Miami Dreaming (Watery Wednesday)

Hi all,

Happy Watery Wednesday! This photo was taken during my trip in Miami. I can feel the hot breeze, waterfalls cascading in my ears, and palm trees waving nearby. The images are warm enough to last me through winter!

Pair of Haikus

Hi all,

Today, I am writing a pair of haikus for The Purple Treehouse.

Long ago I thought
Wisdom came in red ribbon
Pray, in time, it speaks

Drop in the romance
Of moonlight while stars roam you
Is there wisdom here?

Renewal (O.S.I.)

Hi all,

I am happy to share a new poem this Christmas evening:

Holidays become quiet sublime silences
The sweetness of cocoa gone
The tinsel on the tree bare
The gifts unwrapped
And somehow
We share
A love
Renewed

Through Nature's Eyes (Pt II)

Hi all,

Here is part two of my story. I hope you are enjoying the holiday season.

The shadow of his little body lit like a blue flame on shimmering snow. He was white with large, brown spots and dark coal eyes. He thumped his hind legs and wrinkled his little nose at her. She smiled back at him. His little hind legs carved out her name in snow. The letters unmistakably spelled Mel.

Ignoring her roommate’s scoffs, Mel raced towards the door and let the cold air wrap around her like a coat. She felt the snow seep into her slippers. Her toes became one with the slippery ice. The rabbit pointed his pink nose at her like she was a carrot. Her roommate gawked from the window in an incredulous stare. Mel wondered if she too saw the rabbit.

Then, the rabbit jumped as if a gunshot rang in his ear and he sped away into the snowy horizon. Mel followed and felt her body feel lighter. She was shrinking into sugar covered snow. Her hands and toes grew furry and her ears lengthened towards the sky. A generous cotton tail shook behind her like a rattle. She could hear his voice now coaxing her:

Just a bit farther now…don’t stop. We are very close to the forest.

He talks! Mel could not believe her ears as she sprinted fast behind the little rabbit.

They made beautiful tracks in the snow becoming musical footnotes below the earth’s surface. She marveled at his dialect and speech. His hind legs spoke to her pumping fast and furiously ahead. One thump at a time. She turned behind her but could no longer recognize the campus grounds. It was a blur of trees and woods. The trunks and branches were heavy with snow. She looked into their eyes and was surprised the trees had eyes. They professed their history in their sunken roots. They wished to speak to her.

There is no time…the rabbit shouted. She obeyed.

They neared a frozen river that stretched for miles in either direction. The rabbit stopped and furtively glanced into her eyes. She stared into his dark coal ones. She couldn’t speak. Curiosity made her leap into the frozen river. It began to melt beneath her as the sun touched down.

Holiday Haiku

Hi all,

Here is a holiday haiku I recently penned. Hope you enjoy:

Winter looks through glass
As if she sees glory still
In drops of pure snow

Morning opens gifts
Of Christmas lights and wonder
Children all aglow

Inkpot (O.S.I.)

Hi all,

I am writing the following poem for O.S.I. and the theme is inkpot.

A river unbroken
To walk circumspect
Across broken dreams
Courage to rewrite her story
She could dry like clay
March out with the clouds
Dig herself and hide for winter
Or she can stand tall
As sunflowers in a field of gold
As the sparrow who opens his wings
She dipped her pen into her heart
And let the ink flow

Through Nature's Eyes (Pt I)

Hi all,

I am doing something a little different diving into a new short story. I hope you enjoy my latest work and stay tuned!!

Mel exposed herself in the winter air. At first, it was a naked arm dangling from her wool pajamas. It was turning raw pink then blue. She felt a streak of defiance. Her mother was not there to scold her. They were the sort of rebellious streaks most people would scoff at: mismatched socks; the left side was accustomed to polka dots and the right preferred bold stripes. Then, she graduated to bare feet. Her toes were not adverse to a sticky dorm room. She was proud of the messes left over from breakfast. She liked soggy corn puffs and milk in a pool she could step in. She wouldn’t want her mother to see her with a raccoon nest for hair, where remnants of dinner, a pencil, and notes from class had slept together and cooed.

