Three Poems By RC deWinter

Giving Up the Ghost

Thinking to write of love, I took up quill
to praise its verdant garden of delights; 
to romp once more through paradise, to fill
a page describing hot desire's heights.
Too long deprived, I could not shape a phrase
with which to paint a canvas worthy of
the passioned nights, the brilliant sunny days
we think will last forever when in love.
And so, defeated, there will be no waltz
through love; silence thunders in mockery.
How foolish it would be, completely false, 
to sing of love, so long an absentee.
And going forward, I shall make it so: 
henceforth I'll only write of what I know

Dumbshow

Out and about, no purpose, killing time, 
I passed a coffee bar and thought, "Why not?"
Caffeine and I old friends, surely no crime
to have a cup; cold days need something hot.
Inside I went, to wait in quite a line
of others craving coffee's pungent cheer.
And suddenly a smile; a man so fine
was flirting with me, invitation clear.
So long since someone looked at me that way
I turned my head, pretending not to see.
My tongue in knots, not knowing what to say, 
in silence stood; lost opportunity.
Flirtation must await another day;
'tis sad, but I've forgotten how to play.

The Deluge

Warm rain poured down for hours yesterday,
A summer deluge well into the night,
Its liquid voice a lullaby in gray
That served my every sorrow to ignite.

I lay there trying vainly to reshape
My troubled thoughts to waters calm and deep.
Although exhausted I could not escape,
My eyes were closed; my mind eluded sleep.

Then every heartache printed on my soul
Rose up, a bloody choir in robes of pain,
And sang, full-throated. I could not control
Myself, my tears rivaled the falling rain.

Unstoppable, the salt staining my face,
They burned like tongues of fire on my skin,
Scorching as if my features to erase,
Leaving me empty, hollowed out within.

But sorrow's reservoir will be refilled,
And tears shall fall again from grief distilled.

RC deWinter’s poetry is widely anthologized, notably in Uno: A Poetry Anthology (Xlibris, April 2002), New York City Haiku (Universe/NY Times, February /2017), Coffin Bell Two (Coffin Bell, March 2020) Winter Anthology: Healing Felines and Femmes, (Other Worldly Women Press, December 2020), Now We Heal: An Anthology of Hope, (Wellworth Publishing, December 2020) in print in 2River, Adelaide, Door Is A Jar, Event Magazine, Gargoyle Magazine, Genre Urban Arts, Gravitas, Kansas City Voices, Meat For Tea: The Valley Review, the minnesota review, Night Picnic Journal, Prairie Schooner, Reality Break Press, Southword among others and appears in numerous online literary journals.