Words of Art – Day 104 – Empty Bed Blues

Empty Bed Blues

I woke up this morning with the blues.
I woke up with the; ‘Too much room in this 
King-sized bed’ blues.
The sheets all bunched in a ball,
My snores still reverberating in the air,
The kink in my neck, still there.

I woke up this morning with the blues.
I woke up with the; ‘It’s way too quiet
In our house’ blues.
I walked out of our bedroom this morning
Into a big empty house,
Where it is way too quiet.
No noise not inflicted by me.

I woke up this morning with the blues.
I woke up with the; ‘I’m still sorry’ blues.
It’s been months now since you walked away
I tried to say I’m sorry
But my words landed on an angry, empty heart.

I woke up this morning with the blues.
I woke up with the; ‘Oh my God
There is nothing left’ blues.
I still miss you
Each and every day
But there is very little
Of you left here.
No clothes.
No perfume.
Just an empty king-sized bed.

I woke up this morning with the blues.
I woke up with the; ‘Afraid of the quiet’ blues.
Night time is the worst time.
The quiet, once the tv goes off, is deafening.
The sound of the toothbrush on my teeth
Bounces around the bathroom walls.
I woke up this morning with the blues.
I woke up with the; ‘I carry it around
With me all day’ blues.
Each and every night
When I walk into our bedroom
I walk in carrying the
Empty bed blues.

Roy W. Backes
© 2021

Words of Art – Day 103 – The Forgotten Path

The Forgotten Path

I’ve been walking this trail
For as long as I can remember.
Crawling over trees,
Constantly watching my step as roots
Cross the trail with the intent
Of tripping me up.

Today, as I walked this trail.
Traversing my way around,
Yet another fallen tree
I discovered a path
Hidden by the brush and
Overgrown with forest flowers.

I had forgotten about this path.
This path I explored as a young man.
This path full of memories.
This path full of forgotten experiences.
The further along I walked upon
This forgotten path
The further I walked into my past,
And, who knows,
Maybe into my future.

Roy W. Backes
© 2021

Words of Art – Day 102 – Home Again. Home Again.

Home Again.  Home Again.

Home again, home again, Jiggety Jig.

For five weeks I sat on the 
Edge of the lake
Listening to
The wind
The waves
The chirp of birds
And the constant squawk of seagulls.

Now I’m back home.
Back in the city,
Sitting on my deck 
Listening to
The sirens
The distant sound of the train
The random chirps of cars
Being locked or unlocked.
The sound of construction everywhere.

Home again, home again,
Back in the city.
Sitting on my deck
Surrounded by the sounds of man.
I miss sitting on the edge of the lake
Listening to the sounds of nature
Whose music is so much more
Soothing to the soul.

Roy W. Backes
© 2021

Words of Art – Day 101 – Lake of Diamonds

Lake of Diamonds

With the morning sun at a certain angle
And the water gently waving,
The reflection on the lake
Is like looking at a
Lake of diamonds.

They sparkle.  They shine
Like the diamonds on my wife’s hand.
These diamonds of the lake
Work day in and day out
To cut, to grind, to churn the stones
Into a fine sand.

I know that the reflections
I see are diamonds
Because I can gather them up
And put them into the fine velvet bag
Of my mind.  
Their weight as heavy as stone.
I can then pour them out
Onto my velvet table whenever
The sun shines
Bringing me back to
The Lake of Diamonds.

Roy W. Backes
© 2021

Words of Art – Day 100 – Coasting to a Stop

Coasting to a Stop

After finally cresting the hilltop
I pause briefly
To enjoy the beautiful view.
As I begin my descent
Into the deep green forested valley
My brakes go soft.
I pump.  I pump.
Nothing.  Nothing to slow me down.
I take a deep breath to focus,
Grab the wheel at ten and two
And do my best to keep
The wheels on the road.
Trees begin to whip by my vision
Right and left, blurred by my speed.
The tires squeal,
The wheel shakes.
It seems forever before
I hit the lower flat
And begin to lose speed.
I slowly slow down,
The trees, coming back into focus.
I relax my grip on the wheel,
My knuckles aching from the effort.
Finally, I coast to a stop.
I open the door and am greeted by the
Blue strip of sky above my head.
I thank the cosmos
For allowing me to survive
My speeding descent
Into this deep green forested valley.

Roy W. Backes
© 2021

Words of Art – Day 98 – Deaf Ears – (Guardian Angel Series)

Deaf Ears

Once again, the guardian angel
Kneels next to the bed of her charge,
Praying to her deaf God
While the girl’s father rapes his child.
The child’s whimpering and pleading
Mixes with the grunts and groans
Of the adult.
The guardian angel holds the child’s hand
And wonders why she was sent
To protect and care for this innocent
Being when she has no control
Over the father’s actions.
She prays to release the rage
In her heart and for the strength
To give some little comfort to the child.

Knowing that her prayers are
Landing on deaf ears the angel
Decides that she has to move
Into the human world and
Commit an act that will
Forever damn her holy soul.

Roy W. Backes
© 2007

Words of Art – Day 97 – On the Straight and Narrow

On the Straight and Narrow

Heading down the highway
On the straight and narrow,
My eyes glued to the road,
My hands at ten and two
On the wheel,
My foot pressed hard to the floor.

The engine whines as I
Push it just a little bit harder.
The wind whips by the windows
Making music in my ears.
The sky above, a golden red
Around a white-hot globe
Slowly falling to the horizon line.

I sneak a peek at the rear view
Reflecting my life like a funhouse mirror.
My past is holding onto
The speeding bumper,
While the tale of my past
Whips in the wind
Like a kite in a hurricane.

I shift my eyes back to the road
Fighting the urge, once again,
To observe my past.
I tighten the grip on the wheel
And do my best to keep me
Heading down the highway
On the straight and narrow.

Roy W. Backes
© 2020