Martial Universe

four horses drive us into the riverpocketbooks pulling the reinssink deep into the mirepeace, like a tidal wave, flows in our heartswe fill buckets with our hopechildlike innocence sinking sun sprawls low over the deserthuman tears water the groundearth’s dry crust cries for rainfour horses drive us into the riverwe fill buckets with our hopeearth’sContinue reading “Martial Universe”

Small Worlds

Traveling to my grandmother’s house, the car filled with excited anticipation. Visits with family were pleasant, but the city also held wonders from zoos and aquariums to shopping malls and museums. For a small town kid like me, these trips to the Twin Cities were precious. As the oldest of my high school friends, IContinue reading “Small Worlds”

Garden Days

grazing the gardentucking veggies under armsand filling bucketslittle hands helped to sow seedsdirt-stained hands help to pick weeds I wrote this little poem for the Wea’ve Written Weekly prompt. This week, Punam asks us to do the following: *Write a food-related poem in any form* Our garden is a special summer tradition (and treat!) everyContinue reading “Garden Days”

Love vs. Hate

It starts as a trickling streamflooding into a swampy mirehatred thick with lava firegrowing turmoil in the unseenflooding into a swampy mireit starts as a trickling streamIt starts a whisper of songa hopeful, budding melodylove’s verses growing freeat the chorus, we join alonga hopeful, budding melodyit starts as a whisper of song I wrote thisContinue reading “Love vs. Hate”

Splash!

There was an inflatable crocodilewho supported five children for a whilethey leaned on his headand then–oops!– he was deadno more inflatable crocodile I wrote this limerick for this week’s Wea’ve Written Weekly. David provided us a simple prompt this week: *Write a poem about something that amuses you!* This poem was inspired by true eventsContinue reading “Splash!”

Silence Bookended

glimmering skylinegrassy lakeside reflectionssilence bookended This was my favorite photo that I captured of our two youngest sons relaxing on a blanket while watching the city fireworks last weekend. They sat in awe, taking everything in, from the little girl sitting behind us with her family who offered them glowsticks before the display began toContinue reading “Silence Bookended”

Golden Stars

Think, my love, of all the stars: a river of prose approaching the idea, slow motion behind the screen of leaves, I wish you grains of the golden sand to melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night– in any universe, you are my dark star you are theContinue reading “Golden Stars”

Go with the Flow

when I page through memories with you,water always takes the stage:a glistening ocean under equatorial sun, a waterfall dive after too much fun, hand-in-hand in the moonlight with toes dipping as stars take flight, muddling through currents with flip-flops on, splashing through the river and my paddle– gone, hopelessly, helplessly,happy memories flow by as weContinue reading “Go with the Flow”

Lawn Chairs at Twilight

The croaking frogs sing a lullaby at twilight, harmonizing the pop of sticks crumbling in the campfire. Lake Superior hums beneath it all, carrying the song in waves and dancing stones, in splashes and gentle crashes. prologue to moonlight summer’s lasting solstice glow stay with me awhile I wrote this poem for the Wea’ve WrittenContinue reading “Lawn Chairs at Twilight”

Rainbows in the Morning

I’ll paint the sky in technicolor ifyou dance in the rain. Youskip rocks under waterfalls and tellme songs about shadows. Theraindrops coated the truththat the sun was golden and youdidn’t need an umbrella. I don’thave the answers and they don’t havethe time, but you don’t have toremind me. We’ll rememberrainbows in the morning if anything.Continue reading “Rainbows in the Morning”