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"driveways" poems
awakened by the offsprings cry, baby powdered morning dew showers the room, coffee stained smiles shine about cheerio blanketed kitchens, so worrisome for office tardiness, the carseat won't lock into place, tire marks on fresh paved driveways, to daycare tears dry not she's on time, fatigued she plants her seed to the office seat to grow even less awaiting to see the smile of her child and say her prayers before falling asleep                      - awaked by the offsprings cry, gun powered morning dew showeres the village, rotted teeth smile amongst the body-blanketed township, so worrisome of finding a slain mother sister brother just like father, the gun won't lock into place, they never will, tattered couches paved with the ***** of slaughtered buildings, mother's dead tears dry not, fatigued, hands of grungy drainpipes plant beside, holding stagnant a somber sibling, tremors ripple crimson tides, planted to grow even less awaiting to see the smile of his mother his father his sister and say his prayers with brother before laying down
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Aug 26, 2015
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:29 PM UTC
Seattle to Syria°
the hate comes from every angle but mostly from the heart in spite of glaring desperation that leaves the lawn uncut; as if littered driveways and starving dogs justify another term of stolen wealth
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Dec 20, 2015
Dec 20, 2015 at 5:24 PM UTC
Electorates
What thoughts I have of you tonight, Walt Whit- man, for I walked down the sidestreets under the trees with a headache self-conscious looking at the full moon. In my hungry fatigue, and shopping for images, I went into the neon fruit supermarket, dreaming of your enumerations! What peaches and what penumbras! Whole fam- ilies shopping at night! Aisles full of husbands! Wives in the avocados, babies in the tomatoes!--and you, Garcнa Lorca, what were you doing down by the watermelons? I saw you, Walt Whitman, childless, lonely old grubber, poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocery boys. I heard you asking questions of each: Who killed the pork chops? What price bananas? Are you my Angel? I wandered in and out of the brilliant stacks of cans following you, and followed in my imagination by the store detective. We strode down the open corridors together in our solitary fancy tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier. Where are we going, Walt Whitman? The doors close in an hour. Which way does your beard point tonight? (I touch your book and dream of our odyssey in the supermarket and feel absurd.) Will we walk all night through solitary streets? The trees add shade to shade, lights out in the houses, we'll both be lonely. Will we stroll dreaming ofthe lost America of love past blue automobiles in driveways, home to our silent cottage? Ah, dear father, graybeard, lonely old courage- teacher, what America did you have when Charon quit poling his ferry and you got out on a smoking bank and stood watching the boat disappear on the black waters of Lethe? Berkeley 1955
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8.4k
A Supermarket In California
What thoughts I have of you tonight, Walt Whit- man, for I walked down the sidestreets under the trees with a headache self-conscious looking at the full moon. In my hungry fatigue, and shopping for images, I went into the neon fruit supermarket, dreaming of your enumerations! What peaches and what penumbras! Whole fam- ilies shopping at night! Aisles full of husbands! Wives in the avocados, babies in the tomatoes!--and you, Garcнa Lorca, what were you doing down by the watermelons? I saw you, Walt Whitman, childless, lonely old grubber, poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocery boys. I heard you asking questions of each: Who killed the pork chops? What price bananas? Are you my Angel? I wandered in and out of the brilliant stacks of cans following you, and followed in my imagination by the store detective. We strode down the open corridors together in our solitary fancy tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier. Where are we going, Walt Whitman? The doors close in an hour. Which way does your beard point tonight? (I touch your book and dream of our odyssey in the supermarket and feel absurd.) Will we walk all night through solitary streets? The trees add shade to shade, lights out in the houses, we'll both be lonely. Will we stroll dreaming ofthe lost America of love past blue automobiles in driveways, home to our silent cottage? Ah, dear father, graybeard, lonely old courage- teacher, what America did you have when Charon quit poling his ferry and you got out on a smoking bank and stood watching the boat disappear on the black waters of Lethe? Berkeley 1955
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40
Here, now, summer is synonymous with loneliness, Scorching heat with empty houses and empty driveways. In a few hours, your room with a future lost Out of my own free will, And the beach we used to frequent will be synonymous with the ghosts of hope and a lover scorned. I called my uncle today and I almost cried. His voice is synonymous with love unconditional and pure, As he half-jokingly admits that he loves me more than my siblings Because When I was young and sat on his shoulders and drooled on his hair, I was synonymous with daughter years before he had his own. As I text my friends, snort at their jokes and cringe at their mistakes, I wonder What am I synonymous with?
