Sunday, December 31, 2017

Tantrum


Tantrum

Winter is NOT an old man.
He is a toddler 
who stomps around in a bitter mood.
He is a three-year-old throwing a tantrum
after being scolded for misbehaving.
He pitches balls of frigid air that slap faces
and leave cheeks red and stinging.
His fists flail in revolt.
We dodge his repeated blows.
His feet kick up piles of snow
making a mess everywhere.
When you want him to move along,
he flings himself to the ground,
howling and refusing to budge,
as snow swirls about 
and piles up around him.

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Winter Waiting


Winter Waiting

Chilled, brisk air 
chases him down the sidewalk 
and follows behind him 
through the door.
He shuts it out quickly.
He shakes bits of snow from his coat
which melt into little puddles 
upon hitting the floor.

He smells chili 
simmering on the stove
and the homemade bread she's baking.
Her welcoming hug and smile
makes him grateful
for a quiet evening at home
 in the making.

Wrapped in an afghan,
watching the flickering fire,
and drinking tea,
they spend their time
reading books, laughing, 
listening to music,
watching TV. 

It's the time of winter waiting.
Waiting for the snow to start.
Waiting for the snow to stop.
Waiting for the snow to melt.

It's the time of winter waiting.
Waiting for the soup to boil.
Waiting for the bread to bake.
Waiting for the new year.
Waiting to see... what cards will be dealt.

The young at heart 
wait for Christmas,
wondering what Santa will bring.
Older folks with aching bones
work jigsaw puzzles 
and wait for spring.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Prepared


Prepared

So the pressure is on. 
It's time to make the Thanksgiving meal.
It must be festive, traditional,
delicious, ideal.

The groceries must be bought.
Recipes gathered up.
The table properly set,
with each plate and cup.

But what if the turkey
refuses to thaw?
What if the oven breaks,
and that bird is still raw?

The stuffing is soggy.
The gravy gets spilled.
The potatoes are lumpy.
No plates are filled.

Take a deep breath
and say a prayer.
Be thankful for blessings;
and for family gathered there.

And when you realize
just how lucky you are,
you'll see it  doesn't matter
if dinner is below par.

Call up the pizza shop
on speed dial,
and dinner will arrive
in a little while.

Don't worry about the food.
Don't stand on ceremony.
Rejoice in your blessings,
and make room for pepperoni!

Even though, at first, 
it can be hard to see.
Remember, remember,
there's always plan B.

*   *  *   *  *

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Flamboyant


Flamboyant

Fall is the time when the trees become
like your eccentric Great-Aunt Irene.
One day: conservative, quiet, sedate,
dressed in a dignified, dark green.

The next: crazy, wild, inhibitions gone,
parading around, making a scene.
Flamboyant in yellow, orange, and red.
Life's too short to always wear green.

Thursday, September 7, 2017

I'll Be Back!

Hello readers. I have been selected for jury duty for the next two months. This experience is going to require a great deal of time. As a result, I am taking a temporary blog break. I hope you will come back again when I return in November.

Sunday, August 6, 2017

We Are All Miracles

We Are All Miracles

Bits of buttery, pale yellow pollen
powder the inside of a pink lily.
Few will even notice 
except, perhaps, the bees and me.


God stirs up a sunset with his own recipe.
Ingredients?...He uses only three!
Air, sunlight, and wisps of clouds
become pink and blue swirling art
displayed in the sky for everyone to see.


We are nothing but insignificant grains of sand
on an infinite beach next to the infinite sea.
Why were we deemed necessary
in this grand scheme of things?
Why were we chosen to live, to love,
to breathe, and to be?


I'm not sure why, but for whatever reason, 
we are part of the plan.
Our lives intertwine with each creature, each flower, each tree.
We are all miracles made up of music, color, and mystery.
We are magic, math, beauty, and symmetry.
We are all miracles.

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Vacation


Vacation

A time to take a break
from the weight
of everything
that is dragging you down.
A chance to see things
you've never seen.
An opportunity
to go somewhere new;
to get out of town.

Leave your footprints behind
as your calling card
in the soft, wet sand
of the beach.
Within a day,
they'll wash away,
and you'll be gone,
once again out of reach.

Yes, for a while, 
it is fun to forget your frustrations
while you frolic 
in the ebb and flow of sea foam,
but the best thing ever about vacation, 
has always been 
remembering how nice it is 
to return home.

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Mockingbird


Mockingbird

In search of an audience,
he followed after us, 
from lamp post to tree top,
as we walked on the path down below.

He serenaded us
with his whole repertoire!
Who knew that one bird, singing solo,
could put on such a show?

I suppose there are some 
who would call him a thief,
because the songs that he sings
are all stolen, you know.

But, I can't throw shade
on such a talented crooner.
His melodies were flawless.
His range was wide--high to low.

Although his music was borrowed,
he shared it with much joy.
He sang with a full heart.
What a thrill, indeed! It delighted us so.

