Poetry and Prose Corner January 2013

Resolutions

by Denise Demaras

If you want to write a book this year
Just start it now and you'll be half way there.
We can help you when you get stuck
Our tools can dig you out of the muck.
Begin each day writing from the start
So you'll deliver a message from your heart.

Denise Demaras, an L.A.-based Artist, Author, Publisher and Holistic Health Coach. Her new book, Heal From Your Heart With Breath, Rhyme and Art, instructs people how to rid their lives of physical and spiritual pain through a variety of meditation and healing techniques.


The Firefly and the Butterfly

© Yvonne Perry 2012

A firefly swooped near me
I caught her in my hands
and cupped her tightly so she could not flee
I would peer in upon my captive
just to watch her light up
I clinched my hands tighter
Snuffing out the air she needed
And closing the space around her
so she could not see the beauty of others
Her wings could not unfurl
Her spirit could not soar
Bound by my possessive grip
She had no choice or liberty
Her light faded
She became silent and still

A butterfly landed upon my open palm
His wing was slightly torn
I admired his gentle grace and beauty
but I dared not close my hand
for fear that I would crush his tender heart
and harm him in some way
Intently, I cast my eyes and restoring love upon him
and watched breathlessly to see if he would respond
Sometimes I would close my eyes and feel
the tickle of his wings, the pulse of his heart
or the movement of his tiny feet upon my skin
Soaking in the intense color and vibration
of all the life, freedom, and vitality he offers
I cannot hold him prisoner
while he heals and basks in the warmth of my hand
I realize the choice is not mine
Will he stay or fly away?


Unknown

By Shirley Roe

Standing on the edge
Before me, death
And all of the unknown
Will I go to a higher plane
A beautiful Heaven
Or will there be only blackness
And silence
Will I know what is happening
Or will I simply be?
The precipice of life
How did I reach this point?
Was it a good journey or
Did I simply exist?
Did I live every moment to the fullest
Or simply move from day to day?
These are questions that must be asked
Now, before you stand on the edge of forever.
A life is not judged by the length of living,
But by the quality living of every moment,
The wonderful, the painful,
The happy and the sad
But lived completely and appreciated fully.
Stop now and ask yourself these questions
Before you face the total and absolute unknown.

Based in Canada, Shirley A. Roe is an award winning poet and historical fiction writer. She has published eight novels, and is working on number nine.

Clouds

I love to watch the clouds roll by.
They paint a picture in my mind.
The ever changing images unfold,
Untangle and unwind
Into a vast collage of treasures
Meant for just my eyes.
Reflections of familiar feelings
Scattered 'cross the skies.

Taking in their tattered edges...
Tucking in their ends...
Forming shapes for fleeting moments...
Driven by the winds.
Roving, rolling, climbing, falling
Singly or in crowds,
Images abound aplenty
Riding on the clouds.

Dennis S. Martin
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Plays: http://sites.google.com/site/playsbydennissmartin/