Another Round

I kept my heart on ice
not to play it cool, but because
I was a coward, afraid of Valentines
that would never be mine, again.
Having sampled sweet things taken
for granted too many times;
yes, Cupid’s arrow hit perfectly on the mark
straight dead to center heart, and sharp
it was.

It was I turned hard, never looking back.

Closing barn doors after horses have
run out, is no way to start a life here on the ranch.
Hindsight is a box of chocolates and a bouquet
of fresh cut flowers;
running out of excuses with the very reason in my hand.

Another double bourbon, with a
cold beer chaser, and enough quarters
to choke a jukebox.

I was born across the bridge from Boston, Massachusetts, in Cambridge, as July 4th fireworks exploded over the Charles River, just a stone’s throw from Harvard University. At age two, my family moved to Somerville, Ma.,where I was raised in a rough blue-collar environment, playing many sports. In 1998 I relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada. Here, I work among special needs children and teach martial arts. Poetry began in high school, but took off in a more dedicated way in later years, along with resuming music studies, guitar. My poems are published in various anthologies; including Impressions, Prism, and the Mighty Voices Of Thunder Series, sponsored by the international poetry website, “Allpoetry.” I was a featured poet in Lyrical Somerville February 2015, a Boston based publication, as well as being an “Editor’s Front Page Pick,” for the month of March 2016 on Allpoetry. A defining moment that contributed significantly to further interest in writing was a First Place Award from the International Poetry Fellowship, for my poem, “Among Fields of Cotton.” Presently, I am happy to have the opportunity to explore various forms of poetry with Mr. Bruce Isaacson, Poet Laureate of Clark County Nevada.