Saturday, March 31, 2012

pa prompt ill believe it when...

I’ll Believe It When the Yard

spreads out like an oasis in the desert
while we sit on the double swing breathing
in fresh evening air after a busy day,
conspiring for a life of joyful connectedness,
as petunias, snapdragons, marigolds bloom,
tall aspens provide refuge for our dreams
and doves, robins and sparrows chirp
to the rhythm of our hearts in sync.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Dancing in a House of Cards 

Lord, when I think
of all the things that can go wrong,
I feel like I’m living
in the proverbial house of cards.
One misplaced breath
will bring it all down.
I can’t imagine
going through life
without Your care,
Your vow to answer prayer,
Your admonition, “Fear not!,"
Your example of the birds of the air
and the lilies of the field.
So I thank You for Your protection,
provisions and promise
 of eternal life in Christ.
And I pray for those unaware
of Your existence
and how generous You are.
Please, open their eyes!

Thursday, March 29, 2012

wordle Darkness, graphite, levitate, spoon, Paper, orange

Full Circle

Darkness engulfs me (almost) as I fiddle
with the graphite in my pencil.
I stare at it as if I’m expecting it to levitate.
And then I turn my attention to my spoon
in my tea, and I stir it around
with a ding, ding, ding as it bangs
against the mug, splashing the golden liquid
on my paper leaving an orange-ish stain.
I get a new sheet and begin my poem—
Darkness engulfs me…

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Poetic Asides One last ...

Procrastination

One last email to read
One last poem to enjoy
One last turn to take
One last cup of tea to sip
One last piece of candy to snitch
One last walk around the block
One last chat to reply to
One last poem to write
before I finish my articles
which are due today.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

acrostic

Disturbing

D irecting thoughts to the
I nteresection of trouble and worry
S ecurity of body and mind threatened with
T opsy-turvy feelings
U nsettling, upsetting
R oaming dark shadowy alleys of distress
B elieving what once was solid is now spongy
I mplying danger or horror’s ahead
N udging sanity to the edge
G rappling with niggling what-ifs




Monday, March 26, 2012

Morning Prayer 

Good morning, Lord, I invite you in.
First of all, forgive me for my sin.
I’m self consumed, I must confess.
Open my eyes to Your holiness.
Purify my heart and mind.
Today, help me be more kind
And in tune to the needs of others
Praying  for my sisters and brothers.
Open my ears to hear Your voice
And every moment make the choice
To love you first of all and then
Love others: women, children and men.
And when I go about my to-dos
May I be a person You can use.
Whether I’m making a bed or writing a story
May I bring You honor and glory.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Poetic Bloomings Photo Prompt

Shadow Dance 

What if?
the shadows
of our thoughts
were depicted on a screen
behind us as we walked along?
I have a feeling
we’d stay in our homes
and not come out.
But God sees the shadows.
He knows and still loves.
Lord, may my shadow dance
be pleasing to You.
And, sorry, when it isn’t.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

wordle: amateur, diligent, and nurture

Only Old Once

Though seventy-seven, she
felt an amateur at life.
Always diligent to do good,
experiment and learn,
she nurtured her curiosity.

The more she did, learned
and experimented,
the more she knew
she didn’t know.

 So, now heading for octogenarian,
she satisfied herself with
reading Dr. Seuss.

McGelligot’s Pool,
The Cat in the Hat,
You’re Only Old Once
always brought a smile to her face.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Poetic Asides I'll Believe it When...

I’ll Believe It When I Get It in Writing

You say you love me, that
I’m the greatest joy in your life.
I’m God’s wonderful gift to you.
I’m the best thing that ever happened. 

But for one with bipolar disorder,
the greatest blessings
in a matter of moments
transform to annoying curses.

You say you love me.
Can I get that in writing,
so the next pendulum swing,
I can show you my credentials?









Thursday, March 22, 2012

poetic bloomin in form parallelogram de crystalline

Mum

My mother
Large, lovely brown doe eyes
Ebony hair and cherry-red lips

Her kindness
A sprawling, shady tree
Providing a cool, peaceful shelter 

Inner strength
A mountain of boulders
On which her five daughters depended  

Her patience
A tranquil bubbling stream
Steady, continual refreshing

Wednesday, March 21, 2012



 Spring-like Worship 

God, I feel like I’m half asleep.
I want to be alert
to Your presence,
Your voice.  

I want to open a window
like on a spring day
and smell the fragrance
of Your being.

God I love You.
Wake me up.
Let me feel spiritually
vibrant and alive. 

Let me kick up my spiritual heels,
raising my hands
and shouting, “Halleluja!
“You are great and mighty!”

 For You are worthy of all praise.
I love You
and I worship You.
O Holy, Wonderful God!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Getting Over It

“You’re the only one with brown eyes,”
her mom said, as if it was something special.
She wondered why her eyes couldn’t be
green or blue like her siblings’.  

