Our Children

How fast they grow leaving us behind

Dependent creatures with insatiable needs

Little bundles of joy crying at every whim

Now grown, mature, and independent

It was our original goal from the start

Sort of like wanting to go to heaven

Just not now

Life moves on and so do they

Taking our hearts leaving an empty chair

Sometimes detours got in the way

We tried our best not to get in their way.

Although we worked so very hard

Some will stay,

Needing our nurture and strength

Yet another day.

Whatever the outcome life moves on

Slowly leaving us behind to observe

With pride and joy the persons

They have become.

And… whether they go or stay

We love them anyway.

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

My Most Shining Moment

In June of 2007, my two sons and I drove from North Carolina and Virginia to visit my mom in Eastern Pennsylvania. She was celebrating her 93rd, and last birthday. She passed away in August of that year. It was a wonderful visit. She was so happy to see her grandsons, and the love was felt all around. Though our visit was short, it was a very meaningful time for all of us.

My mother’s love shared

 Summer’s most  shining moment ,,,

August she was gone

***

Photo: Chris Roth

Photo: Don Ziegler

Lillian at d’Verse, asked us to think about our most shining moment. She referred to the end of March Madness when they shoe clips of the most shinning moments of the tournament! Our assignment was to write a Haibun of prose, followed by a traditional Haiku, describing our most shining moment. There are several that I could have chosen, such as our wedding, births of our boys, our 50th, etc. , but I decided to choose my last visit with my mother.

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

What We All Seek

So many people
all with differing views
in our changing world
looking for love and kindness
Seeking Authenticity

Some seek their truth
Answers that define us all
Uniqueness shines through
Reveals how different we are
Seeking Authenticity

So many voices
lost in the thundering roar
crying to be heard
claiming their place in the world
Seeking Authenticity

We are a mix
like it or not // here to stay
Proud of who we are
As the wheels… go round and round
Seeking Authenticity

My Zinnia Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Today at d’Verse, Anmol shared that in the midst of all that is going on, June is Gay Pride month. He asked us to write a poem that relates to this. I decided to look at what I feels is the motivating factor underlying all that is happening, and that, I believe, is being recognized as authentic! I decided to use the Tanka form for this poem, and do several stanzas.

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

Patriotic Pride

On a trip to Myrtle Beach, we saw this truck parked on a corner, in front of a motel where everyone would see. The U.S. Army flag was kept unfurled with a rod. Many returning Veterans wanted all to know that though they came back home, some of their fellow soldiers did not survive. Patriotism and Pride runs deep this Memorial Day.

Band of Brothers’ bond

runs deep, remembering those

flag covered coffins

**********

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Stacked (Haiku)

Rocks carefully stacked

Withstood one hundred winters

Roots and bushes grow

Walls last a lifetime

Ditches remain // water flows

Still hold back the bank

Corners stacked plumb

Unmoved by ice, rain, or snow

Steps long gone with time

Skilled craftsmen laid stone

with precision and great pride

It outlived them all

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Photos are of the stone wall across from the Leckrone Company Store, near Masontown, Pa. It is stacked stone without mortar that has lasted many years. My understanding is that it was the retaining wall in front of the old post office that still sits in overgrown brush on the hillside above the wall.  I took these photos when my two brothers and I visited my home town last weekend. We went back to remember, and dig up some bits and pieces of our past life when we were young more than fifty years ago.

 

Cowardly Lies

The Wizard of Oz was a lesson in phycology for those who watched Dorothy and her three friends struggle with their deficiencies. As they made their way down the Yellow Brick Road, they discovered the confidence they lacked was really within them.  Today at d’Verse, Mish asked us to choose one of the three characters and write a poem from their perspective. I chose to write a poem addressing the Cowardly Lion’s lack of courage. At the end read the Lions response…Perhaps we could all learn something about ourselves from the Cowardly Lion!

Cowardly Lies (Dorothy)
Who stole the virginity of your mind
Telling you courage was not for you
Embedding self-depreciating thoughts
Of weak and unfounded fear

Who filled your mind with kryptonite lies
Making you weak and helpless when challenges arose
Hiding in the shadows afraid to show your face
Feeling like a mouse in a lion’s costume

You are more than a sniveling wimp
You are a Lion // proud and strong
Born with a king’s legacy in your DNA
Surrounded by a pride of ancestors gone before

To find your voice you must believe
Look deep into your heart
See the courageous King you were meant to be
Stand tall and strong // believe in yourself

Rise // and fulfill your destiny

*******************

Photo: from d’Verse Poetry Pub

https://dversepoets.com

The Lions Response:

A Change of Heart
Who stole the virginity of my mind
Telling me courage was not for me
Embedding self-depreciating thoughts
Of weak and unfounded fear

Who filled my mind with kryptonite lies
Making me weak and helpless when challenges arose
Hiding in the shadows afraid to show my face
Feeling like a mouse in a lion’s costume

I AM more than a sniveling wimp
I AM a Lion // proud and strong
Born with a King’s legacy in my DNA
Surrounded by a pride of ancestors gone before

To find my voice I must believe
Look deep into my heart
See the courageous King I was meant to be
Standing tall // and strong
I believe in myself

I Rise // and fulfill my destiny

 

A Classic Pair

A Classic Pair

Shiny Model A preserved for the future

Spoke wheels and wide whitewalls

Green the color of money

Costing more to restore

Than the eight hundred dollars

It cost when new many years ago

I’ve heard we are only as old as we think

Well preserved just like his car he smiles

With a beauty like that he must be quite young

Remembering days gone by

With a sweet lady riding beside him

Motor purring just like his

Days at auto shows nights of cruising

Proud to show off both the lady and the car

Riding together behind the marching bands

Christmas Thanksgiving and Fourth of July

What stories they both could tell

But then again some are better left unsaid

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Classic Pair Photos: Stacey Strawn

*This poem is totally fiction and not intended to depict anyone in particular