tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65107180591466879592023-11-16T06:23:59.194-05:00the poetry nuggetthepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-231084387364524032021-04-05T16:25:00.006-04:002021-04-05T16:27:37.784-04:00It has been quite a year <p> It has been quite a year—</p><p>Clauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck</p><p>till his breath gone.</p><p>He acts like it is acceptable,</p><p>part of procedure,</p><p>learned in training.</p><p>It is not.</p><p>He came to it on his own,</p><p>such a clever man.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-55810050606051071072018-12-29T12:37:00.000-05:002019-02-03T12:30:41.676-05:00Radar rhymes<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On the couch flanked</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">by my two dogs, watching tv,</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my cell phone buzzes <i>emergency</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">tornado</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">disaster warning.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Brow-knitted
weather-folks circle</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">radar maps, </span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">paint-boxes of
angry colors splash</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">across screen,</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">pop like pinball
machines on ritalin.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">In midst of language of meteorology,</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"> hear
velocity couplet, full stop</span></span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">poetry?</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Heavy rain,
thunder, lightning</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">bolt blows
transformer,</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">pyrotechnics
illuminate,</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">our house goes
dark.</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">I search for
flashlight, </span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">pen, paper—</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">yes, a
tornadic sonnet!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-25560702086406240082018-10-16T13:55:00.000-04:002018-12-23T08:43:52.289-05:00Flux<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Autumn on the cusp,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">crickets mute fiddling,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">birds&squirrels scrap </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">for crumbs,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">weeds wild, unplucked,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">foliage paused</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">awaiting briskness,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">temperature gauge falls,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">moon one shade bluer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Losses,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">endings</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I cannot fix.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In my dreams,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">their voices--</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">drag, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">shift, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">frighten, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">free.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-31065569410033609292018-09-12T16:35:00.000-04:002018-11-20T08:05:30.986-05:00Dedicated to my friend<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">After</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> Catullus' poem, <i>Ave atque vale,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> written upon the death of his brother</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">dear</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">friend</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">is</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">dead,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span>h<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">er shell abandoned.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I speak to her ashes,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to her vibrant spirit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She struggled</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">against paralyzing</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">disease, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">carried </span><span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">raw</span><span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">pain</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">on her narrow</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">shoulders, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">worn thin.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Her </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">flame passes </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">into wisps of smoke.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Absent faith to anchor me,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">habit tilts my face skyward,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I whisper </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">peace.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of this, I am certain,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the world is less</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">without her.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-88750721173551316532018-05-29T20:10:00.000-04:002018-06-06T21:13:46.773-04:00By the side<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It began as </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a spat,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">sparked into an argument,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ignited--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">we raged against each other,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">hurling lightning bolts,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">crackling through opaque india-ink,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">jagged shards piercing, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">moon and stars</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">languishing before our pyrotechnics,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">our rumbling thunder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">drowning night-songs.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We broke each other</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">and walked away,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">discarded</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">by the side of the road,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">as cars swerve and flatten.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-84467626805297735592018-02-02T20:55:00.001-05:002018-02-03T12:09:13.509-05:00Dedicated to Yola Mascia Melchiorre, 1913-1995<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A pianist, an artist, a linguist, a professor,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">so many talents, </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">like her younger brothers,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">but she lacked the XY chromosome,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">when</span><span style="font-family: "arial";"> few women worked outside of home,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">few women envisioned another path,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">few women stepped away.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Her father treated her differently,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">replied to her differently,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">“you don’t really want to”, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">his catch-all phrase,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">repeated till she believed it, too,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">believed she couldn't, shouldn't.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">She pushed aside her ambitions,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">molded herself into a new, narrow shape,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">that of wife and mother,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">she made those roles her whole life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">There was nothing left of the other woman, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">unable to even imagine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">what might have been.</span><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><br />
