December, 2008

                             LA VANGUARDIA

ALWAYS DIFFERENT

Very own private hideaway spot

Dancing beneath rainbow’s ecstasy arc

Garden hose nozzle sprinkling glee

Recoiled serpentine sod thirst quenched

                                                                               NEVER THE SAME

                                                                               Invisible barbed tight-wire balancing act

                                                                               Bent umbrella spokes thumbnail slivers

                                                                               Playing hopscotch avec imaginary friends

                                                                               Lions jumping through blazing hoops

ALWAYS DIFFERENT

Recollections secreted in stonewall cracks

Demons sneaking through uncaught crooks

Hurling rocks skyward falling on

Shrunken heads turned away coughing

                                                                               NEVER THE SAME

                                                                               Uncharted path thorny bramble cleared

                                                                               Paved bike trails filling void

                                                                               Yellow-line logic bypasses common sense

                                                                               Ground rule taboos flexibly stretched

ALWAYS DIFFERENT

Somebody else’s mother slitting throat

Skinning childhood stirring cocoa dreams

Chalky constellatory stardust scratching blackboard

Fortune etched onto unread palms

                                                                               NEVER THE SAME

                                                                               Skipped heartbeat pulsating What If

                                                                               Dedicated to Have Nots who

                                                                               Aren’t now never will be

                                                                               What might have mere reverie

                                    UN-SO-MN-IA

UNfears almost grown out of

Lying awake afraid to sleep

Boogeyman lurking undercover bedspread flounce

Nightmares bucking stacked UNeven odds

                                                                               UNholy ghosts leaving vapor trails

                                                                               Behind smoky mirrors passed through

                                                                               Quick exits revolving door entrancement

                                                                               Hunchback shadows UNtimely warp bent

UNtying Gordian knot oracular promise

Square root Scout merit badges

Naively idealistic do-gooders eagle-eyed pragmatists

Enigmatic sphinx riddles best UNsolved 

                                                                               UNanticipated quirky twists cork-screwing Fate

                                                                               Sliding up spiral staircase banister

                                                                               Popping quixotic bubbles fermented sparkle

                                                                               Destiny watered down expectations UNmet

UNgathered bouquet dawn’s early light

Morning glory dewdrops funneling dusk

Cul-de-sacs reaching afterlife impasse wherein

Dead ends are most UNlive

                                    **TRA, **TRA

**HAUSTED

     Inverse sky afternoon evening nap

          Yawning horizon past future stretch

               Bordering on off flip-flop switches

                    Outcast infinity **PECTATIONS beyond limits

**TRAVAGANT

     Flea market haggler trading places

          Shakedown upscale tipped over under

               No refunds bargain basement attic

                    As is **AM was weren’t

**PLORE

     Fading golden nugget prospects rise

          Discovering rainbows where none exist

               Flimsy negligee dusk dawn shed

                    Shamelessly naked **POSED skintight loose

**TINCT

     Endangered struggle for against survival

          Urban rural safari wildness tamed

               Humanimal species criss-crossing breeds

                    Leopards tigers **CHANGE spots stripes

**TREME

     Infrared ultraviolet micro- macro- spectrum

          Living dead lenders borrowed time

               Ghosts race black white cloudbanks

                    More most **CESS too much

BEYOND INFINITY

Black hole swallowing third planet

     From smoldering Sun nebula unplugged

          Sending ultraviolet shock waves through

               Firmament emitting gamma radiance aglow

               Even time can’t escape gravity

          Being sucked into swirling abyss

     Amazing beast Minotaur labyrinth entrapped

