Day 28: What REALLY happened..

Wasn't Me!

Wasn't me!
I didn't take them
The cookies
Just vanished
I think it was aliens
Yes, that's what happened.

Wasn't me!
I didn't do it
The milk jug
Fell over
I think our house is haunted
And a ghost spilled it.

Wasn't me!
It really wasn't!
It looks bad,
well, okay.
Pretend it didn't happen
And I'll clean it up.


Caren E. Salas
(Form: Shadorma)

Day 27: Blame the____

Apparently, I'm in "mom" mode lately.

Blame the Kids

I'm convinced that mothers lose

A portion of their brain-cells

During child birth. Therefore I,

Having had four kids, have lost

Most of my mind. So blame them,

If I seem a bit insane.

Caren E. Salas

Day 26: "on the run"

Always On the Run

I used to be able to stay up late
And party til the dawn
Left my house at ten at night
Dressed up and dancin' shoes on.

Work and school and rehersals
Always on the run
And still had time to be crazy with friends
Before the day was done.

But lately things are slowing down
And I'm in bed by ten
The days of wild parties are gone
And won't be back again.

Work and school and practices
I'm still on the run
But now I'm dropping off children
How long til I am done??


Caren E. Salas

Note: Okay, I was kidding about the parties being over, lol.

Day 25: an Animal poem

Lucas

Tiny little lion cub

You shiver in the cold;

You're meant to be in Africa

To grow up big and bold.

Instead you shake and look at me
I hold you in my arms;
I wish that I could take you home
And keep you safe from harm.

If only you would stay this size

So cuddly and so cute
And grow up vegetarian
Enjoying bread and fruit.

But alas, you will grow large
So in the zoo you stay

But I'll remember all my life

That I met you today.

Caren E. Salas

Day 24: Spaces

Where You Used to Be


An empty space
Where you used to be
A gaping hole
left in my life

An empty chair
Where you used to sit
A painful wound
Left in my heart

An empty dream
That we once believed
An anguished tear
Left in my soul.


Caren E. Salas

Day 23: A "form" poem

 Thought I'd try a "Kelly Lune"


The sky weeps with rain
Tears of pain
My heart cries with it


Caren E. Salas

Day 21: A Permission Poem (Giving or Refusing)

Just a little Fibonucci inspired by a sign I saw in New York City. It said "Don't even think about parking here."


No Parking!

Hey!
You!
Yeah you!
Don't park there!
I really mean it,
And don't even think about it!

Caren E. Salas

Day 20: What's wrong/What's right?

I told you I'd get back to Day 20 and 21, so here it goes, (I know, it's a sad excuse...)

What's Wrong?

I just can't do it
I can't make it work
I've got no ideas
I'm going bizerk

So this little poem
I'm hoping just might
Fit today's NOV-PAD challenge
"What's wrong - What's Right"

Caren E. Salas

Day 22: Take a Stand

Have you ever read something you wrote a week ago and suddenly it's just...not working for you anymore? Well, that's what happened to Day 20 and 21.  In the interest of time, I've decided to set those two aside for the moment and skip to Day 22.


Taking a Stand

I wanted to take a stand,
But the guy said I had
To buy a Christmas tree first.
I pointed out the sign:
"Free Stand!"
He pointed out:
"With Purchase".
So here I am.
I just can't take a stand.

Caren E. Salas

Day 19: A Poem with a "Hole" in it...

The Hole in the Wall

It's just a little hole in the wall place

But everyone is greeted with a smile.

The food's great even if it's not gourmet

And served on paper plates with plastic forks.

It's crowded and sometimes the service is slow,

And the black velvet paintings are tacky,

But anyone who's been there can't help but

Go back there, 'cause being there feels like home.

Caren E. Salas

Day 18: Lost and Found

Found, but Lost

Once, just an empty space
Hollow and dark
No warmth or love inside.

But then one day things changed
The seasons turned
And chased the clouds away.

My heart had found a love
A dream to believe
Someone to care about.

Yet in the very finding
Was a calm release
Finding love, I lost my heart.

To you.



Caren E. Salas

Day 17: Tell me why...

The One Who Knows

They can send a man all the way to the moon
And make robots that dance and play
So why can't they cure cancer?
Or free my friend from pain?

They have pills for almost every ailment
Most times the side effects are worse
Is that why I never feel better?
Or was I struck by some ancient curse?

