Flickers of Flame

Flickers of Flame

We are the brave lost souls

Our lives taken violently

By mortar shell and grenade

Too soon we had

To leave this world

To you we pass the torch

The last flicker of flame

Representing eternal hope

For peace and tranquility

In this lovely world

Keep the flame

Alive and burning

And hope will not

Be lost

© Phil Renaud 2017

Stock photo: ©dogstock 

Flame of the Unknown Soldier, Arc de Triomphe, Paris France 

Goodbye

Goodbye

Stop

Look

Go

Screech

Crunch

Bang

Our little red Juke

Is no more

© Phil Renaud 2017

Music Is In My Soul

Music Is In My Soul

The music is pounding

Reverberating, echoing, booming

Coursing through my veins

Like a wildfire

The music is soft

Gentle and sweet

Like drizzling rain

Falling delicately

Onto the ground

The music is wild

Crazy, enthusiastic, demented

Akin to a ping pong ball

Bouncing and ricocheting

Around my brain

Music is in my soul

It permeates my entire being

Bringing floods of emotion

In waves, buffeting my spirit

Until I succumb to the beat

In my head

Floating on a river

Of eternal bliss

Lost in the euphony

“Life without music would be bland and plain.”

© Phil Renaud 2017

Artwork “Music Was My First Love” by Nikki Smith

Solar Eclipse

Solar Eclipse

It is noon
The world is dark
How can this be?
Superstition abounds
Fear rise correspondingly
Chaos ensues

