It's been awhile...My newest poem:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

From a true incident in my childhood...:scared:


The Alley


The kids were bigger, bulkier

Scarier with their books

Older with grown-up clothes and wild smiles


My eyes darted around at them

I was outnumbered by their size


Stay here in the alley they said

The threat hung in the air like frostbite


Then they were gone, laughing coldly


I was isolated in the alley.

Not a soul to be seen

I felt like an unwanted newborn


The alley was long and wide, abandoned

unpopulated garages sat on its edges



I tried to think, but I was crazy

My mind just flew around

My thoughts banged inside me

And they made no sense


I looked for my enemies

Even though they had vanished

I felt their coldness.


They still threatened me.

Inside my mind, I let them scare me.

I ran up and down the alley

Looking for the way out, any way out.


My heart pounded

I shivered

So small, so young

No help anywhere.


I didn’t know they were phantoms

I felt they would seize me, hurt me


Finally, desperately, my longing for safety overcame me

I gripped my courage

And ran home

[enigmatic]

1. Another good one, Peg!

:hug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear enigmatic!

I'm so glad you like this...

And it's lovely to see you tonight!

:hug:

[WCGreen]

3. Sounds like you grew up with a lot of republicans...

did Sean Hannity go to your grade school...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Could be!

I don't remember seeing him...:scared:

But I was a pretty unobservant little kid...

[BlueIris]

5. Nice work, C-Peg!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. My dear BlueIris...

Thank you!

:hi:

[puerco-bellies]

6. Nice poem CaliforniaPeggy

Brings back memories. Long forgotten memories. In a word invocative

Memories and long forgotten emotions.

Well done Miss C-P.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. My dear puerco-bellies...

Thank you...

Somehow I'd thought I was the only one this sort of thing had ever happened to...

:hug:

[Indi Guy]

7. Extremely evokative Peggy...

I see much of myself in the mirror you provided here.

Well done.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. My dear Indi Guy...

It's always a pleasure to have you weigh in here...

Thank you!

:hug:

[Rabrrrrrr]

11. "Where delicious cold barreled vengeance / awaited my need / and taking it, blew the each to hell"

:rofl:

Sorry, CP - hope you don't mind my amendment. :D

Beautiful poem, as always!

Out of curiosity, how long do you work on your poems and how many edits do they go through before you post them? I write poems (serious poems, anyway) very rarely, so I find myself going through massive amounts of rewrites and whatnot. I'm curious if yours are flowing out in a finished state or close to.

I have yet to see a bad poem from you.

:applause:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. My dear Rabrrrrrr...

I don't mind your amendment at all! I wish I'd had that sort of spirit when I was young!

Thank you for you compliments...

I value your opinion very highly!

As to rewrites: It depends...

Sometimes I work them over endlessly...

And other times, they flow out with hardly any changes needed...

It seems to be the case that when I'm super emotionally involved, the poem needs less work.

Other times, I'm not inspired, and then the editing comes with great difficulty, or I just give up and leave the poem alone till I'm more inspired.

I think my best work just flows out nearly effortlessly, and when it does, it's wonderful!

:hug:

[momto3]

13. Very nice poem. Thanks for sharing.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

14. My dear PhDmom...

Thank you!

I'm glad you enjoyed it...

:hi:

[UrbScotty]

15. My dear CaliforniaPeggy...

I am sorry you had to deal with that.

Just remember that all of us go through periods when we feel alone. Even amongst a big group of people.

Another powerful poem. Thank you. :thumbsup:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. My dear ih8thegop...

Thank you, sweetie...

I'm discovering that many of us went through stuff like this...

I disclose my vulnerabilities...and then I find out that I truly am not alone...

Your comments really really touch me...:hug:

[lightningandsnow]

16. Wonderful poem!

I loved it. You are a great writer.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

19. My dear Aspiegrrl...

Ah, thank you, sweetie!

I'm so glad you like this...

Great?

I have moments when I think I might be...

And other moments when I think...ah, not so much...

I appreciate your comments a great deal...:hug:

[applegrove]

18. Well done.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

20. Thank you, my dear applegrove...

:hug: