by phillipw | Feb 24, 2025 | Ta, TO
The Gasp of Moons Moons suffer subtle tortures. All around Them float sweet stars, sweet water drops that wink At them. Sweet twinkling cruelties abound. Sahara dry, the moons can never drink. A shooting star or asteroid might hit A moon, but water...
by phillipw | Jul 7, 2024 | CH, CO, ME, TO
Tranquil Tokonoma One thing a perfect purple rose cannot Accomplish is a type of sadness. Man Is best at that. That is mankind’s special blot. The plants and animals have learned to ban Such uselessness. They settle in their fur Or leaves and just get on...
by phillipw | Dec 24, 2023 | BU, CH, GR, TO
Frankincense Thrones “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying . . .” ~ Luke 2:13 A spoken hymn it was — not sung. They spoke, Those angels, spoke those words, spoke far above Mere music. Right...
by phillipw | Jan 8, 2023 | CH, DE, TO
Communion Under the cherry Blooms there is no one who is An utter stranger. ~ Issa, Englished by Phillip Whidden Some circumstances turn us all to friends Or bring us closer than stray strangers set Apart. The pinkness arching...
by phillipw | Jan 20, 2022 | HE, TO
Hermits for the Holiness of Holidaymakers Modern poetry modern verse contemporary poetry contemporary verse modern poem contemporary poem The great estates were greedy for the worst Of gawkers. That’s a fact. The noble lords Hired hermits, fetching coins from...
by phillipw | Sep 26, 2021 | AI, IN, PA, SE, SM, TO
Not “Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres are the first Europeans to observe smoking. It was on Cuba and Jerez becomes a staunch smoker, bringing the habit back with him to Spain. History of Tobacco in...
