Among Miracles

I sit among miracles
They are as close
As my heart
And as far as my unbelief

At times my faith sees them
At others I am blinded
By my doubt

Too often I am Thomas
Needing a miracle
And doubting I will
Receive one

A Question

A question asked
An elephant sitting
In the room
Its weight crushing
The answer

If A Curse

If it is a curse you will speak
Speak it now
I stand here hoping
I love you
Will come from your lips

I am the fool waiting on you
To decide if you care
I hate the feeling
My pride removed like a cloak
And thrown at your feet

Once I felt warmed by
The sunshine of your smile
Now winter stares at me
From your eyes
Coldness seeps into my soul
My heart as brittle as glass

Blessing or curse
I have gone beyond caring
My dignity has risen to its feet
I give my own answer
It is goodbye

Hate or Hope

Desire of flesh
Wants no restraint
Red hot succumbing
To immediate pleasure
Its price deferred
Until it must be paid

Religion engaged
In condemning
Love absent
The Spirit’s exit
Unnoticed
Fingers busy
Pointing out
The other’s sins

Humanity boils in
A black cauldron
Skin color divides
Unity impossible
As long as hate remains

Gentle voices of peace
Murmur in rotting cities
Survival dependent
On the end to war
Hope joining hands
With love
Praying they can succeed

Fall

The wind blowing color away,
orange, yellow and red
scattered across the ground,
brilliance turning brown.

Trees stand naked under the sun.
Limbs wrapped around trunks
trying to keep warm.

Fall is in its final gasp.
Its glory rattling in piles
raked knee deep.

My Midnight Monologue

A clock ticks minutes leaving
The tick tock punctuating
This too will end

Grabbing my voice I speak
My midnight monologue
To gray cats curled at my feet

Another day retreating
I have spent it alone
The sun saying hello
The moon yawning goodbye

Friends with four legs
Dressed in fur coats
My only companions

I am as absent in my own life
As the humanity that never
Walks through my front door

I am the isolation I reside in
A recluse as blank
As a chalkboard wiped clean

If I am ever to have a life
I must begin to live
There can’t be one more day
Of locking myself away

Dear cats you are comfort
But you can not speak
Sunshine has to find me
Walking out of my exile

Leave Me Not Alone

Leave me not alone
For a moment away
Is an eternity I can’t reclaim

Your heart is the life of mine
A valentine beating
Inside my chest

The blue of your eyes
The ocean I want
To drown in
Knowing their twinkle
Is my salvation

Your arms my comfort
When I need it
Your touch erotic
When passion ignites

Tomorrow seems so far away
Today feels like forever
My love implores you
Leave me not alone

Winter Stars Blind

Winter stars blind,

opaque eyes staring

across bright moon snow.

Nights watching ice ballets

of secrets across the meadow

has taken their sight.

They listen to lovers

and respond with twinkles.

Their vision gone

but their soul shining.

Stars join in smiles

whispering to the moon,

"We may not see love,

but we know it is there.

©Susie Clevenger 2010

Painting: Starry Night-Van Gogh 

Real Toads

I Made My Bed

I made my bed
I must lie in it
Rumpled sheets
Of unforgiving
Tossing and turning
On a mattress of regret
Lonely keeping me awake
When I should be dreaming

Spring to a Winter Heart

The melody of a feathered songstress
Floats on the sunshine
Bringing spring to a winter heart

Too many yesterdays had gathered
Causing snow to replace raven hair
Living more in memories than today

With the song of a tiny bird
Life begins to shine in dulled eyes
A smile breaking the ice of grief

Another season a gift not a burden
Looking at a beginning not an ending
Fragile hands joined with the strength of hope

Et Cetera

My night the same
As every one
Before it
I eat dinner
I do the dishes
I feed my cats
I read
Et cetera

Etc. a grandiose
Latin term I use
To give an impression
My evening was
So busy I couldn’t
List all my activities

The truth being
My list ends with
I brush my teeth
I go to bed

I don’t live
A simple life
My life is moments
Encapsulated in dull

Afraid

Two o’clock
In the morning
The page bare
Fingers poised
To write
I can’t
To open my heart
Would leave
My soul exposed
I am afraid
My fear yellow in
The moonlight
With the sun I will
Be Brave
Daylight drag your feet

Snow Night

Snow night as bright as noon
The winter moon dances
Across a frozen lake

Air chilled without a breeze
Has trees standing silent
Limbs ebony silhouettes
Against a crystal sky

The breath of angels floats
Across the ground
As they call to one another
Bidding welcome and
Speak of the miracles
They will convey before morning

Peace walks through snow dreams
Leaving its footprints
On the hearts of a world sleeping
Praying it can remain when
Humanity awakens

Joy of Unwritten and Unsung

Music heard and learned is a treat to the soul
But what joy the anticipation of a song
Yet unwritten and unsung

Emotions sit at a piano waiting
To move the hands of a composer
To convey rapture or sorrow

In imagination’s birthing room
Lyrics wait to be delivered
By the pen of a song writer

Melodies, harmonies, choruses
Join in inspiration’s dance
Through the mind of a musician

Soon a new song will be sung
And with its singing
Another one waits to be written

Sunlight Goodbye

Let night come
I wish to hide
In sunlight my love said goodbye

A starlight comforter to cover me
No haunting sunbeams
To shine a yellow smile

Sweet words from lying lips
Spoken too easily
In a blue sky day

Escape comes in black muffling
Where dreams appear in shadows
Reality’s edges softened

Night please stay with me
Hold back the sun
I don’t want it to see my tears

Tears Of Peace

The tears of Peace
Fall on the hands
Of a soldier clinging
To a weapon
Weeping that governments
Bring death as a mediator
Bodies negotiating
The terms of surrender

My Sins

Alone in black ink night
My sins dance
In daylight colors
Through my brain

Growing tired of
Hiding in the desolate
Rooms of my soul
They flirt with my lips
Tempting me to confess

Veiled transgressions
Cast aside their
Covering to wink
At me with seductive
Promises that
Confession is freedom

Confusion fills me
To be unburdened
Would bring release
But with revelation
Comes agony
My night only getting darker

Pride A Lonely Companion

My heart beats regret
That I let love say goodbye
Pride a lonely companion

I held on to I was right
Without considering
I could be wrong

Standing so absolute
Has me now absolutely alone
The silence deafening

My Lack of Ambition

I arose to greet the morning
With one brilliant thought
And promptly forgot it
Why complicate my day
With expectancy
I would rather lounge
On my lack of ambition

Elvis On a Street Corner

Elvis on a street corner
Hard life stamped on his face
A cigarette halo
Above a black hair pompadour
Aviator sunglasses cover eyes
Praying to be noticed
Cheap rings circle each finger
Tiny stature trying to stand tall
A dime store king
Spending his waking hours
Paying homage to his idol
In caricature impersonation