Words of Wonder – Day 120 – Trying To Walk Away
Trying To Walk Away
His hand perched on the knob
Of the front door.
His bag at his feet.
He looks at his watch
And sees illuminated 2:42am.
He pauses, takes a breath,
And looks out at the crisp night sky.
He stands there
Frozen, like a statue.
But no matter how hard he tries
He just can’t turn the knob.
He just can’t open the door.
He just can’t walk away.
He looks at his watch
And sees illuminated 2:48am.
He pauses. He takes a breath.
He slowly moves to the sofa.
He sits.
No matter how hard he tries
He just can’t walk away.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 119 – A Taste
A Taste
You are like soft serve ice cream.
You are like a Cadbury chocolate bar.
You are like a ribeye steak,
Dripping with juices.
They taste so good,
Each in their own way.
I just want a taste of you,
Just a sample
‘Cause I know one taste will lead
To another, to another, to another.
I want to savor your taste
In my mouth.
I want to enjoy your taste
With a glass of wine.
I want to take my time,
Suck every remnant of juice from your body.
So, come
Take my hand and
Give me a taste.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 118 – Too Hot
Too Hot
Passions ran hot.
Their need to be together,
Insatiable.
When separated they vibrated
For each other,
They were red hot.
Flames flew high
Only to end in ash.
Their time together was short,
Shorter than they wanted,
That’s for sure.
Too young.
Too hot for each other,
They flamed out.
They look back with a burning
Ache in their hearts
Knowing their time together
Was really good,
But it was just
Too hot.
Roy W. Backes
© 2020
Words of Wonder – Day 117 – When You Worry
When You Worry
When you worry
Your mind constantly runs
The worse-case scenario
In an unending loop.
When you worry
Your stomach churns,
Acid dripping on acid.
When you worry
Your nerves are shot,
Your hands shake,
Your leg pumps like a piston.
When you worry
You are consumed with the nightmare,
Night. Day. Everyday
When you worry
You sit alone
With your stomach churning,
Your hands shaking,
And your leg pumping,
Replaying the worse-case scenario
Over and over and over.
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Words of Wonder – Day 116 – Not More Interesting Than the Internet
Not More Interesting Than the Internet
He reads the paper every day.
He watches BBC World News every night.
He considers himself well read,
Mostly mysteries but some non-fiction.
He likes most music except
Gangster rap and opera.
He actually really likes country music.
He loves to walk and
He exercises regularly.
But no matter how hard he tries
He knows that
He is not more interesting than the internet.
Roy W. Backes
© 2015
Words of Wonder – Day 115 – Last Chance
Last Chance
Last chance.
With the stools to my left and right empty
They announce, “Last Call.”
My head feels light
I can’t seem to focus.
One more drink?
I look in the mirror behind the bar
And stare at the one other lonely
Soul still hanging around.
She orders another drink and
I figure, “What the hell” and
Order one for myself.
She sits, staring into the bar mirror
While I try to catch her reflected eye.
I smile.
I wink.
Nothing….
The lights come up.
Looking straight into the mirror
She gulps the last of her drink
And pushes away from the bar.
She picks up her purse
And walks away
Without even knowing that I exist.
I watch her image leave the club
As I slip a tip under my glass.
I take a moment to focus and steady myself
And head for my car
Where no one will be riding
Shotgun tonight.
Roy W. Backes
© 2008
Words of Wonder – Day 114 – You Afraid of Me?
You Afraid of Me?
Why would you be afraid of me?
Is it my size?
Is it my anger?
Is it the size of my anger?
Why would you be afraid of me?
Is it my passion?
Is it my intensity?
Is it the intensity of my passion?
Why would you be afraid of me?
Is it my bearing?
Is it my pain?
Is it my unbearable pain?
Why would you be afraid of me?
This is me.
This is who I am,
As scary as it seems.
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Words of Wonder – Day 113 – The Crowded Empty
The Crowded Empty
As I cross the grassland
Approaching the forest path
I notice how quiet it is.
No man-made sounds to be heard,
Only the sounds of nature.
As I enter the forest
Leaving the sun behind
For the shadowland of the trees
I look ahead and see an empty forest.
No birds. No chipmunks. No snakes.
No life.
As I move along the forest path
In this seemingly empty wood
The sounds of life increase.
Leaves rustled by the wind.
The distant chirps and squawks of birds.
The song of the stream as it weaves
Its way through the wood.
I pause in this noisy quiet
And stare out at the crowded empty
Of the world around me.
Roy W. Backes
© 2023
Words of Wonder – Day 112 – The Merry-Go-Round
The Merry-Go-Round
As a Catholic I have been told
Since birth that I was a sinner.
First, they branded me with ‘Original Sin’,
Then they forced me to confess my sins.
In order to have something to confess
I found myself making shit up,
Which of course was a sin.
Then they constantly told me, over and over,
That I was a sinner.
At mass. In prayer.
The ‘Hail Mary’ prayer ends with
Us proclaiming that we are sinners.
It is as though the church can’t exist
Without our ‘sins’.
The more guilt we have about being a sinner
The more we need to come to
The church for ‘forgiveness’.
Forgiveness from an institution that
Tells us over and over that we are sinners,
So, back we go……….and so it goes,
Round and Round.
Roy W. Backes
© 2023
Words of Wonder – Day 111 – Impossible Void
Impossible Void
If someone is lucky
They may have four or five
Really good friends during
The length of their life.
The loss of one of them
Is a hard blow to recover from.
I lost a good friend
Almost twenty years ago.
He left us way too early.
He left us way too young.
He left us with one less
Really good friend.
He left us with a void
That is difficult, if not impossible
To fill.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 110 – Not To Be
Not to Be
We were
For a long time
We were
We were together
We were lovers
We were friends
We were young
We were happy
We were not in the middle
We were not at the end
We were at the beginning
Of our lives
We were
For a long time
We were
Unfortunately
We were
Not to be
Roy W. Backes
© 2019
Words of Wonder – Day 109 – Payback is a Bitch
Payback Is a Bitch
The young punk with new found power
Was protected by power from above.
He spent his days firing people
Who crossed his boss.
The ‘Hatchet Kid’ they called him.
The problem is that he was firing
People who wield their own kind of power.
His boss no longer in charge
The young punk’s power is now gone.
The powerful men and women he fired,
Of course, landed on their feet.
They now feel the time
For payback is due.
Now, the young punk can’t find a job,
Can’t get arrested.
The young punk has no idea
The power that is about to rain
Down upon his head, upon his life.
The young punk is about to find out that
Payback is a bitch.
Roy W. Backes
© 2020
Words of Wonder – Day 108 – Mary Jane in Jeans
Mary Jane in Jeans
She had on red cowboy boots
And blue jeans.
As she walked in, he noticed
The boots first and then his eyes
Climbed her body like Mount Everest.
He stopped and held on to each and
Every crevasse until he reached
Her summit.
She moved so smooth as she crossed the room,
A huge smile on her face.
He felt a smile crawl onto his face as well.
A friend said her name,
“Mary Jane”.
His eyes held on,
Never losing their grip
While he crossed the room
To introduce himself
To Mary Jane in jeans.
Roy W. Backes
© 2007
Words of Wonder – Day 107 – Blue Song
Blue Song
This is a Blue Song.
A song where white has faded
Into the sky, azure, royal
Color we all know as blue.
Blue, that hue that covers your soul,
That wraps itself around your heart
With the royal color of water
Like a deep dark sea.
A blue that grabs your heart
In its dark tight fist
And won’t let go.
A blue that grows darker by the day.
A blue that drives you down the hole
To darkness where light does not shine.
To dark so dark, you go blind
Like some hairless bald-headed mole.
This is a Blue Song.
A song where white has faded
Into the sky, azure, royal
Color we all know as blue.
