Lost Haven

Lost Haven

Once there was a place, my solace, my haven

Where I went to write, to dream

Friendships blossomed, inspiration ignited

Seeking such comfort, I traveled there

Finding things out of place, disjointed

Feeling forlorn, melancholy

I walked the hallways, opened doors

Searching for familiar faces and places

Finding none.

Lost in nostalgia, wondering

Can lost havens ever be restored

A Robin and A Blue Jay

A robin and a blue jay
Both looking to start a nest
Searching high and low
For a tree that passed the test
The robin looked up, in awe at what he found
The trunk was solid, and leaves did abound
The blue jay spied that tree at just the same time
Hit the brakes fast and turned on a dime
The robin and the blue jay then began to squabble
And amidst all the commotion, that branch began to wobble
The branch then broke beneath their feet
Leaving those two birds to brawl in the street
So intent were they upon their fight
They gave no attention to the sudden light
Now that robin and that blue jay are no more
As a motorcar sent them to Heaven’s door
The tree that both did want to own
Is now the quiet sparrow’s home

by L.L. Shannon ©2011

Pretty Young Maid

Pretty young maid treads darkened wood
With blood red cape and matching hood
Malevolent eyes watch every skip
Sharp fangs and claws prepared to rip
Pretty young maid on a familiar trail
Seeming so tasty and oh so frail
A snarl, a growl, a scream, a leap
A whirlwind of motion, aground in a heap
Pretty young maid with hood of red
Raises the ax and kills the wolf dead
Year after year, always the same
‘Till she decided to change the game
Now the big bad wolf lays face down in the stream
The pretty young maid released from the dream
No more to travel that familiar path
At the mercy of the wolf’s deadly wrath
Pretty young maid adjusts cloak and hood
And happily skips deeper into the wood

by L.L. Shannon ©2011

Dog Days

Beware when Sirius draws nigh
Before the sun has graced the sky
Reason and logic can not be found
Madness and mayhem do abound
In sacrifice, fresh blood they do shed
Allaying fears, fighting off dread
On bended  knee, hands clasped tight
Seeking deliverance from their plight
Lips whispering  a fervent prayer
“Oh please God, are you there?”
The world lies covered in murky haze
Beware! One and all, these dark Dog Days

by L.L. Shannon ©2010

Pathways

The branches of the trees of yesterday
Hang low, heavy with fruit
Sown of heartache and tears
Ripened with laughter, love and smiles
Devouring the path of what was
With roots of regret and the limbs
Of what could have been

The yet empty vines of tomorrow
Twist and turn and grow
Needing nourishment and care
To call forth the blossoms of promise
And the flowers of hope
Careful pruning is yet required
To clear the path to what will be

Standing upon the path between
Within the heartbeat of now
Without watering can, pruning shears
Or nutrients to give the earth
I harvest the trees of yesterday
Biting deep into the core
Tasting the bitter seeds of teardrops


Leaving me paralyzed on the path of what it is

by L. L. Shannon ©2009

Spinning

This way today, that way tomorrow
Shifting sand twists and turns
Spinning me round, leaving me dizzy
Clarity while traveling round
Impossible

This way today, that way tomorrow
Each revolution stabs my heart
Leaving wounds, open and bleeding
Healing while under attack
Hopeless

This way today, that way tomorrow
Merry-go-round of confusion
Enervates my soul, exhausts my spirit
Resting within a whirlpool
Ineffectual

by L.L. Shannon ©2009

Mermaid Dreams

The sun dips to kiss the ocean’s lips
Amongst the fire raining down from the sky
A maiden stands safely on the shoreline
Rooted in the shifting sand
Tempted to join the dance
A smile takes form and longing breathes
The moon  gently caresses the sea
Displacing its rival, the sun
Sighs of pleasure raise the tide
Wetting the feet upon the beach
Solemn eyes observe receding waves
Unfulfilled wishes scar the soul
A solitary silhouette forevermore
A landlocked lass with mermaid dreams