They act like they have all the answers
While denying the One who does
Maybe that's why they struggle for knowledge
And why they can't help the rest of us.

And the One who does know the answers
Won't tell me until I am dead
Too bad I won't be able
To tell everyone what He said.

Caren E. Salas

Day 16 Stacking/Unstacking

Okay, I'm WAY behind in posting and I have to dig up all the torn out spiral notebook pages, journal entries, and miscellaneous coffee shop napkins to find all the poems I scribbled.  I was computer-less for about a week so I have a lot of catching up to do. So here goes..come on, I'm ONLY 2 weeks behind!
Note: After writing this I couldn't help but remember a line from "Ally McBeal" where someone said she was 2/3 of a rice krispie:  she snaps, and crackles and she's about to pop. Lets just hope I can keep all those pickle jars from falling...hehe.



Piled High

Like a house of cards towering high
Vulnerable to every slight breeze
Or sudden unexpected breath

Like champagne glasses placed one on one
In a giant pyramid:  a wedding tribute
and testimony to the frailty of love.

Like glass jars of pickles displayed
Precariously in the center of the store
Waiting for a child to choose the wrong one.

My life, stacked high with inconsistencies of health,
The unpredictablities of dreams,
And liable to topple at the merest disruption.


Caren E. Salas

Day 15: Just When I Thought it was Safe....

Fragile

Just when I thought it was safe

To hope that life could be sane

And normal, something happens

To bring it all crashing down;

Something to make me realize

How fragile life really is.

Caren E. Salas

Day 14: A Crossroads Poem

This prompt was a hard one. I kept starting over and it just didn't seem to work. I decided to try a shadorma just for fun and it...worked I think. 



Turn Around

Don't listen
To what doctors say
When they say
There's no hope.
Turn around, and tell yourself
"I believe in Life."



Caren E. Salas

Day 13: A Question and Answer

Why do I write?

It's my therapy, my dire need;
The expression of my soul.
It's the thing that makes me happy;
The dream that makes me whole.

It's the comfort for my heartache;
The vessel for my tears.
It's the venue for my love songs;
The closet for my fears.

It's my yesterday, forever,
Tomorrow and today.
It's the words I hold inside of me;
The things I may not say.

So why am I a writer,
Of poems, stories, songs?
...Because when I am lost in words,
I know that's where I belong.


Caren E. Salas

Day 12: Forget What They Say...

Find Your Way

Forget what they say

   and never mind what they do.

Close your eyes and follow your heart.

If you believe in yourself

    and have faith in your dreams.

You'll find your way to the stars.

Caren E. Salas

Photo by William Salas

Day 11: No One Wants...

That Kid

No one wants to be that kid picked last for every sport;
That kid with all the acne, or braces on his teeth.
No one wants to be that kid that other kids make fun of
With greasy hair or glasses, the one who's always teased.
No one wants to be that kid whose looks are odd or different;
The smart kid some are jealous of, or the one who can't keep up.
No one wants to be that kid, who's shy or has a stutter,
With skinny legs or freckles, who laughs too loud or much.
No one wants to be that kid whose clothes aren't new or trendy,
Who's not invited to the parties, who's overweight or small.
No one wants to be that kid even though inside we know
There's a version of that kid, still living in us all.


Caren E. Salas

Day 10: A Love Poem

At my worst moments

He's always there loving me

And holding my hand.

Day 9: Slow Down, or Can't

Can't Slow Down

I can't slow down.
There's not much time;
Too much to do
Before I can't.
So many dreams
I've given up;
A second more
Would be too much.
So don't ask me
To take a break
Take it easy
Take my sweet time.
One thing I know:
Tomorrow holds
No guarantee.
I can't slow down.


Caren E. Salas

Day 8: An Agreement

A Beautiful Friendship

I promise to feed you

And give you a home;

To protect you

As well as I can.

I promise to care for you
When you are sick.
And hold you
If you ever get scared.
I promise to give you
A warm place to sleep,
And never make you
Wait in the rain.
I promise to let you
Play in the sunlight,
And sometimes
Take you to the beach.

In return,all I ask
Is that once in a while
You sit and be with me
If I'm lonely or sad
Warn me of strangers
Take me for walks
Stay off the couches
Do your business outside.
Most of all love me
Just love me a lot
I'll be your human
You'll be my dog
....This could be the beginning
    Of a beautiful friendship.


