Poetry Blog by Candice Reineke
Tags from last 12 months
A Mom’s Promise
small curls so soft
fall in your eyes
sleepiest gaze
wide by surprise
tiny fingers
stretch out to me
short pudgy legs
kick aimlessly
the world is yours
grin-slobber line
should your heart break
I’ll give you mine
© Candice Reineke 2021
Sunday 17th January 2021 10:47 pm
New Year’s Fireworks and Your Snore
earsplitting pops and crackles reverberate off the river into our home
our cats dash under beds taking shelter amid the war zone
I calmly explain it’s just the 2021 New Year’s fireworks fun
soon the explosive noises and jubilant celebrations will all be done
just as my words become truth your snore breaks into the night and shakes the earth beneath my sleep-deprived bum
our cats ...
Friday 1st January 2021 6:49 am
Cozy Haiku
my wife’s wisest gift
Swedish sweater socks wrap warm
wool around my feet
Friday 25th December 2020 4:08 am
Play It Cool
Play It Cool
ice cubes tumble
down the shoot
into glasses with a cling
couples banter
servers scramble
you gently stir your drink
“Seat taken?”
a soft voice asks
your glass drips with condensation
she gestures to the bartender
one move pulls out the stool
for conversation
“Uh, yes...I mean no!”
your head shakes
your straw now...
Monday 21st December 2020 1:57 am
Perfectionism
And so I thought
once I felt seen
got praised, got a raise
it would go away
once I de-stressed
got time off from my job
it would drift away
once I reached my goal
got rated “exceptional”
it would surely leave
once I felt proud
of all that I’ve achieved
it would bring reprieve
And so I thought
© Candice Reineke 2020
...
Thursday 17th December 2020 2:52 pm
The Grammy goes to...
eager crickets sing in chorus
at the top of their lungs
gusts rustle leaflets
in the string section of dwarf palms
nervous gnat raises his falsetto
as high as he can
dragonfly’s baritone buzz
upstages her wingspan
pileated woodpecker plays his pine
keeping on the beat
tufted titmouse takes her tenor solo
melodic and neat
wi...
Friday 4th December 2020 8:57 pm
Moment of Glory
God grabs a handful of reeds
to relieve an itch in his nose
lifts the emerald bundle to
inside his nostrils lined with gold
scratches them up and down
‘til his ticklish urges subside
pulls the straws out half-dipped
like fence paint dripped and dried
their marshy roots dangle
in fish-scented air
God pushes’m back to the muck
swamp sti...
Friday 4th December 2020 5:55 am
Atlantic Beach “Public Parking”
chipped mint letters
flicker at Florida’s first coast
pearly tin sign
atop a tall weathered post
two “P” words compose
a minimalist statement
crystals swirl across girls’
distant giggles on pavement
fiery rust streaks
from the top-center screw
faded cat sticker
smirks like a sleuth
slots always taken
in the mayhem of Ma...
Wednesday 2nd December 2020 9:35 pm
Lufituaeb er’uoy
let your index finger
gently lift towards her
in one smooth motion
keep your eyes
fixed on hers
let your jitters simmer
open your hand
thumb pointing at your chin
fingers pointing up
roll your fingers across
the front of your face
in clockwise fashion
like a carousel
lightly turning
shadows to glimmers
end with your fing...
Sunday 29th November 2020 10:13 pm
Pink Lady
I’m 52 mg/dL and falling
I need you just as you are
Crisp like the night’s breath
Desperate to end this faint feeling
I open the door
See the blush of your skin
Under the bright bulb
I reach for you
Cold to the touch, round in my hand
I rush to the sink
Rinse you clean
Dry your moist flesh and stem
I can’t wait any longer
Crazed c...
Saturday 28th November 2020 5:00 am
Overthinker
cling-clangs against my brain
feign solutions but they’re all the same
feasts for frantic fissions
unbridled, undeniably out of
control
the drug I’ve always craved
but can’t do a thing other than
think
did I say it wrong?
did they hear me right?
I’m sure of it
So unsure of it
I may be wrong
maybe all is well
...
