Late at Night

time’s passage has become
much harder to keep track of
without a clock that ticks
liz bennefeld
18 July 2021

April Odds & Ends

too many dreams and
so little time to follow
any to its end

if they don’t bathe in sunlight
daffodils will never bloom

lying on the sand
looking up at Ocean’s mirror
the rain dropping through
brief remnants of the daylight and
their echoes—the stars and the moons

TV noise …
I saw it before
Star Trek reruns eternally

Poems in addition to the ones assigned to April days. Still looking through text files for poems I may have missed along the way.

Liz

Starting Over | NaPoWriMo Day 28

new plants grow
from ancient seed
feelings aren’t forever

back to the roots
I never knew
growing up again

Just in Time | #NaPoWriMo Day 26

Goldilocks time
the second between dusk and night
when the stars come on

Rain on the Flowers | #NaPoWriMo Day 25

camera in hand
soon after the day begins…
tulips and raindrops
Copyright © 2021-04-25, by Elizabeth Bennefeld.

Looking West at Evening | #NaPoWriMo Day 24

waiting for the geese to fly overhead
dreams of going home
© Elizabeth Bennefeld, April 2021.

As night falls | #NaPoWriMo Day 23

time grows short
shadows stretch to night
wee mice play
Liz Bennefeld,
Copyright 2021-04-25

April to May – NaPoWriMo Day 22

“A Path to Summer”

At the edge of winter
Promises of spring flowers and
Rising temperatures with sunshine,
Ice hangs from the eaves and
Lies in wait, nearly invisible
————-still, that
Makes the daily walk to the mailbox
An exciting dance of life or death
Yet a welcome break in the routine

Photo by Izzy Park on Unsplash

Transformed – NaPoWriMo Day 21

Truth
Reappears
As the days and hours flow
Night and daylight blend
Sunlight bows to moonlight
Flowers bloom in my imagination
Only to transform themselves
Rest for a time again
Melding reality with impossibilities
All has become new and beautiful
Tied together by love
I rejoice with this new world
Once a barren, endless plain
Now filled with possibilities

Image by Bessi from Pixabay

Sound Barriers – NaPoWriMo Day 20

sometimes life becomes
a bit too full of people
walls, motion, wind, light

hours feel like mere minutes
words turn into jumbled noise

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

Tempted – NaPoWriMo Day 19

clear skies and sunshine
beckon those indoors to come
and play in the grass
meanwhile in growing shadows
water drops appear and freeze

May Day – NaPoWriMo Day 18

rain in the morning
snowfall starts at afternoon
sunshine at evening
water for the thirsty plants
next comes warmth for May Day blooms

Winter Storm Day – NaPoWriMo Day 17

rain, snow, and bluster
promise of a quiet day…
warm and cozy bed
surrounded by my pillows
piles of books and lots of tea

Image by kristamonique from Pixabay

Day’s Beginning – NaPoWriMo Day 16

morning’s aroma
the first sip of breakfast tea
a toast to the sun

Childhood Memories – NaPoWriMo Day 15

the sounds of childhood
uplifting music filled our home
Mom and Dad singing
of their desire, joy, and love…
their duet became a choir

Frozen Dew – NaPoWriMo Day 14

bunnies and sunshine
a mix-up of the seasons
winter in the spring
snow blankets on the tulips
frozen dewdrops on new grass

Sounds Surround Me – NaPoWriMo Day 13

distant sounds echo
police car sirens fleeing…
snowflakes come to rest

my puppy snores and resettles
birds sing their morning psalms

Image by myungho lee from Pixabay

Heart’s ease

apothecary roses
gift beauty to my eyes
and quiet to my soul
Copyright © Lizl Bennefeld, 2021-04-10.