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Jul 19, 2018
Jul 19, 2018 at 1:42 PM UTC
Synonyms
My Sunglasses I’ve got all of Tucson trapped behind my sunglasses I’ve framed mountain ranges in the frames of my Raybands I’ve got reflections of saguaro’s stranding still in front of my eyes I have sunny days taking refuge underneath my shades I’ve domesticated the giant star that rides blues skies into walking the edge of my brow I use black plastic as onyx shields So Tucson, I see you. There’s an art revolution beating at your horizon I’ve seen it skirting around these wastelands They tell us we’re wasting our time Telling the roadrunner to run back home When its nest was here since the beginning of time Tucson. I’ve seen folklorico and mariachi pay tribute to your origins on the hottest of days I’ve seen in the shadows in underground art forms Graffetti. There’s a protest in there somewhere. I’ve even witnessed it in pen to paper In lips to mics. In cafés in your desert nights for your desert nighttime audiences. Tucson, your culture and artistic value shines too bright for others to see. Your artistic worth shines too bright for others to broadcast They tend to only record your overdoses and murders Seems like our televised story tellers prefer to paint us in immoral reds The only time they pay the south side attention is when the south side is aching It doesn’t help that schools force you to choose business Give you chance to study law all the while cut out your art programs Fine art is required by universities but they don’t always expect you to get that far. Tucson’s fine art is too fine and infinite to be recognized by those undeserving Society wants to capture our southern brethren as outlaws not poets We’re called the misfit of the desert. As if every spray can, paint stroke, choreographed twist, Slam poem wasn’t something to take pride in. I’m sorry they only pay your schools attention when ambulances are parked in your driveways And administrators get caught in doing ***** deeds. I see your talent wasted. Your talent shown. To remind myself of your artistic significance, I’ve framed you On walks home I photograph your murals. Listen to the poets in the hallways. Observe the dancers compose and the musicians choreograph I’ve caught your reflection in my corneas’. I’ve dilated my pupils thoughts behind my sunglasses. Framed your mountain ranges in my frames. Took cover in your shades. Trained the artistic freedom and right to walk on my brow Tucson I see you.
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Nov 27, 2012
Nov 27, 2012 at 3:58 PM UTC
My Sunglasses
My Sunglasses I’ve got all of Tucson trapped behind my sunglasses I’ve framed mountain ranges in the frames of my Raybands I’ve got reflections of saguaro’s stranding still in front of my eyes I have sunny days taking refuge underneath my shades I’ve domesticated the giant star that rides blues skies into walking the edge of my brow I use black plastic as onyx shields So Tucson, I see you. There’s an art revolution beating at your horizon I’ve seen it skirting around these wastelands They tell us we’re wasting our time Telling the roadrunner to run back home When its nest was here since the beginning of time Tucson. I’ve seen folklorico and mariachi pay tribute to your origins on the hottest of days I’ve seen in the shadows in underground art forms Graffetti. There’s a protest in there somewhere. I’ve even witnessed it in pen to paper In lips to mics. In cafés in your desert nights for your desert nighttime audiences. Tucson, your culture and artistic value shines too bright for others to see. Your artistic worth shines too bright for others to broadcast They tend to only record your overdoses and murders Seems like our televised story tellers prefer to paint us in immoral reds The only time they pay the south side attention is when the south side is aching It doesn’t help that schools force you to choose business Give you chance to study law all the while cut out your art programs Fine art is required by universities but they don’t always expect you to get that far. Tucson’s fine art is too fine and infinite to be recognized by those undeserving Society wants to capture our southern brethren as outlaws not poets We’re called the misfit of the desert. As if every spray can, paint stroke, choreographed twist, Slam poem wasn’t something to take pride in. I’m sorry they only pay your schools attention when ambulances are parked in your driveways And administrators get caught in doing ***** deeds. I see your talent wasted. Your talent shown. To remind myself of your artistic significance, I’ve framed you On walks home I photograph your murals. Listen to the poets in the hallways. Observe the dancers compose and the musicians choreograph I’ve caught your reflection in my corneas’. I’ve dilated my pupils thoughts behind my sunglasses. Framed your mountain ranges in my frames. Took cover in your shades. Trained the artistic freedom and right to walk on my brow Tucson I see you.
