FROM THE POET WITHIN

.

Laura Popovici (2023)

.

Laura Popovici (2023)

.

Laura Popovici (2023)

.

Laura Popovici (2023)

On the wide windowsill,

in an iridescent blue jar,

a solitary pink carnation

is starring at her.

Shadows are slyly infiltrating

the darkened caverns

of her periphery.

Sinister thoughts

take hold of her mind,

and she's surrounded

by bodies on fire

slowly turning to ash.

His stare is like a solar flare.

Laura Popovici (2023)

"She's back."

The machine welcomes her

in an embrace.

This time it's worse.

The cancer spread to her brain.

As she's being fitted for 

a face mold,

her tears leave a trail of ire 

down her cheeks.

It can see

the turmoil and fear

reflected in her eyes.

The machine envelops her

in radiation rays.

She endures.

The treatment is brutal

on her body.

"This is what cancer 

can look like."

Laura Popovici (2023)

.

Laura Popovici (2023)

Open 

the doors and windows

of the mind

and let

the words flow out

and land

on the paper

that covers

the ground.

Laura Popovici (2023)

Blinded by

a flare of dreams,

surrounded by

a gloomy musical of lights,

I hear unusual stories of lore

unfolding in the night.

It's a typical fascination

with a mere mortal,

and I find myself

in the spacious meadows

of the mind,

and I am inferior

in every sense.

Warning!

Avoid the doomsday feast

upon their souls.

It's a fascination

to seek eternal peace.

Laura Popovici (2023)

eyes bore

into my mind

I quickly lost

my train of thought

slow down

slow down

slowly draw

a deep breath

revert back

to a sense of self

Laura Popovici (2023)

In the silence

of the sleeping garden

the near bare

tree limbs 

wave to me, 

and the leaves 

float and fall

onto a carpet

of dreams.

Laura Popovici (2023)

I wake up weary

and I see

I haven't drawn 

the bridge back

from the sea.

It was a wet night.

You'd have

drowned outside.

Laura Popovici (2023)

Tranquility settles

upon my soul

like a blanket of snow

after the storm.

My fleeting emotions

are depicted 

in the flight 

of the hummingbird

trying to find warmth.

Elusive demons

I cannot bear 

pull coyly on my hair.

I want to capture

every last one of them

and lock them up within

the solitary lairs.

Laura Popovici (2023)

I'm in a frugal state of mind

my senses multiplied.

I gather my feelings

from deep inside

where they have

been spreading wide.

The censure of love

encumbers my dreams

and I unburden my heart

to create an abundance

of flowers and budding emotions

growing in the garden of my soul.

Laura Popovici (2023)

the darkness

sneaks around

the outside

of my periphery

i don't want to blink

with my eyes open

the dark cannot

take hold of me

Laura Popovici (2023)

Love travels

on the wings of a whisper

to destinations unknown.

Love plays

a song of summer

and sand and sun.

Love runs

in a field of flowers

full with morning dew.

Love trickles

along the soul's spigot

filling up the heart.

Love hides

in closed closets

overflowing with emotion.

Love wrangles,

a piece of the golden god

lighting up the soul.

Love basks

in the light of lover's 

strolling down the avenue.

Love falls

into an eternal embrace

encircled in warmth.

Love steals

a moment from the darkness

threatening to overwhelm.

Love glides

on a dove's dream

of longing for flight.

Love stares 

the despair down

until it dissipates.

Love manifests

itself in silent speech

waiting to be heard.

Love makes room 

for a sad heart

to bloom in full.

Love serenades 

a lover's dream of lucidity

and longing for the one.

Love parades 

in the mirror

looking for a sign.

Love rides

the waves of whimsical emotion

breaking upon the heart's shores.

Love washes

the lingering loneliness away

to make room for you and me.

Laura Popovici (2023)

She helped me

through the dark times,

listened to my thoughts,

and encouraged me to be

the best version of myself.

