Midsummer's Eve

Midsummer's Eve

stillness beginning
as fresh breezy Spring recedes
thick white-hot heat waves
descending ere midnight falls
my birthday ~ Summer begins

© ACG
20 June 2008

Escape

Escape

Bittersweet

my longings turning

with ever-aching yearning;

Constantly

my longings dunning

my battered soul to running;

My heartbeat's

pounding echo:

go (now)

go (now)

go (now)

Relentless.

© ACG

14 June 2008

Age (haiku)

Age

youth cannot see it
blinded by today's passions
horizon shimmers

© ACG
12 May 2008

"Spring Pollen" tanka

Spring Pollen

as goldenrod drifts

flowering trees shed petals

all softly floating

a sweet-scented Spring blanket ~

like you, suffocating me

© ACG

12 May 2008

burdens like baggage so heavily weigh ~
she sighs ~ with each forward step, through each day.

© ACG
07 May 2008

~ for every woman who ever kept on going

Memories of You

Like gray raindrops
falling softly through my willow leaves
your memory
slips through my secret soul's fortressed walls.

Like a rosebud
blooming in May's breezy sunshine
your memory
so sweetly lingers in my heart.

© ACG
06 May 2008

Winter

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

© ACG
01 December 2007

Autumn (haiku)

Autumn

fall foliage falls
dancing around and around

party dresses swirl

© ACG

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

Time

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

© ACG
05 September 2007

Love

Love's bittersweet flavor never complete

Lest two hearts entwined as one ever beat.

© ACG

26 August 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

"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

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

"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

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

"Beauty" Couplet

Beauty

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

© ACG
18 July 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

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

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

"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

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

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

"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

"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

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

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!

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 . . .

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

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

Spring (couplet)

Spring

As falling rain soaks earthly sites

dewdrops quenching the fairies' flights

© ACG

16 March 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

Katrina (haiku)

Katrina

raining black and white
inescapable flooding
America's past

© ACG
08 March 2007

Success (haiku)

Success

shadowy future

hides beyond the horizon

moving toward success

© ACG

24 February 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

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

"Wish" haiku

Wish

blowing through windows
soft air belies crashing sea
starlight wish answered

© ACG
26 December 2006

Silent Night

Silent Night

outside in the cold
winds twisting through bare branches
on a Christmas Eve
happy whispering wishes
silent anticipation

© ACG
17 December 2006

Christmas Memories

Christmas Memories

Baba’s homemade cookies,
old Macedonian recipes,
arriving in the mail ~
some crumbled and broken,
still melting in my mouth
deliciously different;

Mysterious packages
hidden among my mother’s shoes ~
peeking warded off by
black and white Spectator pumps
guarding silently,
sentinels of surprise;

My Dad’s monsters,
perfectly painted models,
stand under the tree ~
our Three Wise Men,
Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolfman
protect my tiny Red Dress Girl;

Jimmy and Philip shouting,
my sister counting gifts,
our four stockings bulge ~
Mommy made each one
exactly the same,
yet always we know our own;

First, Gene Autry sings “Rudolph,”
then Jerry Vale’s soaring voice,
as wrapping paper scatters ~
“Blue Christmas” from Elvis,
we muse over our treasures,
happy children, basking in Love.

© ACG
11 December 2006
for my parents

"Winter Storm" haiku

Winter Storm

rattling our bones
blowing screaming sleet and snow
Old Man Winter grins

© ACG
07 December 2006

Grieving (tanka)

Grieving

dampness penetrates
bone-chilling winds pierce the soul
brown leaves fall to mold
heavy darkness lingering
tears falling on a fresh grave

© ACG
29 September 2006

Old Friends

Old Friends

ever-present rays
shining warmly across time
ne'er dimmed though storms blow
battering senselessly harsh
an old lighthouse looms firmly

© ACG
24 November 2006

Sleep (haiku)

Sleep

easing into sleep

"perchance to dream" peacefully

the nightmares begin

© ACG

22 November 2006

Transition (tanka)

Transition

pumpkin pies cooling
dry leaves rustle underfoot
harvest moon shines on
first glinting of wet snowflakes
sneaky deceptive beauty

© ACG
05 November 2006

Wind (haiku)

Wind

rattling windows
howling around and about
dry leaves' last journey

© ACG
05 November 2006

Winter

The Winds of Winter

The Winds of Winter
blow coldly past;
landscape changes,
colors revealing
silent sleep like death.

