Nothing begins, and nothing ends,
That is not paid with moan;
For we are born in others’ pain,
And perish in our own.
—Francis Thompson, from “Daisy,” 1892–1894
poems
Sticks & stones
Empty-nesting is exponentially more painful
when all you’ve ever had is eggs, no chicks —
and now, even the eggs are gone.
Winsome, losesome
Love isn’t just blind
but also stupid —
lobotomy by arrow
bullseye, Dr Cupid!
2024
I know a guy.
Angry. Festering
in disappointment
of the world
and of himself.
A little depressed.
Sick of doing
the same. freaking.
thing. every day.
Wondering where
his lost youth went.
Hungering to replace
the comfort and
all the good things
in his life that
have gone away.
But resolutely
continuing on
doing his duty.
Living with the pain.
Loving while he can.
Taking any little
laugh he can find.
Then doing it all
over again. Perhaps
you know him too.
Perhaps we all do
— inside.
Ember
days in winter
fall so short —
as the sun sets
loneliness rises
no Physics
dancing under midnight stars
on damp grass in the dark —
a good friend by my side
youth’s music in our ears
wildcats watching hereaway
in the cool fall desert night —
zero credit hours for school
but dozens of them for life
Stellar
Winter’s cold-black celestial canvas showcases
the twinkling anatomy of Orion and his skymates…
Shadows long after light is gone
end of life decisions
seep grieving guilt
into every crack
of broken hearts—
life is the always
ultimate sacredness
and to play god
feels sacrilegious—
even the right decision
reverberates as wrong
Between
overcast spring day
musing under olive tree
on top of the world
Metre
do not watch too closely
cogs in the wheel of time —
observe their passing as
the rhythm of a poem —
not clicks of the abacus
Dry Fog of Oblivion
after seven years of severe perimenopause
i am 95% no longer the person i used to be
and don’t even feel like a woman anymore
just a meltdown mutant shellshocked blob
of stress, desiccation, emotion, exhaustion
Let’s have six
just 1 dance
just 1 kiss
just 1 brush
against my lips
2 brown eyes
gazing into mine
2 strong arms
holding me tight
3 little words
whispered in my ear
a little 4 play
5 minutes or so
the rest of the calculation
I’m sure you know!
Tempest
If your storm has lightning and rainbows —
Be glad, be glad.