Her roommate thought she was nuts, sporting nothing except bare legs and her boyfriend’s oversize hoodie. Wish I had a hoodie to slide in, Mel thought. Boys aren’t in season, ripe on trees, or falling from the sky.

A snowflake smiled at her through the window. Then, a pair of long pink ears tapped against her window.....

Christmas Sky

Hi Skywatchers,

I am happy to share a little holiday magic in NYC. Everything is adorned in lights and decorations as life becomes a little sweeter at Christmastime. Happy Sky Watch!!

Knight (O.S.I.)

Hi all,

I am writing the following poem for O.S.I. and the theme is knight. This word evokes a fairytale image to me.

I thought of your smile
Your lips
That night
Peeling from
The walls of memory
And your laugh
So full of light
And heart
You at last
Were my knight
Your armor slinks
I sink
In an ocean
Of deep silence
Fade away
From my shore
My only knight

Candle (Acrostic)

Hi all,

I am writing the following poem for Acrostic Only and the theme is candle.

Catching my eyes
A little light
Needs some recognition
Day erases night
Laying aside cares
Every shadow gone

Poinsettia Lips

Hi all,

Hope you are all enjoying the holiday season. Here is a poem I recently penned.

I thought in poinsettia lips
Their symmetrical red tips
Gazing at the snow
And plucked them all
In my waning mind
He loves me…loves me not
Petals drop in silence
I smile into lights

Sapid (O.S.I.)

Hi all,

I wrote a pair of haikus for O.S.I. The theme this week is sapid.

You pleased the senses
Teased to taste buds awoken
In bursts of sweetness

I never needed
Life to drop its sweet goodness
You satisfy me

Story in the Sand

Hi all,

I've written the following short story for It's Thursday. The theme is inspired by the image from Missrockstarr.

The sand resembles me: millions of grains glistening, wild, coming together in the wind. Escapable when you reach out your hands and feel its weight. It is weightless like me. I smile like a diamond when I glance into the sky. The sun is stretched against me and I am full of shiny gems. There are hidden stories beneath me. Tales of treasures, seashells, shovels, worn clothes, jewelry, empty wrappers. They cover me with beach towels and lawn chairs and umbrellas. But I like the naked sun. I am a permanent island that laughs when the tide draws in. The ocean speaks of worlds I will never explore. I am the spot where lovers lay on their backs and play. I dare not utter their secrets. Their love makes me cry and pine. I cannot be loved or held. I sit here and reflect upon the sunset. This canvas is stretched so wide above me but I do not tire of its beauty. I see God Almighty there with His imprint drying. I dreamed the stars aligned and spelled my name. I dreamed in moonbeams and shooting stars in ways that human eyes cannot perceive. And as I wake in sunrise, I let the sand pour through me.

Enjoying the Simple Things

Hi Skywatchers,

As we approach the New Year, I am reflecting on the simple things and I have learned so much gazing up at the sky.

See before the darkness swims in
Dream before the world fades away
Laugh before the moment passes by

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Hi all,

I was inspired by Thanksgiving leftovers when I wrote this:

It’s just leftovers
Cold lumpy leftovers
From the Thanksgiving feast
The turkey plucked dry
All his bones pried open
Meat now a bare middle
Sweet potato a little less sweet
Scraped to the bare black bottom
Of a small thinning pot
And the greens less leafy
An unforgiving slippery green river
The biscuits flaking and breaking
All now a crumbled mess

It’s just leftovers
So why now does a frown
Crown itself upon those lips
And tears clear away the table
Missing are the guests of yesteryear
Is it that tender voice you ponder
As you look through age’s yonder
To that smile that dressed and blessed
Served as a dish of gratitude
That made life good and plenty
At last it is memory and love
That remains leftover

A Fool's Paradise (O.S.I.)

Hi all,

I've written the following poem for O.S.I. The inspiring theme this week is A Fool's Paradise:

Youth is a paradise
Of acquaintances and friends
Of rendezvous and romance
Of parties and mirth
Of beauty and thrill

Youth is a paradise
For two
Of sunrise and passion
Of spring and bloom
Of nakedness and games
Of thrills and dates

Youth is a paradise
Of fools
Of shameless lies
Of betrayals
Of doom
Of fights
Of chase
Of risk
Of flight

While age
At last
A sanctuary
An island
Of peace
From youth

Back to Nature

Hi all,

Happy Saturday! Today I am inspired by the meme over at It's Thursday. The theme is back to nature.

