Poetic Asides Prompt-- Change

C hange

Currently, it seems I’ll always be in this condition.

H owever, I know that despite this premonition,

A change awaits, perhaps  just around the corner.

N ow it may be me, ever since I’ve been born or

G enerally speaking change is inevitable  and

E very day without it is mostly regrettable.

Poetic Bloomings Monchielle

I Met Deadline Today

I met deadline today

Just two short articles

Not much more than an inch.

Won’t take much time, I thought,

I’m sure they’ll be a cinch.

I met deadline today

Studied topic at hand.

The first one was a breeze.

So it stands to reason

The next would come with ease.

I met deadline today

So I wrote past midnight.

But the words made no sense.

So I moved things around

And I worked on the tense.

I met deadline today

Took six hundred two words

And I whacked them in half.

So now I will sit back,

rest, and have a good laugh.

The Sleeping Ute, Colorado

Upstaged

The Sleeping Ute in quiet repose

ceded center stage to sun and clouds

which singing, dancing, shouting in silence

performed for weary drivers heading home.

Colorado

Vallecito Lake

Pebbled path

Edged with sage and tall grasses

Leads to lake’s piney shores

Thin whispering waves wait

Showcasing sky

And mountains

Poetic Bloomings Deep Space Nine Prompt

I Concur

I gaze upon the spinning earth

so overcome with awe.

I’m feeling rather miniscule

before the work of God.

On that blue marble hung in space

in deserts, mountains, bays,

from north to south, east to west

I explored in many ways.

But of all the things I have done,

no matter where I roam,

I must agree with Dorothy—

There is no place like home!

Maine

Meeting and Greeting

Small islands in the bay

lay like giant sea turtles

poking their heads out

to greet flocks of clouds

gathered close and low

like white fluffy chicks

while pine tree spectators

watch from the hillside.

The Cottage in Maine Woods

Thin trunks of pines

placed side by side

approached the porch

and cottage window

like zombies breaking in.

Getting in Practice for July's River of Stones

Misty Morning in Maine

The rocks lay on the shore
like petrified turtles.
The bay stretched out
like rippled steel.
The hills on the horizon
appeared pale
in the mist like shadowy
twisted crepe paper
before a party.
The puffy clouds hovered low
over the scene like a blessing.

Poetic Asides Prompt one person, one specific memory

Oops guess I didn't get the specific memory in there.

Emulsion

Two liquids
that normally would not mix,
like oil and vinegar,
unless stirred up.
Left alone
they separate.
Only when an agent
like eggs
is introduced
will oil and vinegar
stay together
and become mayonnaise.
You and are I like that.

Maine

Like muscular shoulders,
the rocky shore embraced
the inlet’s tide which sparkled blue
like lover’s eyes.

Sand Dunes

What was God thinking
when He dropped a big sandbox
in southeast Colorado?
I don’t know.
But grab a shovel and a sand pail.

Poetic Bloomings Crossword Prompt

How I Wrote this Poem

I’m afraid I’m going to be sitting here till morning,
trying to put a scattering of words in a package called a poem.
Maybe the good fairy will come tiptoeing between my neurons,
picking ideas off the shelves like a Christmas shopper
at a well-stocked shopping center,
choosing thoughts as light and strong as aluminum
or soft and comfortable like a quilt and pillow,
piecing together this and that like a dogmatic heretic,
stacking metaphors like Egyptians building pyramids,
willing to rebel against rhyme and reason,
attentive like a concierge looking for a big tip
and then the end stands before me like an open door.
I pocket dreams, fold up my feelings like a camper’s cot,
and run through.

When My Sister Comes

When my sister comes I’ll break out the tea
She’ll sit down and have a cup with me
We’ll play Scrabble till the wee hours of the night
We’ll get up and take a walk in the morning light
I’ll show her around, all to do and see

We’ll catch up on all the news and laugh hysterically
We’ll play Scrabble the best two out of three
She’ll raid my closet, yep, she might
When my sister comes

We’ll go hiking, swimming and on a shopping spree
We’ll play Scrabble until she wins over me
We’ll spell seven letter words not quite right
We’ll eat out at restaurants until our clothes are tight.
And time will buzz by like a bumble bee
When my sister comes.

