lipstick —
Usually, I am quite sombre,
Wearing beige, white, or black,
So I figured ‘orange’ would set me apart and be quite a lick!

It has thus led me —
Into coveting an orange jacket,
which I'm now wearing,
And buying an orange handbag.
I now see brands picking up the mantle
Of the orange love they're now sharing.

Autumn is the best season,
For featuring orange in its design,
I love the turn of leaves
But hate the rake of time!
The colour is also featured in the TV show:
‘Orange is the new black’ (OITNB)
I sure won't be breaking and entering
To wear orange on my back —