Battle (free-verse)
Under the surface, a battle is raging
From a single seed
Two seedlings sprout
One a red rose
Gorgeous, flashy, screaming for attention
Fierce thorns
Fun, thrilling
The other a daisy
Beautiful in a quiet way
Sweet, gentle
Not often noticed, easy to pass by
Calm, reassuring, peaceful
The two fight to reach the surface
Wrapping, twisting, pulling at each other
Each struggles upward
Sometimes they poke their heads up
Only to be yanked back down
Which is the plant the seed intended to be?
Who is the true flower?
Who will win?
Crocus (Free-verse)
Stormy sky
Clouds grumbling and weeping
Wind howls
Hard frost coats the ground
Colorless, frozen
A dead world
But under the surface
A seed is bursting
Sending out sinuous little roots
Undulating into the ground
Pushing through the soil
Bravely raising its head
Against the bitter cold
A seedling, a sprout, then a bud
Waiting, waiting…
The sun shines
Weak at first
Then in full glory
Clouds flee from its might
Revealing a vaulted sky of clearest blue
Warm rays search
Find the tiny bud
Petals fan open
Beauty unfolds
Lilac
Deep royal purple
Golden sunshine yellow
Purest white streaked with lavender
A crocus
Fiery Dragon (Rondeau)
Fiery dragon flies overhead
In the town, people watch with dread
Flames blossom from the dragon’s jaw
Flowers of flame fall from its maw
And coat the town in orange and red
What has happened, what has been said?
Why to attack was the beast led?
No one knows, but they’ve felt hate’s claw
Fiery dragon
She returned from hunting, well fed
To find eggs cracked, her children dead
The pain and rage began to knaw
Eating her alive, grief so raw
Desolate, heart heavy as lead
Fiery dragon
Nothing lasts (free-verse)
The sun is setting
Colors painting themselves across the sky
Blooming, blossoming
Gold, to pink, to purple
Always changing
Never the same
Enjoy it while you can
Soon it will fade to black
Nothing lasts
But don’t weep for its loss
Drink in the night
Enjoy the beauty of the moon
Treasure the stars
For soon it will be day
And they’ll be gone
Nothing lasts
In life, things are always changing
Forever shifting
Never the same
Enjoy it while you can
It won’t last
Nothing lasts
So be glad you knew that person
Or did that thing
Or had that relationship
And then when it’s over
Move on
Something new is awaiting
Something beautiful
Something amazing
And maybe, just maybe
It will last
Rainstorm (Ranga)
Rain drops roll gently
Over velvety petals
Glittering diamonds
Glistening pearls dropping
Falling gently to the ground
Dripping, plummeting
Rushing to the earth, smashing
Shattered rainbow shards
Stand for something (free-verse)
If you don’t stand for something
You’ll fall for anything
And anything isn’t good
Immodesty
So easy, yet so stressful
When you’re modest, you don’t have to worry
Maybe you think it makes you look better
It doesn’t
If you don’t stand for something
You’ll fall for anything
And anything isn’t good
Bad language
Maybe you’ve heard it from those around you
It begins to crowd your mind, pushing to get out
Don’t let it
If you can’t even control what comes out of your mouth
Then how can you control anything else?
If you don’t stand for something
You’ll fall for anything
And anything isn’t good
Pornography
Maybe you were looking for it, maybe you weren’t
But don’t take chances
It’s addicting
And it bites every time
If you don’t stand for something
You’ll fall for anything
And anything isn’t good
Lying
It starts out small, one little lie, then two
But those who tell white lies soon become colorblind
You have to tell more and more
Until you’re tangled in a web of lies
And no one trusts you
If you don’t stand for something
You’ll fall for anything
And anything isn’t good
When the prophets tell you to do something
Do it
Even if you can’t understand why
It’s revelation from God
He loves you and knows what’s best for you
Isn’t that reason enough?