*   *   *   *    *

We were on vacation last week at Virginia Beach. While we were there, I had the chance to see and hear a mockingbird. I took the picture above of it. I'm sorry the picture isn't very clear. If you'd like to see some better pictures of mockingbirds; learn more about them; and hear their songs, click here



Thursday, May 25, 2017

Garden Dancing

Garden Dancing

The Lords of Clematis gather
hoping to share a dance,


with the Rhododendron Ladies,
(if they are given a chance).


King Iris stands tall and steady
in his royal robes of purple and white.


Queen Peony is puffed and ready
to dance away the night.


Cat's Ears Minions mingle, 
crowding just beyond the gate.


They're hoping to catch a glimpse
of the royal heads of state.

The Lords bow to the Ladies.
The Ladies allow themselves to be led.
King Iris, so majestic,
 barely nods his head.

Queen Peony, so festive,
dances any way she pleases.
The minions join in at last, 
swaying to the rhythms 
of the breezes.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Never-ending Night

  The photos below have nothing to do with the poem written underneath them. I just thought I'd share what is in bloom here and add a little color to my blog. The bleeding hearts and lilacs are growing in my yard.  I photographed the daffodils in one of our nearby metro parks. I hope you enjoy seeing them. 




*   *   *   *   *

Never-ending Night

I'm exhausted.
I think I will fall right to sleep...but I don't.
I think my brain
will quiet down and quit its rant...but it won't.

Instead, it hits rewind so I can hear 
every conversation replayed from the day.
It reminds me of what I said,
and of what might have been better to say.

I worry, fret, and deal with regret,
but you can live each day only once.
I fuss and fume about the things,
over which I have no control.
Stop brain, stop! You're driving me mad.
This sleep deprivation is taking its toll.

First, minutes pass,
and then they turn into hours,
and there's no sleep in sight.
Restless; I toss, squirm, and sigh,
trying to wish away
the never-ending night.

My thoughts are rumbling,
chaotic, in a spin.
And just as I finally start to doze,
the alarm jangles and jeers,
"Wake up, wake up. No sleep for you.
It's time to begin again."


Monday, April 3, 2017

You Make Me Laugh, Giraffe!

I don't know if any of you have been following the progress of the pregnant and soon-to-give-birth giraffe named April at the Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, NY, but I've heard so much about her lately, that I thought I'd write a poem about giraffes. I took the photos in this post the last time I visited the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Columbus, Ohio.


You Make Me Laugh, Giraffe!

You make me laugh, giraffe,
with your cherry picker neck 
sticking way up in the trees,
yet you are graceful 
when you amble about
on your spindly legs and knobby knees.

You have a long-reaching tongue 
that's purplish-black,
and a tail like a paintbrush
to swish the flies off your back.

Up high you have expressive brown eyes,
so gentle and sweet.
Way down below you have
 four clompy, stompy feet.

Your markings are unique,
unlike any other creature.
Spot and dots--you have lots!
They may be your best feature.

You have the best view around
from your outlook in the sky.
You make me laugh, giraffe!
I think God created you
with a twinkle in his eye.




*   *   *   *   *
On another topic, I'd like to thank Robert Lee Brewer from Writer's Digest for including my poem, "F0ol," as one of his top 21 favorites submitted to his poem-a-day challenge (the 2016 April PAD Challenge). He announced the results on his blog on March 21, 2017. He has already begun the 2017 PAD Challenge, and it's not too late to join in for anyone who wants to be a part of it. The challenge began on April 1st and will continue throughout the month. Each day during April, he will provide a poetry prompt to give his readers some inspiration. Please visit his blog if you would like to join in the fun. 

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Waiting


Waiting

Spring is a fickle trickster.
She tiptoes by,
peeks in the windows,
curls her finger at us,
and tempts us outside
with bouquets of sunny daffodils.
She seduces us 
with trails of purple crocuses 
lifting their bobbing heads
in the warm sun.

Transfixed, we step out 
with smiles wide
to follow her
and soak in her light.

Then she smirks and spins,
and in an instant,
she turns a cold shoulder to us.
She disappears and abandons us
in a whirlwind,
leaving drifts of snow behind
to drape around
the drooping blooms.

Yet, in spite of her rejection,
we wait for her return.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Point of View


Point of View

With whiskers quivering, the tiny, grey mouse
searches for seeds under the sticky milk pod.
Soon there will be no tall, green weeds.
No clover, no Queen Anne's Lace, no goldenrod.


Although the mouse is blissfully unaware,
a "SOLD" sign has been put up on the lot.
It is the last empty lot in the housing development.
Sales in the area have been running hot.


Soon the bulldozer will come
to dig a foundation for a new house.
No one will care or worry about
the tiny, grey, displaced mouse.


Oh I know, some will say, "This is progress!
A family will have a brand new house."
I'm sure that family will think it's progress,
but I bet you a dollar, no one will ask the mouse.