PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

CUYAHOGA FALLS

Between banks in
which the seeping rocks
have become picket fences
of icicle daggers, the river
flows invulnerable.
Soon they too will
join her in her melted
march to the sea.

24 HOUR HOTEL

His heart is a hotel
open 24 hours.
His heart is a hotel
with infinite rooms.

*******

(to Mitch Snyder, cofounder of
Community For Creative Nonviolence,
to the Catholic Worker, and to
other angels)

LILY PAD SANCTUARY

After Jack Frost's first visit
the water lily blooms
are gone, but still
the frogs jump around
the lilybraid roots

CRICKETS FAR FROM WICKETS

By the trees of cherry
in unmowed fields suncheery
full of skyblue chicory
the hopping ones found refuge
.. and called it the cricketery

It was far from the wickets
of cricket smashing cricket

FATHER'S FEATHERS

The clouds in the sky
are the Father's feathers
.. which will drop His woven
mercy from the ethers

The clouds in the sky
are Great Spirit's feathers
He has, as a faithful loon
warmed his children's nest

GO HOME! HE SAID

An animal magazine
ran a cartoon of a man with
a manicured crewcut perfect lawn
shaking a rake at a stray dog yelling
to her to go
home.. a bubble containing words pointed
to the dog. She was
thinking "I don't have a home."

GREAT DANE'S NECK CHAIN

Great Dane guard
in a junkyard
.. from the outside
world
always barred

through the years
his tight chain
grew deeper and deeper
into the neck of the Dane

until an animal volunteer
of this got ear
and took him to a vet
she had met

who operated
and him healed
and gave him to
a family
who lived by a field

with children
who caress him
from dawn's breaking
light
and through the night
him caress

(to Assoc of Vets For Animal Rights.. a different breed than those vets who inflict pain on animals in university and pharmaceutical labs or act as cadaver inspectors for the USDA .. or hide the symptoms of cows on their way to slaughter.. so that they can pass 'inspection' )

HOWE ROAD

The dog was abandoned
.. said the answering service..
on Howe Road..
for 48 hours she had
chased each passing car
1000 times her heart rose
and fell
until she learned how not
to feel..

Later she found a happy
home..
the roots of trust grew
slowly...
but steadily..
as pain seeped out of her
heart....

to Constantina Fiorentino and all those involved in the rescue of animal or human refugees

NORWAY SPRUCE

The Norway spruce
at night become
tall towers of babel
attracting birds to their free inns
.. to rest commune and babble
God Let these towers stand

.. as they weave their
green lace strands

TIDE POOLS

Brimming rockgirt
tide pools
are sad as the
ebbtide leaves
yet soon he'll return
with new gifts
of seaweed greensleeves

MODERN JOHNNY APPLESEED

Ants open peonies
Bees pollinate orchards
Birds scatter fruit seeds
   providing fruit for all

He works to
ban the toxic sprays
which prevent blooms
  of floral spray

FISSURES

In tidal pools in
the lava rock fissures
little fish swam protected
from the beak of kingfishers

THE LEELAS OF LILIES

The leaves of lotus lilies
.. many are their leelas...
Landing pads for dragonflies
.. restaurant pods for resting
    frogs
By clouds.. pied into more
  than 1 shade of green

(leela: Sanskrit for God's
  myriad plays of creation)

24 HOUR HOTEL
CRICKETS FAR FROM WICKETS
CUYAHOGA FALLS
FATHER'S FEATHERS
FISSURES
GO HOME! HE SAID
GREAT DANE'S NECK CHAIN
HOWE ROAD
LEELAS OF LILIES
LILY PAD SANCTUARY
MODERN JOHNNY APPLESEED
NORWAY SPRUCE
TIDE POOL

12
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SPRING'S FRAGILE LIMEGREEN CORNSLEEVES

Spring's fragile limegreen cornsleeves
are now Fall's gathered cornsheaves.
They're stored under the eaves
near many bags of leaves..
bedding for the homeless each eve

-saiom shriver-