Dear Readers of Ellen's Poems:
These are the last poems to be published on this site...unless we uncover a few more that we don't know about yet. There are nearly 400 poems here, including the ones published in the book, A Hermit Holds My Heart. At this point Benetvision Publications is planning on producing another chapbook of Ellen's poems. Watch their website for information.

I hope you've enjoyed reading the writings of this beautiful poet, Ellen Porter. I've certainly enjoyed sharing them with you. Susan, osb

Ellen Porter
1/09/08
Worry Babies

The wooden turtle with bobbing head
races the worry babies of colored, stiffened string.

Vibrations from the nebulizer send them scurrying
across the cabinet, heads leaning forward
checking the currents of humidified air.

There is nothing to hold each other back
and so they waver over unfamiliar turf,
oxygen tubing intercepting their intended paths.
So little to do, resting in cancer’s interminable race toward death.
I eagerly thwart boredom and
root the turtle to the finish line.


Ellen Porter
1/8/08
writer’s constipation

these wordless mornings
i sleep in
avoiding pen and paper
till the last too late moment.
and then i sit and
force the verse
straining, waiting for the release
of waste and verbiage.