Journey of No Return passage

Inter-galactic world collide fusing together

     Giant vacuums cleaning stardust carpet

          Innermost soulful anima Fantasia medley

               Shrunken neutron Snow White dwarfs

               Angels and Demons unpardonable sinners

          Wingless glossy beetles crawling through

     No exit skylight shattering windowpane

Peeved solar masses reflecting vengeance

Ripping through stellar space faster

     Than Lone Ranger’s speeding bullet

          Kick started by Supernovae implosion

               Gas spiral centripetal whirlpool vortex

               Moonless night eclipsing miserable despair

          Self-loathing sorrow venting pent-up rage

     Unfed hopes becoming utterly extinct

Final merger million eons away 

                                    EITHER / OR

Nothing is everywhere but here

     Homecoming befitting once upon stranger

          Return stumbling over flimsy excuses

               IOU’s compensating unsettled debts   or

Achingly familiar provokes mudslinger slide

     Wet soil oozing between toes

          Clay cracked footprint dusted off

               Frayed ribbon wallflower hanger-on   or

Overcast sky dirty laundry folded

     Prostrate corpses inhabiting old room

          Fast awake apparitions bedstead trapped

               Musty sheets pinfeather pillows   or

Prodigal ghost static clings to

     Diving rods no longer there

          Cardboard slide rule masking taped

               Toothless attic fan truths   or

Silent unknowns remain whitewashed cover-ups

     For another decade at least

          Wrinkled oak nestling robin stutter

               Anywhere else but here   or

                                                            RETURN TO SENDER

Stamped night enveloped in darkness

Skipped heartbeats softened to mush

Blurry postmark smudged lipstick gloss

Sealed shut with butterfly kisses

                                                                               Ukulele newfangled instrument trading places

                                                                               Steel guitar uptight twisted wires

                                                                               Unhinged case begging passerby alms

                                                                               Tosses coins rough edge landings

Strumming banjo pluck heartstrings tug

Fretting about nothing much matters

Metallic claws peeling off shadows

Crackly chord rhythms gone astray

                                                                               Intergalactic midnight blue velvet painting

                                                                               Lunarscape that glows in dark

                                                                               Leaning against some distant planet

                                                                               Fallen meteor mistaken for star

Unearthed jewels fake gemstone paste

Everyday colorful prismatic spectrum refractors

Crashing surprise party gift wrapped

Petrified rainbow overstaying friendly visit

                                                                               Galvanized mailbox slack jaw agape

                                                                               Awaited special delivery never arriving

                                                                               Tumbling moon somersaults over asteroid

                                                                               Cartwheels spread eagle wheel spokes

                                    UNorthodox

Icaghowan Bible getaway UNhappy campers

     Summertime blues acute longing homesickness

          Wet dreams mattress reeking bedbuggery

               Infestation wingless mites parasitic bloodsuckers

                    Gospel according to UNsaintly Matt

               Smirking pervert log cabin counselor

          Averted nervous glances Mantra testament

     Stiff pricks have no consciences

Ghost stories invoking UNholy spirits

     Powwow marshmallows burnt to crisps

          Graham crackers Hershey bar smores

               Wienies stuffed in Wonder buns

                    Moses cradling UNsung Ave Maria

               Marshy bulrushes vestal virgin swamped

          Pithy stems fuzzy pussy willows

     Fluttery butterflies coughing up phlegm

Horned toad chapped skin UNroughed

     Tailless amphibians playing leap frog

          Cinderella’s petit prince charming transmigration

               Itchy palm warts rubbed raw

                    Chances blown shotgun wads UNloaded

               Spit or swallow bent kneelers

          Stud poker wild Jokers tamed

     Cardinal sins red letter events

This poem is dedicated to John Nashville, the tenacious founder and inspiration

behind POETRY CEMETERY, with many thanks for his generous recognition

and support of aspiring poets and best wishes for continued success in his

always worthwhile author-itative ventures!

