Midnight on my deck
sea breeze picks up
palm fronds rustle beside me
Night is cold and clear
tiny raindrops fall
insomniac tears coat cool skin
A dog barks from far away
his lone cry echoes in the wind
hours of night slide on by
Little bats dip and dive
gorge on insects as they fly
silent communication
Close my eyes reaching out
no longer see or feel you
you shut the door – gone
(Personal Note – I am ok. I’ve been sick a long time, I’m hurt and I’m angry – but I’m ok!)
Weekend Writing Prompt #290 – Perpetual
Challenge 84 Words
Hosted by Sammi Cox
Born into negativity
married into disapproval
Disappointment
Sibling rivalry
perpetually perpetuated
Disconnect
Products of my womb
now hostile antagonists
Twice
Unskilled false dreams
adversity reigned
Downtrodden
Physical body attacks
pain and disease
Constant
Gnarled joints entwine
form boney cages
Confined
Love trust
loyalty promised
Broken
Attach to the unattainable
heartache despair
Perpetual loneliness
Anger steams boils
overflows into
Hatred
One a paragraph
the other a sentence
Period
Release expectations
leave dysfunctional
Behind
Open eyes
no tears
Forget
Will of iron
will of steel
Perseverance
By Gypsie-Ami Offenbacher-Ferris
(In response to suggestion from Bartholomew Barker, Poet Extraordinaire and bearer of a cold in his nose … too.)
The flu it seems,
has come to me,
residing in my nose.
Make no mistake,
it’s taken shelter I can feel,
all the way down to my little toes.
My muscles shiver fever spawned,
fight to toss the intruder out still,
flu assaults my poor sore facial hose.
No longer am I even human,
my nose is red and so very swollen,
puffy and red and it grows and grows!
I can not breathe my eyes do water,
like a reptile in the midst of summer,
no other choice but to molt my nose.
Skin is peeling, nostrils flaring,
flu puts up an awesome fight,
I’ve shed that skin now I can doze –
Until that NyQuil wears off
at midnight!
By Gypsie-Ami Offenbacher-Ferris
In response to dVerse’s Meeting the Bar: Zen Poetry
I grieve
you say let go
I let go
The pain remains
you say un-attach
I un-attach
Tears fall
you say allow their fall
I allow their fall
Water cleanses
you say look below
I look below
Tether is gone
you say let it go
I let it go
Sky meets water
you say no beginning no end
I say no beginning no end
By Gypsie-Ami Offenbacher-Ferris
On the first day of Christmas
a bird he sang to me,
Alone again at Christmas,
I see!
On the second day of Christmas
that bird he sang to me,
Ten long days to go,
and alone again at Christmas I see!
On the third day of Christmas
silly bird he sang to me,
Share more crumbs with me,
ten long days to go,
and alone again at Christmas I see!
On the fourth day of Christmas
same bird he sang to me,
I thank you for the treat,
share more crumbs with me,
ten long days to go,
and alone again at Christmas I see!
On the fifth day of Christmas
stuffed bird he sang to me,
No more can I eat,
I thank you for the treat,
share more crumbs with me,
ten long days to go,
and alone again at Christmas I see!
On the sixth day of Christmas,
fat bird he sang to me,
Need somewhere to rest,
no more can I eat,
I thank you for the treat,
share more crumbs with me,
ten long days to go,
and alone again at Christmas I see!
On the seventh day of Christmas,
sleepy bird he sang to me,
Comfy silver bedding,
need somewhere to rest,
no more can I eat,
I thank you for the treat,
share more crumbs with me,
ten long days to go,
and alone again at Christmas I see!
On the eighth day of Christmas,
flapping bird he sang to me,
Wonderful herbal bath,
comfy silver bedding,
need somewhere to rest,
no more can I eat,
I thank you for the treat,
share more crumbs with me,
ten long days to go,
and alone again at Christmas I see!
On the ninth day of Christmas,
sputtering bird he sang to me,
My legs beneath I can not see,
wonderful herbal bath,
comfy silver bedding,
need somewhere to rest,
no more can I eat,
I thank you for the treat,
share more crumbs with me,
ten long days to go,
and alone again at Christmas I see!