The Winds of Winter
blow coldly through;
breath frosting,
piercing layered
thermal and goosedown.

The Winds of Winter
blow coldly in;
freezing the heart,
hopeless dreariness
stills a sanguine soul.

The Winds of Winter
blow coldly on;
yet a single Star shines,
diamond snow at night
illumines.

© ACG
05 November 2006

Dreams

Dreams

blowing coldly on
night-time restless howling winds
relentless darkness
across a fearful landscape
one heartbeat haunting my dreams

© ACG
15 October 2006

School (tanka)

School

blistering boredom
history's names and dates drone
children's slack faces
by chance one child’s mind ignites
dying words: “I'm still learning”

© ACG
06 October 2006

Mirrors

Mirrors

Ancient Prophetress,

what see you

as you gaze pensive

into the scrying bowl?

Sacred water

reflecting portent images,

swirling time and distance;

"Beware!" she cries,

as if struck back,

her prophecy severe.

Four thousand years

pass in a heartbeat;

pensive visage

stares back sadly;

A broken soul

reflecting incident images,

swirling time and distance;

"At last!" she cries

from ages past,

her prophecy complete.

© ACG

30 September 2006

Tornado (haiku)

Tornado

whirling righteous wrath
nature’s blasphemous sermon
brutal baptism

© ACG
30 September 2006

Birth (tanka)

Birth

pregnant air crackles
crashing thunderclouds signal
the promise of rain
when thirsty fields await
baby’s face revealed at last

© ACG
24 September 2006

Moonstruck Moment

Moonstruck Moment

still forests filter

a silent dance of shadows

one wolf's serenade

© ACG

22 September 2006

September's Garden

September's Garden

Golden days breezing,
filtered sunlight streaming through the trees;
the Wind scurries past
like Alice's White Rabbit ~
Late, so late, for a very important date ~

Leaves, browned and tired,
drift down executing their last dance;
Summer's flowers beg,
like last year's sad debutants ~
Pick me, pick me, I am still young, and lovely ~

Through my old garden
I rake, poking about here and there;
crisp'd air, an omen,
Winter's yearly Messenger ~
Hark ye, hark, Persephone abideth below ~

Whence my loveliness?
Shall my dance breathe out frosted, aching;
old bone, joints, muscles,
like Spring's forlorn memory?
Forget not, forget me not, my Entity endures, strong and true.

© ACG
17 September 2006
~ for my father

Then, and Now (haiku)

Then, and Now

like clouds billowing

obscuring blue New York skies

a haunted skyline

© ACG

11 September 2006

Castle's Queen

Castle's Queen

The Castle's light
Shone in the night,
A single boat
Cross Castle's moat,
Carries a Lady Fair;

The Castle's King
Stood e'er serene,
From Castle's wall
O'erlooking all,
His gaze on Lady Fair;

The Castle's host
With pleasure most,
Celebrating,
Hail Castle's Queen!
With Love for Lady Fair.

© ACG
06 September 2006

Honor (tanka)

Honor

"age goes before youth"

rarest thought for today's teen

a door held open

veteran soldier limps through

small courtesy well-deserved

© ACG

05 September 2006

Leaves (tanka)

Leaves

sunlit gems glitter
rustling yellow orange and red
flashes of color
falling into brown winter
an “affy tapple” crunches

© ACG
29 August 2006
(“affy tapple” is a brand of caramel apples)

In Dreams

In Dreams

They say “she walks in beauty like the night,”
Something about the cloudless climes,
For me, only nightmares traverse the night
Giving neither reasons nor rhymes;

Beyond my sleep, the Nightman rides alone,
His masked face never revealing,
Motivation nor his destination,
Into my dreams his soul stealing;

Before the dawn, the Nightman envelopes,
Stinging and singing mournful tune,
Like Death, his offer is a strange releasing,
No defense, tossed in nightmare doomed;

With a silent sigh and eyelids trembled,
Fearful heart welcomes him at last,
Surrendering now, our dreams united,
No cloudless clime, darkness holds fast;

Like a hurricane overswept am I,
Helpless now in his arms I lie,
His mask removed, now Death shall fly ~
Unusual Beauty! Nightmares lie.