Sijo prompt from Poetic Bloomings

Forgiveness sets the victim free to live his life in joy.
But pardon also releases the offender from the cage.
You decide between freedom of the soul and bitterness.

Poetic Asides Welcoming Poem

Another Me

People got us mixed up when we were young.
We even mixed up ourselves when it came time
to tell who was who in the photographs.
We’re still good for a few chuckles
when our friends do double-takes.
We were always and still are best friends.
So glad you’re coming to see me, sis.

A Strange Setup

A strange setup—this earthly life,
and I wonder what it’s all about.
Round we go as the earth spins:
blessings, problems, peace or strife.
Surely, we’re here for a reason.
I ask, “How will it all turn out?”
A strange setup—this earthly life,
and I wonder what it’s all about.

Trust

When life’s road develops bumps
you may question,
“Am I really doing God’s will?”
You feel as if you were headed to Maine
and ended up in California.
But sometimes the Lord leads us,
seemingly in the wrong direction.
Like Joseph suffering in slavery.
Like the Israelites wandering in the wilderness.
Like Shadrack, Meshak and Abednego walking in the fiery furnace.
Like Daniel spending the night with hungry lions.
Like Paul sitting in prison.
Like Mary bearing the shame of being an unwed mother.
All these people were in the Lord’s will.
At times, they must have wondered
if they zigged when they should have zagged.
No matter what we’re going through,
God is good and loving,
our source of life and love.
When we lovingly yield to Him,
when we walk in faith,
our comfort is secondary.
He knows the best path to His purpose for You.
He doesn’t promise a superhighway.
It may be a mountain trail full of bumps, twists and turns.

Poetic Bloomings Prompt--line from a favorite poet

Let him be rich and weary, that at least,/ If goodness lead him not, yet weariness/ May toss him to my breast. George Herbert—The Pulley

Rich and Weary

Life is a mixed bag,
a weaving,
a tossed salad of good and bad.
So many blessings!
Miraculous bodies,
Beautiful creation to explore,
Friends and family,
Technological wonders!
And yet, life can be so miserable,
full of pain and trouble.
In the good times, let’s run to Him
and give Him praise and thanksgiving,
so when it’s time to seek Him
for His help, peace and comfort,
we will know the way
and be familiar with His voice.

A Yard Someday

I sit in the cool of the evening
on the green double swing
which looks out on our property.
I hear the light chatter of aspens,
view the pleasant purple of locust trees,
smell the fragrant lilacs
and then I stop dreaming,
see mounds of excavated dirt,
and run back inside.

Wedding Poem

To Kathryn and Jason

T o Kathryn and Jason I
O ffer this afghan and a prayer. Lord,

K eep them warm and safe
A nd in Your loving care. Craft
T hem and shape them, in Your wisdom and design.
H elp them in their troubles and know with You things are fine. May they be
R eminded daily that You have a plan. All things are possible with You, so with
You they can. They can do what You want them to, and in You their
N eeds are met. From the time they were little, their swing dance steps were set.


A nd as Kathryn homeschooled with her siblings, and Jason
N urtured his love for Your outdoors, and she
D ressed up as the next top model and

J ason took part in sports, You put together each piece,
A s I did with this afghan, making something lovely as only You can. As they cuddle in this Prairie
S tar, watching black and white shows, enfold them in Your Spirit, watching
O ver them close . And when this afghan loses its
N ewness and develops tears and tatters, may Kady and Jase grow strong in You and all that matters.

Celebrating Independence Day

At sunset we get together,
delighting in gentle weather
with moods as light as a feather,
all together, all together.

We all bring our blankets and chairs
and leave behind worries and cares,
one of our liveliest affairs,
and none compares, and none compares.

The bright colors burst in the sky.
We “ooh” and we “ah” as they fly.
We’re thrilled as we ponder the “why,”
with a glad cry, with a glad cry.

The pain of the years passed before.
Then revolutionary war,
those eight years of fighting some more,
with hope in store, with hope in store.

