On Blank - Poetic Asides

 On Our 42nd Wedding Anniversary

 

Here we sit

you in your rocker

and me in my recliner.

The sun is setting

Our bellies are full of cake and ice cream.

We’re tired from going to that Chinese place

for lunch. We don’t get out much,

you shuffling along with your walker.  

We ordered the dinner for two special.

Shared two different kind of rice.

You had the kung pao chicken.

I had cashew chicken. 

I thought about renting a movie,

but don’t want it to get too exciting around here.

So we’ll just sit and be glad that we’re still alive

and still married. Most people aren’t, you know. 

Poetic Bloomings right, left, center

 

Stay On the Road

 

When I venture forth,

out on the highway,

I can hear the Lord

discreetly say,

Don’t go to the left

or the right,

but stay on the road.

and drive in the light.

 

I’ll get you there safely.

That is the plan.

Trust me as your strength

and do what you can.

Don’t go to the left

or the right,

but stay on the road

and drive in the light.  

 

It’s the same thing, though,

while I’m at  home.

I depend on Him

whether I stay or I roam.

I don’t go to the left

or the right,

but stay on the road

and drive in the light.

Line Messaging

 

Again

(Line Messaging)

 

She was more like a sister

than a friend,

but she caught COVID and died

one day.

 

The grief weighs me down.

I put one foot in front of the other.

Will I ever find a new normal?

I will.

 

The funeral is coming up.

I’ll weep with friends and her family.

In them I will

see her.

 

I have many memories

through all the years.

I will think of them again and

again.

 

One day

I will

see her

again.

Mourning Poem

This Grief

 

Like a hat, this grief of mine

I wear tightly on my head

Weighing me down

Into the ground

I wish my friend wasn’t dead.

Scary - Poetic Asides

 

My Friend Died

 

My friend died, she lives here no more

She has passed through that golden door

COVID has struck another down

Precious memories do abound

Her death has pierced me to the core

 

I think of days that came before

With some so dear that I adore

She was somewhat of a fun clown

My friend died

 

The pandemic has made us poor

Its vile effects I do abhor

Didn’t think it would stick around

And put so many in the ground

I wonder what it has in store

My friend died

Lento

 

Father Knows Best

 

Sad that I have lost a friend

Glad her joy is now complete

Bad her life here reached its end

Mad COVID brought this defeat

 

I cling to God’s love and care

And the way He hears my prayer

My friend’s in the land that’s fair

Landing top that golden stair

Vehicle Poetic Bloomings

 My Prius and the Boat

 

My little blue Prius has taken me

over a hundred thousand miles—

to Pennsylvania a couple of times,

Nebraska, Ohio, Wyoming,

North and South Dakota,

Texas, Arizona and many places

in the Four Corners region

and all over my home state of Colorado.

It gets great gas mileage

and it’s about the only car I ever

owned that I enjoy driving.

 

The last nine days it has taken me

every day the nine minute ride

across town to my friend’s house

who was recovering from COVID,

helping her with chores and meals.

We celebrated her 69^th birthday.

We talked and laughed together

and recalled our many experiences

we’ve shared over the past thirty-some

years since our kids were little.

We each had four sisters, and called

each other “my fifth sister.”

 

 Yesterday, October 9^th, 2021,

she got in that music boat,

the one Michael rowed ashore

and sister helped to trim the sails.

She’s at home on the other side—Hallelujah!

But I sure will miss getting in my Prius

and going over to her house.

 

A good name is better

than fine perfume

and the day of death better

than the day of birth. Ecclesiastes 7:1

Morning prayer

Like Kudzu

 

You are my Lord and Savior,

Holy Trinity,

Three in One.

 

 I aim to not love anything

more than I love You.

 

I am rooted and built up in You,

established in the faith,

grateful, and growing like kudzu.

Poetic Asides Gossip

 

An Almost Rumor

 

My sister, who looks a lot like me,

and her husband visited my state.

They attended church with me.

A friend of mine said,

“I wondered why you were sitting

so close to a handsome stranger.

I could have started a rumor!”

Fortunately, she looked up

and saw me sitting nearby.

Things are not always as they appear.

Poetic Bloomings Edward Hopper paintings

 Second Honeymoon

 

Second honeymoon?

Him reading the newspaper

Me here plunking notes

 

Me reading a book

Him watching the train go by

His cigarette breath

 

Second honeymoon.

Isn’t that what she wanted?

Now, I’m on the street!

 

(all 3 paintings)

Poetic Asides caveat

 Europe in 2022 with Craft Tours

 

To the Netherlands in April

Looking forward to touring the Anne Frank museum

Seeing an abundance of tulips, windmills and cheese

Grachtentour on the Amsterdam canal

Painting wooden shoe in bright colors

 

To England in June.

