WALK ON

 
Listen to your mind.
Is it saying what you want to hear?
 Desiring confirmation,
your eyes follow the spider as it spins its web.

Are these breadcrumbs or are they nibbles?
What is given is what you get.
Options are to ignore or call it out.
Crimson flags are flying.

Walk on, walk on, just walk away.

Willy the Shake had it down:
"Lordy, what fools these mortals be..."
Someone needs clarity.
Someone ain't around to give it.

Walk on, walk on, just walk away.

Put down your sword.
Remove the blindfold.
You don't wanna run anymore.
There's no point in waiting.

Walk on, walk on, just walk away.

Silence does not mean you stopped feeling.
Love doesn't fade when it comes from the soul. 
This ain't no fairytale;
There won't be a happy ending.

Walk on, walk on, just walk away.

It takes silence to understand what's being said. 
The quiet mind responds skilfully.
A serenity of spirit will redeem, but...
for right now, at this moment -

Walk on, walk on, just walk away.

©Ellen Pepper 2026

Golden Voice

 She sits at the piano,
in the dimly lit bar.
She sings of sorrow;
her fingers playing magic.

The watchers regard her...
they're barely moving.
Her dulcet and poignant tone,
reaching into their guarded hearts.

The voice of an angel;
shining of visage,
she's draped in a gown of shimmering light.
The patrons sink into silence.

Her eyes gaze into the distance.
Her head, held high.
Her pain is everyone's.
No one is untouched by grief.

The song ends and she leaves the stage.
The patrons pause in reflection,
then, finally applaud with abandon.
The show is over, and  the bar empties.

She sits in her room, alone.
She has things to do
 before her night  ends in sleep.
She'll visit the man who gives her
what she needs to get by.

And here she is now,
supine on her bed.
Numbed and serene.
Unicorns and rainbows in her head.

Nobody sings for her.
Nobody ever has.
The beauty with the golden voice...
easing into the night.

©Ellen Pepper 2026

Lost Dance

 Last Dance

You waltzed us into love that night.
Your golden gown slinky in the moonlight,
Your glittery sandals fit for a Goddess.
Your eyes smiled into mine,
And we sighed in unison.

I wish that dance had lasted forever.

We were together for a time.
Then was as good as it gets.
Now is never the same.
You've grown cold.

I wish that dance had lasted forever.

We haven't danced in years.
You don't sing doing chores anymore.
Your shoulders hunch,
And your eyes avoid mine when I speak of love.

I wish we could still  dance together.

The kids are troubled by your absence.
Sure, you're still here but...
you're not.
Your heart went away and left you behind.

I wish we'd remembered to dance.

Where do we go from here, my love?
Will you return?
What is that aching sadness in your eyes?
It came when you found that the baby was lost.

You broke when Baby was born sleeping.
We knew we'd never dance and sing with him.
He'd never thrive and grow strong.
We buried his frail body in the Spring.

I remember that...
You waltzed us into love that night.
Your golden gown slinky in the moonlight,
Your glittery sandals fit for a Goddess.
Your eyes smiled into mine,
And we sighed in unison.

I wish that dance had lasted forever.


 ©Ellen Pepper 2026

Lightning Strikes the Tower

Once upon a time,
 there was a tower built on shaky ground of  bones and blood.
It was a dazzling and glossy beacon, day and night.
Townsfolk saw it as a symbol of their trust in fate.
Its stability meant they were safe from the vagaries of fortune.

The people were known for their honesty, prudence, fortitude and charity.
They were smug in their trust that the tower would hold.
Over time, their sloth got in the way.
Mendacity became common. Trust died.

The centuries passed,
Children weren't  taught goodness and mercy.
Cheating and greed gained acceptance. 
The ground on which the Tower stood began to subside.

False beliefs flourished.
Vindictiveness and maliciousness were standard.
Confusion reigned. no one could be trusted.
The situation was becoming dire.

Zeus looked down in horror.
The pleasant, amiable folk were no longer.
He was mightily offended and vowed to end it.
He summoned Uranus to his side.

