April Fools

The fools come out
On April first
Dressed in their best
Dressed in their worst
With clown noses and monocle eyes
Tossing decks of cards in the sky
One performed a trick
With a bottle of coke
Shook it up
And caught one in the eye
We all had a laugh at the gaffe
Folly ruled the night
Farewell revelers
Until next April, they chimed

Traces

Traces of loving kindness
First began with a glimpse
Of a man beholding a woman
On a still afternoon
Then awakened with a kiss
And love blossomed in bliss
Hearts were renewed by their embrace
The old ones beheld the young couple
And they showered blessings on the place
The lady was given a special grace
The village lamented their wedding day
For they were set to run away
But their hopeful spirits remained
Traces of their footprints are molded in clay

The Sower (Pt III)

Then, her eyes ran over the dirty faces of her children. Using the skirt of her wine colored dress, she wiped away their filth. “Clean yourselves up. We have a guest,” she commanded and the little ones bolted to the vine house.

“My children needn’t clean for me,” the sower chimed in. He was most flattered by his wife's gesture. He leaned in, to press a kiss against her hot forehead, but she dodged him.

“It isn’t for you,” she answered icily. The sower paused at her words. Who could this guest be? His wife beheld his cart of vegetables in astonishment.

“Ah, see! Didn’t I tell you my labor would pay off,” the sower laughed. She didn’t answer, quietly settling her gaze into the distance. Now an anxiousness had pressed against his chest. What awaited them, he did not know. The wind also hinted of the unknown storm.

His wife hastened inside to prepare for the new visitor. She ran her fingers through her matted hair and softened it with shampoo. Her hands groped her new, yellow dress. She sacrificed everything she owned. Yet, her world was growing divine. Her mind fancied herself in a golden gown with a satin train. She witnessed the rouge in her cheeks blossoming like sweet raspberries. And how glorious were her dark, long tresses dropping to the earth. Her dreams were vivid now and she tasted them on the tip of her tongue.

The great roar of a car engine interrupted her thoughts. She ran out to meet the metal contraption. The sower watched in horror as the truck sputtered in the direction of his wife. It stopped abruptly and a stranger climbed out, donning a cowboy hat. His wife gave a hearty hello and embraced him while the sower settled back and chewed his thoughts.

Simply Snicker Challenge #4

This week's Simply Snicker's Challenge includes the words marvel, master, and miss.

Given to a special grace
She marveled not at her wrinkled face
But surmised a cream would leave no trace
Of age’s cruel humor and taste
A master of her indulgent flare
She applied too much and many stared
She missed, of course, one important lesson
So subtle, she is still left guessing

Sky Watch Friday: Amongst The Clouds

Amongst the clouds

The world appears so tiny

You can capture people

With your fingertips

You can view more lovely sky photos at:

Familiar Face

Because she possessed a familiar face
His eyes were transfixed upon her
Whether a dream or an old embrace
He sincerely pondered
Because she possessed a familiar face

The Impatient Boy

The impatient boy
With fire in his eyes
Burns with a passion
His gaze is always towards the sky
His gait moves with time
And his engagements are always hasty
He never finishes a glass
And his seat is always taken
He perceives not the time
Nor the hours of awakening
Listless, he runs into snares
Abandoning his soul ashaken
He laughs very little
And refuses to play with his lot
Threatens God in his madness
Pleads to pockets when he's broke
Running in infinite circles
And rising up like smoke

Stay Awhile

Stay awhile, she said
And bribed me with some cookies
So warm and moist on my lips
I felt a little wiggle in my hips
Her boyfriend brings out the chips
My fingers settle in the dip
Pig out, chow down, and loosen that belt
A pain in my stomach was all I felt

Heavenly Wings

He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge...(Psalm 91:4)

Heavenly wings
Fall like blankets
Upon the oppressed
For in them
They find peace
And sweet rest

The Sower (Pt II)

Now the sower returns with his abundant wealth. He parades joyously in a cart drawn by a donkey. The gray coat of his companion whispers the rugged life they have shared. However, today he pulls the cart with a jovial stride. He also senses their fortune.

The sower envisions the faces of his children. He has been away so long from them. He imagines them growing tall like stalks beside their tiny, white house. He pictures the weariness in his wife’s eyes melting away, and her appearing before him vivaciously. Her embrace tugging against his rough body and the liveliness in her dark eyes rising like a night raven in flight.

The trees skip methodically and bow before him in the wind. He is privy to the royal graces bestowed upon kings. Hastily, he whipped the donkey and rode the cart speedily to spread his good news.

When he returned, he did not recognize his home. The house had been devoured by large vines and thickets. Thick, green blades of grass were overrun by an army of dandelions. Mother nature claimed his territory. How long had he been gone? Nearby, the river ran dry; the unquenchable thirst of the sun had drunk up the fresh spring.

Fearfully, he called his wife’s name but she did not answer. He found his daughter swinging from a tree like a yo-yo, and his son steadily perched below like a parachute.

