Not a friend in sight
Will grab my paper and pen
Hello poetry

Most times we write
What we know about
That's a safe way
It takes courage
To pen about
What we don't know
About
But only surmise
Words come from deep within
Taunting us
Playing with our emotions
Forcing us to release
What's inside
Lest we explode

Farewell to thee
My life
My poetry is
All I have
Bury me with
My thoughts
And
And sing to me
My poetry
Scatter my words
All around
Amidst the ashes

I fear the quiet
There may be a storm ahead
I guess I'll  prepare

I just feel so much
And I can't contain it all
Let it all just go

Sadness is all.around
From early morning news
To nightly news
Yet in some
Deep hidden corner
Happiness is shared
Where no one .broadcasts

Feel the magic
Of white birds
Flying overhead
Looking like the
Dove of peace
And.leaving their calm
Transfixed by their
Soft movement
Gentle as a breeze
What a wondrous sight
To see
So much to
Take in
Grasp this fragile
Moment
Before it takes
Flight

Don't look at me
With those puppy dog eyes
Making me feel shame
Hurting you the way
I stupidly did
Reflected in your eyes
You hissed right back
Spitting words of hurt
Now making shame

Words can you
Come out and play
Wrestle with my mind
Clear my head
So I can toss a
Poem around
Or two
Don't hold back
Let me cross the
Finish line
Where my spirit will
Be set free

No children today
No laughter learning
reading fun
At least not for me
Today is my
First day without
My babies
I miss them already
I just retired
Now I'll  have to learn
Something new
My students my friends
Work hard learn about
All life has to offer

And all you have to
Offer Life
You've been such a
Part of my journey
Stay loving safe and happy

Ready to watch
You get ready
To fish
Is the glory
In the catch
Of the fish
Or the getting ready

sometimes my mind is
racing with words
I have to hurry to
find paper and pen
I can't tarry
Once the moment
Is gone it's  gone
locked in the hidden
treasures of time

Never liked football
I thought it was too violent
Now I watch it
As much as I can
I wonder if that means
I am violent
What about the sound
From crashing helmets
Knowing someone could
Get hurt
Or the big pile up
And the poor one
At the bottom
Am I violent
Or do sports
Count

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

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

Watching football on TV
I think of Sundays
Going to the stadium
With my brother
Giving me something
To look forward to
The crowd and noise
Crashing helmets
Hands held high
For a touchdown
High fives in the crowd
What a way to end
The weekend and
Another long week
To begin
Unless my brother
Surprised me
With a ticket
For next week's game

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

Freshly made footprints
On snow covered ground
The heavier the boot
The deeper the print
Some prints with
Slanted lines
And chiseled holes
Others with
Tic tac toe
Some footmarks
Plopped  deep into
The snow
Tracks from birds
Paw prints
Small prints
Of tiny animals
Scurrying by
An Angel print
Not far away
Reminding me
I'm not far
From home

If you really care
Than collect all my tears
And just walk away

I forget many things
Too many to count
As long as I
Don't forget you

Forgetting everything
Some things that
Should be forgotten
Other things that
Should not be forgotten
I won't remember today
I won't remember tomorrow
But just let me
Remember now

My head was drooping
Could it get any lower
Out of the corner
Of my eye
A child's colorful
Chalking appeared
My head lifted up
How could i miss
Such beauty

Let me just help you
Complete all the work you do
So you can just rest

For those who.have
Been torn apart
From brutal words
Broken into pieces
By crimes of hate
Laughed at
Because of economic
Or religious state
Left alone for
No reason
Stayed away for
Fear
Of being laughed at
Or even rejected
May you find sun
In your days
To warm you
And take away
The pain
Hope a loving soul
Will find you
And give you a
Gentle kiss and
Strong embrace
But better yet
Let you know
That you are
Specially designed

Four seasons to watch
Experience the rhythm
That each one will bring

Stay outside my bubble
Draw near and
I shall. Burst
Never to be22
Seen againq223322222521i2

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

My heart needs repairing
Shattered by wounds
Of self neglect
And bruised by others
Years of torment
Ripping it apart
No doctor can
Mend the damage
That has been done
So let the healing
Begin

The lake is frozen
Some of the geese are standing
Testing their webbed feet

Caught in a snowstorm
A blizzard of words
Going through
My mind
Find the nearest
Icicle
Grab in my freezing
Hands
And begin to write
On a clean
Slate of snow

