On the inside

 It didn't matter to us what others were saying. We knew our clothes weren't new, and most were handed down. Our shoes weren't the latest style. Momma always said it's what we are on the inside that matters. Our folks were hardworking people who went without to save enough money for a birthday or holiday, bringing smiles to us and a tear to Momma's eye that she quickly wiped away. We were hardened by the actions of other kids and learned to turn another cheek unless it was a sibling, and then we got involved in a way even Momma would be proud of. Dad would stay out of it, looking over the top of his newspaper and asking how the other guy looked. I knew I saw a smile behind the news. I loved my childhood and the times spent in the city, but my heart longed for the country and everything that went with it. The sounds of the wildlife and the smells of the hay and freshly cut grass. I still dream about Momma's warm apple pie and a Sunday chicken dinner with family and friends wrapped around a makeshift table big enough to seat everyone. It's not the clothes you wear or if you have the latest styles; it's not where you live if you call it home or have money in a bank or a coffee can buried under the peach tree. Life belongs to you for time unknown, so live it full of goodness and caring and treat others as you would be treated. Put away the pettiness and greed and strive always to do better. Remember the old shoes you wore and the hand-me-down clothes, and remember how, in the end, you were happy.

Remember

 Remember when being together was all that mattered? A slow walk to the ice cream shop, holding hands with few words spoken. Remember the kiddy ride merry-go-round that came down the street and the Greek man who had an old police three-wheeler he converted to a traveling freezer full of iced treats? Remember sitting in the park trying to lick our cones faster than they were melting, sucking the flavor of the day through the bottom and trying not to laugh. Remember watching the fireworks, sitting on a blanket, staring at the heavens, and making a wish only you will ever know came true? Do you remember our first kiss, our first date, our favorite song, the color of my eyes, my favorite food and movie? Do you remember as I do, or am I just someone who holds onto every memory we share and won't ever let it go away? One thing is certain: today's flavor of the day is raspberry, and we can't miss that, remember?

Mike

Didnt realize

 I never realized how soft your kisses were. I didn't realize your touch flowed through me like a summer lightning storm. I never knew being alone meant being without you by my side or one chair gathering dust at the kitchen table. I never could remember your birthday or our anniversary, but you found ways of leaving little hints around the house, hiding in plain sight. You were good at those things. You know, I've known pain in my life, some worse than others, but I never knew a heart could be so badly broken and still beat. You were, are, and always will be my best friend throughout time and beyond. And I don't want to imagine life without you. I hope both our hearts will mend and we can live our future again as one. I'm sorry I hurt you and took steps backward, but I promise you all that was wrong will be made right, and broken hearts can begin to heal. I love you.

Black smoke

 Black smoke rushes past me as I ride the rails to someplace.

My clothes are worn and tattered but clean as clean can be.

I made another notch in my belt as food has been hard to find, but

Maybe in the daylight, I'll see an apple orchard or trees ripe with plums.

I'll jump off and have my fill, then take a nap under the tree, soldiers.

In the distance, I hear the rumble of a southbound train, and I'll wait.

These old legs aren't what they were in my younger days, but I still run.

I approached a box car with open doors, and I leaped, but I didn't have the strength to hoist myself up anymore.

 Then, a hand reached out, and I took it, coming to rest on the boxcar floor.

. Thank you, mister, I began to say, but I was alone in that boxcar with no one to hear me.

 Only long-gone prayers mixed with trails of black smoke on a train leading to places I've never been.

Mike 2024

Temptations to great

 Your hand fits into mine like a custom-made glove, and your lips like softness redefined. Every sense of my being is attracted to you in hard-to-describe but very real ways. Truth be told, I am buried deep within myself, begging to be set free of your temptations. My heart belongs to another, yet a piece is for you in the darkness of night or the shadows of a secret place, a kind of woman whose animal instincts are raw and often leave questionable marks unanswered. I can dismiss your company and return to those who wait at home, but I won't. My thirst for you will never be quenched, and your beauty will be etched in my mind until my mind stops working. You have ruined yet blessed me at the same time, but my mind is made up, and I must walk away. I'll keep hoping I'll see you again, but in the end, I never did, and my only memory of you was a sweet smell I can't give a name to. 

Mike 2024

Spring awakens

 Soon, the cold and grays of winter will be replaced with the colors and rebirths of springtime splendor. What once lay dormant beneath the snowy crystals of white will break free and spread across the land like a beautiful plague. The silence of winter nights will be replaced with street traffic as people rush to do nothing but enjoy the hint of warmer weather crawling their way. Then, one sun-filled morning, you awaken to see tulips of red and yellow, pink and white blooming where the bulbs bloomed. Soon, the grass will sprout around the remaining patches of snow, but Spring is no place for that as the last of the ice soldiers melt into the ground to await another year. Today, I will wrap myself in a warm sweater, as winter coats are not needed. I will brew a cup of Earl Gray and sit on my porch slowly gazing at every tulip, every blade of grass, and every bird that sings his welcome song of Spring. 

Mike 2024