Somewhere the eternal sun laughs. It laughs and amuses itself whether it is alone or in the presence of company. It cannot dim its essence or hide its mirth. It is purely sun, singular and infinite, wide and great in a plump, blue sky.

This is the return to nature, she thought as she travelled along the hard earth. She had left all her possessions along the roadside. Where she was going they were not needed. In her youth, she had loaded herself down with shiny things. She decorated bare flesh in stone and metal. She lavished herself in incense and smeared her face with rouge and dark eyes.

Then it all washed away in the flood. Her life floated down a great river and swallowed everything. It swallowed everything except her soul. There was nothing left to do but return to nature in the naked, laughing sun .

Heart of Gratitude

Gratitude in the warm sunlight
Laying its head against my sheets
Breathing in another beautiful morning
As a song of Thanksgiving leaps in my heart
Memory of loved ones and friends
Rises before me all smiles
Necessary to give thanks to God
For this most precious life of ours

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Seeking (O.S.I.)

Hi all,

I am writing this poem for O.S.I. and the theme is seeking.

Intense and full
Two strangers glancing
At a midnight moon
Seeking some intimate exchange
That requires their bodies
To balance the magic

A gentle rawness
Of hands and kisses
And heat
Of hands and kisses
And heat

Then he turns
To say something
Coldness in his breath
In the naked air
Of full beaming light

And the moon
Absorbed in her eyes
Her glistening skin
Blinds the sight
Of her tears

As unspoken words
Seeking to swallow
The night

Urn (Haiku Heights)

Hi all,

I've written a pair of haikus for Haiku Heights. The theme this week is urn.

Burn in morning light
Ashes pour out in the wind
Spirit of the earth

The urn casts shadow
Of memory and love peaks
In a timeless song

Shimmering Fish

Hi all,

Happy Wednesday! I’ve decided to take a dive and join in the fun meme over at Watery Wednesday. I took these photos a few months back of some shimmering fish at a local mall. Swimming fish resembles art to me!

Hourglass (O.S.I.)

Hi all,

Here is my latest poem inspired by this week's theme at O.S.I. hourglass:

Man of war
Man of wax
His wife a fixture
In ivory and stone
Dark deceptive
Ebony eyes
While crowds
March and groan

March and groan
March and groan
Through the looking glass
Of lime and stone
Bone of bone
As flesh decays
Wounded red
A single tear

Man of war
Man of wax
On display
At our museum
Through an hourglass
History’s glass
A legacy buried
As patrons pass

Ode to Orange, Brown, and Gold

This poem is inspired by the beautiful fall trees that greet me on my walks to work.

Spellbinding September
And the plumage of fall
Cascading her golden leaves
Upon my worn brown boots
No shame in our love
Bending towards light
Loving the blackness of night

Stains of orange pumpkin
Tattooed upon our knees
Bobbing for apples
Turning into lips
One last dip of summer
Before fall clothes nakedness
Only the trees are bare now

Foliage drawing nigh
Enlightening our eyes
Serenading the skies
And nature storing
Away her love
For winter

Winter in our bones
In the bareness of trees
Still longing for autumn light
To caress our skin
As love jumps
In a pile of leaves

Sky Watch: All Smiles

Hi all,

Here is my shot for Sky Watch Friday. This was taken on a recent trip to the Bronx Zoo. All smiles from my friendly stone man. Happy Sky Watch!!

Present & Past: An Intersection

Hi all,

I'd like to share a short story I wrote about the present and past. Hope you enjoy

The present and past had spotted each other at a long intersection. There were birthdays sandwiched in between colorful cone hats and frosted cakes. There was the occasional child’s tooth floating by. The tooth fairy had forgotten to collect it as it drifted like a white star. There were children who built their sand castles as tall as the heavens. They became lost friends of memory with forgotten names.

