on the bed
a well loved teddy bear
one eye missing

Shellie Hubner (10)

silently waiting
beside my bed
old fuzzy slippers

Tammy Maxwell (3)

his mother's ring
he gently places
on my hand

Tina Olszewwski (7)

waiting to save the day
nuts and screws in
the coffee can

Brandon Brenner (4)

an old soul
Vietnam veteran
shrapnel in his neck

Don Gardner (2)

torn sweatshirt
still keeps me warm
Daddy

Kakty Price (5)

seaside cliff
abandoned cottage
our fortress

piercing blue eyes
speaking of loneliness
the scar on her right temple

face of stone
the man
stares through me

Kassie Knoll (5)

child’s drawing
blue and orange
letter I

fallen oak tree
our diving board
into the lake

Tina Olszewwski (7)

withered, just as they—
the split rail fence
warmly greets me at Idle Akers

grandfather’s watch
holds time twice a day
still holding the best times of his life

Arthur Hinton (4)

dusty gravel road
with bare fields on either side
the road to home

faded Spuds McKenzie sweatshirt
breezy autumn air
as we approach the bonfire

fire...
edges burned
baby book

Holly Riewski (6)

crackling music from
the record player
every scratch memorized

Sandy Fitzgerald (4)

grandmother’s mirror
a crack runs down
her smiling face

Luke Burket (4)

dust cloud
the rusty pickup
along a gravel road

in my palm
baby booties.
close my eyes…

Megan Smith (3)

three legged dog
lifts his stump
warm spring shower

Luke Burket (6)

the old girl
lays at my feet
her beard, as gray as mine

Don Gardner (8)

walking with difficulty
he still loves
her every move

Erica Mackling (13)

ratty old butterfly
blanket…
brings pigtails and giggles

a pile of metal
a black metal frame
someday a jeep

passed down to me
the locket
I never wear

Bridget Beals (8)

Dad’s
rusted tractor
I can still see him

Megan Smith (6)

little boy
heart with 2 holes
a heart of gold

surrounded by brown earth
she holds the tiny blue bird
perfectly still

Grandma’s ring
shines bright
on my finger

her mother’s wedding gown
old and out of style
a smile as she walks down the aisle

old picture frame
glass broken
her face smiles up at me

Alexis King (6)

teenage stickers
adorn the trunk
of nostalgic dreams

April Shirley (3)

Mom’s gown
altered
down the aisle again

in the antique chest…
lie the little boy's
long forgotten rosary beads

rusty ole bumper and
faded paint…
apple of his eye

Monica Edwards (3)

standing guard
searching the horizon
faithful retriever waits

Tammy Maxwell (3)

i walk a little faster
one dark night
forgetting the bronze man

Bridget Beals (4)

in the back
of his sock drawer
rescued again

Brandon Brenner (3)

bell bottoms and wedge shoes
back in style
her mother’s old trunk

Alexis King (2)

tattered flower boots
thrift store excursions
with mom

April Shirley (3)

puppy breath
kisses on my nose
after his punishment

April Shirley (3)

black Bible
with falling pages
my father’s signature inside

Penny McCollough

Rilke book
stained with coffee
never to be given up

thin blue jeans
frayed at the bottom
perfect fit

Sandy Fitzgerald (9)

Christmas morning
he will never know
it was made from wood
leftover from the swingset

faint scent of leather
worn laces
i throw a perfect spiral

Bridget Beals (4)

first serious hospital visit
not too bad for 99
she will still mow the yard in the spring