POETRY - A Passage of Motion 2

Poetry has always been my first joy, and I wish to place fresh eyes on anything surrounding me. Many of my poems have been published in print and online. My wife Esther is my soul mate and inspirational Editor. We have lived in Truro, Nova Scotia, since 1986. 

Comments

Come dance. Let these ideas and words carry you, from one person to another. From nature's menu, through city streets, and fly off with eagle wings. All my writing combines a love of nature and contemporary issues. Please enjoy these poems. RLP
Richard L. Provencher

Poem no longer in this area.

Richard L. Provencher

Yummy

I feel like a blueberry muffin

7 POEMS (2003-08)

Writing poetry, in my estimation, is the measure of one's soul; a chance to record emotion, sight and smells around us, and that is a good thing for future generations.

A Birch Tree

sitting here on a hillside I know it’s watching me

A BALANCE OF OPINION poem

Nature is where my mind reposes. And I delight in the beauty of this land, its whispers, the face of wind and autumn smells. Yes, living is legendary, with God as our guide.

A Beginning

Ghostly images slow-dance in smoky tendrils

A BOY AND HIS DOG - poem

There is nothing like a boy and his dog.
Cherry

A Busy Boy

Lug a bag of loose bones to the bookstore

A Call of Early Settlers

Left early this oyster morning and sought out any old farm long abandoned yet alive

A CANOEING JOURNEY poem

The day is bright upon his face.

A Child of Camelot

a frontal assault, as did King Arthur’s stalwart men once charge enemy forces--

A Child of Hope

fingers poking as a hummingbird at various shelves

A Child of Promise

fingers like a hummingbird poking at various shelves

A Circle of Good Intentions

In every avenue are found spirits of confusion

A CIRCLE poem

My father said I spent so much time in the woods that I might grow into a tree. Nature has always been a place for serenity and a place to think and write. It is truly God's gift to us.

A Cool Respite

not any space but calm for feathery souls

A Crisis of Choice

erratic in a new choice of expressions.

A Cry is Heard

The plaintive wail of my heart Wends into the night

A CRY IS HEARD - poem

A sense of searching but not finding.

A Delight

and life is a leafy dance with trembling flings

A Dexter Bull

a dialogue of disagreement since territorial interests are involved

A Family Landscape

Night sky provides a celestial necklace

A Family of Seven

--Your Mama’s on Welfare and y’all got cooties, are taunts that sting.

A Fisherman’s Son

They sit on papa’s dory One day they will fish for cod.

A Friend Indeed

The lady gets her cup of tea and rushes to the window

A Generational Journey

During my cowboy years Tom Mix and Roy Rogers were heroes for our copycat gang
Cherry

A Good Man

The weather was a chill of numbing in its creeping from bone to muscle

A Higher Divide

its axis like a kaleidoscopic trip on a teeter-totter of values

A Home for Two

Paws thunder across the kitchen floor--my ears sensitive

A Journey

a slug of movement meandering slowly across the sidewalk

A Lake for All Times

dashing themselves as pinpricks against the lake’s surface--

A Large Vanilla Dish

Below craggy monoliths the forest is a mat

A League of Shadows

Sandwiches are soggy salad drenched

A Lesson on Living

I know better he's a worker been at it two hours, not even a coffee break.

A Long Term Care Facility

One day, many of us will be in a Nursing Home, and this poem has a touch of living satisfaction and a longing to go Home.

A Lovely Day

Tired shuffles toe-step along the bus aisle with hard stares interrupted by a shout of “Nice Day”

A Lovely Day

a mocking voice some surmise knowing how humid the day has been.

A Measure of Time

I am a child of my past, peanut butter fingers fishing with a worm hooked below the surface.

A Moment, Again

Watch that young man, arm across his girlfriend's back

A Neighbour’s

stale jokes and lots of booze

A Red

no fear of predators is this bird from southern trails

A Rest

thankfully only my hand feels sharp pain from a piercing branch.

A Restful Pause

thankfully only my hand feels the prick of pain

A Revelation

I am a seeker of truths, a sanctuary of peace.

A Ritual of Appeasement

A blackbird settles forcefully upon the back yard porch

A ROUNDABOUT WALK poem

I need that smile helps me rise above distractions

A Safari of Desire

lions meditate in pride, crocodile snouts protrude, guarding watery temples

A Safari of Desire (original poem)

leafy trees understanding Nature’s need for privacy.

A SEARCHING poem

this was a safe journey, as I traveled from other destinies

A Separation of Land & Sky

In the natural world, land and sky are more like a sister and brother. Each complements the other and I wish to ally them in a parallel environment.

A SETTLER'S TRAIL poem

An old wagon trail overcame pasture’s ridge wheel ruts dug deeply in the mud of ancient days
Cherry

A Settlers Trail

Ruts from an old wagon trail dug deeply in the mud of ancient days

A Slice of Night

Later, I looked beyond his shuffle on the way to the can

A Son

I belong in the house of my Father---

A SONG OF LOVE poem

This poem was written after meeting my future wife, Esther, and her three children. Three months later we married. That was almost 34 years ago.

A THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE poem

A Thirst for Knowledge A game of Scrub in 1952 meant adults and children brought gloves bats and balls old shirts for bases and teams made up from the Veteran’s town-site

A Tomato Plan

Tomato for a nice sandwich We asked noting her half-hearted Smile

A Walk Through Time

From my front window view the grass continues grieving, a mower trim once again

A Whim Unanswered

Before us stands the orator, His feet supplanted on A mound of grass

A Winter Scene

Rabbit trails cast a dark shadow

Age Comes Calling

Muffins lulled by his rocking Ida staring from the sofa

Age is in the Flesh

arthritis a referee for changing times

AGRA, IN NORTHERN INDIA poem

India is a land of distinction, home of the hand of peace, yet wrapped in emotions deeply embedded in its soul.

