night – Colleen Keller Breuning

Strawberry Moon

Strawberry Moon

It is time to float on the waters of the night
to exhale the troubles of the day
balancing the wish to be lost
with the aching need to be found.

Immerse yourself in the burgeoning skies
revel in the raspberry sherbet sunset
and cast your eyes toward the east
where the strawberry moon beckons.

Rising low on the summer horizon
the moon casts its ambient pink glow
gently morphing and reflecting
in the undulating ripples of the lake.

Lazy clouds drift by in the cool breeze
encircling and embracing its radiance
casting shadows on the craggy surface
painting figments of the imagination.

Tell me your secrets, oh strawberry moon
rising high amidst the blanket of stars
fill me with your omniscient wisdom
and strength, to the depths of my tired bones.

Oh prophet of June, beacon in the sky
gliding home gracefully on your lunar path
tuck me in to sleep with tranquil dreams
until the morrow dawns with hope.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2023
June 3, 2023

Happy Saturday! This week I had two inspirations for my poem. First, looking through Billy Collins lines steered me – after all, he is one of my favorite poets and authors. I have quite a few of his poetry books and have always been inspired by his imagery and observations on life! And once again the moon proved to be a dependable muse.

It all happened by accident last night, when I was dressed in my workout clothes about to head down to the basement for a Bodi workout. I was wondering where Dan was, and I saw him out on the back deck. As I was walking out to talk to him, I saw it. The beautiful rising Strawberry Moon, tucked away behind the trees in the conservancy woods behind our yard. As if by pure reflex, I ran to grab my Nikon camera and iPhone and told Dan excitedly to look behind him at the moon.

To get a better view of the moon, I walked up the path on our ridge and then down to the lake so I could clearly view it on the Eastern horizon. The sun had already set, casting pink and blue swaths of light in the West behind me. Ahead of me it was getting dark, and the path was surrounded by a canopy of trees. As I made my way down to the water’s edge, the moon almost took my breath away. I began snapping away, undeterred by the mosquitos in the night air.

Dan followed me down, and we watched for about 30 minutes as the clouds drifted by, creating amazing images as it passed and encircled the moon. I caught some really cool images on my iPhone in which the clouds seemed to appear as a dog or demon to the right side of the moon! I haven’t gotten around to posting any of these on Instagram or Facebook, but the photos posted here are from my Nikon camera which I uploaded this morning. I was amazed at the detail of some of the images, which I shot WITHOUT a tripod.

This all serves as further inspiration for me to get out my camera more frequently. God works in mysterious ways, and I’m grateful the beauty of nature sidetracked me last night. It forced me to slow down and follow the moon with my camera. Work and life in general have kept me from this lifelong hobby, and now I can’t wait to get back to it. Nature photography is my passion, and lately I have just admired others’ work lately while neglecting my own. There doesn’t seem to be enough time in a day, but now I realize I must make time!

I wish you all a wonderful weekend filled with peace, rest or doing what you love the most!

xoxo Colleen

Mood: Relaxed
Inspiration: “Sail to the Moon” by Radiohead

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 48.14 – History Repeats
Hard Bonus: Quote or use a line by poet Billy Collins (“It is time to float on the waters of the night” & “balancing the wish to be lost with the need to be found”)
Easy Bonus: Mention your favorite author – Billy Collins, of course!

The Darkness

The Darkness

The darkness descends with its gloom
Wrathful clouds release their cold rain
Alone, imprisoned in this room
Bold wind rattles the windowpane.

Wrathful clouds release their cold rain
On a canvas of purple gloam.
Bold wind rattles the windowpane
As wayward geese make their way home.

On a canvas of purple gloam
Hunter moon rises in night sky
As wayward geese make their way home
All hope lost, I begin to cry.

Hunter moon rises in night sky
An owl cries out in the chill air
All hope lost, I begin to cry
It seems all roads point to nowhere.

An owl cries out in the chill air
Daylight is doused and nights are long
It seems all roads point to nowhere
I lift my voice in a swan song.