                             STINGRAY GLINTS

Running late smack-dab dewy kisses

Sun finally persuaded to rise

Yawning horizon crying out loud

Dawn’s early birds high-pitched chirps

                             Thinking we were we weren’t

                             Unreasonable existence striving for recognition

                             Almost but never quite knowing

                             Desperate to understand unraveled secrets

                                                            Passion flowers given cold shoulder

                                                            Crisp air exhaling frosty breath

                                                            Bellies tickled by icy fingertips

                                                            Daybreak navels turned innie outed

Crosswalk stoplight stuck on red

Amber tiger’s eyes lying in wait

Envious green on the blink

Buckling pavement flipping sewer lids

                             Once was wasn’t ever really

                             Dead man’s float sunken hope

                             Stillborn mummies wrapped in transparency

                             Embalming ointment soaking through gauze

                                                            The first of many goodbyes

                                                            Vowing allegiance to nightshade dreams                                     

                                                            Moonbeams hiding behind own shadows

                                                            Missing stars replaced by

Prior to December, 2008

RETURNING ECHO

A future Me vaguely remembers

Déjà voodoo all over again

Haunted hoof prints trampling dreamscape

Dust settling over quicksand cave-ins

Tip of forked tongue recall

What seemingly could have been

If only come-backs too late

Enough is never enough said

                                    Better forgotten worrisome present tense

                                    Rundown fast forward remote control

                                    Recharged batteries AC/DC unplugged

                                    Boomerang thrown for loophole evasion

Distorted time warp mirror image

Reflected in bottomless drowning pool

Earthworm dangling from bent hook

Buoyant gutsy spirit kept afloat

Past Me sensing didn’t happenings

Trying to stop spinning globe

Intent on getting off merry-go-round

Calliope stripped gears whistles blown

NO U-TURNS

Carving out own worldly place

            No planned itinerary white-line blueprint

                        To go from experientially discovering

New horizons adventurer staking claim

Never one to follow maps

            Destiny unfolding stealth star course

                        Blazing trails where none exist

                                    Trusting gut never looking back

Breaking away from hardly routine

            Vision quest seeking lofty perspectives

                        Uphill journey nobody else can

                                    Take for or spare us

Insatiable appetite for distinctly original

            Intrepid derring-do conquering worrisome fears

                        Aspiring to make enabling difference

                                    Fanatical intuitive others-oriented sixth sense

Winged feet firmly off ground

            Free floating above see level

                        Pretending to take life seriously

                                    Aware it’s off-color dirty joke

Deviant errors cannot be changed

            Flipped page corners turned back

                        Seemingly lost oversights actually were

                                    Past mistakes reinforce future success    

HUSHED YEARNING

Everyday occurrences destined to dwell

     In present continuous ever-so tense

          Nothing remains of past recollections

               Passed over childhood selectively recalled

     Shadowy history gone for good

          Primary sources dyed in woolskins

               Homespun authenticity filling in blanks

                    Embellished legends better left alone

          Rutted routine digging own grave

               Doldrums turned to hard clay

                    Dirt ripening soil uprooting stalkers

                         Barely alive struggling to survive

     Perhaps tomorrow will be different

          Knowing full well it won’t

               Endless moments just out of

                    Reach holding out for overtime

Bleached forsaken dreams dirty laundry

     Pegged hung out to dry

          Begging to be taken in

               Overcast clouds trailing disowned future

RECURRING DREAM

Pretending to be actually is

Feigned innocence guilty of deception

Deadpan reality staring through us

As if we never existed

Wildflowers refusing to be tamed

Purple blooms disguised as weeds

Holding onto grasped hollow straws

Brittle stems rainbow ribbons bound

Stones take time to blossom

Fragrant rosebuds spreading clipped wings

Rigged sails unfurled emerging chrysalis

Multi-leafed clover turning into honeybees

Crystal menagerie dust blanketing collection

Tiny unicorn plucked from shelf

To let it gallop prismatically

Revolving carousel mirrors warped reflections

Once majestic now relatively harmless

Almost extinct rare endangered species

Silverback gorillas white polar bears

Branded livestock raised for slaughter

Flock of withdrawn shadows hovering

Over barred cages flung open

All traces of consciousness hidden

Conclusions straining to be inevitable

COBBLESTONE PATH

Break away from dead-end alley

            To discover who you are

                        Or what you could become

                                    Thrust into beaming headlights glare

Take leave tethered chain removed

            Friskily chasing own bushy tail

                        Homeless dislocated belonging nowhere special

                                    Liberation unlimited possibilities to pursue

Surrender afloat mastering strange lingua

            Forked gutturals bent on fluency

                        Postcard sent from anywhere else

                                    Outsider limbo there not here

Actualized experiences virtual reality detours

            Flexibly changing with uncertain times

                        Independent perspective gained from seeing

                                    Things circumspectly from untold distance

One way narrow cul-de-sac impasse

            No gracious exit turnabout space

                        Blindsided by paved good intentions

                                    Never yielding right of way

CLOUDY DIVINER

I alone am still myself

Bluffer confidence merely fake delusions

Filling a vacancy inhabited by

Strangers chosen at chancy random

Picking up house moving on

Nothing of value left behind

Renegotiated lease on life sublet

Empty spaces filling in blanks

Unsettled existence simply passing through

Green lane nothing to declare

Alien visa possessive ghosts preoccupied

Disposing of Hefty accumulated trash

Speaking foreign language of silence

Intermittently interrupted by nature calls

Irregular heavy breathing throbbing pulse

Survival struggle leftover happiness drained