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45
strawberry frenchfries dipped in chocolate fondue. cry me an 8 oz cup of water when i step on you with my giant blue shoe. dance through the forest with gnomes stapled to your shoulders. hide your foil gum wrappers in manila folders. left and right. front to back, oxygen in the atmosphere may lack. pluto and jupiter intertwine when night falls. orange and green leather sewn to your ragdoll. licking the excess frito crumbs from under your fingernails, eyes pealed to the scenery of wacky inmates in jail. selfish yellow and blue fish yelling at dr. seuss, reading books in sunrooms drinking orange juice. camera flashes and ripped dollar bills, making chocolate pancakes on top of cherry hills. hazy eyes drowning into a dream, winter nights as cold as ben&jerrys; ice cream. red hand chasing numbers on a clock, movement of legs turns muscles into rock. acid drops from black heart clouds falling onto driveways. little kids on scooters munching on happy meals while saddened by the loss of sunrays. 23 degrees celsius and shine forcing itself through. ice cream trucks and roadraged humans trying to get through. bumble bee roads with lines and street signs, teens boredum, smoking dope, drinking ***** getting fines. police on the prowl everyday, every night, seeing through lies, keeping their sight wide-open like a mouth in surprise. fettuchini alfredo at fancy restaurants. ice cold water knocked over on a ladys lap. words missing letters, conversations missing sound. apples and basketballs losing shape and sense of round. flat chested skinny ******* slipping through cracks in wooden floors, obese transexuals getting stuck in between doors. puzzle pieces glued to the top of a bald head, veins appear blue but blood is red. blowing kisses, blowing out candles cats,dogs,birds wearing sandals.
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Feb 19, 2011
Feb 19, 2011 at 5:27 PM UTC
a wonderful mind
strawberry frenchfries dipped in chocolate fondue. cry me an 8 oz cup of water when i step on you with my giant blue shoe. dance through the forest with gnomes stapled to your shoulders. hide your foil gum wrappers in manila folders. left and right. front to back, oxygen in the atmosphere may lack. pluto and jupiter intertwine when night falls. orange and green leather sewn to your ragdoll. licking the excess frito crumbs from under your fingernails, eyes pealed to the scenery of wacky inmates in jail. selfish yellow and blue fish yelling at dr. seuss, reading books in sunrooms drinking orange juice. camera flashes and ripped dollar bills, making chocolate pancakes on top of cherry hills. hazy eyes drowning into a dream, winter nights as cold as ben&jerrys; ice cream. red hand chasing numbers on a clock, movement of legs turns muscles into rock. acid drops from black heart clouds falling onto driveways. little kids on scooters munching on happy meals while saddened by the loss of sunrays. 23 degrees celsius and shine forcing itself through. ice cream trucks and roadraged humans trying to get through. bumble bee roads with lines and street signs, teens boredum, smoking dope, drinking ***** getting fines. police on the prowl everyday, every night, seeing through lies, keeping their sight wide-open like a mouth in surprise. fettuchini alfredo at fancy restaurants. ice cold water knocked over on a ladys lap. words missing letters, conversations missing sound. apples and basketballs losing shape and sense of round. flat chested skinny ******* slipping through cracks in wooden floors, obese transexuals getting stuck in between doors. puzzle pieces glued to the top of a bald head, veins appear blue but blood is red. blowing kisses, blowing out candles cats,dogs,birds wearing sandals.
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36
Dark driveways in muggy weather Look like sand stuck in a feather Ferns and curbs don't go together. Clean, thoughts on it Wrong again Seemed, nope not this song again A misty clip Of winter **** Seemed so soft and fond again. Face the throat and choke the face Wait for boats, critique the wave Answer into sushi dish, 'Was this really once a fish?' You, oh you! Oh you, oh you. True, we knew! Who knew? Not you. Don't begin to read the news Now it's burning rows of twos Ferns and curbs don't go together Runny nose in sunny weather Feel like lakes lassoed and tethered Ferns and curbs don't go together.
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Jan 15, 2013
Jan 15, 2013 at 7:56 PM UTC
Ferns and curbs don't go together
I came upon a parade of Zinnias today..lined along the pave-way, wild and wily. An infinite variety of colorful heads popping up and out, like eyes of wary prairie dogs, on the lookout for action. Thought of you...the flower heads you gave me, filled with seeds aplenty to plant in the spring. Knew just where they would go. Imagined my hands in the welcoming earth, sowing them at just the right depth. They would grow, reaching with their long thin frames. Vigorously tall and full of summers brightness. Symmetrical flowers filled with attitude towards the sun. Flourishing in cracks along   sidewalks and driveways. Finding comfort and feeling free in the most limited of spaces. Yet...I did not plant them. Aware that I am not able, just now, to make such a commitment. To water and **** Ensuring that they would reach their full potential. A simple promise of one season. To nourish a delicate, perfect Zinnia. ~Christi Michaels~July 2015~ Copyright © 2015 Christi Michaels. All Rights Reserved.
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Aug 2, 2015
Aug 2, 2015 at 2:43 AM UTC
Zinnias
Shadowed street beneath the stars, Sidewalks and driveways, yards and road, All in shadow, lost from light, The stars are faded, the windows are bright. Ahead the light of a single pole, A streetlight shining, a circle of light A beacon both eerie yet calling to me, Lighting the houses, lighting the road. I walk towards in through the dark, Toward the beacon, toward the light, Is it a haven or is it a trap? Yellow and limited, shadows and light.
