A thunderstorm’s approaching underground.
Along the shore, waves of sand
competing with the ocean,
from ancient graveyards ghosts will float
into the world, freed from roiling earth,
disinterred.
Lidia pays
no attention
to the weather forecast
and I prepare our breakfast:
spinach, pastry, thoughts of eggs,
peel a purple onion, layer after layer,
until just the memory of an onion’s left.
Have you seen the day outside? The sky
is retrolescent green, with periscopic upblue
clouds.
I should have told her years ago
those colors don’t exist, but too
much time has passed by now,
invisible effluvia,
grains inside the china hourglass
for timing eggs she purchased
at a discount.
We met beside the water feature
at Petropolis Park,
Lidia was lolling on the plastic lily pads,
I was rowing with one oar,
and now and then we visit,
wander in forgotten squares
where wraiths and phantoms
take the evening air,
arcane acquaintances, statues
with marbled eyes and ghostly nods
in passing.
Lidia’s supposed to be a swan,
some kind of waterfowl
at least
but I’ve never seen her feathers.
end of year strategy
1 pretend it isn’t 2 mess around arting and writing 3 panic
artwork
pink landscape
Love your writing. Then to top it off, that ending! 😊
Thanks Vanessa. I started off writing something completely different. It was my grocery list :P.
Sorry, but I didn’t have the time to say before, but this made me laugh out loud!! 🙂
Excellent. In the actual world, I occasionally say stuff I think is funny but mostly no-one laughs. Except me, I find myself hysterical.
Haha I think you are too! Really.
And how hilarious, I tend to laugh the loudest at my own jokes too.
Great writing once again Steve – love the lines “peel a purple onion, layer after layer, until just the memory of an onion’s left.” And yes, end of year strategies… I’m doing all three, plus looking for cheap B&Bs about four hours away from anyone I think will be looking for me and hubby… many of them are booked out already, sigh.
Thanks Leanne. I’m not the world’s greatest cook :). Hope you can manage it. I’m already feeling the strain, may have to meditate. Or open the Pinot. Or both.
Liked the idea of wraiths and phantoms taking the air. End of year strategy sounds familiar.
Thanks November Child, glad you noticed that bit. For some reason I have a soft spot for all kinds of ghosts, I see them as pretty much like us. Calling it a strategy might be a bit generous :).
‘from ancient graveyards ghosts will float
into the world, freed from roiling earth,
disinterred.’ Grabbed right ahold of me! Wonderful writing, wonderful to read! 🙂
Thank you Maureen. I’m not expecting it to happen any time soon though :).
Nor am I Steve haha! Still great writing! 🙂 Like an eerie but pleasant dream and I love those!
Glad you enjoyed, Maureen. I try to keep it vaguely pleasant, sometimes I don’t quite manage…
Sometimes one cant manage I can relate trust me! 🙂
very nice. this is especially good:
“wander in forgotten squares
where wraiths and phantoms
take the evening air,”
Glad you enjoyed, you see them sometimes, especially if you have those spectral glasses :).
Go Lydia, you keep those feathers under wraps!
Steve Merry Christmas and thanks for your website and great poetry. Mel.
She knows the power of imagination ;). My pleasure, hope you have a great 2017, Mel, and I look forward to enjoying more of your atmospheric poetry and images, Steve.
I am a member of your fan club. I love strange, creative minds.
Thanks, glad you enjoy, I used to be quite fond of my mind, but then it got a mind of its own, and now I don’t know what it’s up to.