haiku 11/23/11

night time embraces
her chill, dark arms wrap 'round me--
i find comfort there

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/22/11

in trouble again
no idea what i did wrong--
i'm sick of this shit

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/21/11

there's so much talking
finding silence is so rare--
yet little gets said

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 11/20/11

brown cattails swaying
beneath the barren young tree--
november twilight

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/19/11

alone in the pool
swimming her laps back and forth--
determination

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 11/18/11

poking through the earth
skeleton branches of trees--
reaching for the sky

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 11/17/11

the cold evening wind
blowing through the dead, brown leaves--
sounds like summer rain

©2011-Art Belliveau

shadorma 11/16/11

hunker down
books over your heads
so useless
so silly
pray that there's no tornado
if it hits--we're dead

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/15/11

paralyzed by doubt
i can't make a decision--
which haystack to choose?

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/14/11

the sun's going down
outside is yellow orange--
the meeting drones on

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/13/11

sneak off to Auburn
spend time writing with my friends--
i still feel alone

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/12/11

so much work to do--
i grade for many hours--
still piles left to go

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/11/11

you keep us all safe
this is how we remember--
cheap t.v.s on sale

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/10/11

grimly determined
she pushes on, keeps going--
her persistence rocks!

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/09/11

disappointment stabs
worked on this for so damn long--
most can't pass the test

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/08/11

thank God for my friends
and the kindness of colleagues--
without them i'm lost

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/07/11

fear and prejudice
always trying to escape--
cages in our minds

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 11/06/11

orange hellfire glows--
the mill in city's center
burning to the ground

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 11/05/11

smoke black clouds stretch out
across orange horizon--
no--not clouds--real smoke!

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/04/11

where is the woman
who will see past my bullshit?
self defense gone wild

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/03/11

i build my walls strong
they are thick and wide and deep--
inside, i'm lonely

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/02/11

i keep to myself
it's hard to let others in--
even harder now

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 11/01/11

rushing off to church
a day of obligation--
we make it on time

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/31/11

quiet halloween
hiding in dark living room
sorry--no candy!

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/30/11

i have enough ghosts--
failures i cannot forget--
to haunt three counties

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/29/11

zombie-like they come
eating my brains from within--
my doubts and my fears

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/28/11

draining my life force
like a vampire sucking blood--
all my past failures

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/27/11

puppetlike i speak
wondering who pulls the strings--
it's not me today

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/26/11

like a werewolf's howl
the sound of my own self-doubts
makes my blood run cold

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/25/11

clutching my good cheer--
a tentacle from the deep
blackness of my mind

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 10/25/11

red, yellow, brown leaves
a murder of crows cawing
breaking the silence


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/24/11

boring soap opera--
when did my life become a
bad melodrama?


©2011-Art Belliveau

quinzaine 10/23/11

Molly quietly colors.
How long will she stay
innocent?


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/22/11

rainbows are gone now
where has all the color gone?
it all left with you


©2011-Art Belliveau

sedoka 10/21/11

quiet afternoon
low clouds with no hint of rain
shelter me from the sun’s heat
a mockingbird chirps
interrupting the silence
but improving it as well


©2011-Art Belliveau

shadorma 10/20/11

you are gone
you’ve vanished like smoke
i wonder
where you are
what it is you are doing
why torture myself?


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/19/11

in the night’s quiet
i hear the dormant echoes
of lost family life


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/18/11

i’ve misplaced my smile
i’ve looked for it everywhere
it is in your eyes


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/17/11

i listen for God
hoping once to hear His voice
my daughter calls me


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/16/11

an empty blackness
sucking away all the light--
where my heart once was.


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/15/11

slowly--piece by piece--
my life is being emptied
of all that i love


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/14/11

while you right your life
i am left out in the cold--
unnecessary


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/13/11

i’m put on the shelf
an unwanted teddy bear--
until you need me


©2011-Art Belliveau

shadorma 10/12/11

i feel sick
a soul malady’s
eating me
fading me
making me less than i was--
is this my life now?


