Jeff Shaw

The thief in the night Stealing my dreams as I #sleep Each morning I feel the empty cavity Something dear to me is missing And only the ragged image remains #vss365

When I think of the word #crimson, I think of blood It’s in my nature Too many years of stepping in it I want to smile more, forget it all Cleanse my mind and laugh So, each morning my screen saver reminds me There is more to life, than the misery I left behind #vss365

A solitary racoon takes a cookie from my hand I’ve seen her before She’s lame and easy to spot Limping up my staircase I know her struggle, and her determination to live The two of us are alike We sit and watch the sunrise Loners, survivors, but #together #vss365

In the silence of men smarter than I will ever be, I listen to the #susurrus The murmuring madness permeates the serenity of thought Egos are worn proudly on satin lapels here I let this vacuum shield me from ignorance Crafting my own opinions Ones that I will never share #vss365

The afternoon sun is boring holes thru my plot Sweat drips off my face ruining the page It was by #happenstance that I was able to create her at all She’s a mess, but she owns the story An arc so deviant, I know I will dream of her tonight #vss365

The battle rages around a new queen She watches another loyal pawn fall And bitter #tear slips from her eye But the loss strengthens her, steels her heart The seasoned opponent slips A simple error in judgment And that king is ripped from the board #vss365

The sea can be a beautifully cruel place Like life, Where we are born, live and die, A #promise can offer hope, only to crush us I live knowing the tenets of mortality It’s a fragile thing, so Breathe in the light, and exhale the dark #vss365

Most mornings, I know she is just a dream But sometimes she leaves a souvenir A #spiritual scent lingering in my room With each breath, she draws closer But like fine silk in a light breeze She slips through my fingers once again #vss365

My life is full of twists and turns Some are catastrophic Others create memories I’ll cherish I live this short life to the fullest Giving fate the ultimate salute Damned that #vagary that trips me I’ll reach that final chapter With our without A bruised ego #vss365

Happy Thursday, everyone! I'm thrilled to see your unique, creative takes on each prompt. 😊 Today's #vss365 #prompt for June 26th is #vagary (Noun). From Latin roots, it describes an erratic, unpredictable, or whimsical act, idea, or expression. I'll introduce the next host…

On clear nights I look toward the Earth My home once The #starscape is spectacular No pollution, no clouds, and no air to breathe My time is limited now The mission failed And hope is lost But the view … #vss365

An unknown author pens an obsession A moment in a dream that haunts him still The #progenitor of rumors that dog him for all eternity She’s in his head now His fate is sealed And so, the pen begins his fateful journey #vss365

I write to release the angst of everyday life It’s a narrow path to an ever-widening journey My speculative arcs drift from fantasy to reality A #liminal genre I wear like a cheap suit You see, it keeps my demons at bay Lurking as daylight dims, They wait, as do I #vss365

There is a story in those eyes Forget the costume Let memories of the circus fade We live in the same moment Her world speeding #parallel with mine Dreams entwine again and again Her eyes, my eyes We see our future Distant as it may be #vss365

I believe in alternate realities Times and places within our own What is happening to us now Has already happened somewhere else #Realms we cannot see or touch They breathe as we do They love and yes they hate too There are days I can feel them Thru the fabric of my world #vss365

Those who knew him called him, #Slash the Snail Those who didn’t, well they didn’t know him at all He was a free spirit A quick-witted creature with a small mind It was the salt that finished him The white crystal of death and mayhem #vss365

Coffee is a force of nature With each sip I feel the gossamer layers of sleep fade and die Even my dreams slip away Many years ago, I #shed the need for sunlight A nocturnal creature by choice I Find the moon offers a truer light. #vss365

Like you, I can lie in bed for hours Waiting for a few precious hours of sleep Dreams start, and fade Some take #shape with horrifying images, or peaceful memories I slay dragons some nights, only to drown in my own tears Now I wait, armed and vulnerable Vss365

Never fully formed They pried her from the mold too soon A gelatinous mess with an attitude Emotions roiling just under the #skin She’s a firecracker with a short fuse Cross her once And you won't live to see the sunrise #vss365