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Sep 23, 2011
Sep 23, 2011 at 5:40 AM UTC
Streetlight
they had big yards and driveways but there were no lemonade stands or ice cream trucks the tractors drove through the middle of town the people didn't use sidewalks or drugs they drank dollar domestics and never passed algebra and there wasn't a gallon of whiskey to be had there weren't any transvestites either the people had seven children and not one job they walked on two jiffy store feet and had only half as many teeth.
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Jun 26, 2013
Jun 26, 2013 at 9:25 PM UTC
where i came from
i want to hold your l a g u h (inside) my stomach so that the warmth would stop me from clenching my jaw because i know that if ~ light ~ were a person, i'd have already met him. you smile like you've swallowed the sun.
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Apr 16, 2014
Apr 16, 2014 at 10:29 PM UTC
driveways, familiarity, wanting, wanting
Little orange dimples wallpaper my skin Trying to palm my aggression by dribbling in agony I’m free Legs criss crossing Arms are tossing in the air like I’m praising a buzzer Building hopes and dreams on driveways and wooden glossed tiles Behind me is a river of determination that I myself poured This is where I am an artist
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Oct 29, 2012
Oct 29, 2012 at 7:55 PM UTC
Sam
ol king crab kingo the highwaymen cumma walking down that hallways street oll king crab king o the highwaymen he got swagger boom swagger he got boom bap pow pow pow - i seen im runnat comb through his hair i seen it move back i seen it glitter-glisten under em bright lights onna ceeling - i seen im touchin mercury aphrodite i seen im touchin onna ladies hera n persephone he been touchin onna ladies backadatruck backadatruck back seat pull em uppa cliffside pull em uppa cliff bring em inna that backseat 5 minutes in heaven baby you know it - ol king crab dont go to school he appears he come-and-go touch-and-go in-out he just visiting dont need no work dont need to work get nuffa that at home - ol king crab drop out not too much trouble he never drop in get a job drivin a truck aint no better way to live then watching those glitter-glisten lights on that highway run that comb through your hair do it one more time, do it for us king crab yeah, just like that - down that road he go b back l8r b back b back down down down hot stuffy old car dice onna mirror just like a movie luck pair of dice such a lucky paradise inna truck down that road fulla nuthin fulla nuthin fulla NOTHING. - Ol' King Crab he ***** he chew he ***** that how to live that how to live? yeah, son. in back o tha gas station he ***** back inna gas station he chew tobacco gum tobacco he take em ladies by the hand them ladies aint outta worry king crab outta worry watch whose hand you take. - Listen. Don't let him take you by the hand. Don't let him TAKE YOU. DON'T LET HIM TAKE YOU BY THE HAND - ol king crab gettin ****** inna back of the gas station pullin outta driveways and outta women watch whose hand you take on that open road you lose yo head
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Nov 8, 2011
Nov 8, 2011 at 9:15 PM UTC
ol king crab kingo the highwaymen
ol king crab kingo the highwaymen cumma walking down that hallways street oll king crab king o the highwaymen he got swagger boom swagger he got boom bap pow pow pow - i seen im runnat comb through his hair i seen it move back i seen it glitter-glisten under em bright lights onna ceeling - i seen im touchin mercury aphrodite i seen im touchin onna ladies hera n persephone he been touchin onna ladies backadatruck backadatruck back seat pull em uppa cliffside pull em uppa cliff bring em inna that backseat 5 minutes in heaven baby you know it - ol king crab dont go to school he appears he come-and-go touch-and-go in-out he just visiting dont need no work dont need to work get nuffa that at home - ol king crab drop out not too much trouble he never drop in get a job drivin a truck aint no better way to live then watching those glitter-glisten lights on that highway run that comb through your hair do it one more time, do it for us king crab yeah, just like that - down that road he go b back l8r b back b back down down down hot stuffy old car dice onna mirror just like a movie luck pair of dice such a lucky paradise inna truck down that road fulla nuthin fulla nuthin fulla NOTHING. - Ol' King Crab he ***** he chew he ***** that how to live that how to live? yeah, son. in back o tha gas station he ***** back inna gas station he chew tobacco gum tobacco he take em ladies by the hand them ladies aint outta worry king crab outta worry watch whose hand you take. - Listen. Don't let him take you by the hand. Don't let him TAKE YOU. DON'T LET HIM TAKE YOU BY THE HAND - ol king crab gettin ****** inna back of the gas station pullin outta driveways and outta women watch whose hand you take on that open road you lose yo head
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91
My heart's ablaze I'm so amazed cluttered in clichés in a daze I'm dismayed too many long driveways Life's fortes as we graze upon the gaze in a haze of haze trapped inside this maze our voices phase into the next of days Oh did we raise with utter rephrase glancing sideways into stairways how I hate your ways as much as I hate causeways too much decay along the edgeways inside the hallways roadways screenplays my heart strays on into Sundays and Tuesdays I hate the weekdays they're gateways into other days. © 2012 Christina Jackson
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Dec 19, 2012
Dec 19, 2012 at 1:08 AM UTC
Words that rhyme with 'days'
Are there strategies to displace binge eating with binge doing? Wouldn't it be swell to get $ for binge coding? something like: poem.each do |word| money = word.compose(your.wordstream) end More efficient monetizing of your thoughts. More efficient cars and buses. Correlarry: more paved roads, driveways and concrete surfaces, therefore, more runoff pollution. It's not the end game yet, but a vast, complicated middle game with closed centers and deep positional Play. Will our grandmasters make a mistake real-time playing?
