For Allison In Portland

The misty morning rain and dove grey sky

Reminds me how the wet days make you smile

I swear I hear your laughter and I sigh

Imagining a bridge across the miles.

We'd put our boots on and go take a walk

We'd splash in all the puddles on our way

We'd joke and tease or maybe we'd just talk

A day I spend with you is the best day.

And even though I miss you constantly

I daydream in your room to feel you near

I know that Portland's where you need to be

So I would never try to keep you here.

So when you feel the rainy morning mist

Know that I am sending you a kiss.

submitted for Magpie Tales, Mag 238

There Is No Art To War

artwork by blue clementine art

There is no art to war

Art creates;

war destroys

Art understands;

war attacks

Art is honesty;

war is treachery

Art is tender;

war, indifferent

War is tactics

Strategy, scheming,

cold, efficient planning

Art is ardor

Energy, fire,

hot, chaotic humanity

There is no art to war

Allying the two

is a disgrace, a blasphemy

Art would sooner die

than be captured 

in service of war

It often does.

submitted (late) for Imaginary Garden With Real Toads, Get Listed (September)

Persephone's Invitation

Garnet by Dragon Of Lust on Deviant Art

When you are ready for me,

wear garnet

Red

is not enough

Rubies are cloying,

cherry Koolaid red,

jellybean red

That kind of red

is for the timid

Call me with garnets,

with blood,

deep, warm things

not so sweet

Drape a string of seeds

around your neck

I will take you to dark places

where the moon fears to shine

I will bring you September;

you will wear its leaves upon your fingers

When you want me,

cloak yourself in autumn's satin

Whisper my name to the reddened, black sky

You will taste wine upon the breeze, and

Your heart will glow like a gemstone.

submitted for Imaginary Garden With Real Toads, Artistic Interpretations With Margaret, Mineral Rainbow 
and Sunday Challenge, September Skies

Put On Those Rose Colored Glasses

source

Hey, baby, don't be like that

When I told you there was no one else,

I wasn't really lying

You see,

I meant that there was no one else

worth mentioning,

No one else

worth getting you all upset about

See?

And it's over anyway, so

let's just forget all about it, ok?
Aw, honey

don't be like that

You know you're my girl

and "I gotta work late"

sounds so much prettier than

"I'd rather pull out all my teeth with your tweezers

than watch "Dancing With the Stars" again!"

I mean, do you really want me to say,

"I'd rather be shot through the face with bullets than have you kiss me"? or

"Your meandering hands feel like spiders crawling all over my skin"?

Yeah, I say, "Plant one here, baby!" and I smile

even though it hurts

C'mon, sweetie

don't go changing the locks again

I bought you some roses 

Naw, I didn't buy her any

She doesn't even like roses, 

and yours cost me way more!

Let's just go to bed, huh?

I'll pretend your dismal thrusting gets me off

just like I always do

I'm done with her

It's all about you now, baby

Wild horses couldn't drag me away, just like the song

I love you, baby

You believe me, right?

submitted for Imaginary Garden With Real Toads, You Could Have Done Better, Out of Standard

and The Sunday Whirl, Wordle 177

Another Icarus

He always knew that he would die this way

From the moment he first felt the fire,

the warmth spreading over his body

that made all the pain go away,

he knew that he would never stop

He wasn't afraid of being burned

He flew higher

and higher

He wanted the sun for himself

if only once

And when he gave that final push,

he almost made it

Almost

But in the end

his wings turned to ash,

his body to dust

And the flame still burned.

submitted for Magpie Tales, Mag236 and
Imaginary Garden With Real Toads, Open Link Monday

Warrior Princess

image source

  She births stars from her fingertips

Dances with fire

Wraps herself in comet tails

Spinning the flames

As graceful and dangerous

as a tigress

Fierce

Fearless

Feminine

Wild as summer jasmine

She dances with fire

to moonlit music.

image source

Note: This poem was inspired by watching a performance of Weapons of Mass Distraction, the fire spinning group (all students!) at Reed College in Portland, OR where my daughter is now a freshman. After one of the women's performances, a woman sitting next to me shouted, "Look at that, you bimbo cheerleaders! These women are WARRIOR PRINCESSES!"

submitted for Imaginary Garden With Real Toads, Open Link Monday