Mindful Musings

What shall they say when we go away;
that we laughed with a childlike innocence,
wept with those who weep
tarried beside the old sycamore tree
to carry a broken winged bird
safely to its nest?

Shall they speak of our infatuation with stars
and the way they dance in a lovers eyes;
shine upon the vastness of the earth
or the delicacy of a blooming calla lily
and that I loved how the scent of petals
remained upon my hands
after an afternoon in the garden?

Shall they smile at how we looked at books
of tourism in Italy, joked with bad accents
when cooking pasta on Sundays?

Shall they speak of how I blushed
each time he made eye contact,
breathed a sigh at the scent of his cologne
lingering on the pillow after his leaving
and how we held hands, always,
even as we slept…

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Day 28 of NaPoMo (a poem a day in April for National Poetry Month)

When April Leaves

There’s something about the rain
in April; wind whispering
calm after the storm,

coolness of the evening
in breezes

like fingers through my hair.

April, you arrive like a gift
with ribbons to untie
swirling ‘round my heart
like a never ending poem.

There is a part of me missing
when the hue shifts to blue
when showers spread seeds

and blossoms peek out
like salutations to May.

. Day 27 of NaPoMo (a poem a day in April for National Poetry Month)

Wind Beneath Your Wings

They didn’t play your song
but I sang it,
silently,
as I set the rose down.

You would have loved
seeing the crowd
that gathered.

You always loved
being the center of attention.

.
Day 26 of NaPoMo (a poem a day in April for National Poetry Month)

Occupancy in My Heart

Although I never
caught a glimpse of you,
you were beside me,
your arms embracing me,
like willows;

constellations
leaving a light
to follow.
You trace my tears,
collecting sorrows
in a bottle

to turn into gold
in your time,

but, there I was, weeping,
impatiently awaiting to touch
just the hem of your garment.

.

.
Day 25 of NaPoMo (a poem a day in April for National Poetry Month)

Taking the Scenic Route

Hours pass more quickly, lately,
memories flash in the mind,
like reels on an old movie projector,
rows of windmills twirl
in sync with the wave of corn
in fields of unanswered prayers.

My mind wanders to the words
I could have said more often,
stacks of books I should have read,
because lately, there is no excuse.

Someone said once
if you feel melancholy,
step out and watch a sunrise.
Let the rays kiss your face, early,
when dew is fresh on wildflowers;
bees buzzing a tune
in symphony with the sunlight,

initials on an oak tree
for other lovers to find;

love letters left behind.

.
Day 24 of NaPoMo (a poem a day in APril for National Poetry Month)

You Didn’t Look Deep Enough

Layers, peeled back,
each intricate fold exposed
each delicate detail outlined
like a charcoal sketch,
turned inside out.

It’s more than his sly grin
when he’s plotting a surprise,
his silent, loving gaze;
more than a blush, her giggle
when their eyes meet,
her passionate chorus
when no one is listening;

their fingers, intertwined,
hearts interlocked.

Things aren’t always
as simple as they seem.

.

Day 23 of NaPoMo (a poem a day in APril for National Poetry Month)

Blank

Pages staring at me, blank
challenging my pen;
my passion, my heart
spilling invisible ink
like paint;

my life, a canvas
they call nothing,
but you say
I am something
else

and here I am
two steps behind,
again,

but one step closer
to you.

.
Day 22 of NaPoMo (a poem a day in April for National Poetry Month)

Sorrowful Symphony

You set yourself up
for failure,
allowing thoughts
to stage the scene
for a movie
with a bad ending

before the plot plays out;
an overzealous conductor
keeping score

as the credits roll,

You’re playing an extra
when you thought
you’d be the lead.

.

Day 21 of NaPoMo (a poem a day in April for National Poetry Month)

Shell

If we could only see
beneath the skin,
past the persona,
the designer bag;
the embellishments,

those seen as ordinary
fill in the missing pieces;
the empty spaces with light
They are ripples in the sea,
the waves,
a hum in the wind;
the ache in a song.

We are only souls in a shell
visitors in this temporary place,
minuscule specks of dust
in the whole of creation,
like birds in the air

seeking shelter from the elements

loving from a distance
people too blind to see.

Day 20 of NaPoMo (a poem a day in April for National Poetry Month)

A River Running Through It

Life, with its twists and turns

attempts to dim the light,

as we, flawed, but forgiven

forge down a narrow path

unapologetically naked-

wild birds without a home

flying to shelter,

to our fortress;

a red river running through it.

.

Day 19 of NaPoMo (a poem a day in April for National POetry MOnth)

Love Letter #102: Be a Poem

Embrace the pieces of you
that no one understands,
the words foreign
to most.

We are shapes, colors,
flowing skirts like petals
that bloom, fall
and blossom again
like we never left.

Don’t let the words
sink into your spirit
Don’t let them edit
until your voice disappears

and you sound
more like an essay
than a poem.

.
Day 18 of NaPoMo (a poem a day in April for National Poetry Month)

Green

Alone in her thoughts,
words, unsolicited;
an unpopular opinion.

Love is a lonely poet
grasping at straws,
one stanza at a time
like a song without a chorus

green, unblossomed,

but a gardener replants,
reinvents, each plot,
a new creation;
syllables cultivated
in good soil
even if only one shoot
springs forth,
green.

.
Day 17 of NaPoMo (a poem a day in April for National Poetry Month)