When the Ink Dries
Words on the page get stored away
They lose their currency
and age like bodies
Pens disappear
in a conspiracy of mystery
Fingers slip on keyboards
leaving stranded stanzas
and unplanned changes
Words on pages
can’t stop wars
can’t feed the hungry
or imprison the guilty
Some poems are written
with words unspoken
Passwords are forgotten
Identity is shaken
A poet needs a pen
like a friend’s hand to hold
Time reveals the shine of truth
But a labor of love takes a toll
___________Colleen Redman /Poets and Storytellers United
January 23rd, 2026 1:37 am
Words, somehow, MUST stop war! What a dilemma. Won’t someone think of the poor stranded stanzas?
Nice write, Colleen 👏
January 23rd, 2026 1:40 am
Yes … worth doing anyway, I believe.
January 23rd, 2026 10:55 am
It might seem pointless when words spill over and lose their meaning amid the flood of lies. But the greatest toll comes from being silent.
January 23rd, 2026 10:18 pm
Great write and understandable but words are stronger than you think. But they are slow
January 24th, 2026 12:41 am
Just for your information: pens are the larval form of wire coat hangers. That’s why they disappear.
January 25th, 2026 10:29 am
Words can’t stop wars but we can bear witness. Feeling hopeless here with the atrocities going on around us. I guess there’s solace in hanging out with poets and writers and good people. I can’t do much but I can write.
January 25th, 2026 3:13 pm
Thanks for sharing all of these pics. Great to see more mature aged people bopping and grooving and having such a good time You live in an interesting part of the world. You look so happy
January 25th, 2026 4:06 pm
Thanks, Rall. https://looseleafnotes.com/2026/01/nancy-pelosi-is-a-dead-head/