AGRA, NORTHERN INDIA poem

Children dash through Yamuna River shallows beside the Taj Mahal, young legs more like spider appendages skipping through splashes

Alberta in the Raw

Cows are crowding the pasture with magnificent bellowing

Alight Then Flight

Magpies shuffle feathers in a contrast of white on black

Almost Made My Day

He moves forward with a determined sprint anxious to celebrate his new-found energy

Along the Moose

I am a child of peanut butter fingers

Along the Moose

Around the bend it ripples, overcomes a mound of stone.

Alzheimer’s Not Just a Word

It came like a robber in the night memory loss confusion and not knowing what’s next on the menu.

Among Nations

No stone throwing children will die tonight in the war at Gaza

An Atlantic Return

Family tradition, son & daughter clinging to day’s excitement as a pair of mollusks

An Attitude

The journey is worth the risk

AN AWAKENING poem

Our thoughts are at ease in early morning, when mist surrounds our view, and the spirit of peace grows within our hearts.

An Ending Unmasked

Nature's boundary separating dampness from snowy bliss.

An Old Family Farm

This leftover scene an album of reminiscing.

An Older Age

Muffins asleep at his feet, Ida staring from the sofa, cruel Alzheimer's taking root

An Outdoor View

ducks sweeping across evening in a silhouette of movement

An Outdoor View

Wind’s melodious soothing Tempers stream’s cascading surge
Cherry

And So it Goes

I’d rather untie the line and let the boat drift

Apartment View

Maybe she’ll make a pan of cookies peanut butter, the ones hubby used to like he’s gone now, two years this August
Cherry

Around Again

Once upon a wide open sky, wagon trains created their own footprints

Around the Bend

His joy of living, working and traveling up and down routes

As a Child Learns

Baby footprints straddle foam-crested waves

AS OUR FERRYBOAT DEPARTS poem

cameras alive with memories from their Prince Edward island touring

Asleep and At Rest

In nearby rooms Fred dreams of baseball Dorothy and adopted cat

At Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia

Dockside’s smell is from herring-bait on lobster boats

At Cap Lumiere, New Brunswick

Slatted traps parade as footprints on ocean’s bottom

At Cobequid's Bay

Weathered houses are randomly sprinkled

At Little Dyke Lake

Nighttime is full of creepy night crawlers

At Pictou, Nova Scotia

Nearby, on reed-like legs viewing their unfolding world

AT REST - poem

God's gift to me.

At the Acreage

Kenny debates the issue trashing thirty feet of fence in a nose to nose confrontation

At the Coming

people come at you heels clicking teeth sharpened

At The Cottage

swimmers are silhouettes at dusk

Atlantic Tangle

tangerine faces bloated and float string-fingers

Aviary

The sky is a lock of water among the hills

Away to Other Places - poem

Yes he passed on that young boy who was run over after leaving him

Back Then Times

I scoffed a chocolate bar from Bill’s store when I was ten (didn’t enjoy it then and don’t relish the image now)
Cherry

Bay Cobequid

Through field glasses on Economy Mountain I focus upon winter's lingering stare--

Bear

and he saw her slouched nearby fur matted no longer a glow of flow as when he first called this place home

Bedouin

breakfast among the dunes, shifting ridges, windy nudges
Cherry

BEFORE PRESIDENT OBAMA poem

I gather in your colour, the shape of your skin

Begins a Journey

oblivious to surroundings in the path of dementia’s pain

Behind Me

Sleep serene dreaming of tomorrow

BELOW OUR FOKKER 100 poem

A thimble of activity in our worldly adventures. Life is much more than a stack of greenbacks
Cherry

BESIDE DORCHESTER, NB poem

It is a terrible experience to visit your son in prison. To see him locked behind barbed wire, with guards monitoring every movement. We still love him.

Best of Intentions

I can run after my foe with enthusiasm
Cherry

Beth, a Friend

I know that lady walking the streets talking to herself in a language of her own

Beyond Great Moments

I am threatened with rain when I desire fire---

BEYOND LIFE'S GREAT MOMENTS poem

I am threatened with rain when I desire fire

Beyond Life’s Overdrive

My fist is clenched with fire raised defiantly at snowflakes

Beyond the Music

a hummingbird titillates my senses, a metronome of soundless joy

Beyond the Overflow

I rise to the occasion wrap arms around myself tighten my collar and struggle to keep my perspective.

BIG CITY BLUES poem

a ball of pasta in my belly. People crowding life’s destination, scooting to the bus stop amber lights glaring

Binding the Sea Shore

crumbled clam shells, hulls from crabs and driftwood tidbits

Birch Trees

winter splashes another coat on its natural primer, an afterthought

Birds Eye View

Grackles and Black Birds have teamed up once again to raid the feeder

Bless All the Children

days of the Round Table alive

Bless the Children

dreaming of being a knight as you charge across the parking lot

Bounty on the Ocean Shore

its mixture of kelp and fishy leftovers include crumbled clam shells

Buckwheat

Now he trots off, cloven hooves directing him to his favourite mound of earth

Building Bonanza

Some prairie towns are bulging side-pockets of development

Bye Momma

papa busy crying in the corner

Canadian Woods

The horizon is a slash of colours as ladder steps crawling one above another

CANADIAN, EH? - poem

As warriors they reigned.

Cap Lumiere Fishermen

slatted traps parading as footprints on ocean’s bottom

CAP LUMIERE, NEW BRUNSWICK - poem

Lobster boats lick their way across Northumberland Strait.

