Your Presence Lingers

For those lost to war.

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Your presence lingers.
Though you rode away to fight the war -
your stallion rearing up in anticipation -
your heart stayed here at home.

Your presence lingers,

Though the persistence of  conflict
has torn you away from loved ones.
Images of you are burnt in my mind.
Your rough hands with tender touch.
Your eyes glinting with mischief.
Your wild, tousled hair reflecting the sun.
The way you threw back your head  in laughter.

Your presence lingers.

Your name is spoken every day.
No message has arrived.
Rumours have you at the front.
Another day has come and gone.

The battle scenes are noised about
by those who left and returned.
It’s been so long since you left...
Your presence lingers,
Your clothes haven't lost your scent.

We don’t know what to expect.
Some say the foreign King’s forces triumph.

The word came this morn,
our army has been defeated.
That you’ve been lost in battle,
and will never come home again, 
never.

Still...

Your presence lingers.


©Ellen Pepper 2026

Tale of Three Pebbles

 Three pebbles, found in the stream.
The mage holds them close,
sees their perfection:
round, smooth, hefty.
One black, one white, one grey.

The walls aren't talking anymore.
He relied on them for forecasts:
Weather, war, crops, all human affairs.
He puts the pebbles in his pouch.

Climbing the bank,
he takes hold of a willow branch.
Hauling himself up to the path;
the pebbles  heavier by the step.

The magic flowers greet him merrily as he passes,
glad he won't snip them for spells today.
He wipes away the reeds from his boots.
And moves toward his sacred cabin.

Liliana, his mate, awaits him at the door,
smiling in anticipation of his usual gift.
An aroma arises from his pouch;
the pebbles are warming as he enters.

He places the pebbles in her palm.
The woman begins to glow.
Happiness lights up her face.
She'll use them for divination.

Seated at the hand-hewn table,
she puts the pebbles in water.
Gazing intently at the three,
 she silently asks a question.

Moments pass, the pebbles turn about - 
this way and that.
Smiling with delight,
 she looks to the waiting mage... and, with joy,
announces  a child will soon be borne to them.

Sunlight from the stained glass window
 lights up the pebbles on the table.
The mage embraces her, she snuggles closer.
Rejoicing fills their hearts.

©Ellen Pepper 2026

I Found the Truth

 You weren't being honest.
I knew it. I felt it.
You prevaricated.
You faked it. You weren't real.

I found the truth,
I spied your secret message.
When shown the proof,
You went underground.

Your casual laughter said it all.
Your deflection didn't answer the question.
You hid your delight up your sleeve.
I saw it all, even in the dark.

I see you clearly now.
I see the past, as well.
Nothing means nothing, really.
Facts are found in lies.

Your contempt was obvious.
Your disrespect so blatant.
Why you felt entitled to hurt me,
I'll never know.

It was my fault to trust you.
My choice to be vulnerable.
I thought you were safe harbour.
Instead you were the iceberg
 and I, the Titanic.

When hope becomes delusion,
silence is easier than honesty.
The current situation...
ain't the final destination,
Regret will catch up with you.

I'll say "so long".
This is the end of the line.
I'd hoped for resolution, but...
That doesn't matter anymore.

 ©Ellen Pepper 2026

Changes Must Be Made

They're stealing  lives.
 We do not consent.

They're stealing people
 from their homes,
from workplaces,
from schools,
from all safe places.
We do not consent.

They're stealing families,
our neighbours,
our friends,
our co-workers.
our helpers.
We do NOT consent.

(They're in the wrong.)
 (Changes must be made.)

They're stealing the un-white,
They're stealing by accents.
They're stealing the innocent.
Some of them, they kill.

They send the stolen to prisons,
concentration camps,
to unknown foreign countries,
They're robbing them of freedom.
We do NOT consent.

(They're in the wrong.)
 (Changes must be made.)

They're killing those they choose.
They're thieves of human lives.
They break into homes,
they're neo-Staatspolizei.

They have  the power now,
but we can shift that.
They're in the wrong.
 Changes must be made.

(We do NOT consent.)

We can end this barbarism.
Let us all do it together.
Crimes have been committed;
 we're vigilantes now.

(They're stealing lives.)
(We do not consent.)

