I’ve taken to this chair
my back pressed in and warm
as the evening news brings
no good news into my home.
On the surface all seems right
and good the life we live,
but murder and unspoken acts
take place and we can’t help
but fear. Why does murder happen
in all its forms,
one soul astride another
til the very life is gone?
My want is peace and safety
and I puzzle events that
brought us here.
Should I just turn the power “off”
so I don’t see? Or is this
cowardice, if I should choose to
turn the other way,
and not suffer the outrage?
This plangent outcry in my core ,
is aching remorse
for all of us.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Fossil
My days are filled with not too much
And I wonder how I ever held a job,
When now I ‘m incapable of linking
Two synapses of thought
My husband works at trading horses
So we can eat and keep electricity
The roof over our head is mortgaged
The rates we pay show no pity
My mind wanders on various planes
Conjuring ideas of how to secure
A stipend to afford my style
And my style becoming more obscure
My wardrobe is worn and old
Why I still hold on to some of it
Would a mystery be , to anyone
Who stumbled upon it
In a closet full of thrift shop would- be’s
Not too many job- seeking could- be’s
But off I’ll go with a little hustle
To see if anyone will hire this fossil
And I wonder how I ever held a job,
When now I ‘m incapable of linking
Two synapses of thought
My husband works at trading horses
So we can eat and keep electricity
The roof over our head is mortgaged
The rates we pay show no pity
My mind wanders on various planes
Conjuring ideas of how to secure
A stipend to afford my style
And my style becoming more obscure
My wardrobe is worn and old
Why I still hold on to some of it
Would a mystery be , to anyone
Who stumbled upon it
In a closet full of thrift shop would- be’s
Not too many job- seeking could- be’s
But off I’ll go with a little hustle
To see if anyone will hire this fossil
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Gone
I'm watching you from a great distance
as you talk on your cell
and as you talk you're backing up,
backing up to an abyss.
I'm screaming at you to stop,
turn around!
You look my way
and wave,
but keep walking backwards.
Your child pulls on your hand,
crying.
Still you keep talking on your cell
until
you reach the edge
and step off
into the void.
You never did see the pit,
but it was there.
Now you're gone!
Although,
truth to tell,
you've been gone
a long time.
as you talk on your cell
and as you talk you're backing up,
backing up to an abyss.
I'm screaming at you to stop,
turn around!
You look my way
and wave,
but keep walking backwards.
Your child pulls on your hand,
crying.
Still you keep talking on your cell
until
you reach the edge
and step off
into the void.
You never did see the pit,
but it was there.
Now you're gone!
Although,
truth to tell,
you've been gone
a long time.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
With Love in My Heart
Mama, I think of you
with love in my heart.
I don't know how you managed
to keep your humour
as well as you did
with all the disappointments
you endured.
You got an early start
on disappointment.
Is that why you tried so hard
to give us everything?
Mama, I think of you
with love
in my heart.
I Wasn't Always
I wasn't always
this person you see now.
I had long red hair, green eyes,
a long neck, and a tiny waist.
Even after birthing two kids
men would still introduce themselves
in the grocery store
or follow me
waiting for the chance
to say hello
or ask me for a date.
Anyway, I put that aside so long ago.
My appearance now just has to please
me and my husband of thirty five years!
What freedom not to be the subject
of such speculation!
And that is the point I want to make.
I was always known to have
a fiery disposition and a keen intelligence,
but I think I peaked early,
beat down by care and discord.
I let my dreams slip through my fingers
and settled for less than I should have.
Should have gone for it.
The cost in the long run
would have been worth it.
Now I'm old and it is a pointless exercise,
but I still write.
Maybe some young girl will read this some day
and say
"I won't have those regrets,
because I'll see it through".
And I say "good for you".
this person you see now.
I had long red hair, green eyes,
a long neck, and a tiny waist.
Even after birthing two kids
men would still introduce themselves
in the grocery store
or follow me
waiting for the chance
to say hello
or ask me for a date.
Anyway, I put that aside so long ago.
My appearance now just has to please
me and my husband of thirty five years!
What freedom not to be the subject
of such speculation!
And that is the point I want to make.
I was always known to have
a fiery disposition and a keen intelligence,
but I think I peaked early,
beat down by care and discord.
I let my dreams slip through my fingers
and settled for less than I should have.
Should have gone for it.
The cost in the long run
would have been worth it.
Now I'm old and it is a pointless exercise,
but I still write.
Maybe some young girl will read this some day
and say
"I won't have those regrets,
because I'll see it through".
And I say "good for you".
Our Kids Are Ashamed of Us!
Our kids are ashamed of us
We’re not thin enough
Or successful, or smart enough to make the cut
Of people they’d be seen with.
What’s more
They don’t want the grand kids
Exposed
To our bad habits of diet
And speech and stories
Of their childhood escapades
And, God forbid
We should make a correction
Or instill a little fear
It could mark their precious psyches
Or make them schizophrenic!
