Eternal Rest

Claude Buck, Edgar Allan Poe, ca. 1915, pen and ink, ink wash and charcoal on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Claude Buck, 1983.46.4

The secrets that you once concealed 
Stuffed under lid so tightly sealed 
Pried open by another
Tactfully hid from our grandmother
Where did you go when you departed?
Leaving your widow so broken-hearted
Restless was your soul presumed
Unexplained sounds came from your old room
Sightings of you at the edge of the bed
Overnight guests quickly fled
Were you meant to reflect on your transgressions?
Reveal to the universe your confessions?
Your troubled spirit stirred earthbound 
For years until all turned around
As you fell silent when she died
Were you simply waiting for your bride?
Did she join you in the afterworld?
Were all your secrets there unfurled?
I pray to God that she may lie
Forever with unopened eye
Unless forgiveness there be known
Through penitence you have shown
In any case that she’ll be blessed 
With well deserved eternal rest

For dVerse Prosery hosted by Melissa Lemay. Melissa prompts us to “[w]rite a piece of Prosery of up to or exactly 144 words” incorporating the lines: “I pray to God that she may lie Forever with unopened eye” from Edgar Alan Poe’s “Sleeper”.

More of a poem than prose, but this is what surfaced… 😏

Snakes In a Tree

A favorite walk over a wetland at a local nature preserve.

It appears a trio of black rat snakes are collecting bridge tolls.


Out on a lark
A walk in the park
Snakes in a tree
How many there be
Perhaps they are a close family

Terri’s Sunday Stills: Great #Outdoors

Blue Bliss

Plunged into the depths 
Engulfed in deep ocean blue 
Free-floating bliss 

Panic creeps in 
Impelling a rise to the surface 

Emergence from the abyss 
Optimistic reach for the sky 
Azure euphoria

RDP Sunday: rise hosted by drkottaway

Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge – Blue by Sue W & Gerry C

Seated Among Trees

City, park or forest
makes no difference to me;
so long as I can seat myself
in close proximity 
to any lovely tree.
Most appreciated
on a day that’s summery.

Moonwashed Weekly Prompt – Summery

Pull Up a Seat 2024 – Week 22

Blooming Heart

Hydrangea 

Cotton candy dreams
Rest on delicate petals 
Delighted heart blooms

SeasonWords haiku invitation – Week 22 by Mark S.

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge (FOTD)

Retribution

With all her love she so adores
In exchange
His love is feigned
He appears to be onboard
His behavior quite untoward
Her reputation stained
He remains “unchained”
Despite her love forth poured

Unrequited love turns to hate
Obsessive thoughts of retribution
He is oblivious to her disdain
Determined to seal his fate
He offers her no solution
She reciprocates the pain

W3 Prompt #109: Wea’ve Written Weekly poet of the week, Mich, prompts us to compose a modified Italian sonnet on the theme of unrequited love.

Featured image generated by Bing.

Northern Cardinal Family

A common bird in the eastern half of the United States and Mexico. A non-migrating species so revered for its year-round vibrant red that it is honored as the state bird in seven different states, including North Carolina. I find the females to be quite lovely as well. She is also unique in that she is one of the few female North American songbirds that sing.

Male Cardinal
Female Cardinal
Juvenile Cardinal

I. J.’s Birds of the Week Invitation LXVI

A Kimo (Clouds)

High humidity threatens disturbance
Distant rumbles of thunder
Fine weather cloud covered

Colleen’s 24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge, No. 36, 5/28/24

Delusion in Darkness

Truth is hidden in darkness
Buried under layers of should bes and what ifs
Distorted by human perspectives
Stifled by fear
Smothered by ego
Truth exists as the brightest light
It has no agenda
Where there’s no light in darkness
Truth is mere delusion

d’Verse Quadrille #202: Hello Darkness, hosted by Punam.

Native Wildflowers

Virginia Spiderwort
Purple Thistle
Common Ninebark
Pickerelweed

For LENS-ARTISTS CHALLENGE #301 – FLORAL hosted by Sofia, I chose flowers native to the eastern United States. It is surprising how many of the “wildflowers” I photograph are not native to my area. Many state and county parks are working to eradicate invasive species and reintroduce native foliage.