PAD 30 dead end

Thanks

Thank you Robert for another month of poeming

To set our poems free and catch thoughts aroaming.

It seemed the Haphazard prompt was a dead end,

But the site came back to write one more with friends.

But poeming hasn’t come completely to a stop.

Many look forward to the regular Wednesday prompt.

Thank you poets who encouraged me in my writing

Somehow you made poeming much more exciting.

Thank you to those who made me gasp and laugh
Not commenting on your work is my regretful gaffe

PAD 29 Haphazard

Haphazard

H it or miss, not giving it a thought

A rbitrary not caring what you ought

P roving that slapdash can do it

H ow messy can see you through it

A nd a jumbled heap can be inspiring.

Z ones of chaos can get those synapses firing

A careless effort here and there

R andom thoughts beyond compare. 

D isorganized desk shows a creative mind.

An organized creative is hard to find.

PAD 28 Important

(To the tune of Buffalo Gals)

Important Advice: Just Add Sugar

You’ll have some days when things goes wrong
Things go wrong, things go wrong
And then it’s time to sing this song
To help your day go well

Add some sugar to the lemons in your life
Lemons in your life, lemons in your life
Add some sugar to the lemons in your life
And sweeten your sour day

At times you’ll have a bad hair day

Bad hair day, bad hair day
When nothing seems to go your way

When all seems so insane

Add some sugar to the lemons in your life
Lemons in your life, lemons in your life
Add some sugar to the lemons in your life
And sweeten up your sour day

So think of favorite things you like
Things you like, things you like

Write a poem or take a hike
And have a little fun

Add some sugar to the lemons in your life
Lemons in your life, lemons in your life
Add some sugar to the lemons in your life
And sweeten up your sour day

You drive to your job and your car keeps a stoppin’

And you hair keeps a floppin’ and your back keeps a poppin’

You drive to your job and your car keeps a stoppin’
You need to sweeten up your sour day

Add some sugar to the lemons in your life
Lemons in your life, lemons in your life
Add some sugar to the lemons in your life
And sweeten up your sour day 

PAD 27 take off

Young Mother

She feels like a school kid

playing hooky

when she’s able to shop

at the department store

alone.

PAD 26 love/anti love

Flavors

We each bring

a bag of jellybeans

into a relationship

Spicy, cherry, licorice, pear

Marshmallow, apple, cinnamon, plum

Coconut, mango, lemon, punch

Sour grape, root beer, bubble gum

It would be nice

to pick out our favorite flavors.

But in marriage,

they’re all in one bag.

PAD 25 exercise

A poem a day

Exercises creative muscles

Stop after thirty days?

Don’t be silly

PAD 24 regained

Clarity

How fragile

a mind can be.

One day the world

is just like anyone else’s—

the sky is blue, trees grow tall,

the sun rises in the east.

The next day, “The Twilight Zone” seems reasonable.

When sanity returns—such relief, such peace. 

PAD 23 footwear

Early Memory

My red plastic boots

dangled as Dad

lifted me up

to peer down

at Grandma asleep

in her casket.

PAD 22 Star blank

Star Shine

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. Philippians 2:14-15

We can be stars shining in the night skies

We can be storm clouds, dismal and gray

We can angrily complain and criticize

We can be stars shining in the night skies

We can encourage, be thankful, tell no lies

Words can darken or brighten someone’s day

We can be stars shining in the night skies

We can be storm clouds, dismal and gray 

PAD 21 Response to another poem

Wastebasket Brother

Shell Silverstein

Someone put their baby brother
Under this basket- -
The question is exactly why,
But I'm not going to ask it.
But someone, I ain't sayin' who,
Has got a guilty face,
Ashamed for lettin' such a lovely brother
Go to waste. 

My response: Wastebasket Sister

If I were to put my sister

Under a basket

The question is exactly which one

You can ask it

Because I have four lovely sisters

I don’t have that many baskets

So I guess my sisters are safe

I don’t want to let my basket go to waste.

PAD 20 Unsaid

I’m Sorry

The words of wisdom tipped her tongue

She didn’t know what made her stall

She could have ended it right there

She didn’t say them after all

Insults flew fast, feelings intense

And soon it ended in a brawl

She could have spoken words of hope

She didn’t say them after all

From that time on she knew the score

Her silence ended in their fall

Though she rehearsed them in her head

She didn’t say them after all

She held the words of peace within

Her reticence made her feel small

Apologies can mend and heal

She didn’t say them after all

PAD 19 cool

Is it Cool?

When you get to a certain age

You’re not sure what to name

A person, place, or thing you like.

It’s a confusing game.

Is it neat, keen, neato-keeno?

Far-out, groovy or cool?

Or gnarly, awesome, bad or phat?

Start feeling like a fool.

Or is it fine, all that, or hot?

Oh, what word will suffice?

I think that I will settle for

Just good old-fashioned nice.

PAD 18 office

My Office

My office? It’s in the garage.

Who wants to go out there?

Instead, I use the living room,

In my recliner chair.

If family makes too much noise,

I head back to my room.

I sit on bed with my laptop

Like weaver at his loom.

Sometimes on bright and sunny days

I tire of work inside.

It’s out to the front porch I go

And type while cars go by.

At times, I’m off to see the world

While words I unravel.

So far as my own office goes,

Have laptop will travel.

PAD 17 haiku

Headed for mountains

Slate gray skies, flashing road sign

Blizzard. Turn around. 

PAD 16 Food Establishment

Dad’s Favorite Restaurant

I forget the name of the place.

It was between two tiny towns  

in rural Pennsylvania.

Dad didn’t like crowds

so it was his favorite spot,

since it was usually empty.