She was with me

through the tears

and taught me

to see things

aren't as bad

as they seem.

Laura Popovici (2023)

She gently 

lays back 

into the warm pool

floating away

as the water trickles

between her fingers.

Silky water 

caresses her skin.

She floats

into nothingness

as the warm sun

tickles her toes.

Her knees tremble

from the warm kiss

emanating from

Apollo's lips.

She stares 

into the deep blue sky

and sees no clouds

passing by.

The orange bell bushes

let her dream

in colors 

of orange and green.

She opens

the windows and doors

to her mind

to release all thoughts

to disperse them 

and leave

nothingness behind.

She feels light

as a feather 

floating on

the wings of time.

All the worries

and the fears

swiftly swim away

leaving behind

a moment of peace.

Have you ever

felt like this?

Laura Popovici (2023)

I watch, 

as the hummingbird

hovers above

the orange bell flower

wings flapping 

a thousand times a minute,

to observe its flight.

The flower

slightly bends

beneath the weight

of the hummingbird

its beak gathering

the nectar of life.

Laura Popovici (2023)

Cancer. Chemo Radiation.

I am alive.

Chemo. Radiation

saved my life.

Chemo. Fire. Flowing

through my veins.

Cancer. Journey. Life

and death begins.

Laura Popovici (2023)

vineyards

wine flowing in glasses

clink

clink

we salute the dawn

we salute the day

Laura Popovici (2023)

How are you?

I'm just barely

dragging myself

along this

god forsaken planet.

Laura Popovici (2023)

the phone rings

and i know

good news 

doesn't travel

along phone lines

when the oncologist

calls after a biopsy

one word i dread

one word - six letters

one word 

i don't want to hear

one word 

i want to scream

one word 

comes on the line

one word

changes my life

Laura Popovici (2023)

In the silence of the day,

the clock is tick tocking

marking time as it goes by,

and the dogs are dreaming

dreams of chasing 

rabbits in the sky.

In the silence of the day,

the wind is blowing

and gently tap tapping

at my window while

leaving a whisper

of a kiss on my

silky blue pillow.

Laura Popovici (2023)

I woke up today

with the sunlight

caressing my skin

and embracing

my entire being.

Today was a good day.

I danced, and I sang

to the tune of the birds

chirping a mellow melody

outside my window.

Today was a good day.

I savored the moments

I spent in the morning

with the loves of my life.

Today was a good day.

Laura Popovici (2023)

three blood clots

traveled through

my heart without

paying Hades' toll

and i felt

a loss of breath

as they lodged 

into my lung

another loss of breath

and immeasurable pain

loss of breath

immeasurable pain

breath

pain

Laura Popovici (2023)

Dear Max:

from the day you were born

my life changed for the better

something inside of me

made me absorb

your every breath

you are funny

when you tell your jokes

you are smart 

in the things you do

you are kind

when someone is down

you are helpful 

when others are around

you are inquisitive 

and won't back down

you are argumentative

and bring out in me

the best person I can be

you are the light of my soul

when I am lost

you are my angel of gold

and I am glad

and I want you to see

yourself through me

Laura Popovici (2023)

The hollows of my mind 

bring forth a memory

of a time past gone

when I laid my hand

on your chest

and looked upon

the gray skin of your face

my stare arrested 

by your rouged lips.

I stared and stared 

until a dam broke loose 

and tears kept flowing

down my cheeks 

until exhausted 

I fell to my knees

and screamed in agony.

Laura Popovici (2022)

the silver needle pokes my vein

and the chemicals mix with the blood

as they ever so slowly are spreading

throughout my body and mind

it's a five hour endeavor

if i can stand the pain

coursing through my veins

as the poison slowly flows

through all the nooks and crannies

of my cells

Laura Popovici (2022)

I look at her arms and I see

a multitude of scars

and an anomaly.