©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 10/11/11

cerulean sky
many people surround me--
i feel so alone


©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 10/10/11

so many colors
they mix & match together--
painting butterflies


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/09/11

eating with Molly
she makes my lunchtime real fun
I heart my daughter


©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 10/08/11

flying hig above
the deserted stadium--
a lone pigeon glides


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/07/11

upbeat tunes rockin’
Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode”--
no way to stay sad

©2011-Art Belliveau

free verse 10/06/11

Teaching

fight frustration
engage in debate
explore the power of play
learn to think
break the “knowing” we already have
make writing
create something--ANYTHING
scream, “I AM HERE!” to the universe
and be alive

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/05/11

under morning sun
bathed in its warmth and comfort--
i’m wrapped in darkness

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/04/11

caught between two things--
what i have and what i want--
starving amid wealth

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/03/11

beauty surrounds me
a feast for all my senses--
why am i starving?

©2011-Art Belliveau

acrostic 10/02/11

Kindling
Inspiration--
Nurturing
Desire--
Neverending
Encouragement--
Soul
Satisfaction

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 10/01/11

so isolated
cut off from everyone else--
i make my own walls

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 09/30/11

morning sun streaming
a warm, purifying light--
so bright that it blinds

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 09/29/11

calling QVC
charging stuff she can’t afford--
American life

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 09/28/11

orange sun rising
black clouds boiling in the west--
what will today bring?

©2011-Art Belliveau

free verse 09/27/11

i remember halloween
when i was just a child
dressing up in costumes
pretending to be
someone i was not

little did i know then
that halloween would be
the perfect training ground
for being an adult

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 09/26/11

deafening silence
surrounds me like a cocoon--
how will i emerge?

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 09/25/11

three-fourths of the year
have elapsed since Christmastime--
no love in the air


©2011-Art Belliveau

cherita 09/24/11

i hugged her close to me

the sobs wracking her body
punching holes in my heart

her safe and happy world
now definitely in the past
who knows what the future will bring?

©2011-Art Belliveau

shadorma 09/23/11

my anger
has its own life now
growing strong
growing cold
freezing my heart in my chest
as i cage it there

©2011-Art Belliveau

Fibonacci Sequence Poem 9/22/11

now
it's
over
summertime
has reached its ending
day and night have reached their balance
now it will tip to the nighttime's favor
the heat will be more bearable
as the days shorten
and winter
regains
it's
hold




©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 9/21/11

watching the river
a rusted water tower--
it looks so alone

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 9/19/11

a swirling green leaf
playing in the river's flow--
finally set free

©2011-Art Belliveau

ANGER 9/18/11

All I see is red
Nothing gets past the scarlet haze
Gnashed teeth cause aching jaws
Every muscle rigid and taut
Responding to the latest news

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 09/17/11

late night return home
crying and missing daddy--
why did that happen?

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 9/16/11

cold, black skies above
icy starlight sheds no heat--
too dry for a fire

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 9/15/11

dusk on a hot day
i can feel a cool wind blow--
it's almost autumn

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 9/14/11

under the oak tree
a legacy of the storm--
dead bough in pieces

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 09/13/11

full moon is hiding
behind the trees’ silhouettes--
soon it will appear

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 09/12/11

the backyard's quiet
silent stars are overhead--
a distant siren


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 09/11/11

when exercising
she's rocking to her own beat--
she's making work fun

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 09/10/11

gorgeous day outside
clear skies, beautiful sunshine--
i want to sleep in

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 09/09/11

breathe in and breathe out
sounds simple and natural--
swimming makes it hard

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 09/08/11

porcelain blue sky
looks fragile and translucent
children play below

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 09/07/11

two days of rain now--
has the heat wave been broken,
or interrupted?

©2011-Art Belliveau

hay(na)ku 09/06/11

yesterday's
100 degrees
washed away now

©2011-Art Belliveau

hay(na)ku 09/05/11

anger's
too easy--
let it go

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 09/05/11

dried, brown grass renewed
by the day long rain shower--
i long to see you


©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 09/04/11

much needed rains come
bring unexpected relief-
i saw you today


©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 09/03/11

dying evergreen--
rust colored branches swaying
in the pre-storm breeze


©2011-Art Belliveau

09/02/11

you say
my heart is hard
that it lacks
tenderness

yes and no
there is a shell
that surrounds my heart

so many times
it has bled and broken
to be healed over
to form scabs upon scabs
that never go away

that try to protect
the heart that beats within


©2011-Art Belliveau

09/01/11

in the blackness of night
i wake
head pounding
stomach churning
thoughts bouncing around my skull
ricocheting endlessly

the dull red glow
of the numbers on the clock
stare at me without pity
time doesn't care
time can't be reasoned with
it moves forward
dragging and sprinting
sometimes simultaneously

and as these and other thoughts
refuse to quiet down
resignedly I arise


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 08/09/11

all that is needed
for the new school year to start:
where are my students?