A blue that holds tight
No matter how hard you fight
With all of your might.
This is a song of being blue.
This is a Blue Song
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Words of Wonder – Day 106 – If Only
If Only
If only he had:
The Moves
The Looks
The Words
The Confidence
He wouldn’t be sitting
Here, once again,
With one glass, one plate
And a lot of leftovers.
If only he had:
The Moves
The Looks
The Words
The Confidence
He’d be sitting here
With her.
He’d be sitting here
With you.
If only.
Roy W. Backes
© 2020
Words of Wonder – Day 105 – Another Angry Poem
Another Angry Poem
The last thing this world needs
Is another angry poem.
I know that.
But still, I find myself,
Pen in hand,
Scratching these words
Onto parchment.
The force of my hand
Ripping the page to shreds.
Where to put the anger
If not onto the page?
I don’t have a heavy punching bag to hit.
I don’t own a gun.
I won’t kick a dog.
So, I will continue
To write. To vent.
Even if I have to add
Another angry poem to
The already crowded, angry world.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 104 – War Kills
War Kills
War kills.
It kills people.
It kills cities.
It kills countries.
It kills your spirit.
It kills your future.
It kills your hope.
It kills your faith.
Whatever God you admire,
It kills.
Leaving only death, dust and debris
Behind.
War kills….
Everything.
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Words of Wonder – Day 103 – Don’t Be on the Downside of My Landslide
Don’t Be on the Downside of My Landslide
High on my mountain
The snow of my emotion packs tight.
Storm after storm
The weight of each snowfall
Compresses my emotions tighter together.
Eventually layers of ice form
As my way of keeping it all together.
Many family, friends and neighbors
Stroll around the bottom of my mountain
Unaware of the danger above.
I add another layer of ice
To compress tighter,
Hoping that a lightning strike
Won’t release all this pent-up emotion.
If the lightning should strike
I don’t want anyone I care about
To be on the downside of my landslide.
High on my mountain
I wait patiently for the next snowstorm.
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Words of Wonder – Day 102 – Lonely Table
Lonely Table
It’s a lonely table
Now that you are gone.
Now that you are no longer here.
Just your mom and I
And your empty chair.
The milk goes bad in the fridge,
The twelve pack of soda
Seems like the loaves and fishes.
Your mom cooks way too much
For the two of us.
We sit at the dinner table
Night after night
Loving each other and
Missing you so very much.
It is a lonely table with
Just the two of us.
For “O”
Roy W. Backes
© 2008
Words of Wonder – Day 101 – A Pope Died Today
A Pope Died Today
A pope died today.
A pope who put the church
Before the people.
A pope who helped cover up
The rampant abuse of young
Boys by old priests.
A pope who lived lies
And tried to cover them
With prayer.
A pope died today.
He is on his way to
Meet his Maker.
A Maker who is pissed off,
Disgusted, and who will,
Not so gently, slam the Pearly Gates
Closed upon his approach.
A pope died today.
Let’s hope that he gets what he deserves.
Roy W. Backes
© 2023
Words of Wonder – Day 100 – The Lights Went Out on Christmas
The Lights Went Out on Christmas
They had power this holiday season.
It was intermittent, yes,
But it was still there.
That was, until this Christmas morning
When the missile strike
Took out the power station.
So, undeterred, they spend Christmas day
Surrounded by the light of candles,
Their joy of being together, of being alive,
Not dimmed by the lack of power
On this bright Christmas morning.
Roy W. Backes
© 2023
Words of Wonder – Day 99 – California Praying
California Praying
Please……..
Please bring us some rain……………………
Oh, thank you God
We really need it…………………………………
……………………………………………………………
Oh, wait. That’s enough.
You can stop now…………………………………
Stop……………………………………………………
Can you please make it stop………………
……………………………………………………………
Please…………………………………………………
Please stop the rain……………………………
STOP……………………………………………………
Roy W. Backes
© 2023
Words of Wonder – Day 98 – Procrastination
Procrastination
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………Pro………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………cra………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………sti……………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………na………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………tion.
Roy W. Backes
© 2023
Words of Wonder – Day 97 – Chasing Johnny
Chasing Johnny
Whether up
Or on the rocks.
Whether Red or Black or Blue,
Whether chased by a beer
Or water over ice
He is constantly
On his quest.
Scouring the top shelf
Of this unfamiliar bar
Looking for his favorite color,
Whether Red or Black or Blue,
He is constantly
Chasing Johnny
Hoping that Johnny will
Sit with him for a while
And keep him company
Until the chase begins once again.
Roy W. Backes
© 2023
Words of Wonder – Day 96 – The One and Only
The One and Only
Am I the only lonely one?
Am I the one and only lonely one?
The lonely one.
Stuck behind two
And ahead of zero.
Am I the only lonely one?
I search for another lonely one
So we can become two,
Then three, then four,
Then more.
Am I the only lonely one?
One
Alone
Not two, not three,
Not four, not more.
Just one.
Am I the one and only
Lonely one?
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Words of Wonder – Day 95 – Broken Highway
Broken Highway
His heart is broken.
It is finally over.
He tried.
She tried.
They failed.
His car now loaded
With the debris of his life
He heads out of town,
Not sure of his destination.
All he knows is that
He needs to find the on ramp
To his future,
The on ramp of the interstate
Also known as the
Broken Highway.
Roy W. Backes
© 2023
Words of Wonder – Day 94 – Karmic Path
Karmic Path
I’d like to know
How many dogs I kicked in a past life,
Or how much damage
I did as I plundered my way
Across Europe as a Viking
Back in the day
In order to deserve the karmic
Ass kicking I am getting today.
Whatever I did in any of my past lives
Or in this life
Let me say this loud and clear,
“I am sorry.”
The karmic path I’m on
At present
Has got to come to an end soon.
My penance finally finished,
My dues completely paid.
So, let me say it once again
From deep in my heart,
“I am sorry.”
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 93 – What Are the Chances?
What Are the Chances?
What are the chances?
There are somewhere around
2.5 billion adult women in the world.
More than a few of them
Have passed through my life,
But it always ended with me waving goodbye.
But on that day,
That day filled with rain and rainbows
One of them walked through the door
And changed my life.
One of 2.5 billion.
What are the chances?
Roy W. Backes
© 2023
Words of Wonder – Day 92 – Under the Sheet
Under the Sheet
Lying on a bed
With a sheet over its face
The body of someone I knew
Lays lifeless.
I pull down the sheet,
Uncover the face
And look at how death
Leaves us all.
Still.
Cold.
Eyes, open, still blue and beautiful,
Staring but not seeing.
Mouth, open, frozen in a perfect zero,
With only darkness inside.
The soul, gone.
The spirit, gone.
The light of life, gone.
I cover the face once again
Of the person I once knew
That is now
Just a body on a bed.
Still.
Cold.
Roy W. Backes
© 2018
Words of Wonder – Day 91 – Listening to the Blues
Listening to the Blues
The blues are more than music.
The blues are the color of desperation.
The blues are the color of lost hope.
I love listening to the blues.
To the beautiful, soulful guitar licks
Played from deep inside.
To the yearning vocals
Telling me how they feel.
I love listening to the blues
Because the blues are more than music.
The blues are what I need when
The color of the blues
Covers my soul with desperation.
The blues are how I feel
From time to time.
The blues are how I feel today.
I need to play some blues
To brighten my blue colored soul.
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Words of Wonder – Day 90 – Living With an Elephant
Living With an Elephant
It is crowded in this room.
The air is stale,
In need of an open window.
Just moving around the room
Is difficult.
Space is at a premium.
As I suck in my stomach
So I can squeeze by
On my way to the kitchen
I’m finding it more and more
Difficult to live side by side
With this elephant in the room.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 89 – Those Two Breaths
Those Two Breaths
I crawl into bed
At the end of my day.
