badges of honor
mannequin soldiers with guns
behind glass windows
~

distant halos
thin sheets ripple
cassini flyby
~

construction zone
an old man
exploring his past
~

Phobos
transits the sun
surface grooves underscore
imbricates Stickney crater floor
shadows
~

distant train
a current of air
bends the wheat
~

city

after-hours
a mouse scurries across
the red light
~

Irish pub
beer spills
over the rim
~

closing time
on the sidewalk
a bum sleeps
~

open market
homeless lip-synching
the speakers
~

twisting balloons
he struggles with our question
about the market
~

long blonde braid
bounces off her back
PF&R logo
~

desert sun dishes
rampant
deep space liquidators
~

soot in the flue
spew from the damper
ament radiance
~

Cinquain

fractals
erratic curves
magnified or reduced
struggle to be identical
preserves

thunder clouds
heat waves rise above
the tracks
~

"You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away, know when to run." - The Gambler
High Stakes

Blackjack smack with twenty-one luck
for chips of argentine,
Resting high on green velvet duck,
Blackjack smack with twenty-one luck,
As the dealer shuffles for a buck,
"My soul for an ace?" - you're so mean!
Blackjack smack with twenty-one luck
for chips of argentine.
~

(An entry for Bout 3: A Triolet)

Ring of Kindness

A ring of kindness circles the earth,
Intuitive, simple, in it's silent drift,
It reaches out to us at birth,
Inherent, deep inside, this gift,

For me this opus, homogenous:
Forgive the follies that rule today,
Share earned merits along the way,
Support a friend, who has gone astray,

Don't stand in line, not caring why,
Vandalizing the hearts of those who care,
A lost connection on how to share,
Expose yourself - broadcast your cry.

Before the crowd of lacquer faces,
Capsize your town, turn harps to ashes,
Build smoke barricades to block blue skies,
And reduce those kindness lullabies...
~