Reform By Rainstorm

Reform By Rainstorm
30 December 2012

Darkness gathers at noon
From the clouds of a monsoon.
I watch the heavy rain
From my upper windowpane,
Looking at the cars dash
Down the street with a splash.
The drops coming in sputters
Overflow and fill the gutters.
As the water gushes and sloshes
It thoroughly rinses and washes.
Afterwards the yards'll appear
With a fresh-scrubbed atmosphere.
The air'll smell pure and clean,
Invigorating and pristine.
On Facebook, I'm glad to get by
Inside where it's warm and dry.

View Adieu

View Adieu
22 December 2012

By a series of jerks and tugs,
The old man awkwardly lugs
His familiar rocking chair
From it's usual spot to where
The best view appears.
Then he takes down the sheers
For an unobstructed sight
Of the winter solstice sunset.
He sits to catch the daylight,
Then he half-stands to reset
The rocker with a final salvo
So the sun is centered in his window.
He didn't always get to enjoy sunsets.
Much of life was earning a livelihood,
One of his best retirement assets
Is having time to enjoy as he should.
Only by glances can he watch the grand show.
On this eve of the longest darkness,
This late in the day, the sun's glow
Hurts his eyes to look at its starkness.
When the sun goes behind a tree.
The light decreases slightly.
Moving at its own stately pace,
The sun slowly slides with grace
Paralleling a palm tree trunk.
When the sun's two-thirds shrunk,
He stands to watch the radiance
Gradually diminish in brilliance.
Finally, the last sunbeams peek
Thru a tree branch's leak.
When the show's over, he tows
His chair back to where it goes.

Actually, he's not like he's made out to be
Because he's really just little ol' me.

Decide Suicide?

My heart goes out to all the families and victims of the Sandy Hook school. This poem is totally unrelated to that event, just happened to get published on the same day.

Decide Suicide?
14 December 2012

I tried my best to be good,
According to how I was taught,
In the way I understood,
Behaving as I ought.
That finally reached a point
Of diminishing positive returns.
My thinking became counterpoint
To considering suicide concerns.
Other people in my situation
Chose bringing to completion
An end of the aggravation
By despairing self-deletion.
My try resulted in a broken bone,
So I survived to live another day.
Slowly I got stronger on my own.
Now, I'm happily living my way.
I wear what pleases me.
Perhaps it's questionable
To the greater society,
But it makes me whole.
I think modesty is a false value
So there are holes in my clothes.
That might bring shame to you,
But men like that are my heroes.

Guider and Cider

On Monday I had coffee with a Facebook friend who is a life coach.


Guider and Cider
11 December 2012

I enjoyed chatting over coffee,
Although we had chocolate and cider.
Thanks for the time and talking to me
Like a confidential insider.
The conversational incentive
Covering of topics was satisfactory.
Thanks for being attentive
While I bragged about my poetry.
I felt uplifted and challenged,
While discussing your approach
And my internal peace was impinged,
By your thoughts on being a life coach.
Since kinesthetic learning is my style,
I didn't feel the full consequences
Until I started moving around after a while.
As I understand the sequences
A good life coach influences
Finding your passion and voice.
I think I'm already there.
My passion is poetry and my choice
Is to make it a business affair.
At this point I need help with advertising.
Can you help me with that or refer me
To someone who's good at publicizing,
Whose personality would prefer me?

Decoration Commemoration

Decoration Commemoration
4 December 2012

The heavy box makes it awkward
To haul down the fake evergreen.
Place the base and set it upward,
Then adjust the tips in between
The lights with just the right flair.
Retrieve the ornaments from storage.
Unbox and unwrap, handling with care,
Then hang, being attentive to moorage.
Nostalgia comes from old ornaments
Like a set of angels from coworker
Who since died, evoking sentiments
Of sadness but not a real tearjerker.
A recent acquisition of woven cloth,
Ribbon and stick pins, the prettiest
Given by its maker who is no sloth.
He has since passed the bar test
The most sentimental is from an ex.
It brings back memories of visiting.
Glass crystals catching light reflects
My mood to make the occasion exciting.

Requiescat For Matt

My former roomate's brother collapsed at work, then died at the hospital.

Requiescat For Matt
17 November 2012

Like a blow that takes your breath away,
I just don't know what to say.
He died? Matt, your brother?
You're sure it was him and not some other?
Help me find a chair.
I'm fighting for air,
Descending into despair.
The world's gone mad, I swear.
It wasn't his turn to die,
He was younger than I.
Woe unto me!
How can this be?
There's a hole in my heart,
An absence on his part.
I'm perplexed,
What's next?
How can life go on
Now that he's gone?
Like a blow that takes your breath away,
I just don't know what to say.