Cape Breton Highlands

From descending cliff to watery lure an expanse to somewhere

CAPE SPEAR poem

empty the ocean ‘cause sandbars are coming as echoes

Cape Spear, New Brunswick

“250 traps finally tarred, shameful only eleven fishing boats now carry on the tradition…”

CAT poem

You make me laugh you.

CAT-TAILS poem

sentinels at shore’s swept rug

Catch the Fire

like an éclair, with shades of icing.
Cherry

CATCH THE WIND poem

Tumultous and roaring. An approval during Autumn’s season

Cathedral

illusions are framed pines streaking upwards

Cavendish Beach, PEI

Bathers in designer swimsuits watch from spreading towels, sizzling beach a natural hazard

Chasing a Rainbow

others share this habitat, jealous for venison.

Chasing the Wind

others share this habitat and danger equals momentum

CHILDREN'S AID WORKER poem

put out his thumb early tuesday night and his first ride took him forty miles from what used to be home

CHRISTMAS TREE poem

Getting a tree, after snuffling through the snow, powder clinging, breath heavy and eyelids almost frozen shut; but the excitement, aaahh.

City-Poor

Fathers flee for better times with drunken friends

CLAIM TO FAME? poem

Fame not essential to the Joining of words

Coldness

a memory, muddy scar on the clean surface

COME HOME DAD poem

Finally in tears I fled drunkenly into the street mom crying desperately by my side

Coming Down the Sidewalk

Flicked from an index finger and thumb the penny flips through the air

Comparisons

traveling salty waters in search of supper

CONTRASTS poem

The prow of a dory is a cutting tool, like the sharp tongue of your personality

Coober Pedy, Australia

and the excitement of an opal hunt flavours today’s conversation

COOBER PEDY, AUSTRALIA - poem

Tourists arriving in spite of 40 C on the surface...

Country Harbour, Nova Scotia

Red plastic surrounds treble hooks, silver lures teasing mackerel

CPR Freight To Rossport

at the end of the string an old caboose bumps along while men of experience circle a pot-bellied stove

CREE MAIDEN poem

a muscled grip keeping two OPP constables sweating through tunics

D-DAY, NORMANDY poem

Victory in Paris, De Gaulle and troops, women rushing into the streets, kisses & flowers the hunger of joy.

Daddy

I wear his shirt when he’s at work

Dannemora

guard-turrets every fifty feet, barbed wire christening the top

Day by Day

Ida staring from the sofa Alzheimer’s taking root

Day of Lightness

wings like a knife melting mist, edging downwards to darker mass of earthly structures

Daylight and Common Sense

a total of six blocks; twenty minutes --- 4,281 steps

Daytime Lady

brother and sister in a march to aging

Deliberate Notions

An item catches my interest When South of Timbuktu a Dogon Man sits on weathered rocks

Detroit Unhinged

I saw the face of despair on the news last night—an hour of concern

DETROIT UNHINGED poem

The wrinkled singer on his porch strumming out hard times came here fifty-one years ago with nothing

Did I Hear

And watch a homeless man’s ghostly shape drift as mist

Did You Watch the Sky

Did you watch the sky last night, I did
Cherry

Digital Images

Accepting his vision tourists seek further sights

Do Not Follow

Do not allow any sympathy for the scene before you, of a fallen elm, now grafted with good intentions

Does it Really Matter

Taking turns to lead with faults not leaving the best of impressions at the time

Does Love Grow Cold?

tumbles into earthen chunks of nothing

Doggone It Ace

They'll miss that mouthful of teeth, your frenetic fury

Don't Go, Momma

Watch her place an arm reluctantly into a coat sleeve, chilly outside she says

DROPPING ZONE poem

Yikes! Watch out for the pigeons as you walk hastily along the downtown sidewalk; ducking awnings in your search for bargains. Better make sure you don't find what you ain't looking fer.
Cherry

Dry Mouth Today

shuffling along as a ragtag remnant

Dyke Lake Road

our canoe an island of respite

Eagle Watches

Rapture eyes above the plunge of shear cliff

Early Morning Arrival

an expanse of lake illuminating a sober influence

EASTER ISLAND poem

Be careful, Orongo is sleeping for now.

Ellie’s Fingers

These same digits once firmly gripped a woodsman’s axe

Eminence

The sea makes me feel small

ENTERING DORVAL, QUEBEC poem

Travelling the highway can be a bore, or it can be stimulating. Use visual senses to see beyond reality.

este angel

este angel is simply a blond young lady

ETHIOPIA IN MY SOUL poem

How lucky we are, never to worry about moisture coming from the air. It makes me grieve for the parched areas of the world, like Ethiopia, where the women are braver than mountains.

ETHIOPIA OF MY SOUL - poem

Now grown up, today's path a repeat horror of famine.
Cherry

Evening at Riviere De Loup

hush of quiet among the silhouettes

EYES poem

tears heard from loving children a father not realizing his loved one absorbed it all.

Eyes Up

The kite rises up, up and away

Falling…

I am a flick of a cigarette

Family Ties

Like a broom he swept around the corner
Cherry

Finch Continue to Dare

Lupins the only competition for a riot of colour

Firefly Chasing

they dart and scramble in the grass

FIRST LIGHT - poem

Perhaps we too could push aside our timidity.

Flames in the Forest

changed trees to blackened sticks

Flew, a Sea Gull

By now other members of the clan have assembled and he wishes he could show them his prowess

FOOD BANK poem

Today is a meal of hope

For All Families

You remain nearby as You wait patiently with fingers crossed as they make critical decisions.

For All Who Search

My ray of sunshine rises above troubles

For Judy

A husband; son and girls you brought into this world they will remember, yes.

For My Wife

you're the star in my sky

For Selwyn

Later on I looked beyond his shuffle, the way he cradled his hand.

