PAD 4-3 Poem Away Badger's Hexastitch

Monet

Outdoors

Light on detail

He painted what he saw

Boats, rivers, bridges, lakes

Castles, Beaches

Brilliant

PAD 4-2 artist

Betty Slade

Watercolorist

Turned novelist

Best of both worlds

PAD 4-1 artist

Connie L. Peters

I painted a frog on my wall,

not just a frog, a whole mural

complete with pond,

cat-of-nine-tails,

lily pads and dragonflies.

It wasn’t about the frog.

I don’t care much for them.

It was the dragonflies,

reminding me of Evinrude,

a hero on The Rescuers.

But that’s a different story.

Seven years later, we took in

a thirty-something lanky man

with developmental disabilities.

His nickname happened to be Froggy.

Froggy lived with us ten years.

With his cute quirks, he delighted us.

When I was away from my family.

I missed Froggy first. Due to health

reasons, we had to give him up.

Now, when I exercise in that room,

I stare at that big frog on the wall.

I’m thinking about painting over it.

Perhaps, a lovely island scene,

in case it, too, is prophetic.

PAD 3-3 animal

Morris and Monique

There once was a donkey name Morris

Who wanted to sing in a chorus

He heed and he hawed

And sounded so odd

They banished him to the forest

There once was a donkey named Monique

Who had a stubborn streak

When they pushed her to go

She soundly said no

She was sent to the woods for a week

And then the donkey named Morris

Met Monique in the forest

And now their offspring

All like to sing

So now they make music for us

PAD 3-2 animal

Neighborly Pets

They say grandchildren are best, because you can love on them and then turn them over to their parents and get a good night’s sleep. I don’t know about grandchildren, yet, but it works that way with pets. Since our cat Snickers died, we vowed no more pets, not being worth the time, hassle and expense. However, a big black dog (perhaps a pit bull), and a fluffy orange cat have won my heart. Fortunately, they don’t belong to me.

No more pets for me

Except the neighbors’ black dog

And fluffy orange cat.

The big black dog seems wiser than most, with his square head and alert eyes. He rarely barks at me through the wire fence. Instead, when I make the trek up the hill to throw the trash in the ally container, he walks with me along the fence line. He gives me that look like he wants me to pet him, but I haven’t been brave enough, thinking he might get territorial all of a sudden. Once, as I was trimming bushes along the property line with my clippers, he began chewing the branches on his side of the fence, like he was trying to help me.

We have become friends

The neighbors’ big dog and me

Though not the neighbors.

I don’t know who the fluffy orange cat belongs to, but just about every time I’m outside, the cat comes to greet me. He tries to get in the house, but there’s that no-pets rule. When I go get the mail, he gets underfoot. He used to have a treasure bush in our yard. There he’d stash toys he had swiped from the neighborhood children, such as a rubber duck, a hair brush, and a My Little Pony. One day, I spied the neighbor girl absconding with all the toys from the cat. I’m not sure if they were hers to begin with or not. The cat must have found a safer place to stash his goodies, because he doesn’t use that particular bush anymore.

Big, fluffy orange cat

Busy about neighborhood

I like his visits

I wanted to put a privacy fence up between the neighbor’s and our property. They have a habit of throwing things in my yard, like crab shells, an old pepper and a rotted board. But now I’m thinking twice about it. The neighbors haven’t done much to win my affection, but their dog has.

Sometimes animals

Are easier to befriend

Than some people are

PAD 3-1 animal

The Dormouse

A dormouse is a tiny chap

with button eyes and rounded ears.

His little life may last five years.

He hibernates-a six-month nap.

His nickname is “the sleepy one.”

He sleeps at day and up at night.

With sibling mice, they play and fight,

And snuggle, rolled up like a bun.

His tail is fluffy, oh, so cute.

They’re agile, little acrobats.

Can climb up trees so very fast.

They like to eat bugs, nuts and fruit.

Like butterflies and bumble bees,

They’re helpful in pollination.

They live in varied location—

Among grasslands, and rocks and trees.

With creamy, orange or golden coat,

They’d make fine pets on which to dote.

