faded photographs
times past
faded faces
memories that last.
© Cindy Lapeña, 2012
four seasons (a poem)
0a hint of spring
a touch of summer
a shade of autumn
a breath of winter
© Cindy Lapeña, 2012
today my world stopped turning (poem)
0today my world stopped turning
and everything was gone
i lost my home
a husband
my son
all familiar things were gone when
today my world stopped turning
and the burden of living bore down
crushing all hope
all dreams
all desire
all i was and all i wanted to be
gone because
today my world stopped turning
and the glacier in me began melting
uncontrollably
until everything came
pouring
out in torrents that
drove away sleep
and rest
and all
thoughts
and words
and feelings
washed out
leaving me
empty
drained
exhausted
angry
wounded
numb
on the day
my world stopped turning
life began
© Cindy Lapeña, 2010
this is not poetry (poem)
0this is not poetry
the god Demetillo roared
no rhyme no rhythm
no figurative language
no picturesque speech
no verse
this is not poetry
the god Demetillo decided
not poets not writers
we should all be farmers
or market vendors
peddling wares that are not ours
no write not think
not waste our ink
because
this is not poetry
the god Demetillo declared
not sonnets at all
not Petrarch not Shakespeare
not worthy of reading
not worthy of writing
a waste of time
of words of paper
but
Demetillo is not a god.
© Cindy Lapeña, 2012
Winter of Despair (a painting and two poems)
1
Winter of Despair (watercolor on paper, 12″x18″)
Winter of Despair (I)
Crouching in the shadows
Doubting, desperate, and despondent
Even the sunlight is drab
Winter of Despair (II)
in silent shadow grey and deep
away from sunlight, there i sit
i crouch as small as i can get
for countless days i have not slept
in my small corner, dark, unlit
i silently weep myself to sleep
my head is heavy, my heart, as well
my body feels like it’s been dragged through hell
and nothing remains in this empty shell
one winter i felt despair
and though i am loath to, i still find myself there
© Cindy Lapeña, 2012
A winter night (poem)
0Wispy wraiths drift lazily across the indigo
Gently grazing rooftops
Catching cottony tails
In the pines thrusting their spears
Into the airy soup
Snowflakes drift aimlessly to and fro
Following a fickle breeze
Brushing against pink cheeks
pink noses wrinkling in delight
Following a fickle breeze
Swirling with lazy snowflakes
Landing on pink tongues
Pudgy fingers grasp in the air
As toddling legs churn up resting snowflakes
That join the swirling white flurries
Waltzing with the wispy wraiths
Around the playful pair
And as the deep indigo fades
The wraiths lay the snowflakes gently
gently
on tired legs
tired fingers
cold noses
cold cheeks
Indigo lips
Of two babes forever asleep
Under a blanket of resting snowflakes
Then drift lazily away across the pale pink
Gently grazing rooftops
Catching cottony tails
In the pines thrusting their spears
At the rising sun.
© Cindy Lapeña, 2007
the summer i met myself (poem)
0i found a stranger really
no stranger than me
that stranger
found summer and lived
through summer and loved
all summer and grieved
when summer was over
and now i remember vaguely
that stranger
that sweet summer
of my youth
© Cindy Lapeña, 2012
Women of the World (poem)
0We are the women
who run with wolves
We are the wild women
of the world
We are the women
who wipe wet bottoms
We are the mothers
of the world
We are the women
who watch and wait
We are the wives
of the world
We are the women
who weep over wounds
We are the healers
of the world
We are the women
who winnow and weave
We are the workers
of the world
We are the women
watchful and wary
We are the guardians
of the world
We are the women
weary of war
We are the widows
of the world
We are the whimsical
wanton wild women
We are the women
of the world
© Cindy Lapeña, 2012
when i am old and grey (poem)
0when i am old and grey
will i look back and say
this is exactly how i thought i would be
when i am old and grey.
© Cindy Lapeña, 2012
Waiting for the morning (poem)
1As everyone sleeps the night
comes alive with sound
the walls creak pipes murmur
clock beats away sleep
the fridge motor competes
with snoring from the bedroom
and wins as it rises a pitch
the heaters expand cold air crackles
power lines buzz or is it beetles?
A neighbor drives up at 3 a.m.
headlights piercing through blinds
the engine chortles and dies
the outer door heaves open and
closes with a sigh.
Heavy shoes rush up and are silenced
by a carpet upstairs and footsteps shuffle
to bed complaining with loud creaks.
The cold seeps under the door
through the walls to fingers and feet
fighting the heat from a body
nearing defeat waiting for the morning
to put the night to sleep.
© Cindy Lapeña, 2012
Cindy Lapeña: Creativity Unlimited 