Resident's Absence

Resident's Absence
9 November 2012

The place seems empty without you
And the kitties miss you, too. Mew.
Something's missing when you're gone
Like an animating spirit's withdrawn.
Car and street noises are amplified
And the house creaking is personified.
Tic-tock echoing marks the passing of time.
When the wind-up clock begins to chime,
The sounds have a hollow reverberation,
An aberration lasting for the duration
Of your absence and separation.
I just don't know exactly what changes,
But when you come home everything rearranges.

Opportunity For Unity

Opportunity For Unity
30 October 2012

What's with this relationship?
Is it about companionship
More than just friendship
Like maybe a partnership?

Are we friends with benefits,
Looking at you elicits
Nothing that inhibits
Having sex as time permits?

My gut reaction's commotion
That gives me a notion
Of a change in emotion
And a loss of devotion.

Not to be synthetic,
I want to be copasetic
For you to be sympathetic
And us to be synergetic.

Come talk to me
And let's see
If we can be
In harmony.

Outside And Inside

Outside And Inside
21 October 2012

The air lost its charm
And acquired a chill,
But my heart is warm
And full of goodwill.
As I smoothed the sheet,
It still retained
Some of your body heat.
The memory contained
In my heart of the embracing,
Holding you within my sweep
And full-bodied interlacing
Before falling asleep.
Yes, the weather outside
Is cloudy, raw and gray,
But my heart's song inside
Is bonny, blithe and gay.

Nighttime Pastime

Nighttime Pastime
15 October 2012

tiredness' spawn
say, "Good night"
then with a yawn
turn out the light
time for sleepyhead
to spot and tilt
toward the bed
crawl under the quilt
beat retreat
tumble deep
under the sheet
and fall to sleep

Retool The School

They're going to replace the elementary school I attended. I went to the website, reviewed the plans and here's my reaction:


Retool The School
10 Oct 2012

The new blueprints for elementary instruction
Look like cost-cutting cookie-cutter construction.
I'm not impressed, it makes me want to wail.
It looks like the hybrid of church and jail.
There are uglier buildings of some manner
Built by the Soviet Union's central planner.
I'm wondering, "Did the architect goof,
Or is that a train trestle on the roof?"
There's masonry veneer, that's in style now
And ought to last for a while, anyhow.
I remember as a child climbing on a rack
In the gym for a better view of the track
Going east to Colorado roadways.
The school in Monument Valley displays
The local scenery and cultural fame.
Why can't Monticello's do the same?
Would it spoil plans and be unsound
To make the upper windows round?
How about if the windows were set
With a stained-glass alphabet?
I'm sure the plan is sensible
And it's design is defensible,
But could it be an inspiration
To some future generation?
Instead of having to go there and pretend,
What if students were excited to attend?
Hopefully the interior decorations
Will stimulate aspirations.
Isn't it the committee's duty
Not to mistake novelty for beauty?
This probably is closing the barn door
After the horse has escaped,
The contract has been awarded and more
It's too late for plans to be reshaped.

This Person's Life Lessons

This Person's Life Lessons
6 October 2012

The rules of life stipulate:
Dress up, show up, participate.
Always give it your best shot.
Be a player, not just vegetate.
You never know how long you've got.
Discover and follow you passion,
Wether it's in or out of fashion.
Do the very best you can.
Be above the barbs, stings
And insults of humanity's clan
That living in society brings,
Like assaults on your values.
Usually it's the little things
That make you sing the blues
And tug at your heartstrings.
Whatever life offers, you can refuse,
Refuse to take the easy way out.
You always have a chance to choose
A life that's worthwhile throughout.
Life always gives you chances
To be bigger than circumstances.

Where Moonbeams Fall

Where Moonbeams Fall
original by Jo Wall
21 Sept 2012

In the soft muted colors of the night,
The ethereal fairy dances in the moonlight,
Scattering glittering stardust in her play.
Serenity and inner joy are reflected
In the lightness of her fairy ballet
And her scintillating radiance is projected
As she dances communing, interconnected,
Perfected with the universe intersected.

Party Hearty

A friend asked me to write a generic birthday poem.