Funny how you can
Tell the moon
Is full
Even with the
Blinds closed
Radiance of light
Can't help but
Shimmy their way
Through the slits
But you feel it
First
Like someone is
Looking over you
And you look.up
And a beautiful
Snow colored oval
Stares back at you
Perhaps with a
Knowing smile

Words spinning round
The galaxy in
My head
The Big Dipper
Ready to scoop up
Errors in the
Making
Planets join in company
The moon lighting
Its way
And stars
Are dancing
How much does
The Milky Weigh
Is there a
Black Hole
To hide these
All in
Star light
Star bright

Honking in the sky
Geese are flying overhead
Time for morning tea

The geese are honking
They are having so much fun
Party is over

Geese are all around
Some in the sky some on ground
Such fun to observe

It was an
Awesome sight
Watching all the
Geese
In December song
Honking with glee
Flapping their wings
Chasing each other
Oh the fun
They had
The noise
They made
Suddenly they took
Off
Their gleeful honking
Echoing the air

My ink is
Running out
But the words
Keep flowing
Paper too
Wrinkled
For words
A New pen  
Is near
A napkin
Nearby
Should get
Busy
Before
My poem
Disappears

I know that feeling
My thoughts are swirling like leaves
Oh where is my pen

The world is full
Of love
We can scoop
It up
Gather the goodness
It creates
Turn rusty moments
Into diamonds
Tears into.
Joy
Or we can dig
A hole and
Bury our Gift
Never to return

Poetry is a gift
Unwrap carefully
The contents are exposed
Bringing tears to the eyes
Or perhaps a smile
What one accepts
Another refuses
The giver is vulnerable
Giving openly of themselves

Oh for the giggles
Of little boys and girls
Making nonsensical jokes
As they try
To up the other
Oh for the giggles
Of teen boys and girls
Gossiping about
What's new
Oh for the giggles
Of husband and wife
Sharing a moment
Or two
Oh for the giggles
Of men and women
Laughing at
Their own mistakes
Oh for the giggles
That turns sadness
Into joy

Loners together in
High school
Dodging insults
In the halls
Sharing laughter
And bitter pain
Dancing to no
Music
Singing without song
Acting in plays
Reality too hard
We shared volunteer
Duties
And happy times
We read books
Required
And other classics
Even shared a
Joke or two
Kept in touch
Over the years
And still do

Don't give me your
Artistic mood
Your starry night
Your sunflowers
Don't give me your
Artistic song
Your lady sings the blues
Your song sung blue
Don't  give me your
Death Valley Days
Your Lone Ranger
Rather give me
Your heart
Of gold
And golden smile
Your laughter
And tears
Your kingdom
For a horse

Yesterdays have come
And gone
Yesterday I read some
Of your stories
And poems
You wrote even
If you didn't
Feel well
Oh to have
Talked to you
What you wrote
What you felt
I could only
Reply with
Tear filled eyes
As you looked
Down from Heaven
Was that God I heard
Or was it thunder

Yesterday I inherited
All the gold in
The world
I was given your
Poetry and stories
From.years gone by
How those ragged
Edges.of journals
Crinkled through
My now calloused
Fingertips
Tears started to blot
Some of the carefully
Chosen words
From experiencing
Pain and love
Laughter and tears
The should of 's and
Could of 's
Reminders of the past
As siblings
The success and failures
Of your diabetic journey
Your funny stories
Those that happened
Those that did not
Stories to make you
Laugh or cry
The reminders of
What was
Rekindled in my very
Being
Reading one of
Your stories
Reminded me
How blest and honored
I was to have had
A  brother
Like you

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

You whittled away
My hopes my dreams and my joy
Leaving the remains

The school bell had its
Last sound
No more announcements
Last bus walk
Blowing bubbles waving
Goodbyes
Another year ended
A new one has begun
But just not for me

Cold darkness outside
Stillness all around
Lights glimmering from
Windows
Signaling the end
Of day
Smoke coming from
Chimneys
Houses warming
As grey puffs
Dance in the sky
Roasty smells filter
The air
Soon it will.be
Time to bid the world
Goodnight
As the moon tries
To peek thru
The darkness
Evening prayer
Has begun
As another day
Ends

For a peaceful night
No nightmares hanging around
Just poetic thoughts