The Bar - Day 15: an Infested poem

What was I thinking?
All alone in the bar
With the creepy old men
Covered in tattoos and scars.

The place was infested
With all shapes and types
I imagined that some
Had once worn prison stripes.

In the corner a man winked
As he drank his last beer
I was starting to feel sick
I should get out of here.

So what was I doing,
Midst the winos and strays?

I was feeling just as lost
And as lonely as they.




Caren E. Salas

My Love and I - Day 14: A Sonnet

 

 

My Love and I

My love and I need to run away for a while

To relax and remember how it feels to smile

Far away to some paradise close to the sea

On an isolated island where we don't need a key

Because not a soul will around there for days

Except seagulls and turtles and endless sun rays

We'll feast upon mangos and coconuts and fish

Stay up all night long, and wake when we wish

Swimming in an ocean that's warm and clear

We won't want to leave until maybe next year

And I'll collect sea shells while he lies in the sun

And together we'll count stars when the sunsets are done

It all sounds like heaven, and that's how it will seem

If we ever escape, and find this sweet dream.

 

 

Caren E. Salas

(okay, so I'm not Shakespeare, but I gave it a go.)
photo: William Salas

Heartbreak - Day 10: A "Suffering" poem

I pray I'll never
Know the heartbreak a mother
Feels, holding her child,
Knowing that there's nothing she
Can do to stop the cancer.


Caren E. Salas










(in case you saw another poem with this day # or prompt, I messed up a little. I had all my poems in my journal and ended up posting the wrong one with this prompt - "Easy to Say" was supposed to be my "comparison" poem on Day 13)

Seven Years - Day 12: a "Broken" poem

Broken mirror, seven years
Bad luck they told me,
Years of life unfortunate
And lonely sadness, seven
Years for one mistake doesn't
Really feel quite fair, does it?


Caren E. Salas

In Case of Sleep - Day 11: "In Case of ____"

In case of sleep, give in and don't fight;
Your blankets are warm and you're tucked in tight.
Grab your teddy before I shut off the light,
And just say good night, just say good night.

In case of sleep, give in to your dreams;
Submit to the stars and the shining moon beams,
For there is where everything glitters and gleams,
Even more than it seems, even more than it seems.

In case of sleep, give in, close your eyes
And imagine rainbows and sweet butterflies.
For now, just listen to my lullabies.
I'll be here when you rise, I'll be here when you rise.


Caren E. Salas

Easy to Say - Day 13: a "Comparison" Poem

What's painful for me, or painful for you
Cannot be proven false or true.
So don't tell me the level of pain that I feel,
Or that what I'm feeling is not actually real.
It's easy to say that it's all in my mind;
When it comes to me and my body, you're blind.
Unless you can feel what I feel inside,
Stop spouting from books and reacting from pride.
Just because the things that I'm feeling don't show
Doesn't mean they're not there, but you'll never know.

Caren E. Salas


This is for every doctor or nurse that has told me, "this won't hurt" or "it can't be that bad" or "it's all in your mind". Really?  (*sigh)

Pantry Raid - Day 9: A Hunter or Hunted Poem

Tomato paste, evaporated milk,

Hot cocoa, enchilada sauce, peanut

Butter, lasagna noodles, cereal,

Instant mashed potatoes, chocolate cake mix,

Flour, sugar, salad oil, salt, pepper,

Cinnamon and other spices, honey,

Camomile tea bags in a jar, several

Cans of chicken soup, a bag of croutons.

All this food but nothing really sounds good

To eat, so tell me: Where are the cookies?

Caren E. Salas

 

How to Fly - Day 8: an Instructional Poem

Take a breath and imagine:

The taste of a summer's day

The sound of a dream come true

The feeling of being loved

The most beautiful sunset.

 

Now, add pixie dust...and fly.

 

 

Caren E. Salas

 

 

 

 

 

photo by Lauren Salas

Lori - Day 7: A Sevenling poem (form)

Her facebook page
Pops up sometimes
Friends remembering.

Photographs
We took that summer
Are all I have left.

I miss her so much


Caren E. Salas

Postcard Pals - Day 6: "post"

Under the pile of junk mail
Between a stack of bills
I see a splash of color
That always gives me thrills.

Sometimes it's unique artwork
Or a tourist spot to see
A few words scribbled on the back
Of a postcard sent to me.

And I try to add a smile
To every postcard that I send
Because though I've never met you
I feel like you're my friend.


Caren E. Salas


Note: This poem is for Andrea, a writer I met online. She had written an article on her blog about how nice it was to exchange postcards, and how if you really search you can find some really unique ones.  I contacted her about doing that and she agreed! Ever since then, every few weeks I know I can count on getting something in the mail that doesn't require a payment, lol. When I was a kid I loved having a pen-pal, especially from another state or country. Letter writing and sending postcards seem to be going the route of record album, but hey, turn-tables are making a comeback, right? We can't forget how to communicate with words. We're all busy, but writing a short paragraph on the back of a postcard is a great way to reach out, and who doesn't enjoy getting one?

Check out her blog! (I'm even mentioned in this post!)
http://andreakristen.blogspot.com/2012/03/mailbox-candy.html

The Arithmatic of Love - Day 5: a "plus" poem

-   My love can't be subtracted   -

It will not be divided  *

+   It can only be increased

Multiplied to infinity   X

/    An imperfect fraction

In a set that's incomplete  ...)

With decimals repeating

 π  Like pi or square root of 3  

<  It's greater than forever  >

=   And equal to the world

No variables or unknowns  x,y

|   Just absolute and true.  |

Caren E. Salas

Hold that Pose! Day 4: "Hold that_____"

Hold that pose!
Give me a smile,
So later I can remenesce
How you were mine a while.

Time goes on,
And before we know
The dreams we shared together
Will be a moment long ago.

Caren E. Salas

Just Do It - Day 3: A "Tentative" poem

Standing on the edge of the swimming pool

Black lines across the bottom, the cool blue

Sides, tiled with numbers: 3 feet, 4 feet, 6.

Inhale, exhale...one foot slowly lowered

Into the water. The smell of chlorine

And the sound of ripples lapping against

The steps. Hesitation. Fear of the cold...

Not fear really, but anticipation

Of that sudden shock before adjustment.

Inhale, exhale...just do it. Just do it.

 

 

Caren E. Salas

Midnight - Day 2: a Bright Poem, or a Dark Poem

Bright
Sparkling
Firmament
Brooding midnight skies
I gaze and dream of paradise.


Caren E. Salas

Smiling - Day 1 of April Poem a Day Challenge

A friend of my daughters

And my sons

When he's with us, he feels like one

Of my own, that is.

Appearing last week

In his camos and boots

At my front door

Smiling, like he always does.

Succeeding in his covert surprise

I tried not to cry

His mother and I sharing

A knowing glance

How to make this last?

I don't know where she

Finds the strength

If his absence breaks my heart

Then how...? Never mind

Because he is here

Right now

At my front door

Smiling, like he always does.

 

 

Caren E. Salas

 

 



April is National Poetry Month, and for the past few years I've participated in Robert Lee Brewer's Poem a Day Challenge. He posts prompts on his website, which will hopefully inspire me. For Day 1 (yesterday actually) the prompt was "New Arrivals" and could be arrivals of any kind. This poem is dedicated to our friend Nate (I've mentioned him before) and his mother Sharon.