Looking forward to visiting Shakespeare’s childhood home

Touring the Jane Austin Centre and Oxford University

Taking a picture on platform 9 ¾

Taking memoir classes from a famous memoirist

 

To Italy in September

Looking forward to hiking Cinque Terre.

Roaming around Rome. Seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Shopping at specialty shops in Florence 

Learning to make pasta from a local Italian grandma

 

That is if COVID doesn’t keep us from traveling—AGAIN!

 

Poetic Bloomings comfort

 

Things I Find Comfort In

 

A hug or two, a hand in mine

A pine-scented forest path

A friendly pat, a homemade gift

A warm smile, a charming laugh

 

Chicken and noodles

Hot tea with sugar and cream

A full belly and a full tank

Ocean waves, a mountain scene

 

Joyful songs in harmony

A gospel hymn a faith-filled prayer

A Bible promise, the Holy Ghost

Sisters and brothers who show they care

 

Strumming my uke, a cheerful song

A puppy cuddled on my lap

Faded jeans and tennis shoes

A toddler taking an afternoon nap

 

A gentle rain, a lilac scent

A warm fire on a cold night

A cool breeze on a hot day

Writing in the evening light

Lannet

 Snippets

 

A little girl sat at a long table

Along with other little girls and boys.

A kind lady passed out crackers and juice.

She sang, “I will make you fishers of men,

If you follow me.” The song sounded nice

but the little girl wondered what it meant.

Looking back on that small snippet of time

And others of my limited church life

I’m amazed how He wove them together

So when I, at fourteen, heard the gospel

I latched onto it and did not let go.

Now almost fifty years later I pray,

“I will follow You, follow You Jesus

So please make me a fisher of people.”

Poetic Asides Fall

 

First Day of Fall

(Kyrielle Sonnet)

 

A tinge of autumn’s in the air

The wind is blowing cool and fair

It’s time to bring out longer sleeves

A lovely yellow’s in the leaves

 

The green is fading, oh so fast

We knew that summer wouldn’t last

The warmth’s stolen by autumn’s thieves

A lovely yellow’s in the leaves

 

Enjoy the colors while they’re here

Their glow a bright spot in the year

For soon it’s time when nature grieves

The lovely yellow’s gone with leaves

 

A tinge of autumn’s in the air

A lovely yellow’s in the leaves

Poetic Bloomings perspectives

 

Mr. Bear

 

When it sat on a shelf

in a department store,

it was a cute, fluffy

Teddy bear. I bought it.

 

I gave it to my great niece.

She gave it a hug

and called him Mr. Bear.

It was a friend.

 

She threw it up in the air.

Over and over.

High and low. Catch!

Mr. Bear was a ball.

 

She swung it back and forth,

hitting couches and chairs

and Dad and Mom.

Mr. Bear was a bat.

 

She whirled it around

by its fuzzy arms

until she was out of breath.

Mr. Bear was a dancing partner.

 

She raced back and forth

holding him high

through the air.

Mr. Bear was an airplane.

 

She grew tired

lay her head on its tummy

and fell asleep.

Mr. Bear was a pillow.

 

The cute fuzzy bear

had transformed

into many wonderful things

in the hands of a child.

Poetic Asides Transition

 

Transitions

 

As life transitions to next phase

Discreetly changing through the days

Today seems as the day before

And nothing seems to stop malaise

 

I wonder if there’s something more

Begin to knock on each new door

Then changes come as a surprise

I’m different than I was before

 

My mirror image to my eyes

I ask if it’s conveying lies

Has time been spent for ill or gain?

Has each encounter made me wise?

 

What of the days that do remain?

Is my life’s message clear and plain?

And will I focus on what’s main?

And will I leave a mark or stain?

 

The Day After

 

Rejoice!

 

I rejoice today in You. May I do it all day through

And may the day after today be one that goes Your way

And the day after that and on and on forever

May be pleasing You be what I endeavor.

My happiness is found in You, I rejoice my life through.

Poetic Blooming The Day After

 

Hangover

 

I don’t drink.

I never have.

But I think I know what a hangover feels like.

Headache

Foggy brain

Sluggishness

Like you wish someone would stop the world

and let you off.

That’s how I feel the morning after I eat ice cream

or some other sweet just before bed.

One evening, my nephew and I

bought giant homemade ice cream sandwiches.

They were delicious.

We each ate a whole one.

We both had headaches the entire next day.

Just another reason not to drink alcohol.

Sweets are bad enough.