Caren E. Salas

Day 7: Pro--

This one was easy. That is not to say I'm not "pro" on a lot of things, but first things first. Nothing is happening at all until I have my coffee.

 Pro Coffee

I sit alone and half asleep
Waiting for the barrista
To call my name. I'm thinking:
God bless coffee, as I sip,
admittedly addicted
To the comfort and caffiene.


Caren E. Salas

Day 6 Looking for...

Looking for Forever

Forever always seemed so easy:

Barefoot on the beach,

Taking pictures on the rocks,

Holding hands and splashing

In the mild northern surf.

We talked for hours;

And drove for miles,

Not knowing where we'd stop.

Never thinking for a second

We'd have no place to stay.

We walked, we laughed,

We knew our love would last;

Together, finding our forever.

Caren E. Salas

*Photo by Lauren Leslie

Day 5 Metamorphosis

Broken

Warm and living
Soft and loving
Open, trusting
                              Vulnerable.

Bruised and fragile
Lost and damaged
Guarded, cautious
                             Fragmented.

Cold and lonely
Dark and shuttered,
Empty, hopeless
                            Extinguished.


Caren E. Salas

Day 4: A Containment Poem

Temporary 

                                                 

Plastic bottle

Child proof lid

Small white pills

Two at a time

Every few hours

Promising me

Sometimes a lie
It's temporary
Relief from the pain
My brief escape

But don't forget

It's temporary
Can't forget
The pain returns
Every few hours
Two at a time
Small white pills
Plastic bottle
Child proof lid.


Caren E. Salas

Day 3 Location

...a little silliness.

The Black Hole


"I'm going in!" I bravely tell my four kids
     "and if Im not back in an hour or two,
Please send the dog, shoot a flare, call your dad,
     And be sure to organize an big rescue crew!"

And I step boldly into the dark and unknown;
     I climb and I scramble, never sure if it's safe.
Hoping no creatures are intending me harm
     As I reach out my hand in search of the way.

My footing's unsteady, no spot seems secure
    There's a high threat of injury, possibly worse,
Yet I carry on, wondering why I deserve
    This seemingly cruel and unending curse.

I call it the Black Hole, My Nightmare, My Pain
    Once something's sucked in, it's never again seen
But I am determined to conquer this demon
     I'm going to get that dang garage clean!!


Caren E. Salas

Day 2 - Ready or not, or never ready

Getting Out the Door

I just can't seem to get out
The door without forgetting
my keys, my jacket, my brain,
And everything in between.
The only time I'm ready,
is for sleep when day is done.


Caren E. Salas

November Poem-a-Day: Day 1

Well friends, once again Robert Lee Brewer is providing the means for my ultimate trip down Looney Tune Alley.  Each day he suggests a prompt that we, his poor, mostly insane followers, try to transform into poetry.  This being the 8th of November, I am a bit behind in posting, but I have been scribbling madly in my journal and am now playing catch-up. So here we go....the first prompt is about turning a page.


The Page is Blank


I turn the page
The page is blank
I've no idea
Which road to take.

I'm out of words
And tales to tell
My hand is cramped
It's just as well.

I look to space
And search the stars
Please grant a wish
To fly me far!

With pen in hand
I'll wait until
The empty page
Begs to be filled.


Caren E. Salas

Stay Awake

Normally I welcome sleep,

But lately I dread the thought

Of the nightmares that await.

Memories of the pain and fear

Haunt me 'til the morning comes.

I want to just...stay awake...

Caren E. Salas

Drive to Your Dreams!

"The Department of Motor Vehicles"...

Not very poetic to say it

Not at all pretty to see

The clerks are not very friendly

Not that I would expect them to be.

The walls are quite drab and depressing

Lines of people spill out the front door

A monotone voice makes announcements

"Now serving G - zero - two - four".

There's no way of getting around it
This DMV hell, so it seems
Passing tests of patience and knowledge
Before you can drive to your dreams.

Caren E. Salas

(Photo by William Salas)

For my daughter: who passed!!

Inspiration strikes at the oddest places sometimes, but seriously, what else is there to do while you are waiting at the DMV?  After a while I started getting punchy. I looked outside and it was pouring down rain...of course. Could the day get any better? I had to laugh or I was gonna' cry. Whatcha' gonna' do? 

