Common Threads

 

A Peaceful MLKJ Pantoum on a Promising and Prophetically Palindromic Inauguration Day 

The time is always ripe to do right. 

Whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.

Only in the darkness can you see the stars.

Hate is too great a burden to bear.

Whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward. 

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. 

Hate is too great a burden to bear.

Live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. 

Never lose infinite hope. 

Live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

We cannot walk alone. 

Never lose infinite hope.

Only in the darkness can you see the stars. 

We cannot walk alone.

The time is always ripe to do right. 

 Majestic Oak

majestic oak

once a tiny acorn 

on Union Street 

in Brunswick, Georgia 

now a fortress 

draped in Spanish moss 

sprigs of resurrection fern 

proving 

dormancy is temporary 

you gather your people 

under your arms 

keep their secrets 

shade the sun 

as they 

   talk

      walk 

          picnic 

                live 

                    love 

                         breathe

 

Today’s prompt comes from Stacey Joy, who shared Nikki Giovanni’s style of using ONE word in two parts of speech to follow a format unique to Giovanni. I chose the word Voracious. 

Voraciously 

voraciously
you binge watch
two seasons
of Virgin River 

voracious
you come to the end of season two
and need answers now.
not in November 2021 – NOW!

voraciously
you seek answers –

is there a book? 

yes, there is a book.

THANK GOD, there is a book! 

voracious
you do your husband a favor
and do his
Christmas shopping
ordering all 21 books
in the series
for him to wrap
and put under the tree
from him to you

voraciously
he wraps them individually
in newsprint
a letter on each present
spelling
A VIRGIN RIVER CHRISTMAS
arranged beautifully 

voracious
you love and hate
his creative gift wrapping
now you have to
peek to find the right
one to borrow
from under the tree
and secretly mark
the next few in order

voraciously

voraciously 

voraciously 

you read-iscover
the gift of reading 

….even though by book 10
you still don’t know
who pulled that damn trigger….

 

Silent Signals

I give the signal- 
two pats of my hip

the covers rustle
two still-sleepy bedheads
black Schnauzer
white Schnoodle
emerge

eight feet
hit the wood floor
in two thunks
collars clinking
toenails ticking the grain
through the dark
to the front door
leashes click
locked tight

a blast of cold air licks
my ankles
bare between my
high-water Cuddle Duds
and worn-out scuffs

I pull my hooded flannel up tight
give two quick huffs
watch my breath float
brace for the pull of the leads
as the boys’ nose-to-ground adventure begins
to find the choice spot

at 5:14 a.m.
nestled deep in the woods
a beam of flashlight
shines glowing eyes 

stalking

lurking

watching

height-from-ground
guesses
deer? owl? fox? raccoon?
coyote? (the reason the leashes lock)

icy crunch of earth underfoot
pinhole winks of stars overhead
I wave to my mama up there
she is more amused
by these knuckleheads
than by me
as they stand
like two motorcycles
parked side by side
on kickstands
thawing the frozen ground
before
scratching off
in an overdone show
of who marked better 

I give the signal-
two pats of my hip 

back inside
leashes unlock
toenails tick the grain
straight back to bed
to tunnel back under
and slumber
til sun-up

My poem today is a tribute to the greatest animal whisperer I’ve ever known- Emmy Minor-
who exudes joy and hope where it isn’t.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/grist.org/article/it1/amp/

Oh, Emmy! 

Oh, to speak eagle,

broken-winged eagle

who returns majestically

to the skies!

There on the banks 

of Sapelo’s flow

a lifespring well

of thanks 

Oh, to lisp otter, 

motor-legged otter,

who happily limps 

back up the dock 

and ….wait….

this can’t be…..

playfully romps 

with the dog?

Oh, to gab with the goat- 

a miracle save- 

who now firmly believes 

he’s a man?

To hum a sad song 

that turns upbeat again

and sparks life anew 

in her hands

She speaks to them all

and calls them by name

“Helmet”

“Ootie”

“William”

and coaches them back 

to their game

and still they return 

from release to the wild 

grateful homecomings 

to the sanctuary

to thank her

to whisper

“I love you”

in animalese

Oh, what can you

teach us 

about loving those 

not just like us

Emmy, 

before all hope is lost? 

 Another Virgin River Haiku or Two

Jack runs the town’s bar 

Mel delivers the babies 

they have two children 

Preacher and Paige cook 

they have two children also 

Paige was on the run 

Vanni’s husband died 

his best friend Paul married her 

they have two kids, too

Old Doc Mullins died 

while he was babysitting 

senior bachelor 

Hope McCrea finds folks 

brings them to Virgin River 

I wish she’d find me! 

 

A Virgin River 8 Haiku

Noah Kincaid comes

to pastor Virgin River

meets Ellie Baldwin

 

NCTE Haiku

Breathing Through Our Pens

NCTE Proposal

Standing up for all

 

A Moot Haiku

Radical Muslims

Christians storming the White House

finger-pointing moot 

 

1889

back up twenty eight 

days and weigh the damages

get back on the road