The chemicals destroyed her veins,

and I cannot see many spots 

that do not bleed.

Yet, I try, as much as I can, 

to smoothly slide in with a satin feel.

The vein flows well, and I don't see

a look of pain upon her face.

Adieu! Until the next time

I must return

and poke at her once more.

Laura Popovici (2022)

There's a lucid memory

of pity in their eyes

of those who are hiding 

behind their blue masks.

Laura Popovici (2022)

The IV snakes

down my forearm,

and the chatter of

the other patients

comes clear through.

Some are laughing,

some are crying,

some are angry, 

and some are dying.

They all endure

the chemo pain.

I look around, 

and I see

a lot of people 

just like me,

so I laugh, 

and I cry,

and I'm angry 

that I might die.

Laura Popovici (2022)

I cherish the days

when I am not bitter

and smiles arrive

on a breeze

through my window.

They drag the gloom

from my soul

and deliver

a moment of calm.

Laura Popovici (2022)

I'm frightened,

but I don't say it aloud.

The nurse is nice.

She puts on her gloves 

and protective gowns,

doubles them up,

so she won't hurt

if the chemicals

fall on her.

Chemicals in the IV bag

call out my name,

and slowly, they drip

directly into my vein

and I can't abstain

from crying as 

wave after wave of pain

sifts through my veins.

Laura Popovici(2022)

I hear a canary

sing your name,

and I know,

before I look below,

that you are not there.

The damp soil strikes

a note of sadness

as it hits your casket,

and my mind becomes

absent as your body

slowly turns to dust.

Laura Popovici (2022)

I want to forget, 

but I can't.

The crimson blood

on the walls

is calling out to me,

and the shadow of your soul

is screaming out my name,

for this is the beginning

of my insanity.

Laura Popovici (2022)

A shift in thought

marks the change

on her face,

and the metamorphosis

of her features

mirror the transition

in her thinking -

a revision of mind.

Laura Popovici (2022)

A confession I have to make;

I lied about your death.

Our parents couldn't cope

with what you've done

so I told a lie that

went against our religion.

We didn't even live there.

We are not religious either.

We were just scared

and wanted you to spend

your eternal rest with

those who cared.

Laura Popovici (2022)

I reach down by my feet

and grab a handful of dirt.

I can feel its coldness in

the November air, and 

I can feel its moisture

that's present everywhere.

I close my eyes and picture

you in a different state.

I don't want to lose you, and

my soul cries out - No, not yet!

I squeeze the dirt in my hand

and wish for yesterday, but

no, dear brother - I know 

you cannot stay.

I roll the dirt between my fingertips

and know that once I throw it

on your coffin you'll be 

truly dead to me.

Laura Popovici (2022)

Drowning. You're drowning in your 

addiction, and I don't know how to help.

I've tried and failed before, but

you've always come around

after a bender of a few days.

If fate had written a different story, 

I would not be mourning you.

Laura Popovici (2022)

Oh, the things you've missed my brother

since you've been gone; the sun has risen 

a thousand times and seasons have

come and gone.

You've missed the years of our youth

when things were so much simpler.

Little did we know back then that our

time would be stolen.

You've missed our thirties and our families

as we broke apart and found ourselves.

You've missed the sorrow and the pain.

You've missed the laughter and the joy. You've missed the gray hairs that now

adorn our heads.

You've missed the children of our family

and the years they've grown.

I hope you know 

we miss you, too.

Laura Popovici (2022)

A happy couple are holding hands

as the woman pumps Neulasta into her arm, 

and just like that it's over.

Then, she takes her husband's hand,

and they walk happily into the sunset. 

The ocean waves are gently brushing the shore, 

and the sun's a golden globe.

But that's the commercial -

cheerful cancer and chemo is not real.

My husband and I are happy that I didn't die 

from cancer or the embolisms.

My husband holds my hand to keep away the bore 

and to help me from my chemo chair into my robe. 

