Shocked?
No. I was shocked in 2016.

Fearful?
Yes. But not enough to neglect the truth.

Angered?
Absolutely not. Anger comes after fear and before regret.

I am in mourning, and disappointed.

But less today than yesterday.

And much more driven than yesterday, too.

A poet cannot pretend to unhear
what cries out from the soul.

On the stage, Igraine danced with wild abandon to the music in the great Hall
at the dance's finish, a cup of wine gotten, she sat with Gorlois, her loveless mate.
Uther Pendragon and Merlin came invited to rest at their table, to share in the time
Uther, instantly smitten by lust's bite for Igraine, alas, her man he came to hate!

It all began with one small sip, a taste of liquid courage,
I never thought one beer would be enough to budge my conscience.
One led to two, two led to three, my inhibition slowly slipping,
My sense of right and wrong, my judgment no longer gripping.

I stumbled out of the bar, my steps unsteady and unsure,
The night air cold and crisp, my mind still reeling from the lure.
With each step, the world swirled, a dizzying dance of fate,
In a haze of false bravado, I found myself at the gate.

I ran up the pier in the nude
with a delinquent attitude.
Whipped it out just to whittle
on sunday afternoon!

Then lept off of the end,
with my back to the wind.
In front of an old
fishing boat crew.

The hands on the boat
had not a clue.
They called for the
beach patrol too!

I capsized their dingy,
with a clumbsy leap.
I swam to the shore
and left without any adieu!

Eyes glowing red, he lives not under your bed,
the taunting voice within your head.
A shadow of a man haunting your dreams,
twisting reality until it isn't what it seems.

He's around every corner, lying in wait.
Every breath he breathes, filled with hate.
The demon is alive and on the streets,
disguised as a worthy lover between the sheets.

only just began early today
November 6th, 2024,
when my eyes frightfully espied
glaring headlines bespoke horror
swiftly tailored, harried styled
conjured, portended and yielded
worse fate than being gratefully dead
after the polls tallied up the votes
beaming none other than
pudgy hugely crass blimp
as the forty seventh septuagenarian president
of the United States of America.

In shadows deep where heartbeats fade,
I wandered lost, my spirit frayed.
No reason given, just silent goodbye,
In the echo of love, I learned to cry.

The weight of memories, a heavy shroud,
In the haze of smoke, I screamed out loud.
Strong beer to drown the tears that fell,
In dark corners, I waged my hell.

Dax’s words whispered, a haunting refrain,
Through the chaos and sorrow, I embraced the pain.
I deleted the past, each photo erased,
Burned his hoodie, felt freedom’s taste.

Giant thunderheads
formed over the open plains.
Rain fell, throughout the night.
Lightning struck
in the distant sky.
Rolling thunder,
called like a distant drum,
throughout the humid
Oklahoma night.
Dad sat there so thoughtfully,
knowing how it all began.
Moisture in the southern winds
met with a cold icy northern breeze.
Hail and sleet fell
we sat there humbly
looking on.
Wondering when
it all would cease.
Morning, came with
an azure sky.
The raging storm

A mother’s heart,
In pieces,
All hope gone.

Quietly she sits,
Reminiscing
On the day it all went wrong.

Heart-crushing words,
Unthinkable—
Her whole world torn apart,

As the doctor said,
Apologetic,
“We can’t hear the heart.”

Completely numb,
Bewildered,
She sits with a blank stare,

In total denial,
Refusing
To face her deepest fear

She cried out loud,
Unyielding,
As pain consumed her soul,

I was hanging out at Joe's
thought I'd grab myself a beer.
When I heard the ruckus.
I thought, How'd she find me here?

I wasn't going to stay too long,
I just wanted to relax.
Have a beer with my mates,
but here comes that battle-axe.

I didn't have one swallow,
it was just a little sip.
There was barely any evidence,
naught but foam upon my lip.

She screamed obscenities
like a preacher cursing lies,
rough language from her mouth,
there was fire in her eyes.