Daylight is doused and nights are long
Alone, imprisoned in this room
I lift my voice in a swan song
The darkness descends with its gloom.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2022
October 14, 2022

I was determined to write a pantoum this week, as it’s been a while since I wrote one. After looking at a list of Kevin Bacon movies, there were some good titles… but “The Darkness” stood out for me. (TRIGGER WARNING: she’s taking a walk on the dark side again, haha!!!!) The poem just sort of morphed from there. I threw some lines down and worked it like a jigsaw puzzle. Fun!

I tried to take elements of autumn, darkness and the changes of this season to illustrate moods we sometimes feel. Darkness, hopelessness, feeling paralyzed, frustrated, like things are spiraling out of our control. We’ve been hearing an owl hooting out there in our backyard, and there’s been a bit of moody weather. It’s getting darker earlier, and sometimes that makes you just feel like nesting and not going anywhere or doing much of anything at all. I’m not really a prisoner in my own room, but after recovering from surgery and working long hours from home… it kind of makes you feel that way!!

I love writing dark, it’s my therapy and a constructive release of pent-up emotions. Sometimes it is just a fleeting thought or memory that comes out of the blue and doesn’t necessarily reflect anything negative that’s going on in my life. It’s just poetry – so no need for worry!

The good news is that I’m released from my surgeon, back to my regular exercise schedule and an ALMOST normal diet. I still have to watch fat intake, I rarely eat fried foods so that helps. Last night I baked a homemade veggie pizza on my new pizza stone, it turned out delicious. Our intention is to get out and enjoy the autumn weather today. The leaves are starting to change color, and I want to experience it in person (not just from my window)! So we will head out to a winery and listen to music. That’s our special thing. I am also hoping to get outside for a run tomorrow, as well. That is always good for my spirits.

Seize the day! Get out and enjoy something you love this beautiful autumn weekend!

xoxo
Colleen

Inspiration: “Rain of Feathers” Sophie Hutchings
Mood: Dark

Rogue Specters

Rogue Specters

Upon dark clouds did hope depart,
An iceberg dagger to the heart.
Dim shadows lit by fading light…
Rogue specters in the autumn night.

Ten thousand spirits strayed, adrift,
Cast out by societal rift.
Bound by vision to make things right…
Rogue specters in the autumn night.

They mount their saddles, carry on
To promises of blooming dawn.
Sailing on sunbeams, taking flight…
Rogue specters in the autumn night.

Upon dark clouds did hope depart…
Rogue specters in the autumn night.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2022
October 7, 2022

I’m so happy to see that Blogophilia, my old blogging group, has relaunched!! YAY! This group has always been very effective in making me write poetry consistently each week. I’ve missed it, and I have really slacked lately. Their format has changed a bit, with no scoring anymore. That’s cool, I don’t really mind. Actually, I rather like the freedom of using/not using the prompts. I’ll keep on trying to use them, as it sometimes makes me go in a direction that I normally wouldn’t…like this week!

Sometimes just being in the moment or a thinking on a prompt inspires a poem. The wind started whipping up a little bit last night and kind of reminded me of Halloween coming. The line from Blake “thousand spirits stray” kept sticking with me. I envisioned some estranged spirits in the netherworld being in a kind of purgatory. I changed this up many times and ended up with a Kyrielle sonnet. I tried experimenting with a pantoum, but just couldn’t make it work.

Autumn is finally in full force, and I love the changes it has brought. The temperatures are cooling down, and we’ve had a fire in the fireplace a few nights this week, which is so comforting. This week there’s been an owl hooting out in our backyard, too! I love this, that sound is so soothing. This is my absolute favorite season of year, and living in Virginia we truly get to embrace the beauty of autumn! Some of the maples are already turning red in town, most of our own trees are young and haven’t started turning just yet. Today is a beautiful day, we are going to go to get some pumpkins for the front porch from Nall’s Farm Market. I will also pick up some squash and mums to add some color.