©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 08/08/11

angels throwing strikes
the sound reverberating
scares my little girl

©2011-Art Belliveau

January 08/07/11

January

named for Janus
two headed god of doorways
of the joint concepts of
endings and beginnings
merging into one

every ending
so they say
(whovever they are)
leads to a new begining

every beginning is supposed to be
full of hope
full of promise
maybe so
maybe not

the idea that change
is inevitable
that nothing stays the same
is embodied in Janus
and his month: January

one year over
the next one a fresh slate
ready to be written on
by my life's experiences

so many times this past year
i have lived through Januaries
endings and beginnings
change the only constant
and now another one arrives

it is August
on the calendar at least
but
as a teacher
January is in my heart

last year is finally laid to rest
as the preparations for
the next school year begins

i wonder how many more Januaries
i have left within me

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 08/06/11

garden eels pop up
swaying in gentle currents
hoping food floats by

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 08/05/11

my unordered life
seems a it more focused as
i neatly shelve books

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 08/04/11

an empty classroom
waiting for the year to start
so much potential

©2011-Art Belliveau

shadorma 08/03/11

empty house
but it’s not lonely
who’d’ve known?
the quiet
serenity enfolds me
but please come back soon


©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 08/02/11

tomato plant grows
waiting for the fruit to come
patience is waning

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 08/01/11

orange half moon hangs
floating above the black trees
a warm summer night

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 07/05/11

fireworks overhead
reflected in them I see-
a child's wonderment

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 07/04/11

fiery flowers bloom
in joyous celebration
of our country's birth

©2011-Art Belliveau

hay(na)ku 07/03/11

Great!!
A migraine!!!
I needed this???

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 07/02/11

a cool morning breeze
almost no humidity--
away from the South

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 07/01/11

so many poems lurk
just out of view--all around--
look! there goes one now...

©2011-Art Belliveau

shadorma 06/30/11

expressive
sad, brown puppy eyes
look at me
seem to say,
"pet me, daddy, please pet me!"
what else can i do?

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 06/29/11

traveling northward
mile melts into mile for hours--
blurring scenery

©2011-Art Belliveau

fibonacci poem 06/28/11

we
go
northward
but are we
running to something
or only away from the pain?

©2011-Art Belliveau

reverse fibonacci 06/27/11

i wake to your voice each day
whether or not you're
really here
with me,
my
Love

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 06/26/11

your gleaming red hair
gives me another reason
for loving Auburn

©2011-Art Belliveau

shadorma 06/25/11

i love books
they take me away
keep me safe
teach me life
but i never found in them
the love that you give

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 06/24/11

rain without thunder
thunder without any rain
the world's confusing

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 06/23/11

waiting for the storm
watching the dark clouds loom near
but it never comes

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 06/22/11

early birds singing
heralding in a new day--
i wish they'd shut up

©2011-Art Belliveau

shadorma 06/21/11

if only
mending a marriage
could be done
easily
like glueing broken crok'ry
we'd have had a chance

©2011-Art Belliveau

hay(na)ku 06/20/11

insomnia
hounding me--
let me sleep

©2011-Art Belliveau

shadorma 06/19/11

your sweet voice
speaking or singing
warms my heart
makes me smile
but i love it best when you
whisper in my ear


©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 06/18/11

ceiling fan humming
circulating the still air--
not cooling it down


©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 06/17/11

wind blows from nowhere
knocks over the garbage can--
blows it down the street

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 06/16/11

a late night phone call
brings me joy and happiness
sets up naughty dreams

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 06/15/11

words left unspoken
bricks in the wall of silence--
that broke us apart


©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 06/14/11

at compost heap's edge
watermelon seedlings sprout--
tender bright green shoots

©2011-Art Belliveau

steak shadorma 06/13/11

grilling steak
aroma wafting
mouth waters
flip it over
add another layer of sauce
soon it will be gone

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 06/12/11

that which is so clear
late at night, from a distance
is muddied next day

©2011-Art Belliveau

shadorma 06/11/11

the door's closed
i just feel relief
no more grief
nor anger
just a desire to move on--
see what life offers

©2011-Art Belliveau

today is just another day 06/10/11

today is just another day
the specialness has gone
you have left and gone away
today is just another day
i guess there's nothing left to say
another random, faceless dawn
today is just another day
the specialness has gone

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 06/09/11

half-closed eye watching
approaching the horizon--
ever-changing moon

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 06/08/11

new driver's license
have four years gone by so fast?
this pic doesn't suck!

