Category Archives: poetry

by

Ice Cube

I am an ice cube
cold
becoming colder
unfeeling
chilled to the bone
ice queen
icicles for tears
frozen heart
skate away from commitment

This frigid stance
won’t allow any hurt any pain
each layer of chilly precipitation
hardens my outer shell
protects from slings and arrows
hurled my way
ice water flows through my veins
I remain permafrost
rigid
firm in my resolve
unbending

Until the sun comes out

slow melt begins
gentle thaw
unconscious at first
rounding sharp edges of my frame
alarming me as my awareness takes hold
of this uninvited turn of events

I stay rooted to the spot
holding fast to old hurts
old stories
a glacial chunk meant to withstand
the test of time

Until the thaw spreads

through my solid core;
I finally crack
warmth seeps in
dissolving the cube I’ve become
leaving a puddle
in its wake

by

Sudden Storm

Change of season arrives
a startling revelation of nature’s own agenda

It arrives brisk and certain
unconcerned about the day’s forecast
or what the calendar says

Wet flurries settle sloppily
on unsuspecting pedestrians
white halos embracing hair

Bare feet peek out of open toed shoes
shivering at what they see
not quite ready for dark scratchy wool and boots

Sleet and snow climb lazily
onto any exposed surface
lingering in a detached manner

before slowly melting
Knowing soon
temperatures will dictate a grip
that cannot be so easily loosened

by

Disbelief

Today’s post was inspired by the current media discussion of violence against women following allegations against former CBC broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi. A question I saw earlier today asked, “How many women must speak out to equal the voice of one man?”

The room is dark
suffocating dark
Panic inducing lack of light despite sunny skies
autumn colors outdoors

It is a race to that safe place
before the spark is completely snuffed
before the dark becomes
consuming
overwhelming
overtaking all

A tiny haven awaits
sanctuary of sacred flame
buried deep within
pathway hidden

Alarm signals shrieking!
All senses on high alert!
Survival systems kick into high gear
“Do not let the flame be doused. Hold on to the light
at all costs”

Watching events unfold
as from a distance
Denial
Detachment
Betrayal

Trust is broken
cleaved into pieces by a
swift action
Shattered
Shards vibrating
Questioning
Why is this happening?
How can this be happening?

Violence
Heaving

Quiet

It has stopped

Darkness is all around

Blinded by emotion
quivering
fatigue
shame

It has stopped

But the journey
to recapture the flame
has just begun
It is buried deep
protected

A silent tear escapes

by

Milky Way

Milky way overflowed last night
spilling alabaster light into my life

Currents of ancient knowledge and history
flowed past my bedroom door

Gleefully I immersed myself in opalescent energy
shedding itself from borders of the galaxy

Ursa Major dipped low
growling amiably while helping me indulge

Angels hovered on the sidelines
excited as they watched events unfold

Aristotle, Pythagoras, Socrates and Galileo
mathematicians, scientists, mystics and priests
streamed by
splashing images of their ideas and philosophies as they went

Cassiopeia surged
Andromeda gushed
spiralling stars
rushing to escape their positions

I gulped and reveled in the shower of their wisdom
thriving in the unexpected arrival of this celestial accident

Sagittarius arched and bowed
amongst interstellar dust
I curtsied and giggled
at his chivalrous behaviour

As the star cluster
radiated and rotated
tried to right itself
I beamed
the magnitude of my aura
one with the universe

Dazed by the multitude of power
the flow of spirit
I slowly fell back
and remained prone

An orange hued giant star
floated back to the sky
as dawn approached

Galactic particles sprinkled on me
throughout the morning
Iridescent motes
tickling my thoughts
making me smile

by

Wallowing

Woke up this morning
took a moment to see
through blurry eyes
exactly what
was looking back at me

Garbage can lids
cardboard under my head
a dumpster spilling over
can’t remember what I did
what I said

Do you have a light
can you spare a dime
I thought things would be different
this time
Do you have a light
can you spare a dime
I really thought life would be different
this time

Went to a center
finally took someone’s advice
lost my wallet, my cigarettes, my hoodie
came away with lice

Story of my life
always seems to be
no matter what it is I do
bad luck follows me

Do you have a light
can you spare a dime
I thought things would be different
this time
Do you have a light
can you spare a dime
I really thought life would be different
this time

One hundred push ups
fifty sit ups with a kick
didn’t make a difference
left me feeling kinda sick

Don’t know why the fuss
wish people would let things be
let me face my own future
wallow in misery

Do you have a light
can you spare a dime
I thought things would be different
this time
Do you have a light
can you spare a dime
I really thought life would be different
this time

by

Puppeteer

An ornate time piece on a wrist
jeweled
shiny, elegant chrome chronograph
or matte finish
functional
practical, purposeful chronometer

A puppeteer’s handcuff
controlling movement subtly
directing thoughts subliminally
a marionette to be pushed, pulled, directed

Steady tick, tick, tick
hypnotizes
activity done mindlessly
going through motions without attention
glazed eyes
striving to make it from one
paycheque to the next
without breaking the strings of the masterminder
oblivious to the pull
of the masterminder

Second hand sweeps
behind the minute
behind the hour
striving to move ahead
but wired into place
hour leads
minute follows
second lapses
wired into place
pulled along by the others
gears and cogs manipulating movement
invisible strings manipulating movement
time manipulating movement

World focused on clocks and calendars
great energy expended keeping up to the time keepers

Obsession with timepieces
and calendars is restricting
what is this competition that has been thrust upon wrists,
on walls, on clock towers in time squares
town squares

Shirk wrist pieces, cell phones
anything that strives to own your being
Pay no attention to these measurements
these pushes and pulls
prods to direct you

Allow no thoughts of time to settle upon you
consume you
control you
and watch your mind settle
rest
and give birth to new ideas