the grocery clerk who bags my things the coffee man who sometimes sings postman, gardener, neighbors too stopping by with how are you? all the lovely people who lift me on my way their nods, their smiles, their greetings that brighten up each day and as I lay my head to rest my heart full, I must confess my simple life is richly blessed tio stib You might also enjoy: Over the Rainbow; Because Once, I Was Loved by You
open she said holding the spoon in front of the silent face open she said softly looking into the empty eyes the eyes that once so dearly loved her the lips parted the spoon slipped in the food swallowed automatically empty she set the bowl aside gently wiped the mouth the mouth that once had said I love you bending down she ran her fingers through the greying hair inhaled the scent of innocence pressing her lips against her mother’s head she kissed the child she’d never had tio stib You might also enjoy: A Trail of Hearts; A Child’s Smile
it seems the balance between wants and needs has much to do with happiness needs are part of daily life water and air necessities things without which human beings would not survive but then comes the gray zone the in between is love a want or a need? is belonging something we must have or just a comfort for a lonely heart Perhaps these are choices one must make and the answers differ among us but on balance when needs overwhelm wants when survival is paramount to desire when dreams are lost to getting by there is little room left for happiness tio stib You might also enjoy: “The Speed of Love”; “Because Once, I Was Love By You”
I plucked it from among its friends pushed my fingers into the frigid stream felt among the hard, rounded forms blanketing the bottom and wrapped my hand around one that just felt right baking in the summer sun toes dangling tingling in icy water my mind studied the stone taken from its ancient home how many years how many millennia had passed to wear away its imperfections grind down its edges how much time tossed against other stones before all were worn into oneness how long will it take to wear away my ego how much time grinding against life to smooth out arrogant delusions until I am humbled into oneness smiling I toss the time traveler home splash! tio stib You might also enjoy: “If”; Life Journey Poems & Prose
Why
I ask my soul
why Push on today
why climb through clouds of loneliness
why come out to play
why toil for summits never reached
why love when death will win
why hope when failure blocks the road
when dreams are crushed again
Why stand tall
With vibrant voice
to live all I can be
Because
Sometimes the gods look down
Sometimes they smile on me
tio stib
You might also enjoy: Do It Anyway; If
yours was a gift I could not see
a quiet heart that treasured me
a smile that always answered
yes
a voice that offered no duress
a strength that ever held my hand
my buddy in the promised land
a care that never questioned why
a child’s grace that could not lie
you gave a gift that I now know
was purer than new fallen snow
that laughed with joy
and danced as we
flew with butterflies
and sailed dreams’ seas
then came the day
and you were gone
and tears drowned out what once was song
and lonely months slipped into years
to emptiness that no one hears
but as I walk the silent shore
I hold your hand in mine once more
I clutch the feeling in my heart
a memory lost to view
that precious gift you gave to me
I was loved by you
tio stib
You might also enjoy: ‘Walking With My Lover’s Ghost‘, ‘And I Smiled‘
flowers fallen
songbirds gone
frozen toes
the door no longer open
to breathe the morning air
shorts and t-shirt changed
for jacket and cap
shoes for sandals
daily rambles become urgent
fast paced walks
blue skies buried
by marching clouds
dark wetness
pouring down
winter is creeping
cold
into my heart
huddling
in the long night
wrapped in the warmth of memories
my soul shudders
seeds lie dormant
dreams unborn
and I hope for Spring
tio stib
You might also enjoy: If; Inspiration
cold, naked, hard,
it shrieks
piercing down the empty streets
the wind beats on every door
you can hide from death no more
the restless souls stir in their beds
haunted by an ancient dread
the walls cannot keep out the fear
the truth that fate is always near
far beyond where wrong knows right
the sun peeks past the edge of night
and streaking ‘cross the stage of day
light calls to life
come out
come play
tio stib
2015, 2021
You might also enjoy: The Crossing, Sometimes They Smile
One of the joys of blogging is connecting with other bloggers and it is a special pleasure to connect with those whose words resonate in deeper ways. Rajani RadhaKrishnan is a poet from Bangalore, India whose writing strikes such a chord.
First, although I enjoy poetry in many of its forms, I make no pretense of being any sort of authority on the subject. I simply know what I like. I came across Rajani’s work as I searched WordPress for other world views I could relate to. Rajani’s poetry of intimate immediacy and alluring metaphors, captivated me. In part, this is because the intricate complexities of her Indian culture push me to stretch my mental horizons. In part because the subjects she writes about are universal, simply one poet’s view of a different side of the same life mountain we all struggle to climb.
Rajani’s poetry is richly colored, sublimely sensual, and always thought provoking. Here is a passage from her recent chapbook, “The Night is My Mirror.”
Things that may not end
The unfinished poem is my safe place. The map I was
given had no home or river or road — just a cloud-masked
sky hiding stars in frenzied kinesis. Whoever said it was all
about the journey, did not frame love as a destination. Or
as a beginning. But an incomplete poem neither travels nor
waits. Its flaws are not bound by linear time or karmic
causality. The final words will come in random sequence,
one unremarkable morning between the mundane and the
rain. The poem-to-be is the circumference of hope, hope that
the rainbow is the impulsive confession of the wettest light.
-Rajani Radhakrishnan 2020
You can enjoy Rajani’s poetry and find her books on her WordPress website, “ThotPurge, Incomplete Thoughts” – https://thotpurge.wordpress.com/
tio stib
what pulls us back to life each day
is it duty
a job to do
commitments
responsibilities
or is there something more
something beyond routine
beyond the mundane
beyond “just another day”
beyond “should”
beyond “have to”
what is it that gets us up in spite
of stormy thoughts
in spite of
frenzied fears
clouds of tears that drown the sun
tragic memories that drag us down
struggling to assure my mind
a new day will be better
I can only answer for myself
somehow
something
will make the effort of living worthwhile
in this purgatory moment
it is hope that feeds my hungry heart
it is hope that soothes my aching soul
it is my hope
that love will show the way
tio stib
You might also enjoy: Inspiration; If
Travels with Tio 