Party Hearty
27 Sept 2012

We heard of something divine
Thru a friend's grapevine,
And wanted to drop you a line
To let you know this is genuine.
It's time for a celebration,
To kick up your heals.
Yeah, it's a declaration
Of how good it feels.
Bring on the birthday cheer
Of drink, candles and cake.
It happens only once a year
So make the memory a keepsake.

Vacation Typification

Vacation Typification
24 Sept 2012

The MP3 music's bopping.
Step on the gas and keep hopping.
Crossing the mountain we aren't stopping
Even tho our ears are popping.
Although it seems to give you pains
To simply switch highway lanes,
We're playing leapfrog by lane swapping.
Past the summit the elevation starts dropping.
Coasting down from the pass
Improves milage and saves gas.
We have to turn and swerve
To make the next curve.
We're going fast, for goodness' sakes,
Before we wreck, hit the brakes!

Yesterday's Heroes

Yesterday's Heroes
14 Sept 2012

Men of World War Two,
Called the Greatest Generation,
Did what they had to do
Earning eternal veneration.
After coming home, they bought bungalows
With master bedrooms, picture windows,
Sliding glass doors and backyard patios.
Everyone started watching TV shows.
Those fighting GI Joes
Are yesterday's heroes.

Fighting in the jungles of Viet Nam
Was schizophrenic and unpredictable,
At times there was confusion and bedlam.
Many media stories were contradictable.
The men came home to stereos,
Women wearing pantyhose,
Muscle cars, paisley clothes
And eating sloppy joes.
Alas, today's John Does
Are yesterday's heroes.

Cool Dip Pool Tip

Cool Dip Pool Tip
9 Sept 2012

All this dancing's making me sweat
The caller's moving us so fast
My clothes are getting all wet.
I don't think my stamina'll last.
I know, let's go and get cool
By square dancing in the pool.

This caller's the fastest talker in town,
Staying in here, we'll only get hotter.
I think I know of a place to cool down,
Let's go dance and splash in the water.
That's a way for us to get cool,
By square dancing in the pool.

Vacation Conversation

This was inspired by my niece's blog: http://kristamaesmith.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/an-ode-to-the-travel-bug/


Vacation Conversation
3 Sept 2012

Come away with me, my dear.
Let's plan to get out of here.
The window's view is a nice touch,
But it doesn't change that much.
Let's go on a traveling vacation
Where the scenery has variation.
We'll give our routine the slip,
Shake things up by taking a trip.
Perhaps we'll risk the dangers
Of having to trust strangers.
You never know what we'll find.
Really, tho most people are kind.
They're going their busy way
Unmindful of our visiting foray.
If we don't make it too abrupt
They won't mind a pattern interrupt.
If introductions aren't too awkward
Their hospitality might be a reward.
There's a big wide world to see.
It'll be an adventure for you and me.
Come away with me, my dear.
Let's plan to get out of here.

Yacking and Bootblacking

Yacking and Bootblacking
24 August 2012

I've learned that without fail
Every pair of boots tells a tale.
As I sat on the shoeshine stand
My boots got polished by hand.
As the bootblack earnestly cleaned,
He talked of boot stories gleaned.
A person's boots become a part
Of their journey from the start.
My boots have gone many miles
Matching gay pride smiles.
Other boots helped the wearer bridge
Experiences on their pilgrimage.
The bootblack cared so very much
It came thru in his erotic touch.
Polish was bare-handedly applied.
Brushing was too fast to be spied.
In the end, not to be remiss,
He gave each buffed boot a kiss.

Quarters' Importers and Exporters

Quarters' Importers and Exporters
21 August 2012


Calling:

All hail East, whose element is air.
Come, attend us, in our prayer.
Join us in our rite
As we celebrate this night.

Hail South, whose element is fire.
Be with us to grant our hearts' desire.
Dance and make us right
As we play this night.

All hail West, whose element is water
And whose animals are bear and otter.
Lend us your influence as we unite
To romp and frolic tonight.

Hail North, whose element is earth,
Help this tribe as we give birth
To mirth and our souls take flight
On this honorable night.


Releasing:

Hail color white and direction East,
Thanks for attending our feast.
You are now released.

All hail North and color evergreen,
Thanks for visiting us and points in between
We set you free, to go on serene.

Hail West and color blue,
We give you your due
And bid a fond adieu.

All hail South and color red
Thanks for the presents you spread
We say farewell as we head to bed.

We release back to your abodes
To resume your normal modes
Until called for future episodes.

