Form, PAD 11-3, Pleliades

 

Writing

(Pleiades)

 

Wonderful expression

Wide array of topics

Winsome or repellant

Witty or tear-jerking

Whacky or serious

Wisdom or just for fun

Words making thoughts appear

Form, PAD 11-2, Pensee

 (Pensee)

 

Travel

Fun adventures

Pack, fly, smile, adjust, go forth

Island, ocean, sunshine, palm trees

Pure anticipation

Form, PAD 11-1, Pathya Vat

 

Tuesdays

(Pathya Vat)

 

Nature Center

Arrive at eight          

Don’t be late

Stifle a yawn

 

Greet with a smile

Though just past dawn

But life goes on

Money to earn

 

The children come

Ready to learn

Energy burn

Hiking the hills

 

Like herding cats

Fun, wonder, thrills

Some bumps and spills

Now day is done

 

Hurricane’s past

We’ve had some fun

Now time to run

Tired going home

advice, PAD 10-3, Parallelogram de Crystalline

 

Don’t Dare Call Her Skinny

 

She stands tall

Like her Ponderosas.

She seems to be part of the landscape.

 

Long white hair,

Don’t dare call her skinny.

Strong as timber, she cares for the land.

 

Eyes twinkle,

Welcomes all to her ranch.

Loves every pinecone, critter and kid.

 

Bit stubborn,

But fun and apt to tease,

like Colorado springs and winters.

Advice PAD 10-2

 

My Nonverbal Caregivee

Speak to him as if understands.

Chat about your day

or what will happen next.

Don’t talk about him in his presence,

unless you praise and encourage.

 

Don’t ignore or treat him as if

he’s deaf, stupid or a child.

No sudden noise or movements,

especially if he can’t see you.

Praise, smile, touch (if he approves).

Advice PAD 10-1

 

Advice

 

They used to say when teaching to swim,

just pick them up and throw them in.

And if they sink, fish them out.

And no matter if they shout,

do it all over again.

 

That’s not my advice for swimming,

though it may be exciting.

It’s for writing.

Where PAD 9-3, Poetic Bloomings, Music

 

Where’s My Ukulele?

 

Where’s my ukulele?

Back collecting dust.

If I want to learn to play it,

Get it out, I must.

 

Beautiful mahogany

Pineapple in shape

Gentle tones of concert size,

I can’t let it escape.

 

I’d like to accompany singing

In my church’s little group,

Or the kids at the nature center.

We’d make quite a troupe.

 

I can play Happy Birthday

And Amazing Grace

And the Hokey Pokey,

But it’s only taking space.

What happened to my fingers

Is a bit revealing.

The callouses have worn off.

My fingertips are peeling. 

 

With all my to-dos,

It gets pushed off my list.

I’m sure as a musician,

I can do better than this.

 

Where’s my ukulele?

Back collecting dust.

If I want to learn to play it,

Get it out, I must!

Where PAD 9-2 pantoum

 

Where Next?

 

To those of you who read my poems,  

You travel everywhere with me,  

All from the comfort of your homes

Across the mountains, fields and sea.

 

You travel everywhere with me.

We’ve been to each of fifty states

Across the mountains, fields and sea,

At many different times and dates.

 

We’ve been to each of fifty states,

Yes, several foreign countries, too.

At many different times and dates.

There is so much to see and do.

 

Yes, several foreign countries too,

With three more continents to go.

There is so much to see and do.

Where next? I’d bet you’d like to know.

 

With three more continents to go,

Australia, Asia, Antarctica.

Where next? I’d bet you’d like to know.

How about Central America?

 

Australia, Asia, Antarctica?

Get out your shorts and bathing suit.

How about Central América?

We’ll cruise along the east side route.

 

Get out your shorts and bathing suit.

From Panama to Cozumel,

We’ll cruise along the east side route.

We’ll have a lot of tales to tell.

 

From Panama to Cozumel.

To those of you who read my poems,

We’ll have a lot of tales to tell,

All from the comfort of your homes.

Where blank PAD 9-1, palindrome

 

Where do the Animals Hide?

 

Where do the animals hide?

In oak brush and caves?  

Behind the trees?

Running away on hooved or padded feet

Disappearing so quickly

Deer, elk, bears, bobcats, lynxes

Foxes, wolves, coyotes, mountain lions

Where do the animals hide?

Foxes, wolves, coyotes, mountain lions,

Deer, elk, bears, bobcats, lynxes

Disappearing so quickly

Running away on hooved or padded feet

Behind trees?

In oak brush and caves?

Where do the animals hide?

More, PAD 8-3, Ovillejo

 Traveler

 

For this traveler, what’s in store?
More
adventures, scenery, new faces?
Places.
Winter, spring, summer, fall.
Call
it weird, but that’s not all.

Desire for travel flows through my veins.

So for me, it’s cars, trains and planes.
More places call.

More, PAD 8-2, haiku

 

Will the writing well

Ever run completely dry?

No, there’s always more.

More PAD 8-1

 The Special in Special Needs

 

His differences showed from the start.

His development was off the chart.

He walked around on tippytoe.

You never knew which way he’d go.

He gurgled at round and shiny things.

Never talks and never sings.

Makes buzzing sounds and oft says, “Whee!”

He can hear and he can see.

But he rarely looks into your eyes.

When he does, it’s a surprise.

Repetition and order is a must.

At times, it doesn’t seem right or just.

But for us, he’s one to adore.

And we couldn’t love him any more.

Dream, PAD 7-3

 

Laughable

 

Last night, I dreamed

a friend and I were at church

singing hymns.

 

A large family came in late,

and began filling up our pew.

They kept coming.

 

We kept singing.

Squashed together,

I was practically on my friend’s lap.

