My heart envisions what my eyes refuse to see. ~Poet Walter J Wojtanik
A vacant nest,
the birds have flown,
on their quest
with nests of their own.
Seeing the world
with wonder and awe,
two headstrong girls
with nary a flaw.
Building their lives,
with plans for the best,
good loving wives,
a vacant nest.
(C) Walter J Wojtanik – 2020
I had come to discover words.
And I never needed to define my words,
but always hoped my words would define me.
And words would come to fill my head,
and the more words I desired, the more
my words mired my thoughts. Those words sought release,
and my words came to spill onto my page.
Every thought, once thought as wise or sage played
upon each piece of pristine papyrus, a word plagued virus.
Each word stained page came assembled in hope
to resemble the poetic pondering of some word genius,
one of the genus Poeticus Delecticum who would come to be read
from far and wide in reading room and library.
But nary a word has reached those depths or breaths or lengths.
The strength of my poetic beauty traversed not the world nor universe.
My best poem has gone north to brighten the capital
of the Great Provincial North. She has become the last word that defines me.
She finds me close to her heart as we send her off to start her new life as a wife.
A wealth of words. A beautiful new song. Another poems for the world. Andrea.
(C) Walter J Wojtanik
My daughters are my pride and joy. I got just what I wanted; I never “wished” for boys. As different as night and day, they both have a way of working Daddy around their finger. The feeling lingers. Melissa holds a seven-year advantage, in time spent and shared. There were many a glad moment when she “met” her grandmother, my mother, spending her last nine months together. But as short lived, they were moments I cherish in my heart. The part that staggers me and saddens this old Dad’s demeanor was that my youngest daughter Andrea had never known her grandmother. I have no doubt that Andrea would have had Mom’s special favor. She has Mom’s smile.
I recently dreamed about Andrea meeting her grandmother. Any other dream would have faded quickly in the early morning light. But this dream had the feeling so real that I could feel Mom’s gentle hand leading me through the mystic midnight vision playing in my sleep filled mind. For thirty-one years she’s been gone, but ever-hopeful, this “one more day” played like it was video taped for posterity. The sincerity of Mom’s smile while she embraced our baby – fully grown and who has only “known” grandma by photos and oft-told memories which she had come to cherish as much as we had in making them. But, there they were a generation removed and settled into the groove that should have had the chance to flourish. It would have nourished both hearts in the lifetimes they would have known. Cuddled close conversing about futures planned and wisdom handed down; secrets shared between two of my favorite “girls”. But all nights do end and dreams do sometimes find conclusion. One final photo, a keepsake to take to my waking moments and beyond. In my dream, my daughter found her missing peace!
It warms my heart, but saddens me that on Andrea’s fast approaching big day Mom an only be there in spirit. But I am assure by the memories of that dream that will be beaming my with such love and pride. Another of her “babies” makes that step fully into adulthood. That shared smile will rule the day!
Daughters find their way
even in dreams they can feel
moments in their heart.
© Walter J Wojtanik – 2017
(C) Walter J Wojtanik – 2017
Poetic Asides – 2017 November Chapbook Challenge – Day 27: _____ OF _____
I hover high above the promenade.
It is odd I hadn’t thought this
before. A Peace Tower bore
a gift of miles for me to view.
The sky was bright.
A bit of a chill but I was alright
to view this Ottawa city
on this August morn.
I was not born here,
but it is clear I could belong here.
An international capital
of great expanse,
I am in a trance, mesmerized;
beauty and tradition mark her
and sparks her allure.
I am sure I could belong here.
Allegiance is strong here,
Canadian seat replete
with history’s retelling,
pride swelling deeply for this place,
genteel and as real as I can tell,
a nice place to dwell as well
as visit. Is it the True North beckoning?
I am reckoning that this is
The start of another great foreign affair.
My daughter will soon be there
to take up a life as a wife.
And between us two, it is true.
I could belong here.
(c) Walter J Wojtanik
My children will say this of their Dad,
he was a kind and gentle soul.
He really wasn’t all that bad,
my children will say this of their Dad.
Full of mirth, yet sort of sad,
a perfect model in that role!
My children will say this of their Dad,
he was a kind and gentle soul.
(C) Walter J. Wojtanik
Poetic Asides 2017 April PAD – Day 13: Family
A few years back and I remember,
it was in May and not December,
a daughter bride, a father’s pride
and an honored sister there in stride.
A beauty, like her sister is,
fully grown, she’ll soon be his.
A loving daughter, kind and smart
a special place in Daddy’s heart!.
Down the aisle I will walk her,
bittersweet, but I will walk her,
another day to give her hand,
again the second luckiest man!
(C) Walter J. Wojtanik
Poetic Asides 2017 April PAD – Day 13: Family
Sisters in the truest sense of the word.
Seven years removed, but time
has a way of balancing things.
Andrea two inches taller
than her older sister is more wise,
But, it comes as no surprise
how the chasm in time has found a way
to heal itself. Equals in every way,
sharing in a vague sense of the word, but
never at a loss for a friend.
Of a single mind and purpose,
they’ve worked out of the same closet,
and offered the support for
lives that have so far given
all they could have wanted.
Safe homes, a loving father,
a caring mother, and each other.
A brother in the husband Melissa brings,
with Andrea soon to add another “brother” to the mix,
siblings in tandem, the grandest expression of love!
Teacher and student, in no
particular order. Sister supporters,
Daddy’s “Little” girls.
In the garden of my life, my TWO American Beauty Roses,
Melissa and Andrea.
(C) Walter J Wojtanik
Poetic Asides 2017 April PAD – Day 13: Family
…and all at once, the rain had ceased.
The length of sunshine has increased.
When did my daughters grow so quickly?
Why has it left me feeling sickly
when the warmth of Spring emerges?
Comfort in this season’s surges.
Little girls become young women
and all the changes from within –
blossoms having rooted now bloom,
fragrant flowers fill up the room.
Decorating each life they touch,
truly knowing they mean so much.
Life’s bouquet gathered together,
flourishing in all kinds of weather,
Grown in love to know what life means;
ever-growing, evergreen!
© Walter J. Wojtanik
My heart envisions what my eyes refuse to see. ~Poet Walter J Wojtanik
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THROUGH THE EYES OF A POET'S HEART 
And the Snows of Kilimanjaro
found Buffalo at home.
Everyone dressed to the nines
and tens and then it hit me,
today the training wheels
come off for real. Here’s the deal –
my daughter was getting married.
I had carried her when she was small,
but all down the long aisle I couldn’t help
but smile (and shed a tear or a hundred)
and we “carried” each other in our walk
that I wished lasted longer. A last kiss
and this Miss became a wife.
I’ve awaited/dreaded this moment
all my life and now this boy sheds tears
of joy. My beauty and her handsome man
stand astride and cannot hide their love.
Blessed from above in a married swoon,
we will not soon touch ground for a while.
And we continue to smile.
(C) Walter J. Wojtanik – 2018
Poetic Asides – Prompt #420: Elevated poem