© ACG

27 August 2006

Scent (haiku)

Scent

sudden storm passes
leaving dankness loitering
scent of lightning hangs

© ACG
27 August 2006

Life (haiku)

Life

covering like fog
the "what's next" ever obscured
hand-holding comfort

© ACG
16 August 2006

August

August

Hot sticky moon,
an orange blow-pop
stuck into the midnight;

One beating pulse,
nightbirds calling her
soul into the midnight;


She'll find her way
by the light of her moon,
her August birthday moon,
shining through the midnight.

© ACG
13 August 2006
for Aly

Memorial Service

Memorial Service

poignant serenade
mourning hum of voices low
remembering her
mother sister daughter friend
God's love and choice claimed too soon

~ for M. C. M.
1962 – 2006

© ACG
13 August 2006

Oregon Coast (haiku)

Oregon Coast

roaring surf attacks

bequeathing sculpted tidepools

seashells echo time

© ACG

07 August 2006

Generations (tanka)

Generations

clarity of mind
eludes my soul's impatience
so I bequeath else:
~ persevere, consider love ~
our family legacy.

© ACG
05 August 2006

Paralyzed

Paralyzed

Moonlight dances;
evolution’s lover
covers the night.

Suspended like death;
paralyzed upon you
I am serene.

© ACG
03 August 2006

Summer (haiku)

Summer

steady Nikon clicks

splashing laughing child

time frozen, framed forever

© ACG

26 July 2006

Walking with Abuse (tanka)

Waking with Abuse

sheltered leaves await
shadows ease into the sun
dawn's cacophony
sears all 'midst heavy daylight
swallowing a stifled cry

 

© ACG
25 July 2006

Alternate version

sheltered leaves await
shadows ease into the sun
dawn's cacophony
sears all 'midst heavy daylight
drowning out a stifled cry

© ACG
25 July 2006

Hearts

Hearts

Hidden sometimes
strangled ~
alone
a wild strange cry
like a distant sea bird;

hurt sometimes
bandaged ~
broken
splinted or a splinter
poking bleeding;

my heart.

Secretive sometimes
soaring ~
sailing
skilled in unknown waters
under a darkened sky;

steady always
beating gently ~
velvet
yet tough enough
like an anchor;

your heart.

© ACG
24 July 2006
~ for Cris

A Woman’s Place (The Victorian Wife)

A Woman’s Place (The Victorian Wife)

pale dawn yawns stiffly
corset crushes fresh bruises
a silenced life weeps

© ACG
21 July 2006

Dragon

Dragon

The modern cave is sterile,
Quiet as a tomb,
Distant voices blurring,
Echoing this room;

Footfalls coming softly,
Perhaps a warning squeak,
Tense anticipation,
Exposed, once more I’m weak;

No sound escapes my lips,
No movement in my limbs,
A broken shell I lie here,
The Dragon lies within;

The Dragon gnaws in hunger,
It grows in strength and speed,
It feeds upon my body,
It satisfies its needs;

Wherefore rides my Bold Knight?
O, my saviour, my dream?
Wherefore his Shining Armor?
Hope’s a dimming gleam;

In the midnight hour, he comes
With Sword of Death held high,
One swift battle ends it,
I feel the Dragon die;

As his final fiery breath expels
And mingles mine above;
I embrace my Knight, Sweet Death,
My own and one true Love.

© ACG
19 July 2006

Waste Land (haiku)

Waste Land

like ice-hard rain
slashing in swollen bellies
as our trash dumps fill

© ACG
14 July 2006

Locket (2-stanza tanka)

Locket

easy sunny days
when fearless youth reigned hopeful
echo icy storms
weather-worn the wild years fade
together we face the wind

heavy persuasion
ruled by the luring moon
time nor distance cuts
the ribbon tie that binds us
souls within a silver heart

© ACG
14 July 2006
For Lorraine,
my Sister of the Moon

4th of July (tanka)

4th of July

young mothers pointing

skyward sparkles exploding

thunderous booming

echoes into distant lands

POW mothers weep

© ACG

01 July 2006

America

America

1907 Greece; desitution.
"Go, son, go ~
This ship will take you to America."
The boy stows away.
"I love you, my son."
His mother weeps alone.

