Mary and Me

I was prepared to love her

Better than anyone

Ever, ever, ever

Loved a sister

Never

Fight like other sisters

We

Were going to be

Perfectly happy

Except it took

A while

(Okay, an eternity)

To me

Finally

At eight years to her three

We Hoppity-hopped

And read

Shared nightmares and

A bed

Barbies, Candy Land, coloring books,

Backseat buddies, side by side

For every trip we took

Till I moved three thousand

Miles away

Now we have phone calls

Instead of Barbie play

Dealing with grown up fears

Laughing, not hiding tears

And that little girl prepared to

Love and to be sweet

Is so happy to find that sister love

Travels a two way street

This was written for the Sibling Revelry prompt at Poetic Bloomings, about my sister Mary, who is one of the best people I know and who can make me laugh, no matter what; the Preparation prompt at Dverse Poets (excellent prompt, Mary!) dversepoets.com and the Poetry Pantry and Poets United poetryblogroll.blogspot.com where I'm stopping by to share a poem and a snack. 

Reflected In You

Reflected in you
I see a lovely combination
Of parental DNA
(not that I'm partial or anything)
I see hope and fear
Mine and yours
Mistakes, too
Mine and yours
But mostly I see
Proof of heaven
Like the first time
I held you, uncovered those
Ten perfect toes
And incredibly long fingers
Long before I knew
How much you would make me
Laugh out loud, gnash my teeth
Glow with love
The minute your eyes met mine
I was a gone girl


This poem is for the prompt at Poetry Jam poetryjaam.blogspot.com  where Mary gave us the incredibly fun prompt of writing a poem using the title of one of New York Times Best Sellers; The title is from "Reflected In You" by Sylvia Day, a story of fiction; and I included two other titles, just for fun (and I couldn't pick just one) "Proof of Heaven" by Eben Alexander-nonfiction; and "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn, a mystery.  This is also for the prompt at Poets United, poetryblogroll.blogspot.com where we are asked to write about a gift that gave me a happy heart, what popped into my head was when I called my mom to let her know she was going to be a grandma--all she could say was "Oh!Oh!Oh!"  My boys and my stepdaugher are the best gifts I've ever been given.  And I'm sharing this poem with Open Link Night where gifts are always welcome  dversepoets.com   :-) Happy Thanksgiving everyone--I'm thankful for all of you!! 

Bailing on Barnum

If the circus was a class field trip
Guess who lost their permission slip?
That would be me
Conveniently,
Pink crushed into a couch crevasse
Because, alas
While I loved the horses, and trapeze
Clowns did not, please
Me
Nor did tired, sad elephants
Chained and dressed
Not for success
Stuck in a single line
With whips that snapped and whined
Or tigers snarling and then sent
To stand on silly stools to repent
Plus the scent of pacyhderm poo
Ewwwww
Instead,
Let's find a mountaintop
Maybe a meadow where we'll flop
And make a circus of clouds that fly
Above our heads in the sky

This poem is for Poem a Day prompt 14 by Catherine Lee write a "stuck" poem; and for the creative folks at Poetry Jam who invite us to write about the circus at poetryjaam.blogspot.com
Sorry, I really did/do avoid the circus, it always made me sad.  But the big top of a mountain?  Happy!!

A Handy Recipe

Dear World,

Hate needs to go.  Therefore, I have invented a "hate elimination process." Please follow these simple instructions:

Look at both hands,
See the pads on your fingers, the lines, the scars
Everyone has these, EveryOne
Remember this
Then place the left hand over the right,
Press both on top of your heart
And joyfully proclaim "Hate Begone, Love Live On!"

If you still feel hatred brewing, Kindly repeat this process, until the glow of love grows in your chest.  It may feel a little warm, this is part of the normal settling process.

And if you believe this recipe is a little weak, feel free to order my new "Love Paint," which is equal parts chocolate and bliss.

It's easy make yourself:

First melt your favorite chocolate,
Next, dip in a finger (preferably your index),
Then, stick that chocolate coated finger slowly into your mouth
Close your eyes and smile
Feel free to repeat this process until you are full of love (and chocolate)

My apologies in advance to anyone who is allergic to chocolate, or who just plain doesn't like it.  Feel free to substitute your own favorite flavor--jelly, brandy, marshmallow creme...This is another mishmash of prompts from Poetic Asides Poem A Day;  Write a poem about an invention-Jane Shlensky; Write two poems, one a letter poem and the second a recipe poem-from Mike Grove.  Also, offered up for dversepoets.com, open link night where love is served every day.  :-)

Poetic Ketchup

Cold Thanks

William, I forgive you for

Eating my plums

Your words satiated my

Hunger in exactly

The right way

But couldn't you have left

Just one?

