You.had no teeth
Yet your smile
Shone like a
Crescent moon
No eyes youhad
But you saw
With your.heart
No money.you
had
But your soul
Was full of
Richness
No ears to hear
But you heard
From within
Raggedy clothes
Strewn about
Yet you were clothed
In beauty
Not understood
By all
A work of
Art
Carved from
The Master's
Bleeding hands

Youd.think after all these painful
Empty years it would change
Time passed, some things changed or so I thought
I.found your hidden scarves too
Painful to deal with
Tide won't wash.out memories
Of your beautiful smile  and laughter
Let me.wrap a part of
Around my neck
With flowered buds or red chiffon

Poetry is a song
Of words
Striking a chord
Of gentleness
For harmony
In the soul
Words of pain
Suffered within
And birthing
The blues
Rhythmic  words
To jazz up
The day
And loving words
For soul
Poetry begins with
A song in
Your heart and
A pen in
Your hand

You are a
Work of Art
Chiseled from
The Maker's Hand
A unique combination
Of Humanity and
Spirit
Formed in Flesh
With a spirit.
Of love
Bestowed with gifts
Only you can
Share or keep
If kept to
Self
The gift would
Die
And bare.
No fruit
It.is up to
You
Are you a
Master's Piece

And I'll  wait
For you
In the fluttering
Of butterfly wings
A symphony
Of birds
Deer that  walk
Upon your grave
Laughter Echoing
All about
And a handkerchief
In your pocket
Stolen dreams
Buses to catch
Recipes to share
Books to talk about
Kisses and hugs
Tears and laughter
Love to go around

a new day.has arrived
the sun is going to shine
i Sing a song
to awaken my soul
put my dancing shoes on
keeping up with the
rhythm  of life
what a wonderful.gift
to join in the
harmony of life

Thoughts are circling
Round my head
Like the leaves
Ready to be raked
Words are piling up
Waiting to find purpose
Otherwise they will
Crumple up
And die

A friend just called me
We talked poetry and such
Just so much to share

Sometimes i hear soft footsteps
Walking in an empty hall
Softly invading empty rooms
Nothing to see
Only to hear
Are these my spirits
Walking around
Trying to gather
My thoughts

Can't force a friendship.
Can't force a poem
Friendship takes time
To begin and continue
Much thought space
Neededed for its
Fruitation
Watered with patience
And mistakes
A poem not
That different
Thoughts need time to
Mull through your head
And space to grow
Patience for the right words
Acceptance for mistakes
When combined apoem
Is a friend

we are a seasoned people
I suppose
Frosty white snow
Warm summers to
Thaw out
Brilliant colors and
Toasty smells
New signs of birh
All around
Sled rides and hay rides
Pony rides and bike rides
Cozy fires forest fires
Campfires toasty toe fires
Apple pickin daisy pickin
Guitar pickin **** pickin
Bumblebees ladybugs
Turkeys  geese
Cottoncandy watermelon
Carmels candy canes
Hot tea ice tea
Hot chocolate pop
Firecrackers full moon
Harvest moon big dipper
Dance in the season of
Your choice
For we are called to
Celebrate in the
Season called
Life

Am i wrong to like
The crashing sounds
Of helmets met
Knowing inside the
Squishing of brain cells
Collide perhaps
Forever
The pileup of body
Atop of body
One on.bottom
With well over
A hundred pounds
Coming from above
Cracked ribs concussions
Knees in pain
Are you ready
For some football

Swift movement upon
The grayish lake
Breezes blow
As you scurry along
Where are you
Going so fast
Where do you go
Perhaps like me
Scurrying along
In question

Silence is around
Lives once lived are underground
Feelings are alive

My eyes are closing
Yet my mind
Is wide awake
How I long
For sleep
But words are
Tossing around
And ready to
Recycle
If i piece my words
Together
Can i hang them
Out to expose
Or should I fold
Them neatly away