************************************

Raining...of Course.

At the DMV waiting

Of course it starts raining

My car's parked a mile away.

I hope it will let up

but I don't even get up

"That's just great!" is all I can say.

Caren E. Salas 

And to all those DMV employees: I apologize, my heart goes out to you, but hey, would it kill you to smile?

The Next Dark Day

It's hard to tell sometimes
The day the darkness starts.
It's just a little harder reading
Just a little fuzzy looking down the street.

But soon I realize
The next dark day is coming.
The words I read have letters missing
Faces seem to blend into the crowd.

And then it's all around
The darkness fills my world.
How long? I have no way of knowing,
Counting time 'til all I know is night.


Caren E. Salas

A Positive Rejection

They say that if you get a note
In actual pen and ink,
Written in the editor's hand
Than maybe you don't stink.

They say that if you get response
At all than that's a sign,
That maybe you are on your way
To being first in line.

But either way it's all the same
A pill or an injection,
And sugar just can't sweeten
One more positive rejection.


Caren E. Salas

Not Well

Woke up with a screaming banshee

In my head, clawing madly

At the sides of my brain trying

To escape through my eye sockets

All the while reminding me

I am not a well person.

Caren E. Salas

Slipping

No nip in the air
Yet the leaves are slipping
One by one, floating
Softly to the ground where
School children are destined
To step on them
Just to hear them crunch.

No hint of despair
Yet my heart is falling
Bit by bit, sinking
Slowly to the depths where
Memories are destined
To grab a hold
Just to hear me cry.

Caren E. Salas

White

The hospital was a hell in white;
The demons dressed in white jackets
And walked down white hallways
To me in a white gown
Trembling like frightened child.



Caren E. Salas

Now and Never

 Waves rolling,
                 crashing,
                           turning,
Ocean tossing,
                 thrashing,
                           churning.

Whispered
                roaring:;
                           salt thick air.



A forever of now,
                                 
                         That was never there.


Caren E. Salas

(photo by William Salas)

           






            

Get started!

Take the first step
Start with an "A"
The first one in line
At the starting gate
On your marks
Ready, set, go!
Opening night
On with the show!
To the top of the hill
To the top of the class
Shoot for the stars
And never look back.


Caren E. Salas

Whatever, Let's Do It!

Whatever floats your boat
Whatever brings a smile
Whatever makes your heart beat
Let's do that for a while.

Whatever turns you on
Whatever rings your bell
Whatever gets you dancing
Let's do it, what the...heck!


Caren E. Salas

Never Enough

Never enough time
For too many dreams
No more happy endings
Or magical beans.

The yellow brick road
Is in disrepair
The rainbows are missing
The gold is not there.

Never enough time
For wishes unheard
No hope in tomorrow
It all seems absurd.

Happy ever after
Like so many tales
Just fades into twilight
Til the moon slowly pales.



Caren E. Salas

Cup of Joe

One
Last
Single
Cup of Joe.
I face the morning
Hoping today will be better.


Caren E. Salas

Home by the Sea

                                                      

Opened my eyes, opened the door,

Breathed in the air, there by the shore,

Sand at my feet, sand on the floor,

Can't ask for more, can't ask for more.

Caren E. Salas

(photo by William Salas)

Face the One

You may have noticed lately I've been trying new forms. So this form is called a Blitz. It's sort of different but it was fun to do...(I hope I did it right)

Face the One

Wash my hair
Wash my face
Face the future
Face the west
West is best
Westward bound
Bound by love
Bound to fail
Fail to perform
Fail to show
Show me yours
Show and tell
Tell me a secret
Tell me your dreams
Dreams are forever
Dreams do come true
True love
True or false
False teeth
False witness
Witness protection
Witness the strength
Strength of heart
Strength in numbers
Numbers to ten
Numbers to count
Count me in
Count the stars
Stars in the sky
Stars in your eyes
Eyes watching over
Eyes in my head
Head over heels
Head on over
Over the rainbow
Over the moon
Moon in the distance
Moon shine
Shine on me
Shine like the sun
Sun rising
Sun set
Set yourself down
Set the table
Table for two
Table for one
One shining star
One little wish
Wish
Star

Caren E. Salas

Waitress

Salt, pepper
Ketchup and napkins
She fills them
Sitting there
In the corner booth alone
After a long day.