“Where is your mother,” the sower asked but neither child took its gaze from what they were doing. Then, his daughter lifted her finger and the sower traced the little compass to a speck in the horizon. The speck grew and took the shape of a woman. She cradled two jugs of water, which swayed with her hips.

The sower was astonished to find his wife dry like the desert. Her skin was cracked at the foundation like one of those angelic, marble statues antiquated from time. He ran to meet her and took the jugs from her weary fingers. She glared at him like a ravenous animal beholding its prey.

Sky Watch Friday: Narratives In The Sky

Search the skies

They have infinite

Stories to tell

View other beautiful photos of the sky at http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Simply Snicker Challenge #3

This week's challenge is creating a poem using the words pause, play, and point. The image above is a portrait by artist Sir John Lavery entitled The Chess Players (1929).

Lovely ladies of the court
Play a little chess for their sport
Snugly seated on wine colored rugs
Pausing for their next move
My don’t they look snug
What thoughts could be brewing
In their young little minds
They both were plotting
An unwelcome surprise
But played some chess in disguise
Ah, coy little smiles
Flew upon their faces
And they neglected
Their delicate graces
Father points from the doorway
And dollish eyes bat away all traces
They are the apple of his eye
Lovely ladies of the court

Awaiting Destiny

I wait patiently in the morn
For my destiny to be born
Sunlight or under moonlight's wings
I'll stay a lifetime though it stings
Anticipating it to rise above
Oh, that's the hope I share my love
My belief may appear as lies
But in them I've begun to fly
Ages and time passes hence
But I've weathered the storm, cruel and tense
Till darkness falls in the daylit sky
Like a golden horizon in my eye

Irish Jig

A fellow danced the Irish Jig
So violent was his motion
He knocked off his lady's wig
And she replied with a fist to the eye
The patrons laughed which made him cry
So he hurled a pan of sweet, cream pie
It missed the lady and hit a bloc
And the angry man chased him
Well after dark

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

A Story For You: The Sower (Pt. I)

I would like to begin something new in this post. Poetry has always fascinated me, but I have always shared a love for prose and short fiction. This piece is entitled The Sower and I will break it up in a few posts for you. I hope you enjoy it and I will have shorter posts sprinkled in for the upcoming week.

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” (Hosea 10: 12)

The sower inherits calloused hands. Weary, he toils in the sun until twilight. He runs his fingers through the richness of the soil. His efforts go unnoticed on the still mountainside. The seed he plants become his children, and he waters them with prayer. He watches over them with hawkish eyes.

Time lapses as he waits for the harvest. He anticipates hope springing from the earth. But he questions his methods in a quiet contemplation and brews his prospects on black nights with eyes wide open. He longs for the maturation of his seed like a bird nudging his young ones in flight. Time becomes unbearable and his impatient roots begin to grow. But he senses he cannot abandon what God has given him.

Then one morning, while he lay asleep, little leaves sprouted from the brown earth. At dawn, they rose like sleepy children from their beds and his plants were innumerable and plenteous. The stalks were thick and green and water flowed through their roots like veins. Life sprung from the earth and scattered for miles in either direction. He returns to his homeland carrying his baskets with him.

Sky Watch Friday

The sky is speckled an infinite blue

The clouds are dancing in their shoes

They veil us from the heavenly heights

The sky holds mysteries and glorious light

You can view more lovely photos at http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Divine Rides on Elephants

Divine rides on elephants
A child scribbled in her book
And rode her imaginary friend
On winding, elegant roads
Paved with gold
Greeted Dorothy and her friends
Observed Little Bo Peep and her sheep
Played a little fiddle with a cat
Daydreamed with Little Miss Riding Hood
Built houses with the three little pigs
Ate with Little Miss Muffet
Scolded the boy who cried wolf
Before she sailed away home like a kite in the wind

Simply Snicker Challenge #2

This week's Simply Snicker Challenge is creating a poem using the words Learn, Linger, and Look. Here is my stab at the challenge. Hope you all enjoy reading it. It's a bit organic and quirky but I had fun with it.

Lingering till the sunlight waned
She paused where her heart did stay
To learn and read to her heart's content
Looks could not dissuade her amusing present
How lovingly she stayed in her chair
And didn't rise although they stared
Her guests were simply not obliged
To host a party in disguise
Then hide her nose in a book
The people simply did mistook
A celebration by invitation
Take off your coat and use imagination

Come Walk With Me

Jesus said, Come walk with me

Should I? Shall I?

Let's go and see

What mysteries lay ashaken

The revelations He will awaken

Our souls are lit by His still path

And now I know the hymn they sing

Just a closer walk with thee

Lovely Thoughts of You

Lovely thoughts of you
Running in the park
Chasing butterflies
Laughing after dark
Lovely thoughts of you
Soaking in the rain
Crying on my shoulders
Riding on the train
Lovely thoughts of you
Whispering in my ear
Holding me so close
Your voice so calm and clear
Lovely thoughts of you
Never dissipates
Rising like a cloud
And falling down like grace.