Then, he hugs me tightly 

as he ever so gently lowers me on the bed. 

The hug is repeated when he pulls me up, 

and I'm so weak and stricken with patches of hair that I decide right then and there to shave my head.

The doctor attaches the Neulasta pump to my hip, and this helps my body make an army 

of white blood cells to attack the cancer. 

The injection is no more than a prick, and I am wondering - What's the big deal? 

Then, out of nowhere, I feel a pain

that pulls and pulls at my bones 

and I can't help but moan and moan.

I stand up, and my legs give way 

into my husband's arms yet again. 

I could pretend that he just dips me as we dance. 

Another tight hug as a new wave of pain hits, 

and my body trembles and trembles with agony. 

A river of tears flows down my cheeks 

and drowns me in my own piercing screams.

Laura Popovici (2022)

Radiation. Caution.

The sign reads.

Change into the gown.

Hop on the table.

Fit me into my mold

made especially for me.

Silence. Music in my ears.

Start the radiation.

Machine purrs softly. 

Feels like nothing.

Getting redder and redder.

Blisters form. Tenderness.

Blisters pop. Throbbing.

Open sores. Searing Pain.

Deceptive machine.

Laura Popovici (2022)

The first time that I held you

I was in awe.

You were but a tiny bundle

brown eyes that marvel

and laid eyes,

with a jolt of curiosity

upon this world.

All new life is cherished;

that is the wonder of you.

Laura Popovici (2022)

My heart was caged

until the day I met you;

it was imprisoned by my fears,

held captive until 

you found a way to set it free.

A prison of my own making

built with walls bound in ice

nothing could escape them

not even my lonely heart.

Laura Popovici (2022)

Grief approaches the bereaved

to cure them of their loss,

and sorrow leaves a trail of tears

flowing upon the picture's glass.

Grief reminds them of their anguish,

and as they lament their loss, 

heartache shows upon their faces,

and woe to those who grieve the lost.

Laura Popovici(2022)

I doze to the sound of words.

A dream I dream.

A pang comes while mourning

for him, and Morpheus sees

my misery, my agony,

my torpor of melancholy.

A trance I find myself in,

and woe beseeches me,

and in my slumber of suffering

I know I am not free.

His body in repose I see,

and in sleep,

I know there is no peace.

Laura Popovici (2022)

Delve upon my luscious lips

as they tremble at your touch.

Plant kisses down my neck,

and leave behind a trail of fire.

Climb the mounds of my breasts

waiting for your passionate embrace.

Explore the hills of my hips

softly, with your fingertips.

Descend slowly into me,

and reach the peaks of ecstasy.

Bring me upon the precipice of bliss,

and let me find eternal peace.

Laura Popovici (2022)

She raises her arms

an invocation of God

and otherworldly ghosts.

Her appeal to worship humbly 

becomes her creed

and she sings songs of faith.

The passion of her prayers

for her soul's deliverance

are not heard.

Laura Popovici (2022)

It wasn't luck that saved me.

It wasn't fortune either.

It wasn't faith, you see.

It wasn't help from Providence,

and it wasn't destiny.

It was just him.

Laura Popovici (2022)

C

Laura Popovici (2022)

What is a broken heart?

Is it stricken with callous joy

or heartsick euphoria?

Is it a painful paradise 

or a doleful rapture?

Is it the glory of betrayal

or of vulnerable nirvana?

Is it the crushed ecstasy

or the sound of regret?

Laura Popovici (2022)

A flaw exists upon my chest

striking in its uniqueness.

Behold the blemishes on my skin

two lovely scars from here to there,

about eight inches on the left 

and five more on the right.

These can't be shortcomings,

but rather two exquisite lumps.

Behold the brilliance of their

defects that mar my body

the markings of cancer 

that nature stirred in me,

leaving behind a startling elegance

as can be seen 

in the imbalance of the two breasts.

