From April PAD challenge

The Monster Dance

The monsters dance as moon comes out.

 They glide and whirl and twirl about.

When toes are squished they give a shout

And then begins the brawl.

They’ll make them pay, without a doubt,
A monster free-for-all.

When fights die down, their dance resumes,

But they eat beans and, oh, those fumes!

Resulting stench could fill six rooms.

Like naughty brothers, they

Compete with stinkers, burps and booms.
In all of this, they swing and sway.

When they get tired, they take a nap,

But snore so loud, they snarl and snap.

They moan and mutter, howl and yap.

And thus this ends their dance.

So if you’re asked by monster chap,
I wouldn’t take the chance.

poetic asides word association

Burnt toast

Acrid odor

Melted butter, peach jam

Crunchy enjoyment leaving crumbs

Breakfast

June 28, 2014

Electric Bike

I’ve never had such fun in my life

than when I rode an electric bike.

Steep hills are no problem, up you zip.

You can keep up with the young and hip.

You still pedal and keep yourself fit.

You are not too old, you need not quit.

Easier than a regular bike.

It beats walking or taking a hike.

The cost is cheap, compared to a car.

You’ll get fresh air and you can go far.

So save your pennies and zip along.

With electric bikes, you can’t go wrong.

June 27

Words

Words can be a nurturing well

A fountain of youth

A downpour in the desert

A flood gate of truth

Words can flow like a river

A home to some creatures

Or a thunderous waterfall

With eye-catching features

But words can drown a person

Or flood a great city

Words can wound and destroy

Which is a great pity

May the words you write

Be the life-giving kind

Giving hope to the hopeless

And sight to the blind

June 26

The River

A river flows within my heart today,

life-giving, bubbling, rushing through with bliss.

It carries off debris that comes my way,

and tastes much sweeter than a lover’s kiss.

It grows much deeper with each time I pray.

June 25

Funeral of a Fiend

The man with the collar

gathers mourners

with lightning green eyes.

In a thunderous voice,

he soaks them with platitudes

and idealistic images of the dead.

He holds up the deceased

as a poster child

for all that is noble.

Disdain lies dormant,

an underground hot spring.

Grieving conceals grins.

The family scatters,

secretly rejoicing,

their tears, a spring rain.

June 24

Boxed in,

But too cozy.

Settle in for a nap.

Away from world’s worries. Boring.

Break out!

June 23

Not a Good Buy, but a Goodbye

“The last straw, the last hurrah and goodbye.”

She said it with gravity and a sigh.

He didn’t quite believe her farewell then,

but now the years have added up to ten.

It was over a simple thing, the why,

the last straw, the last hurrah and goodbye.

To him it was the perfect birthday gift.

It would give her spirit and face a lift.

She didn’t need it, really, he did insist.

It was a bargain he couldn’t resist,

the last straw, the last hurrah and goodbye.

He was clueless to why it made her cry.

So that fateful romantic birthday night,

he heard her refusal by candlelight.

He is still a younger looking guy since

the last straw, the last hurrah and goodbye.

June 22

When I Can Care No More

Sometimes I wonder

what the last straw will be.

One more meeting?

A sleepless night?

A ruined carpet?

A broken van?

A dock in pay?

An illness or injury?

An insult or argument?

I pray when this ends,

it will end well. 

June 21

Tell it to the Lord

In this age, we’re busy, with little time

for our friends and family. It’s a crime.

You may feel alone, out of sorts and blue.

Cast your cares on Him, for He cares for you.

Give them all to Him: your concerns and fears,

your dilemmas, hopes, your distress and tears,

what’s beyond your reach, that’s too hard to do.

Cast your cares on Him, for He cares for you.

You may think that God lives too high to care

about food you eat and the clothes you wear.

From the bills to pay, to the rent that’s due,

cast your cares on Him, for He cares for you.

He is big enough to attend it all,

from the universe to the molecule.

He provides for birds and the flowers, too.

Cast your cares on Him, for he cares for you.

June 20

Tell it to the Doctor

I care about you, yes, but about your back pain,

blood sugar, blood pressure, headaches, eye strain,

ear wax, ear ringing, nose hairs, tooth ache, goiter,

gout, hernias, hemorrhoids, diarrhea, dizziness,

hyperactive bladder, irritable bowels, creaky knees,

weak ankles, arthritis, restless legs, constipation,

ingrown toenails, tummy aches, ulcers, not so much. 