After reading one of my,
As my friend Sonja calls them,
“Hack ‘em up at midnight” books,
I finally give up on the day,
Close my book and turn off the light.
Once I get comfortable
I say goodbye to the day
By taking two long, slow breaths.
Inhale, exhale.
Inhale, exhale.
These two breaths ease me
Out of my day and into my dreams
And fill me with the life force
I need to get me through the night
Till the joy of the morning arrives.
Roy W. Backes
© 2023
Words of Wonder – Day 88 – The Brokenhearted Bar
The Brokenhearted Bar
They come to drink.
They come to drown out the noise.
Most come alone,
A few come as a couple.
But they mostly sit in silence and drink.
The bar is dark,
On a quiet side street.
The bar is quiet,
No sound on the TV.
No music.
The barkeep stands at
The end of the bar
Waiting for heads to nod
Or glasses to be lifted,
Asking for another.
They come to drink.
They come for the quiet.
They come to a place named
The Brokenhearted Bar.
Roy W. Backes
© 2020
Words of Wonder – Day 87 – Chasing the Dream
Chasing the Dream
Late sixties.
I’m talking age, not era.
He’s still chasing after
The car that he can never catch,
Like a city dog,
“Bark, Bark.”
On the train.
Off the train.
Running as hard as he can
To book the next gig.
He is out of breath.
His legs ache.
His thighs begin to burn.
But,
He can’t stop.
He can’t stop,
“Bark, Bark.”
Chasing the dream.
Roy W. Backes
© 2020
Words of Wonder – Day 86 – You Thought You’d Win
You Thought You’d Win
You left
You thought I would follow
You thought I would break
You thought I would fold
You left
Time tick-tocked by
You stayed away
You thought time would wear me down
You thought time would break me
You thought I would follow
You left
But I stayed
You were surprised by that
I stayed
And stayed
And stayed
You thought I’d follow
You thought you’d win
But I stayed
Roy W. Backes
© 2019
Words of Wonder – Day 85 – He’s Gone
He’s Gone
We are so happy for him,
But we are still sad, cause….
He’s gone.
He just walked out of our life
And into his own life.
We’ve shared everything
These past three years.
Our love.
Our laughter.
Our secrets.
Our pain.
He’s gone.
He just walked out of our life
And into his own life.
The silence of his absence
Roars in our ears
Like waves on the beach
On a stormy night.
We are so happy for him,
But we are still sad, cause……
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 84 – Woke Up This Morning With the Sun in My Eyes
Woke Up This Morning with the Sun in My Eyes
Woke up this morning with
The sun in my eyes.
It is a glorious day.
Bright sun
Blue sky
No shade to be found.
My hand to my forehead
To minimize the glare
I squint
As I frantically search for
My lost sunglasses.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 83 – Rabbit Hole
Rabbit Hole
Watching someone head down
The rabbit hole
Is like watching the bunny rabbit’s
Soft white tail disappear into the dark.
No matter how hard you try,
No matter what you say,
No matter the love you show
It doesn't stop the clockwise spiral
Into darkness.
You reach out, trying to grasp
The soft white tail
But it always slips through your fingers.
It always disappears into the dark,
Disappears into the
Rabbit hole.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 82 – The Green Has Arrived
The Green Has Arrived
(Meant to follow “Waiting for the Green”)
Spring just arrived.
The air is getting warmer.
The days are getting longer.
The sun is bringing life
And color back into the world.
After the long, cold, dark winter
The green has begun to arrive.
The trees are flowering
The perennials are peaking
Out of their pots,
The grass is breathing once again.
I look up into the heat of the sun
And give thanks that
The wait for the green
Is finally over.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 81 – Waiting for the Green
Waiting For the Green
(Meant to precede “The Green Has Arrived”)
The dead of winter.
The trees have shed their leaves
Their buds long frozen in place.
The forest, a plethora of brown
Branches as far as the eye can see.
The grass is covered in white,
Frozen in place.
I look out over this colorless land,
My feet cold and frozen in my boots
And find myself impatiently
Waiting for the green.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 80 – Waitin’ for You Blues
Waitin’ for You Blues
I sit here staring at the phone,
Waiting for the call that may never come.
I sit here staring out my kitchen window,
Counting the cars as they pass by.
I pace my room, back and forth,
Back and forth, wearing a pathway
In my carpet that leads to nowhere.
I sit here thinking and re-thinking
About the day you left.
The day you walked off into the winter
Night, snowflakes on your hair.
With April showers prepping my flowers
I still find myself sitting here in the quiet
Staring at the phone,
Counting cars in the rain,
Pacing back and forth, back and forth,
Still going nowhere.
While facing a summer of heat and disappointment
I find myself still looking,
Still pacing, still surrounded by
The waitin’ for you blues.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 79 – Missing, Then Found
Missing, Then Found
Had not met you yet
But I still missed you.
I have been looking for so long.
Looking around corners,
Looking at doorways
Always hoping that you would be there.
Always hoping that you would walk through.
I’d walk the streets
Hoping to catch your eye.
Up one street and down another.
Then one day
I looked up from my book
And there you were.
Standing in the doorway
Looking lost, just like me.
Then you caught my eye,
Gave me that smile and
I knew that finally
You were found.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 78 – Treading Water
Treading Water
I’ve always loved diving
Into the deep end of the pool.
Swimming lengths freestyle;
Stroke. Stroke. Stroke.
Head to the right, breathe.
Back and forth
Over and over.
But now, I find myself
Stuck in the deep end
Surrounded by water,
Unable to swim forward,
Unable to swim backward.
No backstroke.
No butterfly.
No freestyle.
I’ve always loved diving
Into the deep end of the pool,
Except now I find myself
Treading water.
Legs pumping, arms waving
Struggling to keep my head above water.
Doing all I can just
To keep myself from going under.
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Words of Wonder – Day 77 – Under the Mistletoe
Under the Mistletoe
He just wants a kiss
Not just any kiss
A special kiss
A holiday kiss
A kiss from her.
So, he waits patiently
Under the mistletoe
Waiting for her arrival
Waiting for her kiss
For her special kiss
For her holiday kiss.
His focus on the front door
He waits patiently
Under the mistletoe
Sipping his eggnog spiked with Baileys.
He just wants a kiss
Not just any kiss
A special kiss
A holiday kiss
A kiss from her.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 76 – What Matters
What Matters
It’s easy to get lost in the past
When it is the present
When it is the future
That matters.
The past is a maze
Of regrets, mistakes
And wrong choices.
It’s easy to get lost in the past
When it is the present
When it is the future
That matters.
Bringing lessons learned from the past
To the present is wise.
But wandering around in
The maze of regrets is fruitless.
You’ll never get out.
It’s easy to get lost in the past
When it is the present,
When it is the future
That matters.
Roy W. Backes
© 2020
Words of Wonder – Day 75 – Just Wants to Sit Down
Just Wants to Sit Down
It is cold.
The wind whipping up the avenue
Billowing coats and
Tossing hats to the ground.
Working against the wind
Is an old woman
Slowly pushing her grocery cart
Up the sidewalk, working hard
Not to trip on the uneven pavement.
Her head down
She leans into the wind
And pushes her desire
To just sit down
Ever so slowly up the street.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 74 – Welcome Back
Welcome Back
It has been over a year since
I last sat on this deck
And looked out over the
Bright blue lake.
As I sit here the wind
Blows in my face.
The waves kick up and
Beat the shore.
The birds squawk
And chirp in the trees.
The eagle flies by.
All as if to say,
“Welcome back.”
Roy W. Backes
©2018
Words of Wonder – Day 73 – Calling It a Night
Calling It a Night
Time to go home.
It has been a long night.
A long night of working the ladies.
Working to no avail.
A long night of drinking and talking
And taking a toke or two.
A long night of empty banter
And meaningless chatter.