Wednesday 25th November 2020 7:30 pm
Drive
Some drive in silence with their mind
free as the thought patterns they find
Others drive with the crevasses of their soul bare
to the “lucky” listener sitting there
Some drive with laser-focus, turning on a dime
constantly checking their arrival time
Others drive with beats blasting, casting glances
hoping partners will join in their dances
Some driv...
Saturday 21st November 2020 8:31 pm
Netflix-oholic
Your screen goes black
The orgy of your show
Now done
The euphoria of empathy
Feeling your beloved characters
All gone!
Foreshadowing that kept you on the edge
Clever plot that kept you clicking “Next”
C’est fini!!
You regret your urge to binge
You mourn your loss
You self-soothe
Then you wait
And wait
For season two
Saturday 9th November 2019 5:38 pm
Before the Beans Grind
Before the beans grind
There is no joy
There is no life
It takes nine steps to walk the distance of five
Blinks forget to un-blink
Yawns overtake the soul
Your dreams abandoned you on Mars
But you haven’t noticed the red glow
There is no joy
There is no life
Before the beans grind
Friday 4th October 2019 3:24 pm
Trash Day
Softly breathing warm in bed
The squeaking sound of a massive truck
Gently pulling you from your dreams
Its crane arm lifting bins at your neighbors
Two homes away
GASP.
IT’S TRASH DAY!
GET UP. RISE UP.
SHAKE THE SLOTH OF YOUR SLUMBER.
YOU STILL HAVE TIME!
No bra, no shoes, pandas on your pajamas
Surely the garbageman won’t mind
Friday 4th October 2019 3:05 am
A Tweet Moved Me to Say
I will
play my harmonica haphazardly.
make a joke with no one to laugh but me.
improv a jazz song to my cat Curry.
take a photo of what’s right in front of me.
I am not a product.
Wednesday 2nd October 2019 10:11 pm
Did You Pack a Whistle?
You are not lost yet
You can still retrace more steps
Botched blazes be damned
© Candice Reineke 2019
Thursday 26th September 2019 9:02 pm
Florida Birthday Girl
You wake me early, with a kiss-scapade and your eyes bright like the morning light that snuck through onto my pillowcase.
You open my car door with a knowing grin, and I make ridiculous guesses, but you refuse to reveal your plans.
First, across the bridges of Jacksonville, to historic Avondale, where old-Florida gardens and old-money mansions show us their frills.
My first time at the Fox, a v...
Friday 20th September 2019 4:34 am
Sea Oats Already Know
Beat, beat, beat
breathe in
My heart and lungs
they already know
Waves know just when
to bend
The crest crashes
when it feels high enough
The seagull glides
by pulling on air
Sand crystals swirl
around half-buried twigs
Sea foam blows
down the body of the beach
Clouds rush
to reveal the warmth of September
Sea...
Tuesday 17th September 2019 6:33 pm
“Working” from Home
A working woman
Juggling tasks at my desk
Stealing glances out
Cardinal singing without restraint
Brilliant red matching his mood
Sun saturating her favorite leaves
Infinite hues and shades of green
Towering oaks protecting me
Deep with wisdom and rings of strength
Moss swaying ever so gently
Juggling nothing now
A smitten woman
©️ Candice Reineke 2019
Saturday 2nd March 2019 6:01 pm
Delicacy of Truth
Me: (sigh) I feel less inspired than ever.
She: (gently) Love, the masses are not just sitting, waiting for you to blow their minds.
Me: (tasting truth) Right. So I should probably just sit, wait until I feel inspired?
She: (chuckles, grabs my pen, kisses me)
©️ Candice Reineke 2018
Wednesday 31st October 2018 7:36 pm
All Hallow’s Eve, Then vs. Now
all hallow’s eve
what had you to offer us
on this moonlit-night long ago?
grand excitement in the air
glorious masks and homemade costumes
galavanting in neighborhood streets
candies of all varieties
carrying loads, spilling over
more mischief than we’d ever dream
all hallow’s eve
what have you to offer us
now that we’re grown?
still, excit...
Wednesday 31st October 2018 4:09 pm
The Beast Does What Tyson Once Did
as hard as I fight
as far as Type-One technology has come
between jabs, he bites off part of your ear
it’s the diabolical nature of The Beast
constantly check my number
consistently count my carbs
carefully calculate my dose
still, at times, I drop urgently low
and my body, so bitter
wants to surrender the KO
But again, I demand, “stand before t...
