Southern Comfort

Breathe

Slow Southern

Breeze

Sip

Melon-colored

Sunsets

And sleep

Between sheets

Of star-sprinkled

Skies

This is offered for Poetry Pantry--watching the wintry weather, thought I'd offer up a little warmth from the tropics--Enjoy!

Left for Good

Decades of mirrored reflections

My words unworthy

Shattered in a day

A click, a post, a blog

A comment

Twenty-twelve the year

Not good enough

Was left

So I could write

This is offered up for the prompt at Poetry Jam poetryjaam.blogspot.com by Peggy who asks us to write about what was left behind in 2012. This was difficult, almost gave up and then when walking the dogs, realized 2012 was the year I started my blog, started visiting poetry jam, poets united, and dverse poets. Starting a blog was a real leap of faith for me—thank you for helping me to leave “Not Good Enough” behind. Also, tied in a little reflection for the prompt at Wonder Wednesday where Kim asked us to write about reflections. Sometimes the mirror tells lies....

Good Grief

I bought cleaning products

And a coffee maker

Trash bags, toilet paper

Paper towels and

Bath towels

He knew how to clean

Just not with what

Loaded that 16 ft truck

Dad drove it

Mom followed it

For four hours

Until arrived in darkness

Hefted and hauled

Piling boxes, furniture in

His (really?) apartment

Of course he was on

The second floor

Cut himself on the ill-

Maintained door

Down to last and heaviest

Thing, my heart?

No-his mattress

Always thought I'd be

The exception

Glad hearted at the leaving

Instead, heart is grieving

Yet, it's what I wished for

A whole new world

For him to explore

Offered up tonight for Open Link Night at dversepoets.com—true story, Saturday moved my youngest son into his own apartment, where he'll finish school. Loved moving out when I went to school, figured I'd be able to channel that—wrong. Hard to let go and watch the struggle, but so necessary. Hence the title.  Someone hit his car, the water was turned off, the cable doesn't work, the landlord broke promises about internet access, and there was a whole greeting committee of roaches...reality via fire hose. :-) Cheers!

Friend Ships

Friend ships often
Sail shifting seas
You see them
Then they sail
Out of sight
And yet those
Gossamer lines of love
Memories, linger
The way she turned
The steering wheel
Underhand,
And tossed water
Into the air to delight
In the drops
Snapshots in the mind
A reflection, a grin
But most missed
The flow of conversation
Constant, joyful laughter
And now two decades
Later
Over a cup of tea
The ships meet
Those lines of love
Link into heart moorings
Like so many years
Ago and the words
And laughter flow
Hearts set free
To sail on the
Sea of Happy

This was written for the prompt of Happiness at Poetry Jam poetryjaam.blogspot.com, and for the prompt of Changes and Turns at dversepoets.com and shared with the Poetry Pantry at Poets United poetry blogroll.blogspot.com.  It was inspired by a recent visit to CA, where I got to reconnect with on of my best friends from high school.  We'd lost touch for about 20 years and then found each other on FB.  After hello and a hug, we started talking-like no time had passed at all.  :-)   Also on this New Year's Eve I'd like to share a toast with all of you

There are good ships
And there are wood ships
And there are ships that
Sail the sea
But the best ships
Are friendships
And may they
Always be

Thank you all for your kindness, support and laughter--Happy New Year!!

Looking Up

Peach flavored translucence

With a side of light

Ethereal in its emptiness

Until

A flock of winged silhouettes

Appear

Like cut outs

From the evening sky

Puzzle pieces shifting

High on the morning breeze

A vision broken

When the sun reaches out

And reveals their true colors

This is written for the prompt from Poetry Jam poetryjaam.blogspot.com, who invites us to take a walk and write about what we see. The dogs and I saw this vision this morning. Here in Florida it always looks to me like the birds are pieces of the sky that somehow fell out of the aerial jigsaw :-) Also, shared with the wonderful Open Link Night at dversepoets.com

Super Man

Caring is a given

Not a question for this man

Mother, Father, Aunt

Cared for them all until

He did not have the strength

Then visited twice a day

Brought pastellitos for the staff

A little sweet insurance for extra care

Was the constant for his grandchildren

Because caring is a given

No question, that every day

He picked them up from school

Took care of them if they were sick

While their power career parents climbed ladders

Got raises and worked late

He made the nietos cafe con leche, and listened to their stories

And when more family came from Cuba

Everyone else put up the money, but he housed them

Because caring is a given

Even when they stayed past welcome

And their daughter left them there

He fed them, drove them, called rescue

And made the funeral plans

Now his sweetheart of sixty years

Can no longer care for herself

No break, yet no complaint

Because caring is a given

And the circle of life spins

What was given is returned

Beloved and surrounded by

All his family, every day

Full of caring,

Given with gratitude

This is written for Poetry Jam's poetryjaam.blogspot.com prompt to write about a good person; And for dverse poets-another form that took on a form of it's own—kinda a quatern; dversepoets.com; and for Poets United Poetry Pantry poetryblogroll.blogspot.com This is dedicated to my father-in-law who is one of the most genuinely good people I know. His life has been that of a caregiver, and he has shouldered it with love, and patience for the past thirty years. It amazes me. And the best part is to see how much love surrounds him. His children are always there for him, he does not want for anything, daily phone calls too, plus—every Saturday is breakfast with his daughter's family and every Sunday it's dinner with us. His grandkids call him every day, help him care for his wife, give him haircuts, and take him out to lunch every week. * pastellitos are Cuban pastries; *nietos is spanish for grandchildren :-)

I Believe

In Santa

The Easter Bunny

And Tooth Fairy

How could I not?

They all were me!

This was written for the prompt to write about make believe and fantasy, from last week at Poetry Jam poetryjaam.blogspot.com (yes, I am that behind).  And I do believe! These gift givers are traditions passed from parent to parent for years and years. Of course they exist, all you have to do is look at that wide-eyed happy expression of a small child.  Wonder is the best magic of all.  Also, sharing this with Open Link Night at dversepoets.com where everyone believes in something :-)