June 19

Tell Her

Sad eyes, words lie

Make haste and apologize

In the closet, a smashed antique

Guilt causes minds to reek

June 18

Geysers

Earth breathes

Exhaling steamy breath

Strangers stop and stare

June 17

Jesus is Like…

Alaska

Wide open, welcoming

A refuge, an adventure, a call

Washington

Freely flowing water

Offering abundant spring-like life

Florida

A sunny state midst growth

Strength and help in raging hurricanes

Hawaii

Fine fragrance, graciousness

Lavish, verdant beauty, joy and love

for June 16

Where I Grew Up

In a shaded P-A valley

a house’s ghost haunts

where a young couple,

fresh after WWII,

raised five girls.

Rabbits, deer,

bobcats, bear

wander through,

unafraid of the hunter

who once lived there.

for June 15

Love

S u r r e n d e r s

Isolation

April PAD challenge

Cheerfulness

Most people have forgotten

cheerfulness is a good thing.

They may call people who

look on the bright side

a Pollyanna, a hopeless romantic

or an unrealistic idealist.

It may even be fun to complain,

criticize, or grumble about this or that.

Tiny raindrops wear down a stone.

Lemon without sugar sours the cake.

A sunny smile can encourage

a despairing heart.

from april pad challenge

Prayer for a Good Attitude

Lord, help me have a better attitude.

I want to offer thanksgiving and praise

and never complain, mutiny or brood.

Let me advance to a positive phase.

I want to offer thanksgiving and praise.

You are holy and worthy, Mighty One.

Let me advance to a positive phase,

by Your Spirit in the name of Your Son.

You are holy and worthy, Mighty One.

May I not slight You with doubts and complaints,

by Your Spirit in the name of Your Son.

Fear, panic and worry are faith’s restraints.

May I not slight You with doubts and complaints.

Trust releases me to receive Your grace.

Fear, panic and worry are faith’s restraints.

Faith enables me to look on Your face.

Trust releases me to receive You grace,

to avoid depression, gloom and despair.

Faith enables me to look on Your face,

to smile and take heart in Your loving care.

To avoid depression, gloom and despair,

Lord, help me have a better attitude,

to smile and take heart in Your loving care

and never complain, mutiny or brood.

from April PAD challenge

Pessimist

Gloomy, negative

Whining, worrying, doubting

Fears, complaints, praise, thanksgiving

Planning, hoping, believing

Bright, positive

Optimist 

PA industry CB Puente

Ant Hill

(a Puente)

Like little ants scurrying

here and there

trying to carry

more that we can bear,

we follow sugar trails

of our own desires

until our industriousness

becomes its own burden.

~ then we burrow in the ground

in holes dark and deep,

following labyrinths,

feeling part

of a bustling community,

until we lose sight

of the sunny world

and go to sleep, believing

there’s something more.

from April pad

Variegated

My hands tremble as

lightning flashes and

rain drizzles outside

on the once-dry

lumber, making a fire

hard to come by. I feel

the vibration of thunder

and I wonder at

life’s intricacies.

In the darkness and clouds,

the downpour denies

the image of dreariness

and depression

as it waters the earth

and makes redwoods grow.

If we had no storms

our days would be

monotonous.

Maybe a happy boredom

 would be delightful,

but no, not for me.

Sunshine and shower.

Roses and thorns.

Clamorous and melodious

music sets couples dressed

in satinwear dancing

to jives and waltzes. 

From April PAD Challenge

 ABC’s of Writing

A void passive verbs.

B e succinct.

C liche’s are old hat.

D on’t use two spaces between sentences.

E xamples should be specific.

F ind the funny.

G et a second pair of eyes to critique your work.

H ang out with other writers.

I nterview people in the know.

J ust keep writing, writing, writing.

K eep your project to yourself until the rough draft is complete.

L iteral is the strict definition of a word or phrase, not figurative. Don’t take “G” literally.

M isspelled words speak of your incompetence.

N ever say never or always, or at least, almost never say never or always.

O bserve the world using all of your senses.

P lease, respect your readers’ time.