Caren E. Salas




Robert Lee Brewer's Wednesday prompt was:  "service".  I decided to try a shadorma.

Diagnosis

I stared at the desk,  a tray
With ball point pens, prescription
Pad, lab results, paperclips,
Large hands occasionally
Gesturing, while he explained
What I could not comprehend.

Ugly rust-orange carpet
Seemed to fall out from under
My feet. Having spent more time
In ballet shoes than sneakers
They now screamed in agony
As I felt my future die.

I let the conversation
Tune out, but random words slipped
Through my unwilling conscious,
Words like "paralysis" and
"Chronic" and "medications"
And then two more words: "no cure."

I stared at the desk, the tray
With ball point pens, paperclips
Lab results and scribbled notes,
Notes I didn't want to read,
Or know, while dirty beige blinds
Blocked my view,  and my escape.


Caren E. Salas

As I was saying...

Robert Brewer's prompt for the day. This is me...


As I was Saying...


Before I was so rudely interrupted,
And carelessly knocked to the floor,
I was about to say something important,
So don't you dare run out the door.

Before I spilled all of my coffee,
And hopelessly ruined my dress,
I was about to say something crucial,
But now I'm just a big mess.

So as I was saying....

                                      Dang, I forgot.


Caren E. Salas

...SALTY...

...Salty...

The sweat on my skin

The tears on my face

The taste in my mouth

As I walked down the beach

Thinking of you.

The sea rolling in

The foam on the shore

My toes in the sand

As I heard the waves crash

Thinking of you

The things that we said

The promises made

The dreams that we planned

As I watched the sun set

Thinking of you

Caren E. Salas

Waiting...

I stare at the floor:

The doctors' office berber,

In typical blues and greys

With a pattern that downplays

       the stains...

I hear a child scream:

Immunization horror.

Wish I was immune to the sound

Of a fear that echoes

        my own...

I glance at the door:

The sterile white coat domain.

The clock ticks slowly and laughs.

And they call my name

      at last...

Caren E. Salas

After the Rain

I can't keep writing raindrops.
Give me sunshine to hope for;
Dreams to hold on to;
Rainbows to reach for;
Someone who'll care for me.
I'm so tired of the clouds.
Let the blue skies
Fill up my life,
For a while.

Caren E. Salas

If you can't take the heat, use fewer jalepenos....

Another prompt from Robert Lee Brewer This was a fun one. Cheers!

Chilitini

Take some hot jalepenos
Infuse them into three shots
Of decent vodka and add
Half a shot of dry vermouth.
To make it dirty, olives
And juice. Stir (don't shake) Enjoy!

Caren E. Salas

 "No poems can please for long, or live that are written by water drinkers."  - Horace.   Hee Hee.

Memo to Me

Think of how she presses on
Through dark and daunting roads.
Focus on the trials she's passed
Despite the heavy load.

See the way she holds on tight
To dreams some say will die.
Notice how she's there for you
Even when she wants to cry.

Imagine how hard it must be
To soldier on in pain,
To give your strength to someone else
While you stand in the rain.

Think of how she pushes on
Despite the rocky path.
And how, when you might give up hope
Her love still brings you back.

Caren E. Salas

(for Kessa, and Michael too)

Locked inside Myself

Locked Inside Myself

Screaming, scratching, clawing crying;
Struggling while my soul is dying.

Wrenching. wretchng, stabbing, tearing;
Trusting none, no longer caring.

Burning, bleeding, grasping, groping;
I've given up pretense of hoping.

Reaching, wanting, needing, trying;
I've thrown away the dream of flying.


Trapped inside my weakened shell....
   I long for heaven,
but live in hell.


Caren E. Salas

The Meaning of...Lost

Last Wednesday's writing prompt was "The Meaning of..." My first response was The Meaning of "Writer's Block" because I just couldn't seem to get anywhere. I was lost....hmmm...lost? So here goes.


The Meaning of "Lost"

The roads are closed.
The signs are faded.
It's a black and moonless night.
My car is stuck.
I'm aggrivated.
Should I turn left, or right?

I lost my map,
And all direction.
I'm feeling so alone.
My cell phone just
Lost it's connection
How will I get back home?

