The Things They Can’t Unsee

their ivory poached
military grade weapons slaughter and disfigure
collectibles funding armed groups and organized crime
the cycle of violence never ends

they experience brutality in captivity
physical and emotional trauma
while entertaining the crowds
calves endure the harsh breaking rituals

exploitation of their backs
while tourists laugh and pose
breaking them in causing life-long suffering
of chronic pain and distress

encroachment on their territories
their homeland shrinks
crops are damaged
villagers retaliate and more elephants die

matriarchs and males in their prime are killed
all this savagery to make orphans
consciousless humans decimating their social structure
and destroying family bonds

when will these atrocities end?

**NOTE – These two organizations work on conservation efforts to stop the poaching, promote ethical tourism, and protect habitats – Save the Elephants and Wildlife Conservation Network. Please support if you are inclined to do so.

Breeding Season

lovey dovey now
contempt after the pleasure
koala outcome

Some interesting facts from Google AI Overview

Koalas only tolerate each other for breeding. Female koalas often mate with different males each year and may choose a mate based on factors like a male’s size and vigor. 

Territorial behavior: Koalas are generally solitary and territorial, only interacting with others during the breeding season. 

Not monogamous: Koalas do not form long-term pair bonds and are not monogamous. 

Mating habits: Female koalas typically mate with a different male each breeding season. 

Mating selection: Females may be selective about their mates, using factors like a male’s bellowing, size, and strength to choose. 

Kittens

lively balls of fur
soft and cuddly lovelies
cuteness overload

Daydreams

a lonely turtle
waiting for my arrival
i am sure he is

Homes That Float

amazing tortuga
what goes through your mind
going on about your business
and then humans invade the waters you swim

are you terrified
accustomed now
or curious
do you even care

have shell, will travel
you look so comfortable
warm coastal waters await your arrival
i wish i were you

Take Me Home

you and i are not so different

we feel scared in unfamiliar places
apprehensive about new people
are we in danger
should we tread carefully

we need good circumstances
and thrive with true friends
we need love and care
someone who watches out for us

our preservation instincts
signal us as necessary
with trust and affection
bonds grow deeper

with goodness shown, we are all enriched

Carol Anne

Eileen

Eileen, my guide
Through the depths of my mind’s maze
With wisdom and care
You help me find my true self
In your presence, I find peace

Sunrise

Golden rays emerge,
Painting the sky with colors,
New day, hope awakes.

Nitro

Lost in memories,
Nitro’s pawprints on my heart,
Forever cherished.

The Morning Sky

Golden rays emerge,
Painting the sky with colors,
Morning’s gentle kiss.
Birds sing their joyful chorus,
Nature awakes with new hope.

Feeling Blue

In shadows I dwell,
Heart heavy with sorrow’s weight,
Hope’s light yet to swell.

~~~

Carol Anne (pen name) is a 40-something-year-old totally blind woman from Ireland.  She is diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder and complex PTSD, and she enjoys reading, writing, and having fun. This is Carol Anne’s first feature with The Short of It.

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Vol 1 The Sound of Brilliance and Vol 2 Reflections & Revelations on Amazon

Monica St Hillaire

TORMENTED

Boisterous ocean has one voice suppressed
Darkness encompasses dreary hollow
Podium destroyed where she once professed

Daisies wither with fallen leaves of grey
Synchronization of gloom will follow
Bewildered sun fights to save battered ray

No melody to fly in ascension
Grappled moment mere taste to not swallow
Plethora of scars too much to mention

Blurry moon forever shape of crescent
Gnarled road condemns maze one can borrow
Ruinous whirlwind wrecks past and present

Comfort dissipated by harsh wayside
Sadness dominion coercing wallow
In cheerful robin compelled to confide

Yearn for freedom as carefree apollo
Pensiveness always permit such sorrow
Boisterous ocean has one voice suppressed
Podium destroyed where she once professed

EVENING HOUR

caged bird chirps aloud
ember sunset fades away
warm red hibiscus

BYGONES

memory flashes
touch of worn kitchen table
tears begin to stream

AFTERGLOW

cherry tree dampness
streak of raindrop upon rock
distant croak echoes

LOST ANCHOR

Erroneous are my deepest thoughts,
Thinking forever and a day belongs to me.
Serendipity just a corner away,
And a brilliant moon will brighten the night sky,
In its exclusive fashion,
Because of my inner and undying love.
A desire that eagerly burns, 
Within the walls of my soul.
Am I blinded by my memories?
Calculated scenarios that engulf my mind?
Carousel thoughts circulate inside my head.
I ponder occasionally,
Try to make stern sense.
If not anything else,
To know if I’m in an intricate realm,
Unaware to comprehend any distinction,
Between fact and fiction,
Between truth and falsity.
In the mouth of madness,
Winding road of uncertainty,
With chapters yet still unwritten
The journey continues… 

~~~

Monica St Hillaire considers herself to be a “warrior of words.“ Writer of poetry and lover of free verse and haiku, she aspires to one day publish books of poems and short stories. Her first feature was in 2020. You can find her previous features HERE.

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Vol 1 The Sound of Brilliance and Vol 2 Reflections & Revelations on Amazon

Christine Hickey

Sounds of Autumn

The sough of the breeze in the trees.

The crunch of leaves underfoot.

The tap of acorns dropping.

The call of geese overhead.

The bluejays cry, snatching a peanut.

The chaos of crows counseling.

The splashing of water over rocks.

The song of raindrops on puddles.

The buzzing of the bees farewell.

The luffing of a sail.

The snap of a halyard.

The silence of a sunrise.

Water’s Edge

At the water’s edge
constant change
ebb and flow
ripples here, satin-smooth there
sparkle of dancing sunbeams
dulled to flatness by clouds

When the angle of the sun permits
reflective light sways across the walls
and ceiling, hanging sun catchers add color,
it all but dazzles the eye

Day dropped slowly into gloaming
silent at night but for the snap of halyards
morning comes and there she stands
shrouded in the mist, Mother Nature
in all her glory

Raw Beauty 

Just there is a skeleton of a tree
stripped bare and gawking
anxious to escape, fearing
it doesn’t belong there
Surrounded by frilly green
to be so exposed feels raw
your boldness spoke to me
no hiding years decay
Gone from strength to fragility
life, too soon fades. 

My Little Window on Waterfowl

So many males

So few females

Posing, posturing

Diving, dozing

Choosing, chasing

Paired and partnered off

Followed by knights in waiting

They speed up the chase, circling

Chests popping, heads bobbing, wings flapping

Performance repeated seasonally

Audience…….ignored.

Dream Walk

I am a poem
A flower that never fades

I wake and wander into the garden
To seek a scented poem

A crimson rose
At the still point of opening

Seen through a vapor
Of morning mist

In awe, prose denied
Not beautiful, but beauty itself

~~~

Christine Hickey is inspired by living on the edge of a creek that empties into the Chesapeake Bay. Christine is involved in Poetry and Creative Writing workshops. Her words have been published in the Bay Weekly and the Maryland Bards Poetry Review 2023. Her poems and art have been exhibited in Maryland galleries in the past year. This is Christine’s first feature with The Short of It.

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Vol 1 The Sound of Brilliance and Vol 2 Reflections & Revelations on Amazon

Soul Collector

mysteriously she appeared
her green eyes locked on to mine
the shimmery silver-grey coat beckoning

we all know what happens now

she emits ferocious purring
matching my racing heartbeat
belly rubs are accepted gladly

we all know what that means

a furry friend for life
she is mine
and i am hers