Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Long suffering

Oracle your circle cages the

Vixen in me

Encompassing past truth; consuming reality.

……

I loved you so completely

I just couldn’t live with you

No one could.

Sorry, I don’t remember last Valentine’s Day

Hopelessly addicted

to the roller coaster;

you awakened something in me

 I could not control

despite your insistence

I fought long and hard to penetrate the frost

and now your love

 pales

in the snow drift

I shovel through

carving new pleasure and pain

ski fresh powder

flawless and persuasive. 

Embracing My Winter: inspired by, Winter Practice by Jean Gallagher from her book, START

Embracing the Dark

I extend my arms from horizontal

embrace the dark spaces

trace its kiss

It stretches me

pulls me deeper

into its hollow

beyond the now

beyond this solitude.

The Quest

I ask

You answer

The mysteries hover

We slip in and out

of the dark.

Fact checking

googling, getting scroogled

remembering

forgetting

posing as scientists

mining beliefs

digging up dead cultures

amidst the ruins

amidst our ruining temples

playing our parts

playing

with the gods.

© Cornelia DeDona 12-13-13

Home

HOME

I round the last bend
and embrace the sweet scent of belonging, 
inside a house that I grew up in 
weathered, drafty and cold 
but firmly tied with a comforting ribbon of warm hearts and helping hands.
One hundred years and still standing beneath the birch, maple, and pine
encircled by a flecked emerald carpet
shining like a precious gem
surpassing the test of time and space.

And the journey apart 
melts before me
like morning dew
reviving the earth, the two red rose buds outside the kitchen window
my bliss. 

The bees, bamboo and the poison ivy
wrestle constantly
to block my path, change my mood
challenge me to ignore the Why’s, the uncompromising past. 

As I steady myself to run up and over the last hill
musing over humid nights in Hawaii
trapped inside a filthy haze
of never enough
should have and might have been.

I clench my teeth and smile 
knowing the fleeting nature of memory
that now and tomorrow remain impermanent
confident as I sprint the final stretch, smother the ache
brood over the cost
As I reach the finish line and know
I am home. 

When ALL we can do is WRITE

“Poetry is what happens when nothing else can.” ― Charles Bukowski

Sometimes I wake

with a song in my heart

prompted by a hearty summons of nature

toot tooting down the hall

pontificating its departure

to the porcelain god

like the conductor on an express train.

Disturbed soon thereafter

by mindfulness and that first cup of JOE

by a rich heaping tablespoon

of medicine from the media

a slow and steady demoralization

similar to  being assimilated by the BORG.

And later

upon reflection

I concede,

as cattle

quickly lulled and

herded by the steady

Yippie yi yo kayah

being led to slaughter

tunneling reality

transfixed by nothing at all.

Black and White

You cannot depend on your eyes
when your imagination is out of focus~ Mark Twain

Black and White

White is the shade

you pull down

on your eyes

when I get boring

as you shut your mind to the monotony and the drone

of my noise.

AND Black is

a buzzing fly

that has landed on your nose right after

he shat

on top of a giant pile of

dog shit.

Brown

is the smear

of that sticky fly

with robo eyes

that’s got your number

and won’t die.

The dark brown stain

that’s infected your brain

that you can’t train

or refrain

from keeping in the

dark.

A hot spark

that

lights the bench in the park

that the man in the long black Rolls

once sat on

that you ignored

floating high on your kite

of white

with black and brown lines

that you drew and wouldn’t cross over,

the same man

who could’ve taken you outta all this black and white and shitty brown.

Remember him

reading the paper on a bench in the park

Offering you

some grey poupon

for your shitty

blackened brown dog

pillowed in white?

Peace and Joy

Tonight I share with you my peace.

It rises early

before the birds

or the roosters crow.

My peace is black

twinkling with the joy

of a million stars

with chirping crickets

who hum as

coffee steams

 from my midnight blue mug, upon which

stars also glisten, near and far.

And I savor the silence

of the night

the pine fresh fragrance

of a noble fir

dripping lavish needles

and shining like a child

in brand new outfit

whispering her secrets to Mom

and waiting in line for Santa

for the magic, still to come.

Frenzy

I stuffed them all down

like a good little girl

urged to swallow her medicine.

Raw red meat

in a

black and white

world.

Tender tongues 

twisted and ripped-out

like an old rubber band.

As their groans

splashed crimson

across my

reckoning

distracted by my next meal

as a  mad ghoul

lunges past me,  down this dark corridor.