We must bring them down,
We must end their power now.

They're in the wrong.
 Changes must be made.

Let us foment rebellion.
Let all folks go on strike.
We'll wreck their lives,
if we can't sway their minds.

(They're in the wrong.)
 (Changes must be made.)
We do not consent!

They're stealing  lives.
We do not consent.
We'll take them down.
They'll never hurt folks again.

They're stealing  lives.
We do not consent.

WE DO NOT CONSENT!
WE DO NOT CONSENT!
WE DO NOT CONSENT!

©Ellen Pepper 2026

We Do Not Consent

 They have power over us now,
but we can shift that.
They're in the wrong.
 Changes must be made.

They're stealing our lives.
 We do not consent.

We can end this barbarism.
Let us all do it together.
We'll be like the ninja - silent and deadly.
Being careful, we'll never get caught.

Can we all be trusted not to divulge
our devious plan?
Have we the fortitude to take action?
Crimes have been committed;
 we're vigilantes now.

What they've done to females
can't be allowed to stand.
They've taken our freedom,
yet not done the same for men.

They're stealing our lives. 
We do not consent.

They began by stealing bodily autonomy.
They made it a crime to suffer baby loss.
They came for no fault divorce.
They're coming for our right to vote.
What next? Take away our jobs? Our money?
Take away our independence?

We must bring them down,
one troglodyte at a time.
We must abolish  female hate.
We must end their power over us.

We'll teach boys from birth,
that misogyny is wrong.

They're stealing our lives. 
We do not consent.

So yeah, let us foment rebellion.
Let women go on strike.
Let us be the ninjas who shock them.
Let that be the least of their terrors.

If need be, we can ruin their lives,
if their minds can't be swayed.
They're stealing our lives. We do not consent.
We'll take them down. They'll never hurt us again.

They're stealing our lives. We do not consent.

WE DO NOT CONSENT!
WE DO NOT CONSENT!
WE DO NOT CONSENT!

©Ellen Pepper 2026

Secret Taboo

 Black rooster, white sky.
Crowing in the morning light.
Wakes me from my sleep.

The haiku forms as I think of you,
in the brightening light of dawn.
Your laughing eyes dance merrily,
in memory.
Your dancing hands tell a story.

(We have a secret.)

I remember the days of elation,
when we played, as kids.
I remember the stories you told.
It was always, "Once upon a time."

Yeah, once upon a time was then.
Here I am now.
I've grown older and easier.
I've become the old one, somehow.

 (Our secret will never be known.)

That summer, when we were kids...
Up in Auntie Betty's barn loft.
We learned about the birds and the bees,
in shafts of sunlight under the beams.

Our own special secret.
As cousins, a taboo.
What did they expect would happen,
when we were left alone?

(Do you remember the day?)


We haven't spoken in years -
the secret too wicked to keep.
I hear that you're happy.
I hear that you're in love again.

We have a secret that will never be known.
It's been kept all these years.
Do you ever remember...
those exhilarating days, when we were young?

(I'll never forget. I'll never forget.)

©Ellen Pepper 2026

I Saw What You Did

I saw what you did to her,
you monster,
you beast.
I saw her blood on your guilty hands.

I'll follow you until you're found
and I will never let go
until you're punished
and dead.

I know where you live.
I know who you see.
They all think you're innocent, but
you can't hide from me.

Just saw that you changed your name.
That won't change your fate.
You'll never wash the blood
 from your soul.

Her battered face and body
will haunt you forever,
but only if your conscience
hasn't already been destroyed.

I follow you,
day and night.
I want you to face the law,
And be put to death.

I see you've dyed your hair.
That won't fool me.
You've sold the car that
you used on that night.

You can run, but
you can't hide.
I'm in the alley behind your house.
I'm in the car beside yours.

Ah, I see you now,
with someone else you'll kill.
I have the law on speed dial.
Look up, monster, we're coming.

CAUGHT! AND IN CUFFS!

You're going down, Richard Alder.
I saw what you did.
I saw her blood on your guilty hands.
Your killing life is over.

©Ellen Pepper 2026

Strangers

 We are strangers to each other.
You don't even know my name.
You stand in the shadows of my mind.
Are you playing some sort of game?