For Teenagers

My heart is a ray of sunshine

For the Children

for sorrow to retreat from their family test

Forest Fire

Its breath of fury captured a helicopter and three passengers

Forgive Me Jesus (for Bobby)

And she pulls back on that sandwich and drinks her coffee.

Forgotten Lake

dashing themselves as pinpricks of movement against lake’s surface--

Forgotten Lake

The forest is a visiting silhouette, our tent nearby.

From a Young Geezer

Memories are precious and this poem relates a few places where sight and scent were meaningful.

From Africa

Man must do. I’ve been in prison, I’ve done bad things. Apartheid.

From Apartheid Africa

Poverty pain & suffering was South Africa 1946

From Day to Day

Muffins asleep on his lap, Ida stares from the sofa

From the Sidewalk

hurly-burly sounds attract a sink well of lingering stares.

From Wood Islands, PEI

an embrace at day’s end

GATHER THEM IN poem

Keep trying to find the right partner, even though a first marriage did not work out. Pray for such a person. I did.

Get Out of the Kitchen

They (whoever they are) say the poor will always be among us. Yet, we must not give up on them. This poem reminds us of their life=state.

Glorious Revelation

eagle’s soar, king of movement in his outdoor realm

God is on Our Side

I’ve seen the face of despair the bone-crunching, spirit-draining moments of chaos

Gone-Gone

The snowman is a smudge upon the front lawn

Good Morning in the Woods

poplar leaves tingle to tunes of outdoor serenades

GOOD NEIGHBOUR PAULINE - poem

A chit-chat of memory continues as we team-up scraping whiteness from her car.
Cherry

GOODBYE YOUNG RUSSIANS - poem

Six weeks of summer-fun melted away.

Grandma, Our Rose (1892-1992)

A fragrance flows along with the current, a scent of fresh roses

Grass and Ice Cream (new version)

dressed in brand names and hurrying off somewhere

Green Grass and Ice Cream

backyard garbage visited by raccoons and other feral creatures

GROWING OLDER IS OK poem

Not much energy left these days when I am the caboose with legs that once danced and pranced

HANGING ON poem

legs stretching toes barely able to touch the earth.

Happiness

My wife and I walk in the woods for a bout of fresh air

Hartland Bridge

Pebbles spray a New Brunswick bridge, cars hurrying places to go, late already

He's a Suit

an executive who carries his Sears apparel well

Her Shopping

the gray-haired lady heads out on a mission of necessity

Her Smile Tickles His Nose

her bed large and alone his on the other side of town

Here I Am

Here I am contemplating my navel, an exercise of the mind, bathing in memories.

Here to There

Lupins bloomin’ In June

Herring Cove, Nova Scotia

Grateful eyes spy Morning's glory

Hey Mr Sandman

Close down the shadows ‘cause I still have time to live

Hiding Out

Cold on the park bench, skinny butt hiding under a flapping newspaper

High Up

Engines glisten as our Dash-8 imitates a seagull.

His Grandma’s in the Kitchen

pain reminding me eighty no longer young

Home from Somewhere

A parade of steps head home feet stomping on the asphalt

HOME SWEET HOME poem

Paws thunder across the kitchen floor as punishment for ears still sensitive from last night’s pub-crawling

Home Sweet on the Bay

and hills a backdrop for lasting winks of sky

Honey Harbour

head are clumps of land where Canada’s Group of Seven once painted

How Great Thou Art

green dress impacts the room wheel chairs at attention scratching her leg a routine

How is Your Day?

a flow of sweetness on the tongue

I AM A poem

I am trapped in the image of stares but I do not wish to exhort any deficiencies.

I Am a Prisoner

Yesterday the park was wanting for summer dress, branches in limbo.

I Am in the Pain

life and beyond

I Am My Father

good times I remember. Fishing among the mosquitoes swimming at Moose Bay

I AM MY FATHER poem

I’m grown now, a man of graying years, with wisdom about sacrifices he made when life wasn’t quite what dad wanted.

I AM THE SPOON poem

Sometimes I want to go to a fish market and disappear among the scales

I Am your Dad

girls no longer in diaper rash but sleek figures

I Bleed Too

I hurry to win the day, my steps seeking and I bleed passion---

i bleed--

the sky shudders electrifies me in its storming

I Can Dance

rainbow fire like an evening soliloquy

I Can Do

His Mask Dance is a prayer for protection from the vengeance of killed animals.

I Can Hear My Weeping

The bag lady is up to her neck in leftovers.

I Cry, You Speak

our tears mingling with Your blood, a rejuvenation the glory of your suffering

I Do Forever

The Margaree Valley is a tease of winding twists clinging like a lover

I DON'T LIKE TO SLEEP ALONE poem

the lather of our moments, that sweet smell of assent.

I Feel Like a Split Wagon

To flit like a Cardinal sweating thunder

I Get It

TV is a messenger, too often conveys hurtful thoughts

I Kiss the Night

this blanket of darkness covets my mind

I KNOW BETTER poem

Dad spent two years in the Battle of Britain during WW 11, in the Canadian Forces, assigned to British Intelligence. Dad's passed on now, but his memory proudly lives.

I WANT poem

to be a child with good parents holding me tight

I Write

to enlarge, clarify and opinionate the world

I'm Drowning

with you here I'm not

IN SDEROT poem

rockets are falling and children will cry all night their little feet cold

In September

wings rapid-fluttering, Pintails and Teal and Canvasback

In the Blink

reaching out to assail the prize

IN THE HASTE OF BATTLE poem

Did you notice Kadogo warrior-child of the Hema tribe your blood is the same as that Lendu victim?

