The Holiday Season

by MO
The warmth of those inside,
and the chill that blows in
as each new face enters,
the din is comforting,
the aroma intoxicating,
drugging, somnolent.
Cheer and familiarity,
together, as no other time.
Family and friends,
one and the same,
as glasses clink and laughs
carry through the house.
That time of year.

London

by MB

Elegy: The Vacant Seat

by JO
Just an ordinary day
stunted by a grievous call.
At the foot of the hospital bed,
the family stands astonished.
He lays thoughtlessly,
unknowing of those who care.
His daily walk interrupted suddenly
as his breakfast goes cold, uneaten.
Waiting, watching, praying, hoping,
for a miracle that would never come.
Feelings needed to be concealed,
From the children.
Touching his weathered hands
and talking to his deaf ears.
A one-sided farewell.

And then a final breath.

The loving feeling within
when he came to see me play
is vacant like an empty seat
in the crowd.
But you never vanished from my heart.

Untitled

melon

by MB

Color Poem

by EH

Green are my mother’s forgiving eyes,

A jungle where the bugs can hide.

A peaceful and powerful, calming sound,

A pair of shoes that embrace the ground.

Green is the smell of laundry hung to dry,

Green are the leaves that reach for the sky.

Grass growing graciously, food in the wild.

A soft forgiving cushion for an oblivious child.

Monet’s emotions captured in paint,

Sculptures of ancient envious saints.

An innocent chalkboard, empty and bleak,

A noble cause and a need to speak.

Untitled

by AB