Wednesday, December 26, 2007


Winter

soft snowy wishes
like comfort blanketing me
'til my next ragg'd breath

© ACG
01 December 2007

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Autumn Morning (tanka)



Autumn Morning

cold morning tickles
wakening sleepy muscles
invigorating
now pulsing and pumping blood
as the outstretched road beckons




© ACG
22 September 2007

Wednesday, September 05, 2007


Time

"Time! Who's got the Time?" said the White Rabbit;
Now I scurry, looking for long-lost Time . . .


© ACG
05 September 2007

Sunday, August 26, 2007


Love

Love's bittersweet flavor never complete
Lest two hearts entwined as one ever beat.


© ACG
26 August 2007

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Sunrise (haiku)



Sunrise

stealthily rising
Apollo’s secret agent
golden Aurora


© ACG
18 August 2007

"Summer Storms" tanka



Summer Storms

ominously still
like an old person’s wheezing
the world holds its breath
then with an explosive crash
expells wind, rain, and thunder


© ACG
18 August 2007

A Poet's Heart



A Poet’s Heart

In gray winter, they march to battle
as thunder beats and drums roll;
so does a poet’s heart keep time.


© ACG
18 August 2007

Sunday, August 12, 2007

"Relationship" katuata


Relationship

tumultuous storms
hurling vessels far off course
navigational turmoil

progress seems stopped
sea-spray hides the horizon
will smooth sailing e’re be ours?

© ACG
12 August 2007

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Romantic Date



Romantic Date

Laughter rings with rolling dice and red wine,
'Ere friendship evolves as our hearts entwine.
© ACG
09 August 2007
~ for Cris

Thursday, August 02, 2007

"Honey" haiku


Honey

spun gold softly falls
sometimes hiding blue-gray eyes
treasure of the gods

© ACG
02 August 2007
for Aly, my honey-haired girl

"Summer Sounds" tanka



Summer Sounds

resonating free
blasts resounding through the air
summer marching band
exploding with energy
God’s feet are tapping along
© ACG
02 August 2007
for John, clarinetist extraordinaire!

Memories


Memories

Long nights,
longer days;
remembering youth’s vigor.

Jello echoes cocktail moments;
shuffling feet now a poor mimic
of the Charleston’s swing;
hospital murmurings suffocate
the echo of jazzy nightclub music.

Sparkling eyes still dancing inside.

© ACG
02 August 2007

Friday, July 20, 2007

Summertime Rain (tanka)


Summertime Rain

leaves turn inside out
as dark clouds roll and winds whip
temperature drops
a July day feels like Fall
summer rain soaking the earth

© ACG
20 July 2007

Accomplishments Measured

long hours working
her latchkey children waiting
secondhand clothes wearing thin

disdain of others
but they never saw bruises
is her achievement enough?


~ for all the children who live in safety
because their mothers survived Domestic Abuse.
May Society one day see their heroism,
instead of their poverty.


© ACG
20 July 2007

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

"Beauty" Couplet


Beauty

Strolling past blossoms on a garden path,
her beauty evokes Nature's jealous wrath.

© ACG
18 July 2007

Friday, July 06, 2007

"Shadows" tanka



Shadows

like gray-clad clouds roll
relentlessly approaching
all shelter denied
no cavalry advances ~
alone, as shadows descend


© ACG
01 July 2007

"Summer" haiku


Summer

sweltering onward
waves of humid air conquer ~
victorious march!

© ACG
01 July 2007

Untitled (katuata)


Untitled

hearts pumping boldly
blood runs on the battlefields
prayers rise on the homefront

patriotic songs
marching bands and flying flags
is our Independence free?


© ACG
27 June 2007

Fireworks (couplet)


Fireworks

pyrotechnic exhibit soaring high;
deafening explosions delayed; Science rules.
© ACG
01 July 2007

Thursday, June 28, 2007



Spring Loaded

(dedicated to my son, Johnny)

They say April Showers Bring May Flowers;
April’s rain brought Johnny to me,
Spring Loaded.

They say Three Time’s A Charm;
Two times: hospital, tubes, and wires ~
Third time will bring ~ what?

~ Aly’s smile comforts my heart,
and there is, as always, only us ~

They say 13 Is An Unlucky Number;
April Thirteenth dawned in silence.
Third time, came Johnny.

Alone, they say God Is Always With You;
But I could not see Him ~
as a husband’s lies became a father’s rejection.

~ and then only hours old, more tubes and wires,
whisked away for a day ~

They say Marry In Haste Repent At Leisure;
Deus meus, ex toto corde poenitet ~
Strangely another blessing.

They say You’re Better Off Without Him;
And his leaving is my Absolution ~
But Penance may be eternal.

~ they are golden-haired little sweethearts,
baby treasures ~

They say Like Two Peas In A Pod;
Little face mirrors his sister's,
His eyes ever follow her.

They say Snips And Snails And Puppy Dog Tails;
But he is Sugar And Spice And Everything Nice.
Simply made, all smiles and love.

~ boundless energy, with winning ways,
our 3rd Musketeer ~

They say The Eyes Are The Window To The Soul;
Those blue eyes expose eternity ~
He's just wide open.

Always happy Walking On Sunshine;
On The Sunny Side Of The Street,
Joyful is his world.

~ his heartbeat is Hap-py, Hap-py, Hap-py,
Spring Loaded ~

They say Don’t Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth;
I did not, but just two months old,
Another hospital, tubes, and wires.

They say All’s Well That Ends Well;
And sometimes it does,
But that small blue face cut my soul.

~ fear burrows in deeply,
lying dormant all these years ~
They say A Child Shall Lead;

Not yet two, he tells me he’s happy God said Okay.
I ask, About What?

