Blame …
deep and abiding
Praise …
a fleeting call
Infliction kills
affection shills
Their contrast
casts a pall
One …
a timeless burden
The other …
flits away
Tomorrow’s pain
all joy abstained
Entrapped
—where memories stay
(The New Room: December, 2023)
The Images Churn
Most of us learn
to live with our demons
Seeing them coming
hearing their call
More in the night
when silence is running
Taking their place
to hide in the hall
Most of us learn
to live with our fears
More real when imagined
the images churn
Once they’re inside us
denial forsaken
To wed the dark moments
—whose effigy’s burn
(Dreamsleep: December, 2023)
Shazam
It’s always dark
—until you open your eyes
(The New Room: December, 2023)
The Garden Paths
Some people write
poetically
And some write
poetic prose
Both front and rear gates
lead back to a garden
To harvest
—what is grown
(Dreamsleep: December, 2023)