Uranus, father of Cyclopes: Brontes, Steropes, and Arges,
 devised a plan.
 His sons would craft powerful lightning bolts,
raining destruction on the Tower,
to bring the people to enlightenment.

Came the day that the bolts were launched.
Devastation ensued.
The Tower, already on shaky ground.
was slammed with bolt after bolt.
People  leapt from the windows to their death.

Chaos ensued. 
Upheaval, trauma, disaster, tragedy 
and revelations were at hand.
The people cowered before the destruction.
Their ambition and goals were built on false premises.

For scores of years, the land lay desolate and barren.
Until, one day, an itinerant scholar happened by.
He spoke humbly to the chastened townsfolk.
They learned the error of their ways and
vowed to live in  goodness and mercy.

The story is eternal. It happens oft and again.
Towers built on shaky ground will fall.
The only way out...is through.

©Ellen Pepper 2026


https://youtu.be/GYpshNj3Y4o

The Shadow Dancer

The Shadow Dancer

 A wounded victim is standing at the threshold of a full life,
Seeking the courage to cross over.
Hiding from the truth.
Hiding from the dark. 
Hiding from the shadow world.
He consults the Wizard of Elder Green.

 "Open yourself to the magnificence", the Wizard instructs.
"Free yourself for the possibilities.
Stand aside from the fear of being seen.
You're not the only one who has been hurt."

 "I can't. I don't believe I'm hiding." the supplicant replies,
"There's nothing hiding within me. There's nothing to see."

The wizard carefully lights the fire and seats himself.
Looking intently at the man, he nods.

 "Who have you hurt the most?" he asks.

Silence settles on the room.

The broken man shivers despite the warmth.
There's agony revealed in his bearing.

 "But, I've hurt no one", he cries out.

 "Ah. Then why are you here, Phobos?"
 
 "They have hurt me. They wanted too much. Too much time. Too much love. Too many answers. I need to be alone. No one can be trusted not to hurt me."

 "I suppose you're simply defending yourself when you pull away from someone who wants to love you?"

 "That's it, claims Phobos, "Yes, that's necessary. To save myself."

 "To save yourself from being hurt?"

 "Yes."

"Are you lonely?"

Phobos recoils,
 "Never! I'm never lonely. I need no one. I'm satisfied by myself."

 "Again, I ask, why are you here?"

Phobos sighs.
 "I've hurt someone. I didn't mean to. It just happened."

 "When did it happen, Phobos?"

 "Everything was fine until..."

 Silence drops like a bomb.

The Wizard pours tea into two mugs and waits patiently.

 "She wanted love from me. I don't have any love, I told her. She insisted that I already love her. That I show it daily. I disagreed. Now, she's dead. I think it's my fault."

 "Phobos, most people have love within them. What happened to your source of love? Can you recall?"

 "Nothing unusual, really. My mother was the Goddess of Love and my father, the God of War. My brother, Deimos, well...he's just terrifying. We're a normal family."

 The Wizard sighs deeply and extends his hand. 

"The session is over for today. See you next week. Give some thought to what's hiding in your Shadow."


©Ellen Pepper 2026

Percussion

 
While walking back to the house,
a tap-tap-tappity-tap-tap was heard.
Thinking that my boots were speaking,
I stopped walking. 
Still, the tap-tap-tappity-tap-tap sounded.

Thinking it was my breathing,
I stopped exhaling.
Still, the tap-tap-tappity-tap-tap sounded.
I breathed again.

No way to tell from whence the sound came,
I stood silently, turning in all directions.
The tap-tap-tappity-tap-tap was indistinct.
 Nearby, I saw the new leaves unfolding.

Still, the tap-tap-tappity-tap-tap sounded.

Underfoot were greenery and dandelions.
In the trees, the jays were nest-building.
The wild cats were grooming in the sunlight.
In the far distance, the highway was humming.

Still, the tap-tap-tappity-tap-tap sounded.

The air was chilly though the sun was blazing.
Still too early to plant the summer seeds.
The farmer was in the field checking for weeds.
The frogs in the ditch sing mating songs.

