I'll Never Know #20

I'll never know how good of friends
We could have one day been
I'll never know the dreams you had
Or see your smiling face again.
I'll never know if you'd have liked
The story that I penned,
Yet just from my description
You swore you'd recommend.
You left too soon, so suddenly
No time for me to try
To let you know how much you meant
Or even say good-bye.


Caren E. Salas




Prompt #20 "I'll never..." This poem is for my friend Lori Eget. We met on a vacation and were instant friends. She seemed to have that effect on people. You met her and just felt like you'd known her forever.  Then one day I found out she had passed away. Her family didn't know me well enough to notify me, so I missed whatever service there might have been. I think about her all the time and wonder how our friendship might have grown, but I'll never know...

No Excuse #19

There's
No
Excuse
Good enough
For walking away,
The way you walked away from her.

Caren E. Salas



Prompt # 19 An "excuse" poem

Sweet Dreams #18

Sweet

Dreams

Linger

All day long

Until the night calls

And we go back to dream again.

Caren E. Salas


Prompt #18: a sweet or a sour poem.

Just Words #17

They're just words:

Neurological.

Multiple

Sclerosis.

Chronic pain. Auto-immune.

Until they are not.

Caren E. Salas

Prompt #17 - "Afflicted
Photo: bioresearchinstitute.com

Holy Cow! #15

Holy cow! She said

As she watched the band perform

"We will remember"

Caren E. Salas

I know November is already over, but I'm still determined to finish the Poem a Day prompts, even though it's more like a poem every few days, haha, #15 prompt (wow, I only got through half, how sad.) was "holy ____" . I couldn't think of a thing at first, but then I was watching a video of my daughter's band performing a beautiful, touching and patriotic field show, "We Will Remember". The band had just done a spectacular visual and a woman in the crowd cried out "Holy Cow!". There were really not a lot of words to describe the feelings that overwhelmed the crowd. So I thought, I should do a haiku, because the form is perfect for when you have a lot to say, but don't need a lot of words to say it.

The Shoe - Day 14

When the man with the size 10 shoe stepped on

Their trail, the ants were suddenly

Thrust into DEFCON ONE; red hot alert;

A panic of gigantic proportions.

Who do we follow? Who do we follow?

The wake of destruction: catastrophic!

Dead comrades covered 30 square inches

Of ground ahead of them. The casualties

Must be collected! The march must resume!

The work must continue! No time to mourn,

Or wait for the other shoe...to drop.

Caren E. Salas

Prompt today was "follow" 

Photo from:  http://fireant.tamu.edu/

Theater Student - Day 13

Dance practice: 5 hours a day - 3 days a week. Mandatory.
Voice lessons: 2 hours a day - 2 days a week. Mandatory.
Acting class: 1 1/2 hours a day - 5 days a week. Mandatory.
Help with set construction and costume crew: Mandatory.
Rehearsals: 4-5 hours a day - 5-6 days a week. Mandatory.
Other courses you need for your degree: Only when necessary.
Homework from said other courses: As needed.
Going out after rehearsals for booze and/or coffee (usually in that order): As often as possible.

Eating and sleeping. Optional.



Caren E. Salas


Today's prompt was to write a poem about something "optional" which made me think about my college days. There was always so much to do, I barely had time to eat and sleep!

The Pain - Day 12

There's a tremble in your stomach

And an ache you can't explain

An inability to speak

A tightness in your chest

Legs that falter, hands that shake

Constant thoughts that keep you awake

Tossing and turning

Staring out the window 

As time away tortures you

To your very soul.

You pray for relief

But you can't, won't release it

Because after all

You're in love.

Caren E. Salas

Day 12 Challenge: write about something "unseen" (as in an abstract idea, or something invisible, like wind.) Photo by Lauren Leslie

When - Day 11

Old man, old woman

Holding hands remembering

When they fell in love.

Caren E. Salas

Day 11 Prompt: write a "Timely", or a "Timeless".  I went with Timeless...and haiku.   My in-laws on the 60th wedding anniversary. (Next February it will be 65!)

Turtle Trouble - Day 10

When the boy down the street

Suggested our pond needed

A few small frogs, we thought, "Great!

A wonderful addition

To our turtle habitat!"

So he ran to get the frogs.

In a flash, he brought some back;

The cutest amphibians 

You can imagine, hopping

About, happy go lucky...

The trouble was, the turtles

Only thought of them...as lunch.

Caren E. Salas

Today's prompt was:  "______ Trouble". This is a sad. but true story. I honestly had no idea the turtles would actually eat the frogs. I literally gasped in horror when I saw it happen. I love my turtles, but...that was just not right. 

