Friday, May 12, 2023

My Soul is a Tomb #poetry #prose

 


My Soul is a Tomb


My soul is a tomb~

Mouldy bones of contention

litter the dusty floors

and congregate in the

murky shadows to avoid

the shards of filtered light

that steal through the gilded

windows,

their arches softly contrasting

the hard lines of mortar and stone.

The faint strain of waltzes

hangs in the stale air like

a fog creeping over the

stormy seas of destiny


My soul is a prison~

Bent cave dwellers make fire

to roast the flesh of dragons

slain by knights on white steeds

deep within the forests ruled 

by ancient faeries whose 

pixie slaves live among

the thorns in the rose gardens

where children in crisp linen

dresses and cropped breeches

play hide and seek with

the wolf cubs that venture 

into the daylight while the 

elders sleep off the night’s

hungry pillage with the red stain

of the family dog’s blood 

drying on their tongues and 

 dream of being eagles.


My soul is a highway~

paved with yellow brick

and lined with poppies in hues

of crimson, coral and magenta

to soothe the senses of weary travelers 

who journey from rough hewn cradle

to a bed of soft earth, staring at a

flowery epitaph etched in cold marble.


They amble and trot, skip, jump,

Race, fall, dance, trip and crawl

towards the promised land where,

hand in hand, they stand to

face the final judgment.


My soul is a legend

of hunters, servants, kings

and jokers~dancers, builders,

bakers, forsakers and breakers

of hearts, saints and sinners,

losers and winners creating each life

with fresh vigor, new hope and understanding

as they vow to make the next journey

richer than the last~without error

and leaving the terror of it behind

like confetti littering the memory with

 bright distraction-such attraction so

seductive they must return again

…and again.


For the prison can be escaped

and the highway paved with gold,

but the legend will be told in 

what’s writ upon the walls within 

the tomb.


Copyright Cheryl Pennington

2023





Thursday, May 11, 2023

The Keeping Space #poetry #writingchallenge #Thursdaydoors

 


The Keeping Space


“Oh dear,” she exclaimed

surveying the room.

Her guest stumbled in,

“Should I loan you my broom?”


The Keeper just smiled,

“No, I do have my own.”

Her needs were so few,

after so long alone.


She pulled down some cups,

“Would you care for some tea?”

Her bins overflowed!

“Kind of you to visit me.”


The room dimly lit 

 showing all that she owned

was thick with dust and

her guest soon bemoaned,


“How can you live in

such disarray while,

 smiling, you ask

if I want tea today? 


Slowly she turned

to face her accuser.

“I may not be much

of a dust cloth user,”


She smiled sweetly


When it comes to it

you didn’t submit

a direction

 for inspection

of my worth.”


She sighed..


I may not live in 

sparkling clean bliss,

 my work has thus been

far greater than this.


Beyond that door

you just breezed through

is where I toil

and what I must do 


 I am the Keeper

of the garden you see

Nature depends on

the ‘dull’ folks like me


to plant, prune and plow,

fetch water from the stream~

encouraging tendrils

and kisses from sunbeams!


It occurs to me now,”

she said as she bristled,

“I’m neglecting my work.”

The tea kettle whistled.


“I’m afraid there’s no time,

thank you for coming,”

She opened the door,

her fingers drumming.


Flustered and fuming

her guest swept away.

She grabbed up her broom

and cried, “Happy day!”


Then brushing the dirt

off of the stones

she smiled to herself

“Silly old bones.”


“For all of her wealth

she can’t see the worth

of song on the wind

and gems from the earth.”


The Keeper then knelt

‘neath an old sprawling tree.

“Thank you dear Mother

for this gift you gave me.


As long as I live

I’ll toil with my heart,

tending our garden

until life I part.


Cheryl K Pennington

Copyright words 2023

Image by Susan Rushton


To join Dan Antion’s fun Doors Writing Challenge visit the link and read the specifics. There aren’t a lot of rules so have fun! Thanks Dan for keeping us all connected. 

Sunday, May 7, 2023

The Waltz/A Love Story

 …And she turned her face to the full moon, smiling…



“I’m ready, Grandmother,” she whispered.

and donned her finest silk, then dabbed a drop

of sweetness on her cheek~



She hummed a tune that none could hear

save the winged ones hiding near-

so softly at first just

 the strains of hello




and building just so

to a slow staccato

“Louder, my dear,” 

the old one prodded

(and as I watched I swear
 she nodded!)




Raise your song high 

and open your arms

for none can resist

your tempting charms




She quivered




then shivered,

and ruffled her gown,

 shamelessly smiling

with the moon gazing down




She giggled-

I swear it’s true!




glowing most brilliant

without any hue


 Golden treasure 

lay hidden within,

a delicate prize 

that few could win





Then I,

feeling suddenly out of place

said my farewells and brushed her face




She nodded and shyly

murmured, “Goodnight”

then tilted her chin

to the glowing light


Did her champion arrive

and waltz with her there

as the blinking eyes watched

the passion they shared?




At sunrise I longed

 to know how it went

but dashing outside 

I found her there, spent!


Unable to speak-

she seemed so weak

but for the glow 

left on her cheek.