A long night of wishing and hoping.
A long night of empty dreams.
Time to go home,
Alone.
It is time once again,
To call it a night.
Roy W. Backes
© 2020
Words of Wonder – Day 72 – Feeding Ground
Feeding Ground
22,000 square miles
This lake is.
Blue/gray sparkling water
As far as the horizon line and beyond.
This lake feeds millions of people,
At restaurants, at grocery stores,
At farmers markets across the land.
It also feeds the seagulls, pelicans,
And untold numbers of flying species.
Day after day I look out at the lake
And see not only great beauty
But also, a massive feeding ground.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 71 – It Was Meant to Be
It Was Meant to Be
The end.
It was meant to be.
Their life together
Was like a one act play.
Short, sweet and to the point.
The plot, not that original.
You know, “Two lovers
On a journey that you know
Is not going to end well.
You watch them try.
You watch them die.”
It was meant to be,
Their life together.
Short
Sweet and
To the point.
The end.
Roy W. Backes
© 2020
Words of Wonder – Day 70 – Before Man
Before Man
What must it have been like before man?
This planet is beautiful.
Lush green forests,
Huge blue seas,
Wind-blown deserts.
All of this despite man’s
Polluting the waters,
Felling the forests,
Poisoning the air.
I wonder about how much more
Lush,
Blue,
Powder brown
This planet would be, or,
Has been,
Before man arrived
And left his mark.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 69 – To Write
To Write
To write takes an artist’s eye.
To write takes an artist’s soul.
To write takes patience.
To write takes persistence.
To write takes great strength
To push aside and keep aside
The big granite block.
To write takes effort.
To write takes putting pen to paper
Or fingers to keyboard.
To write takes courage
To face the blank page
And write what it takes.
Roy W. Backes
© 2018
Words of Wonder – Day 68 – A Memory Passes
A Memory Passes
A memory passes by,
I smile.
Life is long
For those of us who
Are the lucky ones.
I look back at my life,
At all those wonderful people
Who have entered my orbit.
Especially my friends, ex-lovers,
And colleagues,
Those wonderful people who
Lit up my life,
If only for a brief period of time.
My hope is that
When a memory of me passes by
It brings a smile to their face.
Roy W. Backes
© 2020
Words of Wonder – Day 67 – Footprint
Footprint
I was like a detective
Or a private eye
Examining the footprint in the sand.
It was of a bare foot,
Five toes from a right foot.
I stood and stared
At this lonely print in the sand
Wondering how it came to be.
There were no signs of other prints
To be found in the surrounding sand.
No coming.
No going.
Just one single bare footprint
Left in the sand.
Left there to intrigue me.
Left there to make me wonder.
Left there by a one footed soul
Who had lost its shoe.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 66 – Chairs
Chairs
I’ve had many chairs
That I have cherished in my life.
There was my highchair
Upon which I made an epic mess.
There was my bouncy chair which
I worked to exhaustion.
There was my La-Z-Boy “smoking” chair
In which I rolled years
Worth of joints.
There was my office chair
In which I made a joyful living.
Now, there is my large overstuffed
Incredibly comfortable “Dad’s” chair.
I’m not sure how many more chairs
I will claim as my own.
For now, I’ll just sit back
And allow my “Dad’s” chair to
Wrap its arms around me
As I take my afternoon nap.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 65 – One Way Ticket
One-Way Ticket
As we enter from the void
We are given a one-way ticket.
Where it leads
Is ultimately up to us.
We can go anywhere,
But we can’t go back.
How long the journey lasts
Is left to chance.
Some long,
Some too short.
Thus far my ticket
Has taken me to distant lands and back,
Has allowed me to meet and work
With numerous creative people,
Has blessed me with a beautiful family.
With my ticket in hand
It is my plan
To continue exploring this beautiful place
Called life,
That is, until the exit back into the void
Appears on the horizon.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 64 – Watching the Sun Set on Our Despair
Watching the Sun Set on Our Despair
Dusk has arrived.
The setting sun is painting
The clouds in the western sky
Shades of orange and gold.
The beauty is astounding.
My wife, son and I sit on our deck
Champagne glasses in hand
And toast the setting sun
As we finally watch the sun
Set on our despair.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 63 – Self-Power
Self-Power
I stare at the pumpkin pie
Two days before Thanksgiving.
Pumpkin pie.
My favorite.
I have the whipped cream sitting
Patiently in the fridge
Just waiting to be released.
It is taking all of my self-control,
It is taking all of my will power
Not to take a slice.
Not to take a taste.
It is taking all of my
Self-Power to resist.
To resist
Taking just a slice.
Taking just a taste.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 62 – The Hole She Left
The Hole She Left
He finds himself, once again,
Standing on the edge of the abyss
With shovel in hand.
When she first ripped open this hole
He found himself staring
Down into a black, empty abyss
That seemed to go on forever.
He found himself at the hardware
Store staring at shovels.
Spade, Flat, Snow, Post Hole,
Wondering which was the best tool
For burying pain.
He began to shovel
Hour after hour, day after day
Doing his best to cover the pain,
To fill in the hole.
He finds that
No matter how hard he shovels
No matter how much he
Puts down the hole
He is still left standing
On the edge, staring down into
A huge, black, empty abyss.
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Words of Wonder – Day 61 – Always Saying Goodbye
Always Saying Goodbye
Every time you leave
You always leave in
The deep dark of night.
Every time you leave
You always leave without a word.
Without a goodbye.
Every time you leave
You always leave
Me in silence.
Every time you leave
I’m always surprised
When I wake in the morning.
(Not really, if truth be told)
Every time you leave
I am the one who
Is always saying goodbye.
Roy W. Backes
© 2019
Words of Wonder – Day 60 – The Visitation
The Visitation
My mom and dad stopped by today.
My mom, wrapped in the spirit of a dove.
My dad, as a small squirrel.
My mom landed on a nearby tree,
Scoped out the area for a few,
Then flew down to the yard
By the feeder.
She bobbed around looking for feed
And munched away, giving me
A wink and a nod now and then.
While she fed, my dad,
In the guise of a tiny squirrel
Stopped by and joined my mom
In picking up seeds,
Enjoying the late morning snack.
They shared the space
For about ten minutes or so,
All the while soothing my soul.
You see, I talk to them both
Each and every day
And it is always a pleasant surprise
When they stop by to say hi.
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Words of Wonder – Day 59 – Only So Much of Me
Only So Much of Me
You do know that there is
Only so much of me?
Only so much to go around.
I’ve used up a lot of me
On lovers who weren’t
The real thing.
On lovers who just wanted
To use me up,
Empty me out and
Move on.
There is only so much of me left,
So, take it easy,
Savor the taste,
Enjoy the time
‘Cause you have my permission
To use me up.
Al of me
Till I’m empty.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 58 – Stay in the Light
Stay In the Light
I choose to walk on the “sun” side
Of the street.
The side where the light is.
The side where the warmth is.
I enjoy the feel of the heat on my face.
I stay away from the cool of the shadows
Whenever I can.
The shadows, where darkness resides
And light is not to be found.
I choose to walk on the “sun” side
Of the street.
I always do my best
To stay out of the shadows.
To stay out of the cold.
To stay out of the dark.
And
Stay in the light.
Roy W. Backes
©2021
Words of Wonder – Day 57 – Murdered
Murdered
My friend was murdered.
He wasn’t shot.
He wasn’t stabbed.
He was infected.
By a virus.
By a virus that kills,
That murders.
That murders by
The hundreds of thousands.
That kills you slowly or quickly,
That causes you pain.
My friend was murdered.
Like he was shot in the heart
Or stabbed in the back,
He was murdered
By a heartless, venomous
Virus.
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Words of Wonder – Day 56 – My Five Senses
My Five Senses
I look at you and my heart smiles.
As though from ear to ear.
