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 4d Zeno
Aphrodite
They say it’s wrong, this fire in my veins,
Your touch—my balm, my bliss, my chains.
We meet in shadows, hearts alight,
A kiss, a crime beneath the night.

Let gods forbid, let fate deny,
I’d burn the world to hear you sigh.
Though we must hide what others flee—
You are, and will remain, my Aphrodite
Not for me
the laurel
I don't qualify
at all-
simple poetry
I write only
as my muses call

masters
of the past
each at
their sublimest
that I recall

they are
the light
I'm just
the shadow
far, far away
from their poetic hall

yet, driven
by steps
large or small

up the writing wall
I must climb
my heart's desire
to fulfil
ere
my life's nightfall
 4d Zeno
RGH
I wish I had a killing arrow,
and a whim in the breeze
for every shattered hello
and a dying wish of please.

Rocky stairs that crumble,
like your apple pie humbles
I wish I had a blow of a kiss
for every moment that I miss.
Driven by red
riding hood,
wheels of eternity run
hot and cold
along the tracks
in her arm.

Around the bend
there are jigsaw
pieces of a puzzle,
scattered as destinations
once towns and villages,
now fodder for
the migrant beginner.

According to fable,
there's a wolf at the door,
home is no longer
a worthwhile rendezvous,
but a trap of origin.

Misery is a train ride,
a stray fantasy,
lingering in the wilderness
of her fractured mind.

She sells her gold bracelets,
for she needs
the dark coal,
she seeks
its deep freeze.

She can then
be many things
along the journey,
just never
a connection,
never a permanent signal.
I’ll cry tomorrow
Today I have things to get done
Too many errands to run
Tears can’t unload this washing machine
Regret won’t make a ***** house clean
Self-pity doesn’t get the kids fed
Falling apart won’t get them to bed
If you have something to say
Just please hold off for today
I have too much to do
To spend time worrying about you
So if it’s my heart you plan to break
Break it tomorrow
Not now, not today
I’ll cry tomorrow

© 2025 Joan Zaruba. All rights reserved.
Most of these lines came to me as a song I made up while doing laundry. I attempted to explore the juxtaposition of emotional drama and the physical reality of daily chores that plays out in life, especially for primary caregivers.
 4d Zeno
Khoisan
"It's" all in your head
nature angel's and demon's
the entire staff

have a drink or light a spliff

get my drift
cRaFt
"It's" your draft
 4d Zeno
lia
I named the clouds just to feel known,
told secrets to a skipping stone.
The wind replied with riddles sweet—
I laughed, alone, on crowded streets.
 4d Zeno
Maryann I
you touched my cheek
as the sun melted into its grave
and I swear the clouds wept,
bleeding copper and violet

your voice—
a frayed lullaby
threading through
my breaking

the world
slowed to an ache
and in that hush,
even the wind knelt

you smiled
like it wouldn’t be the last
but I saw the sky
forget how to breathe.
 4d Zeno
Rochel
I dont understand my habit
In collecting my best shiny pennies
In heaping genuine bundles
Just to throw them in the bottomless fountain
Where they will sink, become useless, and rust.

What do I keep wishing for?
Your attention? Your admiration?
I must be one of the billions of banks
You ignore and use on a daily
I should have deactivated your account by now.

Sometimes I feel like the human race
Trying so persistently to touch the stars
I build ships and recruit the public
I guess what makes me different and dumb
Is hoping the stars will touch me back.

I am a slave built with emotion
Here to serve your every need
I have been hungry for so long
That I lick your crumbs off the ground
As if it's a meal I am sharing at your table.

I fantasize of the day
You finally give me flowers
I will smile, and hold your bundle of roses
Pretending as if I dont stand behind
My entire uprooted garden.
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