The Empty Bed – Tanka

I blink and you’re gone

Half our bed is crisp and cold

Empty like my heart

Broken by my one true love

Destined to wander alone

~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~

Make it a Double

Smell of cigarettes,

Stale beer stains,

Threadbare carpet,

Old men,

Hunched over mahogany,

Varnish long faded,

Years of harsh use,

Stained glass,

Discolored by smokey haze,

Dirty ashtrays,

Artwork for the nicotine addicted,

Spilled whiskey,

Tears,

Young men,

Worn beyond their years,

Chasing elder dreams,

Following their path,

Door to stool and back,

Work feeds addiction,

Paycheck to paycheck,

All to payoff the devil,

Memories of yesterday,

Expunged by today,

Innocuous when numb,

Hey bartender…

Make it a double!

 

~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~

Spider’s Web

I gave you everything,

Heart,

Soul,

All that you asked,

You played coy,

Feeding my appetite for love,

With promises and feigned passion,

Luring me into your web,

Wrapping me in a silky cocoon,

Warm and safe,

Nestled in you arms,

A deceitful security,

If only I had not been so blind,

I would have recognized your fangs,

Impaling me to numbness,

Helpless and oblivious,

Under your anesthetic poison,

I waited trembling,

For you to squander all that I am,

Weakened by the deluge,

Blood and spirit abate,

Eyes flutter and roll,

Your beauty,

First limpid, fades to black,

The nothingness that is your soul,

Emptied,

You discarded my hollowed husk,

Leaving me to crumble,

And scatter to the four winds.

~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~

Wrong Number – Haiku

Image Credit: clevelandmovieblog.com

Image Credit: clevelandmovieblog.com

The telephone rings

A friend calls to meet for lunch?

Sorry, wrong number

~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~

Envy

Oh!, envious obsession,

One of seven deadly sins,

Lust for another’s possessions,

Breeds avarice and contempt,

All to what end?

A life of misery,

Constant sadness and dissatisfaction,

Hate, an unquenchable longing,

Reprehensible to a life so succinct,

Cherish the gifts bestowed,

Rejoice in nature,

The heavens,

In family,

For nothing is of greater import,

Earthly possessions are but temporary,

Absconded or lost in passing,

Leaving a desirous heart,

Empty and alone in what lies,

In the hereafter.

 

~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~

Sins of the Father – Haiku

Image Credit: reasons.org

Image Credit: reasons.org

Sins of the father

Son cast into the world

Misfortune sustained

~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~

Life on the Off-ramp

Hot summer days,

A/C blasting cold and refreshing,

Music blaring from the car radio,

Cardboard signs,

“Will work for food”,

Litter the freeway off-ramps,

Held by vagrants and transients,

Dirty and broken,

Looking for food,

Looking for a better life,

Hoping to survive another day,

You pass by averting your eyes,

Pretending…no wishing they were not there,

Not because of sadness for their condition,

But out of deep seated embarrassment,

Red faced by lack of action,

Of compassion,

Of sympathy,

Seeing them as less than human,

A drain on society,

Would some spare change put you out,

Not likely,

But then you would have to face reality.

~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~

Say Goodbye – Haiku

Image Credit: toptenz.com

Image Credit: toptenz.com

Tears redden blue eyes

Burning pools sting from the lose

Time to say goodbye

~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~

Welcome Spring

Image Credit: fanpop.com

Image Credit: fanpop.com

Welcome sight the breath of spring,

Air so clear, air so clean,

Though we claim the cloudless sky,

It floats away regardless how we try.

From Heaven above to earth below,

We only see what Mother Nature will show.

She plays on emotion- the sun so warm and bright,

Sinks below horizon- we hold with all our might.

To no avail we say goodbye to the day,

Not to have it any other way,

Tomorrow will come and a new day will dawn,

Today is here and yesterday is gone,

Sun comes up as it always has done,

The birds will awake and greet us with song,

Renewal of soul does their singing bring,

As we welcome in a breath of spring.

~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~

Trapped

Trapped,

Caught between the here and the hereafter,

Struggling for balance,

One that never comes,

Placating beings unseen,

In hopes of eternity,

Uncertain of belief or disbelief,

Wanting to live for today,

Distressed over what’s after tomorrow,

Something out of grasp,

Held back, but from what,

Myth, legend, some grand fairy tale,

Trapped between faith and science,

Trapped until I reach tomorrow.

 

~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~