the clarion call from the mountains

i see you, bighorn sheep

on the steep mountain ledge and crevice 

your hooves fitting & climbing

through rocky terrain, stealthy as poet's muse

[what is so grand about you?]

you carry your large horns, smouldering spirals

as stately crown as your rich summer brown coat

your watchful gaze is steady

on the wide field of grass & clover & sage

oak and fir trees dot along the unpaved roads

where predators prowl waiting

for your missteps & fall

[can you remind me what is so special about you?]

you are patient as the slow moving clouds

watching the blue sky expanding, unfenced & unguarded

as your wild heart, beating to the call of northern winds

there is a sacred 

pact between you 

and the mountain gods

[i respect it and wait for the clarion call]

Posted for dVerse Poets Pub- Creatures of the Blank Space, hosted by Dora.  Years ago, we visited the Banff Mountains in Alberta, Canada, where we saw the Bighorn Sheep by the mountain sides.   They are spectacular creatures with massive horns.

i found (an escapade)

the lagoon

soft sands & shimmering 

i lost track of time

forgetting how quickly this 

turned to high tides, rocky-rolling

i swallowed salt & seaweeds

are my eyes jelly-red?

where's the boat?  

the slumbering sea is now awake

hungry-pressed

for the moon's opaque eyes

Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - Quadrille, hosted by Melissa Lemay.   This is a 44 word post, with the chosen word, lagoon.   Please join us with your poem when the virutal pub doors open at 3pm EST.

let there always be light

 

when the moon hides

ribbons the clouds to purple

gathers the bones of trees

& stardust

and shapes our eyes

into a waning crescent 

remember the tides 

that brought us to the shores

[the first light, warmest of light]

igniting our blood to fire

to be born

again [and again] 

"Let there always be light, (Searching for Dark Matter)", title poem by Rebecca Elson.

Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - OpenLinkNight.  Thanks for your visits and comments.

notes for january

 I.

It is not the best weather

Grey skies and winter chill

Dulls my red fancy feathers

Still I go tap dancing, a thrill

II.

Her singing is not too bad

A little off key, she got the keys

Melodic refrains, we are so glad

The choir is humming as bees 

III.

It is not the best list process

A seed turns war between want and need

Escalates to what I want to frame

versus what I want to unframe

What I want to remember

versus what I want to forget

On the left side, a grocery list

and a travel wishlist

On the right side, a what-not-to-do list

and a where-not-to-go list

I find myself in a pickle 

So, I tie myself to the moon

And rocket launch the first one: 

journaling of my day & dreams  

Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - Litotes of Yesterday, hosted by Sanaa Rizvi.   I have selected to use litotes in the everyday. Please join us when the pub doors open at 3pm EST.

make it a sweet salad

let's make a fruit salad

as sweet as a ballad

specially when paired with a flan

so get a large tropical fruit cocktail can

& drain fruits with a strainer from its juice

this can take time like a noose  

on a big blanket, but this is key

to make this salad creamy, not soggy peas

in a bowl, combine fruits with all-purpose cream

and sweetened condensed milk (half of your dream)

merrily, you add more color & zest-

mix in peaches, cheeries - fruitfest 

how about corn kernels & tapioca pearls

added in, to make your feet twirl & swirl

measure to your stomach's delight,

chill & serve as a dessert, so bright

Note:   Our Christmas holiday is not complete without a fruit salad as our cold dessert.  There are many variations but the basics remained the same - drained fruit cocktail with cream and sweetened condensed milk.   Here is one.

Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - Rhyming Recipe.   Please join us when the pub doors open at 3pm EST.       Thanks for your visits and comments.   Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.  

wish list for december

 

i can sit here all day

flipping around in my tuxedo

suit until i am blue

with all of my crew

i do not need a jolly man 

with a red coat of fur & felt

to bring joy & cheers

i am fine as bundled blanket

but if you insist on gifting me

here is my wish list:

krills, squids & fishes-

and i will dance

dance with my happy feet

Credit:   Jay Ruzesky

Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - December Point of View, hosted by Melissa Lemay.

Thanks for your comments and visits.   Happy Holidays to you all!

the "real" Christmas trees

sky is a mirror

snow-dredged, grey-stained

by sleet & salt

december breezes 

stiff cold as bone-dry wheat stalks

maple trees are leafless

while pine and spruce trees are needled-thick

unadorned, uncut & crowned

by winter stars

magical

[I wish I could send you one]

Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - Quadrille, hosted by Bjorn Rudberg.    This is a 44 word post with the chosen word "snow".   Thanks for your visits and comments.

cherita

snow

covers the dead maple leaves

& city roads 

all white

soft as river sands

filling in all the emptiness-

darkness steeps

hours with greys & bloodless sky

where are the birdsongs & bees?

my pen hears them, scratching  

away the icy blues of the long night- 

winter's breath is tangerine

Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - Cherishing the Cherita by Laura Bloomsbury.  Thanks for your visits and comments.

ode to a banana

 

my hand holds

you as a slice of sunshine

folded skin

yellowed as honeydew

your pulp is not sulty as a plum

nor mysterious as dragon fruit

you are a yellow stripe in a strawberry field

of exotic and colorful produce

plucked & peeled

you are my comfort snack

as a well-worn shirt

i wear 

through all the 4 seasons

many will have you fried in

sugar & cinnamon 

or boiled as a steamed fish

or mixed in breakfast oats

mashed

you are home made bread

here is the tea:

i prefer you

fresh and simple as a daisy 

bringing me

easy cares as light as butter-

fly wings

Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - OpenLinkNight where I am hosting.    Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it.    Thanks for your visits and comments.

pirate

 

i pare a pear

ripe

ate it:

pit, ear, air

i tie a teepee

apart tarp

tar it:

tri-peat pitter patter trap

i err

(reaper)

art ate tea, tree, rare pieta

reel it:

R.I.P.

Posted for dVerse Poets - Anagrammatic Poetry, hosted by Bjorn Rudberg.  I have used the letters in my title as words in my poem.  Thanks for your visits and comments.