RETURN OF THE SALAMANDER (photomorph) & SKITTERING (non-dream free verse poem) by Roswila

SKITTERING

one of those sweet little lizards ... ooops!
as my American Indian friend recently
informed me ... salamanders crosses my path,
skitter-waddling even faster off to the left
when it becomes aware of me ... ah, I always
recall you, Anne, when one of these tiny twig
brown creatures surprises me; in your love
of nature they were way at the forefront
of your caring and I would hope still are,
wherever you may be, still in assisted care
as your mind continues to skitter away in fits
and starts; and I wonder have you tried to write
poetry again in the years since I've last seen you,
our friendship obscured even before it was clear
you needed too much care to live independently
any longer; I sometimes think that had I realized
pieces of you were shearing off inside you, our
friendship might have survived a bit longer;
but all I saw were the shadows cast ahead of
your changes and took your angers personally,
and with a heavy dose of defensive puzzlement:
what did I do wrong? or with a sad and irritated
hurt: what is wrong with you? as I now stare after
this salamander, this shy reminder of the love you
have brought to this life, it quickly darts out
again and as suddenly scuttles back into the dark
bougainvillea shadows, as I finally accept, with
a bittersweet sigh, that we both did nothing less
and nothing more than be who we were


[non-dream free verse poem written 9-1-18. Photomorph "Return of the Salamander" (4-13-18 009v2) by Roswila]

PLEASE NOTE: in most browsers you can click on the above image for a larger version. Also, the photo accompanying a post is not necessarily meant to illustrate it, but to reflect some small, even slant aspect of the verse, similar to Japanese haiga (illustrated haiku).

There are many other sorts of posts on this blog. I indicate which are about or influenced by dreams. Some non dream focused posts are book reviews, "regular" poems (some by other writers), scifaiku, writing exercises, Tarot haiku, photos, haiga, and so on. However, most of those are in much older posts. There's a listing by month going back to early 2006, at the end of the sidebar.

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until next time, keep dreaming,

[a/k/a Patricia Kelly]
**** If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”). Roswila's other blog (dedicated to her photos only, i.e. no poetry or other writing; daily post); TRYING TO HOLD A BOX OF LIGHT.