Image by Suzanne Catty from Pixabay

Wednesday Thoughts – NaPoWriMo Day 7

“Serenity”

Stillness
Echoes loudly
Rousing the night
Eagerness and
Nostalgia come
In memories …
The passing of the
Years

flowers among
green grass and new snow
a fresh start

“Easter Basket”

alien eggs
waiting for their hatching…
decades to go

pollen and butterfly eggs
new generations
promises of
forever

open faces
looking toward the sun,
the flowers and me

green grass and tulip flowers
spiderwebs in morning’s dew
migrating birds
lovely day

So many years ago…

what were those hours and minutes
when measured against decades
of a long life well and fully lived?

a smile, briefly known and always loved,
the joy of songs and sighs and laughter
faded now in the vacuum left behind,
short-lived breeze that warmed,
then cooled again

the absence of your touch…
your lips remembered always
as soft whispers on my neck

Photo by Saksham Gangwar on Unsplash

Saturday afternoon thoughts

tulips emerging from beneath autumn's fallen leaves — Tulips in March, 2021-03-25

winter’s end
watching for springtime
new tulips

sentries on alert
crows in the highest branches
sunrise gathering

long-neglected bricks
melting ice and acid moss
useless…thrown away

people die, cities moulder
all will vanish in the dust

unopened books
left to gather dust
or burn for heat
how does one build the future
as all knowledge dies in flames

faces and voices
people that I’ll never touch
people whom I love

feelings never recognized
fill my mind and heart with light

bitter winds rage
cold ground beneath my feet
just beyond the door
orange tulips trust the spring
to make way for fragrant flowers

The cold outside

cold fog and drizzle
standing water turns to ice
one more cup of tea

a distant dog keeps barking
just outside a closed door

Thursday morning thoughts

tulip shoots
covered with spring snow
cold blankets

fragile leaves
still cling to their twigs
icy rain

autumn grass
covered with new snow
spring thaw

sight of morning leaves
with unexpected snowflakes
one more cup of tea

spring’s promise
pending due to winds and snow
seed packets

haiku sans pictures
no paper, ink, or photos
no haiga today

years after her death
i do not write of mother
lest she proof my lines

Tired

wake to morning’s light
sadness visits every life
get up…move along

sorrow outlasts victory
life’s poems always end
Copyright © 2021-01-28, by Lizl Bennefeld.

Image by Jim Semonik from Pixabay

why would you weep?

side by side
their urns and ashes
not long parted
they are not in the ground
they’ve moved on to forever

the gravestones
memories of happy times
and also grief
the joy of resurrection
their never–ending love

Celebrating the anniversary of Father’s birthday on Saturday. He would have turned 104. He thought that 100 years was overly long. I wonder, you two, if you still do something special together on the Special Days. Dinner and dancing with friends? Just curious…

When peace…

far distant lights
gathering peace among the stars
snowflakes on the wind

Changing seasons

dawn’s soft colors
shades and shadows on the path
falling leaves
Copyright 2020-12-09, by Lizl Bennefeld.

Image by chunli chen from Pixabay

Waiting for the train — Poem a Day — 29 November 2020 Rev.

Image (altered) by Jeffrey Robb from Pixabay

The poem that I wrote, this morning between 2:30 and close to 4:00 o’clock, is still in its first draft.

The dogs woke me up just after two o’clock,
Climbing out of bed to sleep on the floor
I can hear the wind gusts rattle windows
And on the other side of town
The Empire Builder’s whistle blow

I remember when I lived down near the tracks,
Fifty years or more ago, sitting on a bench
With Charles D–, waiting for his train…

A bit of the flavor, anyhow. Remembering the late 1960s and solitary men waiting for the night train in the upper Midwest, headed for Seattle. Lot of work yet to do on it. The first draft goes on for two or maybe three or four more stanzas. Putting it aside to revise/rewrite during the winter. Maybe get a night photo of the actual train depot, if it’s still there. I haven’t gotten to that area on foot for a couple decades.

After the winter — Poem a Day — 30 November 2020

even in death
flowers speak of life
root and seed
sleeping through winter
new petals at spring

Waiting for the train — Poem a Day — 29 November 2020

The poem that I wrote, this morning between 2:30 and close to 4:00 o’clock, is still in its first draft. UNDER REVISION.

Putting this one aside to revise/rewrite during the winter. Maybe get a night photo of the actual train depot, if it’s still there. I haven’t gotten to that area on foot for a couple decades.

Poem a Day – 13 November 2020

On Ice. Copyright © 2019-11-13, by Lizl Bennefeld. All rights reserved.

ephemeral

fleeting beauty
amid and part of autumn
melting ice
dry leaves
curves
veins
shadows
sunlight

Quiet Spaces

The Written Word at Home

poem