If you don’t stand for something
You’ll fall for anything
And anything isn’t good
The child looks into the mirror (Villanelle)
The child looks into the mirror
Gazing into the eyes staring back
And wipes away a silent tear
They’re frozen, continuing to peer
Thinking of all the features they wish for but lack
The child looks into the mirror
In their countenance, misery is clear
The child feels like each glimpse is a smack
And wipes away a silent tear
Their gloom is a train they can’t steer
Every glance is a whack
The child looks into the mirror
They’ve long ago chased away all thoughts of cheer
The child looks at them self as they would a rundown shack
And wipes away a silent tear
With hopelessness creeping ever so near
Their confidence has run off the track
The child looks into the mirror
And wipes away a silent tear
The Place (free-verse)
There is a place
Where midnight meets macaroni and cheese
Where bubblegum befriends robins’ eggs
Where sea and sky embrace
Where coral and violets laugh together
Where orchids and sunshine touch
Where barns chat with jungles
Where peaches dance with bricks
Where a dandelion is as big as a forest
Where grass and mints frolic
Where plums are worth as much as gold
Where babies play with steel
Where royalty and mud are equals
Where rubies and oranges skip hand in hand
A place where rainbows collide and explode
Magical land?
Not really
Go look inside your crayon box
Chocolate (limerick)
Chocolate is so delicious and sweet
My heart leaps at the thought of this treat
Sugary and creamy
Wonderfully dreamy
Filling me with pleasure from head to feet
Escape (free-verse)
Escape
Escape from your worries
Escape from your cares
Steal a few minutes, a few hours
Snatch then away from the clutches of stress
The jaws of responsibility
Flee from your life
Run from the world
Dive into another realm
Immerse yourself in another land
Let the pages whisper their stories to you
Disappear
Escape
Read
Marching band (free-verse)
I’m on my dot
Flute up, eyes forward
The drum stops
Silence
The Drum Majors salute
The crowd cheers
What will they think?
What will the judges think?
I’m tired, I’m sore
Adrenaline rushing
The Drum Major begins to conduct
All noise ceases
The crowd disappears
All that exists is the show.
Step out
Dress the form
Giant steps, now tiny steps
Don’t let the color guard kill you
That’ll come later
The Opener’s over
Flute down
Breathe
Hold, step, lean, lean
Stand up, raise the flute
Woodwind feature
Play out, play pretty
Watch the Drum Major
Hit that step-out
Dress the form
Transition to the Closer
Faster
Hold the spacing
Jump away from the base drum and die
Slow down, limp
Flute up
Shove off backwards
Watch that crescendo
Pass between the drums
Play out
Give it all you’ve got
Dress the line
Last note, horn down
The crowd reappears and erupts
Success
*Silent Watcher* (free-verse)
I am not your stalker
Yet I know where you sleep
I don’t follow you
Yet I watch your every move
Your actions amuse me
I laugh, but you will never hear it
You creatures of flesh
With your short life spans
You will never know
What it is to be
Nearly ageless
Almost timeless
Stay in the Deep Water (Sestina)
Imagine you are a fish
With your friends you swim
Playing, happily shrieking
In the deep blue sea all day
It’s a sweet innocent life
A good life and you love it
But soon you grow bored with it
You’re such a beautiful fish
Why shouldn’t you have a life
With thrills? Why should you still swim
In the deep water all day
When your new friends are shrieking
About what? They are shrieking
About the light, they say it
Is wonderful every day--
The shallows, where the cool fish
Go to have fun as they swim
Have fun as they swim through life
It sounds like a thrilling life
The adventures are shrieking
So up you go, up you swim
Those fish were right, up here it
Is great fun, you clever fish
No rules, you’re free every day
You see something new one day
A hook, you’re scared for your life
But it’s fine, you’re a smart fish
There’s no need to be shrieking
So pretty and shiny, it
Won’t hurt you, so on you swim
Swim on little fish, swim, swim
Get away, before one day
There’s a yummy worm on it
You can’t resist for your life
You take a big bite, shrieking
It’s got you, poor little fish
Let this day teach you to swim
Cautiously through life, don’t shriek
Stay where it’s safe, little fish
Princess (Sonnet)
Princess by my birth, it’s who I am
Daughter of the king, the most mighty seen
Yet he is kind and gentle as a lamb
Someday I’ll be like him, someday a Queen
I am his flower his most precious gem
His strength, his power he promises me
Greatest riches and love he will not stem
He soothes my fears, from troubles sets me free
But now as I wander so far from home
Jewels gone, not a soul believes my title
Mocking, laughing at my falls as I roam
But head held high I will resist their pull
I know who I am I’ll cross this ravine
I’ve proved myself, when I’m home I’ll be Queen
