molten glass
morphing into
a solid state
yet transparent
reflecting colored
crystals
creating shadows
on windows
to tomorrow
***
Crystal Shadows
Category: transformation
The Aftermath
slate gray skies
devil winds swirling
as dying embers
seek new life
ash blankets
smoldering landscapes
where neighborhoods
once stood
silent in the toxic air
mute testimony
to the terror
that had been there
scorched bodies
of humans and animals
litter the hellscape
no birds in the air
nothing left
but despair
**
Memo to a Supreme Being
for the sake of humanity
bring us together in unity
we’re a troubled society
in desperate need of harmony
help us see
the absurdity
of denying diversity
so that we can live
together peacefully
***
Carp Diem
Whispers in the Wind
She stood silent and still
listening to the spirits on the hill
a beautiful young wiccan she
standing straight next to a tree
listening to lost souls from eternity
whispers that soon became a plea
begging her to be set free
she listened compassionately
but it wasn’t meant to be
her magic wasn’t strong enough
to set the tortured souls free
so she returned every night
listening to their stories sadly
standing beside an old oak tree
dreaming of the day
when she could set them all free
Little Red Riding Hood in the 21st Century
(184 words -Flash Fiction/Poetry)
They called her Little Red in Sedona, Arizona where crystal-gazers told the fortunes of tourists who came to see the famous red sandstone hills beauty, that explodes in orange and red splashes of brilliant colors when the sun rises, or sets.
Little Red was from the barrio on the wrong side of town, a collection of homeless people who gathered around, helping one another, like a sister and brother, to survive in a merciless economy of the 21st century…
The local homies who respected her gig of taking from the rich and giving it to the poor, had a good rapport with the Harley-riding Little Red who stayed ahead of the law gaining the awe of all the local gangs…
One day Little Red went to see her grandma who lived by the sea, to see if everything was the way it was supposed to be, when she discovered an anomaly that led her to believe an imposter was there to deceive…
Little Red hopped on her Harley and headed for open country determined to be free from the constraints of fairytales and history.
***
Seeking Serenity #1
when it comes to
seeking serenity
each one of us has
a choice to make
a path to take
sometimes serendipity
determines fate
on our trail
resulting in
an eternal
fairytale
Diary Reverie
the writer waited until he hit a century
before releasing the rights to his diary
while flipping through the pages one night
his still-active imagination took flight
and he was a young man again
as far as he could ascertain
and a young lady came near
and whispered in his ear
they went for a walk
and had a lovely talk
and
when the writer’s son
came to visit the next day
the old man had passed away
with a smile on his face
that showed
he was in a better place
School Of Hard Knocks
when I was growing up my grandfather use to say
that boy is going to find out everything the hard way
if he comes out of his childhood alive
there’s a damn good chance he’ll survive
I was an eager student of the School of Hard Knocks
my troubles were never pebbles they were always rocks
taking the least traveled pathway had a price
I come close to losing my life twice
there was never really a choice for me
I’ve always been on the verge of tragedy
but in these later days of my life
I look back and appreciate the strife
and accept my past and my destiny
whatever that happens to be
Winter Flower
The valley was a wintery tableau
buried beneath a carpet of freshly fallen snow
where a defiant flower bulb did silently grow
snugged in beneath the frozen ground
it didn’t wait for spring to come around
already emerging safe and sound
Flight
Icarus flew too close to the sun and his wings melted, but mankind’s desire to fly through the ages withstood mythologies warning. Tales of the old gods slipped into oblivion and were translated into technology… opening the door for new gods to worship.
All powerful Thoth, the Ibis God, gave way to airplanes and spaceships…the spawn of the transformation and worshipped by mortals who love flight. The natural world shifted and birds (god’s messengers) shared the skies with machines.
Mankind’s lust for flight takes each spaceship further into the cosmos in an endless search for the furthest limits of universes.
The Creative Chronicles of Dave Stancliff 