My Mistake

You offered a kaleidoscope of promises strung on a golden thread of words.

Gardens brimming with succulent greens to guarantee comfort on steamy summer nights.
Brightly snapping fires composed of red flames and blue,
blending excitedly with tendrils of crackling yellow.
Fires built strictly to keep me warm while snow floats like pale sapphire feathers
across the grey rock face supporting your cliffside palace.
Madagascan oils, infused with the scent of juniper and colored with tiny flecks of gold.
And women, or men, to massage the oils into my hair and over my skin.

Now, here I sit, captured within a tower built of white-washed stone.
Alone. No way out.
I should be pleased. I have all you offered and more.
The one thing you did not offer and I neglected to request? Freedom.
My mistake, for I thought your heart knew that liberty is what I require above all else.

Come With Me

Violins
pink roses and red wine smoother than velvet
Kisses down my neck
across my shoulders
over the rise of my breasts

You seduced me with promises
Whispering
Come, cross the bridge
from a dull
ordinary life to
one filled with excitement
and laughter
A life only I can provide

I
Love
You

My head spun
at the sound of your voice
My knees shook
when you slipped
a thin silver ring
on my finger

And, then
there it was
A new life full of
hard work
successes and failures
tears and tantrums
lost jobs

And found friends
Beautiful children
Pets who adopted us
and pets who allowed us to adopt them

Excursions
to the store, jobs
And finally
across the sea
to Paris Madrid Africa

Now it is I who
kiss your shoulder
and warm your wizened breast
with a time-wrinkled palm
And a whispered

I
Love
You
More

A Simple Request

I love this photograph of warm, fuzzy hats provided by BJÖRN RUDBERG and posted by Rochelle. I wrote a story at 6:30 am but when I read it to my husband he said, “That is really gruesome!” Round two is more fun. Thanks for being such a wonderful group of writers! Cheers to you all!

When Auntie Dot done axed me to knit hats for all her friends, I said I surely would ’cause I loves Auntie.
‘Sides, t’was August and I figgered, Heck I gots plenty of time. I sheared June-Bug, spun ‘er wool, dyed them strands and knit 20 hats.
“Nope, I needs more,” Auntie told me.
30 hats later she done said it again! Next thing I knew I was dying sheep just to save time! Silly seeing pink and blue sheep in the fields but …
50 more hats still tweren’t enough.
My fingers is raw from wool. Who knew Auntie Dot had so danged many friends?

An InLinkz Link-up

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Sad History

Today Pegman took us to Poisson-Blanc, Quebec. I scrolled around and found a man holding a half-fish! This is what happened next.

Long ago our sons,
tangles of muscle, brain
laughter and kindness
used two-foot long arrows
to fell stags with antlers
large enough to support
every wall of our homes

Our daughters
slim, strong
and
more beautiful than a
single
crimson
rose
hooked fish as long as their arms

Then you came
with armies and inventions
and words that meant
everything
everything
everything
before they simply meant nothing at all

You gave us
automobiles, planes
and power plants powered by poison
while we shared our bounty
and welcomed you into our homes

Look what happened
Look!
Now!
and, finally, look again

With every landslide
earthquake and change of tide
we
the original people
pay the consequences while
you
the intruder
move on
with a bag full of a thousand empty promises

An InLinkz Link-up

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