Lyrics and Melody

Lyrics and Melody 
by Lori Lipsky

Rich lyrics
marry striking melody

United, they
entice
    persuade
       strike with power to

convince the one
who wears headphones

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Thanks for stopping by the patio.

Lori

The Widow

The Widow by Lori Lipsky 

The two hold hands 
Each evening 
As they stroll 
By her home 

From her kitchen window 
She sees them pass 
And remembers
A better time 

******* 
~published by Sparkbright Magazine,issue 7, December, 2011



photo credit: iStockphoto, Don Bayley

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Do you have a widow in your life?  

 

Devotion

Devotion 

Devotion is
better measured
by time
than enthusiasm

*******

Lori Lipsky

photo credit: Santino Ambrogio, istockphoto

The Colosseum in Rome: Corroded Counsel

Corroded Counsel by Lori Lipsky

We suffered the queue for two hot hours
In shade near the underbelly of Rome’s
Great Colosseum
To pay and climb steps up and higher
In order to view the rotted and decayed remains
Of a site that was once both
Grand and grotesque

Privileged at last to stand on that platform
Near fellow beings of centuries ago
Who shouted and cheered against sufferers
As a mob of frenzied haters
I wondered how a populace grew
So merciless and cruel— it seemed
Unthinkable such events could occur

But the putrefaction
Of the Colosseum innards
Shouts to us its silent warning
Be kind, be kind

~published by The Penwood Review, fall 2011, volume 15, number 2

photo credits: Colosseum interior from istockphoto

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Notes: The final destination of our August 2010 family vacation was Rome, Italy. My biggest surprise of the Mediterranean trip was how much I loved Rome. Everywhere you look, the ancient and modern co-exist. Fascinating.

Standing inside the Colosseum and seeing the rotted remains for the first time impacted me in an unexpected, powerful way.

Can You Keep a Secret?

Secrets by Lori Lipsky

Some secrets
Ought to be kept
Locked up forever
With no release

But the required
Strength of will
Is too much
For most

Wide Roots

Wide Roots by Lori Lipsky

Beneath sloped

tree-covered lawns

live roots

inscrutable

reaching out

stretching wide

to absorb

to nourish

to anchor

to provide each tree strength

in its stand against time

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When our girls were younger, our family spent countless weekend afternoons hiking the trails of the Arboretum in Madison, Wisconsin.

My favorite part of the Arboretum is Longenecker Gardens, with its grassy tree-covered hill (the large area to the left of the building in the photo below).

The Arboretum possesses Wisconsin’s premier assortment of trees and shrubs, with over 2500 types.The lilacs, magnolias, crabapples and maples are magnificent.

 

Do you ever think about the roots below the surface?

Thanks for checking out my new website and Poetry Patio blog.   I’d appreciate hearing from you in the comments. Sign up for the email option by clicking on the follow button at the top of the right column.

*****

*photo credit: Top photo by Dori (PD). Second photo by Jeff Miller, UW-Madison photo library.

Poetry, Art, Life

Welcome to the Poetry Patio. I’m moving over here from Visits and Verse just in time to celebrate National Poetry Month. There’ll be a sturdier emphasis on poetry and all things poetic at the Patio.

Poetry, art, life…

Pour a cup of tea or grab your beverage of choice, take a seat in one of the yellow chairs and join me here on the patio. You are invited.

My goal is to share a poem once a week or more here on the site.I invite you to follow Poetry Patio by email. Simply click on the word follow at the upper right.Thanks for taking the time to stop by.

The site will open soon.

The Patio

Yellow chairs

On an all-weather patio

A poetry place

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