A cup of tea
And Ramen noodles
Are my supper
As I watch
Stock markets plummet
The world unsure
And losing faith
And now I want
Ice cream
A massage
As my neck and jaw
tighten, harden
bracing for tomorrow
©April 3, 2025
Diane E. Dockum
How selfish am I
To think only of myself
When he is the one
Who really suffered
While I only watched
And could do nothing
He kept saying, "I'm sorry"
I am sorry
Sorry I could not
Make you well
Sorry I could not
Lift you out of pain
So cancer took
Another victim
And all I could do
Was watch
Helpless -- even now
I am sending my love
Out and hoping it
Falls near your soul
How selfish am I?
You have gone on a journey
Without me
And we used to do
Everything together
Except this time
I was not able to
Be beside you on the trip
Just part of the way -- for now
©April 2, 2025
Diane E. Dockum
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
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
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
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
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
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
Some days
it's hard to move
to get out of bed
to open the curtains
Some days
the promise of coffee
or a shower
is reason enough
Some days
I don't bother to wear make-up
or shower
and put off getting dressed
Some days
are too much trouble
are too quiet and lonely
but the idea of going out is unthinkable
Some days
I look at old photographs
to convince myself
you were really here, with me.
Some days
I hope I will see you again
I hope we recognize each other
Some day
by Diane E. Dockum
©April 15, 2023
Photo by Diane E. Dockum
An old shoulder bag Caught my attention In the basement While I was doing laundry And I thought it was A lovely bag With the leather Embossment of flowers And maybe I could Use it again And the shape Was so generous But it was covered With a green furry mold I put it on the counter By the sink thinking I could save it But then I realized It was organic And the leather Was decaying It was too far gone So, I pushed it Into the bin With a little pain In my heart And a lot Of regret by Diane E. Dockum ©April 14, 2023
Marble Hill Press 