(We don’t go to church. How does he know about God?)

He tells me he was sitting with God
When God asked him Who Shall Be Your Mommy?
he pointed to me and said That One.

~ he was not yet two,
so I believe in You ~

They say Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall;
Our storm loomed fourteen years ~
O that hap-py hap-py heartbeat.

Thumping too-fast too-fast;
Too many times for too many years ~
There will be yet another hospital, tubes, and wires.

Not yet two, he told me You said Okay.
You gave him to me
~ Spring Loaded ~

Don’t renege.


© ACG
23 June 2007

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Fields (tanka)


Fields

waves of grass beckon
happy butterflies flitter
hiding in the grass
they wait for innocent flesh
and our paradise is lost
© ACG
14 June 2007

"Home" haiku


Home

silent midnight enters
surroundings stolen from view
yet still the heart knows

© ACG
14 June 2007

Thursday, June 07, 2007

"The Emptiness of Parkinson's Disease" katuata



The Emptiness of Parkinson’s Disease

blank stare, vacant eye
black hole of endless despair ~
Emptiness pirates the throne.

the spark lies dormant
none can fan the flame within ~
Can the end be far away?


© ACG
07 June 2007

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Far Away


Far Away

I lie upon my cushioned chair,
half asleep in breezy air,
a lounge-y day of reverie;


The willow branches near me sway,
sweeping me so far away,
to an echoing memory;


That naive feeling stealing past,
~ ah, we thought to ever last ~
youthful dreams haunt deliciously.


© ACG 05
June 2007

Sunday, June 03, 2007

Attic (tanka)


Attic

pulsing airlessness
filters through motionless screens
of silver cobwebs
blurring vision, guarding all ~
the far corner of my mind


© ACG
03 June 2007

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

"Vacation" katuata


longing to escape ~
ennui settles like cement
poured into a molded form

in quiet moments
visionary mindlessness ~
Can the Ocean hear my soul?


© ACG
15 May 2007

Memories (couplet)



Memories

Myriad Fortune's winds fill ancient sails
As far-flung soulful memories cascade
© ACG
15 May 2007

"Coffee" haiku

Coffee

pulsing pressure pounds
like a storm's humidity
brainwaves seek caffeine


© ACG
15 May 2007

Saturday, April 07, 2007

"Shadows" Tanka haiku



Shadows

as Dawn approaches
she trembles against the Clouds
her colors muted
Clouds controlling her glamour
like Zeus controls Hera's joy

© ACG
07 April 2007

"Stored All Winter" haiku



In the Garage

dust covers each one
waiting behind winter boots
flip-flops, step forward!

© ACG
07 April 2007

Couplet (excerpt)



Anger

Rising boiling roiling ~ Witch's cauldron ~
wrathful steam arises ~ Vengeance's song.


© ACG
07 April 2007

Saturday, March 31, 2007

Couplet



The Sea

Through fog and wind and storm he sails the sea ~
onward, wood and canvas ~ come home to me.

© ACG
31 March 2007

Pirate (tanka)



Pirate

steely eyes glowing
a predator's dark heart growls
silky smooth his hand
caressingly strokes the wheel ~
his true love, his ship alone


© ACG
31 March 2007

Friday, March 30, 2007

Retirement (katuata)



Retirement

lounging peacefully
sun-tea pitcher glistening
birds twittering lazily

she basks daydreaming
until the phone breaks the spell
how many more days left?

© ACG
30 March 2007
~ for Carole!

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Abuse



Abuse

"only" whipping words
carefully he breaks them down
the system failing


© ACG
22 March 2007
~ for the victims whose abusers are "clever" enough not to hit . . .

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Untitled (katuata)



Untitled

stormy March winds roar
the Lion of Winter dies
last gasping breath defiant

sweet breezes blow in
as the Lamb of Spring dances
does Earth recall the Lion?



© ACG
21 March 2007

Monday, March 19, 2007

Herself (tanka)



Herself

she rules Neptune's own
wildly riding tempest waves
heart and sword fly free
"board 'er, boys!" ~ her raucous crew
following their pirate queen

~ for Aly

© ACG
19 March 2007

Friday, March 16, 2007

Spring (couplet)



Spring

As falling rain soaks earthly sites
dewdrops quenching the fairies' flights

© ACG
16 March 2007

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Lion and Lamb (tanka)



Lion and Lamb

"raining cats and dogs"
gray skies clearing a little
stealthy wind gusting
lashing at winter's remains
buds cocooned await sunshine

© ACG
13 March 2007

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Katrina (haiku)




Katrina

raining black and white
inescapable flooding
America's past

© ACG
08 March 2007

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Success (haiku)



Success

shadowy future
hides beyond the horizon
moving toward success

© ACG
24 February 2007

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Snow Days in February (tanka haiku and regular haiku)



Snowed In

on comes a white-out
snow upon snow falls thickly
layers of numbness
an insulation divine
clocks tick-tock on yet time slows


© ACG
15 February 2007

St. Valentine's Day

deluge of spending
one day's capitalism
drives romance to death


© ACG
15 February 2007

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

The Long Road



The Long Road

Cut clearly,
it beckoned and stretched,
and I took it.

In the beginning,
there were guides,
holding my hand.

Alone, I walked further,
watching figures disappear
ahead of me.

Catching up --
Ah! Impossible!
The way overgrown.

Under my feet,
the path disappeared;
progress halted.

Shadows and stones,
obstacles abound;
exhaustion rules.

This spot is good ~
why not stay?
Resting.

Looking back,
the hard road,
reveals progress.

Looking forward,
though not clear,
the road calls me on.

First step tentative,
like a baby,
I start again.


© ACG
03 January 2007