When I lay dying upon my bed
when only past then lays ahead
With only farewell’s left to bid
I will not say, “I almost did.”
When sheets are warm but cold within
reflecting back on what has been
all the times of profound gladness
I will not say, “I almost had this.”
The ripples of my life to fade
I’ll leave a message well conveyed
as light turns dark from setting sun
I will not say, “I almost won.”
photo credit
via Almost
… her granddaughter smiles. “Mom, when will Bad Ass Grandma come back from her vacation?”
“What’s so funny?”
“Thinking about what she did. She lifted one leg over something I couldn’t see then ran round and round while bouncing up and down.”
“Why …”
“She sang,
‘Round and round up and down
on the carousel horses.
Up and down, round and round
as the music plays.
The lights on top they shine so bright
as we go round and round
use your hands to hold on tight
as we go up and down.’
Then she sang it over and over again.”
“Yes, your grandmother is quite extravagant with her imagination. Was she still wearing a pony tail?”
Granddaughter laughed and trotted back to her room, saying, “I hope she’ll be home soon. She promised me the moon.”
via Extravagant
He was mild in his manner
and sound in his ways?
Perhaps, but
‘Twas his creative spirit
that was worthy of praise
from my “Ben” series
via Mild
She puzzled and puzzled till her puzzler was sore
She walked down the hallway and opened the door
And to her amazement guess what she saw?
The sky? The trees? No, not that at all!
But pieces of colors all shades and all hues
obstructing her vision but changing her views.
For the pieces together were so snuggly fit
that the light in her brain was instantly lit.
Nothing to ponder and nothing to question
No one’s advice and no ones’ suggestions.
The pieces together had finished their quest
so now she could sit down and quietly rest.
Art and poem by CD-W (thanks for the inspiration, Dr. Seuss)
A better hand
to beat the man
I know which is the cheater
But he won’t stop
my smarter plan
and nothing tastes much sweeter.
Painting by CD-W – 1 of 5 of Box People series
When the party’s over
where to go from here?
curl into a den of woe
and wait to disappear?
Breaths of life sustains me
when others fill my room
without their presence, the lonely heart
retreats within the womb
Why must I be so absent
in the carriage of myself
that I sit so idly dormant
on a dusty solo shelf
Do only I allow to see
myself through other’s eyes?
Surely there’s another way
than gowns that glamorize.
I don’t ride a horse
I don’t shoot a gun
I eat Mexican food and barbecue
and bask in Texas sun
I don’t say “ain’t”
I don’t chew or spit
I can put on a Texas drawl, y’all
but only when it fits
I don’t own an oil gusher
Still, I’ve got my Texas roots
I can play blackjack, kick back
sportin’ western boots.
First rate?
Damn straight!
painting by CD-W
Where do the red birds go when they die?
While keeping their colors, they blend with the sky
and swirl with the clouds in a free-form of flight
with feathers at peace, to the heavens alight
Authors note: Strange how this happened, how photography can be magic. I found the original photo on my computer. Yes, the cardinal is a yard decoration stuck in a planter against a stone wall. But how did I capture the below photo? At night, perhaps?
With a tad of photo editing, a redbird floated amongst the clouds and twirled the above poem toward my palm.
Here’s the original photo:
I heard but couldn’t see –
blurred
vacant
distorted eyes
a loss of vision
in living life
my flawed decision
a deception
a perception
distorted
I heard but couldn’t see –
Three times
the clock chimed,
“revise”
“revise”
“revise”
tick tock – mind blocked
tick tock – unlock
And then I saw –
eyes can shift
with temerity
into clarity
from the surreal
to reality
by making a change
painting by CD-W
daily post prompt: Surreal
I planted flowers beneath the moon
and all my hopes and dreams came true.
I’d do anything for you
except,
dig them back up.
art by CD-W
Weekly Photo Challenge – Rounded
Carolyn Dennis-Willingham 