There were former lovers with a single rose in their hands. Their faces grew more abstract and vacant. They rose like flames in the moonlight, waltzing silently. A woman dressed in red led them, collecting roses beneath her feet.

There was youth smiling like the sun without care or worry. And the moon had leaned upon it and made the world regard the phenomena.

The present split the crowd for the opportunity to talk to her past. But the past stops for no one, retracing her footsteps, always glancing back.

Birdie (O.S.I.)

Hi all,

Here is a poem for O.S.I. and the theme is birdie. Hope you enjoy!

Hopeless gaze into the sky
A lonely boy with vacant eyes
Spots a birdie, his alone
A winged friend to follow home

Cheese (Acrostic)

Hi all,

I am posting this over at Acrostic Only and the theme is cheese. I also wanted to combine this with the meme at The Purple Tree House. Hope you enjoy it!

Cherish those lovely eyes
Heaven is forever pink
Enticing slices of sky
Enduring drops of morning
Sinks into our mouths
Ending full and sweet

Continuous Autumn

A continuous autumn
Singing and blithe
Colors the trees
Ignites the skies
Clinging to light
Winter’s icy breath
Extinguishes the heart
From a continuous autumn

Happy Sky Watch!

Sunset (O.S.I.)

Hi all,

I am writing a poem for O.S.I. and the theme this week is sunset. A very inspiring subject!

Sunset begets her daughters
Amarillo, marigold, and bronze
Calls forth her children
Azure, sapphire, indigo
Gathering to her side
Naranja, peach, tangerine
Song in their colors
Lavender, amethyst, dusk
A gift together
All her children
Beaming, pregnant sun

Whispers Of A Girl

Hi all,

This is a poem I discovered in my notebook a few months back. I'm happy to share with all of you. Have a blessed and happy weekend:

Whispers
Of the girl
I used to be
With quiet eyes
Wishful knowing
Time to grow
My inner longing
Life is slow
Dreams are drowning

Whispers of the girl
I used to be
Fear’s the only monster
I’ll be leaving
I am growing
Determined rowing
To my isles of destiny

Intimate Skies

Intimate skies
Tell me your secrets
Buried in your hushed winds
As your colors rise

Happy Sky Watch!

Memory, Love, and White Walls

Hi all,

This is posted for the meme at It’s Thursday. This short story is a bit emotional and raw but the image moved me to write this way.

The walls were white, Lori observed. Her husband had been vacant and blank like them. His eyes were glazed over in a darkened spell. Depression clung to the walls of the naked room.

Lori was fed up with him. The husband with dead eyes. The husband with cold lips. There he lay rotting away in his mind.

She let the memories of him possess her. His hot love withering in the winter of their marriage. His taunt muscles plucked at the bone. His countenance shattered like glass on the floor. Lori tried to glue together pieces of him, to resurrect him from his bed of misery.

The bills mounted. Life had choked up their dreams. Lori flattened her body against the walls. Those cold bare walls…

“I’m going to make you beautiful,” she whispered. She splattered red paint against the walls in confusion and madness. Her palms landed against them harder and harder. She couldn’t stop kicking and screaming.

Red paint now washed over her skin. She was bleeding on the inside, feeling her heart explode and sink into darkness.

Then two arms seized her from behind. Lori froze as she felt his strong heartbeat against her back. His body moved with heat like a slow, crackling fire. He spun her around and studied her dark eyes soften in his. Tears rained down as she spoke.

“You were asleep so long. I thought I had lost you,” Lori whispered. His skin felt like clay in her hands. He could be loved and molded again.

“Baby, I know,” he answered. They bended to the silence and held each other till the walls crumbled and the sunlight danced across their bodies.

Limber Up (O.S.I.)

Hi all,

I'm in a yoga mindset for this week's poem at O.S.I. The theme is limber up.

From his window view
He glanced up at angels
Their muscles stretching up
Arms circling above
Finding center
In the belly of earth
A perfect symmetry
As incense escaped
Rising as one
From candy colored mats
Beautiful aspiring yogis
Hearts embrace namaste

At A Crossing

Hi Sky Watchers,

Lately, I've been blessed to see some beautiful skies. Here is one at the crossing gate at my station.

