Seeds

        Seeds

Preciousness of time,

So much to express.

Tick of clock,

Nail in lid.

Each moment,

Fill the space.

Choice in instant,

Defines a life.

Expressions today,

Seeds sown for tomorrow.

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (16-289C)

Differently

         Differently

Present self differently

With love, kindness, gentleness

Broken yet filled from Father

Offering something worth having

Past can't undo

Can offer something new

Trust Father to make it right

Allowing Him into that space

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (16-328B)

Fifteen Below

            Fifteen Below

Ten miles away see the sun
Piercing through Mitchell Pass
Radiating soft orange light
Partial orb of fire revealing itself

Dropping into the river valley on highway 92
Sun's hidden again by Scotts Bluff
Approaching the river bridge
Heat radiates away from river's winding course

Beauty of hoarfrost glistening
On islands and banks of the river
Vapor rising off sluggish water
As frost clings to tall grass and scrub

Captured in the moment
Centers the soul
Purity of brilliant white
Glimpses of what's supposed to be

About the North Platte River on a -15°F dawn near Scottsbluff, NE.

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (16-343B)

Gratitude Anew

       Gratitude Anew 

Ghostly hoarfrost
Grass brittle
Each step
Footprint's impression
Retreats reluctantly
Rising sun
Day begins
Gratitude anew

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet.
(16-328B)

Reconcile This

        Reconcile This 

Harsh words spoken
Attachments broken
Hiding the pain
Heart's bane
Love's risk
Reconciles this

For an allpoetry poetry contest

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet.
(16-328C)

Desire

         Desire 

            -i-
Desire to be known
Like honey on finger tips
Sticky and sweet
Golden yellow of sun seasoned flesh

            -ii-
Desire to know
Thick sweetness dripping from honeycomb
Lost in lush undergrowth
Blazing new trails in wild union

            -iii-
Desire to be touched
Softness burns
Marking two souls
Unseen brand

            -iv-
Desire to touch
Textures gossamer and burlap
Fiery heat conducted between
Reading each page of body in braille

            -v-
Desire to be claimed
Invisible fence's unseen glue
Woven together in silky cocoon
Radiant hearts adhesive union meld

            -vi-
Desire to be seen
Beauty of precision cut diamond
Facet splitting light of passion
Prismatic rainbow
Longing's complexity unlocked of another

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet.
(16-308)

Unrecognizable

            Unrecognizable

When dreams come crashing down

You find your face bent low to the ground

Hope's been shattered

Don't know if you can go on

Wishing to be invisible

Unrecognizable on the inside

Adversity consumes all that's been

Foundation's crumbled in the heat

When day after day re-live the events

Ashes scattered, long gone cold

Burnt up memories residue

Sorrow cloaks heart once bright

When can't see what can be

Darkness plunges over mind

Let go and be swept away

When fully lost can truly be found

Out of the ashes rise

What was lost now found

Mettle tested and tried

Dead skin of doubt sluffs off

All the loss redeemed

Resurrection after depth of tomb

Unrecognizable on the inside

True image displayed

Face to face eye to eye

Inspired by a quote I heard by Bill Johnson, "don't waste your pain."

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (16-340)

Joy of Curves

         Joy of Curves 

Joy of curves
Ties my thoughts in knots
Straight lines are boring
Before you know it snoring
Curves are curious
Adventures around each bend
Beauty discovered on journey
Symmetrical loveliness each arc reflects

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet.
(16-228)
For poetry contest.  

Softly

           Softly

              -i-

Tenderness of love

Comes softly

Embracing and conforming

Two into one

              -ii-

Crashing energy of love

Comes wildly

Adventure and life aroused

Melting in forge of love

              -iii-

Sorrow of love

Present something

Not worth having

Love requires change

              -iv-

Craziness of love

All of me accepted

Safe in being known

Healing of love

              -v-

Love unexpressed

Is love not known

Risk voicing love

Sweetness of love's melody

              -vi-

Joy of love

Sharing life together

Bringing a smile to another

Satisfaction of love

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet.

(16-339B)

Thunder

         Thunder

In mist at bottom of hill
Distant outlines
Herd of horses
Grazing

Bolt
Thunderous hooves
Reverberate ground
Beauty in motion

Streak past
Cutting through
The grasping fog
Manes and tails in sync

Hard freeze
Friskiness in air
Jostling one another
Playful as charge past

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (16-281)

Terrible Cost

         Terrible Cost

In a creek bottom years ago,
Adventures, so much to explore.
Just a boy, naively so,
Memories learned to ignore.

Curiosity lost within soul,
Kill the memory kill the pain,
Life fragmented, not whole,
Frostbite's agony as life regain.

In the creek free from all,
Solace even though already shards.
Before knew broken already called,
Deception of innocence when already marred.

At the creek was safe,
Days filled with fishing and forts.
Time exposes what must face,
Lost memories need a port.

Scars that leave mark unseen,
Body tense though memories lost.
Truth washes away all unclean,
Paid a terrible cost.

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (16-272)

Soil of Soul

           Soil of Soul

Brisk air arouses lungs

Coldness purges conditioned air

Alive another day full of gratitude

Liminal place between night and day

Walking Molly in predawn

Owls still hooting in waning darkness

Deep breathes gathering in life

Exhaling stagnant pools exchange

Another breathe in expanding being

Senses awaken to minute details

Vision of light soft on clouds

Grayness giving way to color

Sounds of horses, dogs, and chickens

Stirring at first light

Gift of another breathe heard

Quietness renews soil of soul

Inhale stillness's renewal

Receiving so can give

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (16-337B)

Feeding Fish

          Feeding Fish

Fish floating gracefully
In ponds in which they're raised
Tossing fish food hastily
Herds of them graze

Late November day
Waning days of Fall
Snow won't delay
Winter issues call

Short sleeve weather
As we hike the hatchery
Memories untether
Connection's itch scratch 

Inspired by visit to DC Booth Hatchery in Spearfish, SD.

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet.
(16-319B)

Bobcat

       Bobcat

Lurking on fringes

At the edge of darkness

Probing for access

Stealth in action

Seen from afar

Horses sense presence

At property line

Seeking opportunity

Paw prints at den

Soft loamy sand

Cat tracks deceiving

Underestimating foe fatal

Element of surprise lost

Who hunts who now

Boundaries watched

No longer easy prey

Nocturnal half border collie half pyrenees

Vigilant bark has new meaning

Rifle kept close to protect

Any encroachment of farmstead

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet.

(16-334A)