somebody woke up
grumbling, growling
snarling over space
scrapping, snapping,
licked my sleeping face
tussling, pulling, beckoned
me to play
early morning
Schnoodles
greet the day
Early Morning Schnoodling
Getting a Grip
getting a grip on
her future starts with
burning the Christmas tree
boxes one decade now in
her attic
buying enough hummingbird
nectar to last through October
and watering the string of pearls
cascading from the porch table
getting a grip is festooned with
saying goodbyes to too much
long held hostage from living
new lives in better spaces
like all those music boxes
of childhood and sad, stained
table linens frayed with holes ~
gaps in the timelines of
lineage like broken branches
on that cross-stitched tree
of names and thread strands
of who goes where and how
pre-affair, divorce, remarriage,
cousins once-removed now
fully removed and never coming
back because they did the
same thing with their goodbyes ~
they burned the Christmas tree
boxes and all that’s left is
the cooling ash of
what once was
before their birds
left the nest for the skies
Credelio Question
four ticks already
from taking down the fenceposts
have me wondering
whether we should be the ones
taking the dogs’ flea/tick pills
What’s Next?
What’s Next?
I’ve decided
that when I retire
I should go to
work for Caterpillar
pulling up
fence posts
dragging fences
lifting trash into
dumpsters
raising fig pickers
to the tip tops
of trees
retire from
education to
push the buttons,
turn the wheels,
steer the tires,
raise the levers of
heavy machinery
Day 2 of July Open Write with Jennifer Jowett of Michigan
Today’s host for the second day of the July Open Write at http://www.ethicalela.com is Jennifer Jowett of Michigan, who inspires us to write poems of loss. You can read Jennifer’s entire prompt here.
Get Lost
I keep showing them to the exit
but they refuse to leave, to make
themselves scarce once and for all
they’re like Velcro leeches
sacked-out partiers
who won’t get lost
they stick with
me, these
pounds
Last Day of Summer
‘twas my last summer day off contract
and what did I do with my time?
basked in air conditioning
turned the thermostat low
gathered up a book
dogs in my lap
read the day
away,
napped
How I Beat the Heat
Hallmark’s Christmas in July movies
high velocity fan, full blast
pretending there’s a blizzard
piping hot black coffee
wrapped in sofa throw
Schnoodles piled high
all of us
beating
heat
The older I get, the less I can endure the extreme heat and humidity. Give me a blizzard to handle the scorching heat! I’ve found that a good snowy Hallmark Christmas in July movie with love instead of hate, free from the problems of the world, is my ticket to a better day! Raising a mug to you – Cheers! Stay cool!
Cleaning Out!
we’re cleaning out a lifetime of stuff
making room for new adventures
goodbye to all the clutter
farewell to odds and ends
we’re clearing the air
ready for new
memories ~
coming
soon!
Cold Brew for Hot Flash
hot flashes nudge a
switch to cold brew coffee for
iced breeze sensations
better than cool sheets
more refreshing than hot brew
for summertime heat
Sunday Morning Donuts Nonet
they like their mini donut breakfasts
it’s what happens on Sundays here
pre First-Baptist-of-You-Tube
sitting at their dad’s feet
waiting on a bite
patient Schnoodles
best-behavied
time of
all
Common Threads 