I’m doing much better recovering from my gallbladder surgery last week. Many thanks to everyone’s advice and kind thoughts. I have a post-op appointment next week. Food has been hit or miss, if you know what I mean. I’ve been trying to stick with a low-fat diet. This week, I cooked up some homemade chicken noodle soup and some teriyaki salmon with roast yams & asparagus last night for dinner. Both of these meals made my stomach very happy! The good news is I’ve gotten my energy levels back…can’t wait to return to my running and workout routine once I’m cleared. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

xoxo Colleen

Inspiration: “By the Roes, and by the Hinds of the Field” Johann Johannsson
Mood: Thoughtful

Scattered Stardust

Scattered Stardust

Southern skies beckon this warm summer night,
Horizon stretching to infinity.
As Venus and Mars cast radiant light,
The Milky Way blossoms in full glory.

Inhaling deep as the twilight unwinds,
Emotions are steeped in indigo blue.
I travel the galaxy in my mind,
Endlessly searching for remnants of you.

As the nightingale sings a mournful tune,
I sense your presence beyond shooting stars.
I find your face in the full amber moon
And know you are watching me from afar.

Memories stretch far as the eyes can see,
Scattered stardust for an eternity.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2022
July 24, 2022

For My Beloved Dad….

Warm summer nights always remind me of the good old days. I have such happy memories of living on Guilford Avenue. We loved that home and backyard, and that tiny duplex seemed huge at the time. Like many, we grew up without air conditioning OR a shower – only a bathtub shared by a family of 7, imagine that! Snapshot vignettes of my Dad come into my mind and for some reason, many of them were from summertime.

I remember the time he chased a bat in the house with a hat on, broom and dustpan in hand.

I remember how he set up an exhaust fan in the bathroom window, which magically drew a delightful, cool breeze into our bedroom windows at night.

I remember him watching the Long Meadow fireworks from our playroom window with us.

I remember when he worked 3^rd shift and how we failed at being quiet as he slept during the day.

I remember his love of all music, from Mozart to Neil Diamond to 5th Dimension to Creedence Clearwater Revival.

I remember him taking me to the railroad yards where he worked, where I explored endlessly, cleaned up and pretended to work.

I remember him playing baseball with all of us kids in the tiny gravel driveway in our backyard.

I remember how the cool basement was his escape, where he used to tinker with old radios and work his jigsaw puzzles on a mint green wooden table.

I remember how excited we were when he drove the library bookmobile down our street and stopped in front of our house, giving us a personal tour.

I remember his love of trains, and how he set up an intricate model train set that fascinated us.

I remember sitting with him in the middle room, watching baseball on the small television set as he drank a Piehl’s beer on a hot summer night.

I remember him driving through Hurricane Agnes to take us on a promised day trip to visit The Smithsonian in Washington, DC.

I remember fun times with the Keller family at the picnics and Chincoteague.

I remember him teaching me how to drive on a manual shift Chevelle, and his infinite patience as I had difficulty mastering the clutch.

I remember dancing with him at Homecoming Dance.

I remember how all children and babies – grandbabies, nieces, nephews, friends and strangers – gravitated to him.

I remember his words during one of the most painful times in life, and how he inspired me to make the necessary changes.

I remember evenings rocking on the porch with him at the Lankford Hotel in Ocean City as he smoked cigarettes.

I remember his endless love and his support throughout my life.

I remember the last day that I saw him.

I will always remember what a wonderful man and a wonderful father he was to all of us.

I love you forever, Daddy.

One of Dad’s favorite Neil Diamond Albums, Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

Masks and Lies

file0001720055851 — Morgue File Free Photos © 2016

Masks and Lies

Blaze the spark of early fires
Velvet whispers, deep desires
Muted rapture in the dying light
You are shadows, I am the night.

Don’t listen to the weathermen
They talk about the rain again
Tap your homicidal feelings
Paint the sky upon the ceiling.

But you fall to dust and crumble
In walls of words that tumble
Knowing the liar has no truth to give
And he has to have a lie to live.

No matter where the river flows,
I must follow where my mind goes
Masked by clouds, just out of sight
You are shadows, I am the night.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2016
January 27, 2016

The Raisonneur

The Raisonneur

Ah, distinctly I remember
It was in the bleak December.
The cold north winds would not abate,
The raisonneur of my life’s fate.

Dark night gave way to morning light,
A winter wonderland of white
Perched lightly on my iron gate,
The raisonneur of my life’s fate.

