Seduced
by what I hadn’t done
Engaged
to what I’d never wed
Married
with vows I wouldn’t take
Divorced
from what I couldn’t leave
(Dreamsleep: May, 2022)
Northern Winds
Roses bleed
their petals bare
Thorns gone missing
pickings rare
Crimson anguish
garden sown
Season desperate
roots bemoan
Roses bleed
their fragrance spoiled
Lovers search
as stems recoil
Cold breaths gather
northern winds
Seeds of hope
—to plant again
(Radnor Pennsylvania: May, 2022)