I listen to you and my ears
Ring with your music.
I touch you and my fingers
Tingle as they stroke your skin.
I taste you and my tongue
Yearns for more.
I smell you and my mind
Goes to that first time.
My five senses are always at
Full flight whenever
You are near.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 55 – The Alley
The Alley
The Alley
You know, that place out back.
That place that isn’t
A road, or a lane, or an avenue,
Or even a street,
But only a ‘way’.
That place where your trash sits,
That place where workers sit
To steal a smoke
Or maybe a toke.
That place of fences and gates.
That place used only for shortcuts
From one place to another.
The Alley
You know, that place out back.
That place where we don’t sweep up.
That place with no sidewalks
And minimal lighting.
That place where the air is pungent
With the odor of rotting fruit or dried piss.
The Alley
You know, that place out back
That place we kindly call a ‘way’.
That place we all know
But where none of us go.
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Words of Wonder – Day 54 – It Is Her Time to Say Goodbye
It Is Her Time to Say Goodbye
He’s left her twice now.
Each time lasted a little longer
Than the last.
He’s come back twice now
Drawn back by promises,
Drawn back by tears.
Each time lasted a little longer
Than the last.
He’s left her twice now.
Her promises broken once again,
He’s left with this;
It’s over.
Her time is up.
It is time to say goodbye.
It is time for her to go.
It is time for him to stay.
It is her time to say goodbye.
Roy W. Backes
© 2020
Words of Wonder – Day 53 – Smoked
Smoked
Sitting in my faux-leather recliner
I filled my pipe with Mexican marijuana.
I packed it tight
Enjoying the aroma
Of the unsmoked ganja.
Leaning forward in my chair
I struck a match
And brought it to the pipe.
I inhaled once,
Twice, and held the smoke in my lungs
Till I was forced to exhale.
Till I felt the world beginning
To tilt a little off kilter.
After repeating that ritual
Two or three times
I sat the pipe down
Leaned back in my chair
And enjoyed the feeling
Of being smoked.
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Words of Wonder – Day 52 – Short Love
Short Love
It’s 12:30am and he is sitting
On a bar stool falling in love.
He loves her eyes
He loves her smile
He loves how she smells
He loves how she looks.
Her energy is infectious,
She talks loud and fast.
Time has flown by.
He’s falling in love.
He knows it has only been an hour or so,
But he’s falling hard.
Then the lights come up,
She looks at him with those eyes
And smiles at him with that simile
And leans toward him, wrapping him
In the smoke of her perfume.
She kisses him,
On the cheek, and says,
“It was great talking with you tonight.”
She then picks up her purse and walks away
While he sits, elbows on the bar at 2:00am
Trying to catch the pieces
Of his broken heart
As he rapidly falls out of love.
Roy W. Backes
© 2019
Words of Wonder – Day 51 – From “Me” to “We”
From “Me” to “We”
It seemed like it happened
In the blink of an eye.
His love for her
Etched on his face.
His love for her
Shining in the sparkle of his eye.
His love for her
Drawn upon the smile on his face.
He went from, “Me” to “We”,
It seems,
In the blink of an eye.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 50 – Broken, Broke and Busted
Broken, Broke and Busted
He’s broken.
The weight of being broke
Has broken his spirit.
He is so broke
He can’t even remember
The sound of change
Jingling in his pocket
Or the soft touch of green paper
Between his fingers.
His shoes are busted.
His nails are busted.
His glasses are held together
With masking tape.
He’s broken.
He’s broke.
He’s busted.
He’s scared.
He’s alone.
He’s broken, broke and busted.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 49 – The Landfill of Desperation
The Landfill of Desperation
I want to pray.
I need to pray.
Unfortunately,
I know my prayers, when prayed,
Will fall into the landfill of desperation.
A landfill full of prayers prayed
By people like me.
People who need.
People who want.
I want to pray.
I need to pray.
But,
To who?
To what?
Unfortunately,
I know the prayers I pray
Will land on deaf ears
And will eventually fall into
The landfill of desperation.
I want to pray.
I need to pray.
But, unfortunately,
I can’t pray.
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Words of Wonder – Day 48 – A Title Wave of the Blues (A Ditty)
A Tidal Wave of the Blues
(A Ditty)
Hello Stranger.
Let me tell you a little story.
On that
Stormy Monday,
A day when
She Lost That Loving Feeling,
My Girl
Realized that she was down to her
Last Two Dollars
And that
Her Good Thing Was About to Come to an End.
She had nothing left, not even a
Nickle and a Nail.
She always knew that she was
Born Under a Bad Sign,
But she was
Not Ashamed to Sing the Blues.
Now that
Love don’t Live Here Anymore
She knew in her heart that
The Thrill Is gone,
And that there
Ain’t No Sunshine
Here on
The Bitter Side of Sweet.
No matter how hard she tries she
Just Can’t Lose the Blues.
It’s been a long road and
She finds herself, once again
Facing a
Whiskey Sunrise.
It’s Been a Long Time Coming,
She is tired and she just wants
To go home.
Go home to her little
Cottage For Sale.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 47 – Air Traffic
Air Traffic
Close to the shore a very large
School of fish are making
Their way south in the lake.
Swimming fast and furious
They figure safety in numbers.
High above them in the cloud
Dotted, ice blue sky
There is mayhem.
Thousands of seagulls flying
This way and that way
All trying for an advantage
On their next meal.
Along with hundreds of pelicans
Gliding in on open wings
They are all diving for their next meal.
Somehow, they all manage
To avoid crashing into one another,
And based upon the cacophony of squawks
And splashes they all seem satisfied.
The fish swim hard,
The birds dive,
The traffic in the air is fierce.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 46 – My Truth
My Truth
Sometimes the Blues
Are hard to read
Are hard to hear
Are hard to see.
The Blues are hard
Because they are true.
They tell the truth,
Through words
Through music
Through life.
The Blues tell the truth
No matter how hard it is
To read
To hear
To see.
That is my truth.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 45 – We All Need a Hand
We All Need a Hand
When the evil of the world
Pokes its ugly head above
The filthy ground it hides in,
It is critical we remember that
At some point
We all need a hand.
We all need a hand,
Whether it is a hand to hold
When comfort is needed,
Whether it is a hand
To help us with the task at hand,
Whether it is a hand
When serious aid and support is needed.
We all need a hand.
To hold.
To console.
To give aid.
To fight for what is right.
No matter how hard,
No matter where,
No matter when,
Remember, at some point
We all need a hand.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder- Day 44 – The Rest of My Love
The Rest of My Love
You grabbed my heart
And held it close over the years.
I chose to lay my heart
Alongside your heart
So they could give each other
Strength, keep each other
Beating in rhythm,
And protect each other from pain.
You grabbed my heart,
You held it in your hand,
You loved me.
I will love you
For the rest of my life,
For the rest of my love.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 43 – It Lets Me Know
It Lets Me Know
As the clouds move in
And the temperature drops
The distant rumble of thunder
Lets me know what is coming
So I can seek shelter
If I so choose.
How very kind of nature
To let me know.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 42 – Hard Pews, Harsh Reality
Hard Pews, Harsh Reality
I should have known
When I first sat on the
Waxed, wooden pew,
Or when I placed my knees
On the hard wooden kneeler
With minimal padding.
Just enough to let you think
That some comfort was to follow.
I should have known
That the hard pews and
The even harder kneelers
Would lead to harsh realities,
To hard truths,
And even harder lies.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 41 – Bad Investment
Bad Investment
It was like buying stock
In a company that, unbeknownst
To him, was about to go bust.
He invested in her,
Gave her his time,
Gave her his heart,
But, unbeknownst to him,
She was about to go.
Leaving him broke,
Leaving him busted,
Leaving him brokenhearted
Like a bad investment.
