Poetry Page Two

Mourning

stealing down

they touch the ground

diamonds of life

don't make a sound
gleaming moisture drops

fall silently through the night

no noisy thunder

no flashing bolts of light

no destructive crisscrossing winds

just soft downy rain

feeding crops

and lakes and streams

birds play in the drink

chirp their thanks

squirrels whisper praise

trees lift drought-withered heads

flowers' appreciation blooms

grass turns green

brings out the lawnmower

spring is almost here

it sheds a tear

for winter's death



Ode to Mother and Daddy

Your once golden hair is silver now

If it could speak what tales would it tell

Of love and care and heartache

And tenderness that you shared

With each new babe that blessed your life

Sleep you lost when tempest tossed

Seas raged with swirling frothing foam

Dark clouds loomed ever near
 
Your smile swept them all away as

Coffee in your cup grew cold.

But not a sigh escaped your lips

Nor harsh words from your tongue

I always knew that early or late

You'd welcome me back home.





The Stranger

He dropped in unexpectedly, this stranger in our midst,

Riding a speedy stallion, thunder rolling from silvery lips

Trod upon the ground while lightning flashed o'erhead

Everything in his path was brown and parched and dead.


Eager hoofs pounded the ground with brim and mettle

Then danced and pranced, dust boiling like a kettle

At last he alit, deciding to stay with us a while

We smiled and welcomed him, happy as any child.


We wondered why he came; he'd been so long away,

Seemed we'd never meet again, when he left us on that day

Another master called him; we thought he'd found a home

That he loved more than life, and he would never roam


Fury spent, he said goodbye; we huddled in disarray,

He'd left behind a chill in the air; we shivered in sad dismay

Not realizing he'd brought to us a gift of greatest worth,

Water to wash, water to drink, and water to wet the earth.




The Willow Tree


Because you are gone my sun forgets to shine

Tulips hang their heads in sorrow

The sky opens, thunder rolls and lightning flashes

It's jagged daggers through my heart

Once you were the light of my life, my guiding star

Your love and tender care gave me a reason for being

You taught me truth, forbearance and dignity

And to stand up for the things in which I believe

You brought me up in your own image

Teaching me that all good things must be earned

And that nothing worth having comes free

You taught me about sugar and vinegar and how to catch flies

You said I should always be proud of myself and the things I do

And the words I speak will come back to me

In the same tone in which they were issued

Your gentleness taught me to speak kindly

Your generosity taught me to help others

And then, Dear Mother, you went away to meet Daddy

Who waited patiently for your company

I know that he is happy that you are finally together again

But I'm alone, an orphan in a vast world

And the willow hangs its head and weeps.




Treasured Time


Wheels of time are spinning, spinning

My head is in a whirl

Time, my dear, is winning, winning

Waits not for boy or girl

Accomplish what you will today

Tomorrow never comes

Look not wistful back on yesterday

Or mop up shattered crumbs

Tears are but wasted brine

This moment a precious gift to behold

On pearly oysters let us dine

A year or a second we cannot hold

It slips away like ruby wine

Pressed 'neath warm red lips

Savor the taste aged on the vine

For quickly away it skips

Wheels of time are spinning, spinning

 Spiraling past each boy and girl

Each breaking dawn is a new beginning

More treasured than mother-of-pearl




When Time Stood Still


Thunder rolled across the dark and dreary sky
 and I could smell the 

rain
 as it settled the dust in the cotton fields
 that glistened 

snowy white;

the fragrance of mama's scrapbook tied with yellow ribbon
 hung heavy 

in the room;

the taste was like a green persimmon--bittersweet
 and rusty as nails 

too long in the weather.


Lightning shimmied and streaked across the sky
 showed contrition's 

veneer painted lily-white
 was not worthy of heaven’s melodious 

dance
 then angels' wrath opened wide the floodgates
 sweet 

memories bore down upon my heart,
 rendering me weak as a feather 

twirling
 and twisting and tumbling in the wind.


Slowly she loosed the ribbon and allowed its contents
 to spill out 

for all to see.
 Mama's perfume permeated the room, more 

magnificent
 than the magnolias that blossomed sweet and lemony
 on 

the grand old tree that stood just beyond the verandah,
 where mama 

used to sun herself just outside the wide open window.


Its blossoms wept. Tears of joy, tears of sadness
 and remembrance of 

days gone by,
 nights from long ago when she stood by the window and 

prayed
 for Him to watch over her sons and the sons and daughters
 

of others gone to war on some distant shore,
 she knew not where, nor 

did it matter,
 gently she closed the scrapbook and laid it to 

rest.

 
Thunder ceased its grumbling, lightning stopped its torrid dance,
 the 

magnolia smiled at us and dried its tears,
dark clouds went away 

replaced by their silver lining
 and the sun came out as if to say
 

it couldn't outshine mama's light,
 and it dared not try to compete so 

it hid itself
 in a bushel until mama's precious scrapbook
 tied 

with yellow ribbon was put away.


© (copyright)1999 All rights reserved by LaVonne Boruk  











Return To Front 

Page
Front Page


A 

Garden of Dreams
A short story by LaVonne Boruk


A 

Collection of Poetry
Poetry by LaVonne Boruk




More of LaVonne's poetry
Page Two of LaVonne's Poetry

A 

Chance Meeting
Chapter One of a Romance Novel by LaVonne Boruk


Gone in 

Flames
Chapter One of a Romance Novel by LaVonne Boruk

The 

Blue Diamond 
Chapter One of a Suspense Novel by LaVonne Boruk


Generosity


A Vignette by LaVonne Boruk


A 

Collection of Family Pictures
LaVonne's family photo album



The 

Leprechaun
A Short Story by LaVonne Boruk


Both Feet on a Banana Peel
Chapter One of a Suspense Novel by LaVonne Boruk


Esc

ape to Freedom
Chapter One of a Historical Fiction Novel by LaVonne Boruk


Do 

Dreams Come True
A short true article by LaVonne Boruk

Retirement


A short true article by LaVonne Boruk


Ret

inal Detachment
LaVonne's experiences with retinal detachment