Silence

We won’t talk about this. They did not sayjust indicated with dark indifferenceShe wondered about the change of stanceIt was something she always knewThey disliked her impudence, or maybefeared she might cross boundaries again-boundariesshe had never stayed within… Why did she come around? they thoughtwhen she knows her unacceptabilityWhy does she peep into their inadequaciesor … Continue reading Silence

Back and Forth

Someone pushed me from the deck,and the world tiltedair fled my lungs,the bridge behind me crumbled into dust,and the ship sailed onas if I had never stood upon it. In the hush beneath the surface,a force gathered itself from currents,slowly taking form.On the far bank, it rose a silhouette I knew before I sawIt is … Continue reading Back and Forth

Healing

The camera on my computer plays gamesI see myself bald in a cancer wardsitting on my chair dressed for workI ask my colleagues what they seeThey reply with a forlorn faceMaybe you should skip work and rest… A nurse appears who looks like meWith a luminous bandage for my soulThe device takes me to a … Continue reading Healing

Awakening of Conscience

Conscience lies buried beneath last winter’s choiceshibernating for lack of choice or assumed helplessnessmurmuring through frost as if remembering a path once taken.I follow its faint warmthawaiting a call whena moment of thaw becomes truthand truth becomes direction. Quadrille #238

Future

when crayons run out of colorbut the mind is fertileI draw a rough sketchto be repainted when I returnas an architectto rebuildthis much-loved place my bubble bursting with joyMy gran will welcome meinto her monochrome homeask for a fresh coat of paint W3 Prompt #189

Outrun

I wear flowers in the buttonholethey wither away leaving a fragranceto work as an appliqueto conceal un-darned, damaged fabricof my once celebrated existence I wear smiles to ease interactionsbut the bobbin that held me togetherseems to be running out of threadfresh supplies have dried upin absence of meaningful contacts I will accept my place in … Continue reading Outrun

Pulled Back

Anna felt like a free person, walking barefoot on the sand. The waves washed her feet and the footprints she left behind in time. Then, suddenly, a high tide of memories would encapsulate her in the existence she left behind. She had lived in terror. She feared that at any moment someone would yell at … Continue reading Pulled Back

Eleven

shared space, shared smilesmats, cushions are welcome relieffrom cold intimacy of white tilesEnjoy; our camaraderie is brief soon we’ll go fighting againcompeting for the sofa or bedMom, please don’t feel so drainedRelax; you don’t have to see red We pulled out napkins from the ringsand half the filling from cute soft toysBut we always make … Continue reading Eleven

Reena’s Xploration Challenge #410

Welcome to the last month of 2025! PROMPT #410 I've navigated a hectic few weeks with multiple problems and urgent tasks cropping up from seemingly unconnected ends. I need to prepare for travel and the wedding season. Online shopping also seems like a chore. My thoughts turn to some time of total relaxation, before I … Continue reading Reena’s Xploration Challenge #410

The Host with the Most

eclectic choicewinners rejoicecompliments raisethe bar being the hostis no mean featit takes time and spaceto coordinate A Sijo sproutsfrom chaosin and outof creative corridors I lost count, but-Skeptically yoursDavid keeps scoreand opens the door It is Wednesday againPoems will rainWagons build a trainon W3 terrain W3 Prompt #188