I'm cold and tired.
And tired of crying
But I continue on.
Maybe the stars
Will hear me trying,
And shine until the dawn.


Caren E. Salas

My Heart

I wanted to try something called a "Kelly Lune" (style of poetry - American Haiku) so here goes...



I can't seem to think
Of much else
But my beating heart.


Caren E. Salas

Lost. Damaged. Stolen.

As I sat in the laundramat doing my 62 loads of laundry (barely a weeks' worth) I saw a sign that said

"Not responsible for lost, damaged or stolen articles." It got me thinking....

My heart had lost all hope

Of finding love like this,

Wandering sad and aimless

In search of that one kiss.

The kiss that might make sense
And make the wait worthwhile.
The kiss to help my heart
Remember how to smile.


My heart'd long been damaged
And had built up a wall,
A fortress against love
With no feeling left at all.

Locked up tight in silence
Afraid to hurt again
Not wanting to play games
With no chance it will win.


But then my heart was stolen
By a very tender thief,
Swept away and given love
Beyond all past belief.

Stolen to a heaven
Where home and safety live
To once more beat with love
And learn again to give.



Caren E. Salas

Missing You

(I originally wrote the first version of this poem in February of 1990, but I recently found it and just wanted to post it here.)


I can imagine
    Though you're not here,
The sound of your voice
    Soft in my ear,
The look in your eyes
    And your gentle touch
The way that I feel...
     How I miss you so much."



Caren E. Salas

Crazytown

I've been going a bit crazy of late, because I have very little access to the internet.  We are having work done on our house. My bedroom had to be emptied and that's where my computer was. Now it's in a box. We also had to disconnect our DirecTV - tevo so my episode of LOST did not get recorded :( .  Ah well.  In exchange for all the inconveniences now, I'll be getting a bigger closet, a dishwasher (not in the bedroom of course) and other improvements. I try to keep these things in mind while I'm eating fast food for the umpteenth time, sitting in the laudramat for hours, or trying to convince the kids that all four of them in one room is not so bad.  Needless to say, while the roll I was on with my April Poem a Day challenge is still kind of there, meaning I'm still writing, but has come to a screeching halt when it comes to posting here. I will eventually catch up...Thanks for being patient!   Caren

Day 30: Letting Go

SPRING CLEANING

The clothing the kids out grew long ago
Gifts I should have returned to the store
Clocks and electronics that don't even work
Rubber-bands, paper clips, all in a drawer

Papers and drawings, crumpled and torn
Homework assignments from years before
Must let it go, throw away, give it all up!
But my real fear is, we'll just get some more.


Caren E. Salas

Day 29: And suddenly...

SUDDENLY....

Suddenly it's all come true!
My life is great! The sky is blue!
My children have done all their chores!
How could I, really, ask for more?
I've won the lotto, they published my book!
My husband hired a maid and a cook!
It's almost more than I can take.
Then suddenly...I wake.


Caren E. Salas

Day 28: End of the Line

The end of the line
Seems to be farther away
Than I thought it'd be.


Caren E. Salas

Day 27: Hopeful, or hopeless

HOUSEWORK


No matter
If I work all day
Run around
Like a girl insane.
No matter
If I refuse to sleep
Toil into the night
'Til I can't see.

There's always
   More laundry
   More dishes
   More dust
Another floor to do
   More to do
   Clothes to pick up.
There's the bathroom
   The bedrooms
   The kitchen
   The yard
The livng room
   Porches
   The hallway
   The car.

It's endless.
It's hopeless.
Why can't anyone see?
It just never seems
Like there's time
Left for me.


Caren E. Salas

Day 26: More than 5 times...

GETTING YOUR ATTENTION


I raise my hand
I reach and stand
I shout out loud
Lost in the crowd
I wave my arms
Use all my charms
Jump up and down
Dance like a clown
I call your name
It's all the same
What can I do
To get through to you??



Caren E. Salas

Day 25: a poem inspired by a song

Okay, I'm not sure if this still qualifies but it is a piece of music:  "Midsummer Night's Dream" by Felix Mendelssohn.  This is beautiful music and if you close your eyes you can see the fairies skipping about, well, I can anyway.

DREAMS

Fairies flit, fly, hop and dart

They fill the dark with tiny lights

     Like fire flies.

Puck the mischeif-maker

Looks for trouble to incite

     With quiet eyes.