Roy W. Backes
© 2020
Words of Wonder – Day 40 – Absence of Smiles
Absence of Smiles
(Ukraine 2022)
Over two million women and children
Have been forced into refugee status
Across various European borders.
Watching the pain and devastation
Play out on TV is beyond heartbreaking.
For twelve days (as of this writing) I have
Been watching the sadness and pain
Play out at train stations
And border crossings all across Ukraine.
Children and parents, all in tears,
All in pain, many in shock.
Among all this pain and sadness
I was struck by a smile,
A single smile.
A smile on a woman’s face
Who was just reunited with her sister.
One smile among the sadness and devastation
Shined bright like a match struck in the dark.
One smile that shined bright
For a brief moment among the
Deep dark absence of smiles.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 39 – The Silence Screams
The Silence Screams
It is so quiet here,
Here, at what feels like
The end of the earth.
Here where land meets water.
Here where the wind is still
And silent.
Here where the sun shimmers
Off the lake.
Here where the water is crystal.
Here where
The silence screams.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 38 – Beyond the Blue
Beyond the Blue
Laying on my back
In the earthen grass
I stare up at the mid-day sky,
Blue as far as my eyes can see.
I lay here staring,
Concentrating, knowing that
Just beyond the blue
Is the deep dark void
Of space,
Sprinkled with stars
That shine pearly white.
I try to see
Beyond the blue
When I look up,
‘Cause, there is so much more
Up there,
Beyond the blue.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 37 – The Weight of the Past
The Weight of the Past
Damn, this is heavy.
Lugging the weight of the past
Through hither and yon
Is hard work.
No matter how hard I try
No matter how heavy the load
I just can’t let go of the past.
I spend untold hours
Hashing and rehashing
All those moments.
Both good and bad.
Mostly bad if I am being honest.
Let me tell you,
No matter how many times
I hash and rehash those memories
The outcome is still the same.
So, that is why I am admitting to you
That lugging this dead weight around,
This weight if the past
Is hard work.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 36 – Not Afraid to Write the Blues
Not Afraid to Write the Blues
I’m not afraid to write the Blues.
The Blues,
That state of mind we all know,
That we have all experienced.
Some of us are more in touch than others.
Some try to ignore it.
But me, I embrace it.
When I am under the cover
Of the Blues
I reach for my pen
And write my way out.
Out of the Blues.
The Blues,
That state of mind we all know,
That we have all experienced.
But me,
I am not afraid to write the Blues.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 35 – Friends on the Road
Friends on the Road
On the road
A two-day drive
Sixteen hours on the highway.
During the drive
I find myself making friends
On the highway at 70+ mph.
I follow him,
She follows me.
We pass,
We draft,
We drive.
We remain friends on the road
Till one of us waves goodbye
With our turn signal and pulls off.
Once again, we begin the search
For a new friend
On the road.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 34 – Abandoned Sky
Abandoned Sky
For the first time in my memory
I look out at the lake
And see an abandoned sky.
No gulls.
No pelicans.
No geese.
No swans.
No crows.
No eagles.
Nothing but a big, beautiful, blue
Abandoned sky
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 33 – What a Piece of Work is Man
What a Piece of Work is Man
BB Gun, handgun, shotgun, hired gun,
Machine gun, Scatter gun, Gatling gun,
Gun control, Gun powder, Gun ship,
Gun lobby, Tail gunner, Guns N Roses,
Adolf Hitler, Adolf Eichmann, Uncle Sam,
GI Joe, GI Jane, Bloody Mary, Billy club,
Bin Laden, Squeaky, Ruby, Oswald, Rambo,
Skin head, Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force,
Space Force, Armed Forces, Armed guard,
Armored car, Ambush, Auschwitz, Attica,
Statutory, Solitary, Mercenary, Gang Bang,
Kiddie porn, Child abuse, Rape, Drug abuse,
In self-defense, Defensive end, Defense,
Offence, Sing Sing, Shackles, Sniper,
Ground Zero, Combat zone, Body count,
Body bag, Mass grave, Manslaughter, Manson,
Draft board, Soldier of Fortune, Gun for hire,
Overkill, Undertaker, Taser, Air raid,
Apartheid, Destroyer, Hand grenade, hand cuffs,
Land mine, Tripwire, IED, Dungeon,
Torture chamber, Gas chamber, Electric chair,
Noose, Small arms fire, Firing squad,
Barbed wire, Gas mask, Geiger counter,
Powder keg, Flame thrower, Fallout shelter,
Agent Orange, Grenade launcher, Scorched Earth,
Mortar round, Armored tank, Depth charge,
Assault rifle, Smith and Wesson, Remington,
Colt .45, .38 Special, .44 Magnum, Tec 9,
ICBM, AK 47, 9-11, 12-07-41, 11-22-63,
8-06-45, 8-09-45, .22, 30 ot 6, .32,
B52, M60, .357, Thousand-yard stare,
PTSD, World of Hurt, World War I,
World War II, Vietnam War, Korean War,
Civil War, Gulf War, Guerilla War, Gang War,
Cold War, Nuclear War, Religious War,
War on Terror, War on Drugs, Star Wars,
War Room, War widow, War games, Warfare,
“All’s fair in love and war”, Rules of Engagement,
Blitzkrieg, First strike, Counterstrike,
Air strike, Battlefield, Minefield,
Field jacket, Full Metal Jacket, Field Marshall,
Court martial, “Bombs bursting in air”,
Firebomb, Cluster bomb, A Bomb, H Bomb,
Pipe bomb, Letter bomb, Time bomb,
Bomb squad, Bomb site, “Bombs away”,
Mushroom cloud, “Boom”, Dynamite, Nitro, TNT,
Semtex, C-4, Blown up, Blown away,
Purple Heart, Red Cross, Medal of Honor, Kill zone,
Crossfire, Claymore, Khmer Rouge, KKK,
NRA, CIA, NSA, KIA, MIA, FBI, MI6,
DMZ, POW, PFC, NCO, AWOL, MASH,
SWAT, NATO, 007, Double agent, Secret agent,
Top Secret, Secret Code, Code of Conduct,
Carbine, Crack, Cocaine, Fentanyl, Oxy,
Meth, Cosa Nostra, Cartel, Kamikaze,
Genocide, Collateral damage, “Going Postal”,
Mass shooting, Terrorist, Triage, Tour of Duty,
Trident Sub, Crown of Thorns, Pistol,
Pump action, Uzi, Automatic, Vigilante,
Massacre, My͂ Lai, “Medic”, Mortally wounded,
Missile, Mutually assured destruction,
Nuclear nightmare, Nuclear winter,
Nuclear strategy, Tactical nuclear weapon,
Nuclear waste, Radioactive, Radiation poisoning,
Enola Gay, Mass murder, Serial murder, Murder one,
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”,
“Thou Shalt Not Kill”.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 32 – Negotiating With His Memories
Negotiating With His Memories
He found himself smiling
At her memory.
Why, he had no idea.
The last years of their relationship
Were absent of smiles.
Just unhappiness and
A deep desire to move on.
They tried.
They failed.
The smile he found on his face
At her memory
Was only him
Negotiating with his memories
Trying to rewrite their messy history.
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Words of Wonder – Day 31 – Soaking Up the Rays
Soaking Up the Rays
Sitting in the sun
Soaking up the rays
I feel the heat
Slowly cook the tension
From my soul.
It’s time to relax.
It’s time to heal.
It’s time to sit in the sun
And soak up the rays.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 30 – Waiting
Waiting
Waiting………………………………………………
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………………………………Still waiting.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 29 – Past Tense
Past Tense
I used to do that.
I loved doing this.
I was really something.
She was really sweet.
I should have done that.
I wish I had.
As I write this, I realize that
I spend way too much time
In the past.
