Lamplights

Where are the lamplights
in the night?
The Venetian blinds are closed,
as are my lips,
listening to the breaths of my lover
sprawled upon satin sheets
like one thousand roses
cast into the foamy seapetals
spread in broken pairs.
What daylight could not conceal—
her omen and her destiny—
her scarred robes revealed
a frowning Lisa,
eyes shut tight.
Where are the lamplights
in the night?

Terza Rima----CONFLICT

He lifted her veil, looked at her face
Sleep so deep, lashes so long
Casting shadows on her cheeks like lace

He stared at her with longing so strong
Tenderness and desire fighting within
Wanting her, how can that be wrong?

Mind, heart or body, who was to win?
This deep-seeded need, was that lust?
With all his guts, body wanted him to sin.

Closed his eyes, stopped himself just
From tasting her sweetness while she slept
Keeping distance from her was must

He walked away not giving in to whim
Would rather wait for her to love him!



©gautami.tripathy
~June 04, 2006

No Zebras Allowed

Dunking donuts in my coffee,
I read the headlines
on the New York Times
There was a picture
of a black man
who had been hung
from a Red Oak tree
near an abandoned church
in Whitehurst County,
West Virginia.
A sign was nailed
on the tree
the words were scratched
with a knife
into a slab of bark.
NO ZEBRAS ALLOWED.

An omen of our times.
A young black boy
wearing a pair
of tattered white sneakers
drenched shirt and holy jeans
walked in the diner
and sat next to me,
lost in the music
of his portable cd player.
And the owner of the diner
shooed him out.

He had come in
to escape the rain
and was sent back out
into the lightning.

My Island, My Love and Me

The fierce angry heat of the sun gives way to the gentle seductive breezes of the evening. It is inviting; enchanting as it serenades my soul. I gaze into the sky set afire with diamonds,

Proudly glowing

Wickedly sparkling;

Oh the tales they could tell.

I do not want to tell tales. I do not want to speak at all. I stare into my lover’s eyes. He has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. The green of his eyes are the envy of all. The beautiful blue/green Caribbean Sea cannot compete with them. The water shines as the gentle waves splash against the shore.

The smell of the sea mist both salty and tangy appeal to our senses. The sea succumbs to my lover’s beauty. The great one gives up the fight for majesty and bows down in homage. Neptune himself gives orders to the gentle breezes

to tease our senses,

captivate our souls.

He is a gracious opponent.

As the waves sing their lullaby to the shore, I gaze up to the heavens. The stars are smiling. The moon is full and brimming over with pure joy.

I look again to my lover’s eyes, my husband's eyes. They too are shining; they are spilling over with love.

Quietly we sit at our table. We are oblivious to our immediate surrounding. We know there is much activity going on around us here at the Hilton Hotel but we are unmindful of it all.

Our beings are united as one.

One mind

One heart

One soul.

We are at one with love and at one with the sky, the moon, and the sea.

I feel his hand touch mine as we drink in this paradise, this bliss, and I truly understood the words of the song,

"Beautiful Barbados Gem of the Caribbean Sea. You'll find rest; you'll find peace in Barbados. So come back to my Island and me."

Carol Roach
winterose@videotron.ca
Storytime Tapestry: http://subs.zinester.com/98907

Performance

Shadows graze on water lillies
Vines cry out to thee,
damp criss-crossed bridge
reaches out to me.

Hope for tomorrow,
sun drips in like spring rain.
The sun's rays drift across your face,
my love.

A red, red rose falls at your feet.
Applause,whipping willow leaves.
Bravo, bravo!!
A performance to beat.

What are you to me?

What are you to me
In endless reaches
Of time and space?

Atomic orbits intersecting
Divine spark connecting
Our energetic merging.

Eddies of time ripple
Parting as we pass,
Light speeds to light.

Central core pulsating
Two beats synchronise
Now, becoming, one.

Transcending death’s
Illusionary ending,
Love defies all laws.

No longer corporeal
Twin stars imploding
In cosmic orgasm.

Far beyond the body
Mind dissolved
Pure spirit blends.

In endless reaches
Of time and space
You and I - infinity.