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Jan 10, 2014
Jan 10, 2014 at 1:18 PM UTC
Bingeing for Money
When you decide to wash the car, make sure of your stability Don't lose your footing, or any form of your own credibility Some driveways are a dangerous place, they can be a liability Knees get grazed through carelessness, but that's your responsibility You've slipped down the embankment, you wasn't banking on a stumble Coming into contact with the concrete, giving you good cause to grumble Is it possible that your garden, has got loose parts that crumble Or was it due to clumsiness, that made you fall and tumble Water splashing on the car, but it wasn't that translucent You ended up with ****** knees, from your unruly movement Bucket dropping did not help, with your clean car improvement I can't say that your actions, didn't cause us some amusement We had a laugh at your expense, because your knees got scuffed Spilling water on the path, is when your legs we're stuffed You didn't look too happy, so I guess you wasn't chuffed Because you fell, it'll be some time before the car gets buffed One thing I will mention, we would not have seen you fall If you didn't have that camera, that you wanted to install But it has served it's purpose, cos we have seen it all You was not completely focused, and you wasn't on the ball Security has now been viewed, splashed water not in stealth Is it worth the hassle, when you clean the car yourself You don't want to trip and fall, and damage your leg health Take it to the car wash, cos it doesn't cost much wealth Your unfortunate leg scrapping, we hope it was not deep But we nearly ****** ourselves, when you fell in a heap We laughed at your misfortune, it almost made us weep Cleaning cars come at a price, when it's done on the cheep   Some Ideas are valid, and most of them go far Set backs are not wanted, make sure that your on par Be aware of your surroundings, if your washing the car Trips around the garden could result, in a blooded scar
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Dec 11, 2018
Dec 11, 2018 at 8:41 AM UTC
Washing Cars, Blooded Scars
When you decide to wash the car, make sure of your stability Don't lose your footing, or any form of your own credibility Some driveways are a dangerous place, they can be a liability Knees get grazed through carelessness, but that's your responsibility You've slipped down the embankment, you wasn't banking on a stumble Coming into contact with the concrete, giving you good cause to grumble Is it possible that your garden, has got loose parts that crumble Or was it due to clumsiness, that made you fall and tumble Water splashing on the car, but it wasn't that translucent You ended up with ****** knees, from your unruly movement Bucket dropping did not help, with your clean car improvement I can't say that your actions, didn't cause us some amusement We had a laugh at your expense, because your knees got scuffed Spilling water on the path, is when your legs we're stuffed You didn't look too happy, so I guess you wasn't chuffed Because you fell, it'll be some time before the car gets buffed One thing I will mention, we would not have seen you fall If you didn't have that camera, that you wanted to install But it has served it's purpose, cos we have seen it all You was not completely focused, and you wasn't on the ball Security has now been viewed, splashed water not in stealth Is it worth the hassle, when you clean the car yourself You don't want to trip and fall, and damage your leg health Take it to the car wash, cos it doesn't cost much wealth Your unfortunate leg scrapping, we hope it was not deep But we nearly ****** ourselves, when you fell in a heap We laughed at your misfortune, it almost made us weep Cleaning cars come at a price, when it's done on the cheep   Some Ideas are valid, and most of them go far Set backs are not wanted, make sure that your on par Be aware of your surroundings, if your washing the car Trips around the garden could result, in a blooded scar
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32
Padre day always felt so gray Typically too clouded for anything uplifting to say on a personal plane Nor much of anything for me to really celebrate Many moving pieces, some removed before "too late" This month wouldve marked year 8 - Of revolutions and opportunities to be great.  I would've stayed and stumbled into ways to be brave. *Instead again I sit here and isolate Called upon a necromancer for a family to raise.  He handed me a mirror and said, "Start here today." I am grateful to be, and honor the planting of seeds from generations prior But the cold washes over me alone staring at the embers of a life that was a fire. I wouldn't say that this is all a test Life is stress when comparing with the rest Judge self only by your personal progress Try not to take it personally and trust the process When this sun sets, there wont be any regrets.  Instead whispers in the wind reminding you to keep steps to the beat in your chest Ive had my talks with suns, moons, and planets in their orbit...in many driveways, backyards, and various porches.  Kicking it with night sky, a dark cave, with stars as my torches.  These conversations elevate and ultimately nourish.  Still, I can only fantasize about how we'd all have flourished.  One daydream at a time finding the courage to surface
