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Night Owl Poetry – Dorinda Duclos

~ "The silence of the night awakens my soul"

Night Owl Poetry – Dorinda Duclos

Tag Archives: garden

Poison Ivy – #poetry #garden

15 Monday Jul 2019

Posted by Dorinda Duclos in Poetry

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

#poetry, dorindaduclos.com, garden, itchy, Night Owl Poetry, poems, poison ivy, scratch, weeds, writing


Fifty plus years went by, without a hitch

Until last week, that son of a bitch gun

Old ivy, the poison of every man’s Eden

Roams, about my garden, with freedom

I must’ve pulled it, along with the dead

So, of course, it reared its ugly head

Made me itchy, scratch, scratch, scratch

Twas kind of dumb, as more did hatch

But, now, I’m on the mend, thank God

Think I’ll stay away, from that patch of sod

 

©2019 Dorinda Duclos All Rights Reserved
Photo via Pixabay

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Between the Courtyard – #writephoto – #shortstory

25 Saturday May 2019

Posted by Dorinda Duclos in short story, WritePhoto

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

#poetry, #shortstory, dorindaduclos.com, garden, house, Night Owl Poetry, poems, transition, witch, WritePhoto, writing, writing prompt


I stand in the courtyard of my mother’s gardens. Always well-manicured, I was never allowed to play in them, but I spent many of my childhood days reading, and just thinking. Being surrounded by lush green grass, and the occasional flower tends to let one’s mind wander to places it should not.

My old home is in ruin now. Time has not allowed a kind transition. Vines have replaced the pristine white facade, and the old oaken door is warped shut. So many memories are held in that small house. How I wish they were all kind ones. I distinctly remember mother telling us we were not to bother old lady Werth. She was the woman who lived directly across from us, her door facing the courtyard, same as ours. It was never open, and we questioned if someone actually lived there. She must have been a hundred years old.

Curiosity got the better of me, one day I decided to knock on her door. The other kids ran to hide, afraid of who or what might answer. But no one did. I knocked again. I was a persistent pain in the butt when it came to getting answers. Sadly, after the fourth time knocking, I gave up. I remember telling my friends, “You big babies, I told you there was nothing to be afraid of! She’s probably long gone by now. She was so old!” They agreed, slowly coming out of their hiding places.

Today, I stand looking at the old house, once again. For laughs, I decide to knock on Werth’s door one more time. I make my way up the steps and upon reaching the dark wooden door, raise my hand to knock. Before I can complete this task, the doors open by themselves. I check, but there is no wind to cause this. Perhaps there is a new family living there, and they saw my approach. However, an eerie sensation comes over me, and I hesitate to go any further.

A frail voice beckons me to come in, and as I do, the dark doors behind me close, with a loud thud. I have made my own transition, no longer in the glory of my mother’s grandest accomplishment, but in the confines of an old house, now prisoner of the old witch who still lives…

Photo via Sue Vincent’s #writephoto prompt – Transition

©2019 Dorinda Duclos All Rights Reserved

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#writephoto – The Invitation – #shortstory

04 Monday Mar 2019

Posted by Dorinda Duclos in short story, WritePhoto

≈ 21 Comments

Tags

dorindaduclos.com, garden, gates, humans, Invitation, leprechaun, Night Owl Poetry, Patty Picklepuss, photo prompt, queen, Sue Vincent's Write Photo, WritePhoto, writing


“Come on! Let’s go in!”

I’m not sure we should”

“But it’s open.”

“And what if we’re not welcome there. What if there’s a mean old hag behind that gate, What if..”

Reggie cut her off. “Always with your what ifs, Gina. Stop being afraid of everything, live a little.”

“But Reggie.”

“No buts. I bet there’s something magical behind those gates. And the only way to find out is to go in. If you’re not, I am. You can wait out here for me.”

Gina thought about it for a moment, then decided she didn’t want to be alone on the other side of who knows what. Better to stick close to her best friend, than possibly lose him, again. She nodded her head and took up steps behind Reggie. The gate was heavier than he had anticipated, so he asked Gina to help him. Together, they pushed against the iron structure, stopping each time it made a loud creaking noise. They agreed that if someone was on the other side, they’d know by now. They weren’t exactly being quiet. Finally opening the gate all the way, they stepped into what appeared to be a beautiful garden.

“Oh, Reggie, this is lovely! It’s like the Magic Garden. Remember? We used to play that all the time. Until I got lost in the woods, that is,” she said, putting her head down.

“That was ages ago, G. Come on, let’s check this place out.”

In front of them was a trail leading further into the garden area, and one off to the side that lead to an unpaved path of thick bushes. There was a rustling sound coming from the bushes, and Gina quickly found herself hiding behind Reggie. Out from the bushes came a small, odd looking man. Brushing himself off, he introduced himself.

“Good afternoon. I am Patty Picklepuss. And you are?” he asked.

“I’m Reggie and this is my friend, Gina.”

“I see. And do you have your invitations?”

