Remix PAD 28-2

 

Remix of November 18 funny

 

Zebras

 

A dazzle of zebras ran toward us.

When we were about to get nervous,

they stopped a few yards away.

 

Except the little ones zipped

around the adult zebras in circles.

Zebra zoomies.

 

My sister took pictures.

Later we laughed when we saw

she had caught one mid-tinkle.

Remix PAD 28-1

 Remix of November 21st poem, 3 of 6 words; not, hold, button

 

Help Not Needed

 

When we got to our hotel

Our room had no power

We pushed button after button

Near a quarter hour

 

We discovered the little box

That would hold the key

And then the lights came on

We felt quite relieved

 

But in the next moment

We laughed a sheepish laugh

In all of our button pushing

We had paged the staff

Resolution PAD 27-3

 

A Solution

 

What is the resolution

To the common revolution

Of demanding one’s own way?

Might be in the constitution

Or taught in institution

Who will have their say?

 

Will we face destitution

Of moral convolution

What will the news convey?

What leads to prosecution

And to persecution

And to our dismay?

 

Let’s make a contribution

To loving restitution

And sincerely pray.

For there is no substitution

To kindly distribution

Beginning a new day.

Resolution PAD 27-2

 

Resolved

 

I’m here in Arizona recovering from vacation and COVID.

Like a camera with poor resolution,

my life has become unfocused.

I resolve to bring more clarity to my habits of prayer,

exercises, nutrition, regular sleep and writing,

before I return home to Colorado.

Color Poetic Bloomings, Resolution PAD 27-1

 Good Advice

 

I don’t pretend to understand resolution,

pixels, monochrome cameras or Bayer filters.

I just know when I told others of my Kenya plans,

many advised me to take a good camera.

I thought my little Canon would be good enough.

But what looked like gold puddles to my camera

looked like majestic lions to my sister’s.

On mine you can see a monkey silhouette.

On a friend’s, a mama monkey cuddled her baby.

Yes, those are elephants on my camera.

But on other cameras, you can count the wrinkles.

Yay for PhotoCircle where our tour group shares pics.

But this year, I’m making a resolution resolution.

Before my next trip, I’m getting a better camera.

Second Thought PAD 26-3

 Second Thought Vacation

 

Second thought (going to Africa)

overpowered first thought (going to Italy),

with some regret and trepidation

(But I wanted to go to Italy.

Is going to Africa safe?)

But second thought turned out fine.

Kenya was great!

Second Thought PAD 26-2

 On Second Thought

 

Going forward with thrust!

Doing this? A must.

There’s no stopping now.

Full speed and how!

No turning back.

Stay right on track.

Not left nor right.

Goal lies in sight.

But on second thought,

maybe not.

Second Thought PAD 26-1

 

Over Thinking

 

If I only had second thoughts.

it would simply be amusing,

It’s about the twentieth thought

when it becomes confusing.

Serious PAD 25-3

 Let’s Get Serious

 

Jesus

said to prioritize

loving God

and loving others.

Let’s get serious

about love.

Serious PAD 25-2

 Prayer

 

If God

Creator of the Universe

tells us to pray,

shouldn’t we take it seriously?

Serious PAD 25-1

 Eternity is a long time.

Shouldn’t we seriously

seek out the truth?

For Blank PAD 24-3

 For My Daughter

 

Thank You

for my daughter

who cooks and brings me food

and plays online Canasta with me

while I isolate in her spare room

and recover from COVID.

I celebrate Thanksgiving

more gratefully and joyfully

because of her.

For Blank PAD 24-2

 For friends

For family

For food, clothing, shelter

For being my loving Father

Thank You 

For Blank PAD 24-1

 For Africa

 

I’m thankful for

Africa travels and that I got to go.

Baraka the blind and tame, black rhino

Cape buffaloes, big and brawny with curly horns

Drivers of the safari jeeps, Kenyan born

Elephants, eagles and elands with dewlap on their throat

Foods in Kenya, Kenyan stew with goat

Gazelles with waggly tails and giraffes with long necks

Hungry hyenas, huge hippos and naughty hyraxes

Impalas, gentle, sleek and pretty 

Jackals and “Jambo” a greeting in Swahili

Kenya and Karen Blixen Museum

Leopards and Lions and how fun to see ’em!

Monkey hugging its baby high in Acacia

Nairobi and boat ride on Lake Naivasha

Ostriches, Elephant Orphanage and Ol Pejeta

People, especially the children, of Kenya

Quiet rest at Sweetwaters Serena Camp

Rhinoceroses and their awkward stamp

Sister, traveling partner and friend I’m fond of

Trees: Acacia and beautiful purple Jacaranda

Ugali recipes and Kenyan hospitalities

Victorious dance by women who make beads

Wildebeests, waterbucks, and wild dogs

eXciting safaris, mud-flinging warthogs

Young and old animals, a cure for the gloomies

Zebras, the little ones with zebra zoomies.

Thank You for Africa and what I experienced there.

Thank You for Your presence and I’m always in Your care.