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Jun 18, 2023
Jun 18, 2023 at 5:21 PM UTC
Sun day
I remember how that Puxatony dirt felt between my fingers. Gritty and cold – the earth that covers  graves. Falling from my palm, landing at his paws, he curled around my leg, shivering. Against my ankle, he rested his long ears. Polaroids of a mothers chew-toy earrings; memories of March spent playing in ***** backyards, forests, and playgrounds. We shivered together, in the heat of Spring, with gritty rock-filled driveways underneath our paws. Lives, those playful daisies sprouting from gravel, that we ate day by day; pushing graves down out of mind, but spilling from our ears. The summer wrought steel cages to grip awe, with training meant, bent to destroy dirt kept caked on worn-out sandals. Grits scooped off a breakfast plate to a shivering dachshund. His collar jingled, shimmering as it clashed against his bowl. Cold gravy and dry cat food, with textured scents. Gritty, furry, and harsh. Ears dipped in water bowls finding the only bath of the month, clearing dirt from a death in the family. Soft, unknowing paws treaded with grace, and a parentless pause as we crumbled. Directionless grief shivered the big men with their shrunken hearts, ***** from a three-hour drenching sob at the grave. But love is not measured by the size of loss - it is made of highs and lows; rough and gritty. Seven pounds of compassion weighs with gridded precision on my chest. Those tiny paws, batting at my heart. Soft, two-times-too-large ears crying with us and pleading through shivers to enjoy everything. Now your graves are dug together - between you only a foot of dirt. Gritty reality seeps in from shivering fiction. Your paws on your own grave, I place my ear to the dirt, and whimper.
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Nov 27, 2011
Nov 27, 2011 at 11:24 AM UTC
Rough
I remember how that Puxatony dirt felt between my fingers. Gritty and cold – the earth that covers  graves. Falling from my palm, landing at his paws, he curled around my leg, shivering. Against my ankle, he rested his long ears. Polaroids of a mothers chew-toy earrings; memories of March spent playing in ***** backyards, forests, and playgrounds. We shivered together, in the heat of Spring, with gritty rock-filled driveways underneath our paws. Lives, those playful daisies sprouting from gravel, that we ate day by day; pushing graves down out of mind, but spilling from our ears. The summer wrought steel cages to grip awe, with training meant, bent to destroy dirt kept caked on worn-out sandals. Grits scooped off a breakfast plate to a shivering dachshund. His collar jingled, shimmering as it clashed against his bowl. Cold gravy and dry cat food, with textured scents. Gritty, furry, and harsh. Ears dipped in water bowls finding the only bath of the month, clearing dirt from a death in the family. Soft, unknowing paws treaded with grace, and a parentless pause as we crumbled. Directionless grief shivered the big men with their shrunken hearts, ***** from a three-hour drenching sob at the grave. But love is not measured by the size of loss - it is made of highs and lows; rough and gritty. Seven pounds of compassion weighs with gridded precision on my chest. Those tiny paws, batting at my heart. Soft, two-times-too-large ears crying with us and pleading through shivers to enjoy everything. Now your graves are dug together - between you only a foot of dirt. Gritty reality seeps in from shivering fiction. Your paws on your own grave, I place my ear to the dirt, and whimper.
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39
some say love is a burning thing. that it makes a fiery ring.” so kiss her. or don’t. and always regret. always bike home thinking. always think of love. she’s in a parking lot somewhere drinking cheap wine, balancing on the bumper. he’s on the river somewhere drinking cheap beer, balancing boulders. a dog sprints by and forgets all heartache. he is happy. the town and the people and the job and the dreams. the nothings and the everythings. and the little life this is. to slipstream years gone by. one fire in the sky, or another in the hills just west of town. something said about the smoke. we take a weekend to spool through the story of your folks. film cans or video cassettes, or home re-sets. rewind. words and faces scrawled in a tome of note. spoken little memories, little mysteries. stories to tell no one. stories to tell those who will listen. the boys with dirtbike brothers. the brothers with drunken fathers. the fathers with dead wives. the wives with ancient mothers. the mothers and their children. and the children living well enough. living calm, then free. far away, then close. an empire. of highways and histories. of songs and the souls they swing. of old money/new money, betrayal on the horizon. blacktop jamborees and assassinations. driveways and nicely neighborhood lit-upon lawns. well-trimmed trees. a never-ending tree of lovers, grasped and gasping for the sky. listen and wait. for the sun to kiss the moon goodbye. [a family and their dog.] this chrysalis. this coincidence that is us, on one good gust. from heart to hand to sons and daughters. synchronized to die and revive and imbibe along the ride. a tableau of animalia. feasting and sleeping and awoken by the wide little world all around. “we are fires in the night. let us bathe you in our light.
