Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Review

Another year gone
Too many bad days to count
Hope next year improves


This is for Sensational Haiku Wednesdays

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Please

Protect me
Keep me safe
From the unknown
From the knowing

Save me
Take me forth
To the bright lights
To the glowing

Hug me
Hold me tight
In your warm arms
Time is slowing.


May 2010

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Preparation

Taken by surprise
Absolutely unprepared
Calm down, deep breath, smile



This is for Sensational Haiku Wednesdays

Friday, December 2, 2011

Addiction


She could feel the urge building.  She needed a fix, but had to find some time alone.  Eventually she retreated to the bedroom and pulled out what she required from under the bed.  She was shaking, unable to contain her excitement.  She fumbled with the power cord.  Finally, she got what she desired most: Facebook.


This is a story told in 55 words for G-man.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Absence

My heart grows fonder
As each day passes us by
With you there, me here

There is a shadow
Upon my aching body
Where you once held me

Off to war you went
Idealist through and through
When will you return?




This is for Sensational Haiku Wednesdays

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Meditate


Find a quiet place
Close eyes, relax, wait for peace
Instead: “Mama!”... Sigh…



Sunday, November 13, 2011

Gold Coast


Beguiling, baby-faced boys
boasting beautiful butts
skin smooth as silk
sensual, sexy smiles
awesome abs.
Arrogant, awkward.
Prancing, preening, posing,
pole dancing.


This is a Sunday 160 for Monkey Man

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Just a Moment


I’d been watching him for a few minutes before he noticed me.  He looked up as he passed and our eyes met.  We both smiled, cautiously but genuinely, before he was swept away by the crowd.  The subway doors closed, the train lurched forward and I revelled in the lingering happiness of a shared moment.


This is a story told in 55 words for G-man.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Fleeting

Once upon a time
There was love neverending
Or so we believed


Untitled

What lies beneath
Is a treasure trove
May I bequeath
What my pure heart wove

Urge forth by might
Discover my soul
Immersed in light
I am truly whole

Friday, November 4, 2011

Winds of Change

Finally, the change she’d been hoping for arrived.  After months of waiting, she felt the temperature drop and the moisture in the air.  She saw the rain falling in the distance and hoped that the winds would bring it here; that this hope she now saw in front of her would not pass her by.

This is a story told in 55 words for G-man.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Excel

Doing what you do
Like nobody on this earth
Better than your dreams


Friday, October 28, 2011

Drought

Looking this way and that, over the pale horizon, she searched the distance for anything that would bring her hope.  Each day, she stood upon the porch, looking for signs.  She studied the trees and smelled the wind.  Nothing today.  She knew eventually, the rains would come and her crops would flourish again.  But when?


This is a story told in 55 words for G-man.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Scare

Creeping from behind
Icy cold, surrounding me
Darkness settling in

A noise: what was that?
Eyes close. Heart beats faster. Boo!
Scream pierces the night.


Sunday, October 23, 2011

Loud and Clear

A simple gesture made
No words exchanged
But message received
And feelings evoked
Sadness, Anger, Fear
Accompanied by many, many tears
Actions speak louder than words


This is a Sunday 160 for Monkey Man

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Debonnaire

She looks at him, smiles
He notices and winks
My! How debonnaire!


Sunday, October 16, 2011

Black

As the walls are closing in
And the colors fade to black
I wonder where my happiness went
And if, by chance, it will ever come back

I have to believe it will
It will


This is a Sunday 160 for Monkey Man
The first 2 lines are from the song "Black" by Sarah McLachlan 

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Trapped

From where she stood, looking out upon the world, everything looked perfectly normal.  She got up each day, ate, went about her daily duties and slept soundly every night, not giving it much thought.  But when she did stop to think, she was able to remember that not everyone lived in an ornate, gilded cage.


This is a story told in 55 words for G-man.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Flare

Rising from below
Pure light, bright white, surrounds me
Then quietly fades

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Crash


Growing up, we lived at the bottom of a big hill.  We would race down the hill on anything that had wheels – bikes, skateboards, rollerskates – then climb back up to do it again.  One time someone tried the same thing with his car, except it ended up parked against the tree in our front yard.

This is a story told in 55 words for G-man.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Delight

Anticipation and excitement mounted slowly.
I could feel it building.
It was hard to breathe.
My heart beat faster.
I trembled.
Just
Let
Go
I screamed.

I love rollercoasters.


This is a Sunday 160 for Monkey Man

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Despair

She lay in bed, knees tucked to her chin, silently screaming in anguish.  She couldn’t stop the tears -- but the children must not hear her sobs.  She choked them back and buried her face in the pillow.  Later, after she recovered, she could only hope that the mascara stains on the pillowcase would wash out.  

This is a story told in 55 words for G-man.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Where Were You?

10 years ago I was 4 days from my due date, chasing a 22 month old, unpacking. We had moved into an old apartment in a new country. The tv went on late but stayed on.


This is a Sunday 160 for Monkey Man

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Life 101

The last rays of summer sunshine beat down mercilessly -- it doesn’t feel like September.  I love spending the long lazy holidays hanging out with the children and part of me always dreads them going back to school.  This year is bittersweet: while they are learning life skills, I will be building a new life.



This is a story told in 55 words for G-man.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Love of the Dance

My body aches:
sore feet, tired legs and a sunburn

I hadn’t danced in 6 months...