Still, the tap-tap-tappity-tap-tap sounded.

And then, in a flash, I saw it!
A red-headed woodpecker bobbing at the bark.
Melanerpes erythrocephalus.
It's breeding time again.

The tap-tap-tappity-tap-tap continued,
but things had to be done,
and time was passing.
I said farewell.

The tap-tap-tappity-tap-tap still sounded.

Left to its urgent mission,
The red-headed woodpecker teaches that
 power and resilience are the spine of life.
It's springtime, and life continues.

Tap-tap-tappity-tap-tap,
tap-tap-tappity-tap-tap,
tappity-tap-tap-tap-tap.
Woodpecker percussion.

©Ellen Pepper 2026

Incandescent

We are spun from the same starlight. 
We are shells that echo the ocean.
See past the mask of a thousand nightmares.
See the glowing signs of the soul within.

We can be a spark that lights dimmed hearts.
We can be incandescent, if we want it.
We can be guardians of the spirit.
We can be instruments of delight.

Let us shine,
Let us gleam and reflect,
Let us flash with brilliance.
Let us shine.

Generosity of spirit,
Agápē, philia, storgē, and xenia.
These types of love will be shared.

Let us shine,
Let us gleam and reflect,
Let us flash with brilliance.
Let us shine.

We are the spark that lights up dimmed hearts.
We are incandescent, if we want it.
We are guardians of the spirit.
We are instruments of delight.


And now these three remain:
 faith, hope and love.
 But the greatest of these is love.

We are spun from the same starlight. 
We are shells that echo the ocean.
See past the mask of a thousand nightmares.
See the glowing signs of the soul within.

©Ellen Pepper 2026

Breakthrough

 He didn't cherish her.
She wasn't precious to him.
At least, this is what she thought.
He said nothing. He walked away.

He was silent.
He made no contact.
He shunned her messages.
And walked away.

Within himself, there was a battle.
He needed to be in control,
but, with her, he felt weak.
She was such an elegant woman.

Like an angel, loving and kind.
Lovely as a lily.
Refined and powerful.
Strong and resilient.

He felt inadequate for her.
He thought she'd have no use for him.
He wasn't wealthy or self-assured.
He was a coward, though he felt so strongly.

He thought of her at night.
He thought of her upon awakening.
He imagined her smiling face,
and her wise words.

A secret hides in his soul.
He fears her rejection if he tells her.
She is the great love of his life.
If she weds another, he'll be destroyed.

The strong wall he's built to hide behind,
has developed a widening crack.
His desperation shadows his days.
The time will come soon for him to choose.

She changed his life forever when she appeared.
Suddenly the world went from black and white to color.
His stubborn heart is breaking.
He can't hold back the truth much longer.

He ran so far from her magnetic spell.
He tried to erase his feelings.
Now, destiny is forcing him to take action.
He wants to bare his soul.

He knows she's the best gift of his fate.
A breakthrough is coming.
Since he can no longer bear the silence.
He chooses the next day to act.

He finds her and tells her that she is a treasure.
His love is profound and cannot be hidden.
She gazes deeply into his eyes and sees his truth.
Accepting his love, they find their bond and joy ever lasting.

After so much time,  true love wins again.
True love wins.

©Ellen Pepper 2026

The First Woman

 I, Lilith, escaped from the Garden of Eden,
because Adam, the fool, wanted to be boss.
Later, men called me a she-demon,
while women thought me to be a queen.

I was erased from the fables of men.
They never forgave me;
they called me rebellious, hot and fiery, but...
All I did was stand up for myself.

Some scholars deny my very existence.
And yet, I continue to thrive.
Some called me evil - a creature of the night, but...
Women still laugh at feeble men's plight.

I'm just independent,
I submit not to oppression.
Punished and shunned for my natural desires,
I mock and ridicule those who'd tie me down.

Now Saturn and I are meeting in the sky.
Time to confront limits with untamed impulse.
Authentic truths must be shared.
We'll own what won't be betrayed.