The Essence of Me

by Carol Roach

Long before my earthly incarnation
I was spirit, love and adoration
On central stage among the stars
I circled the planets Venus and Mars

Gestation period cold and dark
Brought forth the rhythm of my heart
Mother womb, portal on earth
I waited for my precious birth

To this world I would be born
A winter rose amid the thorn
Unprepared to brave the quest
I could not let my spirit rest

For there were those who could not see
My heart and soul; the essence of me
They wished that I would disappear
Among the clouds in total fear

The angels heard my spirit cry
My talent they could not deny
One sheltered me beneath her wing
Until she heard my true heart sing

Spirit awakened; robust and alive
Creative juices flowing; I began to strive
The world took notice of my plight
My strength endured; I set things right

For now they understood too well
How they created my living hell
My crafted words today I share
Among the world with tender care

I am who I was meant to be
Aligned with my perfect destiny
For now my future will be bright
I know that I was born to write

Carol Roach
winterose@videotron.ca

Story.....Normal

“Shit!” He thought. Jason was always bored with such crowds. He seldom attended these parties. But Paul, his business partner had insisted and he could not refuse. Now, Jason stood there holding a drink. He looked around and stopped short. She was so breathtakingly beautiful with long silky black hair, dark eyes, and full kissable lips. Skin so soft and silky. A body so very inviting. He felt something stirring inside him. It astonished him. Females had never interested him. Until now.

She was laughing at something Paul had said. Lilting laughter. Jason walked towards her. Looked deep into her mysterious eyes and said, “I am Jason. And you?” “Olivia,” she answered. She too had been watching him all along and was pleased that he had finally reached her. She looked over him and liked what she saw.

“Dance?” He asked.
“Yes. Paul, will you excuse us, please?” She asked turning back towards Paul. He gave a strange look towards Jason and said, “Be my guest.”

After that, there was no looking back. Jason forgot his boredom. It was as if it never existed. They were inseparable. He had a gut feeling it was a start of something new in his life. He was confused by his own reactions. But he wanted to savour the moment. He knew people were talking about him and Olivia They knew enough about him. Why not? He had never hidden anything. He didn’t really care.

It was rather very late, when the party started to break up. Jason did not want to let her go. He kept looking at her unseeingly. Finally asked, “Would you like to go with me?” Olivia too was silent for a moment. She knew all about him. In the washroom, she had heard enough gossip. “Yes,” she answered. “Your place or mine?” He asked. “Yours.” Olivia answered.

In the lift up to his Apartment, they could not keep their hands off each other. He was pleasantly surprised. And very pleased with her body’s responses to his. Next morning, Jason woke up and stretched, smiling to himself. It had never been so good before this. Most important, he was normal. It was going to last forever. He could not have asked for more. Olivia was, after all, Oliver, a male.

My Wisdom

My wisdom comes in snippets and snaps
Like the glint of sunshine reflecting on crystal
Or the flash of a camera bulb's light
To capture that moment in time
For all eternity

My wisdom comes out of the blue
Unexpected, like the rainbow
In the midst of a storm
Off to the right
Near the horizon

My wisdom throws open the veil
And sees with real eyes
I realize what was before my eyes
All along
But I hadn't the eyes to see

My wisdom arrives where there is beauty and truth
Grace is its companion
The clouds will part for wisdom and grace
Faith is restored
In the light of such love

My wisdom is a fickle thing
It shuns me whenever I beg
Hiding above the clouds
I am in the dark
Regardless of tears or complaints

I can't see where I am--
Not for lack of trying
Until the day I throw up my hands
And fall down on my knees
Surrendering my will and my way

Then wisdom and grace
Alight on my brow
And shine the light once more
Revealing what I'd never known I knew
In my heart and in my soul

My wisdom knows it is never true
That I have lost my way
Have faith, it says,
Night restores the soul
Sleep until you wake

Secrets, long forgotten
In the recesses of the heart
Dance and sing
And tell their tale
When human eyes are closed

My wisdom grows in quiet mystery
Far beneath the light of day
In the stillness
And the silence
Spirit revels in the dark

My wisdom knows all is well
That dark and light alike
Feed the inner flame
That gleams as it glows
Deep within the heart

A mystery in history
Solved in a flash of light
Wisdom divine
For all with eyes to see
The truth of a moment in time

© 2005 Jodi Flesberg Lilly

A Poet's Lament

Thoughts spring forth from every crevice
of my complicated mind
Some are jumbled fragments
While others well defined

Glimpses of past experiences or
aspirations yet to come
A mosaic of ideas
Filtering most, but sharing some

Thoughts sometimes so compelling
they wake me from my sleep
Carried fresh with me all morning
By evening obsolete

Why not carry pen and paper
everywhere I go?
Saving precious inspirations
like the poets that I know

What is the reason for stalling
this evident shortfall?
The answer very simple
I am not a poet at all

Carol Roach
winterose@videotron.ca

Her Smile

I had a dream last night,
Of her smile.
I don’t know how long
I stared, dreaming,
But that perfect shape,
Burned in my memory,
Left me wanting,
To sleep.