Laura Popovici (2022)

Her mind conjures his face

as the flow of thoughts

dance upon the rapids

of her beating heart,

and an unstoppable

rushing emotion spreads

to her toes and fingertips,

creating a waterfall in Heaven.

She wades and bathes 

in her consciousness

as he watches from

the bridge above her.

Laura Popovici (2022)

some days can be jittery

other's filled with dread

some can feel uneasy

and very fretful indeed

some offer disquietude

whereas others are distressed

and some days are restless

with apprehension filled

Laura Popovici (2022)

Can you feel lonely around people?

It's the isolation that comes

when the quiet monotony of an ache 

for the silence of the soul 

persists and keeps you longing 

for peace.

Laura Popovici (2022)

the mind plays a trickery

a duplicity in a sense

of a dubious voice 

trying to reach 

the darkest depth

the most painful memories

ruthlessly invading

the hidden places in my head

Laura Popovici (2022)

What is love?

Is it the adoration seen in the look upon their faces?

Is it the affection they share while holding hands?

Is it the yearning felt when apart from one another?

Is it the flame in their eyes that mirror each other?

Is it the emotion found upon their trembling lips?

Is it the ardor with which they urgently kiss?

Is it the fondness felt when they touch fingertips?

Is it the rapture that explodes in their embrace?

Is this love?

Laura Popovici(2022)

Her memories frozen in time

are all the same as mine.

Some reveal a chill that grows

throughout her body and bones.

Others give way to a fire and

quickly leave her in a mire.

A glacier of a thousand tears

melts away all of her fears.

A crystal chandelier of stars

lights her way out of the dark.

Laura Popovici (2022)

I was all but fourteen

when we took a trip

none of us, especially me,

were happy with its theme.

"We came from nowhere 

to get somewhere," 

my brain tells me, but 

these memories turn somber.

Memories of cities 

where we never lived

memories of loss

as he tried to leave.

He was all but fed up

with our circumstance

he decided to fold up

all of his cards.

But the train station

was the worst, I think,

for our liberation 

wouldn't happen in a wink.

So we slept on the floor,

a cardboard box my 

hard mattress, and my cover

was my jacket.

"Was it worth it?" I think

"No, it wasn't!"

for we found ourselves

to be worse than before.

The soldiers were staring

with pity in their eyes,

as if we were strangers 

of our mother tongue.

The shame upon my frame

I wore it with distaste, 

for nothing is more unfortunate,

and this I can attest,

than sleeping on the floor

on a cardboard bed.

Laura Popovici (2022)

Apollo beckons to the moon

to reveal her sphere

as she glimmers with hope

to be so very near him.

The silver mantel of her hair

brings upon its tide a moan

that softly dissipates into

a murmur of a thousand more.

His golden stare and radiance

heat up her very soul

as the dappled solstice 

swiftly beckons to her.

As they reach their zenith

and embrace once more

a shadow of their former selves

emerges from their splendor.

Laura Popovici (2022)

observe the night sky

in its blackness

see the stars break through

the pitch of darkness

spot a myriad of constellations

floating upon the bleakness

discover a glimmer of hope

brought upon night's stillness

Laura Popovici (2022)

a flurry of white flakes

drift down in a hush

as memories unfold

come undone in a rush

a chill from the blizzard

glides along with the frost

and memories come unbound

in the stillness of the night

Laura Popovici (2022)

Plant the seed of love

in the garden of Eden,

and let it spread

strong roots

to breed a rosebud.

As it begins to grow,

an array of colors

slowly start to show,

and then, the flower -

it's petals begin 

to silently shed 

onto the terrace

at their feet

laying a carpet

for their feast.

Laura Popovici (2022)

My children's future 

and their destiny

lies in the potential

destruction of community;

I am crying for a fate 

you should foresee

and imminent action

should be taken to heal

what there is left of me.

There is still some hope

as long as you believe

in prophesies.