Standing in the power of the feminine.
We refuse to be burdened by scorn.
We don't regret speaking honestly...
And refuse to be shamed for the sins of men.

©Ellen Pepper 2026

The circus is in town.

The circus is in town. There'll be fireworks at night.
A clown with floppy shoes and yellow wig pratfalls from a gaudy car.
Honking  horns and doing  tricks, he sees  the crowd's  lack of disbelief.

The pickpockets out in full force.
Grifters sell brass for gold and grin at the rubes.
Exotic dancers display their wares.
The circus is in town. There'll be fireworks tonight.

Carneys are shouting their spiels.
Fairground rides are creaking and old.
Flashing lights are scintillating.
The freaks of nature tent is full.
The circus is in town.

Young guys seeking out conquest.
are in it just for the laughs, 
not seeing the danger
when clowns take over the town.
There'll be fireworks tonight.

Near the stall of odd fair foods,
money and goods are exchanged.
A young girl is bought by a stranger.
Never to see her home again.
The circus is in town.

The clowns prance and wink at the marks.
Drunk townsfolk give them money.
The kids, tired and cranky,
will stay to see some fireworks.

The circus is in town. 
There'll be fireworks tonight.

The circus is in town. 
There'll be fireworks tonight.

©Ellen Pepper 2026

Il marche seul.

 Il marche seul. Il a toujours marché seul.
 Enfant, sa famille déménageait chaque année.
 Il s'est fait de nouveaux amis 
et les perdaient à chaque mouvement. 
Il apprit qu'il devait marcher seul.

Adolescent, il était maladroit avec les filles.
 Il les aimait mais ne savait pas quoi dire.
 Cela n'avait pas beaucoup d'importance, 
L'année suivante, il s'est éloigné. 
Encore une fois, il marcha seul.

À un moment, il est tombé amoureux.
 Elle l'aimait aussi.
 Il savait que cela ne pouvait pas durer;
 Il se prépara à marcher seul à nouveau.

Les années passèrent, il s'installa dans une seule maison.
 Entretenir des amitiés et apprendre à faire confiance.
 Il pensait que l'amitié durerait éternellement.
 Il avait tort... 
Les amis s'éloigneront. 
Encore une fois, il marcha seul.

Il se maria et des enfants naquirent.
 Il a juré « jusqu'à ce que la mort nous sépare ».
 Un pont emporté, sa femme et ses enfants emportés.
 Il visite leur tombe chaque dimanche. 
Seul.
 Il s'y rend seul.

Il a cessé de chercher l'amour maintenant.
 Il sait que ça ne peut pas durer.
 Il n'y a aucune récompense à essayer.
 Il a l'habitude de marcher seul.

Si vous vous demandez son attitude distante, 
sa distance délibérée,
 son manque d'affection...
 Il a été brisé et abandonné trop souvent. 
Maintenant,
 il préfère marcher 
seul.


©Ellen Pepper 2026

He Walks Alone

 He walks alone.
He has always walked alone.
As a child, his family moved every year.
He made new friends
and lost them with every move.
He learned to walk alone.

As a teen, he was awkward with girls.
He liked them but knew not what to say.
It didn't matter much,
as the next year, he moved away.
Again, he walked alone.

In one place, he fell in love.
She  loved him, too.
He knew it couldn't last;
He prepared himself to walk alone again.

Years went by, he settled in one home.
Nurtured friendships and learned to trust.
Thought friendship would last forever.
He was wrong...friends will drift away.
There he was...walking alone.

He married and children were born.
He vowed "til death do us part".
A bridge washed out, wife and kids were on it.
He visits their grave every Sunday.
Alone. He walks there alone.

He's stopped seeking love now.
He knows it can't last.
There's no reward for trying.
He's accustomed to walking alone.

If you're wondering at his aloof demeanor,
his deliberate distance,
his lack of affection...
He's been shattered and abandoned too often.
Now he prefers to walk alone.

©Ellen Pepper 2026

ECHO OF THE DIVINE

Miriam heard the Echo of the Divine Voice,
in the presence of absolute silence.
There was neither cry, nor answer, nor response...
the sound not from the universe,
 but proceeding directly from God.