Sun and Moon Eyes

The sun awakes in the dawn and shines on the high and low creatures. It warms the ants as they surface from their sand hills, rises on the woodland animals nesting on tree limbs. Loops gracefully on the gazelles pirouetting in Africa and pays homage to the lion basking in the glory of his domain.

The sun laughs in the presence of school children who romp at recess. The sun even glistens on skyscraper buildings and teases workers who long to free themselves and run wild in daylight. The sun is the warm, friendly presence that greets your eyes in the morning.

Likewise, the moon is the night owl suspended in blackness. It is night watcher of the creatures which daylight never sees or hears. The moon has many faces sometimes appearing full and glorious like the sun and on other nights, illuminated like a silver croissant on canvas. The moon lights the path for cars on winding roads. Its reflection ripples on black waters and guides the seaman on night journeys home.

The moon is the witness of evil. For even dark corners and alleys cannot evade its silver light. Its gaze is on the lowly and when its aura casts shadows on the homeless, they appear wounded and weary. But the moon delights in the little ones tucked safely in their beds. The moon says sweet dreams to all.

Reflections: Embracing the Light

This week has rejuvenated my soul. I am renewed by the kindness and strength of loving words, dear family, and friends. Thank you all very much for your support.


Embracing the light
The embers of darkness cool
And settle like ashes beneath my feet
Treading on pavement my soul did weep
But like winged doves
Joy now circles me

Lovely Toad

A lovely toad
Croaks at my window
And my imagination carries me
To a place most enchanting
Sitting on a rock
Adorned in a gown
And a crown serenading my head
I am spellbound
Running my fingers over green, leather skin
I hope he's Prince Charming
Better yet, I pray he's a dashing knight
No, brave like a firefighter
Or witty and seductive like an actor
Ferocious and cunning like a matador
Or perhaps a braniac scientist
Or a sensitive artist
Poor toad grows restless
And flails his magnificent, green legs
My fingers grow like weeds and trap him
And I kiss his little face
He croaks again
No luck (Still a toad)

Simply Snickers Challenge

I discovered this fun new blog: http://simplysnickers.blogspot.com/
through my friend Beloved Dreamer. Create a poem using these three words: sacred, sorrow, surrender. I'm up for a challenge!


Sacred hearts pause on lovely words
And sorrow flees like darkness beholding light
Yielding silence they fully surrender
Black words dance to their delight
Strumming melodies that linger on till midnight
Sacred sorrows surrendering to words that breath life

A March In Snow

(Yesterday, New York was greeted with 10 inches of snow in early March. Winter's last hurrah!)

A march in snow

Crinkles your toes and nose

Frosty white blankets the ground

And rests like clouds

While angels nestle

In mountains of snow

Children rise in delight

And send their sleighs aflight

Snowballs hurl in rapid fire

And ice cling on rooftops like claws

The sky is illuminated a silvery gray

And the wind in a furious rustle

Orchestrates white confetti

Settling like sugar on your tongue

Adventures With Cecelia and Kim

This past weekend my friend and I were given two wicked tickets to the 2009 Art Expo in New York. The catch: pose as two, lovely art connoisseurs and buyers. My friend was under the alias Kim and I was her artsy side kick Cecilia. Perusing the galleries like wide-eyed, art newbies, the clever cognitos did not work for long.

The first tip-off to our false identities was the name tags proudly displayed on our chest. Eagerly, we waited in line for an artist signing his free painting. He asked us who to make it out to and we reluctantly revealed our names. “Aha, I see,” he said. The lady behind us got a little chuckle from our predicament.

In the end, it was all in good fun and most of the dealers were sympathetic. Though wearing tags with the name “Buyers” on it was like flaunting red in front of a raging bull or blood in the water for a shark. I was fearful that sellers would gobble us up and negotiate prices. Occasionally, we played the part by speaking in British accents and throwing in Rembrandt and Monet. “Oh, I’m not sure if it fits my taste," sort of dialogue. The experience was priceless.

Beyond camouflage and disguises, we were blown away by the talent of these artists. Like writers, they envision beauty, darkness, and light in unique and powerful ways. It is easy to get lost in the worlds created by brushstrokes. Please check out some of the artists featured in the 2009 Art Expo. It was a mesmeric and breathtaking experience.

http://web.me.com/cdellorco/Site_2/Portfolio/Portfolio.html
http://www.atelier-radzetska.de/galerie1.html#
http://www.georgepali.net/
http://www.bodyofwork.us/body_of_work.htm
http://www.paciorek.com/paintings.html

P.S. Michael Godard was the very kind and gracious artist who signed free paintings to the public. I’m definitely a fan.

https://www.artifactsgallery.com/art.asp?!=A&name=Michael%2520Godard&ID=759#LINKS

Happy viewing!

Little Ones

The little ones
That bow their heads
In prayer
Are unaware
Of angels
Kissing their heads
Before they sleep serenely