Published Works

Pages


The years ago pages
Have been turned over
Lying face down
To the left

Another chapter
Has been written
Words and pictures
Of different times

When we were dream-filled
Life seemed endless
Possibilities limitless
Expectations realistic

We trudged on through
Work-filled days
Silent midnights
Sharing without caring

Now blank pages
Wait to be written
Of hopes and desires
Still unfilled

Published Works

Time Is


Time takes no vacation
Takes no break
Time has no friends
Has no enemies
Has no rewind button
To relive it
To fix it
To change it
Has no fast forward button
To speed past
The hurt and worry
Time’s a cheater
Time’s a liar
‘You’ll find out later’
‘Wait until you’re older’
Time’s a procession of waiting
You never really do find out
All you need to know
It’s up there in the distant future
A hairbreadth from your fingertips
You never quite reach
Time is not where
It is not who
Time is when
When is now
Time is smiling
It knows it’s won

October Summer



I watch the shimmering
Glimmering surface
Of the undulating water
Stretching from here to everywhere
As I slowly pad along
The soft sandy carpet
While oncoming waves
Gently whisper their arrival
The statuesque palms’
Feathery fronds gently sway
In the warm October breeze
Sunshine casts their lithe shadows
Across the green landscape
Beyond the island shoreline
Baby sandpipers trot
Through the surf’s edge
And flocks of chattering gulls
Gather in conference
Atop a sandy dune
Toddlers squeal as timid waves
Caress their ankles
And brazen teens paddle out
On neon colored boards
Hoping to catch an easy wave ride back
Picking my way through
The coughed up remains of the sea
I marvel at the Venus clam shells
Their shiny perfection entrances me
I revel in Nature’s awesome beauty
Scattered at my feet
Luminous, pearly, flawless
The sun’s heat wraps me in warmth
Until my skin weeps beads of moisture
Horizontal rows of seaweed
Tell of come and go tides
The all-encompassing serenity
Banishes technology and wizardry
To a different time and place
Far from my simple
October summer day

Onward


Life is a mosaic
Tapestry of events
People and places
Times and troubles
Successes and failures
Wants, desires
Going forward
Blending and fusing
One day to the next
Month to season

Life is a cacophony
Music and noises
Pasted against polished silences
Echoes and harmonies
Whispers and birdcalls
Grumbling machinery
Ticking clocks, voices overlapping
Waves slapping sandy shores
Whistling winds tangling green palms

Life is a festivity
Excitement, adventure
Desire and determination
Plans and dreams
Of direction and purpose
From wherever to somewhere
Chance happenings and
Scheduled events
Take you beyond
Restrictions and limits

Published Works

Songs and Yesterday



Too many songs
Run through my head
At once
Their lyrics
Play and dance
Bounce, resound
Melodies collide
Tangle themselves
Around, beneath
Upside, downside
And echo
Back to me


Like your whispers
In the dark
Behind the breeze
That stirs silver
Shimmering shadows
Where firelight
Mesmerizes memories
And wishes spoken
To the stars
Go ignored
As yesterday
Trips over today

In My Own Dreams


I won't build my dreams

In the Clouds

Just to have the first

Giant breeze toss

Them out to Sea

And I can't go there with you

If this is where

I need to be

A chosen place

A safe Harbour

Outside the storms

But all I want from you

Can ever ask of you

Keep me Safe

Love me well

Touch me Soft

Hold me Close

Kiss me Deep

Leave me Never

Marching Clouds


Pewter clouds grow and stretch
With unexpected
And uninvited suddenness
Forming blots against
A white washed sky
Acting like war weary soldiers
Trampling through a bluebonnet field
They don’t belong
And they know it


Slowly they scoot past
With their iron colored
Brothers in tow
Imprisoning the sunset beyond
Their random puffiness
These haughty clouds
March slowly out to sea
As twilight slowly drops its veil
To darkness

Freedom Wheels


I fly better into the rising sun
Faster at dawn’s arrival
A muted whirring of rubberized plastic
Spinning and turning
The grey-black asphalt outstretched before me
Winds and curves, then disappears
For miles ahead
It’s me and the breeze;
Me and my wheels
Four in a row
Beneath each foot
In perfect succession
Giving me freedom
To breathe the sea-scented air
To soar like the herons
As a slalom skier around the bends
One foot ahead of the other
Onward and forward
Palm fronds rustling overhead
Squirrels and raccoons
Making a beeline to avoid my oncoming rush
A reflective time just for me
I let my random thoughts overtake
And mentally drift unbridled
I’ve seen it all on my skating adventures
A spoonbill quintet overhead
Cruise ships maneuvering out of port
Walkers, runners, bikers,
Wind-boarders, birdwatchers, picnickers
Everyone and anyone, tall and small
I pass them in a whiz
Kayakers, fishermen, kite flyers
My sweat soaked limbs
Cooled by a late summer wind
Just me and my skates
Celebrating exhilarating freedom

