When

When you forget me I want to know
what you remember, what you'll carry on
in forgetting of you
and me.

If I forget you I still would keep
Letters I wrote, the desk I wrote on
dreaming about you
and me.

We can still lose each other
in a world too connected; phones on
and off, silent you
and me.

Two poems

Just two poems written on break today.

#1

"My god!" he said, and words
I did not know,
face stained with longing,
skin-toned skin blemished
with failed dreams

and we stood out by the ocean
looking for nothing, his tears
adding a few drops -- less
ripples than a pebble

and I said the worn stones must
believe in spite of evidence
they would not erode away

"The tide comes in. Always,"
he said, rough, almost harsh
(so much depends on almost)

I imagine, I said, the stones hope
it won't come tomorrow --
few things are certain
beside sunsets being beautiful

and we waited watching the tide
transform the beach, washing away,
and he almost smiled.

"Maybe tomorrow," to the tide,
the ocean, the stars, me,
and you.


#2.

I held the poem for
an hour, supper
calling, feeling
it die to potatoes
& gravy & a mash of stuff.

The few that remain
(barely a turn of phrase)
surrender to desert
never to be known.

Stomach growls, sated;
heartburn later coming
from sorrow, soothed
by late night snacks.

It's not the new year yet, but .....

I've decided to do something different with this blog. 2006 was poems (over 500), 2007-2008 were poems and stories. The poems have been falling by the wayside. I don't think 2006 burned me out on poetry, but there are only so many subjects I write poems about, and I've exhausted a lot of them. As well, 2008 has not been a stellar year for short stories. So for 2009 I plan to do something different.

It's called Gloaming. It's going to be a novel, posted in 3-4 page installments, written as I go. It began life before nanowrimo this year, but most novels being worked on before nano don't jell again after unless a draft is at least finished. This year was no exception, so I took what I'd written and deleted it. This is Gloaming v 2.0.

It is the story of Katie Smith, a 17 year old girl whose life is touched by magic and what it does to her, those she knows, and the world around her. It's being written by her, as letters/pages left for someone else to read. We shall see how it goes :)

A word of warning: I am a master of typos. You will find these (often odd ones). Have a good laugh over them, post comments if need be -- about them, or the story itself.

I plan to begin posting it in the new year, though not at any set schedule. Gloaming will be, essentially, my writing break from other novels, projects, and so forth. I will try to update it biweekly at the least.