Popping powdered elixir of immortality

Swallowing cherries even their pits

Dispensed pills forced to hitchhike

Sliding off end game abyss

After all these misbegotten years

Opposite pointed tip origins erased

Redeemer of lost childhood found

Escapist fleeting moments caught up

CUNNING DOPPELGANGER

Corrugated river sheeted with sunlight

     Rust corroding edgy gutter banks

Slippery eels unplug lightning bugs

     Zinc rain tinsel frosting pines

Submissive sky unfurling cumulus sails

     Anchor raised marshmallow clouds unchained

Humidity sucking like thirsty leech

     Expectant air unwinding tangled yarn

Morning glory around next bend

     Dew blotted away by mist

Water falling upwards standing still

     Lily pads elusive stepping stones

Skinny dippers take dunking turns

     Swimming laps in empty pool

Accordion pleats serenading polka dots

     Hulled out apple core shadows

Rainbows melt candlewax trickling down

     Dimpled cheeks peacock feather fans

Midnight blue reflections unfolding ripples

     Kind mirror shows no wrinkles

Serial killer sticks stabbing course

     Croc floating impassively washboard backbone

Unblinking bloodshot eyeballs at attention

     Merciless skeletal incarnation settling scores

BLOSSOMING STONES

No Man’s wasteland off limits

   Undyingly devoted population eternal flies

      Vacant lot scarabs living forever

         Captive insects leafy foodstuff stuck

   Half-rotten trunks crawling with buggery

      Corpuscular insects thousand bulging eyes

         Craving blood fixes communal wine

            Crisp saltine wafer saliva meltdown

      Coarse cockleburs prickly thorn snags

         Trailing bramble tightening clutch grasp

            Pitted blackberry druplets arching canes

               Deserted wildflowers struggling to survive

   Wadi multi-hued bedrock cuts deep

      Watercourse run dry save rainfall

         Semitic roots quenched skulls afloat

            Pilaf seasoned tapering ribbony saffron

Raw black plumage Old World

   Necklaced vultures pecking resolve scavengers

      Ripping apart carrion decaying flesh

         Skin useless as percale pillowcase

FOREDOOMED

Clouds sucking in dimpled cheeks

     Bleached murmur whispers swept away

          Daylight slumping in prayerful solitude

               Sluggish sunrays emerging from shadows

(   )  (  )  (  )  (  )

               Same pure cobalt firmament overhead

          Vast measureless universe washed out

     Tide keeps asking mindless questions

Echoing grotto holding its own

^^^^  ^^^^  ^^^^  ^^^^

Minnows abandoning nibbled hook illusions

     Monkfish gurgling underwater fathoms deep

          Squirming burbles lungs becoming gills

               Bony skeleton iridescence scaled back

<  >  <  >  <  >  <  >

               Sparks of darkness kindling fears

          Anxious raw stars spitfire doused

     Great and small bears hibernating

In oblivion black hole caves

[   ]   [   ]   [   ]   [   ]

Preferring to remain in dreamland

     Breathtaking leaps ending in disenchantment

          Demons slipping through stucco cracks

               Previous life mortar wallpapered over

####  ####  ####  ####

               Faceless expression wiped off mirror

          Leaving streaks of unpolished smudges

     Gilt frame chipping away inevitability

Waiting for heartbeat to stop

>!< LE PAPILLON >!<

Slightly less than half alive

Holding on for dear life

Bomb ticking backwards pin pulled

Spread-eagle specimens display case mounted

                           Color drained from veined wings

                           Blown glass chances grounded flights

                           Cocoon re-spun larvae pupal metamorphosis

                           Warp & woof nubby silkworm tapestries

                                    Walled in jungle asserting itself

                                    Sterile world humid greenhouse effect

                                    Sun glancing off afterglow reflections

                                    Gold lodestar re-deposited in mine

                           Androgynous staminate & pistillate exotic orchids

                           Edgy purple velvet petals cringe

                           Pouting lips calyx jaded sepals

                           Sticky private parts attracting suitors

Kid glove bodies fitting snugly

Touch so gentle one could

Feel the inky fingerprint whorls

Love tattoos undiluted secret trysts

I AM / AMN’T I

God’s fingerprints where dust settles

Dogs pissing on dismembered limbs

Air stiffens bent kneecaps genuflect

Praying to whatever deity listens

                                                Blinds pulled stumbling into ghosts

                                                Observing worlds forbidden to enter

                                                Groping for overshadowed moonlit aura

                                                Downy pockets of obscurity picked

Under static dusk darkling shivers

Cast out driftwood slivers embedded

Stained glass blown chances dreamscape

Foggy sprawling waves crestfallen spume

Fragrant mown grass arousing sensuality

Switchblades slaying dead alive specters

Uprooted heartstring tugs weeded out

Clinging dew exhaling raspy breaths

                                                Ribless skeleton starved for hugs

                                                Malcontents chewing cuds swallowing dentures

                                                Sorrow wax secrets gnawed off

                                                Bone marrow oozing hollow echoes

Shoving ahead in checkout line

Conveyor belt memory never registering

Why’s of Fate pressure vacuum

Just because plastic justifications sacked

CLOUDY DIVINER

I alone am still myself

Bluffer confidence merely fake delusions

Filling a vacancy inhabited by

Strangers chosen at chancy random

Picking up house moving on

Nothing of value left behind

Renegotiated lease on life sublet

Empty spaces filling in blanks

Unsettled existence simply passing through

Green lane nothing to declare

Alien visa possessive ghosts preoccupied

Disposing of Hefty accumulated trash

Speaking foreign language of silence

Intermittently interrupted by nature calls

Irregular heavy breathing throbbing pulse

Survival struggle leftover happiness drained

Popping powdered elixir of immortality

Swallowing cherries even their pits

Dispensed pills forced to hitchhike

Sliding off end game abyss

After all these misbegotten years

Opposite pointed tip origins erased

Redeemer of lost childhood found

Escapist fleeting moments caught up

ME   MYSELF   &   I

No I am maybe Yes

Shoulda

Listening to so many selves

Precocious spoiled brats craving attention

Robbed of youth sublime innocence

Tin cup penitent begging pardon

Coulda

Looking into so many mirrors

Withered eyebrows straightjacket escapist illusions

Seeing right through fragile anima

Time warped still life distortions

Woulda

Praying to so many deities

Afterlife redemption taking no chances

Smiling Buddha Yahweh radiating bliss

Pinned hopes wrestling with God

Mighta

Yes I am maybe Not

NURTURE NATURE

Bringing new life into existence    

More than just base instinct
Throbbing heartbeat sharing primordial caring
Womb to tomb tender mercy