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Jun 21, 2014
Jun 21, 2014 at 5:46 PM UTC
the fires of western bend
some say love is a burning thing. that it makes a fiery ring.” so kiss her. or don’t. and always regret. always bike home thinking. always think of love. she’s in a parking lot somewhere drinking cheap wine, balancing on the bumper. he’s on the river somewhere drinking cheap beer, balancing boulders. a dog sprints by and forgets all heartache. he is happy. the town and the people and the job and the dreams. the nothings and the everythings. and the little life this is. to slipstream years gone by. one fire in the sky, or another in the hills just west of town. something said about the smoke. we take a weekend to spool through the story of your folks. film cans or video cassettes, or home re-sets. rewind. words and faces scrawled in a tome of note. spoken little memories, little mysteries. stories to tell no one. stories to tell those who will listen. the boys with dirtbike brothers. the brothers with drunken fathers. the fathers with dead wives. the wives with ancient mothers. the mothers and their children. and the children living well enough. living calm, then free. far away, then close. an empire. of highways and histories. of songs and the souls they swing. of old money/new money, betrayal on the horizon. blacktop jamborees and assassinations. driveways and nicely neighborhood lit-upon lawns. well-trimmed trees. a never-ending tree of lovers, grasped and gasping for the sky. listen and wait. for the sun to kiss the moon goodbye. [a family and their dog.] this chrysalis. this coincidence that is us, on one good gust. from heart to hand to sons and daughters. synchronized to die and revive and imbibe along the ride. a tableau of animalia. feasting and sleeping and awoken by the wide little world all around. “we are fires in the night. let us bathe you in our light.
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57
I eat books of poetry for dinner, and you are on the couch next to me. I know we are here, but what do we call this? I think the word is home, but it sometimes feels like a serrated knife. sometimes, it feels like we’re holding hands in our sleep. There is a book of words like home in my hands: it is full of empty driveways and watering cans, and dancing under the moon, I eat the words, but starve on the feast. I would have broken you like granite; placed you like a kitchen counter. You were never meant to be the cutting board. You are the knife. I do not play with these domestic things. Come sit at the table next to me, darling.
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Jan 28, 2016
Jan 28, 2016 at 8:38 PM UTC
A Pretty Kind of Empty
(Corpus Christi, Texas-circa 1947) It's a short block, a cul-de-sac, total of sixteen houses lining the street. No sidewalks, the grass ends where the curb begins. A  lone palm tree stands in the southwest corner of the front yard. There were no fences separating the properties Driveways, leading to the separated garages were the markers. That didn't stop us, however- The neighborhood was a continuous playground. Many families were military- in the U S Navy, Or civil service employees at the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station From those sixteen homes were twenty-three children- some families had multiple children- ranging from four to twelve..............I was six years old- For the parents, finding peace and quiet was only a dream I learned to ride a bike on that street- although learning how to stop it was another issue......... Had it not been for that lone palm tree. I became very adept at timing- knowing when to jump off that bike- moments before impact- Eventually, I learned what dad meant with "USE THE BRAKES!" A few bruises some scrapes(arm or knee) Nothing serious- I survived! As our parents aged, they often would reminisce about those days. Dad had two major philosophies about growing up: "Yards were made for kids to play in", and "If we can hear them, at least we know where they are!" Most of the time they were in our backyard playing on our swing and trapeze set that a family friend built for me and my brother. That yard was, basically, a "miniature park."   Our mother was, what is termed now, a "stay at home mom." She was the "overseer, watchdog, and resident medic." At least two or three times a day, she answered the phone, only to hear another mother's voice asking if their kid was over there, and if so, tell him, or her, to go home. While reminiscing, the one thing that our father, mother, and my brother agreed on is, "That was one hell of a sturdy bike!" I never will forget that palm tree. It saved my a_ _ more than once!! Society has changed, Donna, you're absolutely right!! copyright: richard riddle July 20, 2015                    revised: July 21, 2015
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Jul 20, 2015
Jul 20, 2015 at 2:06 PM UTC
For Donna(re: Society has Changed)-revised