Afternoon Swoon

Afternoon Swoon
14 August 2010

After stepping out of the shower to recover,
I languidly stretch out across the bedcover.
A gentle breeze billows the sheers
As its fingers tickle my hair and ears,
And caresses my full-body bare skin.
I stretch straightening limbs again,
Then like a pet curl to the acquisition
Of a comfortable sleeping position.
Giving in completely to unwinding
And the afternoon's touch of cool,
I begin to breathe deeply, not minding
My mouth wide open and start to drool.

Last Tune For Betty June

I got word that a second cousin on my mother's side had passed on.

Last Tune For Betty June
5 August 2012

My twin and I were born
Seven weeks before Betty June.
Her mother was no greenhorn,
BJ was fifth in her commune.
Our mothers socialized together.
It's hard to imagine whether
In school or church without her.
In grade school, as it were,
We lived thru the block
And played Pony Express
Using bikes as livestock.
Each person got to possess
A corner of the block and stand by
Waiting for a fifth to come by
With a pillow standing for
Postal delivery and more.
After graduation all went nomadic,
Living our independent lives
And keeping in touch was sporadic
As we got on with our husbands or wives.
We heard she was on dialysis.
And now she's gone, too soon,
Much too soon in our analysis
So it's bye-bye Betty June.

Surprise Email

On the 31st of July I got a surprise email: "Congratulations! It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been awarded a First Place Gold Medal Prize for World Poetry Movement’s Best Poets and Poems of 2011 International Open Amateur Poetry Contest!" The award name is so long, I think they should have shortened it down to Best New Poet of 2011.

Here's the prize-winning poem:

Yesterday's Rose

dedicated to Hazel, Margaret, Betty and Doris

18 January 2012

While passing into my yard

By the white picket gate

I noticed the rose on guard

Had entered a wilted state.

When a faded petal goes

That's yesterday's rose.

Still wanting to belong,

Joining where she can,

Singing her own song

While hoping for a man.

Wearing old-fashioned clothes,

That's yesterday's rose.

She can still kick up her heals

And enjoys dining and dancing.

She know how it all feels

And what's life enhancing.

One of today's widows

Is yesterday's rose.

Looking for a good time

When she can whim it,

Spending her own dime

Within society's limit.

Not youth but wisdom shows

That's yesterday's rose.

Reunion Communion

Reunion Communion
24 July 2012

We met on the mountain at Seventy's Flat,
Out where there's room to swing a cat,
Socializing in an informal format,
Mixing a potluck with chitchat.
Rob works in sustainable power.
Lauana's a supervisor of intervention.
Randy sells cars by the hour.
Let's not forget to mention,
Julie's been a nurse for 35 years, not a quirk
Just after she was born they put her to work.
Teri's a factory site planner in Queen Creek.
Monte teaching high school seems like a jailer.
Ralph's a Dallas temple worker, so to speak.
Jimmy visits his grandkids in a trailer.
Scott teaches the children in third grade
And for the newspaper is the resident
Sports writer. From a bit of a renegade
He now serves as stake president.
Nancy's always been a housewife
And probably will be for life.
Allen's an over-the-road truck driver.
Diane's a lawyer in Moab, at times.
Kerry's a real estate bust survivor.
Alma writes poetry and rhymes.
Doug stays around like a homebody
His wife travels like she's somebody.
Janet's a social worker in Texas.
Silas said he works in sporting goods.
David in Hawaii's a construction nexus.
We all had a good time out in the woods
Mingling conversation and small talk
Offering apologies where owed,
We're as perennial as grass in the sidewalk
And as tough as weeds in the road.

Lies and Stories, Defeats and Glories

Lies and Stories, Defeats and Glories
17 July 2012

We've known each other for ages
Since we were five, maybe four,
Long before we had jobs with wages
When we were innocent to the core.
After graduation we took on
Life that could be outrageous,
Unwilling to just look on
Before life could age us.

We've known each other for so long
It's kind of useless to put on airs.
We've come back to where we belong
To share life's cares and scares.
We'll just talk about the facts.
Nobody would be rude and uncouth
Enough to brag about their acts
Or lie to stretch the truth.

Declaration of Exhilaration

Declaration of Exhilaration
4 July 2012

My four-year-old self emerged today
It felt safe for him to talk and play.
For years he kept secret hidden away,
Afraid of getting into trouble he'd say.
Now he gets to do things his own way.
This Fourth of July is a celebration
Of his freedom and liberation
After years of self-incarceration
From unfiltered victimization
To the point of obliteration.
From the years of suppression
It'll take some decompression
And incremental progression
Before he takes full possession
And my voice finds expression.