Awareness fills empty void vacuum
Élan vital life-force mindful spirit
Lost souls regaining common ground
What matters most is love

Born gifted with innate talents
Cradlesong lullaby hugs goodnight kisses
Family recognition supportive tolerant atmosphere
Encourages respectful dignity risk-taking dares

Flourishing abundance in full bloom
Initiatives energized ripeness expanding until
Harvested fruition fades away shriveled Pods sprout again next year

Life cycle rhythms propitious events
Fostered on daily seedling basis
Germinated yield sagging bounty picked
Reminder how tenuous things are

Worrisome sweat watering your dreams
Entangles fearsome weeds choking growth
Firmly rooting hopes with optimism
Radiates sunny disposition cultivating success
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LOVE 2B LOVED

Sparkly glowing eyes illuminating darkness
          Infatuation begins with alluring smile
                    Grows with hug-me-tight kissable pucker
                              And ends with brokenhearted teardrops

LOVE CONQUERS PETTY HATE
Unconditional love madness without reason
          Letting go of unwarranted expectations
                    Accepting as is habitude discontent
                              Making partner into somebody else

TAKE LOVE GIVE BACK
Romantic ideals demand soulful satisfaction
          Longing desire to be desired
                    Seeing without eyes sensory perception
                              Hearing without ears sound judgment

TRUE LOVE OVERCOMES FEAR
Life without love thorny path
          twisted bypass planting amorous seeds
                    Stalking rosebuds unfolding gentle nature
                              Fragrant ardent blossoms arousing passion

LOVE ALL TRUST FEW
Gratified desire screaming delight soiled
          Earthbound dreams struggling to exist
                    Hyperactive racing pulses can’t get
                              Enough is never enough said

LOVE YOU ME TOO
Lust differentiates love from sex
          Flirtatious tease vis-à-vis wanton frolic
                    Averted visual contact parting glances
                              Declining hearsay comfortably otherwise engaged
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                    ASYMMETRIC SNOWFLAKE

*Sugarplum visions winter wonderland idyll

            **Secret pitfalls good gravy cover-ups

                        ***Mashed potato transfigured burial mounds

                                    ****Gnashing jagged teeth ground down

                                                *****

*First flaky crust tread carefully

            **Every telling bloody misstep shows

                        ***Thin ice meltdown tenuously refreezing

                                    ****Makeshift rink skates need sharpening

                                                *****

*Intense silence unconscious being snowbound

            **Droopy pine boughs weighed down

                        ***Blanketed towering lean-to’s intimately huddle

                                    ****Diffuse sunrays sifting prickly freefall

                                                *****

*Outdoors fun snow-bunny hop slopes

            **Majestic mountain takes downhill lead

                        ***Macabre dance of death slalom

                                    ****Lonely corpses jumping to conclusions

                                                *****

*Haggard ghosts cleft chin stubble

            **Licking chops bearded icicles caress

                        ***Powder-puff frosting brows ruddy cheeks

                                    ****Chapped lips glossy senses numbed

                                                *****

*Revival air exhaling visible breaths

            **Quintessential lifestyle reigniting spitfire core

                        ***Walking tall kneecaps bent skiing

                                    ****Virgin Snow White signature run

                                                *****

*Crocus fooled into blossoming early

            **Fine-feathered migratory snowbirds return prematurely

                        ***Unanticipated blizzard knotty hideout shelter

                                    ****Hoarfrost seedy miracles sprouting wings

                                                *****

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                        H ½ O

Civilization intent on taming flow

            Subduing free rein wanton urges

                        Yet its very wildness is

                                    What makes water so fascinating

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Essential thirst-quenched manimal survival element

            Vital taproot plant life source

                        Pure origination beneath within itself

                                    Every last drop so indispensable

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Landlocked mirror vision murky depths

            Freshwater bluegill lakes yellow-belly sunfish

                        Sentimental river journey never returning

                                    Upstream impelling spawn so engendering ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wading barefoot sand-jam between toes

            Shaky surface reflections shimmering glisten

                        Swishy mermaid tails shedding scales

                                    For naked plunge so refreshing

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Poseidon flanked by nymphal harem

            Tempestuous Nereids reign shifting current

                        Incorrigibly eccentric bends slinky curves

                                    Siren feminine wiles so alluring

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Climate Change shattering glass greenhouses

            Scorned thunderbolt fury lightning rage

                        Flash floods clear as mudslides

                                    Tornados funneling disaster so tragic ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Warmer temperatures rising sea levels

            Profoundly affect global water management

                        Jeopardizing potable supply famished teardrops

                                    Drowning capsized hopes so hapless

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GHOST DANCE

Native American eulogy honoring dead

            Revelatory vision ominous solar eclipse

                        Circle dance signifying heavenly path

                                    Wild horses stampeding eventide sky

                                                EYAYO!