Happy Sky Watch!!

Loons & Fools

This is a free style poem I was inspired to write today. Hope you enjoy!

Loons and fools
They go together~I guess
If it's all the same to you
I will play a fool
On the edge of darkness
Waiting for your luminous smile to spread

Some profess themselves to be wise
Not I
I am young drifting in wide sky
The creatures they preach
And God speaks
I have but a small place in this life

The loons and fools
They go together~I guess
And confess their thoughts and dreams
Somehow we all coalesce

Vibrant (Haiku)

Hi all,

I've written a pair of haikus for Haiku Heights using the 3-5-3 format. Hope you enjoy!!

Shadows now
Chasing as mirrors
Perfect sun

In your eyes
The world beams your love
Fully mine

Blinding Beautiful Light

My heart
Gravitates
To the blinding
Beautiful light
Of the sun

Happy Sky Watch!!

Impossible (Haiku)

Hi all,

I'm writing a pair of haikus for Haiku Heights and the theme is impossible.

The eyes can dream but
A wingless man shall never
Soar as birds in flight

Dreamer aspire more
To be as one with visions
And live on pure faith

O.S.I. (River)

Happy Sunday all!

I've written the following poem for O.S.I. The theme this week is river.

A gift
In this river
Of tears
Falling against
My cheeks

Don’t weep
For me
I’ve watered
My garden
In a river
Of tears

Smile breaks
The mighty deep
Pure joy
Jumping in
A river
Of tears

Orchestra of Blue

Orchestra of blue
Musical dance with clouds
An endless symphony

Happy Sky Watch

Fright!!

Hi all,

I am starting a bit of October Fright at Acrostic Only. Hope you enjoy!

Full of October spells
Rousing from graveyard’s bed
Ignoring the lurking dark
Giddy with yellow eyes
Haunting growl of beast
Time for human feast

Language (O.S.I.)

Hi all,

I've reached 500 posts!! Thanks for all the visits, readers, and kind comments on my site. Blogging has stretched my writing and imagination in so many ways. I am truly grateful and blessed to have a forum to express my joy of writing.

I'm happy to share today's poem with O.S.I. The theme this week is language.

In the tongue
Of calling birds
Swaying trees
And crunching leaves

In the dialect
Of morning hymns
Spiritual chants
A happy dance

In the whisper
Of holding hands
Releasing lips
And parting home

I endeavor
To take up
The language
Of your soul

The Bubble Squad

Hi all,

Happy October. To begin this month’s posts, I chose the short story prompt over at Bluebell Books. The image is inspired by Charlottes Fancy. I hope you enjoy the child's play in this piece.

Kent couldn’t take his eyes off of bubbles. They had this radioactive glow in sunlight. He watched them until they burst onto pavement. It took the shape of our summer: one beautiful, brief burst.

“Man, we’re too old for this crap,” Matt declared. He cocked his Cubs hat sideways. “Kent, quit staring at those bubbles. Ya big dummy!” He started snapping his fingers in Kent’s face but Kent wouldn’t budge. He was content in the land of bubbles.

“I think the sun fried his brains,” I sighed. Hannah didn’t listen to us complaining. She found the simple joy of summer pursing her lips and releasing her bubbles into the wind. And Kent was her lone but eager spectator.

“Ah hell, I’m a man amongst boys,” Matt spat and he slung his ball from view. “Seriously, don’t you guys wanna play catch? You know I need practice for the JV squad.”

“Nah, I like watching Kent drool,” I laughed.

“Hey, it’s the Bubble Squad,” Sandy shouted. She and Tiffany sped their bikes around the corner to taunt us. I turned to face nasty, no-good Sandy. But she was suddenly charming with that Kool-Aid red dye in her hair. Her cheeks were flushed with a special summer glow.

“Yea, it’s the Bubble Squad. You guys suck,” Tiffany taunted. The insult was enough to wake Kent form his stupor.

“Get lost girls,” Matt threatened and he raised his left fist at Sandy.

