the story of a marriage
is one of
trials
and
tribulations
forgiveness
and
letting go
of errors made
love
and
anger
compromise
and
patience
walking together
through life
sharing times
good
and
bad
most of all
reveling
in each other’s
company
until death
do us part
Calling all monsters, werewolves, and ghouls
Freaks, geeks, witches, skeletons, and fools
The hole is in the sky; stars shine through
Our time has come, our lives to renew.
Open the door, and out we will spill
Search for the goods, we must get our fill
Scare little kids who get in our way
No time to talk! It’s up and away.
Collect the best snacks, mixtures divine
Chocolate, peanuts, caramel fine
Blood red vines and peppermints to chew
Oh! Give me a sip of ice-cold brew
Tonight is the night of fun sublime
To get special treats, mountains we’ll climb
No time to practice our skills to hone
One, two, and three! Together we’ll moan
One night a year belongs to our crew
We gobble, wobble, then start anew
Time is running out. Hurry we must.
Swallow! Don’t chew! Our stomachs to bust.
The night’s almost done, yet stars shine through
Halloween’s come, our strength to renew.
Especially for freaks, witches, fools
Skeletons, monsters, werewolves, and ghouls.
Food, glorious food!
Sumptuous tastes of
Slowly roasted beef
Drowned in onions
Covered in gravy
Potatoes gently
Browned, sprinkled
With parsley and chives
Arranged in spirals
Delicate designs
Green beans bathing in
Mushroom sauce, topped
With fried onions
Or drenched with butter
Stacked like lucky logs
Delightful desserts
Sugary cookies
Mouth melting cakes
Devilish custards
Compelling desire
More, much more, awaiting
Consumption by
Mere mortals yearning
To taste the nectar
Of the golden gods
Food, glorious food!
Home is beckoning
I long to run my fingers
down my cat’s back
hear his plaintive meow
when he’s hungry
I miss the loud calls
of my birds as they speak
to one another across the room
I miss my home
Not just the curtains or the furniture
But the my-ness of home
all the things that make it
uniquely mine
memories of my kids that linger
in the air like a fine mist
I can hardly wait to open the
door and step into the world that
my husband and I have created
Look beneath the sunny smile
And stay awhile.
What do you see?
The real me.
Dig under my nails and skin
To find the soul within.
What do you see?
Lonely me.
Reach for the hidden being
Well beyond seeing.
What do you see?
Tearful me.
Wipe away the measured words
That belie fluttering birds.
What do you see?
Worried me.
Remove the tightly wound bars
To give my wondrous stars
So I can be
Truly free.
Spring the trap that binds.
Unloose the tie that winds.
What do you see?
Ecstatic me.
Music calls me
To fly with angels
In an azure sky
With gossamer wings
And crowns of golden filigree
Cymbals, harps, and lutes
Create magical tunes
Giving glory to God
And all His mighty works
Music of the soul
Heavenly prayers
Voices lift in harmony
Filling God’s ears with
Sound rejoicing
Blending, splitting, lifting
Toward heaven in
Wondrous rapture
Joining in mysterious
Psalms choruses praise
God day and night
Filling my soul
With delight
Praise God all ye peoples
Of the earth
Join in perfect harmony
Sing with me today
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Every day I pack my bag with
Swimsuit and fresh beach towel
And drive to the gym
Optimistic that a few pounds will be shed
Just enough to make a slight difference
I drive past workers stringing new telephone lines
Bicyclists, young and old, wavering in and out
Of the narrow confines of their allotted space
I bypass trucks that stop at train tracks
As I listen to my favorite country music stars
Wondering how crowded the pool will be
And picture my fat self walking
Nonchalantly to the pool’s edge
Sitting on the top step as I put on my fins
Pretending that my suit isn’t stretched too
Tightly over my abdomen
And then I step into the water and begin to swim
Feel the current that my hands create
My breathing rhythmic and the motion calming
Lap after lap I glide
Outlasting younger, stronger, faster swimmers
When I’m finished, I smile
Proud of what I have accomplished
And in those peaceful minutes
I forget about my size
And what others see when they gape
For I know, that in that moment of time,
That they don’t know the real me
And never will
Majestic mountains with snow-capped peaks
touch a baby-blue sky dotted with puffy clouds
like fingers brushing God’s eyes, cleansing air.
White dusted pines march up and down slopes
erect as soldiers, as still as statues bearing arms,
free from smoky campfires and slow-moving cars.
Half-frozen lakes rimmed with white ice,
idle now from summer’s pleasures,
enjoying peaceful rest and rehabilitation.
Winter-tolerant birds call quietly, snug in nests
hidden in tall trees, protected from wind’s chill blasts.
Fragile-boned winter-thinned deer huddle under low branches
ever watchful, ever dreaming of green fields and sunny days.
Bright white hares frozen in place, noses twitching, on alert.
Silence broken by crunching footsteps marking time,
clapping gloved hands, and occasional muffled words.
Breath steams, creating human-bred clouds that rise
to greet the day, the mountains, life-giving air,
giving substance to dreams that otherwise vaporize
into nothingness, dispelling fears and chasing away
omens of ills that might come to the unwary.
Blessed mountains with snow-capped peaks
reminders of the glory, the majesty, the grandeur
of the world entrusted to our hands to keep, to protect,
to save for generations and generations to come.
Gray hair that once was brown
Straight that used to curl
Not combing or brushing
Not washing or rinsing
Just tangling on her head.
Body so frail that once ran
Legs that can’t even stand
Not moving or twitching
Not lifting or stretching
Just resting in the bed.
Eyes that once so clearly saw
Every mistake, every flaw
Not blinking or closing
Not focusing or watching
Just staring straight ahead.
Mind that once measured
Each phrase, each meaning
Not thinking or dreaming
Not pitting or planning
Just forgetting all said.
Voice that once spoke
Of family and friends
Not whispering or shouting
Not bragging or lying
Just lost in a void.
Gone now.
Laid at rest.
Still.
Silent.
Peace at last.
Driving home, the freeway jammed
Even the diamond land crammed.
Cruise ships seeking safe repose,
Passengers fighting off woes.
Fingers white around the wheel.
Hearts forgetting how to feel.
Tunnels permanently blocked.
Wooden doors steadfastly locked.
Hopeless, dreamless,zombie-like
Pounding in the golden spike
Absolute sincerity
Wallows in simplicity.
Disaster looms up ahead.
Patterns melt the tangled thread.
Revolutionaries sway
Blinkers indicate the way.
Arterial trends emerge.
Widens an expansive urge.
Switching lanes has come too fast.
Now forgetting all the past.
Exit sign soon arises
Throwing off all disguises.
Speeding in direction shown
Indicates a welcome home.
Words and Thoughts 