In the Natural

I am a watchman with feelings

In the Noose

if only he had spent more time sharing supper with family and friends

In the Presence of Instinct

During one episode of hunting bear, my feet scattering stone on an old lumber road

In the Valley of Moments

wings beating eagerly for attention

Inhabit the Wind

Fear and beauty and flame became the soul of inspiration

Inside a Better Part of Life

a small nectar of woods surrounded by trees

Inside Life's Fire

I want to lay upon the sun and toast my feet

INSIDE THE FIRE poem

to bathe to delight inside fire and redemption.

INVESTITURE poem

Having your son invested as a Cub is a special affair. I remember the experience when it was my turn. Now, it's his.

IT SHALL BE YOURS poem

farewell in the distance calls to me

It Was Often I Saw Her

The bag lady is up to her sleeves in leftovers

Jasper - Alberta

Rocky Mountains ebb and flow as mist

Jasper in the Sun

Trees petition Nature in artful display dressed among strokes of landscape green

Jo-Anne

they don't realize her world is fun and games

Journey of the Return

scraggly bunches dip and twirl, one direction then another

Just For Once

maybe a deer pointing nose at the sky, accepting glory in a day full of sun

Kakabeka Falls

Courageous Princess who endured threats and torture-chants

Kelly Broke Jail

his shotgun riding easy on his hip

King Street Downtown

Towers of glass are monuments to society

Kite Flying

Wooden main brace paper-painted tail, string attached to the bevel

La Mauricie - Quebec

my wife and I inhale the silence, the beauty

Lady of the Day

She absorbs me with her eyes and a usual wave of cheerfulness

LADY OF THE EYES poem

she’s from the land of Afghanistan with little grass to soothe hardened soles

Land of Seekers

sails unfurled adults eager for land, children overcome by ocean swells

Lateness of Light

The tundra witness to each sunset

Laughing Eyes

after fun and games the tempo increases, quick kisses in the dark

Lay Feathers Down

The sun brings blistering heat, dewy wings

Lay Me Down

I want to lay in the sun and let my feathers dry.

Leaning on Rake

Autumn reminds us of raking leaves, after which children leap and toss into the piles. But first think of the memories of those long days ago.

Leaning on the Rake

laughing and wrestling in the last of summer innocence

Leaves

adrift on Autumn’s waterfall of colour

Leaves of Season

a mighty burst followed by mini-toreadors dashing and clashing

LET IT GO poem

changes in their lives repenting sin from life’s past indiscretions

Life is a Treaty

It’s a rub a-dub-dub journey with taunts and flirting

LIFE SHOULD BE SMILES poem

Snarls deride and words describe

Light at Dusk

serene ridges viewing wilderness as a domain within ancient sunsets
Cherry

Living on the Reserve

Listen to the sounds of silence drums no longer thumping, and only empty rooms for children
Cherry

LONG...LONG AGO poem

Through his room window, an aged man smiles from the Old Folks Home

LOOK UPON A MAN poem

Once he held court among the wildness, young legs able to dash headstrong through thickets

Looking in the Mirror

I see sagging eyelids And draggy cheeks needing Some toning up
Cherry

Looking Out for Number One

A coffee break means hustling across the icy sidewalk

LOOKING THROUGH poem

misty breath on kitchen’s window a man seeks recognition

LOOKING UP poem

Beauty is seen easily in a waterfall. It's reflecting sheen like angel dust, and this sight is at the Elora Falls, in Fergus, Ontario.

LOVE ME poem

someone who brings joy in a smile who gurgles with knowledge in a path to womanhood

Mail Man

red, blue and white truck parked inside my view

Man on a Tractor

The life of a young farmer blissful at peace with himself

Man With a Pot

The surprise of bread falling like Niagara Falls shakes him from a quick doze

Manitoulin Island, Ontario

Family memories capture the time we crossed Lake Huron waters

Marie, Your Smile (prose poem)

In my mind’s eye you stumbled across a smoke-filled passage desperate for air

Marie, Your Smile (prose poem)

I remember you nursing others at hospital emergency then accepting last breaths in Palliative Care.

Mary of the Bay

colours within cloudy gray. Below, a fishing village

Mask of Stillness

once thought of as a slice of steak on plates

Mattatall, the Lake

canoe accepting motivation, wind pouting its resistance.
Cherry

Me Down

no words of sorrow hidden from turmoil’s scruff

MEMORIES poem

There’s joy among fireflies as love abounds

Metamorphosis

Climb after climb we search for insight

MILK WAGON DAYS poem

through alleys, between overstuffed garbage cans and a serenade of clinking

Mom, Baby Boy & Rick

I am always experimenting with thoughts and ideas, sometimes getting off base, yet at times come up with a new way of looking at things. This poem presents a mirror of thoughts.

MOMENTS IN LIFE poem

As my age advances, I sense how precious this world is, along with family and friends. This poem is written to breathe special meaning into life lived.

Moose River, Nova Scotia

Around the bend ripples overcome a bridge of stone

More Than Poetry

I’m in love with a dream. Sloppy pants and farmer boots

Movement

high tide reclaiming empty ocean space.

Mr. Homeless Man

Bottle in hand he hides from the chill

MUMBLES AND STUMBLES ALONG poem

he’s in no rush, neither is he shy about his unwashed state nor unshaven face, yet hungry enough to snitch something else

My Mother's Snow

t was during the year of a great storm when the wind coughed up blood

Nature is…

an eagle and his whispering soar, a river of silvery ripples

NEFU DESERT - poem

Sleeping lions point regal stares...

Neighbours

it’s a faded worn down building, the garbage always late for pickup

NEON NEIGHBOURS poem

The sea and its splashing waves, its tidal surge arouse mystery within our souls. Go out on its shoreline at night and listen.

NEW YORK CITY SEPT 11, 2001 poem

cell-phones cry love to distant homes families listen in terror, sad conversations memories of precious voices, and then silence, smoke, faces raised in awe.

