Frances Pelletier
Creating Art in Sturgeon County
Poetry
You are welcome to read some of the poetry I have written. It is my own, and I would kindly ask you not to reproduce it. Thank you, and enjoy!
MIRRORS Leaves, like mirrors, on the ground Reflect the light from all around Lighting the path I travel on Sunlit, the trees, I walk among Lift my spirits high like them Leaves will flutter and descend Or rest among the branches here Drop on the path as I walk near
NATURE'S DOORWAY Nature's doorway invites me in Directing me where I haven't been The pathway marked with fallen leaves Branches sway gently in the breeze Urging me on to discover where Another hiding place is near Some time alone perhaps I'll find Where I can rest and clear my mind
LEAF A leaf falls softly from the tree and lands On leaves that did, perchance, land before it Trees whisper to each other all day long How sad for leaves to fall just as they turn Such flaming reds and colorful yellows Enjoy the show of multicolored leaved For soon enough they'll cover up your path
I ALMOST CALLED YOU TODAY I almost called you today Just to say I'd drop by A moment of realization You won't ever be there again How could I have missed it? Cancelled cards and phones Empty house. We finally leave our shoes on I wish I could call you today To say the house is taken care of You probably know this Walls painted, floors sanded Just how you would do it They'll be happy there for years Just like you were
AT REST A crisp morning Steam from my coffee Clear blue sky Distant noise, far away Here are calm trees Rooster crows, dog barks Stubble fields Cat brushes against my leg, meow Soft chair So many colors Birds are silent Except for crows, cawing noisily Haze of field dust on the horizon Treeline slimming, gold leaves falling Soon a blanket of snow will cover all But not yet Sit and breath in the air Breath
THE ULTIMATE GAME The grass is littered, gray and black and white A game board waiting, not all the pieces here Players wait while others slowly join them There are no rules, this game is sometimes cruel The stakes are high but all will play this game I walk among the tombstones, reading as I go There are stories here, poems, books, diaries not done, not told, not read before now I feel priveledged to meet these souls that rest here Get to know my neighbors before I join them
SLEEPLESS As a butterfly escapes the net Sleep evades me My dreams unsettle me, what I remember of them Fleeting whispers of inspiration Gone, like leaves in the breeze Moments of brilliance Lost in the bramble of my mind These branches scrape my eyes And bruise and swell my lips To be rid of them And in their place, a quiet void To be filled with dancing lights and calming waves Harsh branches softened by the tides of my peaceful mind
GETTING OLD My skin is paper thin A mind, once razor sharp, has dulled Legs, once so strong, no longer carry me I shuffle daily from room to room Better days bring visitors Or an excursion away from home Every stone or ledge holds doom A strong arm, there to guide me now Days go by, friends all gone now No chatter over coffee Support and love from family Sustains me for now
THE WELCOME I walk so quiet, down the path I go It zigs and zags, I wander to and fro I'm in stealth mode, no one can see me now No breeze to rustle leaves, so still they lie The trees, their branches welcome me with open arms Blue sky tinted with gray and clouds that slowly move about The sun peaks through and brings some extra warmth Pathway shines and leaves are brighter still A flash of red amongst the yellow and brown
EMPTY I am empty and hollow like a discarded tin can Words echo inside the emptiness A cold wind might move me Warm rain can gently fill the void Caring hands can lift me Shelved, but safe