The Poetry Marathon

In 100 Years, a pantoum

A hundred years from now

Will be no different from today.

Technology will be more advanced,

But the people will be the same.

“Will be no different from today?

You must be joking,” people say.

“But the people will be the same.

Same birth, same strife, same death,” I reply.

“You must be joking,” people say.

“Technology will be more advanced.”

“Same birth, same strife, same death,” I reply.

A hundred years from now.

Oak Tree, a pensee

Sits on a hill

Calling me to sit beneath

Alone on hills of lavender

A perfect place to read

Obstacles, a triolet

So many obstacles in everyday life

Laundry, the kids, and dishes in the sink

Oh, how many add to our strife

So many obstacles in everyday life

Too many to handle for me and my wife

Now, the mountain of dishes is starting to stink

So many obstacles in everyday life

Laundry, the kids, and dishes in the sink

The Headwaters of Hawksbill Creek

The creek, hidden in a low valley high in the Shenandoah Valley,

Is a place of seclusion and ambiance made especially for me.

I watch the hikers clad in t-shirts, shorts, suntan lotion, and sunglasses

Amble up the well-worn trail to the summit of Hawksbill Mountain

While my fishing gear and I bushwhack our way down to the secret spring.

The journey, filled with thorns and pickers not to mention a few slips and falls,

Was well worth any discomfort for both the silence and beauty are immense.

Slowly, I step into the cool, crystalline water and watch it move around my feet.

As I tie a Mr. Rapidan Dry size 16 on the line of my fly rod and adjust my

polarized sunglasses waiting for my eyes to adjust to the shade,

I watch the water and soon spot a Brooke trout calling my name.

A Senryu

One Small Step

Curiosity.

With just one step, you may find

destiny or death.

A Pantoum

Insurmountable?

Tower of Babel

As high as the eye could see

Insurmountable

Never say, “Never.”

As high as the eye could see

Just put one foot in front of the other

Never say, “Never.”

Don’t quit when others say, “Why bother?”

Just put one foot in front of the other

Insurmountable

Don’t quit when others say, “Why bother?”

Tower of Babel

A Common Saying Holds True

A Pensee

Comfort.

Just look around.

Forget about the clutter.

Know you are loved no matter what.

Home is where the heart is.

Home

As I lie exhausted on the couch,

I dwell in slovenly comfort

During the final hours

Of another satisfyingly

frustrating day.

I know not every task was completed,

Yet something was checked off

The never-ending

“To-Do” list of life.

I find comfort around me

And think,

“Home is where the heart is.”

Clothes strewn on the floor.

Books piled in every nook.

Dog curled on my lap.

TV murmurs in the background.

Kids stomping the stairs.

Dishes stacked precariously.

Mismatched socks seeking lonely shoes.

Toys in every corner.

Wife reading in her favorite chair.

My coffee cup in hand.

I exhale and let the day fall from my shoulders.

I have found comfort in the clutter.

Wake Me Up Before You Go

Heat radiates from your body

I caress the soft curves of your porcelain skin

You make my heart quicken with desire

I’m mesmerized by the fullness of your body

Your aroma exhilarates my senses

My lips caress your curves eagerly

Anticipation of our ecstasy is unbearable

I embrace you just to feel your touch

I promise to never let you go

I drink in your loveliness

I whisper your name softly…

Coffee

Ode to Coffee

Cup after cup standing as one

Their aroma offering solitude among the chaos,

The grinder growls without solace;

In the coffeehouse the sacred beans

Roast, of life the sacred ritual

To the morning routine of work;

Then driven onward towards the final drop

Of caffeine to their salvation in the last sip,

They seek the semblance of consciousness.