An eclipse of another sort

Eclipse

I hide behind you to cover
my shyness. Unless I meet
a kindred spirit, and then,
I blossom as a new rose
in summer’s rain. You hide behind me
to cover insecurities, forgetfulness, and
loneliness. We shade each other from life’s
brightness, rage, and horror; protected,
safe.
© Catherine Woods 2017

A door opens and what's on the other side

Today I found something I wasn't expecting.

A Door 

Today I took a photo of a gate into a cemetery. I walked
through it unaffected, unexpected. Seeing more than headstones,
I continued walking past Chinese, Greek, and Cyrillic characters,
past benches, past cannons, past fountains, past guns. Past soldiers
graves, I spied a tank being cleaned.

Today I walked through a cemetery and thought of my father,
interred in another cemetery 16 kilometers to the west, and
gave him what he deserved,
my forgiveness and my love.

© Catherine Woods 2017

Visiting Yorkville

Yorkville was the home of folk musicians and the crunchy granola crowd in the 60s and 70s. Now it full of trendy expensive clothing stores and youngsters playing Pokemon. But I found my muse there.

I Found My Muse in Yorkville

She was sitting on the corner of Yorkville and Hazelton,
waiting for me to find a geocache nearby,
hoping I’d open my mind to the possibilities of longing,
wishing I’d be here at this moment to witness a miracle.
But I have to be patient (so not a trait I’m really good at),
so I’ll keep waiting for the peace of ideas,
for the calmness of existence,
for the future of many tomorrows
that I will see
  eyes open,
  heart beating,
  welcoming my muse
  to speak through me.


© Catherine Woods 2017

An exercise in removal

1. Take something timeless.
2. Remove bits here and there.
3. Present.

Summer Fragment

From Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare

A summer's day,
more lovely and more darling.  May
summer's all shine often,
every chance changing course.
Eternal summer fade or lose or wander
in eternal time. So breathe or
see lives live life.


© Catherine Woods 2017