“She has a level head,”
adults said as if it was admirable.
She wondered why she was so boring
compared to the popular girls.

“She uses time to good advantage,”
wrote her teachers.
She thought, when teachers like you
you’re in trouble.

“I’m too tall,” said one.
“I’m too short,” said the other.
“I’m too average,” she said.
No one was satisfied.  

You can spend a whole life
learning to appreciate
the positives and overlook
the negatives of self and others.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Bullwinkle Day 

Put your thumbs in your ears
And wiggle your fingers
It’s a Bullwinkle day
Take a deep breath
As nervousness lingers
It’s a Bullwinkle day

Cinch up your belt
Hang on to your hat
You’ve got to be ready
for this or that
Pace back and forth
Because I’ve got to say
It’s a Bullwinkle day

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Poetic Bloomings prompt: spring

As I Was Walking 

The sun made my skin smile,
the brilliant sky delighted my eyes
and the softly scented breeze
tickled my nose.  

I wanted to laugh out loud,
sing praise songs
at the top of my lungs
and dance in the street.

At that moment,
I was homesick for heaven
where I would be free
to do all of those things.

Yes, there is a heaven!
For if there was no home,
how would my soul
know to be homesick?

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Good Morning, Lord 

Good morning, Lord,
I do adore You.
My time is in your hands.
Help me not be bored
and see me through
I hope You understand.

May I write
in ways that shine
to Your awesome glory.
As I fight
this fight of mine,
Lord, please write my story.

I commit my cares
my hope, my joys
all to You with trust.
My worries and scares,
my peace, my noise,
for You are good and just.

Friday, March 16, 2012

sonnet

Reunion 

Every summer, on the even years,
Five Shannon sisters and their families meet.
A mix of personalities, careers,
To reconnect this way is quite a feat.
With schedule for the week packed full of fun—
Some country side hikes and big city tours,
Bean auction, scavenger hunt, gifts homespun,
Nice restaurants and campfires with s’mores.
Swimming, exploring, shopping till dropping
And playing  Scrabble, Canasta and Pitch.
And laughing, hugging and story swapping,
So thankful when things go without a hitch.
For we’re well aware of what can take place,
Since this year, we will be missing a face.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

The Fish 

What a beautiful day!
Actual sun in Ohio.
Warm breeze.
She looked out the window
and saw flashes of orange in the pond. 

Her husband, who could do anything
when he put his mind to it,
had built it for her.
When he put the fish in,
she questioned whether
they would survive the winter. 

He reassured her in his confident voice
and his half amused chuckle,
“Oh yeah, dear, they’ll make it.”
Now she walked out and watched them,
looking lively with their little fins twitching.
So they did survive the winter.
He didn’t.  

Now, she felt like the fish
must have felt
in the cold and dark,
waiting for the spring thaw,
wondering if she’d make it
to see the sun shine again.

She imagined
his confident, gentle voice
with his little chuckle,
“Yes, dear, you’ll make it.
You’re stronger than the fish.”

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Poetic Asides Prompt: Challenge

Writers Challenge



Let them scratch their at heads at you,

wondering why you dangle a carrot

in front of your own nose, driven,

to write-- for what? they don’t know.



Why would you sit at a computer

when you could be planting a garden,

attending community meetings or

any number of important things?



Don’t pay them any mind, you know

the  magic of making tangible

 the intangible, hearing children giggle

or watching tears when answers appear.



So dangle the carrot, dream your dreams,

and do whatever it takes to motivate you

for you are a writer and if you didn’t write

 the world would miss something beautiful.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The Bop

Food for the Soul

She always saw herself as fat, even when
she was thin, but one day she realized she really was.
It was the day she saw the word on the chart, “obese.”
She was out of regular clothes into the big girls
and specialty shops. Her skinny jeans had given way
to five or six larger sizes, but still were skinny jeans.

She determined to feed her soul, regardless.

Twenty diet books rested on her bookshelves:
fruit in the morning, six small meals a day,
eat anything you want until appetite sated,
distract yourself with other things, think thin.
Her living room was filled with exercise equipment.
An expensive gym pass was tucked into her purse.
She watched the scale number go up and up.
The number she once hated became her new goal.

She determined to feed her soul, regardless.

She started accepting her body as it was,
appreciating its wonder despite its glitches.
She took her focus off the rolls, bumps and sags
and concentrated on loving life and being thankful.
She found her inner beauty and quit beating herself up.
Her clothes began to fit better, she stepped livelier.

She determined to feed her soul, regardless.

Monday, March 12, 2012

 
My Thinking Place

As a teen I sat on a fallen tree across a creek,
swinging my legs, watching water rush past,  
as minnows wriggled and crawdads scuttled as if sent.