They looked at the small man with confusion. “Invitation?” asked Reggie.

“Yes, yes.” The man was getting agitated. “You’ve come through the gates for the party, haven’t you? You can only get in with an invitation. So, let’s see them.”

Reggie and Gina shook their heads, and shrugged their shoulders.

“Ah, no invitation, eh. Party crashers, eh. Well, we’ll see about that!” And with that statement, Patty Picklepuss blew on a long horn he seemed to produce from thin air. The noise was ear shattering and quickly two men, much taller than Patty, were standing there. They must be guards, thought Reggie.

“These two, um, what are you anyway? Humans? Ugh! Take these to humans,” he said with disgust, “and put them in the thicket with the other party crashers.”

“Wait! What did we do wrong? We saw the open gate and thought it would be okay to come in. If you didn’t want anyone here, you should have closed the gate!” With that, Reggie stomped his foot and folded his arms across his chest. He wasn’t backing down. Gina knew this was always trouble, but she had no choice but to stand there and hope for the best. The guards seemed fascinated by this odd human who had the nerve to stand up to them. Looking at Picklepuss, they questioned as to what they should do.

“Hmmmm, a feisty one. Maybe we should bring them to the Queen. Let her decide. Perhaps her lions are a better choice, instead of the thicket.”

Gina looked horrified but didn’t put up a fight. She went willingly with the guard who had her by the arm. Reggie was right behind her and she prayed it would stay that way.

Entering the courtyard, they were brought before the Queen. Picklepuss walked to her and whispered something in her ear. She nodded, then turned her attention to Reggie and Gina. “I am told you have entered into my garden without invitation. Is this true?” she asked.

Gina began to speak but Reggie cut her off. She really disliked when he did that and shot him a look of disgust. He shrugged and continued, “We saw the gate open and we wanted to see what was behind it. If you didn’t want anyone coming in, why leave it that way?” he asked.

The Queen chuckled, then asked the guard to bring the female closer to her. As Gina walked nearer, she could see the Queen was not human. She had porcelain like hands and her face was perfect, not one mark nor blemish graced her skin. Gina just stood there, mesmerized. It seemed the Queen was equally so, as it took a few minutes before she spoke again.

“You are the one I’ve been waiting for. The one they told me would take my place. I’ve not long for this planet you call Earth, but I do not wish to have my legacy forgotten. They told me there would be one here, who would venture through the gates and be taken to me. She was the one I was to meet, and it appears the she is you.”

Gina was so confused. What on Earth was she talking about? Reggie looked just as confused. But before he could speak, the Queen ordered the guards to throw him into the thicket. Gina tried to yell, but Patty Picklepuss somehow stopped her. She had no voice. She had no idea where she was, nor where they had taken Reggie. All she knew was she was alone, again, lost inside a garden that she no longer felt was so magical.

 

To be continued…

 

©2019 Dorinda Duclos All Rights Reserved
Photo ©Sue Vincent – Invitation

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Garden of Kindliness ~ #poetry #WOTD #FOWC #RDP

19 Tuesday Feb 2019

Posted by Dorinda Duclos in FOWC with Fandango, Poetry, Ragtag Daily Prompt, Word of the Day #WOTD

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

#Fandango, #FOWC, #poetry, #RagtagDailyPrompt, #RDP, #WOTD, desire, dorindaduclos.com, garden, heart, kindliness, mind, Night Owl Poetry, poems, tacit, word of the day, writing


Our heart desires, what the mind ignores

Although tacit, we still continue to debate

Sowing a garden, of kindliness, does more

Than any one thing, we could ever conflate

 

Word of the Day – Desire
FOWC with Fandango – Tacit
Ragtag Daily Prompt – Garden

©2019 Dorinda Duclos All Rights Reserved
Photo via Pixabay CC0

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Driftwood ~ #poetry #Afterwards

25 Friday Jan 2019

Posted by Dorinda Duclos in Afterwards Word Prompts, Poetry

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

#poetry, Afterwards, beach, dorindaduclos.com, driftwood, garden, January word prompts, Night Owl Poetry, ocean, poems, sand, sea, tides, word prompt, writing


What tales can you tell, and how far did you roam?

Tossed about, in the waves, collecting the foam

Sifted, with the sands, tis where you lay, in waste

How sad, the rest of you, must have been misplaced

Drifting on the open waters, tarnished by the sea

Do you wonder where, and why, this is your place to be?

You wait, and hope, for someone, to find you most attractive

Perhaps a coffee table piece, one that’s quite abstractive

I think I rather like the way, you look here, on the beach

I’ll tuck you underneath the rocks, and keep you out of reach

From the tides that wander in and out, with never any care

I don’t wish them to take you back, they have had their share

I changed my mind, I’ll take you, I know the perfect place

You can decorate my garden, tucked in the perfect space

 

Afterwards January Prompts – Driftwood – Day 25/31

©2019 Dorinda Duclos All Rights Reserved
Photo: Pixabay

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