Any Clock's Toolbox

Any Clock's Toolbox
4 July 2012

This little rhyme
Reminds every schmo
That life is time.
You just never know
How long you've got,
So I advise giving
Life your best shot
Here and now; living
Usefully and productively
To improve the existence
Deftly and constructively
For all earth's residents.

Frustration Proliferation

Frustration Proliferation
28 June 2012

I'm clawing at air
And pulling my hair
As an illustration
Of my frustration.
In my car's engine
The wires rubbed on
The pulley and wore thin
So the A/C's gone.
I've already overpaid
One shop for diagnosis.
I felt betrayed
Adding to my psychosis
When they wanted more
To fix the wiring issue.
I had two friends who swore
From the motor's view
The space to repair
Is much too cramped.
Today another mechanic their
Opinion rubber stamped.
My sturdy little car's
Now at the third mechanic's.
I'm hoping for the stars
To align, not anxiety panics.

Proactive Versus Reactive

Proactive Versus Reactive
19 June 2012

They were with all the rest
Mormons well-dressed
In their Sunday best.
Maybe it was a crusade,
But for sure this was no charade
Marching in the gay pride parade.
Drag queens and the Sisters twirled
As political currents swirled
Mixing in this brave new world.
These active Mormons were there
Showing signs that they care
For lesbians and gays everywhere.

Real Bleak Workweek

Real Bleak Workweek
19 June 2012

Many days this seems if it's
Not the way life's supposed to be.
Ready to call it quits
Filled with some pain and tragedy.
You're like an automatic machine
Doing the grueling daily grind,
Going thru your routine
Driven out of your mind.
Experiencing a mix of fury and bored,
Wanting to call in sick or go on strike.
Eventually going out of your gourd,
The boss wants your head on a pike.

Ideal Appeal

Ideal Appeal
7 June 2012

It feels like summer outside
So open the windows wide.
I hear a twittering bird,
A glorious day is assured.
Sandals and shorts at that
Will go with my straw hat.

Examination Determination

Examination Determination
7 June 2012

Like most days begin
I stand, stretch and test
My body and naked skin
To see what feels best.
My hands touch around
Evoking tactile sensation
Slowly going up and down
My skin in each iteration.
My motions have stops and starts,
Lingering on the delicate parts.

Thru the window sunlight
Adds to my skin's perception.
It feels so good and right,
I give it a welcome reception.
The grinning smile on my face
Says I'm glad to be alive,
Enjoying the world's embrace,
And learning how to thrive.
I'm sure you'll list
Me as a sensualist.

Moon Nips Or Eclipse

Moon Nips Or Eclipse
20 May 2012

I think the moon must have been hungry today
And tried to eat the sun out of the sky.
The moon started with a small bite of buffet.
Very gradually there was less of the sun pie
Until only a big C was auspicious.
Then the C changed to a U, like a smily face.
I don't think the sun was delicious
Because the moon spit it back out in space.

All Cheers My Dears

All Cheers My Dears
20 April 2012

Today I'm celebrating me.
In school I had low self-esteem.
I survived that vile misery.
In my career, the boss on my team
Only added to my tension.
Now I'm cheering for hanging in
And lasting to get a pension.
I'm acknowledging all that's been
Accomplished by honoring me.
Today I'm rejoicing at my wholest
With a self-image that really
Lets me enjoy life to its fullest.

Slinging Mud At A Blue Blood

Slinging Mud At A Blue Blood
2 April 2012
Imagine this as a pub drinking song.

Beat the tambourine:
"God save the Queen!"
If you know what I mean.

I don't have a penny to own
So let's throw her a bone
As she sits on the throne.
This year's her Diamond Jubilee
So let's celebrate like she's family
And we all have the same pedigree.
Beat the tambourine:
"God save the Queen!"
If you know what I mean.

You know, she's barely begun.
After all, the Queen Mum
Lived to a hundred and one!
We can act like aristocrats
All dressed up in hats
Living like fat cats.
It's a chance to preen
And say what we mean
By "God save the queen."

Terse Verse

Terse Verse
22 March 2012

How should I frame a thought
To make it sparkle and shine?
As a terse verse it ought
To turn out just fine,
Stated short and sublime
Rolling line by line
With rhythm and rhyme.

Iridescent Present

Iridescent Present
20 March 2012

While washing pots and pans from my stew,
As the dishwater went down the drink,
Soap bubbles formed and sun refracting thru
Gave me double rainbows in my sink.

