Life's Game

The channel of life is long and deep
Like the whispering wind, the impatient sea
Timeless as the years go by
Happiness, just a word
Sadness in its many faces
Hate, destruction in people’s minds
One by one, they come, they go
Two-faced as they are
People never learn, never feeling
Wrapped in self, one reflection
Too eager, such a pity
God save this world one more day
They lie, they cheat
Profit, money, greed too
Funny, life’s game.

Circa 1970

This Day

Laying on my back
In the grass
Gazing at the clouds
As they roll by
What do I seek
As the minutes drift
I look for the memories
That elude this day.

February 2009

Words of Wisdom

Come hither, come now
Take heed, to words of wisdom
Enjoy your youth, take each day as it falls
Relate to your friends and peers
Place your best foot forward and
See the world for what it is
Save the drama and hysterics
For old age -----
By then, you will have earned it!

October 2005

Christmas in July! "Santa Darling"

I sit on Santa’s lap
Waiting for him to ask
Old Lady, have you been
A good “little” girl...
I reply, yes Santa, I have....
What gifts do you want this year...
Old lady that I am, I reply
You, Santa Darling!

Dec 2009

Willow Tree

If I close my eyes
I see the nucleus of my soul
Nurtured within my womb
A young sapling, little willow tree
Swaying with the breeze
I watch you develop day by day
Stretching your limbs upwards
Pride bursts through a haze, a rainbow
Your precious smile takes away the chill
On a cold rainy day, storms we have weathered
To remain true, willow tree
My son!

June 1998

I Am

A woman in a dream
Of knights, shiny armor
Gallant men of long ago
Cheerful, angry, sad
Too much sorrow, hate
As time goes
What tomorrow’s menu brings
Hope, despair, peace
Weary traveler of foreign lands
Settling neither shore
Forever moving
Black as night
Warm as the summer breeze
Shifting with the sands of time
Nature’s child of darkness
Clashing with human ills
Racing against fate
Woman of color
Heart filled with love and hope
I am me.

1970s

Stuff It Momma

Lordy, lordy, good day Miz Glory
The sun’s a shinin, a rainbow of color
Momma’s in the kitchen fryin chicken
Cornbread’s a bakin in the oven
Poppa’s snoozin in the corner
Grandpa’s down by the water shed makin liquor
Grandma’s hips are twitchin
Down the garden path, chasin chickens
Pickin string beans and collard greens
Polk Salad Annie comin to supper
Parson Jethro two steps behind
Stir that bubbling black kettle
One more time
Stuff it Momma!

Spring 1996

Always

I love you always
With every breath I take
Rustling leaves in the meadow
Birds flying high in the sky
I love you always
Every moment we are apart
In my dreams, nestled close
Til we’re together once again
I love you always
Knowing you will never be mine
Fantasy keeps me alive
For dreams of you and time.

Date Unknown

Color

Love, a four letter word

Knows no color

Picture, you and I

White, black

Color me love

Imperfect that I am

Erase your fears

Touch my heart

Bond, you, I

Across the divide

Picture me awake

Loving you,

An illusive dream!

December 1992

Last Visit

Stark, white walls in a antiseptic room

Computerized monitors of life, their silent beeping tones

It was the last time I saw, your black pain riddled body

You were not my grandmother, just a hallucinatory spirit, curled in a fetal posture

Anticipating father time

I gazed into a face lined with rough living

The cotton fields of Little Rock

To the hospital corridors of Wilmington, as a domestic

I stroked your callused hand, an angel in white

Administered medication, which you promptly spit out

Eyes closed, all the while, you, ready to die

With a smile

Four days later, in your shallow sleep, you passed away

Buried, to the hymn, of Amazing Grace.

4 April 1994

Once

Once in a while
Someone special comes

To touch our very soul

But never to linger

As life deals unjust blows

Alas, life goes on

Friendships are built
To withstand the fate of time
Thus shared between two people
Tears, sorrow, joy, laughter
Building a bridge of steel
For all the world to see.

November 1992

Firelight

Firelight, two people

Gaze into each other’s souls

Seeking, pulling back the memories

When two bodies meld as one

Caressing, whispering, loving

Your long tapered fingers play

Music upon my soul

Sweetly releasing the notes

Within my body

Bodies intertwined

Climaxing into a symphony

As the ashes play out.

February 2009