©2011-Art Belliveau

quinzaine 06/07/11

You have gone away from me.
Why does it seem that
I don't care?

©2011-Art Belliveau

kwansaba 06/06/11

i need to kiss your soft lips
to feel the passion in your touch
to hear your heart beat for me
just as my heart beats for you
the fire in your soul warms me
makes me feel alive like never before
i cannot wait to see you again


©2011-Art Belliveau

quinzaine 06/05/11

The evening sky darkens.
What, if anything,
will night bring?

©2011-Art Belliveau

sedoka 06/04/11

in your loving arms
all my troubles melt away
all my silly fears are calmed
you are distant now
insecurities return
strengthening with the silence

©2011-Art Belliveau

hay(na)ku 06/03/11

one hundred and six
the grass is slowly browning--
no rain is in sight

©2011-Art Belliveau

shadorma 06/02/11

emptiness
suddenly strikes me
hammer hard
from nowhere
realization
this is how my life will be
but that is a lie


©2011-Art Belliveau

shadorma 06/01/11

the end of
anticipation
awaits me
from now on
i'll know you are real
life will never be the same
now that you are here


©2011-Art Belliveau

shadorma 05/31/11

silent flash
distant lightning strikes
clouds illume
then go black
the afterimage lingers
melds with the next burst


©2011-Art Belliveau

memorial day senryu 05/30/11

thank you for freedom
you laid down your life for me--
i'll never forget

©2011-Art Belliveau

in the night i reach for you 05/29/11

in the night i reach for you
forgetting you're no longer there
i lay in tangled sheets--askew
in the night i reach for you
reliving played out deja vu
you are gone--i've ceased to care
in the night i reach for you
forgetting you're no longer there

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 05/28/11

i look at you now
and see almost a stranger--
how did that happen?


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 05/27/11

Alabama sun
burning away pretension--
heat levels us all

©2011-Art Belliveau

no more echoes 05/26/11

the emptiness of the house
no longer finds its echo
inside my heart


©2011-Art Belliveau

shadorma 05/25/11

in the night
i reach out for you
but you're gone
and nothing
can erase that simple fact--
but my life goes on

©2011-Art Belliveau

hay(na)ku 05/24/11

i
need you--
or do i?


©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 05/23/11

the sun burns fiercely--
incinerating color
from the pale blue sky

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 05/22/11

a dying cedar--
inch by inch its color turns
from green to rust red

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 05/21/11

first day of freedom
hiking in isolation
but I'm not lonely

©2011-Art Belliveau

hay(na)ku 05/20/11

School
is out--
but not forever.

©2011-Art Belliveau

Molly's Got the Sillies 05/19/11

Molly has the sillies,
She's giggled all day long.
She laughed, guffawed, and snickered,
And she's still going strong.

She had milk shoot out her nose,
As she was rolling on the floor.
She can barely catch her breath,
I don't think she can take much more.

It really is confusing,
Why she is going on this way.
Nothing funny happened,
It's an ordinary day.


©2011-Art Belliveau

Perspective 05/18/11

he watched the anthill
for hours
on hot, sunny, summer's day
he marveled at them
the neat, orderly lines
moving in and out
of their colony
what should have
to his mind
been chaos
was order instead

hearing his mother call
he finally got up to leave
raising his sneakered foot
to cast a dark shadow
on what he had so long observed

before he could bring his foot down
on the helpless insects below
the sun was obscured
by a gigantic black cloud
casting the boy inure dark shadow

he looked up
and put his foot down
carefully
far from the anthill

and
as the sun began to shine on him again
he hurried himself home

©2011-Art Belliveau

tanka 05/17/11

all the trees and birds
so what if i don't know their names?
they're still beautiful
to me their names' mystery
only adds to their wonder

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 05/16/11

can't sit here too long
kudzu vines are growing wild
they might cover me

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 05/15/11

a rusty black grill
overgrown with green kudzu
summer is starting

©2011-Art Belliveau

keep up 05/14/11

a mother
walking along the trail
young child in tow
focused
intent
a time and a place
to stop
to look
to wonder
a schedule to keep
on this beautiful day

frustrated
the child follows
seeing a new wonder
at every step
admiring the view
with every glance

but each stop he makes
is met with an irritated
"Come on! Hurry! Keep up!"

he listens
reluctantly
learns to ignore the beauty
all around
in order to get to
the end of the trail
that much faster

©2011-Art Belliveau

Who Am I? 05/13/11

Who Am I?