The Place to Be - Day 9

Southern California is the place to be

The sun shines all the time

No winter storms with snow or sleet

The weather is sublime.

It never rains to ruin your day

Hardly a cloud passes by

The problem is, when there is no rain

The place gets awfully dry.

The lakes diminish, the rivers narrow

And in case you were in doubt

They say water will be rationed soon

And we're in a full fledged drought

We don't get hurricanes, tornadoes or snow

And honestly earthquakes are few

But if we don't get a lot of rain soon

I'm not sure what we will do!

Caren E. Salas

Day 9's prompt was to write a poem based on something in the current news, Not wanting to get political, I figured I'd stick to something we in California have on our minds lately: The Drought.

Gone - Day 8

blind
spots
here, there,
everywhere
growing every day
until the sun no longer shines
first dim, then darker, until one day, all light is gone



Caren E. Salas

Prompt : "blind": physically mentally or emotionally

Candy Corn - Day 7

Every Halloween they call

To me: those yellow, orange, 

And white triangles from hell.

They're my addiction,

And I just can't help myself.

Candy corn is the devil.

Caren E. Salas

Prompt: write a "compulsion" poem. I know it's late for Halloween candy, but it is a recent compulsion, which I'm glad is over for another year. I know it's always around somewhere, but at least it's not down every aisle of the stores except during Halloween!

The Dark - Day 6

Sometimes you have to try and survive

The coldest and stormiest night,

To know how it feels when the sun hits your face

And the joy when dark turns to light.

Caren E. Salas

The prompt today was "Happy now" as in are you happy now, or are you HAPPY now? I went with the first option...

Keep this Heart - Day 5

Keep this heart of mine

Someplace safe, someplace quiet.

Don't make me regret

Having given it to you.

It's fragile; handle with love.

Caren E. Salas

Prompt for today was "Keep this ____"

A Date with Wonder Woman - Day 4

She's a beautiful heroine, strong and true                          

Dazzling in her outfit of red, white and blue
But out on a date, she hasn't a clue
About what she should do, about what she should do.

Because right from the start, she ties up the guy
With her Lasso of Truth, in case he might lie
And there's no chance of romance by the look in her eye
So he just says good-bye, he just says good-bye.

She stares at the dinner still left on her plate
And wonders if it's just her, or maybe it's fate
That she's loved throughout the United States
But she can't get a date, she can't get a date.


Caren E. Salas


photo: icollector.com

Prompt: Write a Hero or Heroine poem

The Mist - Day 3

The Mist

After the rain fell

A soft mist hugged the mountain

Like a mother's touch

A quilt over its shoulders

Comfort on a cold damp night.

Caren E. Salas

Day 3 of NOVPAD: Robert Lee Brewer's prompt for this one was a "blanket" poem. I loved how open this one was. It could mean a literal blanket, a blanket statement or even a blanket of mist...

My Long Lost Life Long Friend - Day 2 (NOVPAD)

It was strange.

One day she was gone;

My best friend

Confidant

Left no forwarding address,

Just a question mark.

The years passed,

And then suddenly

She was back!

All was good,

'Cause my long lost life long friend

Found her way back home.

Caren E. Salas

Today's prompt was a "together again" poem. Sometimes things happen in our lives that are beyond our control, but if we're really lucky, life has a way of restoring things.

Sunday Afternoon Optimism - Day 1 (NOVPAD)

Sunday afternoon

The week ahead all planned out.

With optimism

And a smile, I look forward.

Going to get so much done!

Monday morning comes;

Radio alarm sings out

Time to start the day!

However, motivation,

Sadly...has left the building.

Caren E. Salas

I have decided to accept the challenge of Robert Lee Brewer's "Poem a Day" for the month of November. Yes, I'm a little behind in posting, but I have been doing the writing. So this is the first day's prompt which was: a "game over" poem. It's in Tanka form.

Inside

 

Inside,

Screaming demons cry;

Pain and fear

Suddenly grasping.

Hope derailed.

Me...knowing

Why?

Knowing me

Derailed hope?

Grasping suddenly,

"Fear and pain!"

Cry demons...

Screaming inside.

Caren E. Salas

Graphic Art by Christian Salas (Wndrlandinc)
https://www.facebook.com/WndrlandInc/timeline

All Wrong

My father sighed as he pushed
My wheelchair, "It's not supposed
To be like this. You should be
Pushing me." We both chuckled,
Still feeling inside that this
Was all wrong, all upside down.