PAD 2-3 best and worse case scenario

Checking In

She checks in every night, by email.

A single senior, a rancher.

“What would happen to my alpacas

If I broke my leg out there

or got trapped in a snow slide?"

When she forgets to check in,

my heart races a little bit,

picturing her under a snow pile.

I call her and sigh with relief

at the sound of her voice.

PAD 2-2 best or worst case scenarios

Kayaking at My Age

Meg and I

went kayaking in Ireland

I thought perhaps I would die

Didn’t think

I’d die from sharks, lost at sea,

Or drown myself in the drink

Being bent

Too stiff to climb out, I thought

I’d die of embarrassment

PAD 2-1 Best or worse case scenarios

Loco Motion

The best case scenario

of my continual doing this exercise video

will be losing all this extra weight

and fitting in my clothes once again.

The worst case scenario

would be to pull every muscle in my body

and hubby and I will race up and

down sidewalks in our power chairs.

PAD 1-3 morning, Poem Away purple

My Purple Socks

Sometimes when I begin my day

And things don’t seem to go my way

I try to think outside the box

And put on my bright purple socks

Spring often spits out a surprise

Dark clouds, cold winds and snow-filled skies

When colors seem as dull as rocks

I put on my bright purple socks

Life is a complicated test

And simple pleasures are the best

Because of this great paradox

I put on my bright purple socks

PAD 1-2 morning, Poem Away ABC

Morning ABC’s

Arise and try to smile

Be a friend

Craft a poem

Do devotions

Exercise

Finish planning

Grab a breakfast

Help each other

Intervene in any catastrophes

Join in singing

Keep on keeping on

Let praises flow

Make up your mind

Nurture others

Open doors and windows

Practice what needs practicing

Quit worrying

Reach up

Stir up enthusiasm

Take time for tea

Understand each other

Vibrantly love

Wonder over the mysteries

EXclude worry

Youthfully dream

Zestfully live

PAD 1 morning

Possibilities

(a zejel)

O, morning you are here so fast

Night time has fallen to the past

I’m hoping now to have a blast

I wonder what this day will bring

A joke, a task, a song to sing         

To see some tulips come for spring

The possibilities are vast

A tasty dish of food I like

A friend who wants to take a hike

Or take a spin upon my bike

Oh, how will this day’s die be cast?

It may bring trouble of its own

A coldness felt down to the bone

A time to be sad and alone

The trick’s, I think, to grow steadfast

To thank the Lord through bad and good

Take joy when things be as they should

Be glad that He has understood

And know He answers if He’s asked

Poetic Bloomings Adventure

Adventurous Souls

It takes a little faith, courage,

and a sense of adventure

to explore nooks and crannies,

deep caverns, bogs, forests,

rugged mountains, vast oceans

infinite outer space and even

sunny flowered-filled fields

of the mind. So go forth brave poets.

Poem Away Kimo, Poetic Asides Leap of Faith

Teetering on the edge of decision

Will I leap, soar or stumble?

Forward or turn away?

PA Strombotto, PB harmony

Harmony

(a strombotto)

When I write there is a stirring in my soul,

Struggling to have ears to hear and eyes to see.

Drawing near to the One who can make me whole,

Causing dysfunction, distress and doubts to flee.

To write something helpful and true is my goal.

And sometimes my words will surprise even me.

As His Holy Spirit gently takes control,

We create together in sweet harmony.

Poetic Bloomings Nurture

Avalanche!

Be creative

Be creative

Be creative

My hubby always said

after we were first married.

He didn’t know

he was setting off

an avalanche.

