24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
When the wind touches my skin
It feels as if you touched me
When the smell of the wet soil enters my breath
It feels as if you are around
When I hear the sound of the rain touching the ground
I feel I hear your footsteps coming near me
When I see the clouds in the sky
It feels as if they want me to know you are around
When I hear the thunder
It feels as if nature is telling me you are here
Everything I feel makes me love you more everyday
A magician named Sally, so I hear
Wanted to make all her bills disappear
She waved her wand and she chanted
“Poof,” her wish was granted
Her debt she no longer would fear.
Debt free would be Sally’s new way
No more struggles on which bills to pay
She was free as a bird
It seemed so absurd
She had it all now, wouldn’t you say?
But Sally hadn’t thought it all through
Not realizing what her wish would do
She should have been more specific
And a bit less prolific
When it came to which bills she would loose.
Though her Visa card balance was nil
Sadly, so was her great uncle Bill
Bill Murray, Bill Nye
Well they all went bye bye
Now her wish seemed far less of a thrill.
Bill Gates and Bill Belichick gone
No Billy Joel and all of his songs
What was Sally to do
Bill of Rights were gone too
How could one magic trick go so wrong.
Sally was determined to alter her plight
With some magic she could make it all right
“Abracadabra, alakazam
Get me out of this jam”
Sally conjured all day and all night.
Sally opened her eyes with a yawn
She was nervous to face the new dawn
But she discovered her scheming
Happened while she was dreaming
Uncle Bill was out mowing the lawn.
Trampled leaves and trampled flowers
Lie behind the asphalt towers
Struggling with industrial powers
Will they be forsaken?
Maybe they will cut their chains,
Free themselves from growing pains,
Wait and suffer till it rains
Or will they learn to fly?
The framed art in my room matches the framed ambition of my heart.
Divine intervention made that happen.
I see it daily
But don’t SEE it enough.
Yet it is there reminding me of my possibilities whether I see it there or not.
Because it stays faithful I am reminded and give life my very best shot.
jj2019 2019 Poetry Marathon
In the golden glow streaming in from the rafters, I feel glittering magic descend.
In times of trouble golden hues lay a blanket of calm over me.
Dark tunnels lit by glowing torches, holding my breath until I reach the next fire.
Cold air fills my lungs, my stomach aches, the candle beside me dances.
Dirt underneath my fingernails I try to scream, no sound, but the lighter beside me holds me.
Cobblestone walls and an aging wood ceiling sway with the flames.
Old lightbulbs, spheres of cracked glass, dark orange filament twisting together like two rival serpents.
My eyes can rest, no strain, I am warm, safe.
Comfort, I find comfort in the golden light.
Antique lampposts in the park, flickering in a non-threatening way.
The beam of a dull flashlight, batteries clunking around loosely.
Strike a match and feels the fear ease, no longer in the dark.
Forget rose-colored glasses and painting the town red, forget the blues and feeling green.
I’m following the golden flicker.
The underbrush and tree leaves are sprinkled
With dew.
The golden rays of summer
Make dewdrops glitter
Akin to a third-grader’s
Paper project.
No birds warble this morning.
For a stranger stalk the woods.
His paws are covered with a strange skin
And he walks on only two paws.
The polished stick he wields is loud
And dangerous.
He makes too much noise.
Animals scurry from his
Looming footsteps.
Insects bury themselves into
Tree bark when the underbrush crackles
Underneath his feet.
He has come to slaughter the roaring predator
That prowls these woods
Not recognizing that he is
The most treacherous pillager
Of all.
Fog dances through leaves
Birds sing to greet the morning
I watch the sun rise
But the mist is nicotine
and the sounds blare from headphones
Eleven years, a swimming pool and memories
Worry, peace and later loss
You feared the heat would do me in
When hours later, a heart attack claimed you
In years since, the pool and memories
Pay homage annually to let you know I’m still okay
You’ve missed so much
My family; your granddaughter
But the water and her love for it
Remind me that you know I’m doing alright
In memory of my Dad, Al Eisnaugle (December 20, 1946-June 22, 2008, 11 years ago today)
Sir, lend me your Black Pearl
Or tell me a good price for it!
I need it and I need it now to leave
The sea of sorrow where I can drown.
I was not inspired to make
A voyage to the past and now
I risk to get drowned
In my own tears and memories.
And something magical he said:
You need no ship to get you out of here!
Just wake up, live the present, feel the future
And hope will bring you safely on love’s beach!
I searched for happiness
I wanted to be free of pain
Never wishing to look back
But here I am again
Anxious
Afraid
Angry
How could I not be?
It’s a part of life, yes
Then why do I feel
It’s not a part of me?