Beach Unleashed



The bossy sea
Shoves its grouchy surf
Half way up my suntanned calves;
I catch my balance
And amble along
Through the foamy edges
Watching marine life remains
And tossed about shell bits
Somersault one above the other;
A partial sand dollar
Skids across the drenched beachy grit
As the magnetic tide
Tugs it thoughtlessly
Back to its watery home;
White water breaking
Far from shore
Startles the diamond studded turquoise;
Brilliant sun bakes my bare shoulders
As I shield my eyes
From the coppery glare;
I study the ankle deep sea foam
As the swirling remains
Of once upon a time shells
Nibble at my toes
And grumbling waves grow raucous
Slamming against the semi-deserted shoreline;
Even the spindly-legged sandpipers
Toddle uncertainly along
The bubbly tide line;
An unexpected gust
Urges my steps forward
As the demanding water ebbs
Affirming Nature’s solitary strength

Lost and Gone



You sped through my life

Like a fiery comet

In the lonely night sky

Brilliant, dazzling, quiet

I blinked, spun around to look

And only saw the stars winking

Back at me – mocking me

As if to say, oh fool

Another one got away

Too late now, you had the chance



You flew by on golden wings

Through shimmering daylight

Tinged the azure limitless sky

Giving gentle caresses, open kisses

You stole my soul without warning

I never knew it left me

So I swept you aside like snowflakes

Trying to melt through my heart

Flung you aloft back to where

Only memories make their home

Beach Days


Tilted umbrellas line the sandy shore
Billowing in the lazy breeze
Gentle pint-sized waves
Repeat their journey ashore
Washing away the footprints
Of travelers and dreamers
I barefoot my way along the watery edge
Out-stepping the foamy surrender
Of saltwater retreat
It reaches for my feet
Trying to cover my painted toes
The incessant tumbling rush
Of surf over surf
Lulls me into a timeless place
Where only the slowly moving sun keeps pace
I extend my gaze afar
Where sky meets water
In a horizontal ribbon of limitless blue
Where high masted ash-white sailboats
Float in tranquility
And shades of turquoise green water
Blend and diffuse light to dark
I watch as hungry gulls
Swoop and dive for fishy food
And terns chatter among themselves
Arguing over seashell remains
I watch the languid bodies
Plastered against color-striped towels
And smile as hand-in-hand sweeties
Amble past stride for stride
I sidestep little ones
With plastic buckets and Frisbees
Squealing with delight
The salty air, summery sun,
Champagne sand with its
Buried seashell treasures
Beckon my return
To dream another day

Time to Fold


I think you lie
And play me for a fool
You lead me on
Sweet talkin’ honey
Keep me on your hook
Lookin’ for more
But you never deliver
So the game goes on
Until one of us
Calls it quits
Cashes in
Folds the hand
I’m tired of playin’
You set the rules
You back away
Whenever the stakes
Seem too high
No sacrifice
No decision or
Commitment
So on I hold and wonder
Will there ever be
What I want
It seems so doubtful
After all this time
Let’s pack it in
Give it up
End the ruse
The time has come
To fold my hand

Published Works

Afternoon Beach Bliss


Soft Pillsbury-flour white sand
Stretches and glistens for miles
Along my vacant unshared beach
Just the gentle miniature
Wave over wave foamy surf sound
And a hungry pelican or two
Diving for snacks
Keeps me company
An orange-burst sun
Suspended against a blue-white sky
Makes its slow progress
Toward the edge of the world
My mind drifts in and out
Remembering then and when
To this and now
Delighting in my summery freedom
I watch my soggy footprints
Erased by the bubbly tide
As my shadow lengthens
And snowy sand dunes
Become covered by dusk
The desolate beach stretch
Bids me a temporary farewell
While the apricot sunset
Bleeds to coral and grey

Time Ago


I remember when I could say
This is my time
That was a time ago
When I was svelte and unlined


And now I see girls
That look like a used-to-be-me
This is their time
Shiny smooth, bright of eye
Untested and true
Time does take a toll
In memory and photos
Sound clips and music videos


Thirty some odd years once before
When I could strut some stuff
When men whistled and cat-called
To my flirting


Not much changes really
Just the calendar pages and
Decades’ etchings
Along my mouth and eyes
There’s always a replica of me
Sitting on a barstool
Spaghetti strapped with made-up eyes