Copyright words and images

Cheryl Pennington 2023



The epiphyllum oxypetalum most often blooms during a full moon. This night cereus plant is actually not related to the more common cactus varieties found in dessert areas of the US and Mexico but can be found naturally growing in and around other trees in shady tropical areas, like Central and South America.   When it graces you with blossoms there is magic. The blooms come on slowly, taking days to a week to fully develop. When the velvety white flesh starts peeking through its deep pink tendrils the time has arrived. That’s when I begin my night vigil, waiting for her to open her arms and put on her perfume to attract the giant moths or small bats that work their mystery of pollination. This bloom will open starting just after dark, slowly spreading its petals over the next few hours until she is fully blossomed.  But if you miss it that night you will have to wait for the next blooming for this beauty will be wilting with the sunrise. I suppose she has so much fun there is nothing left to do but sleep.  If you are ever lucky and the blossom is pollinated, a fruit similar to dragonfruit might develop. I have had a few of these beautiful plants through the years but as of yet no fruit.  The photos below are of a plant I’d had for many years.  It put on 32 blooms that Summer in Florida. 







Seems a perfect accompaniment to her performance 

‘And the Waltz Goes On’ 
Composed by Sir Anthony Hopkins




























Sunday, April 30, 2023

The Guest #poetry #photography

 


The Guest





I rose with marked anticipation
seeking nature’s orchestration




Someone new had joined the brass
a painted, fiery violet lass
How brilliant! 
Closer now, I need to see…
Oh yes! 
There you are, I knew you’d bee





To see your face
in this wondrous place
is a treasure!
How can one measure 
the worth of the earth’s
generosity~
her ferocity
astounds!

Would that I could follow you
and touch her face the way you do,
collecting gold for distribution~
Where, then, is the attribution
you deserve? 

I see you,
I hear the whirring of your wings,
an aria without horn or strings,
a breath in the cacophony~
Nature’s ancient symphony

Cheryl Pennington 
Copyright words and images 
2023








Thursday, February 16, 2023

Mi Arbol es su Casa! #ThursdayDoors

For my good friend Dan Antion  and his Thursday Doorscursion. 



Mi Arbol es su casa! 

My tree is your house! Taken in Boquete’s beautiful park, designed and built by a good friend here, Tony Royle and his hard working crew. Tony is a very talented builder/designer who built the first home we lived in here. I have a post from two years ago dedicated to that home. 

Thanks Tony! 

Okay here are a few more photos from that brilliant park! 



The resident Great White Egret



There is a lot of life in these little lakes



Romancing the flora



And this ‘door’ caught my eye at the plaza. 


You can see why the birds love it! 



And the view through my favorite doors. 
Ahhhhh…..






Saturday, February 11, 2023

Queen of Hearts #SoCS

Once again, Linda Hill has given us a Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt that I can sink my teeth into. 

I always seem to find the heart in so many things I see, especially Nature. This Earth shares its bounty and love with the humans who tread it and I’ve seen her messages many times. 



Well, it was a commercial rendition of potato love…



But this was the real deal. I found it on my oldest son’s wedding day when I made potato salad for the reception. 




This tree in Roswell, GA was sharing its love with everyone who took time to notice



Let’s have a kiss then… 



This sunflower has a really big heart



“Please don’t break my heart.”



Butterfly hearts are always beating for love…






Forever in my heart..



A morning heart! 



Dragonflies making hearts in love at the Sunken Gardens in Lincoln, NE

I may not be the Queen of Hearts but I am definitely in the court. 😉❤️

While there are many songs that speak to issues of the heart, this one is a favorite…










Friday, February 10, 2023

Birth of a Rainbow/A Lover’s Tryst #poetry #photography

 


“Listen, Old man,”

she cocked her head,

“Before I go out

and slip off to bed,”

she winked.

“Let’s leave a smile-

something with style!

to cheer the humans

for a little while.

Their world has gone sour,

their countenance dour

but if they look up 

at this dawning hour

and see the hues

of violets and blues

with red and green

and in between 

then

won’t they forget

the reason they fret

and cry

and sigh…


“ Thank you, my dear

for joining me here,

I’ll meet you tonight

as you lose your light

and we’ll repeat

this glorious feat

as I take the throne

and you are gone.

Good day, my love.”


Cheryl KP 

Copyright words and images 2023


Monday, February 6, 2023

Everlasting #CFFC

This week for Cee’s Fun Photo Challenge the prompt was Smiles. Now who can’t find one of those?

There are so many kinds of smiles and my photo albums are full. 

“Smile and the world smiles with you”  is true. 



Food smile!


Ecstatic smile…



“I do”



Water Puddle smile!



Old Moon crooked smile



“I am smiling”…



Just snagged a snack smile
(But you might wanna look away now


“You made me wear this bunny suit” grimace



‘Got bananas?’ Smile



Cheyenne and me smiles



Ellie smiles



“For me?” smile


I miss this smile so much! 



“Well hello!”



“So glad I’m here” smile



Forced smiles. 🥴



Yeah, he’s smiling



“Be sure to get my best side now”



Fresh coconut on the beach smile! 



Artsy smiles



Butterfly time…



Beer smiles all around



Gingerbread smile



Rainbow smile



Jammin’ Joy! 



Artist’s smile



Friends’ day smiles



Grandma smiles



 Devious smile



“Love you, Dad” smile



These guys are my reason to smile! 



‘I won’ smile



And always ‘Chessie’

Smiles are everlasting, so why not add something for posterity? 




It’s only words, and words are all I have….