Haiku for Fall

HAIKU

Brittle umber leaves

       pirouette to the cold ground

              in their dance of death

3/14/90 Phyllis VanVleck

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The Sweetest Kiss

HEAVEN IN A CHILD

I caught a glimpse of Heaven today
When a little child of three
Danced around my flower beds
With a look of blissful glee

I heard a bit of Heaven today
When she giggled while at play
Sounds I’ll carry in my heart
Forever and a day

I felt a bit of Heaven today
When she wooed me with her charms . . .
The sweetest kiss upon my cheek
And a hug from little arms

There’s Heaven in a little child
And you can see it, too
Just watch them with an open heart
That’s all you need to do

3/17/00 Phyllis DeWitt-VanVleck

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A deep Abiding love

A MOMENT LONG AWAITED

He came to me last night
to tell me he was sorry.
As he held me close
he kissed away my tears,
and I could feel his heart
beating in harmony with my own.
He whispered assurances
of undying love,
and I whispered mine.
Then from out of nowhere
came the soft strains
of our favorite song,
and we danced as one,
lost in deep abiding love;
a moment long awaited.

 And then . . . I awakened.

9/2/92        Phyllis DeWitt-VanVleck

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Two young lovers dance all night

JUNIOR PROM

Junior Prom night, so long ago . . .
Me and my beau
Ribbons and tie
Both of us shy

My first dance gown, heavenly blue
His suit was new
Rosebuds and lace
A blushing face

A borrowed car with top rolled down
Long drive to town
Full moon, bright gold
His hand to hold

A wish upon a falling star . . .
Luck from afar
Night of romance
Thrills from a glance

Two young lovers, a lovely sight
Dancing all night
Part of the past
That went so fast

2/20/90 Phyllis DeWitt -VanVleck

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A rainy day

   RAIN – SETTING MY MOODS

 

Coming down in sheets,

it resembles a silver lame theater curtain.

A gift of nature’s beauty.

Preceding summer hail,

it portends worse to come, as we await the yellowing of the sky.

But sometimes it dances on my window panes,

and makes its own melody on the tin roof of my cabin, as I drift off to sleep, mesmerized by its charm. 

It cleanses my roof, and compacts the dust of the twisted lane to my cabin,

making little puddles  that serve as bird spas … mud baths in the dirt – drinking cups in the gravel.

It fills blossom cups that serve  as chalices for butterflies

And it makes the hot earth send up moist earth aromas.

As a child, I loved to stand or dance on the lawn, as it made my clothes cling to my body, cooling  me on a hot summer day.

Sometimes it fills my rain-barrel, becoming the source of future shampoos.

I love to watch the little spirals each drop makes on the quiet water of my pond.

When driving in the darkness of evening, it makes car lights shine with diamond rays.

Washing the dust of time from everything.

God blesses us with every raindrop.

 

Phyllis A. DeWitt-VanVleck

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My dad played the Fiddle

            PAPA’S VIOLIN

 

When Papa played the violin

          Mom rolled the rug away

We children smiled because she knew

          We’d rather dance than play

As Papa raised the tempo

          Our feet kept cadenced time

Mama often sang along

          With words in perfect rhyme

We’d dance until the music stopped

          Then fall into a chair

While Papa changed the tempo

          With expertise quite rare

It seemed he knew a million tunes

          At least I thought he did

But that was admiration

          Through the heart of a kid

Yet, he could play forever

          And without one repeat

The music slow or lively

          With melody so sweet

From concert music and old tunes

          To music of the day

Two-step, waltz, and hoedown

          Oh, how sweet he’d play

He could set your heart soaring

          On his concert violin

The room so still you could hear

          The soft drop of a pin

But then with quick transition

          The tempo changed once more

From violin to fiddle

          And our feet caressed the floor

That little box of polished wood

          With strings and resined bow

Made music that pleased angels

          Or inspired heel and toe

But that was just acoustics

          And guaranteed to please

What really made that box sing

          Was Papa’s expertise

 

 

6/11/90        Phyllis DeWitt VanVleck

 

6’th … Indiana NPD 1999

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