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the grey squirrel, his
little mouth as he
chews a heel
the loaf of bread.

rain.

Haiku

driving north, I see
the black speckled sky
swarming south bound
the birds

Graveyard

leafless trees
the stone fence
nearly hides the
tombstones
adjacent to my
bedroom window

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after the storm
ice entombed branches
the shiny elms

Halloween

Moonlight caught
The cat's eyes as
She walked alongside
Children, pillowcases
In hand, begging like
Hobos
For chocolate.

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my facial expression
when I used an expression
that in the north is innocent
but elsewhere in the country
means something racially charged.

and the friend who politely pulled me
aside
to tell me of its meaning

Haiku

the symphony concert
little girl in the front row
as she conducts on her own

Cleaning

months after her death
he cleaned their closet.
the box held love
letters to
another man

Haiku/Short Poetry

trying to sleep
crickets
outside my window

Haiku/Short Poetry

little girl, waffle cone
dripping chocolate
her dress
and scabbed knee

Untitled Haiku

fireflies
the dusk picnic
falling leaves

Haiku

Please share your short poetry!




under my
windshield wiper
amber leaf




sun filled car
tissue from my purse
dust




dawn
downpour, afterward
the earthworms




clucking,
the squirrels
distract me

Ode to Pizza Pie

Oh, how I love my dear pizza pie!
The cheesy, gooey stuff
Even in Spain: tuna, oh my!
I can't ever, ever get enough

Pepperoni, sausage, olives, ham
With lots of red, tomato sauce
I'll eat every crumb, every gram
The heck with this program of weight loss!

I wait by my window, peeking through
Watching the delivery boy drive by
With some cold, frothy, golden brew
I'll enjoy my fantastic pizza pie.

Untitled--> I would love to read your haiku

wooden deck
the spilled bird seed
squirrels

There's Too Much Acid in the Ground

How proud was my father
Of his walnut trees!

My mother, “Why bother?”
The tomatoes won’t live! Please!

He loved to shell and hull.
The squirrels stole a few.

The tomatoes void and null,
She wanted them for beef stew.
“There’s too much acid in the ground!
Anyway, those nuts are too much work!”

He refused to cut them down.
(Knowing it drove her bezerk).

Years later, I came back.
Both trees had long since died.
Now, there’s seldom a lack
Of tomatoes: my mother’s pride.

Dating Disaster

Two friends, Courtney and Allison
Took to trying poetry to dinner.
Courtney courted Consonance
And Allison asked Assonance
To date at eight, a double date!
Assonance showed up exactly as expected.
Consonance clearly couldn’t count correctly.
It’s eight already!
Courtney called Consonance to confirm their courtship.

Allison asked Assonance about Alliteration, Allison’s assumed chaperon.
Assonance always averted answering about Alliteration because
Apparently, Alliteration almost ate Assonance in April.
Alliteration tried to take total
Command in Assonance’s attempted Allegories.
Courtney came crying.

“Consonance can’t come! Courtney croaked.
The three thought thoroughly through their
Problem. Perturbed, poor
Courtney cursed Consonance completely.
She swore she’d sever shared relationships right
Out of everyone’s poetic existence.
Allison and Assonance answered,
“Let’s leave.”

Driving dangerously during dating disaster,
The three turned toward
Rhyming Verse Road and parted ways that night.
Allison, annoyed and angry at their plight,
Scolded Courtney for having no insight tonight.
We didn’t personify Consonance and Assonance right!
We should have taken out Free Verse and Hyperbole in hindsight.

Courtney’s reply, “Whatever you do, don’t take out haiku!”
“Why?”
“Haiku’s not a man of words. He won’t have much to say, and you won’t know what to do.”

They agreed and parted ways until their next date
And left romance up to their poetic fate.

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arthritic fingers
the untouched piano keys
uninsured

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Autumn wake,
the first time I
saw my uncle
without his wheelchair

Salt

Salt
on bland meat,
in the little cut on my hand
gargling when I have a cold
the tin canned beans.
The story of my friend who baked
cookies and added two cups
salt instead of sugar.
margarita glass rim
baking soda tooth paste
soy sauce, beef bullion cubes,
the shaker with holes one size too big—
having to warn my guests every time!
salt shaker collections at yard sales, chipped.
high blood pressure, eat less
French dip sandwiches
just a dash—
in this recipe
enough to bring out the
Flavor

the deer with the broken leg
in the city, limping
her fawns following behind.
she licks the salt block in our
backyard
after the thunderstorm.

Saturday Funk

Yesterday and today I have been rehashing chapter six of my novel. I called my mother to ask what physical actions a really distraught woman would take that would show frustration, fear, and violence but still be an ordinary household chore. My goal was to make my scene as believable as possible, but keep my character at home so that if she were to receive a critical phone call, she could have the privacy to be able to take the call.

My idea of housework and her idea of housework usually are quite different. She keeps a very clean, orderly house. I avoid cleaning and various other chores like the plague. Thank goodness my husband helps me at home! Why scrub the floors when I could be revising, right?

But, after a half hour of discussing different chores, she helped me to set up a believable scene. I'm now excited for the emotions I was able to show through what my character is doing.

Unfortunately, I actually have to do laundry tomorrow in earnest.