More (FOWC)

You captured my attention
With your straight forward attitude
Never afraid of the truth
Willing to stand strong
Even if it was against the tide

Then you showed me
You had a softer side
A gentle nature you often hid
And I began to see
There was so much more to you

You appeared to be fearless
So strong it radiated from you
And you were enthusiastic
About your own plans
For a brighter future

You became my friend
More than a love
Always there for each other
Hand in hand and
Soul to soul

 

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – captured

Nothing Special (FOWC)

People have called me
Strong
Brave
Heroic
But I don’t feel
I deserve this kind of praise
No kudos for me
I did what had to be done
I just sat back
And let the doctors do the work
No I am not fearless
Cancer scared me to the core
And still haunts me
From time to time
I am human
And all I know is now
I am still alive

 

I often discussed this with a fellow cancer patient and we agreed we really didn’t DO anything, except follow doctor’s orders.  Sadly she lost her battle to ovarian cancer about 10 years ago.  She is still missed.  I will be approaching 15 years since my breast cancer diagnosis next month and I appreciate every day I get!

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – kudos

Less Than Perfect (FOWC)

Abandonment from Momma
The fist from Dad
His gifts of childhood
One bruise at a time
Dodging the temper
From an empty bottle
Knowing it would still come
Sooner or later
But he broke free
The tender age of 16
Learned about life
In the back of a bar
And the corner of the street
Worked hard
To pave his way
Living honestly
With kindness
Trying to find some peace
In a less than perfect life

 

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – temper

Try A Date, Test Fate (FOWC)

Marriage is not for the weak
The hardened or bleak
It takes love yes
But more not less
You really have to try
And sometimes cry
But if you’re estranged
It might be arranged
To go on a date
To look out for hate
And see if you’ll fight
For true love that night
And in the end
Still be a friend

 

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – estranged

Pledge of Words (FOWC)

I pledge allegiance
To the words
That fuel my passion
to write each day
and to the emotions
for which I’m known
One poet
With faithful muse
In literary wisdom
For all

(My apologies …. All I could think of was the pledge of allegiance and I tried my best to adapt it to a writer’s pledge but it is now 3am and I have not slept well the last few days. I feel like my brain is a dried up sponge. LOL)

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – allegiance

Barely Beating (FOWC)

Some day
They will find
A dried up artifact
Inside of me
Where my heart
Used to be
But when it has been
Broken
Abused
And abandoned
It has been morphed
Into something
Non-human
And empty

 

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – artifact

Turn The Switch On (FOWC)

If every thought
Were carefully weighed
To avoid hurt and conflict
Before the words spewed out
We would be a more cerebral race
Capable of living in peace and harmony
But I see we left our brains in the off position

 

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – cerebral

Rhinoceros (FOWC)

It’s quite preposterous
For a rhinoceros
To live inside
And try to hide
It is quite a site
Late at night
When it’s time for bed
And he hasn’t been fed
He will use his horn
To get some corn

It’s quite preposterous
To have a rhinoceros
As a house pet
There is no vet
That would make a house call
Should he happen to fall
And he will not share
When you want on the stair
For he fills up the space
Of the entire place

 

Written for Fandango’s One Word Challenge (FOWC) – preposterous

Almost (FOWC)

I almost met you
That night in July
When the fireworks were burstin’
High in the night sky

Almost is not enough

I almost touched you
That day at the office
When you made me some copies
You were just so nice

Almost is not enough

I almost kissed you
That day on the elevator
When we talked about the weather
With a cop and a skater

Almost is not enough

I almost loved you
That day on our first date
When you talked about the future
But your heart was full of hate

Almost was close enough…
To something so wrong

 

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – almost

The Lies Return (FOWC)

In the dead of night
The darkness falls
Sending the masses home
Leaving a stark barren street
Echos of a distant train
Split the silence
A cat is on a silent prowl
Looking for food
And as you sleep
Dreams floating through
The madness comes to call
Sending you into nightmares
Where fate takes control
And you must meet
Your demons face to face
For the lies you told
Will always come after you
Sooner or later

 

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – stark