Creations
Magazine Poetry & Art
Contact
by Ken Fisher, Franklin Square, NY
Contact with another soul, a fleeting glimpse of recognition,
Affirming common bonds beyond denial,
Electrifies awareness through a jolt of vision straight from God
Of someone I have never seen,
But known forever.
Language cannot bind my soul to this fellow wanderer,
For thought has not yet found
The gift of words
Within this pampered infant, pushed through life, absorbing all,
Awaiting not salvation,
But the problems not yet posed,
Which someday will torment her into searching.
For now, she merely watches, fascinated by the journey,
And recognizes our special bond
As soon as I,
Knowing we will meet again in some uncertain future
To share our dreams and bask within
The comfort of our souls.
Paintings by Susan Eckstein
mapaeck@optonline.net
(516) 481-7143
Snow
by Bernice Stock, Huntington Station, NY
The azure, mellow blue sky loomed over the snow flakes on the
Otherwise barren trees.
The glittering, translucent vision electrified by the blazing sun
Beckoned me.
To play,
To feel the cleansing of the earth and my soul …
Shall I accept the offer or continue to meditate and gaze
Upon the amazing panorama?
Could my footprints diminish the soft, white blanket
When I bear down?
I am appeased by the quietude of the moment.
I remain transfixed
As I absorb the abstract image of a phantom prairie.
The Toll
By Rhonda Weiss, Brianwood, NY
No one is safe from the toll of war
Whether it’s the initial act of violence
Or the revenge it inspires
For in the end
It’s inconsequential
Since both the aggressor and the avenger
Have met Death
In body or soul or both
And are ultimately transformed
Missing Someone Special
by Diane Terri-Vincent, Floral Park, NY
Why is it that I’ve grown
To miss you so much?
Could it be the sound of your voice,
Your welcoming smile
Or an occasional touch?
Whatever it may be
I’ve become unusually smitten.
Until we meet again,
You’re the book tucked away in my heart –
The pages empty –
The chapters not yet written.
A Cup of Coffee
by Dr. Masgood Jafri, Valley Stream, NY
On a chilly, consuming, wintry morn
Carelessly I was dumped by the road side.
My heart grieved heavily as I felt forlorn.
Alone and a stranger, I did not have a ride.
The bitter wind filled and stung my pores.
My body shivered, and my lips pursed mad.
It seemed as if my soul festered with sores
I grew more pensive and deeply sad.
I sought refuge in a quaint and cozy café.
A plump waitress greeted me with a smile
And brought comfort in a cup of coffee.
I felt soothed and welcomed for a while.
Sip by sip I indulged in the gift of taste.
The familiar odor calmed my rattled nerves.
Life was racing and I had no time to waste.
The brief sojourn bolstered my ailing verves.
Memories and longings made me cry
As I recalled my youth and journeys of life.
In an alien land. I wondered , can I again try?
My heart was a vessel of stress and strife.
From Kashmir to Pakistan, then to America
Three migrations resulted from a life of pain,
But the hand of fate had fashioned this saga.
What a contrasting mixture of loss and gain!
Oliver
By Kathleen Casserly, Huntington, NY
Nine months later, and I can still conjure up your scent in a heartbeat
Does my bed still carry the shape of your body, or is it my imagination?
In this house, our nights together were few
But my body still knows you.
My body remembers how your face winced half in pain, half in pleasure
Every time you were inside me.
Four years is a long time to be connected.
Nine months is a long time to wait for my own rebirth.
Change of Plan
by Jacqueline Neus, Fresh Meadows, NY
There was a cat,
Who was fat,
He napped and ate all day.
Until, along came the poodle,
Who got into his noodle.
She made him her honey,
Gave him a run for his money.
So, the cat slimmed down,
Slept only when she did,
And together forever, they found.
Archaeology
by Barbara Novack, Laurelton, NY
Excavating a box of keepsakes,
costume jewelry and letters
dating back to junior high,
I come across a book of matches
from my cousin’s wedding in 1968.
The marriage didn’t work;
the matches still do.
Worth the Wait
by Daniel Lee Wilt, Marcy Correctional Facility, Marcy, NY
She’s worth it
If I can have her
Then nothing else will matter
Not the years lost
The tears shed
The injuries amassed
The work turned into wind
If I can have her
Then I can take it all in stride
And smile at the pain inside
So many times I’ve died
Yet that slim hope of standing
one day at her side
Gives me the courage needed
To grit my teeth and rise
I could burn in fire a thousand years
And to ashes be reduced
I could rise and face any temptress
Yet never be seduced
I could relive a hundred times
My cemetery fate
And die a little more each day
Locked behind these gates
If only she would hold me
And drive away the hate
Of all my dreams worth sacrifice
That girl is worth the wait.
In the sound filled silence
by Fayina Cohen, Great Neck, NY
In the sound filled silence I look for you
The movement of life passes right through me
Nothing lingers, no thought, no sound, no vision
In the stillness of my breath
I become a soft veil of light
All enters me and I traverse time
As you gracefully accept my call to you
To share this moment of eternity
You open your winged heart to embrace me
In this sublime union there is no separation
Light merges with light
An exuberant play of spiraling flickers
A swelling, powerful surge of Love
Rising towards the heavens in a dance
Celebrating remembrance and love’s triumph
Haiku
by Cynthia Marie, Queens, NY
his dream thrust
past endurance
i eat stars
Of Marriage
by Richard A. Ouellette, Peterborough, NH
It is not “being married” that matters,
But your reasons for being so.
If these reasons be sufficient, then:
Let no one come between you.
Never allow the other to be second to another,
Not even your children.
For your children though they are part of you,
Were not your reasons for joining together.
Strive always to keep your integrity,
But at all times be humble as well.
For you are two separate beings,
And must remain as such,
But never to the detriment of the other.
Seek that which will bring individual happiness,
And help each other to achieve it.
For only then will you truly achieve mutual happiness.
Learn of each other for greater understanding
To make the road easier.
Never use this knowledge for any other reason,
For it may cause the other to withdraw.
Exercise compassion,
But let it not blind you.
Be gentle with each other.
For gentleness is a true sign of love.
Never deny the other pleasure to gain an end.
Above all, keep in mind,
That as two persons you can not lead a single life,
But can only share the little time
And the endless moments
You have together.
Share it wisely.
Never be selfish with it.
Never cease to express your love.
For love is the means,
And a life fulfilled can be the end.