Hay na ku

Fieldtrip

Register names

Collect the money

 

Stargazing

Not us

We stay behind

 

Stargazers

Return excited

They’re the stars

Poetic Asides So Blank

 So We Hang Out

(HexSonnetta)

 

While morning’s cold and dim

And with your mom away

With you I need to stay

You’re up and full of vim

To write, the chances slim

And so, I watch you play

 

You buzz and squeal and smile

You turn and dance and rock

With no thoughts of the clock

Watch Veggie Tales awhile

In repetitious style

I think, while taking stock

 

A man, at twenty-four

A childhood with no door

Harrisham

 

Evening Song of Thanksgiving

(harrisham)

 

The crickets sing their chorus

Evening light begins to fade

God  was watching over us  

Drew close to us as we prayed

We know that He is for us

Each one of us He has made

 

Hadron Poetic Bloomings Night

 

Night sky

Penetrating stars shine

Captivating wonder

Stay, play

Camping

Family fun

Poetic Bloomings Night

 

Indigo forest

Lovers kiss in the moonlight

Internal music

Quiet Reflections

 

God’s Ocean of Love

 

The Father’s love, mercy and grace

 are vast as the ocean.

And just like the ocean holds many wonders

His love holds many things in store

for His children who ask and believe.

 

The ocean contains seaweed

which supplies most of Earth’s oxygen.

It hold beautiful fish, coral reefs

and deep dark mysteries

and even undiscovered creatures.

 

When you search the height, breadth and depth

of the Father’s love, at times, you might be scared.

Just as sharks play their part

keeping the ecosystem healthy,

problems and trials are necessary teachers.

 

Let us go deep-sea diving

asking Him for His wonders.

Worship our awesome God!

He is our joy and strength

of our hearts, souls and minds.

Poetic Asides Adage

 Planters

(Burns Stanza)

 

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. –Greek Proverb

 

You wonder, What’s in it for me,

as I plant the seeds for this tree?

The shade or fruit I’ll never see.

Why work and plow?

It seems a waste of energy

getting zilch now.

 

Think of fruit, though planter’s now dead.

Beef you eat which someone else bred.

Traveling roads someone else tread.

All you receive

from what those before you have spread,

can you conceive?

 

Imagine children eating fruit

from trees you planted shoot by shoot,

then they dug down deep, taking root.

But now you’re gone.

What you have received is now moot.

And life moves on.

Poetic Blooming Child's poem about aging

 To My Young Creative Friend

 

I used to draw and paint

when I was your age,

but things didn’t come out right.

So I stopped.

 

I used to sing and dance

when I was your age,

but I was afraid of what others thought.

So I stopped.

 

I use to write stories

when I was your age,

but I didn’t know how to finish them.

So I stopped.

 

I used to write poetry

when I was your age,

but a teacher didn’t like one of my poems.

So I stopped.

 

When I got older I learned

making mistakes, learning,

and growing are just a part

of being creative.

 

I realized I could learn to draw and paint,

and sing and dance

and write stories and poetry.

So I started again.

 

You like to do those things, too.

Learn and grow and even enjoy

the mistakes you make.

Don’t stop.

With

 With You

 

I close my eyes and picture You

in your white robe standing over me saying,

“I am the First and the Last,

the Alpha and the Omega.”

You’re smiling.

You reach Your hand out to me.

I join You in the sunshine and clouds.

We travel to Heaven where I meet people

I miss now and ones I’ve only heard about.

They’re all laughing. When I come in,

they look at me with broad smiles.

I go around to each one, greeting them.

How wonderful to reconnect with loved ones,

like Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa Shannon,

Pappap and Grandma Hurst, Uncle Gib and Aunt Sara.

I meet Bill, Dorothy, Bobby and Olive,

Dad’s brothers and sisters who died before I was born.

I laugh with Olive about most of my life

hearing that her name was Viola.

You are standing aside watching me, smiling.

Then you take me by the hand

and show me beautiful scenery,

a bridge over a creek,

huge boulders and beautiful trees,

even more beautiful than the ones on Earth.

I realize you are showing me in Heaven

my favorite things here on Earth.

You laugh and say, “Welcome home!

Your time there on earth was just a fleeting moment.

Here you live forever and won’t have time nipping

at your heels like some little yipper dog.”

Thank You, Lord, that I have all eternity

to enjoy life with You.

Haiku

 

Persistent weeds

Peek up through the earth

Not today, weeds!

PA with you

 Missing You

 

All through the years

The ups and downs

We’ve weathered storms together

And now you’re gone

You’re moving on

Goodbye is not forever

Poetic Bloomings weather

 Scary Storm

(Goethe Stanza)

 

The thunder rumbles like a growl

 

The lightning flashes in the sky

The wind  begins to blow and howl

 

While in my house I’m safe and dry  

 

 

And then a crash and with a  start

 

My house begins to groan and shake

I try to calm my beating heart

 

I only tremble, yelp and shake

 

 

I hear the sirens in the night

 

But out the window, it is calm

I wonder at the unknown plight

 

And let You be my healing balm