The Turning Point
Four miles
marked
with a stump
is as far
as I go
today
though the trail
moves on
deeper
into the trees
and I long
to follow
Gideon’s Challenge
Gideon’s Challenge – Patched Up
Patched Up
Sometimes
feeling
pieced
together
by one’s scars
is the only
thing
keeping
everything
from
falling apart
at the seams
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge – Persnickety
Persnickety
Out of sorts
and prickly
with snark
enough for days
self restraint
is tested in a
myriad of ways
as I fight to keep
my mouth shut
cuz it’s not a
pressure valve
and remind myself
that my words
will make things
worse
all around
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge – Make Believe
Make Believe
Up at dawn
and off to work
no one sees
the inside hurt
the quiet cries
and the
bleeding wounds
that hide
behind
a friendly grin
as I pretend
I’m not aching
for an end
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge – Nineteen
Nineteen
“You aren’t
nineteen anymore.”
The words hit
like a bowling ball
in the gut
and I’m not
sure why
when this fact
has been true
for well over
a decade
at this point
and my mind says,
“So what?”
while by body says,
“Exactly right.”
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge – Atmosphere
Atmosphere
Clarity
wars with
foggy mind
just as clouds
shift through
the blue
and sometimes
everything
is crisp and clear
then the threads
of gauzy clouds
return
and I’m lost
once more
Twisting the Leaf 