I breathed in earthy air with wafts of lilac scent.
A leafy canopy covered me, and its boughs would creak,  
as I mulled over life’s puzzlements and the time passed.

I live in town now, and that special place is now in the past.
Its memories reminding me that, though heaven sent,
our experiences are like leaves floating along in the creek.

And like lilacs by a creek—past friends leave their lingering scent.


Sunday, March 11, 2012

Poetic Bloomings Prompt Successful self to present self

Shooting Past the Stars 

You took the path unbeaten.
Not much fruit you’ve eaten.
But you weren’t a cretin,
you loved along the way. 

You worked in little bits.
You didn’t call it quits.
In spite of all your fits,
you took the time to pray. 

And now you’ve made a name.
You’re basking in your fame,
but your goal’s still the same;
it’s to hear Him say, 

“Good and faithful one
You obeyed my Son,
so I say well done.”
That’s your hope today.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Quatern

The Frog

I found the gift you gave to me,
a big-eyed frog that fiddled songs,
so silently testifying
we once were so much closer then. 

Was cleaning in the crawl space and
I found the gift you gave to me.
I took it from its little box
and listened to its soundless tune. 

Down in that hole, I thought I’d take
stuff to the second-hand shop, when
I found the gift you gave to me.
Wasn't sure why I clung to it. 

Though I don’t see you anymore,
I know you’re part of who I am.
Thinking about past memories,
I found the gift you gave to me.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Sedoka Form

Your Voice

It has been ten years
Since your deep voice met my ear
Like warm liquid oozing in 

Time has ticked on by
If you called, I’d have to ask
I wouldn’t know your sound, now

You were addictive
Like chocolate or caffeine
I had to go cold turkey

I had to repeat
He’s part of my life no more
He’s part of my life no more

Other voices came
And went like spring thunder storms
Washing your bass voice away

I breathe easier
I have become healthier
But an empty place remains


Thursday, March 8, 2012


 Yay God, the Father of the Lord Jesus
Compassion’s Creator, Comforting God
Who cheers us up in our difficulties
So we can relate and reach out to all

Compassion’s Creator, Comforting God
Who loves the unlovely and heals our wounds
Brushes us off, picks us up when we fall
Who hugs us and wipes the tears from our eyes

Who sticks with us till contentment resumes
Who cheers us up in our difficulties
So in love, Your people can do likewise
Yay God, the Father of the Lord Jesus

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

PA prompt Ekphrastic Poetry and PB prompt Walt's Genisis Form




In Each Other’s Arms

You and me in each other’s arms 
Making promises we can’t keep
Learning what heals and harms
Mesmerized by a love so new
Captivated by each other’s charms
Lying in a tumbled heap 

You and me in each other’s arms
Trying not to make a peep
The buzzing hive no longer swarms
Sister’s in bed, brother, too
Nightly noise raises alarms
Listening for patter of little feet

You and me in each other’s arms
The roots of our love growing deep
Resting here soothes and warms
Through the years we stay true
Finding shelter through the storms
Contented with the life we reap



After In Bed the Kiss by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec


Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Rispetto

Freedom in Christ

You call us with Your gentle voice,
So one by one we come to You.
Your love demands a free will choice
Expecting us to follow through. 

How else can we truly rejoice?
If we were chained, we would be blue.
When we are free to walk away,
We cherish more the right to stay.

Monday, March 5, 2012

After Carl Sandburg’s Fog

Mental Fog

Fuzzy fog
on small feline claws
clamping into
my mind holding onto dreams
hissing at the start
of a new day.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Poetic Bloomings Prompt Fear

Looming  

I can never think of those three words.
Whenever I’m talking to friends
I have to halt the conversation
and say, “You know
the organization in each town
that helps visitors know the area
and its businesses thrive.
And then someone supplies
the correct phrase.

And then I always think of my dad
saying “car starters” for keys,
“bottle that talks” for phone,
“thing you push” for lawn mower. 

He had Alzheimer’s.
Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Shadorma

Prayers become
Aromatic trees
Children’s songs
Silver bells
Gentle gardens sprouting dreams
Dances of heaven

Friday, March 2, 2012

Rhyme Royal

Spring Snow 

Wind whistles briskly past my covered ears.
My fingers tingle at spring’s chilly breath.
My cheeks feel raw, I blink away the tears.
Though spring snow has its lovely lacy frills,
I long for sun and cheery daffodils.
And so I’ll shovel till my skin turns blue.
For what else can a Coloradan do?

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Rime Couee

Trust

Preparing for what lies ahead—
What’s next after we rise from bed?
Nobody really knows.
Shall we anticipate or dread?
“You’re precious to God,” Jesus said.
Trust in the way He shows.