by L.L. Shannon ©2009

Terminal Life

A newborn’s first cry, initial breath
Miracle of life in concrete form
From that moment, the dying begins
Each milestone, celebrated
One step closer to inevitability
With every step, a living cell dies
Never to be reborn
Hold tight to each smile
No matter how brief
Live life’s laughter
Love deeply and often
Grieve each loss as it comes
Cherish each tear it brings
For they cleanse the soul
Revive the heart
For better things to come
Bask in sunshine, dance in the rain
Relish this terminal life
So when the last breath escapes
And angels inquire
What was the best thing of living?
There will be so much, so very much
It will take eternity to answer

by L.L. Shannon ©2009

Mortal Combat

Moon and stars transcending
Dawn breaks upon blue sky
Offering an illusion
Smiles waiting, laughter aloft
Dark clouds lurk, smirking
Raindrops drench parched earth
Complicating each footfall
Delicate step after another
Entrenches one further, deeper
Until trapped, cornered
Changing landscapes mislead
Distorting paths of escape
Desperation drips like sweat
Thoughts converge, entwine, tangle
Suffocating hope’s spark
When darkness again arrives
No light dwells within
Past demons make ready
Old weapons proven viable
New tortures armed, tested
Armor damaged, the heart lies vulnerable
Bloody battles ensue, everlasting
Shields rise up, are knocked aside
Salvation heard, slow, steady
A heartbeat yet remains

by L.L. Shannon ©2008

A Copper Kettle

A copper kettle sits upon the stove
Dented, scorched and scratched
Kept clean and free of tarnish
Seeming out of place, unimportant

It holds the echoes of yesterday
Hushed conversations of lovers
Whispers of worry and fear
Sweet laughter of children

The scorched base reminders
Of lives lived and loves lost
Every scratch a heartbeat
Each dent a teardrop

The copper kettle sits upon the stove
Holding forgotten dreams and
Conversations lost to time
Safely keeping the heartbeats of yesterday

by L.L. Shannon ©2008

Go

Go
The word a whisper, carried on the wind
Breaking my heart, scarring my soul
One word spoken within myself
Laying bare the truth I’d denied
Having done all I could
Given everything I had
Love’s last breath escapes
As the wind whispers again
Go

by L.L. Shannon ©2008

A Nonexistent Heart

Fine mists cover everything now
All I touch, all I see
Even my emotions seem dreamlike
Hovering on the brink of reality
Until I see you
Walking with quick steps
head down against the wind
In the doorway of our café
you stop, look ‘round
When your eyes light up
that smile breaks upon your face
I think you’ve seen me
as impossible as it could be
For a second, the fog lifts
Clarity returns to my world
With it I see the truth
The one I had denied
As she stops before you
you caress her cheek
touch your lips to hers
That emotion I’d felt missing
the one I’d yearned to see
reflected in your azure eyes
now shines brighter than the sun
Yet not for me, no never for me
No tears will fall nor heart break
for I am but a spirit now
Who gave up the next plane
choosing to remain with you
and now faces eternal oblivion
with the pain of a nonexistent heart

by L.L. Shannon ©2008

When She Cries

I can hear her crying in her room upstairs.
I want to go to her
Comfort her
Tell her that everything will be all right.
But there are no words for me to say
None I would believe myself.
How can I tell her it will get better
When every day
Life seems to bring some new crisis?
Some new unsolvable problem to the door.
I want to tell her
That this is not the end of the world,
This is a small thing,
But I know
In her child's view of the world
That is not true.
This is the biggest thing,
The only thing to her.
I want to tell her
I know how to fix it
How to make it go away,
Make it better.
I know she believes
I should be able to do this.
But there is nothing.
No great epiphany is forthcoming.
I can hear her crying in her room upstairs.
I am crying with her, for her.
My heart bleeds.
In the end, I go to her
I offer the only comfort I am able.
I lie down beside her,
Hold her close as she cries.
I say nothing,
There are no words
To convey what I feel.
I offer what I have,
My love,
My nearness
Most of all,
My strength.
And I pray
That it is enough.

by L.L. Shannon ©2008