@God
I pity the God who turns away,
even for an instant, from
his work of crafting bone,
or wing or shell, to relish in
the blush of admiration on
the faces of the masses. For
this, I am sure, will mark
the very moment of his ruin.
.....
At Life's Table
There are crumbs
for those who must,
thick bread
for those who dare.
.....
At This Hour, Nothing More
At this hour, nothing more
than the hum of my computer,
my breathing,
and the music of the wind, saying —
Keep the melody simple,
carve out the sour notes
and start again.
.....
Awe
Is it the coal or diamond
created under pressure
that is deserving of our awe
or rather the earth's
resolute disinterest
in its own result?
.....
Bare Bulbs
Pity those
who only see
the light when
someone turns it out.
.....
Be Still, My Love
What disturbs me most
is not so much the echo of
my lover's cries, but more
the rattling of his chains.
.....
Simply Telling
There was a time we could be pleased
in doing things —
a time will come when we take pleasure
in simply telling what we did.
.....
Inside Out
Not certain
if the cage he'd built
was to protect
or to possess,
the prophet slipped
the lock from its hasp
and set his spirit free.
.....
Lifeline
Our earthly expiration date
written in the skin.
.....
(midnight haiku)
bed springs creak
I close my eyes
and think of rain
.....
Not Narcissus
Before kneeling to admire
your own perfection
in the water's even surface,
be forewarned — in time,
every river carries
its reflections out to sea.
.....
Piano Fingers
With hands
that span an octave,
you play
not one single note.
.....
Purpose
The winter tree,
resigned to the fact
that in its branches
nothing roosts,
takes quiet satisfaction in
simply holding
up the sky.
.....
Regret
a hole
much larger than
the patch that seals it
Star
“Look,” Grown-Up says to Child,
and points. “That star is falling.”
In silence, Grown-Up makes a wish
upon the star, while Child,
in matching silence, reaches out
to catch it in her hand.
.....
this, too…
the tiniest
bird
can block
the sun —
but only
for an instant
.....
Invisible
The line
that separates
prayer
from plea.
rain not rain
Rain
collected
in a bucket
is no longer
rain.
.....
Heroic
Go ahead,
admire the roses
if you like.
I'll save my praise
for the trellis —
that silent, crosshatched hero
of those which, on their own,
would fail to climb.
.....
Separation
Window —
stop this weeping.
It is not you but the curtain
that separates me from the winter light.
The Pebble Dreams
“I would,” said the pebble,
“roll down that hill
with great fervor,,
if only I were
a little boulder.”
Vase
No more shall I wonder
about my distant childhood home —
for the rose I clipped this morning
did not ask where its roots had gone.
.....
Home
A man met a prophet along the road
and, tired and thirsty, stopped to rest
and ask directions.
“Can you tell me, sir,” he said,
“how far I must walk until I reach
a place I might call home?”
“Ah…” the prophet answered, pointing.
“There. You see that spot where the road
becomes horizon? Keep walking.
You will find it there.”
...........................
18
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A collection of short, unpublished pieces.
Thanks to Matt Dennison for providing tweaks and inspiration for many of these.
This story has no tags.
these are gems! Your work is always good. And to have M.D. offering his eye and feelings on the work is not dolemite. it's dynamite! I miss my bud! I wish I could fave each one * x 22
Clark! Glad to see your face in this place.
There is a plate of chocolate chip cookies outside your door.
(That's how you get faves 'round this place, y'all.)
(wink)
Don't underestimate the power of my chocolate chip cookies.
They have been known to unify entire civilizations.
no way.
Yes way.
Fine set. My favorites: "this too..." "Heroic" and "Piano Fingers". *
This is a stunning achievement, Sally, nearly a book's worth of gems, small only in length, brilliant in content and execution and with immense reach.
All of these are wonderful.
Faved only for promise of cookies, and delight to see you here again. (now I'll read them) ***
Loved the pomes, too, but cannot with cerebral precision begin to say why.
"carve out the sour notes
and start again"
*
*Wonderful. "Awe" is my favorite, but I don't have a "not favorite."
* delightful
Each one sublime in its own way.*
A good collection with a commonality, the word for which escapes me. *
Beautifully done. It shows the world of creative possibilities is still wide open.
*, Sally. So good to get to read your fine work...again.
All are wonderful but I love "Star".
Great to read your work here again, Sally. *
Reads like Hardonaway if he underwent a gender crisis.
Great work, Sally.*
I'm in for Be Still, My Love. *
Thanks all for taking the time to read and comment, and for picking out favorites.
David - thanks for the word recommendation change
Mr Paust - your cookies are on their way - a double batch for your two comments and extra choc chips for actually reading the pieces
SDR - a greater compliment has never been bestowed. Thank you kind sir for taking time out from rescuing kittens, feeding the homeless, teaching literacy to underprivileged youth, and the countless other humanitarian efforts which clearly occupy much of you thoughts and time.
Much appreciated all!
I especially liked the first two. I could see using the second one to introduce a short story.
Words fail. Which is a pretty insanely ironic response to words so brilliantly successful. I love tiny that's not tiny at all. Really love. *