The fairie king and queen square off

As lovers are mislead, confused

       And afraid.

Actors practice, one's transformed

An ass's head appears, Puck's ruse

       Is played.

When morning comes the lovers wake

The forest is by sweet Puck, blessed

      Therein

All is set right, all renewed

The fairy world is back at rest

      Again.

Caren E. Salas

Day 24: Evening

I wanted to write something simple and calming for this one, and decided to do a haiku.  I started out with this one:

Evening quiet comes
With a kind of tranquil peace
Like whispering leaves.

(For those of you who know me, try not to barf - SO not me.)  I ended up going toward something a little more dramatic. The problem is, that it ended up having a hint of an old TV commercial.  (Listen for it - you know what I'm talking about.)  Oh well...

Evening quiet screams
In my ears like a nightmare
And I can't wake up.


Caren E. Salas

Day 23: an exhausted poem

MY MIND


Exhausted.

 Still my mind will race, through the bills yet to pay and the errands to run and the phone calls to make and the long list of chores and appointments I missed. Old friends I should e-mail and the grocerie list. Places to run to. People to see. Things I should sign. Memo: haircut for me. What's for dinner tomorrow? Any plans for the week? Teacher conferences soon.When was that supposed to be?

All day I keep running and time seems to fly.
Can't slow down til the night
What still runs...
                               is my mind.




Caren E. Salas

Day 22: an Earth poem

I thought I'd throw in an acrostic poem, just for fun.



EARTH

E veryone together
A ttempting the impossible
R euse, recycle, whatever it takes
T oward a better tomorrow
H elping each other.


Caren E. Salas

Day 21: According to....

ACCORDING TO THE MOVIES...


According to the movies
Love's romantic, easy, true.
There's always happy endings
People do the right thing too!

In real life it's harder
People break up, hurt and die.
I'd rather watch the fairy tale
Even if it's just a lie.


Caren E. Salas

Day 20: Looking back, or not

ALMOST FINISHED

My journal's almost finished.

All the pages are filled up

With scribbles and doodlings

No one else will understand.

It's my heart  my soul, memories

and dreams. A story of me.

Caren E. Salas

Day 19: Write a poem about someone

JACK


There was old Jack Sprat
Who's meat had to be lean,
And the poor farm boy Jack
And his handful of beans.

The quick nimble Jack:
Let no candle wax spill,
But the Jack who fetched water
Tumbled down with his Jill.

There's the Jack of all trades
     Jack of Hearts
          Jack of Spades
Black Jack
          or just "Jacks"

That the little girls played.

There's "QuickerthanyoucansayJackRobinson" Jack.

There's flapJacks with syrup,

Can I have a stack?

  

But there's one Jack you won't find

In fiction or fad.

He's the best one of all

And I just call him "Dad."

Caren  E. Salas

For my Dad - Happy Birthday Dad!! I love you!!

Day 18: To _____ (fill in the blank)

"To sleep, perchance to dream, ay, there's the rub..." (Hamlet, by William Shakespeare)



TO DREAM...


When I close my eyes tonight,
What road will I travel?
Will my journey's path be smooth,
Or will my fears unravel?

When I drift off, will I fly
To places good or evil?
Will I plunge into despair
With no hope of retrieval?

When I sleep I never know
Which way I'll be taking
Until the dawn brings memories
To haunt me while I'm waking.



Caren  E. Salas

Day 17: Science (or aspect of it)

 "THEY"

They say we descended from monkeys,
And the universe began with a "BANG!"
They can't decide if Pluto's a planet,
Or if cloning is good or insane.

Our time's short because global warming
Will destroy all our lives, so they say.
All the science is confusing,
            and what I want to know,
Really who, for Pete's sake,
                                 are the "they"?


Caren E. Salas

Day 16: Death

THE FIGHT

Death teases me
With dreams of peace and rest
As I lie sleepless in the night.

Death kisses me
And whispers "No more pain,
And I'll make everything all right."

Death lies to me
And tells me "No one cares,
No one will miss you if you go."

Death's hold on me
Is like a constant fight,
And how it ends I just don't know.



Caren E. Salas

Day 15: Deadlines...(in honor of tax day - ouch)

April 15


Deadline.
Stop sign.
End of the road.

Time's up.
Give up.
And pay what is owed.



Caren E. Salas

Day 14: (blank) Island

PARADISE ISLAND

The sun feels great on my body

As a soft breeze caresses my face.

There's a drink by me with an umbrella.

I may just melt into this place.

The cabana boy brings me another

"Close your eyes, and leave troubles behind,"

He says while massaging my shoulders.

Too bad that it's all in my mind. 

Caren E. Salas

(lest I get too serious on you all...lol)

Day 13: Love or Anti-love (I pick "love")

So much has been said about love. I thought I'd better keep it short and to the point.



A question, a ring
A promise for a lifetime
Our forever love.



Caren E. Salas

Day 12: Pick a City...

Morning in Quebec City

The dawn greeted me

with the clop clop clop,

of horse drawn carriages

passing down the cobbled road.

The sun, reflecting

off the St. Lawrence River,

came streaming through the trees

in the park across the way.

The sidewalk cafes bustled

with tourists and lovers

out for cafe au lait, and crepes.
Chateau Frontenac

loomed above,

stretching into cloudless skies,

and almost to heaven.

What a place to be in love.

Caren E. Salas

(Quebec City is where my husband and I went on our Honeymoon!)

Day 11: The last...

THE LAST TIME

If I had known that the last time

I saw you, would be the last time

I'd see you, would I've remembered

All the things I wanted to say?

If I had known that the next time

Was never to happen at all

Could I have made time slow down?
No.


Caren E. Salas

(In honor of Sid Fleischman)

Day 9: Self Portrait

Sorry people, I posted a bit out of order. That's probably since I tend to write things out of order. I've never been much of a "color inside the lines" kind of girl.  I'm more of a "squint your eyes and look at it from a distance" type.  Anyway, this one was tough. I can write about things and feelings, but about me? That's a whole other story.


WHO AM I?

I was a child,
of course
once upon
a time,
then a student
a swimmer
cheerleader
a mime.
I was a dancer
an actress
a singer of songs.
I'm a writer
a poet
a dreamer
a mom.
I'm a taxi driver
warden
accountant
the maid
dishwasher
secretary,
none of it paid.
But who am I really?
Who am I meant to be?
Am I only one thing?
Or is the sum of these...me?


Caren E. Salas

Day 10: Horror

BELA

No blood

No graphic scenes

Just eyes

And my imaginings.

"I am

Count Dracula"

Once said,

Became more frightening.

All black

I hear the scream

Silence

Then becomes deafening.

Nightmares

will follow me

To night

Memories still startling.

Caren E Salas

Day 8: a Tool

SCISSORS

I never ran with scissors
I held them by the blade
I put them where I found them
And that is where they stayed.

So why, now that I'm grown up
When I set them down a sec,
Do they seem to disappear,
Into thin air...
                     what the heck??



Caren E. Salas

Day 7 "Until..."

UNTIL I'M DEAD

Until I'm dead I wonder
If anyone will say how
Much I meant to them, or how
I changed their life. I wonder
Because I'm not sure I will
Have done that, until I'm dead.



Caren E. Salas

Day 6: Ekphrastic Poem

An Ekphastic Poem is, simply put, a poem written with a specific work of art as inspiration this one is inspired by
Flight of the Witches, by Francisco de Goya. 
I wrote it as a haiku.

Fear takes many forms

Ice cold chills, witches flying

Nightmares over head.

Caren E. Salas

Day 5: Too Much Information

SOMETHING COOL

Billy was excited.
      "Mom I saw something cool!"
He said, running into his house
       after school.

"I saw a half flattened,
       mostly squished cat,
or maybe a possum,
       or a really big rat!

"It was run down
       by a truck, or a car.
I'll show you tomorrow!
       It's not very far!

"I think it was knocked
      Right off of it's feet.
It's guts were all barfed up
      all over the street!

"It's fur was all matted,
      and covered with blood.
One of it's eyeballs
      popped out on the mud.


"Really! It was
      an incredible sight!
By the way, Mom...

       What's for dinner tonight??"




Caren E. Salas

Day 4 - History (of sorts)

Redwood

If only I could read the rings

From your heart out to your skin,

And swiftly fly through time and see

The secrets there within.

If I could just have seen the life

From your trunk, to needles green,

And close my eyes awhile and glimpse

A magic never seen.

Caren E. Salas

(photo by William Salas)