Q uerying editors can prevent unpublished manuscripts.

R esearch, using primary resources when possible.

S how don’t tell.

T oo many adjectives is like a cake that’s too rich.

U se adverbs sparingly.

V ery, so, really, just, interesting, got (among others) should seldom be used.

W rite what you know.

X ylophone starts with a Z sound. Writers have been confusing early readers for years.

Y ou are a writer if you write. Improve your skills by studying and practicing the craft.

Z ero in on your project: complete rough draft, revise and submit.

Creative Blooming memories of a room

My Room

With four sisters, it wasn’t until

I was a high school junior

when I finally got a room of my own.

It was bout 10 x 12 with one window

shaded by a choke cherry tree

occasionally attacked by a woodpecker.

I painted the walls bright orange

with brown trim. No rugs

covered the rough wooden floor.

At night I had to pound on the walls

to keep the chipmunks quiet.

My friends thought that hilarious.

A single clothing rack

tucked behind the door

held my few hang-up clothes.

The room also housed a dresser

a book shelf, bunk beds

and two corner shelves.

The shelves held my

teapot and vase collection

and incense burner.

One wall featured an antique mirror,

big, but not full-length, another

displayed pennants from my travels.

I slept on the top bunk,

though no one slept on the bottom.

The radio, within reach, played rock music.

In various places, I hid my diary

(mostly about my boyfriend)

but my little sister always found it.

When my daughter, at sixteen,  

resembled me, my sister said  

she had sudden urges to steal her diary.

Through the thin walls, 

I listened to my parents worry about me,

and found it strangely comforting. 

From April PAD Challenge

Greatest Commandments

When your life goes off the rails,

when all else fails,

what remains you can afford,

love the Lord.

Don’t forget your sisters and brothers,

and love others.

Not the love that rules or smothers,

or the loves that begs and whines,

but the loves that gives through time.

When all else fails, love the Lord, and love others. 

From April PAD challenge

Cluttered Sink

A jumble of dishes

stack higher and higher

while the shower runs,

the hair dryers hum,

the shoe search ensues

and then it’s a  mad dash

out the door to go to church.

PA ode to...

Like Winnie the Pooh

Here’s to my bear with little brain;

you’re gifted in other ways.

Your smiles

Your curiosity

Your innocence

Your funny ways

Your delight in simple things

Your sensitivity to those around you

Like Pooh Bear,

what’s not to love?

Creative Blooming Quintella

The Alpaca Dance

Your partners are all set to prance.

Long legs, big eyes, thick fur.  And hums.

You’ll brush them now from neck to bums.

If you’re willing to take the chance.

Let’s all do the alpaca dance.

So listen here, I’ll teach the stance.

Right arm blocks head, avoid the spit.

Left brushes high and low a bit.  

Watch out, they’ll look at you askance.

Let’s all do the alpaca dance.

I’ll warn you now in great advance.

To kick at you, it’s spiteful goal.

Push bum and scoot around the pole.

Brush fast while it holds still perchance.

Let’s all do the alpaca dance.

The fiber grows your friend’s finance.

Remove the sticks, the hay, the burrs.

Then time to shear. The cries! The whirrs!  

They look like deer now, at first glance.

Let’s all do the alpaca dance.

I’ll tell you now, it’s not romance.

Watch where you step, it’s all not hay.

Yes, you have earned your meal today.

Now, watch them run in the expanse.

Let’s all do the alpaca dance.

From April Challenge

Muddy Shoes

Inside the farmhouse door

a mass of muddy shoes

guard the shiny kitchen floor.

Family and friends

pad along in socks

until the next chore calls.

Hedge mottles sunlight

Chubby cherubs dance on bench

Hydrangeas watch

Poetic Bloomings a lie and why

Just a Minute

I’ll be with you in a just minute.

Go back to bed, I’ll soon be in it.

Oh sure, Wifey, he must be thinking.

I see that cup of tea you’re drinking.

And your computer light’s still glowing.

You’ll check your email, I am knowing.

Next, you’ll peruse today’s Facebook feed

and then eat a snack you think you’ll need.

And while you’re at it you’ll watch a show

and you’ll wonder where the time will go.

Just a minute, I don’t believe that’s true,

three hours and a minute, if I know you.