Messianic cult shaman prophet dreamer

            Preaching message of universal love

                        Promised reunion with recently departed

                                    Return to Nature nomadic lifestyle

                                                HEYE’ HEYE’ HEYE’ HEY!

Sacred hunting grounds buffalo herds

            Antelope buckskin pine nut harvest

                        Earth filled with bountiful abundance

                                    Good old bad old daze

                                                AHO’ HO!

Cottonwood totem starry magic symbols

            Offerings to divine supernatural powers

                        After dark invocations prayers exhortations

                                    Honorific ceremonial eagle feather ritual

                                                AO’RI YO! AO’RI YO!

Facing inward all join hands

            Unaccompanied sing-sing begins soft undertones

                        Voices swelling to full strength

                                    Rejoicing kindred spirits fervently hopeful

                                                HA’EYE’YA HE’YE’YE!

Widows dancing until total collapse

            Anticipating thunderbird warriors’ imminent return

                        Manic frenzy spasms stretched out

                                    Stiff yet unconscious hypnotic trance

                                                YE’ YE’!

Hands unclasped arrow snapped calumet

            Peace pipe smoked bonfire lit

                        Powwow celebrating faithful harmonic coexistence

                                    Coyote howling at full moon

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DISENCHANTED FOREST

Unlined silver satin cloud sprinkle

          Stained dirty linen wrung out

                    Hand-me-down drizzle grown out of

                             Drip-dry fabric wrinkles steam ironed ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Varicose veined old leafs overturned

          Serrate edges rusty switchblade hitters

                    Bent twisted tongues stirring honey

                             Yawning crotchety slingshot stoning outcasts

+ + + + + + + + + +

Hemmed in by evergreen canopy

          Looking up virgin forest’s skirt

                        Hollow trunk bark tattoos stripped

                                    Bare limbs spreading viscous rumors

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Confided secret trusts rapaciously exposed

          Stunted growth whippersnappers springing backlash

                    Sapling lean-tos wary of trespassers

                             Lumberjacks milling around chainsaw massacre / / / / / / / / / / Lapis sky’s slack-jawed mouth agape

          Uncoupled lightning without thunder accompaniment

                    Haphazard sewn bolts cross-stitching zigzags

                             Ripped open satiated glut deluge

# # # # # # # # # #

Treetop avian trills never repetitious

          Stuffing survival down ruby throats

                    Instinct cannily emboldens flighty nestlings

                             Chirping weepy outcry timber felled

> > > > > > > > > >

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CORAL

Southern Cross emitting hopeful rays

            Silvery tinsel aurora australis afterglow

                        Gold Coast spawning red coral

                                    Calcerous skeletons high-spirited reefer madness

>   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >

Sun major regenerative energy source

            Earth tilting elliptical orbit axis

                        Circadian clockwork regulates daily rhythms

                                    All-too-predictable 7/11 rotations open 24 hrs.

<   <   <   <   <   <   <   <   <   <

Moonstruck orgy of reproduction exploding

            Spermatozoan blizzard mysterious procreation rite

                        Obsessive love fest primitive photoreceptors

                                    Eyeless bluish flashes sensory perception

>   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >

Polyps building stony structure foundation

            Gamates released simultaneously interconnected colonies

                        Forming viscuous surface identical hermaphrodites

                                    Both sexes organs genetic makeup

<   <   <   <   <   <   <   <   <   <

Swirly luminous glow-in-the-dark pink flotsam

            Fertilization process forming baby planula

                        Free-swimming broody larva jetsam slicks

                                    Sticking together avoiding predatory advances

>   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >

Erosion resistant algal marine ridges

            Crucial ecosystem life stock resources

                        Pristine environment threatened by over-fishing

                                    Sedimentary pollution natural balance upset

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PETRIFIED WATER

Rivers no longer flow into

            Oceanic caldera boiling reduced to

                        Simmer steam open sea evaporation

                                Lid pried off plug yank

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Seeping moisture slowly dried up

            Still life seascapes drained mercilessly

                        Wave swells lay dying on

                                Distant shores naked refuse exposed

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

No longer fit for habitation

            Swimming scuba diving breathless drowning

                        Moving with vanishing ebb drift

                                Windswept continents kept off balance ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Detritus rained down upon decomposed

            Sunken graveyards spent cockleshells clutter

                        Bittersweet rusty oasis eaten away

                                Embedded clay fossils left behind

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

No creature as deadly as

            Spitfire raging sun’s relentless scorch

                        Medieval alchemy cockeyed maritime portent

                                Unfathomable geological omen empty forevermore ^^^^^^^^^ Looming hawkish osprey voracious scavengers