(I don't know you.)

At first, I thought you were joking.
You came at me so fast,
without warning.
Why did you want to know me,
was it something that I said?

(You don't know me.)

I'm not sure it's such a great idea,
for us to get to know each other.
Your words don't always make sense.
Or maybe I just don't understand.

(We don't know each other.)

I know it could be exciting
to get to know a stranger.
I know that danger exists, as well.
It's hard to tell who to trust.

(I don't know you.)

You have kind eyes, but...
I've seen that change in others.
There's no way to know what will happen.
Only time will tell.

(We may not have time to tell.)

Let me give this some thought,
before I commit to discovery.
Tell me more about where you stand.
Maybe we can talk it out.

(We're all strangers to each other.)

©Ellen Pepper 2026

You've Seen Too Much

 I know you're jaded.
You've seen too much and too many
self-seeking,
cold-hearted,
unfeeling people.

(You're not alone.)

You've walked into rooms filled with
unspoken rancor, hostility, cunning and
vaulting ambition.

(Love still exists in some hearts.)

You could smell the deceit in the perfumed air.
You saw the side-eyed glances of the envious.
You heard the tremor in the fearful voices.
You felt the fumbling touch of the lost.

(You're not alone.)

Walk through the garden of love.
Sniff the aroma of flowering hope
that all will be well.
Stand solidly and remember kinder times.

(Love still exists in some hearts.)

You can give joy, find it within.
Be steadfast in your expression.
Don't accept that this is the way
that the world will spin.

(You're not alone.)

Take the hand of the lonely.
Hold tight to the shattered ones.
Give strength to those broken
by fate or cruelty.

(Show the love.)
(You're not alone.)
(Show the love.)
(Show the love.)

©Ellen Pepper 2026

What Came After...

 He drops the ring on the table.
It clatters a bit, then falls silent.
His eyes meet hers with steady intensity.
They were to marry today.

The relentless rain slackens to drizzle.
They turn away from each other.
He's at the window. She's at the stove.
The clouds part, and a silent sun begins to shine.

Neither one knows what to do now.
They came close to speaking vows.
They stopped before they were bound by law.
And now, they ponder their future.

A shaft of sunlight illumines his slack face.
A kitten curls up in a cushioned chair.
The man reaches out to his woman.
She looks away, indifferent to his need.

They didn't know it would end like this,
when first they met.
The days then were bright with laughter.
They had plans for union and a home.

Somewhere it went wrong.
Some when they lost hope, and laughter stopped.
Sometimes they didn't speak.
Some days the silence overwhelmed.

She takes a suitcase from the hallway closet.
He watches her climb the stairs.
A door slams. He jumps in surprise.
The sunlight mocks his tears.

©Ellen Pepper 2026

Sunlight Has No Sound

 Sunlight has no sound.
Thunder booms, it rumbles, it claps.
Wind  howls, it whistles, it gusts, it's a zephyr.
Rain has varied tones and strength.
Sunlight and falling snow sound not.

His weary mind leans on the window wet with rain.
He's filled with dismay already, but
the afternoon's apathy has not yet set in.
The gold ring's in his back pocket.

The woman studies him from her chair.
She questions his faraway gaze.
There's no point in asking.
He doesn't know what goes on in his mind.

The rain speckles the glass.
He wipes his hand across the pane.
He sighs. 
Time passes gently.
The grass  is sparkling with sky teers.

She heads upstairs to bathe and dress.
Today's the day they'll marry.
The judge awaits their arrival.
They're late, and may not show.

The man stands at the door.
He says nothing about the time.
She finally slips into shoes.
They head out in the sad rain.

To the courthouse, they come sodden and dismal.
The judge starts the ceremony, reluctant in  tone.
Their eyes meet as vows are to be taken, and...
they turn to leave, without speaking.

The judge sighs and closes his book.
They venture home,
 unmarried.
The rain continues to fall relentlessly.
The man returns to gazing out the window.

Sunlight has no sound.
Thunder booms, it rumbles, it claps.
Wind howls, it whistles, it gusts, it's a zephyr.
He drops the ring on a table.
Sunlight and falling snow sound not.

©Ellen Pepper 2026