Nicole Tasker Woods

Too Long

Jul 16th, 2008 Posted in Poetry | no comment »

Middle
of a long week
took too long
to get here

Two
more days
then a two day
release
from stress
tight shoulders
weary bones

Middle
of a long week
took too long
to get here

Anticipation
fills for quick relief
a break for coffee
a break for lunch
a break for pen shopping
in the supply closet

Middle
of a long week
took too long
to get here

Exhausting
sitting here
pretending
I don’t want to be
strolling
on beach shores
toes buried in sand

Middle
of a long week
took too long
to get here

Five Years Swept Over Many Mirrors

Jul 11th, 2008 Posted in Poetry | no comment »

Five
Five thousand
Five thousand pencils
Five thousand pencils sharpened

Years
Years pile
Years pile on creamy
Years pile on creamy vanity

Swept
Swept itself
Swept itself into
Swept itself into bins

Over
Over edges
Over edges slide
Over edges slide again

Many
Many reasons
Many reasons to
Many reasons to reflect

Mirrors
Mirrors bend
Mirrors bend we
Mirrors bend we smile

Red

Jun 20th, 2008 Posted in Poetry | no comment »

Color fills cheeks as the elevator pulls us up to the fifth floor
Leaving the chilly underground garage behind
And greeting the toasty office building
Shedding coat and purse and slumping into desk chair
Efforts to remove the rose from face

Donut Shop Coffee flavored caffeine from the Keurig
Brings warmth to entire body as I smell the murky mixture
Of dry creamer and brown liquid being stirred
I take a sip and the color returns
Retrieving compact from red&white stripped sailor’s purse
To mask the blushing effect I can’t escape in the mornings

The flowery, red blouse I chose to wear today
Has fluffy puffy sleeves and they flitter in the air conditioned breeze
Leaking from the vent above desk
And yet again hot has turned cold
The rosy cheeks have transformed to fleshy pink

Those movie stars who wear dramatic red eye shadow
Carry it better than I ever could
Or maybe they have professional make up artists applying the powder
Which is why eyes look like I’ve been crying
When application of the flushed shade is complete

Date Night

Jun 11th, 2008 Posted in Poetry | no comment »

The lucky one
The only one
The luck for one
Is no luck for another
Movie and Cadbury
Double-deckers
Sparkling lemon water
Back row
Feet on seats in front
Candy bars in cup holders
Cell phones off
Shoulders touch
Lights go down
Trailers come on
Green screen bounces
Off faces tilted up
Pause life and enjoy
Ninety minutes of escape

Going Home

May 23rd, 2008 Posted in Poetry | no comment »

Going home is a real treat for me
The night before I fly is filled
With angst and anticipation

I look forward to arriving at airports
And going through layovers
Even the late night departures
Do not bother me that much

I sleep through most of the trip
Or try to read and make time fly by
As I fly over the states

Here I come New Hampshire
I am making another visit
I know that you have missed me
Do not worry, I will be there soon

As A Criminal

May 19th, 2008 Posted in Poetry | no comment »

I break the law every day…
Steal, cheat and inflict pain.
I violate the unwritten laws every week…
Lie, covet and deceive.

I can not refrain from taking
What is not mine and wishing the authorities
Would let me go on my merry way.

Without evil, there would be no good,
I am a savior to all the decent folk in this world.
You can not change who I am
Or what I strive to be every day of my life.
There is no changing, no becoming a better person…
I sold all those chances to the Devil
For a double cheeseburger and a side of fries.

In and out of jail, the brick and bars do not phase me;
Nor do they transform my frame of mind,
Despite what all of you think.

Putting my hand on the Bible
Means more than zilch.
This oath you think I have taken…
Swearing to tell the whole truth
And nothing but the truth
Is just one of the many lies I have told today.

A Poem A Day…

May 16th, 2008 Posted in Poetry | no comment »

…will keep the munchies at bay.

At least that is what I tell myself
As I sit at my desk at 2:35,
Waiting for 4:30 to roll around.

My iPod is singing a random mix of
Elvis, Wallflowers, Trace Adkins
And the occasional selection from the
Pure Moods CD that I bought from
An infomercial when I was 12.

My co-workers are busily clicking,
Surfing the net just like me.
We all pretend to be furiously busy
But if a passer-by were to take a peek,
They would find:
IM chats blinking,
Email checking,
Ebay buying,
And articles being read…
…some noteworthy CNN.com pieces
And some not-so-worthy TMZ.com gossip-blogs.

I stick a piece of gum in my mouth,
A sick attempt to make my stomach think
That it is being fed.
When in reality, dinner is still hours away.

The Deer

May 14th, 2008 Posted in Poetry | no comment »

My ego is struck with piercing words
That just as soon draw blood
And ache the way
A knife, held by your gaze,
Would pierce my skin

You can see my face
But do not know what lies beneath
And you could never understand
Why I return your glare
Without a tear from my eyes

The tumultuous skies
Churning in the distance
Reflect the bloody truth in being
Desolate, harmful, wicked
Yet I still do not flinch

In forward motion and standing still
It is I who is free to explore
All that my future holds
And you are the one
Destined to be mounted

Long Hours Seem Long

May 2nd, 2008 Posted in Poetry | one comment »

I have exhausted all efforts to surf the net
And wait for time to pass more quickly.
Nothing left to do and still
An hour left in the work day.
The endless possibilities of the weekend
Come to mind as I daydream about…

Crumpled bed sheets made overly soft
From constant lying, rolling and curling.

The warm, inviting smell of sleep is palpable.

Spongy feather pillows fluff under flopping heads
That fall hard when the world has quieted.

My body yearns for sleep as it sits propped
In a desk chair on wheels.
Aching muscles are ready to rest
When the long-awaited nighttime snooze arrives.