Common Threads

 

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed

An acrostic of thankfulness

traveling

having coffee 

autumn winds 

neurotic dogs 

knowing God 

Fitz and Boo

unconditional love 

laughter 

games of Scrabble 

reading 

ability to forgive 

the little things 

everyday routines 

family 

uninterrupted sleep 

long walks 

Briar

literacy 

early morning newness 

socks 

sweets

expressions of tenderness 

deadline-free down time

 

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed

A month of thankfulness in verse

Today, an Acrostic poem

Under God, one

Nation

Indivisible, but

This 2020

Election

Divides us on issues

Still a great place to live

The sun will still rise

At dawn

The sun will still set 

Each evening

Still the world spins

On its axis at

Full tilt

A nation of freedom

Morals

Ethics

Rights

I am blessed to be a

Citizen of the United States of 

America! 

 

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed

An Election Day Haiku

like one small fish in

Lake Superior, but still:

my one vote matters! 

 

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed 

 A Tired Monday Haiku

Grateful for Mondays?

Grateful for any day that 

we’re alive and well! 

 

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed 

A poem each day of November to spark gratitude 

Today’s poem uses a borrowed line from Mary Oliver’s “It Was Early”- Sometimes I need only to stand wherever I am to be blessed

I can feel it – 

the love in the kiss by the campfire, a kiss for no real reason at all except to say I love you 

I can see it – 

you, taking a picture of Boo Radley as he barks at the skeleton dog Halloween decorations

I can hear it – 

Fitz’s cat-like purring as he nuzzles next to my ear deep in sleep on the back of the couch 

I can taste it – 

in the morning coffee you bring me when I’m busy or when I’m lazy,

fixed just the way I like it 

I can smell it – the first fumes of furnace heat you spent time figuring out in this new used camper so we could sleep warm

sometimes 

I need only to stand 

where I am 

to be blessed

 

A Very Mary Variation 

Using a borrowed line from Mary Oliver’s “Mussels,” – even before I decide which one to take 

A High Falls Halloween

in a corn husk 

pumpkin candy basket 

at High Falls campsite 65 

I see all the good stuff- Kit Kat, Reese’s, Heath, Rolo, Whoppers and Milk Duds – 

and gremlins and goblins of all sorts 

including Scooby Doo,

the greatest cartoon detective dog of all time

whose master later counted down the hits to number one on AT 40 each week 

and I never connected the voice dots 

until someone told me 

still, the candy in the basket 

lures me like a spooky siren to the dark side for a tastier countdown

even before I decide which one to take 

I already know it doesn’t much matter 

the Halloweeners are thinning 

and our basket is still brimming

and besides, one piece, like the apple of Eden, is only step one of the fall 

 

A Very Mary Variation

A Pantoum poem of repeating lines using a borrowed line from

“This and That” – in this early dancing of a new day

The Outback 

in this early dancing of a new day 

a fresh adventure awaits 

are we ready? 

do we have all that we need? 

a fresh adventure awaits 

we’re hitched, strapped, hatted, and packed 

do we have all that we need? 

have we forgotten anything? 

we’re  hitched, strapped, hatted, and packed 

we’ve got a plan for no plans 

have we forgotten anything

to enjoy the journey? 

we’ve got a plan for no plans 

are we ready

to enjoy the journey

in this early dancing of a new day?

 

A Very Mary Variation

A five-finger exercise using a twisted first line and the word morning from

Mary Oliver’s “Cobb Creek”: it’s morning at the creek-edge

(Zeta)

it’s morning at the funny farm 

wee-hour morning when we awaken 

on this particular morning, it’s windy-

tropical-storm-windy this morning (Zeta)

will power stay on this morning?

 

A Very Mary Variation

A mostly-Pantoum poem

using Line 3 from Mary Oliver’s “Meadowlark” – but now it’s more serious

Country-Boyin’

he’s been lookin’ at real trucks for two years 

three-quarter ton pickups for bigger jobs than Ford Rangers can do 

but now it’s more serious 

he’s hiked his dress pants and signed his name 

three-quarter ton pickups for big jobs-

haulin’ trailers, pullin’ campers, country-boyin’!

he hiked his dress pants and signed on the line

 

no one knows why he hiked his pants 

mud boggin’, four- wheelin’, country-boyin’ –

always ready to ride the roads 

sometimes dogs curl up in bathroom sinks during storms for no apparent reason

a Clyde Edgerton character even had an unexplained habit of flushing raw cabbage heads down the toilet 

always ready to ride the roads

but now it’s more serious 

a quirky dressed-up country boy is still a Georgia country boy 

he’s gone and bought him a shur-nuff truck

 

A Very Mary Variation

Borrowed line #1 from Mary Oliver’s “Nothing is too Small to be Wondered About” from Felicity 

Falling

It’s fall –

the time of crisping- 

crisp apples, crisp air, crisp leaves

the time of pumpkining- pumpkin pie, pumpkin carving, pumpkin spice 

the time of changing- changing winds, changing clothes, changing weather

the time of camping- campers, campfires, campgrounds 

the time of gathering-festival gatherings, family gatherings, harvest gatherings 

the time of celebrating-celebrating Halloween, celebrating Veterans Day, celebrating Thanksgiving 

the time of spiriting-

holiday spirits, liquid spirits, kindred spirits

the time of simmering- simmering soups, simmering chili, simmering cider 

the time of roasting-

roasting turkeys, roasting marshmallows, roasting toes fireside

the time of baking-

baking apples, baking breads, baking pies

the time of crackling-

crackling leaves, crackling wicks, crackling logs

the time of falling- 

falling leaves, falling temperatures, falling in love