Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

The Meaningless Conversation
by Edmund Siejka

I see my neighbor
He may see me
Or choose not to
We’ve had minor disagreements
In the past
But we always managed
To talk about family
High taxes
Movies
New cars
And faster gadgets
All things small and mundane
Now, he throws a hello my way
And I return ...

Name Game

by Edmund Siejka

A name
Is given
For life
Change letters
And this is what you get.

Game
Tame
Same
Came
Lame
Fame
Blame
Dame
Frame
Claim.

If however, you forget
Someone’s name
The word becomes
Shame.

How We Met
by Edmund Siejka

Summer came fast
Like speeding cars
Loud radios
Blue skies and
Warm sun
Days when I was young and naïve
And old enough to know nothing
Spending aimless hours
Waiting for something to happen.

And one day I saw her
Just a passing glance
But I took it all in
The way ...

Sal, the neighborhood guy
by Edmund Siejka

“Hey Sal how you doing?
Holding down the same corner, right?”
“Yeah. Why is that bothering you?”
“It’s time Sal. Settle down, find a nice girl, get married
and move from this neighborhood.”
“Why? And be like you. Miserable and always sneaking back to the ...

Stella


by Edmund Siejka



We were visiting our grandchildren
And heard that one of them
Was having a hard time
Freeing himself from a car seat
Concerned or
Perhaps just a little curious
I asked our four-year old granddaughter,
Stella, show Grandpa how you get out of your car seat.

Staring in ...

Wyatt

by Edmund Siejka



We were in London
Dining in a four-hundred-year-old pub
Dark wood paneling
Beams carved from tree trunks
History and privilege
In medieval England
For us it was a family vacation
And everyone came.

My grandson Wyatt sat next to me
And I turned my attention to him ...

The Long Goodbye

By Edmund Siejka


We were on the corner
Of Union Square
Not touching
Not speaking
Just staring at each other
Me, in complete disbelief
You, looking past me
Annoyed shoppers
Quickly brushing past us.

And then you walked away
All I could do was
Try to follow you
Until you ...

Excellent!! Keep it coming!!!

Excellent poem about what life is for the other side.

Neighbors

by Edmund Siejka

It was getting colder
Sun slowly
Easing
From the afternoon sky.

Taking off his glasses
He studied the front steps
How was he going to get a heavy dresser up there?
His wife asked, “Are, you sure you can do this?”
Turning, her eyes focused on the nearby homes
She ...

Forgotten love?....not really. Well done Sasha

Cigarettes and Loose Change
by Edmund Siejka


On a late afternoon
There was a stillness
When nothing seemed to move.

Listless and sort of down
I knew a bar
Squeezed in between non- descript buildings.

Hesitating I stood outside
Searching the gray lifeless windows
When the bar’s neon light ...

Hi Judih

Thanks for your support all these years!!!

A Quiet Conversation In Church


by Edmund Siejka

Someone behind me stifled a cough
Turning around, the stranger nodded back
In the dim light
I made out a determined jaw
Felt thick fingers holding on to the back of my pew
I’ve been coming here for years he said
During weekday afternoons
When the ...

The Players In The Park

by Edmund Siejka

An errant breeze slipped in
Somewhere from the West Village
Caressing a couple
As they walked out of the park holding hands
Shoulders touching
Running her fingers through her hair
She stopped to look up
In return he smiled
His arms bringing her ...