Vigil (Jul 8, 2026)

Written while sitting in a verterinary emergency hospital waiting room.

Vigil

---

Vet waiting room cold and
Very sterile with pets
Valiantly waiting.
Volumes of stories are
Visiting while owners
Vanquish fear of the great
Vast expanse of the end.

(Untitled Tanka) (Feb 14,2024)

This was my entry to the Frontier Poetry “(Not) In Love” Tanka Challenge contest. A friend asked for some input on his entry which prompted me to write my own.

---

groping heart holds on
to whatever severed head
must leave behind in
wake of bloody body with
no remorse for empty soul

Redemption (Jan 3, 2024)

I originally titled this one "Republicans." But that seemed just a little too "on the nose" and the sentiment is certainly more timeless and is fit for reflection beyond our current political turmoil.

Redemption

---

Rushing quickly down the
Rabbit-hole away from
Reality where no
Respite from the caustic
Resurgence of our hate
Reasonably can be
Recovered to save us

"Q" (Oct 25, 2023)

Yes this seems a little like a contractual obligation entry.

Q

---

Quixotically Quick
Qualitatively Quaint
Quotably Quotable
Quaintly Qualitative
Quickly Quixotical
Quietly Quizzical

Nevermore (Oct 18, 2023)

No need not to finish the Pleides series.

Nevermore

---

Never is the winter
Nevermore, Nevermore
Never discontented
Nevermore, Nevermore
Never trust the honest
Nevermore, Nevermore
Never say Nevermore

Jurisprudence (May 6, 2021)

Something quick because I felt like I should.

Jurisprudence

---

Justice for the poor is
Justice for us all but
Just as we stand still and
Just as we can fall so
Judging those we fear and
Judging those who crawl to
Jail every needy soul

Nonesuch 2018 (Aug 28, 2018)

I've written several of these in my life and it's always fun to see what pops out. There's a few interesting references in here if you can find them. Enjoy.

Nonesuch 2018

---

To the tune of
"Diving Into The Wind"
By Journalism Ethics
There is a curious mantra
That's tough to understand
For withal there is much
That begs to differ
If I stand upon the shoulders of giants
Will I be able to sea the shore
Upon which my sister Sally
Sells pickled peppers
Or will there always be a way
Forward for the breeze to follow
Follow, Follow
It is 2018
Before a land fall
An average year
To fell a dove

Living (Jun 19, 2018)

I tried to write this as a villanelle and then as a pantoum but this pleiades kept forcing its way out.

Living

---

Life is ephemeral:
Lurking at every turn,
Leaking from every pore,
Longing to reach a home;
Liberating itself,
Lifting the spirit up,
Lasting beyond all hope.

Grieving (Dec 21, 2017)

One thing I like so much about this form is that when you think it would be limiting because the rules are so strict and the poems short, there are so many interesting things that can happen.

Grieving

---

Good memories will for
get when the heart won't for
give and the soul won't for
go. When the world has for
gotten and none have for
given then all is for
gone. We all must let go.

Feeling (Dec 12, 2017)

I've decided to buckle down and finish the Pleides series. So here is the entry for "F"

Feeling

---

Feasting on the tallest
Fasting grass; wingless birds
Flying high above the
Falling sun; unmanned boats
Flowing alone on the
Freezing water; we are
Forced to live once more with

Sorry (Feb 2015)

Just a ditty to pass the time. Been trying to get back into the creative swing,

Sorry

---

Sorry I’m so difficult
Sorry I’m so weird
I really do love you though
And will never grow a beard

I know I can be difficult
I know life can be hard
But you’ve helped me through so much of it
And I think I like Swiss chard

I promise to keep trying
I promise to never quit
And I will always be there
Even when you read French Lit

So when you feel like crying
So when you’re down and blue
My shoulder will be ready
And my ears will be ready too.

Thought (16-June-2014)

I've decided to try and get back in the swing of things by continuing my variation on Movement. This time I went with the Haiku form.

Thought

---

Stranded mirror lake
Meadow fawn on empty path
Laughing antique bear

Pensive (31-May-2014)

I'm appalled at how long it's been. I really need to do this more often. It might be that since I've been involved with a theater production these last couple of weeks, my creative core has been tapped. This felt like it had been swirling in my brain for a few days and I couldn't get the image of Dumbledore using his pensive out of my head so that became the title.

Pensive

---

Pleading upward ever
Pulling down a life that's
Passing never finding
Purpose filled with all the
Particular empty
Phantoms circling your
Proud and bottomless drain

Stillness (6-Apr-2013)

Here's the Pleiades variation on Movement.

Stillness

---

Stranded sky, concave glass
Spreading light on blue lake
Sloth field, lazy summer
Setting on empty path
Silly bear, laughing flame
Spotting antique table
Sitting and Standing Stone

Movement (4-Apr-2013)

This just popped into my head with no particular form. After looking at it, I thought it might be interesting to do "variations on a theme" by using almost the exact same words in strict forms. We'll see what happens.

Movement

---

Stranded sky
Silver jacket
Concave mirror
Spreading light on blue lake

Open meadow
Eager fawn
Lazy summer
Setting heavy on empty path

Grizzled bear
Rising globe
Laughing candle
Dripping wax on antique table

Over and Under
In and Around
Forward and Through

Weather (18-Feb-2013)

I realized that I have never posted a haiku. The weather outside sounds bad so this is what came to mind.

Weather

---

Drenching Rain Pours Down
On Slow Moving Death To Bring
Green Billowing Life

East (16-Jan-2013)

I can't believe it's been a year since I wrote last. I've decided to increase my prolificity and what better way than to make an addition to my Pleiades collection. Since it is Wednesday, it seemed reasonable to use Three Word Wednesday to oil my rusty muse.

East

---

Eating Dismal Waffle
Every Bird Hopes To
Entreat From Hallowed Ground
Early Luscious Worm Tries
Escaping Beak And Claw
Existing Past His Fate
Enjoying One More Day

Poker Party (11-Nov-2011)

I had a pretty rough time during that period when I had my operation. I found one that I wrote in my journal that I forgot to post. The combination of pain, percocet, and long empty days brings out some pretty dark things.

Poker Party

---

Can't sleep and have pain. Guess I'll clean.
My demons have come to visit;
They all sit about me
Dressed in colors of death.
They know me.
My protector is not here.
Jealousy, Vanity, Rage, Envy,
Lust, Hunger, Self-Doubt;
They sit around the table
And play cards for my soul;
Dealer's choice.
The deck is stacked and the winners known
And still they play.

Be (16-Nov-2011)

Had an operation last week and was having some pain last night so I took a percocet.  This was the result.

Be

---

Butterflies bring babies
Borrowing blue balloons;
Buzzing bees buy blessing
Bishops blow brown bassoons;
Bridges bridging bygone
Boats bobbing back beyond
Believability

Dove (9-Nov-2011)

My sweetie has been gone all week building houses in Haiti. I decided to use 3WW to write a poem. I chose the pleiades form to add to that collection.

Dove

---

drank of the wellspring of
delicious love I have
decided to hitch my
desires to one whom
dances on pin heads with
deafening life she will
dig to muster my soul