There’s a reason for that.

One time I ordered a chef salad.

Long after Mom and Dad were served,

we got our waitresses attention

who had disappeared in back

to read a novel or something,

and she said they were out of lettuce

so Jimmy went to get some at the local market.

My chef salad finally arrived,

fresh lettuce soaked in French dressing

with a few things sprinkled on top.

Mom and Dad waited patiently

while I ate the edible parts.

It has since gone out of business.

I wonder why.

Now, when I’m eating out and the order’s slow,

I say, “Jimmy must have gone out for the lettuce.”

PAD 15 wordle: ring, flat, lavish, tooth

This I Know

Just like an old telephone ring

The jingle of a friendship past

I knew that it would never last

His voice, to me, memories bring

A mixture of both good and bad

The flat out best I’ve ever had

I think of how we used to sing

With lavish joy seasoned with grace

I felt like I had found my place

And with those thoughts, there comes a sting

A pain like an infected tooth

But needful so to live in truth

To faith I must desperately cling

Through years, my friends will come and go

But You will stay, yes, this I know\\

PAD 14 Time Out

Time Out

I remember

when my kids were small

and, at times, naughty.

I’d point to the corner

and I’d say,

“Do you want a time out?”

And inwardly I’d be saying,

“Yes! Yes!

I desperately need a time out!”

My kids are grown

and out of the house,

but still, at times,

I wish someone would stick

me in the corner

with nothing to do,

except look at walls. 

PAD 13 Last...

Last April 13^th

I was with my son and daughter

in Phoenix. Betwixt writing and

school work, we had a fun day

of games, movies, and eating out.

Here I am again with writing and

school work, not much difference,

except they are there and I am here

in Colorado, merely missing them,

longing for another fun day. 

PAD 12 silly serious

Silly

Goofy, daft

Joking, clowning, cavorting

Giggles, guffaws, tears, frowns

Fearing, scolding, weeping

Stern, critical

Serious

PAD 11 Defensive

Defensive

D istrustful of those around, he

E ffectively hid, protecting himself

F rom barbed remarks. Fortifying

E ach of his defense mechanisms.

N urturing high hedges blocking

S hifty companions. Tucked away

I n his dark inner world. Invisible,

V ery cautious, apprehensive and

E ver cynical. With no way out. 

PAD 10 Emotion

Indifference

Hate

is not the opposite of love.

For if you hate something

you love something else.

The opposite

of love is indifference,

which causes the most hurt.

Indifference lets bad happen.

PAD 9 Hideout

Reading

Like Mary in her secret garden

I would hide away in books.

Everyone learned to ignore me

as I disappeared into other worlds.

PAD 8 Doodle, something nearby

Coat Closet

When we built this house,

we chose a double closet

in the front bedroom,

rather than a coat closet

in the hallway. Now,

in the changing of weather,

on the back of our couch,

for a family of four, lies

gray windbreaker,

pink jacket, red cape,

light pink winter coat,

dark pink wind breaker,

gray skull-patterned hoodie,

fuzzy gray jacket, gray sweater

a thick black winter coat,

a brown leather jacket

and a tattered hat my hubby

will not give up. Sometimes,

I wish I chose the coat closet.

PAD 7 urban

City Driving

Run a red light

Look in rearview

Three cars coming after

Hear sirens

No place to pull over

Share a lane

Where’s the exit

There’s the exit

Take the next one

Zipping along at 70

Cars everywhere

Rollercoaster feeling

Stop and go traffic

At least this way

You won’t get killed

He said, she said

Record Holder

He said, “God could never forgive me.”

She said, “Congratulations!

You’re the first person God can’t forgive.

Shall we call Guinness?” 

PAD 6 Ekphrastic

I’d like to see myself as myself,

But beneath the surface

I’m just a tangle of roots

Soil, sunshine, and water.

PA 5 Experience

Experience

“Chalk it up to experience,” they say,

when things aren’t going quite their way.

When things go wrong wherever I roam,

I say, “Cheer up, it will make a good poem.”

PAD 4 Distance

Dancing with Will

(Bref Double)

A rocker and a roller she

Would dance the night away until

Her laughter changed to yawns and then

She’d kiss Will bye and head for home

Around a curve there stood a tree

She doubted as she sped downhill

She braked and slid and lost her course

And stopped to smashing of the chrome

She heard a distant timid voice

Man shape appeared before the moon

Sweet trail of blood ran down her face

And then her mind began to roam

To thunderous cacophony

She danced the dance of life with will 

PAD 3 Three Blank

Three of My Favorite Things,

Besides Jesus, Family and Friends

Hiking: particularly on an autumn day

when colors are at their peak—

golden aspens, purplish-red brush oak,

yellow-orange cottonwoods, evergreens

beneath a brilliant blue Colorado sky,

making me feel a part of creation

specially designed by a wise Creator.

Traveling: planning and preparing,

rolling my clothes into tight bundles,

listening to books on tape on long rides

or flying high over ridges and patchwork,

visiting turquoise water, thick rainforests,

geysers, towers, boulders, or sandy beaches,

feeling stretched, eager, excited, and alive.

Writing: allowing words to flow from my fingertips

frustrating, scaring, surprising, inspiring me,

giving me joy or making me laugh, creating hope

that my words will cause others to feel the same.

The rhythm of poems, the intricacies of plot,

inspiration of devotions, learning, remembering,  

meeting interesting characters, connecting with God.

PAD 2 he said or she said

Unfaithful. That was the buzz.

Yes, she said that he was.

He said he wasn’t.

She’d visit her cousin,

Whether he wasn’t or was.

PAD 1 Fool

Fool

F ake

O ut

O penly

L aughing