Timber Rattlers

The deadly lie in the warm sunshine

just outside their rocky lair // entwined;

Two appear as one // tightly wrapped;

Rattles shake // warning all to stay away.

Beady eyes fix on the intruder’s focus;

iPhone clicks away as undulating coils squirm

Better keep away from these poisonous vipers;

The risk is not worth a new pair of boots.

Some trophies are better left as photos…

“Live and Let Live” //  “Tread on me and Die!”

 

Photo: Terry Showalter

Terry came upon this pair while logging in the mountains of Central Pennsylvania. There were two Timber Rattlers wrapped up together.  With his smartphone, he was able to get this great photo, and then get on with his work. Terry gave me permission to use this photo in my blog.

 

 

 

One Slip

Linville Gorge is a favorite hiking spot in the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains. You can see the cliffs that shadow each side rising high above the trees and falls below. Although there are warning signs telling hikers of the danger of getting to close to the edge, you can see in the photo,  some still do not listen. Several hikers over the years have been drawn to the edge like the beauty of a sirens song, only to make one slip and fall to their death.  I believe there is something in our wild nature of invincibility that tells us we can handle it. It won’t happen to me. Sadly we may only get one chance to find out how wrong we were to believe that.

Standing on the edge

of  natures awesome beauty

One slip ends it all

 

No Soft landing here…

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Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Poem shared on open link night for d’Verse~ Poetry Pub.  Come join us:

https:dversepoets.com

 

Pain

 

Ouch!
You can’t see it
But you definitely know it’s there.
Pain // a part of all our lives
Comes in so many facets
Permeating our total being
Keeps us safe // warning us of danger
Partners with guilt // drives us crazy
Takes over our thoughts in grief and loss
Pain // that elusive symptom
Doctors can’t prove it exists
Must take our word for it
Lawyers love it // raking in the dough
Pain // a destructive and deadly force
Keeps reliving past words // events and
Mistakes we made //orders we followed
Accidents we were part of // deaths that resulted
Pain //our invitation to addiction
Demanding more and more // never enough
Destroying us from the inside out
Eventually taking our very life
Pain // the illusion of life we can feel

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Today at d’Verse, we were asked to write a poem about unseen things.  This covers a very broad spectrum. I chose pain. It is such an elusive thing, but for the person experiencing it the pain is very real!

Join us at: https//dversepoets.com