She turned to me, spoke in hushed tones
Said I must kneel and weep alone.
A thousand years I lie in wait,
The raisonneur of my life’s fate.

Ah distinctly I remember
The raisonneur of my life’s fate.

The Road To Resolution

The Road to Resolution (A Kyrielle Sonnet)

Roads stretch far as the eye can see,
Speeding white lines hypnotize me.
Drive nonstop until morning light…
I’m going the distance tonight.

All bets off in the quest for fire,
The quiet search for heart’s desire.
Eight hundred miles to set things right…
I’m going the distance tonight.

Emerald streaks paint the night sky
Like a home dye job gone awry.
Your green eyes meet mine, sparkling bright…
I’m going the distance tonight.

Roads stretch far as the eye can see
I’m going the distance tonight.

Refrain (A Kyrielle Sonnet)

Refrain

Night echoes in my heavy heart
Painted darkness, my work of art.
Words and anguish mingle with rain,
My soul released with each refrain.

Voices clash, intentions aground
When everyone has his own sound.
Sing out chorus, relieve this pain,
My soul released with each refrain.

Hope abides in blue skies and seas,
The mountain range, the forest breeze.
Harmony restores, peace sustains,
My soul released with each refrain.

Night echoes in my heavy heart,
My soul released with each refrain.

Those Were The Days

The moon glides slow in sky of gauze
as dense fog shrouds golden sunlight
sinking down beneath the mountain
deep into the indigo night.

Hush now, summer is fading fast
say goodbye to the firefly’s glow
the lily will not long endure
in pure white fields of early snow.

We move against the hands of time
guided by some remote control
longing for carefree yesterdays,
for memories that make us whole.

Those were the days, those were the days
unending laughter, young and free
those were the days that shaped my soul…
oh, won’t you bring them back to me?

Speak softly to the rising winds
and listen to the sage’s words
eyes focused on the morning light
ears bathed in sweet song of bluebirds.

Time flies onward, we live and die
as hope and wisdom flow our way
cry no more for those days long past
with open arms, greet the new day.

Night Hawk

Night Hawk

I have been one acquainted with the night…
When shadows masquerade in fantasy.
Like vagabond angels, emotions take flight,
Dancing far outside the realm of reality.

When shadows masquerade in fantasy…
Kindred spirits soar across blue bay.
Dancing far outside the realm of reality,
Feel the morning madness drift away.

Kindred spirits soar across blue bay…
Clouds crash, tumultuous rain spills.
Feel the morning madness drift away,
Falling silent, deep into the forest hills.

Clouds crash, tumultuous rain spills…
As hawk keeps watch high in hickory tree.
Falling silent, deep into the forest hills,
Breathe in the essence of true serenity.

As hawk keeps watch high in hickory tree…
Dusk whispers, leaves tumble to and fro.
Breathe in the essence of true serenity,
Savoring stars that bedeck a field of indigo.

Dusk whispers, leaves tumble to and fro…
Like vagabond angels, emotions take flight.
Savoring stars that bedeck a field of indigo,
I have been one acquainted with the night.

Masks and Lies

Blaze the spark of early fires Velvet whispers, deep desires Muted rapture in the dying light You are shadows, I am the night.

Don’t listen to the weathermen They talk about the rain again Tap your homicidal feelings Paint the sky upon the ceiling.

But you fall to dust and crumble In walls of words that tumble Knowing the liar has no truth to give And he has to have a lie to live.

No matter where the river flows, I must follow where my mind goes Masked by clouds, just out of sight You are shadows, I am the night.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2016 January 27, 2016

Refrain

Those Were The Days

Blaze the spark of early fires
Velvet whispers, deep desires
Muted rapture in the dying light
You are shadows, I am the night.

Don’t listen to the weathermen
They talk about the rain again
Tap your homicidal feelings
Paint the sky upon the ceiling.

But you fall to dust and crumble
In walls of words that tumble
Knowing the liar has no truth to give
And he has to have a lie to live.

No matter where the river flows,
I must follow where my mind goes
Masked by clouds, just out of sight
You are shadows, I am the night.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2016
January 27, 2016