Empty

Empty

Tequila
One shot, two, then three
Drowning stress;
Troubles blur
And fade until my head hurts
And my stomach aches.

Just one more
Hoping for comfort
Finding none;
All I have
Are empty bottles and dreams
I never reached for.

Caren E. Salas



Note: This was inspired by a prompt from Robert Lee Brewer's website "Poetic Asides". The prompt was to write a poem having to do with something being empty. Don't worry friends, it's not autobiographical. Well, the bottles are ours, but it took a long time and lots of salt and ah...I better quit while I'm ahead. Suffice it to say, I haven't given up and don't ever plan to. If any of you do relate, talk to me. Really. No, really.

Giants

I've been struggling a bit lately, but thanks to Robert Lee Brewer and his website, I was inspired to write this. It helps of course that we recently took a trip to Yosemite National Park (one of the most beautiful places in the world).  The prompt was to write a poem from the prospective of a "group", people, animals, organisms, inanimate objects etc. I immediately thought of the giant redwoods in the Mariposa Grove. So here it is.

Giants

Only the wind knows
The secrets we have hidden
Deep within our cores.
Whispering to the breeze, we reach
To the sky and scrape the clouds

Until tears begin
To fall down. Down to the ground
Seeping into roots,
They are drawn up through our souls
Quenching every last needle,

Delivering life
As we spread our branches wide
And embrace the sun,
Watching over the world with
Eagles and angels alike.


Caren E. Salas