Laura Popovici (2022)

When he was a toddler,

we would play all day;

the kissing bandit was

our favorite game to play.

From just a wee foundling

a few years ago,

my little boy is growing

more and more and

into a youth becoming

a baby nevermore.

Laura Popovici (2022)

a fatal gunshot to the head

and life as he knows it

comes tragically to an end

and his youthfulness surrenders to

the heavenly promised land

and with his early passing on 

his body in silence is now reposed

and for his beautiful soul 

a god's paradise has been exposed

Laura Popovici (2022)

I raise my voice of reason

to the kingdom of the gods,

and my words crumble with attrition

that lies beyond their thoughts.

The promise of eternal season 

comes in their afterthoughts,

and the glory of their kingdom

disintegrates upon my onslaught.

Laura Popovici (2022)

My hopes and expectations

dare wish to reveal

my aspirations and ambitions

I have are real.

I want to believe in optimism

and have faith there's more

than merely just anticipation

of more thoughts of lore.

Laura Popovici (2022)

Is my life a fantasy?

Am I living in a trance?

For the thought of ecstasy

makes me want to dance.

Your image may be an illusion,

a mental picture of your soul,

for what I fancy in my vision

I'm ready to feel forever more.

Laura Popovici(2022)

tour the recesses of my soul

and take a voyage down my body

from my head down to my toes

i want to lose myself 

in your eyes 

as they caress my skin

your fingers 

trekking the heights of my hips  

getting lost

in the nooks and crannies 

of my wrists

let your wandering fingers

dance circles on my breasts

and let the ramble of your

kisses planted on my neck

make me gasp with pleasure

again and again.

Laura Popovici (2022)

My heart 

is yearning

with desire;

my body 

is longing

for your touch.

Oh, how dearly

I hope that

your intentions

are the same

as mine, my love.

Laura Popovici (2022)

His grin makes her laugh,

and her amusement 

and delight 

lose themselves 

in his hazel eyes.

His smile beams

on his face, and

his luscious mouth

makes for her soft lips.

Laura Popovici (2022)

Who had time for crying

when he was quickly dying?

His distress unanswered

I was all but rendered

a lost cause;

for how can I battle

ghosts from the past

when they aren't here

to hear my gasps.

Laura Popovici (2022)

She was struck with a malady, 

a breakdown of her cells

and the affliction worries her

as her ailing body heals.

The relapse of the cancer

takes over her mind

and her convalescence 

puts her normal life behind.

Disability afflicts her

for the rest of her life

and the recovery is slow

as she starts to lose her mind.

Laura Popovici (2022)

He hears a melody

or could it be a hymn

emanating from somewhere

up the stream.

An instrumental sound

is carried upon the wind,

and an orchestra of birds 

plays as she spots him.

The rhythm of her walk

to the tune of her high heels

follow her heart 

into eternal bliss.

Laura Popovici (2022)

She counts the stars

for she can see

straight into eternity.

Tick-tock, tick-tock

announces the clock

as she spends infinity

wrapped up in her

most precious memory.

Laura Popovici (2022)

She's sitting by the window

watching a deluge unfold

as the torrential rains

quickly come and go.

First, it's just a sprinkle,

but then, later on,

raindrops envelop her

in liquid sunshine 

from the storm.

Leaves are bending down

heavy with the dew,

which is slowly dissipating

in the afternoon.

The high precipitation

and the desert heat

only come together

upon the monsoon wind.

Laura Popovici (2022)

Memories shatter the mask

that for so long

has covered the pain.

The regrets, the guilt,

the agony of my soul

was thus revealed.

But a new dawn

has broken through

the shutters of my life,

and a new beginning

has gained new ground.

A bright light shines 

down on my world 

and hope and faith

have been restored.

Laura Popovici (2022)

A moment of silence

before the heavy pounding

of rain and hail begins.

A moment of peace 

before darkness comes again.