(Corpus Christi, Texas-circa 1947) It's a short block, a cul-de-sac, total of sixteen houses lining the street. No sidewalks, the grass ends where the curb begins. A  lone palm tree stands in the southwest corner of the front yard. There were no fences separating the properties Driveways, leading to the separated garages were the markers. That didn't stop us, however- The neighborhood was a continuous playground. Many families were military- in the U S Navy, Or civil service employees at the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station From those sixteen homes were twenty-three children- some families had multiple children- ranging from four to twelve..............I was six years old- For the parents, finding peace and quiet was only a dream I learned to ride a bike on that street- although learning how to stop it was another issue......... Had it not been for that lone palm tree. I became very adept at timing- knowing when to jump off that bike- moments before impact- Eventually, I learned what dad meant with "USE THE BRAKES!" A few bruises some scrapes(arm or knee) Nothing serious- I survived! As our parents aged, they often would reminisce about those days. Dad had two major philosophies about growing up: "Yards were made for kids to play in", and "If we can hear them, at least we know where they are!" Most of the time they were in our backyard playing on our swing and trapeze set that a family friend built for me and my brother. That yard was, basically, a "miniature park."   Our mother was, what is termed now, a "stay at home mom." She was the "overseer, watchdog, and resident medic." At least two or three times a day, she answered the phone, only to hear another mother's voice asking if their kid was over there, and if so, tell him, or her, to go home. While reminiscing, the one thing that our father, mother, and my brother agreed on is, "That was one hell of a sturdy bike!" I never will forget that palm tree. It saved my a_ _ more than once!! Society has changed, Donna, you're absolutely right!! copyright: richard riddle July 20, 2015                    revised: July 21, 2015
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38
I came upon a parade of Zinnias today... lined along the pave-way, wild and wily. An infinite variety of colorful heads popping up and out, like eyes of wary prairie dogs, on the lookout for action. Thought of you... the flower heads you gave me, filled with seeds aplenty to plant in the spring. Knew just where they would go. Imagined my hands in the welcoming earth, sowing them at just the right depth. They would grow, reaching with their long thin frames. Vigorously tall and full of Summers' brightness. Symmetrical flowers filled with attitude towards the sun. Flourishing in cracks along   sidewalks and driveways. Finding comfort and feeling free in the most limited of spaces. Yet...I did not plant them. Aware that I am not able, just now,  to make such a commitment. To water and **** Ensuring that they would reach their full potential. A simple promise of one season. To nourish a delicate, perfect Zinnia. ~Christi Michaels~July 2015~ Copyright © 2015 Christi Michaels. All Rights Reserved.
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Jul 29, 2016
Jul 29, 2016 at 6:43 PM UTC
Zinnias
We used to hear it all the time: Can you come outside and play? We heard that chant throughout the hood, From screened back doors where our friends stood. Calling just when time was right, For Hide and Seek at the dawning night, Or Hopscotch, Double Dutch Kick the Can, On neighbour's lawns and sidewalks, On streets, driveways or city parks. My daughter got a text today: Can you come to my house and play?
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Jan 22, 2019
Jan 22, 2019 at 11:05 AM UTC
Streetlights Are On
watching the rain, river flood, down the steamy, windows. my mind jumps back... ...back to those sweet and careless days, of a country chilhood. when we made boats. of  halved walnut shells, with toothpick masts and fantail sails, then sailed them in kerbside regattas. when marbles were worlds. fought for, in hand drawn, colleseum-like circles on  dusty driveways and paths. when we folded and flew, the news of the day, on strings, high, to the sky and beyond. when we made castles. of sand and mud, we were, then, childish royalty, the back yard our kingdom. as the water sheets, down the window panes. i hope, these creative joys and victories, will not be lost to my son. in this age of technology, where, leapads and xbox' kindles and webgames, tempt them, to play in a world, of pre-created splendour. looking through the water, i am reassured this will not be the case, by the sight, of father and son, in yellow macs, stomping puddles, for the splash.
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Mar 28, 2014
Mar 28, 2014 at 12:54 AM UTC
walnut regattas
one day i will find the right words, and they will be simple.” - jack kerouac pancakes on a sunday morning, jack daniel’s, getting really drunk then running naked through the forest, mosh pits, double rainbows, old trucks, freebandz, panic attacks, overflowing bubble baths, woodstock 1969, lemonade, slamming my head into wet pavement, the cranberries, jumping into someone’s arms after having gone years without seeing them, american spirits, crying, heavy metal music, innocence, laughing until a hospital visit is necessary, ragers, smiles on the faces of five year old children after stripping the shelves of a candy store bare, severe depression, the 90s, basketball hoops in driveways, putting on makeup at 1 AM, the mojave desert, life. -z. vega
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Jun 17, 2016
Jun 17, 2016 at 2:50 AM UTC
things that remind me of you