I need to spend more time
In the present,
Like I used to do
In the past.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 28 – When I Left Heaven
When I Left Heaven
When I left heaven
On the day of my birth,
A full seventy-two years ago,
I left with a joyous and open heart.
Then the Catholics hung
“Original Sin” around my neck,
Forcing me to carry that weight
Around for years.
Then the Catholics expected me
To attend mass each and every Sunday.
A mass where the priest turned his back on me.
A mass where the priest would not even
Speak the liturgy in my own language.
Then the Catholics taught me that
“Impure thoughts” were a sin.
Not a very original sin, I must say.
Then the Catholics protected their own.
For years.
For years they preyed.
Enough was enough.
I left the faith with the knowledge
That I was leaving that arrogant,
Sin obsessed institution
In my dust.
I left the faith
The same way that I left heaven,
With a joyous and open heart.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 27 – The Child Behind the Curtain
The Child Behind the Curtain
I snuck up behind the guy
With the really stiff orange hair
And peeked behind his curtain.
What I saw was a little,
Scared, scarred and very angry child.
He sat there in front of his cameras,
His hands feverishly working
The dials and levers
While all the time screaming
Into his old-fashioned microphone
About what a great and powerful
Cause he was.
Sweat covered his face,
His knuckles were white with effort
And his teeth were black from his bile.
I quietly dropped the curtain and
Turned my back
Feeling really sad for
The man-child behind the curtain.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 26 – Star Bright
Star Bright
Star light. Star bright,
First star I see tonight.
Perched low on the horizon line
Its bright light reflects
Off the dark waters
Creating a thin path of sparkling light.
I look upon this sparkling pathway
As yet another invitation to
Take an evening stroll and
Go where no man has gone before.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 25 – Every Storm Runs Out of Rain
Every Storm Runs Out of Rain
Whether it is
A rainstorm
A thunderstorm
A tropical depression
Or a hurricane,
No matter how hard the wind blows
No matter how hard the rain falls
No matter the damage from wind
No matter the damage from floods
No matter the pain
At some point
Every storm runs out of rain.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 24 – Nature is Nice
Nature is Nice
Nature is nice.
The trees provide shade
So I can stay cool.
The sun shines hot
So I can stay warm.
The rain falls from the sky
So I can cleanse my body.
Rainbows appear magically in the sky
To fill my heart with joy.
I do my best to thank Her
And respect Her
Each and every day
Because
Nature is nice.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 23 – Blue Smoke
Blue Smoke
Between my teardrops
I carefully load the
Small white rectangle of paper.
Then, between my thumbs,
Slowly roll the thin doobie.
Once it has been licked,
Sealed and the ends crimped
I run the joint under my nose
And inhale the relaxing scent.
I wipe my cheeks dry once again,
Strike the match on the arm
Of my ‘smoking’ chair,
Bring the flame up to the joint,
Take a big inhale,
(The first is always the best)
And hold the smoke in my lungs
As long as I can till I feel
The world soften a bit.
Alone in my room, the room
Where you and I shared our
Life, our smiles, and the occasional joint,
I exhale blue smoke.
I exhale the smoke of the blues.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 22 – Forks in the Road
Forks in the Road
In my seventy-plus years
I’ve faced my fair share of
Forks in the road.
At some, the choice was all too obvious,
One side strewn with debris
The other, smooth, and clean.
Right, left, right or wrong.
At some, I camped out for days,
Weeks, even years trying to
Figure out the correct path.
Right, left, right or wrong.
At some, I just guessed,
Went with my gut
And never looked back.
Right, left, right or wrong.
I’ve faced my fair share of
Forks in the road
Whether right, left, right or wrong
They all led me here.
Here, sitting on the beach
Notebook in hand, pen at the ready
Trying to figure out the next
Fork in the road.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 21 – Howling at the Gates
Howling at the Gates
With sirens howling outside
And red lights flashing
The murderer shot me in cold blood.
His anger at life on full display
In his costume of body armor,
Flak jacket and black stomper boots.
As I lay bleeding out
I heard a shot
And saw his neck explode.
He landed on the floor next to me
And we both passed on to the other side
At the same time.
When the light allowed me to focus
Once again, I heard my murderer
Screaming in fear.
Howling in terror as he was
Dragged toward the dark gates of Hell.
He prayed. He asked for forgiveness.
He asked for another chance.
To no avail.
His howling terror
Grew louder as he passed through.
I watched the black gates swing
Closed on his condemned soul.
I then turned, knowing karma
Was served and began my journey
Toward the light.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 20 – Worn Out
Worn Out
God, he is sore.
After 30 years of shoveling dirt
And digging ditches for a living
His back aches.
His shoulders scream.
His hands thump in arthritic pain.
He sits on a pile of dirt
He dug this morning with
His sandwich in hand and
His Tastykake in waiting
And wonders how he will
Ever survive the next ten years
Until he can retire.
He is tired.
He is sore.
He is worn out.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 19 – Our Path
Our Path
We often think we know
The path that we will take.
We plan for it.
We study for it.
We envision it.
But, often our paths
Have different plans.
They take us down unknown
Roads and tracks, through trees
And dense undergrowth,
Forcing us to stumble and trip
Over roots and stumps.
They often get us lost
Until, at last, the brush and brambles
Clear and a new path
Of freshly laid cedar chips appears
Leading us quietly
Into our unplanned future.
Roy W. Backes
© 2020
Words of Wonder – Day 18 – Dead Calm
Dead Calm
It is dead calm this morning.
The lake that is.
Not a wave.
Not a ripple.
The sun hits the water
And instead of sparkling diamonds
I get a harsh reflection
As though from glass.
Dead calm.
No gulls flying and squawking.
No geese strutting up the beach
Honking as they walk.
No bees buzzing.
No breeze.
Just calm.
Just quiet.
Just right to soothe my stormy soul.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 17 – Sunrise
Sunrise
The sound of flies buzzing
As the sun begins to rise
Can be heard from afar.
The sun slowly begins to paint
The sky above the horizon line
Creating stunning color and beauty.
However, today the sun is rising
Over a battlefield filled with the dead.
The sun slowly illuminates the carnage
As the buzzards circle slowly above
Trying to decide on their next meal.
With the heat, the flies buzz even louder
Creating a cloud of noise that
Mingles with the dew of morning.
The sun continues to rise,
To create beauty in the morning sky,
To shine light, once again,
On man’s insatiable thirst
For self-destruction.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 16 – We Too
We Too
As husbands, partners, and lovers
Of all those traumatized victims
Whose pain and suffering brought about
The #MeToo movement,
We too stand by our women.
We too love our women.
We too support our women.
The nights of tears.
The nights of bad dreams.
The days of depression,
We are there for them.
We love them.
We support them.
We understand them.
We too are there.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
(This in no way is meant to
Minimize or marginalize the
Pain, trauma, and suffering
Of these incredibly strong survivors.)
R.W.B. 8-13-22
Words of Wonder – Day 15 – The Moon Path
The Moon Path
The moon, full and fat,
Is about 30 minutes above
The horizon line.
Not a cloud to be found
In the night sky.
Its reflection on the water,
Thin and straight,
Is a welcoming pathway
Of sparkling light
Inviting me to take an
Evening moonlight stroll.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 14 – The Quiet City
The Quiet City
I never thought of the city as quiet.
I mean, the constant sirens in the distance,
The bang, bang, bang of construction.
The beeps of cars being locked or unlocked
Is the soundscape of the city.
But, after three months of sitting
On the beach
Waves constantly beating the shore,
Adding sand to sand
Along with the chirps, squawks, and honks of
The sea birds.
And, lest I forget,
The constant song of the wind
Waving the trees, pushing the water,
Whipping past my ears.
I never thought of the city as quiet.
But here I sit surrounded by
Concrete and asphalt and
The quiet sounds of the city.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 13 – The Line in the Sand
The Line in the Sand
The snow falls hard and steady
And covers the beach sand
In a beautiful soft powder
Creating a constantly changing
Line in the sand.
