The Eastern Woodlands Fusion

...Muses from Raphael's Parnassus  

Poetry by Kandi Ritton 

I Won’t Quit

I am exhausted. This
World can be
Overwhelming, and some days,
Nothing goes right.
Time and again, all I want is
Quiet; to hide
Under a rock and never return.
It’s tiring, and sometimes…silent
Tears will flow.

Tell Me

Tell me, please, do I misread the sign?
Is this love that you proclaim?
Or is it that I wish you were mine?
Is it true, for me, you feel the same?

Tell me, darling, is it fiction or fact
What we share be love?
Tell me that you love me back,
As inseparable turtle doves.

Tell me, my love, as my heartbeat slows
You feel different than I.
Tell me now, in one quick blow,
And softly kiss me goodbye.

The Cheater

You are a frail building of maturity,
A fragile plant of growth,
A mysterious book of beauty,
A selfish song of mirth.
You have a forked tongue to happiness,
An adventurous spirit of opportunity,
On a long roadway to loneliness,
You’re a talented snake of dishonesty.

The End

The bag pipes begin, quietly and softly.
Hear them popping, sweet and melancholy.
Everyone is gathered, silently weeping,
Etched in silence, as the music is singing.
Nearer to the earth, the casket is lowered,
Deep in the ground, and with the earth covered.

Untitled

I settle in my chair, in my basement bedroom,
Computer on my lap.
My fan is on; it hums to the beat
Of my heart;
Slowly, but strong.
Creaks in the floor above draw
My attention for a moment;
My eyes wander around the room.
Chaos is all I see:
An unfolded blanket,
A pile of garden equipment yearning
To be put away,
Houseplants thrown in front of a window,
Begging to be neatly placed.
My mind wanders to all these things
I need to do.
My heart beats faster as I become overwhelmed
In my own mind.
My eyes finally land back on my computer
And I stare at a blank page.
I find it hard to concentrate now.
My body is fighting me.
I want to get up and
Clear this mess,
But I need to study.
Then I hear it.
The soft jingle of dog tags.
I move my computer to peer at my dog,
Who is looking at me from my lap.
Her brown eyes stare into mine,
And I let out a sigh.
I pat her on the head;
“Hi, my girl.”
Then, I take a deep breath,
Replace my computer onto my lap,
And begin to add words to a
Blank page.