Author's Note: The following poems are the result of a writing exercise called the Personal Universe Deck, a collection of 100 words with particular meaning to the writer and then chosen at random to use as a basis for a poem. This concept was taken from The Practice of Poetry, edited by Robin Behn and Chase Twichell. This book has a lot of interesting exercises to help get and keep you writing, so if you're running low on inspiration, it might be worth taking a look into this or similar books. ~S529

Forever is a river so effervescent,
we never know what's lurking
in its bubbling murky mirths.

Sanctuary is a cloud few can harness:
ephemeral and pure in its white vapor
but intangible to those outside of dreams.

A Wolf finds hope in his own island;
lonely as they are, and yet together
they are the masters of their isolation.

Honesty is a magic only blackened
by the intent of a ne'er-do-well to ruin
the lives of others to soothe one's own.

Heaven is our word for forever -
a sanctuary where
the wolf is tame
and honesty is fair trade.

TMK 30jul2009