Road Trip Friendship

Road Trip Friendship
15 March 2012

Thankful for the safe trip,
The catching up, gossip
And genial fellowship;
Grateful for what happened,
How the events opened
And for rest at the end;
I'll put today to bed,
Crawl under the spread
And lay down my head.

Swooner For Crooner

Swooner For Crooner 
12 March 2012
Dedicated to Engelbert Humperdink, Roger Whittaker and etc.

Listening to the songs without a toll
On the radio, the balladeer belts out
As his voice vibrates into my soul,
Thru closed eyes a tear melts out.

For a few precious minutes
Life slows to a pause
Then quickens when in struts
The singer who overawes.

The voice makes me feel deep down
Like I haven't in a long time.
It takes me back to my hometown
When all the songs had rhyme.

In my mind I'm young once more.
Listening to music from the past
With an orchestration score
Gives me feelings I want to last.

Tadpole Scoundrel

Tadpole Scoundrel
11 March 2012

Early on at the start
With a twinkle in his eye
He up and stole my heart
And I let that slide by.
Now he's gotten bolder
And takes my cell phone
From its magnetic holder
Carried near my hip bone.
I've learned from past experience
So now my phone isn't trespassed.
It's turned off at my convenience
And any charges are bypassed.

Mademoiselle Lorielle

Mademoiselle Lorielle

27 February 2012

There's a smile on my face

And joy fills my heart

Because an event took place,

A new life got it's start.

Lorielle was born this afternoon,

A healthy baby girl at full-term.

For her mother it wasn't too soon.

Of that she was loud and firm.

She was tired of being with child. 

Not that the baby was unplanned,

It's just the discomforts piled

Up and inconveniences got out of hand.

Now she can relax and ensure

Her new baby's care and keeping

While dreaming about its future

And drift off to sleeping.

Discourse Resource

Discourse Resource
25 February 2012

In getting to know you better,
I try to understand and empathize
By conversation as your newsletter
To see the world thru your eyes.

My Way On The Highway

Do-Good Misunderstood

Do-Good Misunderstood
15 February 2012

After the baby girl was baptized,
The four-year-old brother cried
On the way home traumatized.
In the back seat he turned aside.
"What's the matter, my star son?"
Asked the concerned matron.
Johnny sobbed out, "The parson
Said that he hoped the wee one
Would be raised Christian like his
Praying to and praising Jesus,
But the problem with that plan is
I wanted her to stay and please us."

Valentine’s Day 2012

Valentine’s Day 2012
14 February 2012

On this special occasion
I just wanted to say,
With the voice of persuasion,
“Happy Valentine’s Day!”
I hope it’s a lovely delight
And filled with friendly cheer;
Then at the end of the night
You get naked with someone dear.

Right Way Overnight Stay

Right Way Overnight Stay

6 February 2012

There's a smile on my face

And joy deep in my heart.

All day thru at my place

My thoughts get a kick start

Recalling to my mind

The recent visit with you.

Lounging around, inclined 

To taking our sweet time to 

Talk of this or that event,

Letting me acertain

That our time in retirement

Is pure gravy train.

I say thanks again for 

The omission of formality

And the pleasant ardor

Of gracious hospitality.

Yesterday's Rose

Yesterday's Rose

18 January 2012

While passing into my yard

By the white picket gate

I noticed the rose on guard

Had entered a wilted state.

When a faded petal goes

That's yesterday's rose.

Still wanting to belong,

Joining where she can,

Singing her own song

While hoping for a man.

Wearing old-fashioned clothes,

That's yesterday's rose.

She can still kick up her heals

And enjoys dining and dancing.

She know how it all feels

And what's life enhancing.

One of today's widows

Is yesterday's rose.

Looking for a good time

When she can whim it,

Spending her own dime

Within society's limit.

Not youth but wisdom shows

That's yesterday's rose.

Flash Cash

Flash Cash

16 January 2012

Out on my morning stroll

On a route that's variable,

I spied a slip of paper or debris

On the sidewalk, left carefree.

On a closer look it proved to be

Money in the form of a twenty.

I picked the it up from where it lay,

Put it in my pocket and walked away.

Innocent Present

Innocent Present

8 January 2012

A favorite memory to recall

Involves my nephew's youngest son.

After dinner when he was small

He toddles up and gets my attention.

Then on my lap snuggled in,

A wee giggle escapes

His open-mouthed grin

As he feeds me grapes.

Such a precious boy

Sharing on his part,

And his smile of joy

Is forever in my heart.