Poem Away Gardenia, blue

Proposal

The blue eyed coquette smiled.

Her azure dress beguiled.

A cobalt eyed man spoke,

a Navy man--no joke.

With sapphire, proposed in

an outfit cerulean,

at indigo nighttime,

with brightly made up rhyme.

She, underneath the moon,

accepted with a swoon.

Poetic Bloomings Rise

Light Weight and Strength

Miraculous! An eagle soaring high!

Its body’s strong to carry off its prey.

Its hollow bones are light enough to rise.

About a half a pound, its bones will weigh.

Strong muscles give its downward strokes much power.

And lighter muscles make the wings go up.

And turning wings’ front edges speeds through air.

Wings’ wider parts toward wind drag—not abrupt.

An eagle’s seven thousand feathers plus  

weighs only five small ounces and a pound.

To lift large prey, the eagle’s strength’s a must.  

A finer use of strength/light weight’s not found.

God takes what weighs us down to make life light.

He strengthens us like eagles to take flight.

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31 NIV).

Poetic Blooming Clothes

My Pumpkin Dress

On my fifth birthday, a few days before Halloween, Mom made me a black and orange dress. I called it my pumpkin dress. I loved that dress and even wore it in the spring to my sister’s ninth birthday party. After she opened her presents, Mom had a surprise for her. The town firetruck came to give the partiers a ride. My cousin, about the same age, and I weren’t brave enough to ride the firetruck, so we stayed behind. Before they left, Mom took a picture of my cousin and I standing beside the firetruck packed with excited kids. That picture, later in life, inspired many adventures: spelunking, rock climbing, hot air balloon riding, zip-lining, white-water river rafting, because I didn’t want to be left behind, like I was in my pumpkin dress.

Two shy five-year-olds

Me in homemade pumpkin dress

Missed firetruck ride

Poetic Bloomings Candle

Autumn Birthdays

Birthdays in autumn meant,

for most of them,

I  went to school

staring out the window,

watching leaves fall

wishing for the final bell,

bus home, eat supper,

and have angel food cake

with candles all around,

like kids playing ring-

around-the-rosy at recess,

and then open presents,

play with whatever toy I got

till bedtime, then school again.

Poetic Bloomings costume

My Big Brown Eyes

We neighborhood kids made our rounds

Dressed up as monsters or in gowns.

Intent to scare or to astound.

They guessed me for my big, brown eyes.

One Halloween I went to school

Costumed as burglar, oh so cool.

Dressed all in black to surely fool.

They guessed me for my big, brown eyes.

At Scouts, a clown with round, red nose.

Thick curly wig and floppy clothes.

But you know how the story goes.

They guessed me for my big, brown eyes.

Poetic Asides Vice

I Like Chocolate

I like chocolate. It’s a craze.

Cookies, muffins and ice cream

Hot chocolate, see the steam.

Smoothies, brownies and parfaits

Turtle cupcakes, crème brulees

Baked Alaska makes me beam.

I like chocolate.

Tortes and trifles, chocolate shakes

Chocolate waffles with whipped cream

Chocolate cobbler. It’s a dream.

Covered nuts and chocolate cakes

I like chocolate.

Poetic Bloomings crimson

Crimson

Mom wore red lipstick.

As red as maple leaves in fall.

Our habit was to kiss our parents

before we left the house.

(In case someone got run over

before we saw each other again.)

The days she wore lipstick,

we were careful to kiss her

and escape before she left

crimson prints on our cheeks.