I am...
Sarah's almost ex
Molly's Daddy
Barbara's son
Ryk's friend
Bob's brother

I am...
a teacher
a poet
a blogger
a writer

I am...
bearded
tall
stocky

I am...
optimistic
imaginative

I am...
me


©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 05/11/11

abandoned pickup
rusting sideways near the trail
oak growing though it

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 05/10/11

insects, frogs, and birds
a constant in the background--
nature's own soundtrack

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 05/09/11

uprooted live oak
laying against the hillside
down but still alive

©2011-Art Belliveau

when i hold you in my arms 05/08/11

when i hold you in my arms
i stop thinking about me
and all i want to do
is protect you
keep you safe
and let you know that
you are loved

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 05/07/11

gardenia's fragrance
wafting through open window
before summer's heat

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 05/06/11

oak tree silhouette
against early evening sky
crescent moon waxing

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 05/05/11

smoke grey clouds hover
surrounding an orange moon
a fire in the sky


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 05/04/11

enjoying a play
and what could make it better?
just your hand in mine


©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 05/03/11

winds blow through new leaves
cool breezes rustling along--
refreshing the land

©2011-Art Belliveau

in your eyes 05/02/11

i look into your eyes
seconds before our first kiss

i see desire struggling against caution
i see hope pulling away from fear

i see the same emotions
in your eyes
that are fighting for dominance
in mine

then we kiss
and the first hurdles
are overcome

©2011-Art Belliveau

Poetry 05/01/11

Poetry

Ghost words from centuries past
Jaunty words that create a happy theme
Unknown words, like azizy, for fun
Angry words that shout and scream

Sad words that break your heart
Loving words to heal it again
Release the words all the words
That are waiting to be freed from your pen

©2011-Art Belliveau

meeting you (shadorma) 04/30/11

meeting you
has opened my eyes
to magic
to wonder
to new possibilities
to being happy

©2011-Art Belliveau

hay(na)ku 04/29/11

one
single night--
my life changed

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 04/28/11

a vanilla cone
perfect for a blazing day--
melting on the street

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 04/27/11

Armageddon sounds
but it’s not a tornado--
a low flying jet

©2011-Art Belliveau

Near Miss 04/26/11

Still.
Calm.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
Stagnant summer night.
Close, waiting, motionless, deathlike.
Sudden wind gusts shatter the calmness, bend the trees low.
Rushing currents of air whistle, moan, and shriek loudly.
Then, suddenly, they stop again.
The storm’s slipped on by.
In its wake
New life
Has
Come.

©2011-Art Belliveau

Late at Night, I Think of You

It’s time for me to start anew,
Time to move forward on my own.
But, late at night, I think of you.

To the past I’ll bid adieu,
Yet reap the seeds I’ve careless sown.
It’s time for me to start anew.

Making tough choices is overdue.
It’s hard to leave the life I’ve known.
But, late at night, I think of you.

Now that my world’s been knocked askew,
And the lie put to all I thought I’d known,
It’s time for me to start anew.

I have no doubt I’ll muddle through,
And if I must, I’ll walk alone.
But, late at night, I think of you.

As always I’ll do what I must do,
And move ahead to... where? Unknown.
It’s time for me to start anew.
But, late at night, I think of you.

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 04/24/11

frozen moonlight falls
turning summer to winter
on a hot, June night

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 04/23/11

stars dance overhead
as the wind begins to blow--
pirouetting leaves

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 04/22/11

a hard week’s over
the end of the year’s in sight
four Fridays to go

©2011-Art Belliveau

enter here with care 04/21/11

enter here with care
my heart needs repair
it's true

you must be aware
i will take this dare
will you?

i will not despair
we can make repair
we two


©2011-Art Belliveau

hay(na)ku & reverse hay(na)ku 4/20/11

i
am just
enjoying the moment

i have strength
for nothing
else


©2011-Art Belliveau

clean slate 04/19/11

summer storm
washes cares away
tensions ease
worries flow
the slate's cleaned for another day
and i feel renewed

©2011-Art Belliveau

It's You 04/18/11

You.
Yes,
It's you.
My heart soars
When I hear your voice.
And, when I get lost in your eyes,
I swear by all that's Holy, I don't want to be found.

