The Anything Goes

As Long As It’s Ours party’s

leader aptly sells sneakers.

~

Guess that old soft shoe

isn’t slaying in the plains

as it had in yesteryears.

That was the brightest

day of forecast winter storm

of this young millenium.

~

Our days grew brighter

when that forecasted storm failed

to come storming in.

Watching the birds peck

at the seed til the rail’s cleared

enchants the two indoor cats.

~

Aren’t we all enthralled,

just like those enchanted cats,

by what’s always out of reach.

Sometimes it’s the small

little things that make the big

differences and the most noise.

~

The huge, silent things

that go unnoticed also

make huge differences.

Slowly we tiptoe

through the house not wanting to

awaken sleeping cats.

~

An empty nest

allows parents to run free

from disturbing anyone.

Images run free

dancing to unknown rhythms

at the verge of consciousness

~

Escaping reason,

images can dance to their

own beat, take us to new lands.

In so many ways

our pets bring comfort and play

each and every day.

~

Their playful antics,

when they’re not an annoyance,

are indeed, comforting joys.

Disquiet, unease

rises inexorably

from an ill-considered choice

~

If only we’d felt

uneasy earlier, we

might have made a different choice.

Why do we expect

things to be different when we

do nothing to change?

~

We pray that someone

more competent than ourselves

will act in our stead!

Philosophy is

a walk on slippery rocks

where nothingness is at stake

~

At least nothing is

something even in the field

of philosophy.

A brief moment of

connection can carry us

through a stressful day.

~

Like raindrops in drought

even brief drips can yield blooms

though they may not slake the thirst

Setting sun shines sharp

between tall seaside towers

illuminating whitecaps.

~

Inland sunlight slides

over hills and trees and comes

to rest upon the still pond.

Sometimes when looking

at the past, we see things we

miss in the present.

~

Down memory lane,

wretched truths come crystal clear.

We wonder how we missed them.

Planning is the bane

of this procrastinator,

drawn to crisis management.

~

Crisis management

requires immediate

focus in a condensed way.

Little by little

the day goes by without our

help along the way.

~

As passengers, we

are often discontented,

determined to take the wheel.

Branches wave hello

to the rising sun, goodbye

to descending moon.

~

Rising sun smiles

brightly on waving branches

as sleepy moon slips away.

Leaving thoughts unpenned

can create great frustration

when the time for writing comes.

~

Without either time

or the means, many a good

idea just slips away.

Our dreams let us know

what is stirring down below

asking for some attention.

~

Whispers from the deep

often contain messages

lost amid surface chatter.

Prodigals return

when life gets hard to manage

without family support.

~

It can be hard to

return and receive what we

once denied needing.

Seems January

has decided to leave like

a quite docile lamb.

~

Spring-like winter months

may seem meek as little lambs

when, in truth, they harbinge doom

Circling the drain,

through less pleasant vertigo,

is like riding carousels.

~

Circle your wagons

instead, lie down, unwind, breathe,

and let yourself be.

When I close my eyes,

images of what once was

tumble into view.

~

Oh, would that visions

of a future, bright and fair,

were so easy to find there!

Stunned by the sunshine,

the poets found themselves filled

with wordless pleasure.

~

Unlike in the past,

No one rushed to post a like

on our blank untitled page!

Eyes and teeth and back-

what’s the next to go kaput?

Aging’s not a young man’s game.

~

Sometimes we wonder

what kind of game we’re playing

when there is so much to lose.

The sun snuck out from

behind the clouds and briefly

blessed us with a bright smile.

~

Blinding solar grins,

despite the joy they provide,

are sneaky fleeting flashes.

When viewed from within,

that old tune “Cotton-eyed Joe”

hardly seems so jocular.

~

So many versions,

all pretty dark, of what is

called “Cotton eyed Joe”.

The way my shadow

fell distorted my vision.

A slight shift might set things straight.

~

Slight shifting of light

and stirrings at vision’s fringe

are the realms where monsters hide.

Now, that time permits,

I find no greater comfort

than lounging long, here abed.

~

Treasure it while

you can because in no time

you will be off and running.

After five days of

quarantine, a short trip to

the dump made my day.

~

Such simple pleasures,

seldom appreciated,

are amplified by illness