New Dawn

Foggy mornings with misty emerald green
Panoramic splendor with bluish sky hood
Enlightening snowy essence seren
It is joyous time with holiday mood.

Snowy drizzle with silvery sauna

Frosty crystal, icy dew drops on petals

Natural wonder in mystic fauna

For fun and frolic with love specials.

Flowery gardens with fur trees and pines

Dancing moon light with breezy bright

Chilling cold with refreshing dines

Festive spirit echoes with glittering light.

Winter steps in with Christmas splendor

Cozy comfort in yearly retreat time

New Year begins with hopeful ardor

Let us restart with vigor for future prime.

Resolutions 2006 (A Shakespearean Sonnet)

This is the time to take stock of our life,
What we have done and what we have to do;
To lend a hand to those who are in strife,
To ponder awhile and be thankful too.

This is the time to strengthen all our ties,
It’s so easy to be drifting along;
Let’s watch the flowers grow and the sun rise,
And learn again to enjoy a bird’s song.

This is the time for us to start afresh,
To cleanse our heart of ills and past regrets;
Let’s begin to pull some out of the mesh,
To pause and wipe their tears, lest God forgets.

Let’s step forward and hold the flag unfurled,
Let’s try to build on earth a better world.

Nemesis....(55 words story)

“Doctor, what is the problem?”

“This seems to be due to some infection.”

“What does it mean?”

“It might not happen.”

“What should I do?”

“Nothing, apart from taking medicines.”

“Will I ever?”

“Very difficult to say.”

“But why?”

“Undergoing abortions in rapid succession has this effect. Any specific reasons?”

“I conceived girls each time.”

Reeling Back Into 2005

And the sun sets on yet another year.
Tucking it away
in the storehouse of memories.
One of the most riveting
and gripping.
Moments seeking sojourn in my memoir
sated with aide-memoires
that’ll haps set a trail of mellow champagne clouds
in my sunset days,
back to today, yesterday, thus far…

Some of them I shall revere for life
A few, leave out in the smoldering sun
to dry their soggy coats
to preserve till time lasts, or maybe char…
(as the case might be!)
And dispose of those
that have lived beyond their temper to console
and now sting,
with the folding edges of crackling crispness
that only a dry heart can rally…

Bumped into, connected with,
and chanced upon a few
Some tied down to terra firma
by the sheer weight of sensibilities
some uber-cool, some not so…
each deepened the sensitivity of my taste buds
(that savor life)
either by coating me
in the luxuriant richness of sweetness
or, by lending the dark, acrid taste of
chocolate gone bad…

Been a time of revelations.
Chance discoveries,
unclothing of self, unfolding of others…
Unveiling masks,
and stumbling upon piercing shafts of light
with the subtle shifts of pretenses
Bonds testing the tensile strength
of my endurance, love.

Faith lost its lane
And then, of its own accord, revisited.
Just like that.

New Year's Day

Frozen between past
memories and future dreams
I stand in all time.

Planted in this space
our beating hearts spark warm smiles
melting down dark fears.

Living joyfully
and grateful of each moment
my dream is here now.

©Clare Goodwin
http://www.abgoodwin.com/mandala/
http://www.abgoodwin.com/counseling/
http://abgoodwin.blogspot.com/

Haikus.........New Dawn

new year ringing in
disappears the previous one
lifting my spirits

*****************************
cold wintery day
warmth of the sun takes away
my thoughts of darkness

*******************************
memories of past
why come and trouble me so?
new dawn is here now

Resolutions....

my resolutions
made before morning light
escape at twilight

**********************

ideal resolves
impressive, admirable
bitter to swallow

New Year Dawning

Blank calendar page
Invitation to the new
Time draws us ever on
********
Storms rage, wash away
Trees sway, their branches bowing
Blessing Mother Earth
*********
New day, a new way
Tomorrow's promise calls forth
Bold inspiration