Good! I was kind of hoping somebody would "feel the heat" a little bit. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNCLAIMED DIAMONDS IN THE SHADOWS ~~~~~~~~~~~ I love the way morn's shadows play across my quiet lawn./ ~~~~~~~~~~ The apple tree,~~~~~~~ Casts chantilly patterns and hints at quivering breaths. ~~~~~~~~ Patches of light expose tiny wild violets,/ Some are wearing tiaras diamond-dipped in dew. ~~~~~~~~ Quick! There! ~~~~~~~~ See the sun glint for an instant off that diamond? ~~~~~~~~ Then hide it...lost in the dark until the next impulse motion. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Such Beauty! ~~~~~~~~ Pendant of Morning! ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Do you claim Life's open treasure-chest each day?

Ship, I sure hope you are keeping a collection of these in a journal or book. That one is a gem. Maybe you can get them published in a literary magazine or something. Thank you once again for sharing your gift.

I've saved them all. Thanks very much for your thoughtful words,it means a lot.

No problem. Your talents deserve them.

~~~~~~~~~~ PAPA'S SLEEPLESS NIGHT ~~~~~~~~~~ Take rest,My Darling,/As fairy-dust is sprinkled/O'er your weary eyes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Be still now,and dream/As angel-clouds drift slowly/'Round your drowsy head. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ A lullaby I'll/Sing for you,so softly that/Early-morning birds will stop/ To listen..... ~~~~~~~~~~~~ .....To your rhythmic breathing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Sun rubs its eyes,/And daybreak peeks through windows./ Ahh! Sleepless night ends!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It's Only ONE September Day ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Feet propped up on the/ Porch railing. He sips chilled milk,/ Watching the sunset. ~~~~~~~~~~ There's a ham sandwich/ (Rye,Swiss Cheese),partly eaten/ Not really hungry. ~~~~~~~~~~ End of the first day/ Away from home at College,/ No roommate here yet. ~~~~~~~~~~ He'd never admit/ That this had not been one of/ His life's best days. . . ~~~~~~~~~~ Late for his first class,/ He'd gotten lost--God only knew/ HOW! Face was SO red!!! ~~~~~~~~~~ Then he'd tripped over/ "Hot-cute" girl's books at lunch-time!/ She'd smiled and giggled. . . ~~~~~~~~~~ Calculus went well,/ Until he discovered that/ He forgot his book! ~~~~~~~~~~ But "Nerd" girl beside/ Him,let him use her notes...so/ He'd "dodged the bullet". ~~~~~~~~~~ Car had flat on way home on/ "D" Street,...no spare...he lives on "N" Street!/ That's JUST GREAT!! ~~~~~~~~~~ Finally made it/ Back to the dorm----Whew!...on time!!/ Kick back and relax. ~~~~~~~~~~ Someone once told him,/ (Grand-dad,he was pretty sure).../ "...Son,no matter what..." ~~~~~~~~~~ "...when a day's been bad..."/ Keep your head held high and know,/ Tomorrow's brand-new..."

That's great as usual, Ship. We've all had days like that, haven't we? I've certainly had my fair share.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MS. OCTOBER'S BACK IN TOWN ~~~~~~~~~~~~ October appears/ Like a Big-City Girl who/ Struts with confidence. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Commanding stares with/ Her tree-top,varicolored/ Skirts swishing,...flirting... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She's pretty...and she/ Knows it! This head-turning,red-/ Lipped gypsy princess,/ "Leaves" no eye unwinked. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This Autumn Beauty,/ Whose perfume is burning leaves,/ And hot,spiced cider,/ And sugar cookies,/ And warm pumpkin pies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sapphire-blue skies are/ The wrap she wears on crisp days./ She smiles at clear,frosty nights/ With wide,bare-branched moonlit eyelashes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Some would decry her/ Flamboyance and say that she/ Leads Winter by the hand! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ But,those like me.who/ Welcome her,can find no fault/ In her beguiling ways!

Just read your October poem to my Mom and she thought it was as wonderful as I did. And October is her favorite month. I called to specially to read it to her.

I'm glad you,and she,like it. That means a lot to me. October's always been my favorite too.

Love that one, too, Matie! It conjures up Autumn beautifully :cool:

~~~~~~~~~~~~NOVEMBER - COMING HOME~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chilly November,/ A day for remembering,/ A day for deep thoughts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rubbing his ungloved/ Hands together,he bends down/ To re-tie his shoe. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As he straightens up/ He can smell the leather of/ His new,warm jacket. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He stuffs his hands deep/ Into the fleece-lined pockets,/ Resuming his walk. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Looking overhead,/ A lone crow flys, ..caw-cawing,/ In a lazy glide. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Another look brings/ The man's eyes over to a/ Sunlit,glinting brook. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The brook bubbles,and/ Babbles and tumbles and falls/ Dancingly along. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He remembers how,/ As a boy,he'd caught tadpoles/ Just.....right over...THERE! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And,how his father/ Had shown him how to skip stones/ Over the water. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How the smell of his/ Mama's fresh bread comes to him/ Now.....after so long! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Was coming home good?/ Had it been wise to do so?/ Tomorrow he'd know... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tomorrow he'd see/ Them. He'd know by their faces/ How they 'saw' him now... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chilly November,/ Cold hearts? Warm hearts? What would they/ Give him---tomorrow?

Delicious! The sounds, smells and memories of a crisp November. It also sounds like the beginnings of a much longer story.