Poem 20160109

the abandoned heart is beating
it struggles on, but not in spite,
or beating, rather, not to spite
but because it knows nothing else

dreading the silence of the night,
the abandoned heart is beating
to hear itself, steady rhythm
the only comfort it has left

cold darkness too, this loss of words,
a handful of half-told truths–though
the abandoned heart is beating
it will–can not beat forever

these days are soft sun-filled hours
and gray clouds hiding silent stars
that whisper, it is a lie that
the abandoned heart is beating

Jane Dougherty’s Poetry Challenge #12 – Quatern

Poem 20160103

they stick in your throat
the words
they struggle
under your adam’s apple
a constriction
a spasm of the muscles
poorly coordinated nerves
preventing them from exiting

they stick
“i’m sorry”

try to swallow them down
“i was wrong”

let them
let them
let them open your mouth

let them open your mouth
“i was wrong”

let them be heard
“i love you”

Poem 20160102

still water
cut by boats
cut by the sun
shining like a knife
across the surface

still water
supporting floating gulls and cormorants
lazily chasing darting sandpipers
–somewhere out of sight
the bark of a seal

a dog shakes the winter water
from his coat
emerging from the sea
smiling as only a dog can smile
in this mix of warm sun
cold ocean and fresh air