Waiting for the Earth to Turn

 

Crickets chirp,

The stars sit motionless

In the sky.

 

Glances at my watch

Are fruitless,

Never seeming to change.

 

Watching the horizon,

A slight glow

Slowly erupts.

 

The tip,

An edge of

The crescent moon!

 

The camera clicks,

Time speeds up,

The moon dramatically

Rises across a distant hill!

 

The clock slows again

As the earth slowly

Turns towards Venus.

 

Patience…patience…patience…

                                                                                6.25.22    3:20AM

Mountain Peaks

Mountain Peaks

 

Standing atop a mountain

Gazing at worlds below

Amazed at the heights climbed

The years it’s taken to arrive.

 

Mountains surround us

All of our own making

Rocks, cliffs and crags

Paths both easy and hard.

 

The trails sometimes steep

High and difficult to ascend

In places, smooth and flat

An easy stroll.

 

Slowly they stack up

One on top of another

Creating a pinnacle

Attainable by only you.

 

Comprised of dreams, memories

Fears, pride and emotion

Held together with a bond of Love.

Impervious to the weathers of life.

 

When my daughter was born

I saw a double rainbow

I thought I was on top of the world

Little did I know, I was only taking my first steps.

 

Looking down I see another

A mountain like mine, smaller

But growing quickly.

My daughters own mountain of emotions.

Nocturnal Conjunction

The lights are off

Curtains drawn

Except one window,

Five stories up.

 

Silhouetted in it

A man, hands in pockets.

The hotel room behind

Exposed by the light.

 

Watching cars below

On the overpass.

Post-midnight traffic

Rushing home to roost.

 

Contemplating his past

Or his future, perhaps

His children, or

Missing his wife.

 

I’m tempted to toot my horn

Or flash my lights

But he’s gone…passed by

Now, only a memory.

 

 

                                                     Phil Breidenbach

 

Anticipation

      Since the stores have all been closed and we have been asked to limit our travel, a lot of things have changed. Seeing friends and family, doing the things we all accept as normal. Chances are, that the way we live will be changed in more ways than one.

     While waiting out this event I've spent a lot of time thinking, recalling good times and adventures and one of the things I keep coming back to is looking forward to being able to visit bookstores and libraries again. They are a huge part of my life and I really am anticipating going back to them!

     I had written this back in 2017, back in the "good old days".  This can be interpreted in more ways than one...

 

 

Anticipation

 

    Taking a breath

I pull the door open

And enter

A world of words.

Different lands,

Altered realities,

Inner space and outer.

Happiness, sadness,

Romance, adventure,

Worlds unexplained.

 

Books and more books.

Arranged on edge

 
Held in place

By their neighbors.

Stacked one atop another,

Row after row,

Thick, thin,

Tall and short.

 

Running my hand

Along their spines,

I look for favored authors,

Beloved subjects,

Hunt for new titles.

Opening a book or two

Scanning the pages

I look for words

Which connect.

 

With luck a book

 

Will be sitting

On its’ shelf,

Waiting for me

To walk past

So it can jump out

And grab me!

 

Putting my hand on the door

I revel in the moment

The second before

I pull it open.

A moment of excitement,

Never knowing what

I’ll find inside.

 

 

                                                                    Phil Breidenbach     (2.11.2017)