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 04/17/11

through the church window
God’s brilliant colors delight--
much more than stained glass

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 04/16/11

the sound of your voice
filled with warmth and good humor--
it’s a healing balm

©2011-Art Belliveau

summer storm 04/15/11

summer storm

first the sky is bright with summer sun
the breezes gentle
the sky a porcelain blue bowl
inverted overhead
slowly
almost imperceptibly
at first
the winds pick up power
branches sway and
loose leaves begin to dance
from the west
a dark band of clouds
flows across the sky
like dark molasses
the first whispers of thunder
are heard from a distance
the clouds scarred by lightning
the sun is cut off from the earth
the winds roar steadily
greediliy
the thunder bellows in rage
and the lightning attacks
as the the rain dumps down
over the sussurations of rain hitting the ground
a new sound is heard
like frying bacon or
a loose eltrical wire soaked in water
the sound of hail
striking the sidewalk and pavement
the day dark as night
as what looks like
Armageddon
rages on and on
and stops
almost as though a switch were thrown
the hail melted
the clouds thinning
the temperature dropped
the rain spent
and the thunder again
a whisper in the distance

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 04/14/11

in the tranquil night
breaking the serenity-
a lonesome dog barks

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 04/13/11

naked yesterday
suddenly green leaves abound
your verdant raiment

©2011-Art Belliveau

tanka 04/12/11

yesterday's stormfront
both destructive and cleansing--
prepared today's calm
harsh winds become soft breezes
black skies scrubbed to quiet blue

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 04/11/11

ground covered with white
not melting, but yellowing
dogwood blossoms fall

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 04/10/11

cloudless night so far
heavy winds blow from the west
bringing a huge storm

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 04/09/11

on the lake's far side
trees obscure expensive homes
i prefer nature

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 04/08/11

tunderstorms threaten
staining the sky with blackness--
that never comes close

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 04/07/11

dogwood tree in bloom
the white flowers shimmering
beneath a pale moon

©2011-Art Belliveau

Charlie Brown & Lucy 04/06/11

Charlie Brown & Lucy

she did it to me again
gained my trust
soothed my fears
nursed my hope
and
made false promises

i wanted to believe her so much
i wanted it to be real this time
and I knew that this time
it would be different

i let her persuade me
even knowing somewhere deep inside
that this would end in pain

i rushed toward her
heart pounding
adrenaline pumping
eyes shining with excitement and joy
knowing it would happen
knowing this time there'd be no heartbreak

i reached her and aimed high
i let go and
as always
she jerked it away again
leaving me to fly into the air

as i momentarily hang there
for that split second of time
suspended above the hard reality
of the unyielding grass below me

i feel a secret rush
of joy and fear
and i know

i know
i knew
i've always known
i will always know

and even knowing that
i also know that next time
i'll do it again

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 04/05/11

a door is moving
it's opening or closing--
i just can't tell which

©2011-Art Belliveau

diamante 4/04/11

Prometheus
wise, visionary
helping, giving, building
chained, screaming, tortured, defiant
harming, taking, destroying
clever, malicious
Loki

©2011-Art Belliveau

without me 04/03/11

without me

the world would be
a quieter place
less yelling
less laughing
less orders barked out
less songs badly sung

there is enough
silence in the world
already as it is

so i am here
you can hear
barbaric yawps
murmured prayers
whispered secrets
belly laughs

the sounds that break
the silence cocoon


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 04/02/11

i call out your name
hoping you'll somehow hear me
even though you're gone

©2011-Art Belliveau

silence 4/01/11

silence

silence
silence got me here
silence built up slowly
each unspoken syllable
another brick in the wall
mortared together with
fatigue and boredom
built so thick and sturdy
that it took over everything
and has become
my closest companion

©2011-Art Belliveau

spring storm 5/28/11

outside
in the darkness
a storm rages
the eruptions of thunder
are in simultaneity
with the actinic flashes
of sheet lightning
strobing in my yard

inside
i sit in the solitude
of a dark and quiet house
i look out

i think of you

©2011-Art Belliveau

numb 3/24/11

the part that hurts most
oddly enough
is not that you left
is not that you walked away
from all we had together

the part that hurts most
is that slowly
day by day
i am becoming accustomed
to your absence

the numbness hurts more
than any pain

©2011-Art Belliveau

unsent letters 3/23/11

i am writing letters
that I know i will never send
sharing the frustrations
and triumphs
that each day brings
telling you how i feel
asking questions

but i cannot send these to you
and they pile up
and one day
who knows when
they will be gone
like you