            Unhinged pirate treasure chest doubloons

                        Nowhere to be found swagger

                                Grandeur gone forever undeniable lost ^^^^ Finality skipping stones across wavelets

            Impulsive ripples tickling barefoot swashbucklers

                        Ignoring rocky clamor frothy surf

                                Hurled against sheer ragged cliffs

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            SNOWFLAKE ILLUSIONS

*Sugarplum visions winter wonderland idyll

            **Secret pitfalls good gravy cover-ups

                        ***Mashed potato transfigured burial mounds

                                    ****Gnashing jagged teeth ground down

                                                *****

*First flaky crust tread carefully

            **Every telling bloody misstep shows

                        ***Thin ice meltdown tenuously refreezing

                                    ****Makeshift rink skates need sharpening

                                                *****

*Intense silence unconscious being snowbound

            **Droopy pine boughs weighed down

                        ***Blanketed towering lean-to’s intimately huddle

                                    ****Diffuse sunrays sifting prickly freefall

                                                *****

*Outdoors fun snow-bunny hop slopes

            **Majestic mountain takes downhill lead

                        ***Macabre dance of death slalom

                                    ****Lonely corpses jumping to conclusions

                                                *****

*Haggard ghosts cleft chin stubble

            **Licking chops bearded icicles caress

                        ***Powder-puff frosting brows ruddy cheeks

                                    ****Chapped lips glossy senses numbed

                                                *****

*Revival air exhaling visible breaths

            **Quintessential lifestyle reigniting spitfire core

                        ***Walking tall kneecaps bent skiing

                                    ****Virgin Snow White signature run

                                                *****

*Crocus fooled into blossoming early

            **Fine-feathered migratory snowbirds return prematurely

                        ***Unanticipated blizzard knotty hideout shelter

                                    ****Hoarfrost seedy miracles sprouting wings

                                                *****

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WARP

Borderline fantasy or sheer insanity
Wavy bent curves separate imagination
From uncontrolled surreal wild hallucinations
Whimsical passion yielding outlandish weirdness

Indulging in quirky nightmarish visions
Where does sound reason end
And disorderly madness take over
Bizarre unconventional wisdom oddly far-fetched

Art compensates for life’s imperfections
Mixing eclectic sensibilities moods styles
Dipping brush into wellspring fountainhead
Painting nature in own self-image

Probing ever more deeply unexposed
Recesses mindful confusion reeking havoc
Precarious breathless edgy balance upset World of eccentricity slightly off-kilter

BREAD

Miracle workers knead rising sun

            Goldfish slice of life parables

                        Flour puffs spanked    wonder bred

                                    Pita pan never-neverland pockets picked

                                    Crusty loaves golden buttery meltdown

                        Breakfast toast cinnamon stardust sprinkled

            Half-baked lies berry jarring preserves Sandwiched rush hour traffic jams

RICE

From Asian womb everyday sustenance

            Amah maidservant wet nurse pacified

                        Lips bent on scooped mouthfuls

                                    Delicate shrunken pearl polished gems

                                    Steamy fragrant jasmine aromatic come-on

                        Chili peppers titillating taste buds

            Diffuse translucence nourishing chewy fluff Guarantee of satisfaction belched thanx

NO ENTRY

Plight of in limbo stateless

            Pledging out of bounds allegiance

                        Homeless refugees abandoned by Fate

                                    Promises unkempt signal fires ignored

                                    Fault line tremors run deep

                        Melting pot tension boiling over

            Aflame with rage frustrated anger

Steamy ethereal options evaporating scald

NO EXIT

Wages of weevil compensation unpaid

            Accordion folds squeeze play ghettos

                        Boxed in bottom falls out

                                    Rat infested hoods uncollected garbage

                                    Unexcused absence of malice victims

                        Declared youthful innocence pardon exonerated

            Pre-sentenced guilt unable to cope

Illusions work better than truth

NEAP TIDE

Connect the dots pointillist seascape

            Stippled tide etching rocky strand

                        Purple flecks uncultivated prickly wildflowers

                                    Thistle butterfly freakish painted lady

                                    Towering sentinel fronds tickling fancy

                        Pinnate see-through fringe seductive striptease

            Branchless trunk crowning glory adorned Palm lined ruts foretelling resurrection

Burnt toast sprinkled with cinnamon

            Refined molasses passing for maple

                        Syrup sap bubbling brown sugar

                                    Dark crystal gazer quartz divination

                                    Already dead corpses reliving daydreams

                        Paradisiacal spareribs evermore once removed

            Stingrays tanning leathery naked truths Whip-like tail inflicting painful pleasure