I am completely exhausted
but completely happy

Soon I will drift off to sleep
with a smile


This is a Sunday 160 for Monkey Man

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Make Believe

She’d been playing this game of pretend for so long, she almost believed it was real.  Except she knew deep down, if this life she was living was real, she’d be happy and it wouldn’t take so much effort.  Plus, there was that one thing she could never fake, because everyone knows Faeries can fly…

This is a story told in 55 words for G-man.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Ladies in Waiting

Tears sit idly
Waiting to fall
Lovely ladies
Waiting to call

Waiting for an act – or word
That, when these ears have duly heard
Will unleash a torrent seldom felt
by those whom Fate has fairly dealt

His hand.  And knowing mine is the other kind
That always turns within my mind
And leads to darkness, in which I dwell
Alone, with nothing but the tears that fell.

Dragonflies in the Rain

“It’s raining,” he said.

“I like the rain,” she replied.  It was true: the rain reminded her of her childhood and of places she had traveled.  The rain brought many pleasant memories with it.

“I like you,” he said, with that crooked smile of his that belied his age, revealing a youthful innocence, which, he knew, made him irresistible to her.

“Did you know,” she started, trying to keep her composure if only for a moment longer as he stepped closer to her, “that dragonflies swarm before it rains?”

“No,” he mumbled from behind her, his lips skimming the tender softness of her shoulder.

“I learned that when I lived in China,” she volunteered, wondering if perhaps this flippant fact would interest him more than her skin, her smell, her shallow breath, her anticipation.

But it was exactly these facts about her past, her travels and adventures that she offered up so trivially, that made her so fascinating to him - and so desirable.

In one quick motion he pulled her to him with one hand, while the other hand brushed back her long, dark hair, allowing him to kiss that sweet spot on the back of her neck where she had the dragonfly tattoo.

She closed her eyes and sighed, losing herself in the moment and the tenderness of his lips, forgetting all about dragonflies and the rain.

 
May 11, 2010

Monday, August 22, 2011

Lessons

Learning guitar was a fun way to bond with my daughter and finish what I started 30 years ago.  8 months later she’s lost interest but I’m just getting started.

This is a Sunday 160 for Monkey Man

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Can I Help You?

I stood on the platform, waiting for the train to pull in to the station.  The shrieks of hysteria in my native language jarred me out of my complacency.  “Oh my God, it’s all in German!  We’ll never find the right train!”  I offered to help, and thus began an adventure and an enduring friendship.

OK, so it's not fiction...  It's still a 55 for G-man

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Observations on a Tuesday Afternoon

I was sitting there in plain sight.  The parking lot was empty but for a few abandoned vehicles.  It was spring and I could hear birds chirping merrily though the open sunroof above me.  The sunshine was slowly thickening the air in the car, making it difficult to breathe.  Cars passed by on the road above, their drivers failing to notice that the hillside leading from the pavement to the parking lot was covered in lush green grass and a colourful mixture of purple and yellow weeds.  Soon the gardener will come to mow the lawn, shearing off the coloured heads of the flowers and returning the hillside to an appropriate state of monotony.

The young man didn’t see me as he passed.  He crossed the parking lot with a bounce in his step.  He wore brown dress pants, just the right length, and a black button-down shirt.  He looked dressy but in a casual sort of way befitting his years and, most likely, his station in life.  He must like his job here at the art gallery the way he walked up the hill toward the front doors of the building.  Not trudging up the hill, but walking effortlessly, as if the ground was level.

Then he stopped, bent over, reached to the ground and with his left hand picked something from the grass.  I didn’t recognize what it was until he turned and brought it to his lips.  He blew gently, and with a faint smile, watched the dandelion seeds carry through the air on the breeze.

April 20, 2010

Sunday, August 14, 2011

You and Me

You are
Up and down
On and off
Black and white
Digital

I am
High and low
Power surges
Brights and darks
Analog

We are
(In)compatible
(Ir)reconcilable
(Dis)agreeable
Opposites

This is a Sunday 160 for Monkey Man

Thursday, August 11, 2011

First Impressions

We hadn’t been dating long, but we’d been friends for years so after the party I spent the night.  Next morning, while he cooked breakfast, I got the marmite and ketchup.  I dropped the bottle and there was an explosion of red just as the door opened.  It wasn’t how I’d pictured meeting his parents.

OK, so it's not fiction...  It's still a 55 for G-man.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Haiku

Crickets chirp loudly
Air of anticipation
Of the rains to come

Breeze blows steadily
Temperature slowly lowers
Stars hide behind clouds

Skies open above
Pitter-patter quietly
Darkness settles in

Friday, August 5, 2011

Sunshine Kisses

She called to him and he hurried to her.  Her eyes were closed against the sunlight, peeking through the half-closed shutters on the window.  He crawled into bed beside her, brushing aside her hair that fanned across the pillow.  He wrapped his arms around her, whispering sweetness to her, as she took her last breath.

This is a story told in 55 words for G-man.

Friday, July 29, 2011

The Dam

No one knew why we were building a dam across the creek.  It was a neighbourhood project which invariably ended with us sloshing home, rubber boots full of water from when we got too deep or simply fell in, hoping we wouldn’t get yelled at when we got there.  If we did, I don’t remember.

This is a story told in 55 words for G-man.