A moment of warmth 

before the cold

settles over my bones.

A moment of sunshine

before a ray of hope

emerges once more.

Laura Popovici (2022)

A fleeting thought

then a memory

then more and more

memories assault my senses

my composure crumbles 

and I'm left in pieces.

My heart flutters

my body shakes uncontrollably.

The memories push through

my body pulled apart

my being tossed and turned

until the dark abyss

beckons, and I yell

no, no, no!

Exhaustion settles in

the shaking ceases

and the flux of memories

has come and gone

leaving behind 

a smoldering fire

of anger, of sadness,

and embers will reignite

when memories return

once again.

Laura Popovici (2022)

Floating through today

the ghost of my soul

tries to find its way

through the misty day.

Shadows of hope 

appear from time to time,

but they soon vanish

into the dark.

I wait for a shimmer of light

the moon, the stars,

or anything bright.

Anything that can expose

the path that leads me

out of the pain

where the shadows 

reveal themselves

where hope lingers

and life still exists.

Laura Popovici(2022)

Who is your hero?

Is it Batman

or is it Superman?

Maybe it's Aquaman

or Spiderman.

My hero lives

in my home

and takes me places

where I can't go.

He holds me

when I can't walk

and ever so gently 

caresses my back.

He takes care

of our house

when my body

let's me down.

He raises our son

when I'm not around.

Who is your hero?

Laura Popovici (2022)

I'm not a soldier

I'm a survivor.

I'm not a warrior

I'm a woman.

I don't fight battles

I get chemo.

I don't have wounds

I have scars.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

are too many surgeries.

Would you believe

how strong I am?

Laura Popovici (2022)

Laura Popovici (2022)

Alcohol pad

wipe wipe.

Out comes  the needle

poke poke.

It finds a vein

flow flow.

The medicine 

burns through my veins

burn burn.

Burning in my forearm

burning burning. 

I want to scream

pull the IV out

pull pull.

Medicine the doctor tells me

to save my life he says

save save.

But oh! how it burns

badly badly.

I'm going out of my mind with 

pain pain.

Laura Popovici (2022)

Laura Popovici (2022)

a glee in her eye 

marks the rapture she feels 

as his fingertips

trace circles across her skin 

she moans with ecstasy

as bliss envelops both lovers

and with much delight

they get lost in each other's touch

a feeling of elation envelops them

as they lay content

in each other's embrace.

Laura Popovici (2022)

In this turbulent sea we call life

you've been my one constant, my rock.

When the endless waves of pain

engulfing and stifling my soul

try to pry me from your arms,

I want to let go.

But in the silence of the night,

when all is still and fanciful dreams 

play like reels behind their eyes,

my piercing scream breaks the silence.

And you're gently shaking me awake

and holding me until 

my nightmare dissipates

and the silence returns

as the night recaptures its still.

Laura Popovici (2022)

One luminous day,

basking in the scent 

of sunblock and sand

and of ocean waves,

she catches the glint

of the sunrays

dancing on the crests

 of shimmering waves.

Through her slumber, 

she hears a clarion 

of seagulls smoothly

sailing by, and

the radiant sun rays

beat down on

her virgin skin

as the brilliant sun

slowly starts to hide

behind the haze

hanging over the city

of Seal Beach.

Laura Popovici (2022)

Alone in the bleakness of

my memories of a time past

heartache bleeding into my soul

and the dysphoria surrounding me

cries out with woe and grief

while my despondent emotions

explode with sorrow and suffering.

Laura Popovici (2022

An acrimony of tears 

and ire behind her eyes

feeds the enmity in her glare

and dances with indignation

across her porcelain features.

Her vexation stabs through

the most intimate memories

of another time when

her rage transformed 

from malice into an inferno.

Laura Popovici (2022)

He sparked love in my heart

thirteen years ago when

he gently brushed my knee

with his fingertips.