Family PAD 23-3

 

We’re in the same house

In different rooms for different reasons

But still family

Family PAD 23-2

 Family

 

F aithful through the ups and downs

A lways ready to step in and help

M ay be near or far

I ntimate and encouraging

L ife partners

Y oung and old

Family PAD 23-1

Families

 

Biological families

Extended families

Church families

Prayer families

Writing families

Art families

Music families

Work families

Travel families

Recreational families

Community families

Give my life strength and stability

Love PAD 22-3

 Transcending Love

 

I saw love in little Kenyan school children

as they recited their lessons, 

sang their songs

and then in a sea of blue school uniforms

and dark skin, black hair, brown eyes and smiles

they hugged each one of us

mostly old white ladies

in my tour group.

One of the most cherished memories

of my travels in Africa.

Love PAD 22-2

 

We don’t have the flashy, flaming love,

but the slow cooker love

that nourishes till day’s end.

Love PAD 22-1

 I’m Okay Because…

 

Someone knows all about me

and loves me anyway.

Someone hears my requests

and cares enough to grant them

in the best possible timing.

Someone who knows my quirks

feels affection for me.

That someone is God and I’m okay.

 

 

 

3 of 6 words PAD 21-3

 An Oops

 

When we got to our hotel,

the lights would not work.

We pushed button after button,

trying to figure it out.

We finally saw the little box by the door

that would hold the key card.

Then the door bell rang.

In all of our button pushing,

we paged the staff. Oops!

3 of 6 words PAD 21-2

 Letting Love Win Out

 

Thanksgiving is around the bend

when families gather together,

enjoy a feast, relax and reflect

on reasons to be thankful.

 

Knowing how to push each other’s buttons,

not sweeping things under the rug

but working through things,

letting love win out.

 

That is something to be thankful for.

3 of 6 words PAD 21-1

 Welcome Home Delayed

 

Flying from Kenya to New York,

from New York to Mesa, Arizona,

I looked forward to the time

Hubby would hold me in his arms.

 

And he did for a few seconds.

I had a cold and did not want to pass it on.

The next morning, I tested positive for COVID.

Now I’m toxic, holed up on my room.

 

I communicate with my family via email,

like we did when I was in Africa.

I’m still looking forward to the time

Hubby will hold me in his arms.

Conflict PAD 20-3

 

The Knots

 

The back of an embroidered piece

looks like a mess,

until you see the other side.

In this life, we see the knots.

In Heaven, we’ll see the masterpiece.

Conflict PAD 20-2

 Three Types of Conflict

 

Conflict with antagonist

from sibling rivalry to an evil villain.

Conflict with elements:

a storm, a loss, poverty.

Conflict within,

crisis of conscious, difficult decisions,

overcoming depression.

No problem, no story.

It’s what keeps us reading.

So why do we strive to steer clear of conflict?

Wouldn’t a life without it be boring?

conflict PAD 20-1

 

Conflict

 

C lashes

O ngoing or occasional

N ow and always

F or sharpening, shaping

L ifting us up to next level

I ntervention by God

C auses us to be

T hankful.

Myth PAD 19-3

Myth

 

M aybe, maybe not

Y ou never know what some people hang on to most

T ightly, whether they’re true or not or

H ow these myths came to be so rock-solid in our thinking.

myth PAD 19-2

 Input, Output

 

Like the Kenyan myth

of an ogre devouring whole communities

until a brother and sister defeat him

and the brother cuts off the ogre’s toe

and all the people come out,

so are our lives.

What goes in, comes out.

 

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (Luke 6:45 NIV).

myth PAD 19-1

 The Myth of the Vaccination

 

I showed the all-important vaccination card

several times during my journey to Africa and back.

I took a COVID test right before I left.

It was negative.

I took another one immediately

after I arrived at my daughter’s in Arizona.

It was positive.

I heard several people coughing on my trip.

Whatever we’re doing now

to stop the spread of COVID,

it isn’t enough.

Storm of Poetic Bloomings

 Shovelfulls of Sunshine

 

I’m shoveling sunshine

In the place of snow.

In November,

Phoenix is the place to go.

 

I visited the equator.

It was quite warm there.

I was shoveling sunshine

As if I hadn’t a care.

 

I’m shoveling sunshine.

It sure is a breeze.

Then it’s back to Colorado

Where it’s seventeen degrees.

 

 

Funny PAD 18-3

 Delayed Conversation

 

Around the dinner table, some in our

tour group talked about the food,

how it was good, but not exceptional.

The young man in our group said,

“At the restaurant we ate at on Monday,

they had a delicious blueberry dessert.”

 

I drew a complete blank. I told them,

“I don’t remember going to a restaurant.”

It’s scary when a memory is completely erased.

My sisters and others in the group

tried to jog my memory with bits of description.

But nothing.

 

I was about to give up when my sister said,

“We had to go down steps.”

Then it came back.

I pictured the table, the steps, the bridge,

the large outdoor buffet and even when one of the ladies

ordered something else because of the flies buzzing about.

 

“I remember!” I exclaimed.

The young man grinned,

“Now that you remember,

(ten minutes later)

they had a delicious blueberry dessert.”

We all laughed.