On the tenth day of Christmas,
rotund bird he sang to me,
I fear I can not leave,
my legs beneath I can not see,
wonderful herbal bath,
comfy silver bedding,
need somewhere to rest,
no more can I eat,
I thank you for the treat,
share more crumbs with me,
ten long days to go,
and alone again at Christmas I see!
On the eleventh day of Christmas
pompous bird he sang to me,
The water’s growing warm,
I fear I can not leave,
my legs beneath I can not see,
wonderful herbal bath,
comfy silver bedding,
need somewhere to rest,
no more can I eat,
I thank you for the treat,
share more crumbs with me,
ten long days to go,
and alone again at Christmas I see!
On the twelfth day of Christmas,
a feast there was for me, that goose he did not sing!
The water’s growing warm,
I fear I can not leave,
my legs beneath I can not see,
wonderful herbal bath,
comfy silver bedding,
need somewhere to rest,
no more can I eat,
I thank you for the treat,
share more crumbs with me,
ten long days to go,
and here I am alone again at Christmas I see!
By Gypsie -Ami Offenbacher-Ferris
In response to Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge (CMMC) for December. The topic is Close Up or Macro.
By Gypsie-Ami Offenbacher-Ferris
In response (I think) to F3 Gastonia’s
Round Three – Q’s Quicken, Quit, Quilt
As Quicken winked at Quilt passing through
She blushed her colors ran
hues of red and blue
Quilt looked up so shy and sweet
Her squares lined up properly
very straight and wonderfully neat
Demurely did she smile and say
Quicken you must quit this day
Friends we are and friends we’ll stay
Quit I can not said Quicken to Quilt
Your colors do swirl and capture me
Keeping me completely atilt
My weaver wove a heavenly cast
Into my squares and meant to last
for years to come and was a gift
But this lovely quilt is not for you
Sewn with love so very true
A little boy I’ve been made for
So quit this day Quicken Sir
for its not here this quilt will stay but
Swaddling a babe with love and care
By Gypsie-Ami Offenbacher-Ferris
Forgive me little Christmas tree
I won’t be seeing you this year
Though your boughs are so strong
and your lights so very bright
I won’t be unpacking you this night
You hold for me fond memories
of babies born and cats on trees
Old and young with happy smiles
Wobbling toddlers squealing with joy
every time they opened a new toy
Elders reminiscing of relatives
long gone and still missed today
Teenagers on new cell phones
Men connecting their new gadgets
everyone believing Mom is truly magic
The past five years I’ve put you up
little faux Christmas tree mine
Your lights still shine bright as stars
your boughs hold the heavy baubles
But for presents there’s no squabble
Your branches may remain festive
your lights twinkle and shine
The star on top reminds me of why
we all celebrate this sacred day
yet everything else has gone away
There is no music no laughter rings out
no toddlers or puppies running about
not a grandparent or child is around
My kitchen remains stark and clean
not a crumb or bit of a turkey’s wing
Beneath your green staunch branches
not a single present can be found
This year sweet tree of years gone by
my memories alone will be my guide
I’ll spend the day deep within my mind
By Gypsie-Ami Offenbacher-Ferris
In response to Shay’s Word Garden 12/7/22
Using at least three of the following 20 words to create an original poem: bigmouth, Caligula, charmer, coma, devil, exactly, false, heavenly, humdrum, Joan of Arc, joke, miserable, panic, shoplifters, shyness, skinny, stitch, thorn, typical, verse
Miserable devil
a bigmouth charmer
with a typical heavenly
but false New York verse
Promised Joan of Arc
an interview with the emperor
Caligula for exactly her part
skinny with much shyness was she
In a panic and miserable
she hadn’t a stitch
of clothing not humdrum
certainly wouldn’t impress
She joined a bevy
of shoplifters to lift
a new outfit got a thorn
in her foot had to wait outside
In a panic she bolted
was hit by a van
and lay in a coma
such was her poor demise
By Gypsie-Ami Offenbacher-Ferris
Sky beneath me
flow through time
rule with all urgency
Open a channel
to hell or to heaven
within the serial darkness
Within the absence
of time to a pathway
where I no longer miss you
Gypsie’s Wonderful World of Words 