C'est La Vie

When he's gone I'll

Send

A single text to

Me

“c'est la vie”

Life will not be

Empty

In fact I'll have

More tea

And a cup less

Of misery

Which will

Bring me

Joie de vivre

When he's gone

I'll be free

To sip life

Slowly

Still trying to keep up with the poem a day challenge--and then I decided to roll nearly all of them into one.  The first poem is a combination of the prompt of  Day 6 Left and Right poem -Walt; and Day 8 talk back to a dead poet, from Daniel Ari. I love the poem "This Is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15535  If you've never read, it do something nice for yourself and click on the link.  "Cold Thanks" is the reply to that poem.  And the second poem, I have combined the following prompts: Day 5 Write a text poem-Amanda Laughtland;; Day 7 Circular poem-  Eleanore;  Day 9 When he's gone--Sally Jadlow; Day 10  Use a foreign word in the title of  the poem--Linda Hofke;  And, I'm also sharing this with the lovely poets at Poets United Poetry Pantry!  poetryblogroll@blogspot.com Enjoy :-)

Just Beneath Reality

The sea is the color of bliss

Trees greet you with a kiss

The ground is as soft as drowsy

There's no such word as “lousy”

Mosquitoes, no-seeums and houseflies

Sing harmony in violet skies

Stars play seek and hide

Every time you go outside

You can be any shape you choose

And calories help you lose

Peace rains every day

Children laugh and parents play

While the highest priority

Belongs to words in poetry

Seasonal Humor

The little boy said,

“Daddy, I don't want to put my coat on.”

Dad pointed at the gray clouds outside and replied gently,

“You see son, it's winter out side and for every season there is a change.”

Two poems offered up today, one decidedly lame humor, however, sometimes I have to go where the pun goddess points me—for “Change of Seasons” at Poetry Jam poetryjaam.blogspot.com--Peggy's beautiful photos deserve better.  Love that shot of Hawaii and California!  And, Day 4 of Poem a day challenge at Poetic Asides, the lovely, talented and warm Marie Elena asks us to write a poem using the phrase "Just beneath ________"  Though I have to give some credit to Lewis Carroll and  S.E. Ingraham--I've always loved "Jabberwocky" and Sharon wrote a really cool fantasy poem at http://www.pyrokinection.com, got my jabber juices going...

And for the dverse poets at the bar for Open Link Night, where jabbering is welcome :-)  dversepoets.com

A Fearful Fib

I
Fear
Loss of
Family
Home, mobility
Above all, loss of memory
Becoming a burden to everyone who loves me

This is written for day 3 of Poetic Asides Poem a Day challenge, where Joshua Gray asks us to write a poem that scares you--so I took fear and ran with it.  This form is a fibonacci or (fib), though this poem is truth.  My sense of humor still intact :-)

Luna-sea (Dona Nobis Pacem)

We held our
Breaths the balance
Seemed so fragile
Caught between
Sunset and Moonrise
Orange to the west
Dissolved to darkness
While orange in the
East grew
An enormous
Moon balloon
Filled the horizon
And threw its
Light across the
Sea
An amber invitation
To the sky
It was
Awe
Full

Written for the second day of PAD, prompt from the talented Khara House to write about a full moon.  This is a true story. An incredible harvest moon that seemed to send an invitation across the sea.  Also shared with the wonderful poets at Poets United Poetry Pantry poetryblogroll.blogspot.com  And just found out about Blog 4 Peace so I'm linking this to that as well--Peace!!

Flame On

Match me

Catch me

Strike that

Tender tinder

And with hot

Breath grow

That flame

Never, ever

Blow it

Out

Do you know what today is? It's the first day of the Poem A Day challenge at Poetic Asides, with our master of poetry and prompts Robert (not Bob) Brewer! The man who got me writing poems again with his first April Poem A Day challenge, five (yes, that's five) years ago. Stop in for some great poetry reads or join the fun at http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides Today's prompt is “Matches” from the lovely Mariya Koleva!!