Door Bell

Rararararararf rarf!!

*Ding dong* the door bell rings late.

My four legged alarm beats

The bell by a nose. He smells

Stangers, and can hear foot falls

Tap-tap-ing up the front steps.

Caren E. Salas

Whiskey, my fierce watch dog.


Thank you once again to Robert Lee Brewer for the prompt: "sound".

Nameless

Across the room I felt it:
The stare of one who could no
Longer see, empty sockets,
a weathered face, discolored
and blistered by time. No name
labeled his likeness, simply

"Bust of a Man" but I knew
Him, somehow, some way. His stare
Drew me back like a magnet:;
Hearing the echoes of past
Wisdom and lost love as though
The memories were my own.


Caren E. Salas

(an ekphrastic poem inspired by "Bust of a Man"
found at the Getty Villa in Malibu, CA)

Spring's Delay

Spring's Delay

The sky is grey

     there's an icy breeze

and it seems

    to go right through my head.

It's spring they say

    but that's not how it feels

because to me

    I'm here alone instead.

The winter's frost

    is slow to go away

 and I'm afraid
    it's moved into my heart.

The spring has lost

    this battle for today

and so it keeps

    the sun and me apart.

The sky is grey

    and I wait for clouds to pass

 but still I know

    I'll make it through the cold.    

In Spring's delay

 the very blades of grass

 grow seeds of hope

to come and rest within my soul. 

Caren E. Salas 

Train of Thought

Gold earrings
Denim jeans
New mascara
Grab the keys

Grab a burger

Maybe a shake
Shake? Shaking
The earth quakes
Cracks, breaking...

Stop...thinking.

Home-made cookies

Sunny days

Swimming pools
Lemonade
A morning drive
Day at the beach
The rising tide
Keeps rising
Destroying lives...
Stop...thinking.


Beautiful day
No clouds in the sky
Go outside
Kids playing
Toy trucks
Toy trains
Missing train
Missing people
People lost
Stop...thinking.


Clean the house
Wiping counters
Washing, drying
Dishes, dusting
Sweeping, vacume
Making dinner
Cooking, burning
Burning buildings
Explosions raging
Stop...thinking.


Another morning
Cup of coffee
Driving school kids
Years passing
Passing? Failing?
Failing system
Overheated
Smoking leaking
Radioactive
Stop...thinking.


Waiting watching
Facebook stalking
Family posting
Checking hopeful
News conflicting
What's the truth now?
So many questions
One that matters
Are you still okay?
Can't stop...thinking.


Caren E. Salas

Sometimes you just can't stop your train of thought. My brother and his family are in Japan. Please pray for them and all those who have lost lives and loved ones, and are still struggling to survive.

My peace

When my world is filled with the clouds of doubt

And inadequacy; when I'm feeling

Like I can't face one more problem without

Crashing like an airplane out of control;

When I've reached the lowest and most desperate

Moments; I know that somewhere you are there,

Thinking of me, and believing in me,

Willing me to make it through the darkness.

You help me smile in the midst of the storm.

You are my peace. You are my happy place.

Caren E. Salas

Better off Asleep

Well, Robert Lee Brewer has provided some inspiration once again. The prompt this week is "Better off ____" (fill in the blank). When I originally read it I was especially tired and thought "I'm better off back in bed." Then my train of thoughts went on to the land of fairy tales and derailed with Sleeping Beauty. What if, when she awoke, she didn't live happily ever after? Maybe she would have been....

Better Off Asleep

For a hundred years the princess slept

In fantasy and bliss,

Until the day that fate would bring
A prince's true love kiss.

Finally the day arrived
She woke in his embrace,
And leapt into his waiting arms

A smile upon her face.

They rode away together then
To his castle far away,
They swore their love in marriage vows
Forever, that same day.

But as years passed the story changed
The prince grew old and fat,
The princess had a couple of kids
Who turned out to be brats.

She cleaned the castle day and night;

She woke each day with dread,

And often thought amidst it all

"I should have stayed in bed."

The moral of this story friends,

Is look before you leap.

The kiss that woke you just might mean

You're better off asleep.

Caren E. Salas