Author: Frank Hubeny

I enjoy walking, poetry and short prose as well as taking pictures with my phone.

The Opening — #writephoto Sight

Even a thick, stone wall can have an opening letting light through like a window with a rock-hard frame. Outside our window two cars stopped. The front car was undamaged. The front bumper of the rear car, however, hung almost to the ground which made the accident look worse than it was.

Standing on the grass a sixteen-year-old girl watched an older woman, the driver of the front car, examine the damages. Her brother stood by her side ready to act if there was anything he needed to do, but there wasn’t much he could do.

A third car arrived. A second woman stepped out and the two adults talked. The second woman gave the first her insurance information and then she walked to her daughter. One could sense the daughter’s tears hiding behind her eyes and deepening frown. I imagine she wanted to know what was so wrong with her that she could have unintentionally and unexpectedly damaged her family.

Her mother’s arms opened and wrapped themselves around her daughter. Now we all have these openings, if we want to use them, but sometimes, perhaps because the fairy tales we tell ourselves aren’t real, we do not think we do. Anyway, without demanding an explanation, the mother emptied the tears hiding in her daughter’s heart through the opening of her own.

Linked to Sue Vincent’s #writephoto Sight.  She provided the photo for the prompt.

Sue Vincent's #writephoto icon
Sue Vincent’s #writephoto icon

Walking with the Aid of Shoes and Fairy Tales

Serving underneath my feet
Holding on along the side
Often magically complete:
Every fairy tale’s a treat,
Sweet or terrified.

Linked to dVerse Poetics. Kim of Writing in North Norfolk is hosting with the theme “shoes”.  This poem uses the “acrostic” form which I will feature this Thursday on dVerse.  I am practicing using it.
Photo: “Blue Sky With People Wearing Shoes” by the author linked to Frank Jansen’s Tuesday Photo Challenge with the theme “blue”.  I took the photo at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Cloudiness

Circling rain from hurricane
Leaks through the wrecked roof.
Only hope can drain:
Up comes wavy proof
Drowning the dry place
In torrential waste.
Nightmares blocking bliss
End with fear and pain.
Sink with thoughts of only this.
Sink in wet of wider rain.

Linked to dVerse Quadrille Monday hosted by Bjorn using the word “bliss”. I am thinking of Hurricane Harvey.  The poem also represents the “acrostic” form which I plan to use for this Thursday’s dVerse form prompt.
Photo: “Cloudiness” by the author linked to K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge with theme “A Cloudy Configuration”.

Love

Life finds milder melodies.
Only laughter sings.
Virtue wipes away decay.
Even frowns grow wings.

Linked to dVerse Open Link Night.  Gayle is hosting.
Photo: “Unusual Flower” by the author taken at the Chicago Botanic Garden and linked to Floral Friday Fotos.

FFF

Announcement   I won second place in Story Seed Vault’s “Bees” flash fiction contest.  I am grateful to the judges for selecting my 140-character micro fiction story.

Announcement   I am a new board member of the Illinois State Poetry Society.  Blogging provides inspiration and contact with other poets.  Local organizations provide something similar on a more personal level.

Pink?

Would you say the color’s pink?
It’s bordering on red.
It’s bordering on darker green.
A brighter green is also seen
Within this flower bed.

Perhaps it’s purple like the eyes
Of dragons when they stare
As border guards for gold held tight
So yellow rarely sees the light
Deep in their dark blue lair.

Linked to dVerse Poetics where Grace is hosting on the theme “borders”.
Photo: “Is There Any Pink In This Photo?” by the author taken at the Chicago Botanic Garden and linked to jasenphoto’s Tuesday Photo Challenge with the theme “pink”.

Living in the Light

At the Chicago Air and Water Show we watch antique planes from World War I go straight up into the air and turn down dizzy across Lake Michigan looping and looping. Then we watch more advanced planes go even higher into the air and turn down looping, pretending to run into each other. They were from World War II. Finally we see planes that could float above the water like a UFO. They move even faster. They were from World War III.

Along the lake we watch seagulls rest one per piling in the water, well-behaved, living in the light, indifferent to the air show, keeping their distances and yet clearly together. Back home I notice that my neighbor’s flower bed is still colorful, but showing its age in the light of summer joy.

PETALS DROP WITH AGE
AUGUST AIR WARMS SEAGULL PEACE
EVEN WE CAN FLY

Linked to dVerse Haibun Monday hosted by Toni with the topic, “What did we you do on your summer vacation?”
Photos: “Lines and Waves” above and “A Neighbor’s Garden” below by the author both linked to K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge with the themes “Living in the Light” or “Rain”.

A Neighbor's Flower Garden

Wheel of Fortune

Change is what will never change.
There’s some new change tomorrow.
Let street and alley rearrange
As joy takes turns with sorrow.

There is no randomness to see.
There’s nothing that was forced to be.
The choosers chose and choice arose.
The dancer ever on fresh toes
Spins on with Love eternally.

Photo: “Courthouse Viewed from an Alley” by the author linked to Tuesday Photo Challenge — Alley.