Caren E. Salas


Inspired by Robert Lee Brewer's "Poetic Asides" - prompt: an upside-down poem

Good Night Moon

 
  

The moon is trying to blow me a kiss

But the midnight fog jealously blind-folds

The earth, still he peeks through and winks at me

And I smile at the secret we're sharing.

Good night moon; good night lover. Fill the night

With golden slumbers, and peaceful dreams.

The ocean tides ebb and flow in response

To you, like deep breathing in a restful sleep.

Good night moon; good night lover. Let me go.

I hate to leave you, but we'll meet again.

 

Caren E. Salas

Just Somewhere

No place in particular

Just somewhere to rest awhile

To be with friends, talk and swim

Meet new people, enjoy life

Nothing that you have to do

But to try and make it last.

Caren E. Salas

photo by William Salas

Away

Nothing to do

Nowhere to go

No one that needs me

To take them

To give them

To listen, to see

No real time

Just day time

And night

Hungry or not

Cooler or hot

Peace for a while

For a moment

Or two

Nowhere to go

Nothing to do.

Caren E. Salas

I'm Already There

Sometimes I'm sure that I'm already there
In some sort of hell, though I'm unsure of where.
And I'm forced to endure my life over again
In events and experiences that I never win.
And just when I figure, this time I can't fail
There's a glitch in the system, a tear in the sail.
Back to the starting gate, scratched off the list,
I aimed straight for the target, but fumbled and missed.
But for some unknown reason, I keep playing the game
Though I know that the outcome is always the same.
Sometimes I'm sure that I'm already gone
To some sort of hell, still compelled to go on.

Caren E. Salas

Photo by William Salas

Somewhere

Sometimes

Life sucks

A dream dies

A child cries

A heart breaks

And there's no place

To run away and hide

Sometimes...

Some days

All's lost

Hope fades

The game's played

The rain pours

And there's no more

Wishes to be made

Some days...

But somewhere

I know

The sky is blue

The day is new

We'll get the chance

To get up and dance

Like we don't care

Somewhere...

Sometime

Some day

Somewhere.

Caren E. Salas

Lost Me

I'm lost

Not because I wandered off

Pretty sure

I was misplaced

Set aside

Somewhere safe

Only no one thought

To remember

Exactly where

I'm out of sight

Out of mind

The dust collects

So does the time but I

Just wait

For a sign

For a sound

For someone

To find me

And clear the dust off me

Maybe even

The someone

Who lost me.

Caren E. Salas

Rescue Me

Rescue me from every days

From same old things

And bad clichés.

Let's go some place no one knows

Where nothing matters 

And nothing shows.

Forget the norm, we'll just go mad

And live a life

We never had.

Rescue me and make me smile

And I'll know peace

At least a while.

Caren E. Salas

A Lovely Kind of Day

It was a lovely kind of happy

     Joyous melancholy day;
Friends and family gathered all
     From near and far away.

We hugged and smiled, laughed and cried
     Raised glasses for a toast;
Remembering sweet moments past
     And people we loved most.

We talked for hours, ate good food
     And mourned how fast time flies;
Excited we could be together,
     Knowing soon there'd be good-byes.

And as the night came to a close
     We lingered by the door;
This precious time was ending,
     Though our hearts still yearned for more.

It was a lovely kind of happy
      Joyous melancholy day;
And if the day could last forever,
      Forever's where we'd stay.


Caren E. Salas


   

On This Side

Like the rug being pulled out

From under my feet, it feels

Wrong, unfair, ridiculous

Something better is out there

But I have to endure more

Pain before I am allowed

To try or even dream it

Sure feels like I've done my time

Already, but clearly not

To those deciding what's "best"

If they just knew how things felt

On this side of the needle....

I think things would be different.

 

 

Caren E. Salas

Disillusion

Sometimes it feels like the darkness is closing in
On this world, where gain is elevated above compassion;
Where truth has become an option of convenience
And not an ethical imperative;
Where generosity is measured not in the rewards
Of the heart, but by the tax deduction;
Where Art and Music are fleeting and expendable
And common sense is not so common;
Where inflicting pain through acts of violence,
Real or imagined, is considered entertainment;
Where making that deadline or appointment
Justifies reckless disregard for human life;
Where children are losing the ability to communicate
Face to face, and courtesy is obsolete;
Where a love that lasts forever is
For all intents and purposes...extinct,
And has been replaced by instant and temporary gratification.
Is this the dark before the dawn?
Or just the beginning...of the end?


Caren E. Salas


(I know, what a way to start off a new year, right? I guess there were a few things I had to get off my chest...)