“The Crown” by Joni Caggiano ©️2025

The Crown Bougainvillea florets tremble likescarlet ribbons tied in bows on young flesh Archways of stone outstretchreposeful winds on muted statues with listless stares Foreboding leopard keeps vigila silent killer, her sentry will shield if a threat declares Pillars of light bring rays of respite yettears seal her withering heart within flouted ceiling Ferns rest…

Abused Child and High Price – by Joni Caggiano

Abused Child Featured in Edge of Humanity for World Poetry Day March 21, 2024 ©️ January 2022 High Price also Published in Edge of Humanity (thank you Joelcy Kay) Five new pieces of poetry and prose by Joni in “After Rain Skies – The Global Anthology,” by Michelle Ayon Navajas Abused Child do not presume…

”Red Ball” Now On Hotel Masticadores

Red Ball Hannah wept silently into her dusty apron.  She spun her thin face around, much like a donut, awaiting its freckling of powdered sugar.  Tears cast their agonies upon hand-stitched hydrangeas, petunias, and magnolias while honeybees clung close with their bulging pollen-laden legs. Ruth had spent six months embroidering this apron for her and…

”Pheochromocytoma” Now On Chewers Masticadores

Pheochromocytoma She huddles coiled amongst the swath of blackberry with her matrix of thorny needles, spewing forth her painful pricks. Nerve bundles lay excavating within shredded muscles. Pain caused by unsummoned moles that convert and blast into a red-brick wall, a boundary of sanity and lost childhood of her red-brick prison. Pallid pathways etch memories…

”Arctic Hymns” Now On Hotel Masticadores

Arctic Hymns ornate, sea eagle, liberate God’s lapis lazuli skiesunfurl thy seven-foot wings for us this dayrise the spired scalp of acorns slice frigid, wintry soilmy fisherman of Kenai River rest from daily toil come with leathery hands to my rousing limbsnestle my steamy body as I sing my Arctic hymns sandy blonde hair lay…

”Testimony” Now On Chewers Masticadores

  Testimony tangled tears unfold in burnt red leavesas October reins her tempest, sultry, yet encageddeciduous in nature, wool sweaters lose their sleeves,sanguine cheeks pale, your passion dies and empties me, enraged a hummingbird in torpor, my heart slowsyour frigidity bites like a rattler who yearns for heatlonely is my sinking vessel, not ministering where…

“Song Bird” now live on Hotelmasticadores

Whispering, your tongue holds back crestfallen thoughts.  Nails grip my thighs with the blinding voice of anguish.  Winter squalls belt my heartache.  Dusk’s eyeless shadows linger at open windows.  I tether my sensitivities to a fishing hook that hangs by a hair plucked from my head. My wren and her heart-stopping song are lost.  Her…

“Wedding bed” now live on hotelmasticadores

where is our silk top bedspeculate,evaporation when weddid love migrate like the arctic terndoes another make those earlobes burnswans fly by on bloodshot fabric in my dreampulling up tiles, bricks, looking for my self-esteem To finish reading please go to Hotel Masticadores House and please don’t forget to like, comment and subscribe.