Monday 29th October 2018 12:39 am
If Only You and Van Gogh Knew
If your art is good, as it feels in your bones
You will become known
Long after your ashes are sprinkled
And all of your senses are gone
Particularly if you cut off your lobe
Or choose for yourself to end it all
Note scraps reveal queer love affairs
Poems show in the rubble of fallen walls
Fans will become obsessed
Frame you in the brightest light
...Friday 26th October 2018 10:35 pm
A Million Ordinaries
I’m ordinary and that’s ok
Extraordinary is made of
A million ordinaries anyway
I can feel Magnolia
Reflecting sheen
From her glossy dark leaves
It’s early afternoon
Rays warm my left shoulder
My car window lets just enough in
The faint rattle in my back seat
Plays a bridge
To the melody of my AC
The turns of my car, so familiar
The rout...
Thursday 25th October 2018 1:51 am
Rooftops
I'll let my chicken wrap just rest
here as I
hear about your week.
Its peanut-curry crunch
silenced by your over-sized watch as
it tick tick ticks
against your silky, soft wrist.
I'll let myself forget what day it is
but remember how your
jaw click click clicks
with every chew.
Servers might see it on my face.
Strangers maybe will, too.
...
Monday 19th March 2018 4:31 am
Notes in the Margins of a Lover’s Poem
Slightly runny yolks with sizzling edges
Komodo freshly brewed to bold perfection
Heavenly scents waft through our place
I oversleep; you don’t judge; instead, you
cook my eggs just the way I like them.
Slow dances in our socks on kitchen tiles
Bike rides under shady oaks for miles
Beach picnics, candlelit and sunset-kissed
The breeze blows out our candles; you try
rel...
Sunday 18th March 2018 3:43 am
Fuck Fear
Wednesday 24th February 2016 4:01 pm
Pre-SocialMedia Times
A moment.
These days it's hard to have one
without feeling the need to share
every one with everyone.
Update it
Tweet it
Insta- it
'til we bleed.
How does this look?
Who should we tag?
Where should we ping?
We've become factory workers
tasked with packaging our most worthy moments.
Keeping the extreme -
the happy
the sad
the a...
Saturday 25th October 2014 5:20 am
Lillie's Coffee Bar
It's a place that illuminates the freest forms of me
A few pumps on my pedals, turns of my handles, and I'm already there
Tall palms twirled in lights line the way to my imagination
Tiny bells ding against the glass door as I glide inside
Freshly roasted beans percolate through anticipation to perfection
Burlap coffee sacks hang as window shades
Handiwork of local artists accents the walls
Sandy scenes o...
Friday 19th September 2014 8:04 pm
Swallow Silence
rest has been begging all afternoon
Soon soon soon, love.
finally home in my top-floor abode
the end of consciousness is near
I slip into coziness and turn up the stillness
Oh love, I'm finally here...
but no.
silence chokes
tranquility cracks
obnoxious noise intrudes
I feel teenybopper bass notes incessantly bulge up from the floor below
boom boom boom
then cling
then clatter
then unruly girly chatter
Why now?
W...
Thursday 11th September 2014 4:14 am
Crime of Comfort
It's morning again
and
I'm trapped in.
Out of bed
but
into the same lie I roll.
I have no alibi
for
committing the sin
of deep-diving
into
this "cozy" 9-to-5.
"Take a ri...
Wednesday 3rd September 2014 9:58 pm
The Undies Moment
Whites
Colors
Silks
Buttons
Bows
I glimpse your eyes fixed on me.
Fresh
Soft
Cottons
Warm
"Would you like to help me fold?"
Shy
Smile
Intimate
Touch
"I thought you'd never ask."
© Candice Reineke 2014
Saturday 30th August 2014 5:04 pm
I Feel Fall
I'm in love.
A soft breeze rustles the leaves on the trees just outside my window. All is silent save the ocean roaring in the distance at a rhythm too lovely for words. And the wooden clock in the corner holds his pace, savoring this time of night when his tick tick tick is finally heard. It's dark now, all around, except some photos sliding in and out on my computer screen.
I feel p...