Her prayer was for his safety.

His mother's face fades
as waves wash away
his past;
the ship is bound for Argentina,
not America.

Hidden survival,
unimaginable
below decks.
"I love you," she had said.
But he's just a boy
and bad men find him.

Her prayer was for his safety.

He pleases the bad men,
and so he survives;
on the Argentine shore
a bad man says, "go, boy, go ~
this ship will take you to America."
This past, too,
will wash away.

Her prayer was for his safety.

The little boy finds America
waiting with open arms
like a mother's greeting,
and he is embraced;
no one has a past.
He hears her tears,
"I love you."

Her prayer was for his safety;
America, Land of the Free.

© ACG
30 June 2006
~ for my Mom and her Popche

July

July

Breezeless humid air
thick as water;
Standing in the sun
boiling, burning skin,
sweat merges;
One with Nature.

July descends
Like suffocation.

© ACG
29 June 2006

The Last Ribbon (haiku)

The Last Ribbon

weary heartbeat fades

helplessly farewell tears fall

Heaven's rainbow waits

© ACG

27 June 2006

for Lorraine

The Battle and Song

The Battle and Song

A birthday rolls in
like thunder rumbling,
heralding the ominous inevitable destruction,
the process of aging;

Mine's always happy
like a bright parade,
heralding the thundering echoing conquering of death,
a year's battle won;

My Captain led the fight,
my soul's troubadour,
he sang "calling calling calling come and get aboard the train,"
his voice a battle cry;

Alone ~ breathing raging,
his voice all around
became my North and South, East and West, my Compass Rose, my Song;
a lifelong love affair;

These two together
~ the Battle and Song ~
forged in fiery understanding so carefully wrought by Love,
now a birthday present;

"Just a CD," he says
as the gift is small,
yet I hear his love and comfort in the songs my Captain sings,
because he understands;

Most do not hear romance
in Johnny Cash's songs,
but my husband knows that Voice lives on within my heart and soul,
well-armed, I will fight on.

© ACG
23 June 2006

Summer Storm Approaching (Victorian haiku)

Summer Storm Approaching

perspiring men swear
softly as thunder rolls in
her parasol droops

© ACG
20 June 2006

Blue State Limerick

Blue State Limerick

There once was a woman named Alys,
Who looked upon some with great malice,
She read lots of books,
She knew they were crooks;
No surprise: they all came from Texas.

© ACG
20 June 2006

My Father

My Father

always treehouses
monster movies and kayaks
a grandchild’s first bath
Johnny’s smile and Aly’s laugh
a runner rare and renown

© ACG
18 June 2006
For Father’s Day

Peaceful Moments

Peaceful Moments

delicate night swoons
aching bones ease down softly
cricket’s lullaby

© ACG
17 June 2006

Summer Morning Coffee (tanka)

Summer Morning Coffee

willow branches wave
hot winds carry their whispers
a distant dog barks
muffled in rising thickness
warm coffee like summer’s air

© ACG
17 June 2006

The Mirror

The Mirror

Unavoidable,
shimmering mystery ~
it reveals all;

Shroud it ~
the Truth lies still
beneath the cloth;

Break it ~
its legacy lingers
seven long years;

Face it ~
bravely smile
at the crazy woman within.

© ACG
15 June 2006

Amber Alert (6 Days Before Father's Day)

Amber Alert

vicious slashes done
undeniably alone
one small soul survives

© Alys Caviness-Gober
14 June 2006
for Monte, and Collin

Journey (tanka)

Journey

summer rainfall dampens
fragrant pine trees drip sweetly
fog shrouds the mountains
long long road winds on and on
enchanting brown eyes twinkle

© ACG
07 June 2006
for Jimmy

Ma Bête Noir

Ma Bête Noir

Like secret whispers just beyond,
Like voices through a wall,
I strain to hear their messages ~
The words too lightly fall;

Like madness, in a mirror seen,
An image almost free,
These whispers, hidden gems conceal,
Murmur insanity;

Caressingly a gentle song
Into my brain comes soft,
A balm of hope, a light of life ~
And Desolation’s lost;

My Muse allows a Melody
To tease my Soul alive;
My Muse denies me Words of Truth,
Yet on for Truth I strive.

© ACG
01 June 2006