Eyes in the Night
On a lonely path,
watched by creatures of the night…
unknown, imagined…
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
Eyes in the Night
Category / Perspectives
Genius at Work!
Genius at Work!
Shh…Genius at work!
Except when you’re not…
not genius, I mean!
Creativity
has inexplicably fled…
vacated the scene!
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
It’s a conundrum!
Oh! what’s a poet to do?
Quick! Write a haiku!
Post a photo…no, post two…
That’s it, genius, you’re all through!
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
Blinds
Photo by Joakim Honkasalo on Unsplash
Blinds
In the morning when I wake,
I walk through the quiet house,
opening the blinds to green, leafy views.
Sun shining through the trees,
lighting up the flowers,
birds on branches singing, butterflies.
The sun streams in, revealing
dust on the chest of drawers,
cobwebs on the ceiling fan.
Time for a little housekeeping…soon.
I settle down to a cup of tea.
In the morning stillness,
I open the blinds of my heart,
gathering inspiration for the day.
The light shines in,
revealing the struggles and triumphs
of other people in the world.
Time to dust off compassion,
time to sweep doubts
and lingering grudges away.
Time to polish creativity
and beautiful thoughts
to see me through my day.
As daylight fades,
I walk through the quiet house,
closing the blinds.
We sit down to a simple supper
and enjoy some time together.
Then I close the blinds of my mind
and quiet my thoughts.
Time to rest…and dream.
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
Be Remembered Well
Be Remembered Well
To be remembered well,
live well. Do praiseworthy deeds
in your time on earth.
Reprinted from Life in Inspiring Places
Copyright© 2019 by Cheryl Batavia
Cicada, Cicada!/Life on the Blue Planet is Live
Now Available on Amazon and Other Online Retailers!
“Cicada, Cicada!” is the last poem in Life on the Blue Planet. I hope it will remind readers to live in the moment. TODAY we have the opportunity to sing our song!
Cicada, Cicada!
For seventeen years,
You’ve been asleep.
Now, what kind of
schedule is that to keep?
Cicada, cicada,
you’ve slept too long!
Come out of your shell
and sing your song!
You’re sure to enjoy
the warm summer night.
Come out, Cicada…
Enjoy your first flight!
Many types of cicadas live in eastern North America. They are harmless herbivores. Eggs, laid in the bark of a tree, hatch into nymphs that burrow into the ground. They stay buried from one to 17 years, depending on the species. The entire group emerge from their shells at the same time, find mates, lay their eggs, and die. Only the males have a mating “song” made by vibrating a membrane on their abdomen. Their “chorus” adds music to the summer nights.
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
Promotion:
For one week, the Ebook will be priced at $1.99 to make it easy for my fellow bloggers to purchase the book.
After that, the Ebook will be priced at $4.99. The paperback version is priced at $19.99
All reviews appreciated!
Life on the Blue Planet is an 8.5″x 11″ book with 70 pages of poems and 40 high-resolution color photos. Available on Amazon, Ingram, Barnes and Noble, and other online stores.
My Time in Prisons
My Time in Prisons
Locked down!
Imprisoned by the pandemic…
I think of all the prisons
I have visited.
Fort Christian in
Charlotte Amalie,
St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.
300-year-old Danish fort,
later, St. Thomas Prison.
Then the dungeon
became a museum.
We toured the dungeon
at Fort Christian.
I remember the coolness
and the rough, thick walls
covered with graffiti…
artwork and obscenities,
messages from inmates
killing time.
Alcatraz, San Francisco Bay.
Once a lightouse, military fort,
and military prison…
then a federal prison.
Abandoned…
then occupied by protesting
Native Americans…
Now a museum.
We visited the cell block,
rusting human cages
and peeling paint…
We thought about the movie,
true story of an inmate,
“Birdman of Alcatraz”
who shared his food with birds.
This was the place
where Al Capone,
famous American gangster,
served time for tax evasion.
They never proved
his other crimes.
We toured a modern day
model prison in California…
remarkably like a college campus!
No graffiti here!
Locked down!
Imprisoned by the pandemic
and writing graffiti…
photos and poems
posted on my blog.
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
Brotherhood
Brotherhood
Blood, wherever it is shed,
is universally blood red.
We have ancient hates and fears.
We all shed bitter tears.
All over the face of the earth,
families celebrate a baby’s birth.
Universally, people share love
and look to the skies above
seeking hope and inspiration.
We all know setbacks and frustration,
but in our dreams, we all can see
a world of brotherhood and peace.
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
World View
World View
If I know myself,
my self-concept is not based
on what others say.
If I am honest,
I won’t waste my potential
deceiving myself.
Having confidence,
I approach life with courage,
not averse to risk.
Having self respect,
I won’t lower myself
showing others disrespect.
If I love justice,
I won’t elevate myself
keeping others down.
If I love myself,
I find it easier to
love my fellow man.
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
Regrets
Regrets
Sometimes,
wakeful in the dark,
stillness of the night,
I see regrets like birds
perched on a fence,
silently reproaching me…
I should have shown
more empathy.
I could have made
different choices.
There were opportunities
I missed.
I can truthfully say
I have few regrets…
I ‘ve lived a meaningful
life and worked to
achieve worthy goals…
So I go back to sleep.
In the morning, I wake
to sunlight streaming
in my windows and birds
singing all around me,
and my heart sings along,
ready to seize the day.
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
Gulf Coast Poet 