Night-Time

on two silent feet a magic came

No Fences

sticks and stones, suicide bombs, rubber bullets now pushed aside.

No More Love

insisting one path over the other leading to an unfinished disagreement

Normandy Beach, a Beginning

Too many grim-faces from afar, some 10,000 casualties that first day.

NORTH CAPE, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND poem

...a grandpa and grandson share hiking conversations, about life wisdom, youthful dreams.

Not So Far Away

He’s peeking from nearly shadows

NOTTAWASAGA BEACH poem

This is one of the nicest beaches in Ontario. And I remember that special moment, warm water, lots of activity and setting sun. A great memory.

Now and Again

reverence and irreverence clash in the night

Octoberfest

a flotilla of curled-up edges layered in calico shades

ODDS 'N SUDS poem

Being wild and silly after working all day may be exciting, but there is a price to pay. Next morning one could face a headache of mountainous proportions.

Ode to Be

Birch slivers are more than strands of beauty marching along my path

ODE TO GRASS poem

Like a beard of Irish green it protrudes from the ground between the roots of fame creeping in all directions a revolution of silence

Of Our Desires

Life’s long distance run is an adventure

Oh Boyhood

It was something when I was young, a-hiking with the lads

Oh So Nosey

Where are you Coming from friend...

Oh, Memories

Your voice from the past, a guitar with sounds which linger

Oh, Oh Canada

Nova Scotia sends us clapping and sword dancing
Cherry

Okay to Grow Older

now a slow shuffle leads me to the dinner table

Old Bones

creating cliffs of indifference as scales of shale climb upwards

ON GREEN BAY NEW BRUNSWICK poem

Green Bay New Brunswick is tranquil, fish abound and the sand soft underfoot, a great place to relax and earn a living.

ON GREEN BAY, NEW BRUNSWICK - poem

Morning trawlers will soon prowl as pussycats.

On July 1st

I watched our flag saluting an afternoon breeze children dancing to band shell tunes

On July 1st

Singers in caps and white beards short and Scottish ditties with Newfoundland flavour and fishermen fables

ON THE MEND poem

Got carried away Jolly Jones did trying hard not to sneak-attack another tourist for a bite

On the Outskirts of Life

a handout, perhaps enough for a coffee at the local diner

On the Right Side of Life (prose poem)

My route passes by a slough of murky water, good for ducks, dozens of them as they feather in flight, no time for bonding right now, only for scooting on by.

On the Run

now the cops are looking parents worried

On to Edmonton

From Jasper BC we leave vanilla-capped mountains

On to Montreal

Conversations wind through corridors, jokes lost in the melee

Once Upon the Atlantic

Lobster fishing is a combination of salty air seagulls and cormorants

One Day in September (prose poem)

Leaves hopscotch before a parade of Autumn moments, hooves sheep-shuffled, baaing for grain

One Day Soon

The earth Chilled from winter snow

One Deliberate Notion

I continue to withstand TV messages and sometimes wonder if they are really a tongue of reality

One Eyelash at a Time

Why else would two furry creatures disturb the solemnity of the moment?

One More Dance

I want to fly to the moon

One More Day (prose poem)

Another day for a summer walk downtown, the two of them able to have watchers eye-clock them

One More Gift to Wrap

Fred nodded as he bit into the last of an A&W burger, smacking lips and pawing his beard with greasy fingers.

One Pander at a Time

No one’s sure what caused his leg to shift into a limp---boating accident some say

One Son

locked in rules and steel bars tears flow.

Ouch

In all the forest, they are kings.

Our Cat Boots

Topsy-turvy elusive

Our Downtown Pub (new version)

Some can't down a glass fast enough but...

Outdoor Retreat 2

Honoured guests We are this Breathless night
Cherry

Pandering Man

I could not avoid his cyclone steps hurling across the street

Past the Night of Day

your love, a pause in life

POETRY ANYONE? poem

Some poets go to great lengths to discover their muse

POLAR BEARS poem

Beauty is starkness, hunters awed by the eruption of iceberg sentinels

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS poem

Racism allegations and misunderstandings create a chasm between co-operation and unity, where the tongue decides who is at fault

Poor Little Rag

Not long ago its colour was radiant A Wal-mart special at .29
Cherry

PORTUGESE COVE poem

This little port is one of many on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. It was home to early wayfarers and remains so for later inhabitants who cherish the land, and sustenance the sea provides.

Prey to the Falling

We’re never far from the steps of charity

Puffed Up Desires

Puffing up within the splayed breath of sun,

RACE CAR DRIVER poem

Grown up hot wheels race asphalt-spaced lines passing slower-vehicles

Rain

plinking pellets against Storm’s water dish

RCMP at Your Service

The officer is a handgun of Authority 9mm slick at his side

Red Bridge

My childhood is a refuge of captured memories

Red-Bright

sun’s furnace stokes morning

REMEMBERING JULIA - poem

How brave you were when they cut off your leg. Cancer can be a terrible thing, yet your spirit endured. And we are inspired by your attitude.

Respite

nip of frost against their forms

RETURN TO SUDAN poem

Thank goodness for our young people who have discovered a world beyond the borders of North America. Working with the UN or others will provide opportunities to return with a new view on life.

Riverview Variety

my son Troy impressed, impolitely inquiring

ROUNDABOUT

Yet kicking at the can Ain’t the way to get to town
Cherry

Salvation Corner

Here comes someone looking prosperous in a three-piece suit

SEA GYPSIES poem

Happy in their ancient rituals of handmade boats, living day to day

Second Hand Music

and the pain now bearable as numbness is soothing

SEPTEMBER SNOW poem

Early sweep of sunset trails, as wings withdraw from windy heights heavy eyes in need of rest from journey’s flight –
Cherry

September's Song

Canada's distant from Hudson Bay shore

Seven’s a Bunch

their small shack stuck off county road 46 no indoor plumbing

Shuffling Along King Street

empty pockets are waiting, shoe leather worn thin

Sidewalk Encounter

Sees my hard stare, me dressed in nice trousers, real-leather jacket

SIDEWALK ENCOUNTER poem

“I’m a Canadian,” you said. “And I’m not crazy either.”
Cherry

Silence in the Forest

Footfalls are muffled steps each reach of stride stepping silently between the hardwood.