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 03/22/11

the harder i squeeze
the quicker it disappears--
so i just let go

©2011-Art Belliveau

unwanted revision

against my will
i am forced to revise my life
the changes multiply
day by day
another picture gone
day by day
another momento put away
as slowly I rewrite my future
by erasing your presence
writing over your absence
and changing the plot
to continue on
without you

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 03/01/11

the sounds of laughter
once filled this home--but now it
echoes with silence


©2011-Art Belliveau

diamante 2/28/11

together
replete, whole
laughing, loving, living
family, closeness, solitary, lonely
grieving, surviving, existing
quiet, empty
alone

©2011-Art Belliveau

Me and the Moon

I looked in the sky in the late afternoon,
And swear I was being followed by the moon.
It seems to always be that way,
Every night and every day,
I look back over my shoulder to find,
The friendly moon is right behind.
I know I'll never be alone,
That friendly old moon's my chaperone.

©2011-Art Belliveau

Splash! 02/26/11

Sami swims just like a fish.
Allie swims like a croc.
Maggie swims like a dolphin.
I swim like a rock.

©2011-Art Belliveau

Whine-oserous

I have a pet rhinoceros,
Who always is complaining.
He doesn't care for winter days;
He hates it when it's raining.

He has an itch that he can't scratch,
Right behind his ear.
He wants a pair of glasses,
'Cause his vision isn't clear.

He cannot fall asleep at night,
Which makes him cranky every day.
I buy him the most expensive food,
He claims it's just, "Okay."

I think I'll teade this big pain in,
It's gotten too preposerous.
It seems that what I really have,
Is a giant pet Whine-oceros.

© 2011 Art Belliveau

Be Wild at Heart

Be Wild at Heart

Never lose your smile.
Never lose your laugh.
Always keep your head up high,
Just like a giraffe.

Don’t give in to crying,
And sticking out your lippo.
Whenever worries weigh you down,
Float just like a hippo.

When problems start to hit you
From the back and from the front
Put on your thickest, toughest skin,
Just like the elephant.

When people start to get you down,
Don’t become a hater.
Keep a smile on your face,
Just like the alligator.

The going sometimes will get tough,
And the road seem all uphilla.
Just remember that inside,
You’re stronger than a gorilla.

So chase your troubles all away,
Like a bee just stinged ‘em.
Be as happy and as strong,
As our friends in the animal kingdom.

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 02/23/11

the breeze at my back
pleasant February morn
time spent with good friends

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 02/22/11

a lone dead, brown leaf
mixed among the new-formed buds
past and future blend

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 02/21/11

honky tonk music
blasts from an antique jukebox--
let the good times roll!

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 02/20/11

the world is quiet
some birds call to each other
friendly voices heard

©2011-Art Belliveau

Nature Makes Me Itch

Nature Makes Me Itch

We went on a camping trip,
Mom and Pop and me.
We pitched our tent and built our fire
Down by the live oak tree.

The mosquitoes, they all loved me;
They thought I tasted swell.
I also was a free buffet
To all the other bugs, as well.

My marshmallow caught fire,
And fell off of the stick.
I think my hot dog was too raw,
It really made me sick.

My tent got leaky in the rain,
And my sleeping bag got soaked.
The ground was covered with tons of rocks--
My back and sides got poked.

I have a rash all up my arms,
My legs, my chest, my face.
It’s spread across my tummy,
And most every other place.

I wanna go home to city life,
Where I can turn on a light with a switch.
I never wanna go camping again--
Nature makes me itch!

haiku 02/19/11

life not yet renewed
mixed among the evergreens
the hardwoods still sleep

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 02/17/11

five years later and
still it eats at my soul's core:
i failed my life's test

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 02/16/11

waiting for the poem
i hate when it comes so late
keeps me up all night

©2011-Art Belliveau

There’s an Elephant in My Bedroom

There’s an Elephant in My Bedroom

There’s an elephant in my bedroom;
I see it every day.
But when I tell my mom and dad,
He just vanishes away.

They say that he’s not really there,
That it all is in my head.
But if that is really so,
Who’s been eating peanuts in my bed?

©2011 Art Belliveau

senryu 02/13/11

i gave you my heart--
no matter how far you go
it is yours--always

St. Nevercomes Day

“Can I have a pony?” to Daddy I say.
“Of course you can, Sweetie, next St. Nevercomes Day.”
“And a big red stable, and piles of hay?”
“I’ll have it built by St. Nevercomes Day.”

