Sheila's Dribs 'n Drabs

A long time ago In a galaxy far far away In a time just after one war Before another He grew up, just in time To fight And lived. In my galaxy far far away I remember and wish I understood the way from there To here; His war so far away from this His fear, and yet he knew the way And paid His price so dear. For that galaxy far far away As space and continents And prison walls to isolate His time to now His war to this His home, his dreams, Dad this Seems a very strange time to remember A hundred years A long time ago.

It’s a new world here On the empty street Where squirrels meet No fear of cars to greet A new world here On an empty screen With a virtual meet Where friends are far away As strangers here And the virus feared Might be all too near And zap the computer first.

The wind howls but it has no strength and cannot tumble me. The wind howls and it might be wolves. They will not come for me. The wind howls and the branches bend but they will not break or fall. The wind howls and the ages send their answer. Hear their call. The future howls, and past unseated all.

When the chess board’s gray on gray And the pieces fade away And the sky is night and the night is day And the kids are refusing to play, Numbers turn into words; Queen to d 4 is heard And the gasp--what occurred?-- Sweetly furred, ‘twas the cat For she’s gray as the stormcloud And faster than mouse At chess-pass. Then the child Sets the board up with smiles And says, “Hold her Mom now While we play.”

A poet decides the verbiage, writes Sweet mysteries to the page, so why Do words decide against this flight Of wimsy, rage deriding Poetic decision?

I wandered lonely as a cloud Beyond the hill, beyond the dale Beyond the lurking town and found Of daffodils a dream, a host But most of all found you. I wandered lonely, sad it seemed My fate to ever only seek Dark-clouded gray-clad winter ghosts Then I found you.

Cold outside; the promised sun is high but gray mist here. We drive through forests looming out of doom where bright inverted sunshine turns the sky to rain’s reflection splashing dry. It’s cold outside but in the car the mystery and joy will travel far. There’s hope inside and fun.

Little kit through shadows creeping Snatches mouse through narrows sneaking Sleek, delicious, cleans her whiskers Yum. Bluebird high in tall tree flitting Down on squirrel never quitting Sitting watching feeding birdseed Yum. Kitten’s oft-inspiring treks now Rest in dreams in comfort’s house, how Vanished hopes are banished, canned, still Yum.

Dreaming rivers flow To open seas where winds of Change and reason blow. Dreaming spires will fall When blooms of spring all turn to Memories and dust. Dreaming birds awake; Shaken feathers fall like rust Burning snow’s shadow. Dreaming hope reflect On promises and end of Trust that seasons spent.

Silver and gold Tinsel and foil Trouble and toil To get it all right. Silver and gold Her head’s going gray Now her life’s growing old Now you’re going away. Silver and gold; Come home for the tree Come home for the mother The brother and see Silver and gold.

“Trick’r treat!” He heard the children’s voices down the lane. “Trick’r treat!” He struggled out of bed. “Trick’r treat!” The gravestone’s weight pushed him to earth again. “Trick’r treat!” He crawled around the other way instead. “Trick’r treat!” He hurried home. “Trick’r treat!” Contentedly he gave his dog a bone.

Dark walker crossing the deep divide You’ve made the chasm wide then campfire lit Where winter’s torches hide, where silence sits Entrancing darkness haunting deep divides. You’ve made the chasm wide, relit Heart-fire and soft-strummed music, fit the sound To stow with dancing marionnettes around This chasm where the campfire’s lit. With strumming music’s flitting sound Dark walking overhauling deep divides Recalling startled night’s domain was mine His talons strumming music’s hidden sound. Dark walkers crossing deep divides With winter’s torch to hide in summer’s pail Be-fringed with poet’s dance the shadows hail My name limp-writ beneath where music hides. written for ReadWritePoem #9, including 12 words from a list - flap, winter, torch, pail, jug, strum, lever, massage, octopus, marionette, stow, pumice, rug, jam, limp, campfire, startle, wattle, bruise, chimney, tome, talon, fringe, walker