Sky Around Me

scrabble is a game and I am the dice tossed about

SLASH poem

day’s journey long the wilderness an extension of paw prints.

Sleepover in Toronto

Hiding our thoughts, we pray those vagabond warriors are gathering at local soup kitchens

Slider

I strive to dodge today’s plastic bumpers when they stop suddenly leaving me shaken

Smelly Fox

Too soon empty bellies began to overcome the group, a chance for Fox to show prowess, his style that never failed.

Some Came Calling

determined, one step at a time--

Someday, My Turn

I’d never seen dad cry before, sobbing after a night of boozing

SOMEDAY, MY TURN poem

I’d never seen dad cry before, his sobbing after a night of boozing

Sometimes

we dream, and when we do bright stars come alive

Soul-Searching

I search – my heart to satisfy While others seek their needs to fulfill.
Cherry

Spending Time

.50 to blow on hockey cards

ST. PETER'S HARBOUR, PEI poem

Boats in the harbour, smell of fish in your nostrils, evening sounds: all add to the excitement of a fishing village, as a crowd awaits.

Stay Young

fearless of slippery slopes streets no hindrance to acts of valour
Cherry

STEPPING OUT poem

...not around any more up the hill in her new nest another hunk in her mixed-up life forgetting three children...

Steps on High

from my window perch clouds create cotton balls of misshapen puffs sprinkled across the sky

Stinky Breath

might not like his choice of name brands. Ha.

Summer Feast

artistic in its journey across our galaxy

Summer Holidays 1975

Did I tell you I love you?

Sunset Over Some Hills

something to write home about

Sun’s Red-Bright

Through the mist of distance morning’s stillness

SWIMMING IN SENTIMENT poem

In spite of the world being in chaos, there remains good people achieving much. Putting words together and provide such a viewpoint is a challenge in a poem.

Syrup Season

sap's running and buckets full

Take Your Pick

Life is beautiful in its ride, a whisper of timing, like accolades from a trilling loon, its calls in ascending charm

Tasting All Flavours

travel the Oromocto searching for hidden truths

Tenting in the Woods

The lake is swirling with activity

THAT OLD MILL poem

icicle eyes staring dimly at the scene, leftover pussy willows as stiff fingers beside river’s bank.

The Benefits of Empty Space

There is a crack in the cliff where I go to hide my face

The Best of Love

Hold me in the colour of your arms

The Bully

Chicken, called me chicken

The Canoe

is a purveyor of memories, salient in its demeanor, a traveling smorgasbord of memory

The Chasing

Cautious hooves pause within morning’s misty silence

THE CIGARETTE LADY - poem

She's home to wash and cook and be there, for them.

The Dandelion

a refuse in the wildness as scent abounds

The Dream

I hear a cry that draws me into the dark

The Electric King

He snorts commands through flared nostrlis

The Family Farm

As children we swam in the creek chased cows fed pigs minded the chickens

The Front

simply go somewhere, a hot dog perhaps at the corner stand

The Generation Gap

hiding in woods from desperadoes, helping to protect towns as we boldly fought for goodness

The Haste of Battle

Did you notice Kadogo warrior child of the Hema tribe

The Journey

a slug of movement meandering across the sidewalk

The Kite

the fragile paper launched by a ten year old

THE LAST DAY IN SEPTEMBER poem

Sitting on my daughter's porch in Alberta grazing country is always a joy. Watching the birds and animals snort and fling themselves from branch to branch is like watching children at play.

The Law of First Things

The first time I tasted fullness of love was at Niagara Falls a place for all young of heart lovers

The Lighthouse

seeking wayward ships before they argue with shore’s delight
Cherry

The Lighthouse (enhanced)

perched high above a nauseous sea, clouds furious in their masking layer inside evening’s shuffle

The Lock Up

Across floor tiles prisoners in adjacent cells rant “Cops! Pigs!” and other well-used names

The Man in the Mirror

Morning’s journey begins with a shave shower and bagel with jam

The Mennonite

Melvin rises early listens to the quiet

The Miner

only twenty years old, man-child sharing a paycheck with mom and family

The Name My Jesus Loves, is Me

Within the whisper of an eagle He hovers nearby

The New Me

nights are lonely as a dove seeking a mate, searching for the right one

The Old Dump Road

my nine year old friend mile-a-minute talking Eddie lived in that stinky place at the end of town

The Peanut Wind

a seasonal change capturing my attention

The Pick-Up Man

hasn’t missed a roadside curb or street litter box since 6 am

The Quest

my blood-stained friend was sad awhile
Cherry

THE RAMP poem

Iraq War arms take two smoking tries to roll up the incline, sometimes three

The Road Guardian

His hand is a monitor in slower motion, swivels a dusty STOP sign

The Sacred Hour

Thunderous winds shepherd restless waves

The Senior Season

It’s not fair, his bed isn’t quite prepared.

The Sky Around Me

Through the door and into another world

THE SPRING OF LIFE poem

This is a short poem about how futile is man in the scheme of things. He really isn't King of the Hill.

The Strong Survive

Nature has a special meaning for me---a place of respite for heart and mind. A place to enjoy.

The Taxi

Cars an exhausting parade of colour

THE WHITE SHIRT poem

The White Shirt is wrinkled and needs a little ironing.