 

I was about to fall on the floor,

when I started laughing.

I woke up laughing.

Dream, PAD 7-2

 A Warning

 

One year,

my niece, son and I

attended a writer’s conference

 in Kansas.

The last night,

I had a dream.

 

It was dark.

My car stopped.

I got out for some reason,

and someone crashed into me.

I woke up my, heart pounding.

It seemed so real.

 

The next night,

on the way home,

It was dark.

I was stopped at a light.

The driver next to me

pointed to my car.

 

Looking back,

I saw I had left the gas latch open.

I thought

about getting out,

while waiting for the light,

and closing it.

 

But I remembered the dream.

The light turned green.

I drove to a safe spot,

got out, and closed the latch.

I think Someone

was watching over me.

Dream, PAD 7-1, Oddquain

 

Dream

REM of pics

Embrace life puzzles

All a-jumble, fears, wishes

Mixed

Principle PAD 6-3 Octameter

 As If

 

He nears thirty-one,

Has an awkward gait.

He speaks not a word,

Finds ways to express.

He shakes his head no,

And sharp claps mean yes.

With love, strokes my face.

Usually, no stress.

 

I speak with respect,

Like he understands.

He’ll show that he heard,

But there’s disconnect.

Communication

I will not neglect.

It can be a mess.

At times, I just guess.

Principle, PAD 6-2, Nove Otto

 

Principles of Packing a Carry-On

 

Make sure your luggage fits in hatch.

Pack versatile and mix and match.

Fold small or roll so all will fit.

What will you do, where will you go?

These things, of course, are good to know.

A small umbrella, don’t omit.

Remember socks and underwear.

Leave space for items you buy there.

Bring things to do while you just sit.

Principle, PAD 6-1, Nonet, Acrostic

 

Principle

 

Please remember we are all human.

Reality proves that love works

In all times and conditions.

Nurture true compassion.

Caring for others

Includes tough love.

Pick their best.

Let hate

End.

description PAD 5-3, narrative poem, haibun

 

The Blue Grotto

 

Toward the end of our Italian tour, Sis and I, along with our tour group, boarded a large, open motorboat and headed off the Island of Capri in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Once arriving at the entrance of the Blue Grotto Cave, among the cream-white limestone cliffs, we bobbed around for about two hours waiting our turn. Sis, claustrophobic, opted out of the cave adventure and stayed on the tour boat. I waited nervously to board the little wooden rowboat, picturing myself falling into the drink. But my turn finally came and lowering myself into the smaller boat wasn’t as difficult as it seemed. Before we entered the opening of the cave, our boatman rather sternly told us that the tour company did not pay tips and that was our responsibility. I didn’t have my purse with me and I had to promise I’d pay him when we got back to our boat. Otherwise, I think he would have tossed me into the Tyrrhenian Sea. The young Asian couple with us and I had to lie down while the boatman pulled us through the narrow rocky opening by a chain fastened to the wall. Once entering the large cavern, we were able to sit up and ooh and aah at the intense blue glow from underwater light reflecting off the limestone walls.  While he rowed us around the cave, with many other row boats, the oarsmen sang Italian songs, making the surreal atmosphere even more otherworldly. When we returned to the tour boat, my pant leg got stuck on the oar while the men in the rowboat and tour boat yelled in Italian trying to get me up. Only the woman in the boat could see what I was hung up on. Finally, I shook myself free and got into the larger boat. Our boatman reminded me of my promise and stood resolutely in his boat waiting for his euros.

 

Greed’s intensity

Matched beauty’s intensity

In the Blue Grotto

description PAD 5-2, Haiku

 

At the big iron gate

A cute fox waited for us

A London surprise

description PAD 5-1

 

Predators

 

They lurk about at dawn and dusk,

Looking for some food,

A mouse, a chicken, an alpaca.

 

They call to each other in the dim light.

Long shrill, arrroooooohs and yaps,

Sending shivers up our spines.

 

Anatolian Shepherd Chisholm

Growls and barks.

The coyotes run.

Past/Present, PAD 4-3, Naanit

 

I cared for him ten years.

He still knows me.

We sit and hold hands,

But he no longer tries to leave with me.

Past/future, PAD 4-2, musette

 Poeming Time

 

It’s time

To think, to tap

To rhyme

 

Of past

And the future

Won’t last

 

So soon,   

It’s time to go.

Varoom!

past/future PAD 4-1, monotetra

 His Story

 

Two thousand years ago or more,

A bearded man stood by the shore.

He’s one nobody could ignore.

One to adore, one to adore.

 

But truth is hard for some to take.

And light makes darkness pale and shake.

He showed the way and what’s at stake.

Let’s be awake, let’s be awake.

 

He died and then He rose again.

His followers became His friends.

But that’s not how the story ends.

He’ll come again, He’ll come again.

How Blank, PAD 3-3, Monorhyme

 How I Take Time to Write

 

How I take time to write

Whether morning, noon, or night

With busyness my plight

When ideas don’t excite

With writer’s block a blight

It’s often a fight

Trying to do what’s right

With schedule getting tight

I say yes with all my might

Send perfectionism out of sight

Invite in the light

And let inspiration ignite

How Blank, PAD 3-2, Monchielle

 How We Use the 3 Cs

How we use the 3 Cs

In our morning circle

We talk about our week

Then we review 3 Cs

Since harmony we seek

 

How we use the 3 Cs

Care for Nature Center

Don’t stomp on the pine cones

Pick up the trash you see

And don’t throw sticks or stones

 

How we use the 3 Cs

Yes, care for each other

Be kind in what you say

Help those who need your help

Be friendly when you play

 

How we use the 3 Cs

Thirdly, care for yourself

Dress warm, bring your backpack

And drink lots of water

And eat a healthy snack