Thinking of happy times
When cold days
Filled with laughter
Warmed the room
Of children
Where an ah ha moment
Came out of the
Mouth of kiddos
Jumping  with excitement
In their desks
Rays of sunlight
Beaming down on
Learning children
Hugs in solitaire
Or hugs in groups
Meltdowns and mishaps
Celebrations for success
A rainbow filled
The room with love
And left a *** of
Golden Treasure

Oh for the sound
Of sounds
Loud sounds
Fans cheering
Helmets crashing
Whistles blowing
Oh for the smell
Of smells
Sweat off theohb
Back of a player
Popcorn  popping
Women doused
In perfume
Oh for the taste
Of taste
Hotdogs with
All the works
Icecream with sprinkles
Nachos with lots
Of cheese
Oh for the touch
Of touch
The hard touch
Of pigskin
Hands giving fives
The cold rail
As you exit
Ah the senses
You experience
At a football game

Clothes flapping In
The breeze
Wisps of grass
And flowers too
Dancing in the rhythm
Leaves a spinning
Wind's  a whistling
Papers flyin bout
Hairs a blowing
Flags are furling
What a busy sight
Hold on tight
But not too tight
The wind is
Coming through

Sitting watching the rain
Thinking about eentzy weentzy
Spider
He was washed out
The sun dried
And he started
Over again
In the storms
Of life
How often have
I waited for
The sun
Sometimes I go
Up that spout again
And sometimes I just
Stay grounded

A New day  has dawned
Sun filtering through
The sun bleached shades
Pen and paper
Are ready by my side
Geese echoing
Good morning
As words mince
Together in
My scattered mind
And like the geese
Ready.for
Take off

Death expectedly at the door
One exit we can't escape
But are we ready to let go
Let go of ourselves
Let go of you
The smell of you
Lingers on tear dropped
Clothing like fresh morning dew
No fragrance pure nature
Just like you
But universal stains of
Ink soil dried blood stains
Old can't get out
The wash stains
Essence of memories
Lovingly left behind
I cradle your blouse
And sniff at days
Lovingly gone by
Then prayerfully lovingly
Blow out the candle nearby

You took the
Key to my
Heart
And left me
With buried
Treasure
My paper
And pen

My Birthday is over
Midnight has struck
Tripping over my
Own two feet
A New year
Has begun

Awaken the thoughts
In me
They lay dormant
For some time
Crawl over wadded
Paper ***** that
Missed their mark
Break through cobwebs
Of yesteryear
Rattle the skeletal bones
Of feelings deep within
Let what has haunted you
Flow free
And magically
Transform before you

Mad Hatter
Madman
MADD
The world's
Gone mad
Mad scientist
    Why can't we be

"I'm so Happy
Happy Birthday
Happy as  a Lark

So easy to be Mad
Or Happy

But in the end...
You decide
What and how
To be

Are you a robot
Or so the question is posed
What if I said yes

A New day has
Awakened  me
Twinkling stars that
Bid me good night
Have taken cover
With the moon
Waiting for my
Night's return
Until that moment
Arises
I need to honor
The time that
Has been given
To me
May i be a
Beacon of light
To those in
The dark
A source of riches
Money can't buy
Perhaps a helping
Hand
An ear to hear
Your pain
Whatever I do
Today
May I cover it
With love

Stuck with life sentence
My last meal is a poem
Filled with all your words

Reds and yellows
Oranges and purples
A chorus line of
Colors
Lined along the
Street
Dancing swaying
In the wind
And for an
Encore
Dropping leaves
Scatter all
Around

Sky is silver white
The temperature is dropping
Looks like snow to me

Feeling the dark
Side of midnight
Trying not to
Let tears drop
Upon  my dampened
Shirt
Struggling to.
Find a pen
To write away
The pain

I've been broken
I've been whole
I've been.robbed
I've been full
Sleepy
Awake
Happy
Sad
Grateful
Thankless
Bad and
Good
Hot
Cold
Full of song
Full of woe
Invited in
Or not
At all
But all I
Know
And all I
Can say
That I've been blest
With
Another day