Sunday 24th August 2014 11:26 pm
All I Want to Do is Write
Fight fight
Stay focused on the task at hand
All I want to do is write
Light light
From the window, gushing in
All I want to do is write
Tick tock
Time to shoot, edit, produce
All I want to do is write
Botch balk
No, get it done, make it smooth
All I want to do is write
Scream scream
Dare to break free
All I want to do is write
Stay leave
The choice is on me
All I want to do is write
© Candice Reineke 2014
Monday 18th August 2014 7:34 pm
The Beach: My Remedy
it's just before sunset when loneliness creeps in
the beach is my remedy
the ocean will let me be sad
but only enough to shed a few tears,
never enough to let me drown
the wind invites me in when no one else has thought to
the lazy waves take their time rolling up
the toddlers mix mud, as their parents hold a conversation
the older couple holds hands like they're still in love
their golden retriever ba...
Friday 8th August 2014 2:58 am
Write Your Own Lines
speak up if you care even the slightest
stand up, cheer, do that whistle-thing you do
We only have one
tip your server triple your total
stick around to see her smile
We only have one
take a two-hour lunch to read poems on the beach
don't tell why, don't apologize
We only have one
look those you love straight in the eyes
let it be awkward until you crack, until they laugh
We only have one
hug generously those...
Wednesday 9th July 2014 5:18 am
Don't Put Me in Your Box
Don't put me in your box.
I need to explore.
Don't assign a shape to me.
I bet mine has never been drawn.
Save your doubts of me.
I've spent enough of my own.
You hide from failure and from success,
Keen on risking nothing.
Know that fear won't rest until a nest
It's made inside your heart.
Don't put me in your box of inflexibility,
Where dreams behave, ideas refrain,
A...
Tuesday 1st July 2014 11:35 pm
Solitude Redeemed
Let Solitude redeem her name
and take you for a spree.
Fear tugs at you,
but splendor all around spilling out, sets you free.
Winding up a steep rocky trail
you pass a stranger in stride.
He knows where you're going –
around the mountain to glimpse what nature dares to confide.
All spans below you now, breathtakingly vulnerable,
beyond what eyes can f...
Tuesday 1st July 2014 9:47 pm
T'hell with Haikus
Practice missed perfect.
Fat lady forgot to sing.
Doctor caught the flu.
Writers are rebels.
They forever cross the line.
T'hell with haikus.
This is poetry.
Not exactly an exam.
Simply a word fest.
Seven syllables
Neatly sandwiched between five?
Great, my pen can rest.
© Candice Reineke 2013
Tuesday 1st July 2014 5:18 pm
When You're Low
When you're low
Happiness becomes giddiness
Annoyance becomes lividness
Sadness becomes despair
When you're low
Heart beats faster
A lack-of-sugar disaster
Sweat-soaked, even in cold air
When you're low
Brain goes to power save mode
But they know how to crack the code
And you're so glad they were there
© Candice Reineke 2013
Tuesday 1st July 2014 5:04 pm
Family
They love you to the core
Even on days they shouldn't
They are constant
They are comfort
They see who you've always been
So perhaps you struggle to show them who you've become
You love them to the core
Even on days you shouldn't
© Candice Reineke 2013
Tuesday 1st July 2014 4:57 pm
Recent Comments
Stephen Gospage on A Mom’s Promise (Tue, 19 Jan 2021 06:08 pm)
Candice Reineke on New Year’s Fireworks and Your Snore (Fri, 1 Jan 2021 03:13 pm)
Candice Reineke on Play It Cool (Mon, 21 Dec 2020 08:43 pm)
Stephen Atkinson on Play It Cool (Mon, 21 Dec 2020 08:10 pm)
John Coopey on Perfectionism (Thu, 17 Dec 2020 08:49 pm)
Candice Reineke on The Grammy goes to... (Sat, 5 Dec 2020 11:12 pm)
Candice Reineke on Atlantic Beach “Public Parking” (Fri, 4 Dec 2020 01:42 pm)
on Lufituaeb er’uoy (Sun, 29 Nov 2020 11:08 pm)
Candice Reineke on Pink Lady (Sat, 28 Nov 2020 09:36 pm)
Candice Reineke on Overthinker (Sat, 28 Nov 2020 09:31 pm)