Making Time

Yesterday was the official start of Robert Lee Brewer's November Poem a Day Challenge.  In theory, I'll be posting a poem everyday this month in response to prompts provided on his website. Usually it's not the writing part that's hard (I carry a notebook everywhere!) it's the posting that I get behind on. So, here I go. Be sure to check back now and then and see what's new!

Day 1: A Procrastination or Pro-active poem - Don't you love when people say "you have to make the time" like it's something you can just whip up in your spare time?




Making Time

Take an hour, here and there
A half a dozen minutes
A dash and splash of seconds
Combine together and stir.
Use it immediately
Because you know...it won't last.


Caren E. Salas

Teresa

When we first moved into the house we live now, there was an older lady who lived across the street. She had suffered with polio as a child and was confined to a wheelchair, but that didn't stop her from living.  One warm day, my kids and I were outside eating Popsicles and she was out watering her garden.  We took a Popsicle over to her and you'd have thought it was made of gold. I don't think she cared about the pop as much as the company. After that we spent more and more time getting to know her and she became our adopted "Grammy." She even signed birthday cards that way. When she passed away, we knew a member of our family had died.  Shortly after there was an estate sale, and as much as the trend these days is not to keep "stuff", sometimes items do have a meaning beyond their material value.

TERESA

The cut crystal jar that was always filled

With a never-ending supply of mints,

You know, those red and white disc-shaped candies...

It was empty now, and I picked it up

Knowing the crowds of pickers had no clue

Of its real value, to me anyway.

The candy was gone, as gone as she was.

Standing in the midst of it all, I cried

Remembering the taste of peppermint

But only tasting the salt from my tears.

Caren E. Salas

What Counts...

Seven pills every morning,

Not including pain control
Four more pills to take at night,
Every week: three injections,
And two patches. Therapy,
Doctor visits, tests and labs.

Twenty-four hours, seven days,
A man who loves me, four kids

Call me "Mom". Two turtles, fish,

And my little dog, Whiskey.

If you ask, "Is it all worth it?"

I answer in one heartbeat.

Yes. 

Caren E. Salas

photo by William Salas

Anemone

Weightless fingers reach,

Touch, taste, beautiful and yet
Dangerous, clinging
To the rocks; it lives between
Salty sea and jagged shore.

A gentle slow dance
Swaying with the tide's constant
Ebbs and flows, living
Its life in the shallow pools
Unaware of my presence.

Caren E. Salas

Late

Missed again.
One phone call too short
And a few
Minutes late.
Opportunities vanish
Til some other day.


Caren E. Salas

Moments

There have been moments,

When everything was perfect;

The planets aligned,

And the worries of the world

Evaporated away.


Those moments in time,
I'll remember forever,
Like yesterday's dream
Or my hopes for tomorrow,
Kept safely inside my heart.



Caren E. Salas

Waiting

I'm always waiting;

Waiting for a better day,

Waiting for more time,

Waiting for more energy,

Waiting for a miracle.

Hoping I'll wake up

One bright morning feeling good
And feeling rested
And the planets will align

And everything will be fine.

I have to believe

In my heart, to keep going

Hoping and waiting,

Dreaming I will dance again

And the wait, will be worth it.

Caren E. Salas

(Salvador Dali - The Persistance of Memory)

Why am I?

Eyes
Wide
Open,
Why am I
Awake at this hour
Lying alone in the darkness?


Caren E. Salas

The Magic

Show me the magic,

Give me reasons to believe

In the illusions.

Tip the hat and wave the wand;

Maybe make me disappear.

Show me the magic,

And say "Abracadabra!"

I'll pretend it's real.

Please don't tell me your secrets;

I really don't want to know.

Show me the magic

Let glitter float in the air.

Take me far away

From this ordinary life,

And into an endless dream.

Caren E. Salas

*Robert Lee Brewer's prompt: an "escape" poem

For my friend, Eugene Ireland (Magic Castle)

The Fight

Thoughts spinning,

Twisting, choking me,

Attempting

To spill out

Like blood, draining my body

Until I can't breathe.

Sanity

Waning as each word

Struggles out

Of my soul,

No matter how hard I try

 To keep it inside.

Caren E. Salas

 

 

Photo: http://www.aug.edu/



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

Don't

Don't make me feel beautiful,

I just might get used to it

And then there'd be no living

With me. I might actually

Start believing it myself

Dreaming the thing I can't know.

Don't make me feel beautiful,

Because then I might expect

To feel that way again and

You may not be able to

Deliver, and I will wait,

Hoping for what I can't have.

Don't make me feel beautiful,

Because feeling's addiction

And withdrawels will kill me.

It's temporary madness

Certain to destroy my heart,

Reaching for what I can't be.

Caren E. Salas

I am Fine

The sun shines

The days are passing

I am fine.

No, really

But the shadows never fade

They linger on me.

I am fine

No, really I am.

Life goes on,

So will I

But the memories take my sleep

And turn it to tears.

Life goes on

For everyone else

Every day,

Not for me

Waking up to an echo

Instead of his arms.

Every day,

One day at a time

Is too much.

Be patient

While I pick up the pieces

Of my broken heart.

Caren E. Salas

For my friend, Kessa. I can't imagine how you feel, only how I would. Love you.

Homecoming

You walk to me
I hardly breathe
I try not to let it show.

You've been so missed
We hug and kiss
I don't want to let you go.

We stare a while
Was that a smile?
I know it must feel odd.

But I'm relieved
You're back with me
One more reason to thank God.


Caren E. Salas


(This was written in response to Robert Lee Brewer's prompt: "a welcome poem". This is dedicated to those who wait at home for those who serve our country.)



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