The Poetry Marathon

My mother still plants flowers
In her garden every year

There are tomatoes and cucumbers
Pumpkins and squash
Figs and pears bend the branches of her trees
Herbs live outside the kitchen window

And every year there are flowers

Roses climb the fence
Daffodils and columbines in the front yard
An angel trumpet calls to heaven
And a Confederate Rose is at the bottom of the drive

My mother’s garden is nothing without flowers

Grendel was a monster
That’s what they say
Claws, fur, teeth
Attacking and killing
And showing no pity
An anachronism
In a quiet community
Something that disturbed
And challenged every person

So why… as I grow older
Do I identify more with the monster?

I am not depressed
Nor am I starved for attention
Maybe a bit for affection
But it is not the worst
I’m starting to wonder though
Will I never find a partner?

Crystalline leaves
with visible veins
look like lace
knit together
by spiders

Ever hear the one about the white wolf?

There was a woman of extraordinary beauty
She was desired by every man
But there were none who could attract her attention

She was often seen walking in the woods
Where she would gather berries
And was most happy in the shade of the trees

Her suitors were not so patient
They wanted to possess her
And claim the most beautiful wife in the land

One day she was in the forest
When she heard the distinctive barks of hunting dogs
To her horror, they were chasing after her

She ran quickly through the trees
Her foot was cut on a stone
And she tried to hide as best she could in a cave

She whispered a prayer
“Please help me escape”
A voice replied, “What would you do to escape?”

She turned to see a black wolf in the cave
It bowed its head, and repeated
“What would you do to escape?”

“Anything,” she whispered, “Anything.”
The wolf plodded forward
And pressed his head into her palm

The hunting dogs were shocked
When a white wolf ran at them
Snarling, baring their teeth, a black wolf silent beside them

Their lords were found later
Throats ripped out
Left scattered between the trees

The woman was never seen again either
But sometimes, if you are wandering the forest
You will see a white wolf

Ensconced in my recliner
Recovering from surgery
My constant companion snuggles in
A tiny brown dog
Determined to not leave me alone
Is happy to have ear scratches
And encouraging words to let them up in my lap
Napping often with me
As my body slowly heals

I walked through the green doors
and was immediately embraced

An old friend had spotted me through the window
and raced to the spot to be the first to greet me

My heart swelled having not see him in years
So many things had happened in between

“I missed you darlin’,” he said to me
I clutched him tighter

It had been so long
since I had felt this safe

I was passed off to others
Each taking me tight to their chest

We could feel each other’s heart
Breathe in with each other

I was at last where my heart always lives
Back with the those who keep a place for me

The tree trunk twisted counter-clockwise
Thick bark spiraling upwards
Age tired branches above
Tended to finally fail under the weight of rain

It reminded everyone of the Venus de Milo
Twisting in the same direction
Old beyond what anyone could fathom
Having seen more than their share

Their limbs severed over time
Never detracting from their beauty

I didn’t know if I would find you

I wasn’t sure either

Were you hurt?

Yes
But let’s not discuss this now

I missed you

And I you

I need you close to me

I am here

The number of ways
I would like to lock myself away
are uncountable

Somewhere quiet
and isolated from the world
so I can get my head back together

Just the sound of the wind
the snow hitting the roof
and my own thoughts finally calmed