{"id":10529,"date":"2025-07-27T12:35:22","date_gmt":"2025-07-27T17:35:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/faithhopeandfiction.com\/content\/?p=10529"},"modified":"2025-07-27T12:41:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-27T17:41:06","slug":"things-wild-and-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/faithhopeandfiction.com\/content\/things-wild-and-free\/","title":{"rendered":"Things Wild and Free"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

2 Poems<\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

By Joseph Roque<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n



Peregrine<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

What are the chances
of a single falcon feather floating
slowly to the ground in front of me\u2015<\/p>\n\n\n\n

a beautiful blue-gray with spotted
dabs of soft white underneath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have seen these graceful birds
in flight and studied their proud lineage,
dating back to biblical times, perched
on the arms of ancient kings and nobles\u2015<\/p>\n\n\n\n

fierce and fearless predators, masters
of the sky, soaring on the slightest wisp of air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a lucky find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will treasure this gift and reminisce on days
to come when I can no longer roam\u2015<\/p>\n\n\n\n

yearn to remember things wild and free.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

GLISTEN<\/em><\/strong>
Ode to Summer<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Sun sizzles,
sweaty skin glistens;
drips on soft sand
and tanned flesh\u2015<\/p>\n\n\n\n

reminds me there is so much
more to life than asphalt
and steel, more than
concrete cities choked
with coarse crowds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I like it here,
knee deep in emerald
green Gulf water; powdery
white sand between my toes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will quietly blend in with all
that is simple and serene,
sell scarce, stunning seashells
for pocket change
and casual conversation;
teach poetry part-time
to the children\u2015<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look westward every day’s end,
face the sky and setting sun
and whisper:
Thank you, God\u2015
For every amazing bit of all of it.

Joseph Roque<\/strong> is a poet who frequently writes about life, love, loneliness, growing older, alienation, and the joys of youth. His poems have appeared in Psychopoetica<\/em>, Mad Swirl<\/em>, Aphelion<\/em>, Death Head Grin<\/em>, The Poet\u2019s Haven<\/em>, RagMag<\/em>, and Cerebration<\/em>. His latest book is Ashes And Excuses<\/em>.
<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Peregrine<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2 Poems By Joseph Roque<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-poetry"],"yoast_head":"\nThings Wild and Free | Faith Hope & Fiction<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/faithhopeandfiction.com\/content\/things-wild-and-free\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Things Wild and Free | Faith Hope & Fiction\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" 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