<br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-51072037743558924332018-01-31T11:54:00.001-05:002019-10-15T12:04:53.488-04:00Visuals in the night without corrective lenses<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I startle into awake,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">the room dark, yet in the shadows</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">three figures gather by my bed,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">three figures unmoving, unspeaking,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">hands together, hands uplifted,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">in prayer, in blessing, in admonishment?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Fog heavy in my head,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">fear looms, patience thins,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">I reach toward the nearest light.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">A floor lamp with its wide shade,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">one of the trio, a momentary comfort,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">but what of the other two?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Angels, aliens, two Weird Sisters</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">with a Macbethian prediction?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Cocooned into sleep,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">caught by a vague whisper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">of a tangible</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">somewhere within.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"></span>thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-63647996543104350072018-01-08T17:53:00.001-05:002019-05-11T12:53:23.323-04:00Color of friendship<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />N</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">eon blue, inspiration of R</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">othko,</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";">I run my fingers through it,</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial";">streak my face, my arms, </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial";">a Scottish Pict preparing for battle.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial";">My friend is wounded,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial";">in need of protection,</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";">I channel the spirit of the she-bear.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial";">Nose skyward to catch the scent,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial";">claws unsheathed, carnivores exposed,</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">towering, tossing the prey, light as salmon,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">slashing belly, innards sloughing,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the snow bleeds into pink.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span>thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-86610409312826941112017-08-22T18:28:00.000-04:002019-05-11T12:52:07.545-04:00Icarus, again*<span style="font-size: large;">Who knew the myth of Icarus was so popular?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Barely an acute angle left.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So what if Icarus lived, found among the seashells on the shore,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">would he survive joking about wax and feathers?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">teasing in the classroom, in the hallways, on the bus?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">looking for the spines of wings in the locker room?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">repeating why a son should always listen to his father?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh, to erase his folly.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Yet how to be a common man,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">he who touched the sky.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">They say his words captured</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">within the whorls of seashells,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">for boys who dream </span><span style="font-size: large;">to fly.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">He whispers take the risk,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">how could he not?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">*According to Greek mythology, Ic<span style="font-size: large;">arus flew </span><span style="font-size: large;">too close to the sun,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">the wax of his wings melted a</span><span style="font-size: large;">nd he fell into the </span><span style="font-size: large;">sea.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-27115291386705593742017-08-18T12:02:00.002-04:002017-08-19T08:11:42.312-04:00Almost there <br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Neither tiptoes nor arms straining,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I cannot reach.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Like a fairy tale city</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">with cobblestones, canals,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">centuries-old structures,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">in a gray-green haze,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">obscured.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I am on the edge,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I am on edge</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">to touch</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">the whispers in the margins</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">between awake and asleep,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">new words, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">creation.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-75540578055833396562017-08-09T09:51:00.000-04:002019-05-11T12:53:06.915-04:00In a corner of a garden<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The flowers stand tall</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">in an August heat</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">that strangles the breath.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">They toss a corner of shade,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">flaunt themselves before the sun.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In this triangle, a battle-scarred cricket </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">chirps </span><span style="font-size: large;">his victory over a foe.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Today is their day,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">tomorrow, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">weeds and </span><span style="font-size: large;">hardened shell.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-80720327987903968202017-08-06T10:14:00.001-04:002017-08-10T18:53:05.976-04:002bee or not 2bee <div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">At the start, hopefulness,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">sweet as honey,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">golden, sticky and </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">endless.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the midst, bees buzzing.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The drones attend the Queen,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">the females indeed the worker bees,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">the brood grows.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Busy, so busy,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">the constant beating of wings distracts.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">At the end, a noticeable absence of sound.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The muscular arms of time press down,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">vision sharpens to the decay,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">not a glistening drop left.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-66098119316523949062017-07-30T10:05:00.000-04:002017-09-21T09:28:11.248-04:00Catching trains<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The rain soaks,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">atonement for the drought.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It pings against the metal canopy,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">percussive, syncopated,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">cleansing, purifying.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Like a metronome ticks a rhythm,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">a melody in a minor key</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">about sin-tainted souls</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">and second chances,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">running hard</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">to catch the last train</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">homeward bound.</span><br />
<br />