Then a glimmer
Hope returns
With the light

The moon and the sun
Have had their meeting
The darkness is over

Until we meet again in 2024

© Phil Renaud 2017
Photo courtesy of David Palmer

Perchance

Perchance

To sleep, perchance to dream

That is the question

Should we take the plunge

To fall into a dream world

Where things are not what they seem

Perchance do will you drive

Risking life and sanity

To travel from here to there

To be alive

Perchance will you eat

To sustain your life

To remain healthy and strong

Up on your feet

Perchance will you live your life

Living life to the fullest

Or is life full of maybes, perhaps,

Ifs, ands, buts

What would life be

If we never took a chance

Live life

And perchance something

Good may come your way

Easing your pain and strife

© Phil Renaud 2017

With inspiration from Shakespeare

The Waiting Room

The Waiting Room

Glary lights give the area

A surreal glow

Antiseptic aroma fills the air

Giving a sense of sterility

People scurry back and forth

Dressed in scrubs

Coughing and hacking

Noises fill the room

Casts, splints and slings

Adorn the waiters

Wheelchairs are a

Favourite mode of transport

These are the sights and sounds

Of a hospital waiting room

A dreary place

Filled with sick and ailing multitudes

A place I visit

All too often lately

© Phil Renaud 2017

Early Morning

Early Morning

It is dark

Dawn is imminent

The only sounds I hear

Are chirping birds

My laboured breathing

My pounding feet

And my heart

Thumping in my ears

An early morning run

Is an exhilarating way

To start the day

© Phil Renaud 2017

Photo from Internet, no claim of ownership

My Last Stand

My Last Stand

Snorting and running

I am free

Yet still caged

I run anyway

Suddenly pinpricks

Points of pain and agony

More pinpricks

I see red

Stopping and pawing the ground

I charge

The red swooshes

Aside

More pain and agony

Deeper more hurtful

Than before

The stabbing makes

Me angry

My vision is blurred

With anger

And hurt

I charge again

More pain

Deeper this time

I feel my life blood

Draining from my body

I keel over

And breathe

My last breath

© Phil Renaud 2017

Artwork courtesy of David Palmer

Connections

Connections

Connected, yet disconnected

Society is subjected

To much input

Yet society is hard put

To making the human connection

Our world is wired

Society is mired

In electronic gear

Hidden in our own sphere

Of reflection

Let us not forget

That our best asset

Is out gift of talk

And take stock

Of our electronic affection

Put down the electronics

And get back to frolics

With our fellow humans

Before it ruins

Our human connections

© Phil Renaud 2017

Photo courtesy David Palmer

Death

Death

Was thinking about death today

In this peculiar way

Not of friends or family

Of those I would know

The passing of my cyber friends

Was the thought

That perturbed me

I would be sad

To lose my poetry buds

Their beautiful words

Would be no more

It would be a sad day

Indeed

The world would be deprived

Of one who brought joy

With words

To so many

My thought was

How would I know

Of their demise

When our connection

Is through poetries eyes

On the Gplus site

So all of you

Poetry cyber friends

Please take care

For it’s sad to say

That one day

You will not be here

To bring joy

To us all

And I for one

Will rue that day

With great sorrow

© Phil Renaud 2017

Mom

Mom

Mom you were

My rock

My inspiration

My first love

A deeply loving caring soul

There is not a day that goes by

That I do not miss you

That I do not think of you

You

Adopted a baby boy

Gave him a family life

Taught me how to love

Taught me right from wrong

Taught me about God

Helped make me the

Man I am today

Were the love of my life

Until I met my wife

There is not a day that goes by

That I do not miss you

That I do not think of you

You were the kindest

Most gentle person

I have ever known

Man I never knew

How much I would miss you

Until you were gone

I love you Mom

Always have

Always will

There is not a day that goes by

That I do not miss you

That I do not think of you

May the Lord

Welcome you into

His eternal glory

And ease all your

Pain and suffering

Rest in peace Mom

Until we meet again

Someday

♥♥♥♥♥

© Phil Renaud 2017

Is There Anybody Out There?

Is there Anybody Out There?

Gazing blissfully at the night sky

A million million pinpricks of light

Are visible to my eye

As they brighten the night

Unaware of the time

Mind pondering

The vastness of the of nighttime

Overcome by the majesty

Of the galaxy

Feelings of smallness wash over me

Standing small and alone

I intone

Is there anybody out there?

© Phil Renaud 2017

Artwork by artist Alexandra Kern 

Random Thoughts While Walking In The February Sunshine

 Random Thoughts Walking

In the February Sunshine

Walking

In the brilliant sunshine

Warm temps

Is this global warming

Maybe, possibly

Is it our Lord

Showing us his glory

I like to think so

Walking

In the sunshine

© Phil Renaud 2017

Photo credit: Phil Renaud

Dragon Head

#PromptCompetition39

Dragon Head

Dragon head

Oh dragon head

Fantastic beast

Of imagination

Flying through the skies

Breathing fire

Spreading fear

Causing havoc

Now a finely

Crafted sculpture

Mounted

On a table

A trophy to behold

© Phil Renaud 2017

Photo credit: David Palmer, 2016, used by permission

Morning Prayer

My Morning Prayer

Thank you Lord

For letting me to

Wake to live another day

Please watch over my family…

Especially my wife, Patricia; my mother Annetta;

My brothers Garry and Charlie;

My sisters Carol, Donna, and Michelle;

Niece Emily and nephew Chad

May you keep them and the rest of my family

Safe, comfort them, ease their pain and suffering

And guide them on the path

To your resurrection

I ask this in the name of

Jesus Christ our Lord

Amen

© Phil Renaud 2017

My Wife

My Wife

My wife …

Is the love of my life,

the heart of my heart,

the woman of my dreams.

I love her

With all my heart and soul

And I thank the Lord

For letting me

Meet my wife

So long ago

© Phil Renaud 2017

Golden Tears

Golden Tears

My heart bleeds

For thee

Logic concedes

To a stormy emotional sea

Waves of sorrow and passion

Clash in

My head

Till I begin to shed

Golden tears

© Phil Renaud 2016

Artwork titled Larmes d'or (Tears of Gold/Golden Tears) by Anne Marie Zilberman 

Morning Runs

Morning Runs

The inky black darkness

Is pierced by the white light

Of the bloated full moon

The morning crisp

Frigid air freezes lungs

Sidewalks icy

The stillness is broken

By pounding feet

And panting breath

Early morning runs are invigorating

Especially on a cold

Winter day

© Phil Renaud 2016

Joy

Joy

The joy starts

In the ethereal awareness

Cupped in my hands

From a small seed

The joy grows

Until like a flower

Pushing out of the ground

The joy erupts out the ether

Radiating outward

Spreading peace, light and joy

To everyone

© Phil Renaud 2016

Great Creator

Great Creator

O great creator

I beseech thee

Let our crops grow abundantly

May our hunts be bountiful

Let us live in peace

And harmony

Rain down your blessings

On your people

Bestowing peace and tranquility

On us all

We ask this in the name

Of the creator

Ayoo-anoshi

Amen

© Phil Renaud 2016