The lake sends its waves onto the beach
To grab the snow like
Greedy children at a dessert buffet,
Adding to its enormous girth.
This constantly changing line in the sand,
Where the land meets the water
Is a constant give and take.
The snow gives.
The lake takes.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 12 – Opening the Door on Love or Deceit
Opening the Door on Love or Deceit
He has been gone a long time.
He has done his time.
He has paid his debt.
Now he stands
On his own front porch
Hand poised over the knob.
He pauses,
Hoping that the surprise
Won’t be too much of a shock,
Both for him and for her.
He grips the knob and
Begins to turn
Wondering if he is
Opening the door on love
Or deceit.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 11 – But…..
But…
There is always a catch,
A hitch, a caveat.
You can enjoy this, but….
You can have that, but….
You can go there, but….
There is always a catch.
There is always a hitch.
There is always a caveat.
You can read this, but….
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 10 – Teeming With Life
Teeming With Life
As I look out over this wonderful world
That is teeming with life
I also see a lot of death.
The gulls and pelicans feed
On the fish all day long.
The spider spins more lace
Around the body of the fly
Stuck in its sticky web.
The birds pull the worms
Out of the ground after a storm.
The eagle swoops down and
Grabs the chipmunk
And carries it off high into the air.
In this wonderful world
That is teeming with life
I see that it is also teeming with death.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder - Day 9 - Fighting Back
Fighting Back
The Earth has shown significant
Patience with homo sapiens.
It has waited a long time,
It has put up with a lot.
Put up with the unrestrained poisoning of the air.
Put up with the widespread pollution of the waters.
Put up with the felling of entire forests
Without so much as a thought of replenishment.
Put up with the land of plastic
In the middle of the ocean.
670,000 square miles. Immense and
Growing every day.
The Earth has finally lost patience with
The filthy, disrespectful homo sapiens
Inhabiting its land.
So recently,
The God of Wind,
The God of Fire,
The God of Water,
The God of Ice,
The God of Bedrock and the Underland
All called a summit and decided
That it was time to begin
The end of homo sapiens and
Begin the millennia of healing
Needed to repair the damage inflicted.
The God of Ice sacrificed itself
To melt the icecaps and fill
The oceans to overflowing.
The God of Water began to claim
More and more land,
No matter how hard the homo sapiens
Tried to hold it back.
The God of Wind began to blow.
It blew hard and it blew often,
Spinning its tornadoes and
Blowing the falling rain sideways.
The God of Fire burned acre after acre
Driving homo sapiens even further away.
The God of Bedrock and the Underland
Decided to refill the voids left
From the drilling, pumping, and mining
By shaking and shifting the bedrock,
Knocking down the homo sapiens’
Infrastructure in the process.
It refired the volcanos and
Spit out miles and miles of lava
Reclaiming its turf.
The Earth has lost patience
And has decided to fight back.
Decided to end the epoch of man
And begin to heal.
Begin to cleanse.
Begin to forget
All about the homo sapiens.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 8 – Falling Through the Crack
Falling Through the Crack
Our lives are full of cracks. Some larger than others. Most cracks we just step on, Step over or give them no thought. But every so often a larger crack appears. One large enough to swallow us whole. I remember this one crack very clearly, Large and somewhat scary. You managed to jump over Just before it expanded before our eyes. Uneven, deep, and wide. You stood on the safe side While I struggled to traverse The expanse of the crack, Your impatience showing By the tap, tap, tapping of your foot. Unable to make my way to your side You studied the void Then looked me in the eye, Waved goodbye and Let me fall through the crack. Roy W. Backes © 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 7 – Looking for God
Looking For God
I’ve been looking for God For most of my life. Raised Catholic in the fifties I watched the priest Turn his back on us every Sunday. I left the church in search Of something better. At minimum, a face-to-face meeting. As I was looking for God My search area narrowed each and every day. As Willie Porter sings, “I know where He’s not.” As war, famine, terror and Racism continues to expand, My search area for God shrinks. I know that God cannot be found Among the pain and suffering And the millions of unanswered prayers. I will continue my search for God Knowing that I know where He is not. Roy W. Backes © 2022
Words of Wonder – Day 6 – Not a Kid Anymore
Not a Kid Anymore
I remember the moment
I realized that I was
Not a kid anymore.
It happened at the playground
In my old neighborhood.
I climbed the ladder for the slide
And as I slid down, I realized
That the eight feet of slide
Was way too short.
Or, when I swung on the swing
And my feet kept hitting the ground
On my way up and on my way down.
I moved to the jungle gym
And when I hung from the monkey bars
My knees touched the ground.
At that moment I realized
I was not a kid anymore
And that it was time to
Leave the playground in the past
And take a big step into adulthood.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder - Day 5 -Watching Life Leave
Watching Life Leave
I know it is not the same
As being with someone as
They take their last breath.
But I watched a beautiful
Gray feathered bird
Take its last breath today.
It hit the window in full flight,
Bounced and landed on its back.
Stunned, it lay there for a minute or so,
Probably unconscious. Then it opened its eyes
Lifted its head, looked around one last time
Then gently lowered its head back onto the stones,
Took one last breath
And left this world.
I buried this beautiful creature
Under a young pine tree
With hopes that it would add
Strength and beauty to the tree
In death as it did in life.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder - Day 4 -So Low I Got To Get High
So Low I Got to Get High
As one does when one
Is feeling blue,
At least as this one does
When feeling blue,
I often reach for the bottle,
Or I raid the fridge,
Or I put on the blues
And wallow in the deep.
Today I am so low
I pass up the bottle,
I ignore the ice cream,
I, however, do put on the blues.
As I wallow in the deep
I roll a joint.
I light a match.
I inhale deep
‘Cause today I am
So low I got to get high.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder - Day 3 - Kyiv and Philly
Kyiv and Philly
I look at images of Kyiv
On the news and it strikes me
That Kyiv looks very much like my neighborhood
Here in Philly.
The people drive the same cars,
Live in the same style of apartments and houses,
Go to the movies in multiplexes,
Walk in city parks,
Dance, drink and dine.
When I see Putin’s missiles striking
Homes, apartments, and monuments
I think that it looks very much
Like Philly. Only in Kyiv, now
Apartment buildings are on fire,
Cars are burned and buried in debris,
The dead lay in the street.
The fight I see in the eyes of
The Ukrainian people
I know is the same
As I have seen here in Philly.
That look says,
You come after us,
You will pay the price.
You will end up bloodied
And in tatters, not unlike Apollo Creed.
Kyiv and Philly,
Not so different after all.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder - Day 2 - The Blues Club
The Blues Club
He’s never been much of a joiner.
He never joined a country club.
He never joined the Elks club.
He never joined a book club.
When he met her, he was all in.
He joined her in cooking class.
He joined her in watching The Bachelor.
He joined her in marriage.
He never thought he could be so happy.
He never thought it would end.
He never thought she would pack her bags and leave.
He never thought he could hurt this bad.
He never thought he could be this lonely.
He never thought he could be this blue.
He has never been much of a joiner.
Now, he finds himself a card carrying,
Heartbroken, full-fledged member of the
Blues club.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Words of Wonder - Day 1 - In Mother's Arms
In Mother’s Arms
Sitting in the cool of the forest
My back against the mighty maple
I feel safe.
The canopy of leaves keeps me dry.
The canopy of leaves keeps me cool.
The thickness of the woodland
Keeps me safe.
I sit here, my back against
A mighty maple and
Feel one with the Mother of Nature.
She will nurture me.
She will protect me.
She will hold me in her arms
While I relax and begin to heal.
In peace.
In quiet.
In Mother’s arms.
Roy W. Backes
© 2022
Roy W. Backes - Poetry 