<br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-91818694219670318842017-06-29T15:37:00.001-04:002021-02-02T12:40:55.930-05:00De-constructing<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">His breakfast smells like ripe tomatoes</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">and promises,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">pledged in youth and romance,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">a starter home, a child or two,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">a job with promotions and perks,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">naive happiness.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We are older, each creak and crack</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">in the house has a name,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">unlike our shadow children.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">He works so hard,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">by end of day</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">face without color, dragging</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">heavy-footed over the threshold,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">listlessness engraved into his bones.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Desire distills into an uneasy</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">companionship,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">his hand restive in mine,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">his shoulder sharp,</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I do not hear the word love,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">only silence </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">and the foundation settling.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-4101286837580941122017-05-15T15:22:00.001-04:002017-07-19T11:12:45.356-04:00Faith and hope<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Passed from hand to hand,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">the quilt is bleached,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">worn, stitches loosening.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Like faith in god,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">once bright, strong,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">turns tarnished, thinned</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by illness, partings,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">death, </span><span style="font-size: large;">loveless lives.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When callous time halts,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">we cling</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">to random threads of hope.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-56909283924924671242017-04-29T14:59:00.002-04:002017-04-30T09:17:15.032-04:00When the magic fades...<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The gazing ball promises good luck</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">to those who tend the garden,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">the poet chooses her words carefully,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">with her muse.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Time passes, the magic becomes random,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">fickle;</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">weeds sprout wild, choke blooms,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">the poet </span><span style="font-size: large;">challenged</span><span style="font-size: large;"> to fashion bouquets</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">of such rough </span><span style="font-size: large;">greenery</span><span style="font-size: large;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-10035490292946866642017-04-18T09:18:00.000-04:002017-10-28T10:12:19.832-04:00The gazing ball<div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the midst of the summer garden,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">the shiny ball, sign of good fortune,</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">reflects sun rays, </span><span style="font-size: large;">moon beams,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">bends them at odd angles,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">strands of white light,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">strings of opalescence,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">threads of Fate.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Time</span> <span style="font-size: large;">passes</span>, <span style="font-size: large;">flowers</span> <span style="font-size: large;">gone, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">age </span><span style="font-size: large;">and weather tarnish,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">who will tend the magic?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-26789282451544414272017-04-14T09:47:00.000-04:002017-04-16T21:00:21.890-04:00The-mother-bomb<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The-mother-of-all-bombs hit Afghanistan,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">isn't mother-bomb an oxymoron?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">While in a meeting to plan a new poetry collection,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">an exciting beginning,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">fresh voices to be shared, poems in 12 point font,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">a glossy cover,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">to crack my depressed mood, to widen </span><span style="font-size: large;">my narrow life,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">to distract me from the dark of American politics.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Talk of the call for submissions, start dates, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">stapled</span> <span style="font-size: large;">versus</span> <span style="font-size: large;">bound</span>,<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">decisions made, </span><span style="font-size: large;">they seemed important,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">until I glanced at my phone, saw the news,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">hopelessness is like the-mother-of-all-bombs.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-50417119946102483632017-04-13T11:09:00.000-04:002017-04-13T22:16:31.441-04:00Dark as a thunder cloud...<br />
<br />
My tears swell without release,<br />
<br />
like waves tease the shore,<br />
<br />
a watched pot refuses to boil.<br />
<br />
They marinate my soul,<br />
<br />
leak around my edges.<br />
<br />
I fidget with anxiety,<br />
<br />
bark impatiently,<br />
<br />
compassionless.<br />
<br />
Dark as a thunder cloud,<br />
<br />
a reservoir for another day...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-27326836583412561372017-04-06T09:37:00.000-04:002017-04-07T08:31:14.820-04:00dedicated to Albertine Sarazzin<br />
<br />
She wrings the fullness from life,<br />
<br />
restlessly;<br />
<br />
engulfed, devouring,<br />
<br />
she licks the sweet, the sweat;<br />
<br />
words<br />
<br />
to caress the nape,<br />
<br />
to choke the breath;<br />
<br />
salve to her wounds,<br />
<br />
healing to her soul.<br />
<br />
<br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-14379702706506856102017-04-04T16:57:00.000-04:002017-04-04T17:00:19.517-04:00the word that got away...<br />
<br />
<br />
Sometimes the simple, the familiar<br />
<br />
escape the hard-wiring,<br />
<br />
on the run, secreted,<br />
<br />
tickling, tricking.<br />
<br />
Praying for neural fire,<br />
<br />
seconds drag, minutes frantic,<br />
<br />
drowning in blankness, grasping air,<br />
<br />
searching for what can be described,<br />
<br />
but can not be named.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-30235639326201270902017-03-19T10:25:00.000-04:002017-07-15T09:27:46.724-04:00The Gift of the Artist<br />
<br />
The struggles to balance<br />
<br />
passion and discipline,<br />
<br />
the sacrifices to the gods<br />
<br />
who exact muchness,<br />
<br />
yet bestow a fragile fame,<br />
<br />
terrestrial, transient.<br />
<br />
The disillusion<br />
<br />
of the looking glass,<br />
<br />
smoke, haze,<br />
<br />
a few too many,<br />
<br />
half a breath<br />
<br />
frosting a fingertip<br />
<br />
into eternity.<br />
<br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-11538056519651298142016-11-23T13:15:00.000-05:002016-11-23T13:32:39.776-05:00Haiku<br />
The scent of char'd wood,<br />
<br />
warmth by the fire, side by side,<br />
<br />
faces framed in embers.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-74871726429230524512016-09-17T11:09:00.000-04:002019-05-08T09:32:49.544-04:00lost<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">lost in my head,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">my feelings somewhere,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">perhaps in a corner</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">of a chamber, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">in a shadow,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">in the silence</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">between a lub and a dub,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">an innocent murmur,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">an echo...</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6510718059146687959.post-46534238267373833222016-08-29T20:23:00.001-04:002016-08-29T20:23:09.980-04:00the stretch<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">time stretches,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">it seeps into my crevices,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">sates my drifting daydreams,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">escapes my grasp...</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />thepoetrynugget.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10886617098061907056noreply@blogger.com2