“I’d like to see you try it,” she fired back. Sandy was a few inches taller than Matt with her mean, bulldog smile. I felt giddy staring into her cold, heartless eyes. It was the beginning of love and madness.

“Let’s be mature about this guys.” My old man had said something like that before. I gave Sandy a sloppy grin and winked at her. She shot me a dirty look before speeding away on her bike. Tiffany reluctantly followed after her.

“Why did you defend Psycho Sandy,” Matt snapped. “Are you in love, doofus?” I could feel my face turning beet red. “Lay off the girls. They’re poison,” he laughed. He shared a smile with me and ruffled my hair.

We felt the first autumn wind brush against our faces as the bubbles, girls, and baseball drifted away in the final days of summer.

Beautiful Sun

Snapping these photos, I am reminded of the simple joy and blessing of a beautiful sun. Happy Sky Watch all!!

Deep Autumn Sleep

Hi all,

Today I am free styling and posting an original poem I recently penned. Hope you enjoy!

I was asleep when
The autumn winds
Blew away
The world I’d known
And the trees
They bronzed themselves
With leaves of yellow gold
One lap around the clouds
Blue sky upon my back
Ripe apple against my lips
Crunch of fallen leaves beneath me
Dreams christened in colorful sun
I drift in autumn’s spell deeply

Charm (Haiku)

Hi all,

I am writing a pair of haikus for Haiku Heights. The theme this week is charm.

A frequent giver
Of smiles~little notes written
In candy sweet bites

I pass you smiling
Bites of your warmth and sunshine
Charm the inner me

Amuse (O.S.I.)

Hi all,

I've written the following poem for O.S.I. The theme this week is amuse.

It doesn’t lie in your belly
Or cease on your lips
But it grows with a generous laugh
And leans against me with a playful kiss
It rises up like waves in morning
As it shimmers in sun rays
And glistens like dew in summer grass
You’ve built a house of mirth
A place of memory, light, and laughs

Ripples In the Sky

Ripples in the sky
Passing slowly by
May I float on endlessly

Happy Sky Watch All!!

Haste (Acrostic)

Hi all,

I am writing this poem for Acrostic Only. This poem evokes one man’s haste to find love. Hope you enjoy!

How your thoughts turn
Attempt to kiss me
Seek your other love
Try her red lips
Empty quick and sweet

Feather (Haiku)

Hi all,

I am writing a pair of haikus for Haiku Heights. The theme this week is feather.

Could you be ever
Lighter and follow the wind
As feathers off course

If the heavy heart
Sheds her old feathers she shall
Discover new love

Betrayal (O.S.I.)

Hi all,

Tonight’s piece is written for O.S.I. and the theme this week is betrayal.

He is perched
Along the rooftop
In tribute
To his friend
Though his eyes
Have betrayed
The memory
Of her beauty

He is present
In the scent of summer
In the rouge of fall
In whispers through grass
In the song of the breeze
As it passes through his wings

Though the days
And the age
Of his memory
Betrays her beauty

Waves of Happiness

Hi all,

Here is a freestyle poem I’ve recently penned. Hope you enjoy!

Here the waves delight you
They rise with an infectious laugh
Find yourself swimming in the bare blue
And glide upon the surface of its smile
Beguiled by the currents of beauty
Lose yourself in its sapphire eyes
As the waves pass in perfect happiness

Notebook (O.S.I.)

Hi all,

I've written the following poem for O.S.I. The theme this week is notebook.

I comb my thoughts upon this page
And turn it over on its back
As syllables rise and thoughts escape
I tattoo them on my notebook’s face

I dare not let a soul resurrect
The emotions that my heart has kept
No prying hands to open up
In secret do I bury my thoughts

In Remembrance 09.11

Hi all,

Today, I visited a 09.11 Memorial honoring the victims and the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives on that tragic day. Tomorrow will mark the 10th Anniversary.



The image above is a panel that belonged to the FDNY Ladder 3 who were among the brave responders that evacuated victims from the North Tower.



Here is an image of the Memorial Wall that was created by the victim’s families shortly after 9-11



In remembrance
One nation unfurls
Red, white, and blue
For those we lost
Prayer and hope lights
A glorious path
In unity and love