The Wind is a Peanut

I want to make the wind wobble, to watch it squirm
Cherry

The Wind is a Peanut

I want to make the wind wobble

The Window of Time

Many years ago being brave Meant arms outstretched

THE WOODEN RAMP poem

Afghan arms need several tries to roar up the inclination, a painful tumble not part of the plan.

THIS EARTH - poem

We lay claim to its whispering.

This Jewel

The tall wind-soaked trees stand whispering still

This Precious Life

an aching foot journey, sweat-stained shirt a sign of accomplishing ways

Thorn of Sentiment (prose poem)

tormented people not diminished, their lives a testament of struggle within a frontier of adverse circumstances.

Those Laughing Eyes

Like a calico cat you grew up proud and beautiful.

Three Baby Chicks

Momma feeds her progeny one beak at a time

THROUGH DADDY'S EYES poem

Life is love- tenderness from a father for his little boy.

Through This Window (poem)

I see a sun hovering in the far sky

Tiger Stadium, USA

In 1976 everyone Roared Reggie’s at bat!

Time Gets Spent

a summer sky downtown flags heroic in their salute

Time is a Mistress

In younger days I always led the charge

Time Is Fleeting

The children are grown, so fast too soon

To Be or Not So

but I must shortly take time to rest, a chance to relieve my views ---life and its baseball curves

To Die is Gain

Hope came upon me as a light bulb in a storm

To Melanie

I am the child of your dreams

To Toronto

Near Brockville, highway 401 rubber tires discard as skin

Today is a

I mediate on journeys afar like flipping on a banana peel.

TODAY poem

Life can be a drag on your esteem; that is, if you allow it. I do not belong to that clan. In my poem I am an eagle and lay claim to adventures which stretch before me; my eye on the next horizon.

Tongue of My Youth

now I am subdued in a fast lane of an Indiana 500 world

TOO FAR TOO SOON poem

a carpenter by trade too busy with captured hours losing wife to inattention and love drifted into different streams storm clouds covering their home

Top of the Mountain

I dwell on your shade of skin eyes from a people once downcast

Trading Up The Ladder

chewing gum like a kid trying out for the baseball team

Train to Sudbury

hours later the radio report, unidentified man discovered dead

TRAPPED poem

I become a worn trail of wool winding down

TROY poem

Remember the morning we sat around our kitchen table, the round one bought from Uncle Moody and pretended we won a million dollars?

Turn Around Skip Rope

Rainbow and evening light share my daylight.

Twister

roof tops, grass and trimmed trees torn from earth’s succor
Cherry

Two Better Than One

I opened the door to see two red lobsters willing to join our company

Unchained

Love has no walls

Valley of Moments

I feel their flutters on my face

Vanilla Dish

Far below craggy monoliths the forest sprinkles itself in a mat of yellowed September leaves

VANILLA DISH poem

Below those craggy monoliths forest is a mat of September leaves sprinkled yellow

Vanilla, a Choice of Season

The Rocky Mountains are distinctive with a dash of snow

Victoria Park, Truro

Where stress is eased from worried frowns and songbirds pluck a vibrant cord

Voyager 1

Black and white Pictures Of Jupiter
Cherry

War Among the Nations

In death they are heroes and we are their reflection

Water I’m Drowning

When you’re here I’m not

WAY UP NORTH poem

surrounding the island-village of Moose River Crossing, then to the lowlands where coureur-de-bois once sought the beaver

Wednesday’s Menu

in the corridor a culture of hunger awaits, tummies grumbling.

WESTMORLAND, NEW BRUNSWICK poem

I was in the dark and must not look back he said in the letter, strong and full of hope.

When a Child Dies

You may not know me little one, but I know you

WHEN AN AUNT DIES - poem

You're a star so bright.

When Chaos Rules

I am desperate to disappear.

When Evening Comes

The sky is restless from its Lost shine

WHEN I WAS poem

chase bad guys rope them into submission and ride proudly into town

WHEN LOVE FLOURISHES a story-poem

There are so many family situations today. I am pleased to be married 34 years to a wonderful lady, and we have three adopted children (two from Esther's first marriage).

When Someone Cares

new outfits planned for belly buttons, stiletto heels

When the Air Ceases

Breathe in breath of life---

When the Fishermen are Gone

slap of water slings the shore

WHEN THE LION ROARS - poem

In the morning of our daily struggles...

Whose Farm is this

where a yeller moon crests behind the barn

WHY WHY WHY poem

when someone cries everyone assumes it’s due to life’s challenge

Why, in Sderot

Why Isaac and Ishmael did you not reconcile differences ancestral days ago?

WiIson Creek Cove, California

reddish-dazzle interrupting pink and lavender

WILL HE?

Will he remember when we're old and gray?

WINDED IN THE PINES poem

Living is great. Oh to be alive and try to fulfill expectations no matter what challenges confront us.

Windy as a Morning Scent

Leftovers include a carpet of kelp like handfuls of moss hurled from the bay
Cherry

WINDY WORDS poem

“Mister, got some small change for a coffee?” then searching with puppy eyes expecting a thrust of hand into my pocket, not expecting a negative response

Winter Comes

Birch trees are handcuffed by frigid wind, tormenting storm

WINTER COMING poem

The trees are handcuffed today by a frigid wind.

Winter is

freezing sleet stokes the rules for cautious driving

Winter Solstice

The bear lay beside her

Winter’s Scene

A cold wind in pursuit

Within the Glory

filled the sky with bright led me on a journey

Writing Poetry is Fun

Some poets go to great lengths to discover their muse

You Take Me

no one else could assume you know my heart

A Terror in Our Midst

The air is a trembling sky full of trouble almost Spring but an onslaught of snow remains- it is relentless & determined. First the icy particles...