He planted roses in our garden

and as they bud and grow

I see our love expanding 

to the tune of love anew.

Laura Popovici (2022)

Her look can be deceiving

tempestuous at best

and raging at its worst.

As her eyes roar with fire,

her look can be a squall

or if you catch her wrath

it can flare into a gale.

Laura Popovici (2022)

I wonder how many

sliding doors we went through

like two ships 

passing each other in the night

before our hands touched.

Laura Popovici (2022)

rip away the demons

hiding in the dark

recesses of my mind

and lock them up

inside a wooden box

inside a concrete vault

to only come forth

when I ask for them

Laura Popovici (2022)

I'm a legendary owl  

right above the crow; 

we both come from farm eggs, 

but I'm the favorite in the show!  

To make a neon me,  

four owls you must get, 

but it will take twelve more 

if you want a mega pet.  

Laura Popovici (2019)

I sit in my warm cozy bed

and watch the snowflakes

as they chase each other

to the ground.

Some land and add

to the snow piled on the side

of the walkway.

Others land in puddles

and quickly melt away.

Laura Popovici (2022)

If I were gone,

would you remember

my face

my eyes

my mouth

my touch?

Would you remember

me?

Laura Popovici (2018)

I used to love the sound

of willow tree branches 

as the wind would swish gently

through the weeping tree.

I used to love the memory

of branches dancing gracefully

and strumming a soft melody

of children's laughter and joy.

Then came a day, when

the only music it could play,

would be a sad melody

of tears and searing pain. 

Today, the willow tree weeps

for my childhood memories,

and I no longer love the melody

of branches swaying in the wind. 

 
Laura Popovici (2022) 

A proper hug is long, 

a short one will not do,

but if you wrap your arms 

around me

I'll let you, 

without much ado.

You make me feel 

loved and safe

no matter what I do,

and when I gaze 

upon your eyes,

I whisper, "I love you."

Laura Popovici (2019)

Foam billows out

as wave after wave

crashes against the pillar

beneath my feet.

As I stare into the deep,

the tide brings upon its current

a whisper of a memory

caught in the flux of my emotions.

The offing is hiding

a multitude of creatures

along with

my most painful memories.

Laura Popovici (2019)

Through the nebulous swarm of clouds,

the thunderheads are watching,

mesmerized, as she takes a puff of the cigar 

hanging from her quivering lips.

Through the mist of her jasmine perfume,

her dark hair billows around her porcelain face 

as she gently lays on a blanket of

a thousand tiny dew drops trembling 

on the tips of the freshly cut grass.

Laura M. Popovici (2021)

The fresh primrose smell of her skin

has mesmerized him 

from the beginnings of time

ever since their perennial love has existed,

and her budding emotions 

were flowering in her vernal heart.

Laura Popovici (2021)

An old oak announces her arrival 

as her sapling silhouette 

floats on a carpet of leaves,

and the branches brush 

her dark moonlit hair

while the forest

is getting lost

in the greenery

of her eyes.

Laura Popovici (2021)

Time ticking away

unseen and unheard,

I'm chasing it 

in my dreams

to catch a glimpse

of tomorrow.

Time slipping away 

on the wings

of a gentle breeze

caressing my skin 

as I take in

the scent of life.

Time to let go of time

where I'll be tomorrow 

is of no consequence.

It's this moment that

I need to live.

Laura Popovici (2020)

I love my dog Rainbow

it's fun when she's around.

She tries to eat my other dogs

even when they hug the ground!

She plays tug of war with our socks

stretching them from here to there.

When my dad finds out

the house is  full of mayhem!

Her bark is deep and hard

and you know when she's around.

The birds are fleeing for their lives

and neighbors say, "That's loud!"

A funny thing about her

is after going for a swim,

she slips and slides around

the floor's her skating rink!

When the day is over

and we're both slowing down,

I whisper in her ear

"I love when you're around!"

Maxim Popovici (2020)