Dreaming

Dreaming
about the day
when I am a superstar
can only take me so far
and then what?

Will I magically transform
into a superhuman being
save lives
inspire
rewire the cosmic hard drive?
How will it change our universe
reflect
refract
belch
suck up
expand in a meaningful way?
and to whom
and for what purpose?

Does anyone REALLY know
and see the BIG picture?

There are literally thousands of theories
bombarding us everyday
electrons
protons
atoms
smashing
splitting
all around us
it’s amazing
that we
can HEAR
decipher
anything
at all.
Anything viable that is
over the concussion
percussion
discussion
Maalox
Taxes
Medical bills
Unemployment
Drug addict superstars
ENABLING doctors
Food borne illnesses
Egos of giant corporations
selling us one last pull
on the MEGA BUCK machine.

Now concentrate
stay with me
This is it!
Don’t waste it
you can almost taste it
on the tip of your tongue
and then…
it’ll be gone.

In the meantime you'll pick yourself up
dust yourself off
and continue to play this amazing game of pretend.
And wait for it...there’s a Barker
with a GIANT MEGAPHONE...directing you to step this way!

Okay--class
let’s pretend
EVERYTHING will all work out
that all of this chaos
is insignificant
and our distant relatives
or GODS if you prefer
from heaven
are just a little late
to pick us up
for our continuing trip
on the way
to our NEW HOME
where everything is
waiting for us
pristine
a paradise of epic proportions
and everybody you ever knew
is waiting there for you
to fill you in 

on what you’ve been missing
and they are so glad you came and
the only thing you are sorry about
is that it took you so long to die.

Then they take you
to feed the machine
you know the human eater
that shiny metal object over there
with the teeth.
Yeah—the one with your name on it.
But don’t WORRY
because you won’t feel a thing
because you are already DEAD
NOPE—won’t hurt a bit
AND THEN…
Then… you can eat all that ice-cream
and all the artery clogging shit
you’ve ever wanted
but couldn’t have
because of stupid things like high cholesterol
and heart disease.
You know…
because --like
you won’t have a heart anymore.
NOPE…you won’t have a heart
a body
limbs
Or a BRAIN.

You’ll just be a transparent
ground-up form
floating around in the ether
and shucks
I really hate to burst your bubble
but you know that safe ice-cream
that I was telling you about?
Well that shit ain’t real either
But it… Bitch--SLAP
sure was one
hell of RIDE
wasn’t it?

Silly--Savvy

Copy this

down but only

take credit for

what is yours

something I heard

repeatedly in school.

 Stick it

don’t pick it

on the wall

from the ground

where the moon don’t shine.

Paste your words

and your turds

on a visible sheet

separate the wheat

from the chaff

and laugh

don’t frown

lift your chins

stretch your neck

because heck

it just ain’t

pretty anymore.

Inspire

don’t tire

or get stuck

in the quagmire

of   forlorn

torn

and unglued.

Paint

don’t faint

from that beer

or good cheer

staring at the belly

of jelly

in the bottom

of your glass

fat bass.

The Difference is ME

The difference is ME

not some world

that you hang on a chain

around

your neck

that

stiffly smiles

indifferent.

Don't Suck-- Spit

You know the spiel.
Get inspired
Write about something that moves you
Paint using vivid images
And if you can’t
at least have the good sense
to make it short.
Sell it
Show some cleavage
Leave them wanting more
And If you are lucky enough and talented enough to get noticed
go to the awards ceremony, celebrate
But don’t let it get to your head
Stay humble
afterwards go home and
write something else.
Stick with what you know
stick with what works.

Scratch that,
It really doesn’t matter
what subject you choose
it isn’t even the style you use
all that really matters is if
anyone else cares
or can relate to your
drivel, I mean
take spit for instance.
Yeah—you heard me….SALIVA.

Now let’s show what would happen
 if I spit on the sidewalk…
Or—if you’d rather go first
I’ll wait.

it wouldn’t be as interesting though
as if I spit in your face
now would it?

I mean
think about it
what  could you create with spit
maybe take a stick
a little paint
some canvas
an old T-shirt
It might translate into something unique
It might even parade around as ART
SURE…
and pretty soon EVERYBODY
would have to have it
and it might even come in different textures
and tongues—LONG WINDED ONES
AND before you know it
there would be a MOVEMENT
And people could follow your BRAND

and you could get a Twitter button

It would be so COOL and like
maybe the Kardashian’s would
design some spit fashions
for Sears
and well
the rest...
The REST
is still unwritten.