I remember back in the day
When I was bold and brash
That was my time
And this is theirs

Beach Times


Not a wisp of cloud
To mar the endless sapphire sky
Dreamers and lovers
Stroll along
Linking elbows, shoulders grazing
Needle beaked terns
Peck in the surf’s remains
Startling shoreline minnows
To make a hasty retreat
The tide flows outward
Pulling gravelly sea bits
Then tumbles back against the sandy shore
Dropping new shell treasures at my feet
I watch the tourists
Rummage along the surf’s edge
Collecting scraps of beach time evidence
Of being here
Souvenirs to stay the memories
Seagulls float and glide
Against the perfect indigo overhead
Cawing and screeching
Competing for attention
As they gently land on spindle legs
Boys with box kites
Struggle and tug
Against the breeze
To keep their colorful angles aloft
Teens on boogie boards
Paddle away
Looking for a steady
Wave transport back to shore
Tinny reggae makes a radio escape
While sunburned noses and shoulders
On those who overstayed their day
Amble past in skimpy suits
I blink against the mesmerizing glare
As the sun slowly descends
Closer to the horizon
The couples grow fewer
Conversations fade further
Umbrellas are folded
And blankets are shaken
Another beach day
Is packed up and stored
Securely held within my mind

Survivor


I am a survivor
And you’re not

You’re stuck inside yourself
And I’m not

I am a believer
And you doubt

You’re lost in another time
And I‘m here

I broke free and clear
You hold to safety
Your self created
Empty dreamscape

I get into it
Hold up the box
Scrutinize its bottom
Touch the edges

I look for adventure
And you won’t

You refuse to let loose
And I will

I put it on the line
You drop anchor

You give credence to pain
And I won’t

So I search for the new
And want for sharper
Living, breathing in the now
Flying free, seeing tomorrow

While yesterday melts away
Beyond the hot cobalt sky
Your memory fades
As the mango sunball sinks into the sea

Published Works

CHOICES


With all the decisions
I’m always faced with
Based on past experiences
Knowing ever still
What’s really right
Accepting the results
Of unseen failures
Trying to foresee
What lies ahead
Bypassing invisible obstacles
I’m not even sure exist
Playing with fortune telling
Without the tarot cards
And second guessing responses
To unspoken queries
Being so unsure of present facts
Enough to complicate the unknown
Then leaping ahead of myself
I convince myself
That having you for just a little while
Is better than not having you
At all

Published Works

Sandcastle Days


Like sand crabs scuttling across the shoreline
Gathering invisible plankton
Memories flit past my sight
Like pages of a half read novel
Riffling in an autumn breeze
Our sunshine days were long
And nights were longer still
A silvery suspended moon
Cast seaside shadows
While lazy palms
Idly danced to tango rhythms
I held your hand
You kissed my cheek
We whispered nothings
That meant everything
And greeted tangerine daybreaks
We searched for shells
And fused our colliding souls
Sidestepping driftwood and seaweed
As we sailed from day to month
Engulfed, infused, enamored
Building our sandcastle days
Along a khaki faded beach
Ignoring reality’s demands
Living on the ocean’s edge
While tempting the tide
Creating melted marshmallow memories
Sweet and softly warming my soul
I remember our sandcastle days
Not that long ago or far
From where we built our dreams
Hand in hand, dream on hope

Season Over Season



Shall I ride with you on a Summer breeze

Through green dewy forests at morning’s break

Shall I walk with you over Fall’s red leaves

Before evening’s sunset golden and peach

Shall we linger in Winter as snow falls

Waiting for a thawing time almost near

Shall we prance through Spring’s meadows of daisies

Then circle back ‘round season to season

And love one another days into years

Published Works

Memories of Edward


Over half a lifetime ago
When you were young
And I was younger
The words were said
And more were written
About love and longing,
Need and desire
Abandon on a floral print daybed
Time went by
You got lost or ran away
I can’t remember which
The tears were cried
And memories were stored
In dimly lit niches
Seldom visited
Shrouded in forgetfulness
And then one day
Your name leaped out
Completely unbidden
So I wandered through
Those unshared years
Between then and now
To capture the
“What If”
Did your hair disappear?
Have lines creased your brow?
Is your voice sand-papery?
Have our long ago voices
Ever resounded
In faint whispery wisps?
Did you ever replay our years
In thought or deed
With another?
And does it matter
In the grand scheme
Of ever changing cycles
It does; you did
The history we share
Afar, apart
Will always link us
As fence posts
At far ends
Intertwining diamond shapes
Between us
Of other times
And memories