Poetry Month – April 15

Posted in Poetry Month on

I suspect this poem would have been quite different if it were written in the morning. But it wasn’t. Here is the prompt:

THE WIND
Five Verbs: howls, gusts, whispers, slips, breathes,
Five Nouns: air, breath, puff, breeze squall
Poem:

It’s only air,
this thing we call wind.
Moving air.
Sure, it comes
In all sizes:
puffs,
breezes,
squalls,
even torrents.
All of it is air.
Moving.
The moving air I like best
comes at night.
Dark breath whispering
from other side of the world.
Yes, sometimes it howls and shrieks and moans.
But I love the quiet night breath
slipping in my window,
here, now, next to me,
warming its breath on my skin.

Poetry Month – April 14

Posted in Poetry Month on

When I pulled this prompt, I was like, ‘What?!? Why did I write this phrase on a card?’ I mean I could already hear Ringo Starr’s voice, “What would you do…” While I was arguing with my prompt, my dog Penny started flirt/playing with Liz’s dog Keeper. Friends. Dogs. They all lift our spirits. Help us get by.

I GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

Her tail plume quivers
His tick-tocks
Nose nuzzles
Quick licks
A dance
Bound bound
Jump
Bound bound
Paws up
Neck embrace
Spin crouch
Crouch spin
Run hard
Fall over
Rest up
Again.

Poetry Month – April 13

Posted in Poetry Month on

I didn’t sleep well. I woke up with a heavy, critical heart. Fortunately I have people in my life who can listen and who know that by listening fully without judgement, I will find my way back to my sturdy self. Of course, what prompt do I pull this morning? ‘The Listener’ You have to grin at how the universe works.

THE LISTENER

She sits next to me
She lies next to me
She walks next to me
She listens
I moan
I berate
I weep
I shake
She listens
It is a magical and simple thing this thing she does
She offers me a bowl and I pour all my sludge into it
Over and over
Until I run clean
Until I look up
Until I can see
That she is still there
Listening
Beautiful
Whole
Smiling
Knowing
A storm passes through
She lets it

Poetry Month – April 12

Posted in Poetry Month on

I tried to give my daughter a collection of essays, entitled TAKE MY ADVICE. I was met with a ‘No Thanks.’ It prompted me to put the title on an index card. Here goes…

TAKE MY ADVICE

If I do, will you bail me out?
If I do, is there a guarantee
it will work? What if it doesn’t
Can I return it?
Do I get my money
back? With Interest?
By the way, what is your interest
In coaching my life?
Are you getting paid by God?
How?
In little pearls from a special garden of oysters?
I’d like some of them.
How about we skip the advice.
Just give me the pearls
I’ll make my own wisdom.

Poetry Month – April 11

Posted in Poetry Month on

Today’s prompt: Nonet and A journey. A nonet is a nine line poem. The form is 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. Hmmmmm…what journey should I take? I can hear my mother’s voice, “What a glory of a day.” She loved the sun. She accepted rain only because it played a part in the magic of a sunny day.

AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY…

For six days clouds grey black blue tumble
Jagged white knives slice them open
Rain pours drizzles drips until
Sunlight warms a wet earth
Opens every leaf
Unfurls flowers
Sinks roots deeper
Brings spring
Bliss