St. Nevercomes Day, St. Nevercomes Day,
I hope you come soon, then I’ll shout “Hooray!”
I’ll get everything that I’ve asked for that day,
I can’t hardly wait for St. Nevercomes Day.

When I ask my Daddy for something I’d like,
A pink unicorn, or a new motorbike,
My Daddy will look at me sideways then say,
“Of course you can, Sweetie, next St. Nevercomes Day.”

St. Nevercomes Day, St. Nevercomes Day,
I hope you come soon, then I’ll shout “Hooray!”
I’ll get everything that I’ve asked for that day,
I can’t hardly wait for St. Nevercomes Day.

I search through the calendar trying to find,
The date for St. Nevercomes Day underlined.
But I just cannot find it, I’m left in the lurch--
I can’t even find it when I Google search.

St. Nevercomes Day, St. Nevercomes Day,
I hope you come soon, then I’ll shout “Hooray!”
I’ll get everything that I’ve asked for that day,
I can’t hardly wait for St. Nevercomes Day.

I hope it comes soon, I don’t think I can last.
I hope that St. Nevercomes Day comes pretty fast.
I’ve told all my friends what I’ll get, and they say, “No way!”
But I’m gonna show them on St. Nevercomes Day.

St. Nevercomes Day, St. Nevercomes Day,
I hope you come soon, then I’ll shout “Hooray!”
I’ll get everything that I’ve asked for that day,
I can’t hardly wait for St. Nevercomes Day.

©2011-Art Belliveau

treadmill 2/11/11

running on life’s treadmill
forever putting one foot in front
of the other
forever trying to make progress
to move ahead
to reach those unreachable goals
to grab the freaking carrot
that they keep dangling just
beyond my fingertips’ reach
complaining is worse than useless
after all
there is only one alternative
and i ain’t ready for that one
not quite yet
so i cowboy up
and keep on moving
even though this damn treadmill
just sometimes ain’t no fun at all

©2011-Art Belliveau

diamante 02/09/11

sad
blue, down
crying sighing, dying
tears, guffaws, loneliness, companions
smiling, joking, laughing
bright, cheerful
happy

©2011-Art Belliveau

Buried in Paperwork 02/02/11

I read in the paper the other day
The news of the death of old Mr. McKay.
He taught me English in seventh grade
And even back then his nerves were all frayed.

They found him one morning, dead in his class,
When a student walked in for a library pass.
He was next to his desk, all spread out on the floor,
Buried in papers that stretched to the door.

Buried by essays and journals, and poems,
Buried by notebooks, and notes from their homes.
Buried by text books and work books and forms,
All of the paperwork that for teachers is norm.

Now he's at rest, his paperwork's done,
(Which when they removed it weighed more than a ton.)
His tombstone looks out on a green, sunlit glade,
With his name chiseled on it and "No More Papers to Grade."



©2011-Art Belliveau

free verse 01/29/11

late at night
i lay lonely in my bed
my only companion
the memory of you

©2011-Art Belliveau

A Little Homework 01/25/11

Three pages of math,
A science report,
A P.E. project
On my favorite sport,
Two stories to read
in my my reading book,
And answer the questions
With no gobbledygook,
An essay to write
On overseas trade,
Homework got tough
Now that I'm in second grade.

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 01/24/11

sharp tang of wood smoke
drifting through nighttime's darkness--
i can't see its source

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 01/19/11

in the moon's pale glow
the ice covered tree limbs sway
shattering silence


©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 01/18/11

alone in the house
every sound is magnified--
damn insomnia!

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 01/18/11

a moonless sky cries
cold tears streaking to the earth--
i'm drowned in sorrow

©2011-Art Belliveau

tableau 1/14/11

suspended a fingerwidth above
the roof of the dilapidated house next door
the brightly shining moon
slightly more than half full
sheds its gelid illumination
onto the frost covered grass
which smolders icily in response
a silent dialogue
phrased solely in frigidity
and myriad shades of silver white

©2011-Art Belliveau

01/13/11 free verse

the late afternoon sunlight
gushing into the empty classroom
the silence that never emerged
during the long day
has at long last arrived
for its moment in the spotlight

©2011-Art Belliveau

senryu 01/06/11

sunset is long past
the night gets late so early
why am i awake?

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 01/05/11

students cowboy up:
they struggle to corral words-
then boldly ride them

©2011-Art Belliveau

haiku 01/05/11

writing my future-
last year's a filled up journal
too late to revise

©2011-Art Belliveau