Poetic Asides spring, Poem Away La Tuin

Springtime Memories

Springtime when I was a little child

In Pennsylvania country home

Footloose feelings tantalize me still

When weather becomes warm and mild            

Buttercups and violets popped up wild

Fragrant blooms wherever we’d roam

Of new sights and sounds we had our fill

Greening grass tempted and beguiled

Flung off our shoes and joyfully smiled

Toes in earth like a garden gnome

Raindrops and puddles gave us a thrill

Formed cakes and pies from mud we piled

Stocking the creek made fishermen riled

Bubbling water frothing like foam

Bicycles out and flying downhill

High kites among memories filed

Springtime when I was a little child

In Pennsylvania country  home

Footloose feelings tantalize me still

When weather becomes warm and mild

Poetic Asides travel

Off in My Dreams

Every time I fold my clothes

And they’re laid out across the bed

I always think that I should be

Packing my suitcases instead

I think of where I’d fly off to

Australia, New Zealand, or Wales

I’d like to see Niagara Falls

Or return to Wisconsin Dells

Cruise along Panama Canal

See a friend in San Salvador

Ireland and Scotland, I love

I’d like to go there a lot more

Canada’s calling, so is Greece

Hear the Bahamas whisper, too.

Yes, I’d travel the world over

Before my wandering was through

I tuck my clothes back in the drawers

And go about my day at home

Till laundry day comes once again

And then I dream of where I’ll roam

Poetic Bloomings challenge

Diet Challenge

I have this overeating habit.

I gave up eating like a rabbit.

Some tell me carbohydrates must go.

And others say fat grams are my woe.

Not too much protein, some advise me.

And some say I must go gluten free.

Fruit, sugars and dairy cause defeat.

So someone tell me, what’s left to eat?

poetic bloomings perspective

Saving the Frog

One day, as children

my cousins and I were playing

in their garden and spied

a snake swallowing a frog.

We felt sorry for the frog

and chased the snake away,

by dousing it with a bucket

of water. But as we played,

we returned to the frog

to see how it was doing

and noticed that is was

covering itself up with dirt.

Throughout the afternoon,

the frog slowly buried itself.

We not only caused the snake

to skip a meal, but we

didn’t help the frog.

People struggle with poverty.

Let’s help them by pooling our money

with greater taxes.

 Many of the employed see the unemployed

have better benefits, so they quit working.

This phenomena increases as workers

pay more and more for nonworkers.

Let’s control what people receive and buy and sell,

so everyone gets something,

plus make sure we get our fair share.

The practice of not feeding wild animals

to prevent them from becoming accustomed to handouts

and not learning to fend for themselves applies to humans.

It’s important to be contributors rather than takers.

People from other countries flee terrible conditions.

We have plenty. Let’s have compassion and share.

Let’s tear down the borders, abolish the rules,

and pay refuges to come up without discrimination.

By destroying our own laws,

we destroy our own people.  

Instead of immigrants being helped,  

many bring their problems with them such as

drug abuse, crime, poverty and violence

turning their new homes so generously given

into replicas of the places they fled.

Children are being abused.

Women who are unable to raise children

should be allowed to abort them.

Abortion devalues life.

Those who abuse now have a greater reason

and less inhibitions to abuse.

Children are getting killed by shootings.

Let’s take away everyone’s guns.

Shootings only increase because

now there are no good guys with guns

defending the innocent.

The climate is changing.

The world is ending.

Let’s try to save it

by changing all our uses of energy.

Frogs, people the earth

are all temporary. The bigger question

is, do we have eternal souls?

Where do we go after we die?

Can we be sure? Are our sources reliable?

If only someone would prove their reliability

by fulfilling over three hundred prophecies,

performing miracles, coming back from the dead,

and predicting future events

more accurately than reporters

record the morning news!

Many leaders are becoming like soft-hearted

children trying to save the frog.

If they  get their way

with abortion, infanticide,

Illegal immigration, climate change,

socialism and gun confiscation,

I hope these compassionate people

don’t have to sit back

and watch us bury ourselves.

Poetic Asides Gift

A Gift

Snowshoeing on top of three feet of snow.

The scrunch, scrunch sounds accompanied

by the whistling of tall, swaying pines.

Breathing in the fresh air under a gray sky

with Colorado blue breaking through.

The deliberate lifting of our feet,

the effort of muscles, and steadying

ourselves with slender ski poles.

The occasional fall as snow shoes tangle

with each other. The feel of the cold snow.

The laughter and the struggles to get up.

More laughter between friends. It’s all a gift.