Author: marblehillpress

The Laziness of Grief

/ marblehillpress / 3 Comments

No one ever told me

How lazy I would be

How loneliness begets

Untidiness

No one ever told me

How the feeling of fear

Not fear itself

Lives in your gut

Some days

I wallow in self-pity

Other days

I push myself too far

No one ever tells you

How the silence

Makes you feel

Slightly concussed

And that sleep

Feels like a warm mud

Sucking you in

Talking myself through

Each day and longer

Evening

I chide myself

I coax myself

Through this stage

Of marriage

This stage of love

©March 30, 2025, Diane E. Dockum

Winter Poem

/ marblehillpress / Leave a comment 


Crissy-Crossy
Backy-Forthy
Went the tracks
Upon the snow

Gray and bushy
Tails a shaking
Up the trees 
And branches go

Deer and dogs
Squirrel and bunny
Skim and scamper
To and fro

Snow is melting
More is coming
Wind and rain
With ice and snow

Busy hooves and
Fuzzy footies
Beating tracks
Across the yard

Dark of night
And new moon coming
Stars and cold
Will freeze it hard.


By Diane E. Dockum
©December 30, 2024


Go Forward

/ marblehillpress / Leave a comment 
Don’t look back
At least, not today
I know the memories
Drift about your mind
And fill the space behind 
Your eyes
But go forward
Not back
You are alive
You have a future
Time
Is always marching on

Diane E. Dockum

©June 8, 2024

 

Cardinalis cardinalis

/ marblehillpress / 1 Comment 
A cardinal came to visit me
He brought his little wife
His bright red feathers tickled me
And brightened up my life

I’d been alone for quite some time
Was missing you today
I watched this little couple 
Flit about and dance and play

It made me smile and shed a tear
To see their tufted heads
So sweet their partnership was clear
Their song from beaks of red

Though the rain was coming down
They seemed happy as could be
And I was thrilled that they had flown
And landed in my tree


By Diane E. Dockum
©April 25, 2023

Time Melted Away

/ marblehillpress / Leave a comment
Photo by Monoar Rahman on Pexels.com
I passed through town
Riding in the passenger seat
Of the Dodge

And watched the trees
Pass by
And watched

The telephone wires
Rise and fall
From pole to pole

And time melted away
Leaving only images
Of the time gone by

I passed through town
Riding on the hard wooden seat
Of the carriage

And watched the trees
Pass by
And watched the horses drink

From the trough outside 
The drug store
And the lady at the dress shop

Arranging her window display
Waved as we passed,
When my Dad spoke to me

And I returned to the seat
Of the pick up truck
Wondering where I had been





By Diane E. Dockum
©April 20, 2023

The Catalogues Have Arrived

/ marblehillpress / Leave a comment
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
To paraphrase Phil 
From the movie City Slickers
If Catalogues were people I'd be China!

Something happened
When I reached 
Senior citizen status

Each day, catalogues arrive
In stacks of colorfully emblazoned 
Glossy paper, filling my mail box with temptations

There are the ones for clothing
If you are fat, with arthritis, and can’t fasten buttons 
Or for when you travel, which I never do

There is the hardware store 
Kind, with whatever works for
Whatever kind of household hack you need

There are the salves and potion
Kind, with subscription-worthy pots
Of goop that one absolutely needs

There is a little catalogue
Narrow, with a tea bag sample
That offers countless kinds of tea

Jewelry, make-up, razor blades
Vibrators, oils, candles
Wigs, and toupee catalogues

Where did I sign up for this
Deluge of paper?
Is there somewhere I don't know about

Where it's leaking catalogues
And if so, can I stick a rag
Into that hole?

Yet, some days I pick them up
And look, just in case
I might need something.



By Diane E. Dockum
©April 19, 2023

I Am the Ghost

/ marblehillpress / 1 Comment
Photo by Boys in Bristol Photography on Pexels.com
I am the ghost 
That haunts this house
Unfinished things are all about
I’m searching for your missing soul
The other half of mine is gone

I am the presence
In this house
That drifts from room to room
Untethered like a lost balloon
With slender thread that dangles down

I am a shadow
Of myself
Imprinting on the empty wall
Inspecting places high and low
Searching for you everywhere

I am the wisp
Of mist and pain
Following in your wake
Grief is love that has no place
I dream to see your face.



By Diane E. Dockum
©April 18, 2023

This poem was inspired not only by my own grief for my late husband, Dennis, but from a poem by Donna Ashworth entitled You’re the Ghost from her book ‘I Wish I Knew’.

The Rain Has Passed

/ marblehillpress / Leave a comment
Photo by Khoa Vu00f5 on Pexels.com
The rain has passed
The wind is cool, it stirs the birdbath water pool
Wind-chimes ring a slow sweet song 
Dancing branches all day long

Trees are opening up their leaves
Seems like all at once to me
Unfurling buds in bright spring green
Make the world all new and clean

Dandelions with their yellow light
Scattered ‘cross the lawn so bright
My peaceful Sunday afternoon
Wraps me in its warm cocoon



Diane E. Dockum
© May 15, 2016
Reposted, April 17, 2023

I found a poem I liked from a few years ago. It seemed appropriate for me today, even though it is Monday, not Sunday, and there have not been any Dandelions yet.

I hope you like it too.

Diane

Change of Scenery

/ marblehillpress / Leave a comment
A view from camp on Raquette River, South Colton, NY


Go for a drive
Take a walk
Plan a trip
Jump off a dock

Swim to Greenland
Climb up a tree
Sit on the roof
Bounce on someone’s knee

Lie under the table
Sit on the stairs
Sleep on a pew 
Ride a few mares

Jump off a milk can
Look up not down
Roll up a hill
Head out of town


By Diane E. Dockum
©April 16, 2023