There she was, with a smile and a bonnet,
with ribbons, bows, flowers and flourishes.
She sat with poise, expecting a sonnet.
I felt obliged to honour her wishes.
But words were difficult to find and write,
as beauty easily leaves me awestruck.
So, I chose to enter a dream despite
friends who blame my reveries as aw, shucks.
What they don’t understand is a woman
dressed in only a smile and a bonnet
gorgeous, alluring, has an effect that can
distract a man from writing a sonnet.
While female nakedness is a delight,
it may cause a poet to be contrite.

Barry Vitcov lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife and exceptionally brilliant standard poodle. He has had three books published by Finishing Line Press, a collection of poetry, “Where I Live Some of the Time” in February 2021; a collection of short stories, “The Wilbur Stories & More” in June 2022; and a chapbook collection of poems “Structures” in May 2024. FLP will be publishing his novella “The Boy with Six Fingers” in February 2025.

You can find more of Barry’s work here on Ink Pantry.