Rotated kaleidoscope mirroring shattered glass

            Constantly changing colored bits designs

                        Wading shallows drop-off undercurrent tow

                                    Shiny sharkskin bony skeletons afloat

                                    Humpback to Sun bent spine

                        Crouched fetal position sea legs

            Tucked under over entwined hemp

Dropped anchor rope frayed endlessnesssssss

 <click to enlarge>              

EBB TIDE

Bonfire poking raked memory embers

            Dousing crestfallen waves of discontent

                        Flames licking chops nudging coals

                                    Smoldering ashes petrified driftwood sparks

                                    Smugly uptight mussels blue-black riffraff

                        Shucking hinge jawed happy-go-lucky clams

            Coupled pearly shells nacre veneer

Wrinkled conscience rough edges smoothed

Featherbed oysters secreting gritty androgyny

            Whimsically changing sex at will

                        3-chambered heart pumping colorless blood

                                    Culture planting artificial wisdom seeds

                                                <click to enlarge>              

                                    Fan-shaped scallops claptrap bivalve percussion

                        Radiating fluted pattern flamenco castanets

            Molluscous accordion pleats breathing gills There’s no tomorrow moment-to-moment existence

Naïve starry night vision illusions

            Annual ritual sacred burial grounds

                        Laid turtle eggs left unattended

                                    Do not disturb trusting nature

                                    Rock-a-by cradle of civilization lullaby

                        Sandman filling bottomless tin pails

            Shaking off twilight sprinkling stardust Calloused barefoot traces swashed away

LEAP FROG

Aquatic larval stage squiggly tadpole

            Swimming its way to maturity

                        Secreted inky tail gills disappearing

                                    Moments never stop opening out

                                                (   (   (   (   )

            Floating pod scooped out trunk

                        Uneven keel lapping shallows

                                    Timing outreach between rip tides

                                                Toadstool dangling from tapered bow

                                                )   )   )   )   (

                        Perplexing polliwog rear end stem

                                    Detached green hull rudder free                                       <click to enlarge>   

                                                Exposed slender ribs lying outstretched

                                                            Swept wherever by wanderlust drift

                                                (   (   (   (   )

            Baring all discarded foreskin filtering

                        Anguish soul wrapped in cloud

                                    Warm flesh star-eaten quilted blanket

                                                Taking cover in newfound body

                                                )   )   )   )   (

Heaven reaches down sampling horizon

            Ethereal vanishing point never converges

                        Amphibious landing terrestrial breeding ground

                                    Prince Charming quicksand castle erections

GIANT SEA TURTLES

Always at home within itself

            Under oval glazed tile roof

                        Protective escutcheon dome lumbering giant

                                    Overgrown pebble massive polished stones

                                                ^^^^^^^^^^

                                    It takes twenty-five years for

                        Males to reach sexual maturity

            Twelve days for food to

Pass through leathery wrinkled bodies

Wide hinged horny toothless jaws

            Thick ribbed close-knit turtleneck sweaters

                        Retractile duck and cover pugilists

                                    Avoid confrontation shell shocked withdrawal

                                                ^^^^^^^^^^

                                    Brackish shadow puppets standstill reflections

                        Slow yet sure unhurried pace

            Hundred plus year old survivors

All too predictable subterranean routine

Primal cause instinct annual return

            Predestined to same spawning ground

                        At appointed propitious eventide hour

                                    Beneath heavenly vault of darkness

                                                ^^^^^^^^^^

                                    Poised like recumbent open umbrellas

                        Eggs dropped into porous sandlot

            Leaving behind brittle dorsal carapace

Vulnerable to looming beachhead threats

  <click to enlarge>               

DOVES

Frowning nightfall intoxicated stray outsiders

            Grow steadily cantankerous discordant pack

                        Of roving mangy stranded tufts

                                    Uninvited guests crashing pajama party

                                                *

            Repetitious gurgled loveless mating coos

                        Redshank pigeon-toed grasp turned inward

                                    Curled onto windowsill ledge unnerving

                                                Glaucous eyes draining waxen ears

                                                            **

                        Dissonant off-key loud din stupor

                                    Drowning out perfect pitch nature

                                                Echoes reverberating within mute echoes

                                                            Disturbing drowsy attempts at sleep

                                                                        ***

                                                            Midst total darkness passing slowly

                                                Each hour indelibly marked older

                                    Swallowed conditional pecking order pellets

                        Caught in parched throat gullet

                                                            ****

                                                Scheming inexhaustible ways to prevent

                                    Self-appointed god of chromatic dreams

                        From making his somnambulist rounds

            Sandman’s soporific task mission accomplished

                                                *****

                                    Jalousie wingtips ruffled feather illusions

                        Spread fantails shaken in gloom

            Dusky moonglow horizon turning over

For a few last winks

            ******

Claws hammering homeless secret message

            Flaring beak snout beady gaze

                        Lights out narcissistic reflections seconds

                                    Before pane glass insights shatter

 <click to enlarge>