The days of prophecy
 were coming to an end.
There'd be one final warning.
Miriam was chosen to receive.

She pulled her cloak closer and
tended the stew pot hanging in the hearth.
Her father was out in the field, 
threshing with his flail.
Winter would come too soon.

A dove would appear
 before the Voice was heard.
Miriam knew to still herself to heed it.
God was speaking, 
she opened her heart to receive.

At the gloomy zenith of a day,
the dove came and
 the Voice spoke of an impending threat.
The village folk must take to the caves.

Warriors were approaching with intent 
 to despoil their homes and worse.
They wanted to sate their blood lust,
and collect  slaves for their king.

The villagers at first scoffed her warning.
She was just a woman - 
God did not speak through women, it was commonly agreed.
The villagers went back to the fields.

In the dark of early morn, days later -
smoke was seen rising from the  village.
Those who had ridiculed Miriam's warning,
were slain as theyslept in their beds.

Miriam, her father, and some others
survived the onslaught in the caves,
only to find their village razed to the ground,
when they returned from hiding.

Miriam never again heard
the Echo of the Divine Voice.
She'd survived the massacre,
but at what cost?
Nothing was left of her home 
or those who'd scorned the alarum.


©Ellen Pepper 2026
https://youtu.be/KsV22Hs4GLc

C’était tellement absurde

 

It was so absurd

the way we met.

The park bench on the avenue,

the pigeons begging you for bread,

Your cranberry beret at an odd angle.

You smiled at me with sweetness,

Your eyes so gentle, so kind.

The next day, we met at a cafe.

You asked so many questions

that my head was spinning.

Little did I know that you were scared to make a mistake in love.

Your fine manners were so engaging.

My love for you grew like yeast in a bread.

Our hands were meant to hold each other.

And, one day, we would wed.

And so, what began on a bench with pigeons all around

became a marriage made in heaven.

With me so happy to have found you.

And you, so happy to be mine.

True love. True love.

********************************

paroles en français

 

C’était tellement absurde

La façon dont nous nous sommes rencontrés.

Le banc du parc sur l’avenue, les pigeons te suppliant du pain,

Ton béret à la canneberge sous un angle bizarre.

Tu m’as souri avec douceur,

Tes yeux si doux. Tellement gentil.

Le lendemain, nous nous sommes retrouvés dans un café.

Tu as posé tellement de questions que j’avais la tête qui tournait.

Je ne savais pas que tu avais peur de faire

une erreur en amour.

Tes manières étaient si attachantes.

Mon amour pour toi a grandi

comme de la levure dans un pain.

Nos mains étaient faites pour se tenir l’une l’autre.

Et, un jour, nous nous marierions.

Et donc, ce qui a commencé sur un banc avec des pigeons tout autour

est devenu un mariage fait au ciel.

Je suis tellement heureux de t’avoir trouvé.

Et toi, tellement heureux d’être à moi.

Le véritable amour.

Le véritable amour.

©Ellen Pepper 2026

SHEBA

You were difficult to know.
So moody, so hard-ass,
but kind to the weak and feeble.
Gentle with kids and old people.
And men. 
You liked men, but
You snarled at the vet.

Your music choice was smooth jazz.
You savored chicken livers.

You insisted on wearing a leash for walks
like your friends at the dog park.

You were always your own person.
I thought we had more time.

One day you refused to eat or drink.
Your litterbox was empty.
You slept  all the time.

A vet came to see you but...
you refused her help.
She said there was
 nothing 
she could do.

You took to sleeping on my pillow,
your green velvet chair abandoned.

Early one morning.
you gave a deep, disturbing sigh...
and you were gone.

I still see you from the corner of my eye,
basking in a shaft of afternoon sunlight.
Your golden eyes and cinnamon fur
keeping me company,
though you've been gone so long.

Sheba.
We only had thirteen years.
I promised to remember you.
I do.
I remember you.

©Ellen Pepper 2026