"Winning the Prize" by Laurie Molloy

searching for a lost monkey-

the one in the corner

scrunched up so small

around and under or

maybe inside

a barrel of treasures.

If i knew how to get him out

i surely would, dollar after dollar

i feed the machine,

the crane, laughing back at me,

says, it isn't your turn to win yet.

"Fulfillment" by Laurie Molloy

A dream untouched

rusts and collects dust

draining your heart

from the inside out.

Left alone, to clutter

up an otherwise

content existence-

so twirl and skip

jump and flip

and run along-

not to worry

about getting it wrong.

You'll get there

if you don't ignore

the voice inside

that wants you to soar.

you're almost there

Keep it up-

fill your life

instead of letting

it slip away,

every tomorrow

is one less day.

"Persistence" by Laurie Molloy

Fierce hands

softly placed

with determined passion-

lasting night after night

and into the morning,

opening and reaching

grasping at the air.

Stretching out so far-

Eventually

reaching me.

"Rainy cold memories" by Laurie Molloy

Beautiful rainstorm

trickling down a tin roof-

ping...ping....pang,

melodic drops along

with the thermometer.

A gaping wide open

memory of a past

ridden with a chill-

kept out by curtains

and snuggles and

stolen blankets.

"Hugs" by Laurie Molloy

A hug so big the stars can't fill it up

and if they try to they spill over

into a heart encircling us,

and we walk inside a big heart

made of stars and we shine

and glow and sparkle.

All the while the stars

burst and burst and burst

and make new planets,

and we keep walking

in our new bubble made of stars and

our hearts are protected

from the black holes

circling us.

"Hot and Cold" by Laurie Molloy

My legs, warm and thawed

suddenly popsicle sticks

as i walk inside

the freezer box

air conditioned places

that i always seem to go.

Cold and stiff

flesh flavor treats-

i will paint them

red and orange,

the best two color flavors there are

and pretend i'm in candy land

where everything's yummy-

and then walk outside

and let the colors run

together in a dreamsicle rainbow.

"Guardian Angel" by Laurie Molloy

Everywhere, she watches me

knowing all i think and all i do

and all the things i want

but never quite get to-

pushing me further into

that deep pile of dreams untouched,

ready to knock me over

into the colorful autumn leaves

or give me a hefty shove

down the water slide

or off a cliff

to parachute and land

softly in one of the places

i always wanted to go.

Looking out for me

and all the things

i hold dear - watching

quietly waiting, gently

placing a vision in my daydream

reminding me of her

sitting next to me

invisible to the tangible world.