Thank you to Mark Antony Rossi of Ariel Chart  for publishing three of my poems in the July issue.

https://www.arielchart.com/

Synn

Whoever told you they didn’t love you,

offered you no coat against chill winds,

kept you from hellos

that should have been said,

gave you no oar

against the strong waves of derision?

Whoever told you they didn’t love you,

gave no protection

against eccentric ferocities toward you

by those recruits they furnished? 

 

Whoever told you they didn’t love you,

while projecting an affectionate deception,

while acting as a well-behaved chum,

yet withholding something as simple

as tea in a mug?

They wish for you to stand beside them

as they gaze into the glasses in a hall of mirrors,

hoping your reflections 

will show crestfallen images

depicting misery and shame.

If you’re wise,

you’ll be looking elsewhere.

When Lions Cry Out Their Courage From Within The Dark

Conjurers claim to grant concessions 

that as legend tells us 

were once sought in the Old Testament.

Illusionists bewitch 

with poised innuendo

only resembling what we should embrace, 

summed up with such force

within the sphere.

In the meantime, we seek

to read and hear

things of great importance.

What we need is

a free heart, free wings,

not to be taken for granted.

We look forward to the truth of all matters,

spoken with hands that weave,

shame no longer exposed.

We as lions burning through shadows

with our golden eyes,

embellished and enlarged,

piercing,

benefitting from early training

of guarding from monsters

that which is extant.

True change happens

when we are no longer

afraid of the dark.

Fine Feathers, Fine Words

Here is my whispered wish,

made on a single feather.

The ideas of the builders 

of bridges conferring closely together,

their compatible heritages

stated on many levels.

An infusion of goodness,

held in common,

nurturing seeds of enduring character,

watered with the sweetly sprinkled scent

of rosewater and berries.

Both sides holding up their end

of the social contract,

learning from the energy of swans.

All people, thoughtful,

exclaiming love,

such a power in the world,

prescribed, prized,

glowing brighter than bioluminescent algae.

A final testament 

to the practical use of the heart.