It’s absolutely amazing
Though not exactly clear
How they turned out so damned perfect
Under our poor parenting skills
We’re not thin enough
Or successful, or smart enough to make the cut
Of people they’d be seen with.
What’s more
They don’t want the grand kids
Exposed
To our bad habits of diet
And speech and stories
Of their childhood escapades
And, God forbid
We should make a correction
Or instill a little fear
It could mark their precious psyches
Or make them schizophrenic!
It’s absolutely amazing
Though not exactly clear
How they turned out so damned perfect
Under our poor parenting skills
Friday, June 3, 2011
Lunch
For some reason
don't know why
the man scared me,
perhaps because he
was truly a man
and confident,
not some grown up boy,
but a man.
Most of the men I'd known before
seemed less manly than he.
He gave me his card.
So, I called him one day to
inquire of his product,
and he suggested we
get together for lunch.
I met him downtown
at fast food place,
a place I felt safe.
I could tell this wasn't
his idea of a satisfactory way
for two adults to pass time
and get acquainted.
He overcame my fears
and nervousness too
and soon we were an item.
Our friends were
introduced to each other
and now it seems fated
that we arrived here
after going to lunch
back those thirty five years!
He's still my man
and I'm still that gal.
These young girls I see now
with these silly young boys
have no serious thoughts
of the ways of this world.
If they asked me,
I'd say
look for a man.
don't know why
the man scared me,
perhaps because he
was truly a man
and confident,
not some grown up boy,
but a man.
Most of the men I'd known before
seemed less manly than he.
He gave me his card.
So, I called him one day to
inquire of his product,
and he suggested we
get together for lunch.
I met him downtown
at fast food place,
a place I felt safe.
I could tell this wasn't
his idea of a satisfactory way
for two adults to pass time
and get acquainted.
He overcame my fears
and nervousness too
and soon we were an item.
Our friends were
introduced to each other
and now it seems fated
that we arrived here
after going to lunch
back those thirty five years!
He's still my man
and I'm still that gal.
These young girls I see now
with these silly young boys
have no serious thoughts
of the ways of this world.
If they asked me,
I'd say
look for a man.
Indian Summer
When the hot days carry on and on
Past the summer's portion
and moon is huge and golden
like a Jack o lantern
and leaves are falling yellow, orange,
and red.
We know these days are numbered,
Indian summer is upon us.
Our skin still feels the sun's caress
the air still moist and heavy
We know the year has seen it's best
When Indian Summer is on us.
Past the summer's portion
and moon is huge and golden
like a Jack o lantern
and leaves are falling yellow, orange,
and red.
We know these days are numbered,
Indian summer is upon us.
Our skin still feels the sun's caress
the air still moist and heavy
We know the year has seen it's best
When Indian Summer is on us.
I Chose To Be A Nurse
For better or worse
I chose to be a nurse.
There were times when it was
Such a reward
And times when it was just hard.
It seems in recent years
The job has become
Only possible for the young.
And as you age
You’d best be ready
To set aside your desire
To work with sick and damaged
Souls
And become the maven
Of graphs and stats
And data and schedules
And rules and regs
And budgets and almost anything but
The one thing that you loved the most
And did the best.
I chose to be a nurse.
There were times when it was
Such a reward
And times when it was just hard.
It seems in recent years
The job has become
Only possible for the young.
And as you age
You’d best be ready
To set aside your desire
To work with sick and damaged
Souls
And become the maven
Of graphs and stats
And data and schedules
And rules and regs
And budgets and almost anything but
The one thing that you loved the most
And did the best.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Clobber
I’ve been the victim, yes I want to be a victim here, of an obsession with trying to hang on as long as I can to any memory scrap of loved ones who have died or otherwise moved on. Yes, this is a sickness of sorts and if left unattended starts to multiply in other areas of your life, or so it seems to me, not that I profess any accredited training on the subject. So what form does this affliction take? Well for one thing it makes it difficult to part with items that were the property of the “departed”. In my case I’ve got gobs of crap clogging my life that need to be gone, and yet I can come up with all kinds of valid sounding reasons for hanging on to it. Enough already! Here’s how I’m tackling the issue.
I’m taking each area of my home and going through everything and packing away anything that I am not actively using. Packing it up. Out of sight out of mind. It is going to the garage where it will be sealed and stacked with a date one year from now. If I haven’t gone out to rescue it in the next year it goes to Goodwill. This seems to be my best hope of conquering this issue. Incidentally, the way I’m going about this also is to contrive to make every area as attractive as I can as I go. So there is also a decorative element at work here also. Because that means what remains also has to be attractive as well as functional.
Well, wish me luck!
I’m taking each area of my home and going through everything and packing away anything that I am not actively using. Packing it up. Out of sight out of mind. It is going to the garage where it will be sealed and stacked with a date one year from now. If I haven’t gone out to rescue it in the next year it goes to Goodwill. This seems to be my best hope of conquering this issue. Incidentally, the way I’m going about this also is to contrive to make every area as attractive as I can as I go. So there is also a decorative element at work here also. Because that means what remains also has to be attractive as well as functional.
Well, wish me luck!
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