As Adams declared that we might,
we celebrate with games, shows, light,
family picnics, parades at night.
So he was right, so he was right.

He said to dignify the day
as deliverance, and display
devotion to God as we may.
So let us pray, so let us pray.

Poetic Asides--Don't Start That Again

Lost My Spatula

I hear the tremor in your voice,
see the tear in your eye. I should be
happy you’re taking interest in something,
but I know you’re seldom emotional.
I remember scraping you off the ceiling.
So, don’t start that again.

June 7, 2011 A Strange Dream

Ten-minute Romance

At college, my friend Debbie and I
started noticing how kind some kids were,
one in particular, not the type of guy
I’m usually attracted to, a heavy-set,
curly-headed geek. Things began happening,
like him losing things, or needing a ride.
We had to leave and I started getting upset
that he kept doing things to keep us there.
Then he looked into my eyes
and said I don’t want you to go.
I realized I didn’t want to leave him either.
Then I started waking up.
I didn’t want to.
He tried to keep me asleep.
We knew that if I woke up
we’d never see each other again.
So we said a long goodbye
as I drifted in and out of sleep.
And then I woke up.
And I didn’t even get his name.

Sunrise prayers
Lighting, stirring, calling
Walking Hand in hand

Poetic Bloomings Prompt Color

Attention Getter

Passion, energy
Glowing warmth, friendliness, smiles
Laughs, splashes, sunshine
Friends singing around campfires
Adventure, fun, happiness

Pumpkins, yams, carrots
Tiger lilies, marigolds
Autumn leaves, sunsets
Peaches, kumquats, nectarines
Monarch butterflies, clownfish

A Terza Rima

A Night Out

To shop alone sounds somewhat of a drag,
as well as watching movies by oneself.
Attempting such thing may sound like a gag.

You may feel silly as a spritely elf,
but stirrings rise up to do something new.
You grab your keys and wallet from the shelf.

You enter local mall and don’t breeze through.
You meander as you shop leisurely.
You try things on in colors good for you.

You justify your little shopping spree.
You’ve earned it working all throughout the day.
And when you’re hungry you sit down to eat.

You smile at shoppers as they pass your way.
You watch them as they flow in steady stream.
You’ve eaten so you get your check and pay.

But first you drink your coffee with its cream.
You savor slowly to not burn your tongue.
No hurry now as late as it may seem.

Next door are many shows to choose among.
Buy popcorn and soda as you go in.
You may as well enjoy while you feel young.

And now it’s time for movie to begin.
You’re glad when it’s one you can recommend,
and cheer as heroes finally do win.

You come to realize at the evening’s end,
you did enjoy your company that night
and learned you are your own delightful friend.

Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer

Father, I love You, and I commit to You this day.
Fill me with Your Spirit, enable me to pray.

I worship You for who You are—good, Holy and kind.
I present myself to You as Yours, heart, strength, and mind.

I thank You for all the ways You have blessed my life:
the people I love, the things I have and minimal strife.

Watch over all the world and the trouble that is seen.
May You in all Your mercy and might quickly intervene.

Please bless my family, friends and me as we travel through.
And may we not forget our blessings come from You.

Poetic Bloomings in-form prompt Sicilian Quintain

Traveler

I dream of traveling throughout the earth,
to see exotic wonders far and wide.
I pause and think of my old place of birth,
of Pennsylvania hills and country side,
and ask what memories hold greater worth.

Poetic Asides Serious Poem

Caregiver

S urely, it’s hard to feel dignified or take yourself seriously when
E very time you stub your toe or burn your finger someone’s practically
R olling on the floor laughing. And it’s equally difficult to get down to business when
I n any moment you are requested to give a hug, accept slobbery kisses or make Tigger dance.
O nce in a while you wonder what you can do about the sick, the poor, the lost, the
U nloved, the abused, the captive, the victims, but for now you’re being followed by a
S huffler or you’re vacuuming and he’s jumping up and down beside you, or she’s
L aughing a deep belly laugh as you pretend you’re going to crash her wheelchair. So
Y ou content yourself in the do dailies knowing that smiles, laughter, playfulness is serious stuff.