Morning

Morning sun awakening-

Colorful ribbons stretching

     languorously across the sky-

Cries to me, “Rise!”

It is a brand-new day

    half asleep and laden with dew,

   pregnant with all the hope

   and apprehension that the

   unknown, unproved can hold.

I do rise-

    and through eyes open, expectant,

   contemplating the lushness that life can bring,

I pay homage to the sun-

   it’s arms all encompassing

   growing wider and wider-

   colors fading into each other

    becoming white and far reaching,

   drawing shadows on the ground.

Beyond-

    lies the highway, hard and gray

    neither guilty nor innocent,

It just is-

   and it can take you

   or lose you

    but you will go

  along with all the other cars and trucks

  their headlights now going off

The sun illuminates the way

   as they embark on their various

adventures and destinies.

I breathe deep

  becoming the moment,

    absorbing the lightness,

   unreachable and brilliant.

To The Grandiose Shopkeeper

you killed our heart.

you took away the light and the sunshine

and replaced it with gray smoke and ash.

you took away the clean fresh air

and replaced it with face mask and toxic gas.

you took away the open green prairies

and replaced it with ugly pipe and crude.

you took away our sense of security and confidence

and replaced it with fear mongering, isolation and a wall

you took away our democratic press

and gave us red herrings and “fake news”.

you try to silence those of us who dare to speak

by belittling us, ignoring us and threatening us.

but we will not be silenced.

WE WILL BE HEARD.

you took away our respect, our dignity, our self-worth, our place in the world

and you replaced it with instability, insecurity, fear, shame and constant derogatory

quips on ‘twitter’.

you stomp your feet and expect to get your way.

it doesn’t work for toddlers.

why should it work for you?

and when you don’t get your way

you make false promises of

good healthcare FOR ALL,

better education FOR ALL,

jobs FOR ALL,

clean water FOR ALL,

security FOR ALL

in an effort to cajole us

though you nor your cronies

have ever been

HUNGRY

HOMELESS

IMPOVERISHED

SEGRAGATED

BROKEN.

yet you expect us to ‘believe you’.

that poses the question-

“How can so few with so very much effectively govern

so many with so very little?”

you may try to kill our heart

BUT YOU CAN NOT,

WILL NOT

BREAK OUR SPIRIT.

K. Leslie

FUGLY

    Eyes-
         once illuminated, vivacious,
         smiling capriciously at the world,
         seeing eagles where only sparrows fly,
         watching the sunshine dance
         even on the grayest of days.
    Eyes-
         now dim, milky white and questioning.

    Ears-
         once alert taking in every snap,
         every crunch, every "what's that?" sound,
         once curiously listening to every
         dog bark and child laugh beyond the window,
         intently listening to my off-key singing
         as if I was Adele.
    Ears-
         now lay flat, clothed in quiet though
         straining to hear echoes from the past.

    Legs-
         that once chased squirrels up trees
         and birds that would never be caught,
         that once walked miles by my side
         through woods, fields, neighborhoods
         that once danced around the kitchen
         with me and the radio.
    Legs-
          now wobbly, weak, chasing imaginary foes only in dreams.

    Little furry body-
         once wagged ferociously at the sound
         of keys and leashes and the word "go",
         once barking in bouts of ecstasy at the
         sound of the can opener
         or stretched out across my bed and
         taking up more real-estate than myself,
         greeting me at the door and jumping around so much
         I could barely get through.
    Little furry body-
         so many stories to tell, so many miles traveled,
         so much life, so much love.

    Eyes, ears, legs, body-little dog
         my best dance partner
         my travel buddy
         my companion
         my joy.

This photo (baby Fugly)

Top photo (older Fugly)