Words spinning round
My head
Like clothes in a dryer
Round and round
They spin
Until complete
Sharpened pencil
Thick eraser
Lots of paper
Trash can nearby
Thought down
Thought erased
Thought down
Possibly to save
Thought thoughts thoughts
Erase erase erase
Becomes my mantra
Suddenly a sentence
Makes sense
Surprisingly the next
One does
Hold that thought
As another joins in
Read read read
Check check check
Pen pen pen
Is it ready for
Completion
Perhaps now
Because here
It is

Just for a minute
Open up my soul to you
And let me soar high

How fragile we all are
Containing fragments of our being
Collected pieces of Hate love
Joy sorrow strength
Glued together in time
Healed by love

Gold is your heart
Filled with what
Money can't buy
Silver for change
You make in others
Copper for new.beginnings
Youre worth.a million
To anyone.you met
You have created
An account with
All those around
Opened morning noon
And night

Afraid to go sleep
Covid dreams will just appear
Put my night mask on

Day not starting
Off to well
Hit my toe
On the bed
Put the wrong
Tea bag in
Who starts off
Morning with red
Herbal tea
When I can have
Black tea with milk
Fixes from yesterday
Need fixing today
And don't have
Right material
Afraid to walk
Fear I might fall
Over crack in walk
Forget the toe
I can ice up
My red tea can
Be my second cup
If I don't finish today
I have tomorrow
And if I don't
Have tomorrow
At least I
Had today
So I better get
My jacket
And head out
The door

My friend promised
Me a dog
Waiting inside for scratches
That never came
No soft yelps
Or pittering of paws
My friend never came
neither did the dog 🐕

It's  that bewitching
Hour
When the world
Is sleeping
And i awake
The bats in
My belfry
Set lose
No telling where
They will.travel
This time
Only to come
Back and haunt
Me
The same time
Tomorrow

It's  that kinda
Bleak dreary
Winter day
No leaves stirring
No one in sight
Only words to
Accompany the
Long eerie day
Sun not in sight
Of the concrete grey sky
Only a feeling
Of morose
Perhaps tomorrow will
Dawn with sunlight
And hope
For today a
Sad tune
To sing
With a melancholy
Melody

The wind slaps
Across my face
Knocking me back
To my senses
Reminding me of
The joy
To be alive
To see falling leaves
And geese forming
A vee overhead
The smell of leaves
Crunching at
My feet
Touches of a small
Chill tingling my back
A warm hoody
To snuggle in
Warm apple cider
With a cinnamon stick
Oh yes the carnival
Of Autumn
Full of laughter
And surprise
Oh to be greedy
And collect every
Moment
To keep and cherish

we are a Covid people
Masked up
Keep our distance
People
Fearing what's next
Expecting the worst
People
Helping out giving out
People
Prayerful meditative
Non praying
People
Church going stay at homers
Watch preaching on tv
People
We are a people
Who want to remove
Our  masks
And be able
To breathe
Again

Helmets are crashing
The fans are cheering loudly
Who will win the game

so much happens
When designing
Apoem
How much love laughter
Pain sorrow
Has been experienced
What one has seen
And experienced
And gathered in
The process
Stories told
Others made up
Poetry is Life
All around
Forming in and
Out of the womb
Man and animal
Sea and sky
Poetry is a thank you
For gathering up Life
And putting into words

I thank you
God for a
Prayer i hadn't
Sent
But you answered
In ways only
You could
And you loved
Me so full
Of flaws
To put me
On the mend
And I thank
You
With all my
Heart

Early in the morning
My spirits come to haunt me
But I am armed with
Paper and pen

I can tell by your breath
Where you've been
Your coffee breath
From morning
With cheerios to follow
Fritos for snack
Spearmint leaves for fun
Save your breath for words
Words to charm me
Loving words
Words i don't understand
But can look up
Whisper past me
Let me guess

So sad the call
Of the bird
As evening
Draws nigh
So sad the call
Of the child
As evening
Draws nigh
Sad oh so sad
When light of day
Turns into
Black Of night
But sadness no more
For light has once
Returned

The mist upon the
Concrete colored  lake
Hard to see through
The thickness
Like the words
In my soul
Thickly hidden
The mist lifts from
Above the lake
As my poem
Rises from my soul