Tag Archives: shooting stars

Oblivious

Oblivious

Red dusk is oblivious
to the catbird’s plaintive cries.
Twilight sighs and shivers
beneath the dappled skies.

Clouds morph on the horizon,
jeweled tones in refracting light.
Half moon rises slowly
beaming in the young night.

Venus makes an entrance
as the sun begins to set.
Pinpoint stars appearing
in fields of black velvet.

Throw another log on
and let the flames rise higher.
Stoke the glowing embers
of passion and desire.

We sip our wine in darkness,
feeling peaceful, slightly high.
Jazz notes floating in mid-air,
holding hands, just you and I.

Alone beneath the shooting stars,
with fireflies to light the way.
Out here we are oblivious
and where we’d rather stay.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2023
May 27, 2023

Happy Saturday! Well it is Writer’s Choice week, where we can let our muses run wild and write to our heart’s content. Sometimes this is actually harder, believe it or not. This poem was once again inspired by a line in the Outlander book I am reading. “The night shivered.” It stuck in my mind as I was reading on Friday, and I knew it was going to form the basis of my poem.

Last night was so beautiful that after my 6 mile run, we decided to have a spontaneous firepit up in our back yard. We packed up our favorite wine, some glasses, flashlights and the makings of s’mores.  I brought along my iPad and Anker speaker, and we listened to some mellow songs and cool jazz that just make you melt into the Adirondack chairs. One of these songs was “Lighthouse” by Patrick Watson, which is so beautifully inspiring.

High on our west facing ridge, we get an incredibly beautiful view of the sunset, and then can watch as the planets, moon and stars make their appearance. It was just glorious, the colors were so jewel toned and beautiful, and the fire was a gorgeous dance of orange and gold flames.

It had been a relatively cool day so I had 2 layers on, and took my warm shawl along, as the temperature was dropping. Despite the coolness, fireflies were blinking and bats were swooping. I took videos that had some incredible birdsong, the catbirds seem to be the most vocal at night as they settle in. Their chatter always makes me smile. A pair of deer curiously watched us from the top of our property, and ventured closer as they became comfortable. I am always grateful for this time in nature.

I roasted marshmallows and made s’mores for Dan and myself. Have you noticed recently that they are making the giant marshmallows flat now? I can only presume this is on purpose, for making s’mores? Or maybe my bag just got flattened – but it seemed all the bags were the same at the grocery store!

Anway, it was such a relaxing and beautiful night that I didn’t want to end. If I were more adventurous, I would love to sleep under the stars. But I’m not a camper or even a “glamper,” and I would probably get freaked out by some rogue animal and go screaming into the house, haha.

So this poem is simply about a beautiful night spent by the fire with my love, where we basked in the beauty of nature and literally felt oblivious to the demands of the world beyond our backyard. Such a wonderful feeling we plan to revisit often this summer. I wish you all a peaceful, relaxing Memorial Day weekend.

xoxo Colleen

Mood: Romantic
Inspiration: “Lighthouse” by Patrick Watson

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 47.14 Topic: Writers Choice – Oblivious
Hard Bonus: WC – Include a line from an Outlander book (“The night shivered.” – I paraphrased it a bit haha)
Easy Bonus: WC – Incorporate the planet Venus

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 3rd 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.

The Magical Journey

The Magical Journey

Close your eyes, come along with me.
Let’s take a magical journey
To the imagination’s end…
Where we can be real or pretend.

Do what you wish, be what you’ll be;
Close your eyes, come along with me.
Breathe in deep the lavender moon…
Dance with fireflies until you swoon.

Let your mind wander wild and far
Race through the sky on shooting stars
Close your eyes, come along with me…
We shall conquer the galaxy.

Rise up to greet the morning sun,
Embrace life now before it’s gone.
Soar like the eagle, proud and free…
Close your eyes, come along with me.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2021
October 27, 2021

A Quatern poem written for the group Her Growth Collective, which can be found on Instagram @hergrowthcollective. The topic for 10/28/2021 is “Pretending.”  

Sometimes I have to close my eyes and focus in order to pretend. Other times, I just have to let my mind wander. And that is exactly what I did while writing this poem. It’s funny how I always end up looking at the sky, seems to be a recurring theme in my life. I remember that I always wanted to be a bird as a child. In this case, I got steered towards the moon and stars.

Whether you want to pretend or not, the message is we all need to enjoy and embrace life, because it is just way too short. So dance with the fireflies and ride those shooting stars…. starting today!

xoxo

Colleen

To Mingle With Shooting Stars

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To Mingle With Shooting Stars

These tired bones ache
and the futile tears fall
undetected, unrelenting,
like soft rain on a summer day.

The wind stills in deference
to a radiant light rising up,
drawing closer, closer
as I crawl to the precipice.

I am about to take my last voyage,
a great leap in the dark
where faith meets fate,
where screams in dreams are silenced.

Will I fall like a lead weight
or sprout butterfly wings;
sink into the fiery depths
or ascend a stairway to heaven?

Plunged into the frigid darkness,
holy water seeps through my skin,
coming clean of past transgressions,
purifying my tarnished soul.

Thunder shakes heaven and earth,
the sentinel angels have spoken;
my body and spirit finally set free
to mingle with shooting stars.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2015
September 1, 2015

For my dear friend Deborah Truitt…RIP.  I love you.

Blue Reverie

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Blue Reverie

As the clouds dance their pas de deux
In the blue reverie of the night sky,
Moonglow reveals the spirit of you,
And my heart is lifted up so high.
In the blue reverie of the night sky,
Stardust mingles with the shooting stars,
And my heart is lifted up so high
Above the treetops, so very far.
Stardust mingles with the shooting stars.
Birds serenade with gentle lullabies
Above the treetops, so very far
As wistful tears sting my weary eyes.
Birds serenade with gentle lullabies,
Invoking memories from long ago.
As wistful tears sting my weary eyes,
A restless breeze blows through my window.
Invoking memories from long ago,
My senses stir within, the past reborn.
A restless breeze blows through my window,
Imparting sweet essence of apples and corn.
My senses stir within, the past reborn,
Walking hand in hand through fields of gold.
Imparting sweet essence of apples and corn,
Countless chapters remain unwritten, untold.
Walking hand in hand through fields of gold,
The autumn colors paint their brilliant hues.
Countless chapters remain unwritten, untold.
Oh, to have just one more day with you!
The autumn colors paint their brilliant hues
As amber sun plays in periwinkle skies.
Oh to have just one more day with you!
I have much more to say than a final goodbye.
As amber sun plays in periwinkle skies,
My heart breaks with the call of the solitary loon.
I have much more to say than a final goodbye,
But the hour of parting has come too soon.
My heart breaks with the call of the solitary loon,
Moonglow reveals the spirit in you.
But the hour of parting has come too soon
As the clouds dance their pas de deux.
Colleen Keller Breuning © 2014
September 26, 2014