Fear

Fear 
demands
that you toss 
the could have had
avoid all the should have’s
not matter what the price don’t make 
a fuss.

It glares through your eyes
and into your brain
cheering you on
discouraging you from 
drawing undue attention to it 
or making waves.
It is a coward
droning its mantra
into your ear 
until you believe 
uniting with others who feel as you do
accepting it as fact
distrusting your basic instincts
no longer seeking help
or listening to reason.

Hypnotizing 
you into acceptance and apathy
It will have you 
acknowledging that it is selfless
seducing you for your own good
insisting that you follow its lead
persuading finally 
that you come quietly
and not argue.
Altering forever
what would have been
into what must be.

**Inspired by Happy Family—a film at the Italian Film Festival in Honolulu.


http://www.cinemaitalianoinhawaii.org/

A Quiet Life—Una Vita Tranquilla

A Quiet Life

tortures  you

in unexpected ways

It leads you on

like a hot babe

with her long legs

wrapped

around your mid-section

pulling you into her

and just when you think

you can’t take any more

she slices your thumb off

and lets you run around in circles

howling WHY did you do that

WHY couldn’t you just LEAVE ME ALONE?

I’ve been good!

I’ve been good for fifteen years

I’ve started a new life

a new family

why couldn’t you

just leave me alone?

And she replies…

because

YOU BELONG TO ME.

** This movie is at the Italian Film Festival.

The story of a good family gone wrong. A man escapes to Germany and starts a new family thinking he will finally enjoy a quiet life. He is wrong.

No Labels

Flexitarian

Pescatarian

Vegetarian

call it whatever you want

I Don’t Eat Meat!

I woke up the other day

thinking I knew

WHAT I was.

I was wrong.

I got an education in

the many types of vegetarianism

It is more complicated than I thought

apparently I’m NOT ONE

nope-- none of the above.

I actually thought I might be a Pescatarian

for half a minute

but I’m NOT that either

Sound frustrating?

All I know for certain is

that I don’t have any health problems

bleeding hemorrhoids

indigestion

or weight gain.

I exercise

I take my vitamins and

occasionally when the dust bunnies

threaten mutiny

I even vacuum.

I love Netflix

and frozen juice bars

peanut M&M’s

banana smoothies

salads, stuffed Portobello mushrooms

kale

and macaroni—of any kind

Actually I could live on the stuff.

Tofu is okay

Soy or bust

beans and peas and lentils

and curry and tacos and salsa

and fish and eggs and cheese

and ice-cream

gotta have that!

Life wouldn’t be worth living

without my ice-cream

and dark chocolate.

So WHAT I am-- is not even

close to a vegetarian

nope not at all

I just don’t eat meat.

I don’t color

inside no stinking lines

neither.

So call me whatever you want

I’ll still be blessed

with the right combination of

genes

locale and

skills.

Go roll that

in your

Űber hoity toity degree

and smoke it! 

Rapunzel

Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair!

Come on dearie
don't be so Grimm

there’s nothing left to fear.
The big bad wolf
evil prick that he is
is fooling with some
naive Red Riding Hood
on Facebook
and the wicked enchantress
has roared off
on her broom
to see the fall colors
on the southern rim
of the Grand Canyon.

It’s okay to come out.

Olly Olly Oxen Free!

The bogey woman has left the building
went out for a mocha frappuccino.
She got bored
this story is too predictable
so she went off
to scare up a new Prince.
All the evil turds are gone
Rapunzel
and you’ve gotten the pink slip.

Wake-up sweetie
It’s going to be okay
it was just a nightmare
Yeah- you got banged up a bit
but you made it.

Rapunzel –it’s time to escape
from your ivory tower
maybe go for a makeover.
Color those roots
get out of that frumpy dress
invest in a manicure.

Seriously
you are among friends.
You are a survivor.
It’s over!
And like they say
at the end of the story
And she lived

Happily Ever After!

Your Taste

You are dark and scathing

hinting at forgotten pleasure

bribing my subconscious

beneath a cloak of sultry red still

you continue to whisper my name.

Tempting rogue

you alone know how to

twist my desire

and color my lust.

I am a nun

and solitary.

This phase will

forge

my chain

secure my allegiance

rebuild a bold character

and transform my prison

but I shall die

before I

forget

your taste.