Money/poets united midweek motif/money

Money

Something I have never really known

Thank goodness I have had enough

And yet there have been times of want

As often happens in a life

But always I have had so much more

And I want more for others

At least enough

I want shoes for barefoot Mothers

Who carry their children so many miles

To seek a better life

I want more for hungry children

For those in need

After all 

Need is so much greater

Than want

Money, what is it good for

The basis for trade

And all the essentials of life

In order to have them

We need money

The world has become a place of greed

Sitting atop large sums of money

You can see those who have none

Money can help make a better life

…or a life better

Do not make me beg

Open your purse

Share what you have

Make someone’s life better

October 31, 2018

Bliss/Imaginary Gardens with real toads

Bliss

Let us talk of bliss

What is it?  

It is the center of my life

The core of my being

And what is found there

It is my work

So hard to speak of it

Will you understand

The excitement I feel

A new idea crystalizes

The work begins

This morning

I will mix colors

Though I have them in mind

I need to actually see them

I am excited

Then to paint

To move the brush

To spread the paint

To be alive in the colors

Combined in a unique way

It is not that every idea 

Is great

No that is not it

It is to be able to create them

To see them

To share them

My gift of bliss is my great pea-green boat 

October 30, 2018

Memories of Another Day/poets united poets pantry -- the sunday whirl

                                                        Taos Mountain


Memories of Another Day    

A slight breeze
Moves the sage
Outside my window
The sun shines brightly

In a forever light-blue sky
The child you were
Stands shyly in the shadows
Of the portal

Shading your eyes
From the brightness
Of the morning sun
Eggs piled high

On Granma’s best
Blue and white china plate
The waves roll in
One by one

Misty morning at the beach
The child attentive
Runs from the spray
As each wave hits the shore

Like a movie
It plays in my head
The corn roasting on an open fire
People gather, sing songs

End of the day
Long drive home
Only to find
You are no longer there

October 28, 2018
Wordle 375:     

Where I Write/imaginary gardens with real toads

Where I Write

My house is small

Just a little casita

Years ago, we build a studio

A place to paint

A place to work

A place to write

My desk faces Northeast

To my right

I look out at Taos Valley

To the village below

And the mountains beyond

I can see the early morning sun

Rise with pale pinks flooding

A pale blue early morning sky 

Over the dark blue mountains

To my left I can see 

Mostly sky usually blue

Just outside the widows

The sage brush grows

The view is very similar

To looking out to sea

The sage a low intensity green

That looks very much like waves

I am often reminded of my home

On the coast

I write on the computer

My chair is a worn office chair

Blue green

Classical music 

Visibly floats in the air 

Sounds from a piano, or cello, or violin

Keeping time

For otherwise time would be lost 

As I am lost in my work

October 27, 2018

New Beginnings/dVerse

New Beginnings

The clock struck one and away we run

Somewhat strange for a sundial

Never heard it before

Didn’t know it could speak

The clock struck two

Just me and you

Put the kettle on

Sit for a spell

The clock struck three

One more than you and me

Take a nap

Get up for the news

The clock struck four

We sit and chat some more

I share my news

You tell me yours

The clock struck five

Man alive

In the kitchen

What shall I cook

The clock struck nine

The day ceases to be

Draw your bath

Say your prayers

Wait for morning

Begin again

October 26, 2018

Identity Unknown/imaginary gardens with real toads

Identity Unknown

Something unexpected on the shore

Be it night or day

You wail your song

A song not often heard

In fields near by

Reminds one of bells that ring

In different series

Soft and loud

Later you might find

You hum along

A series of rings

Heard in the fog

Someone asked did you see him

And the answer is no

I didn’t see him

Have no idea what he wore

But from his foot prints

I would say… probably

A pair of yellow boots

His feet were “long”

We were afraid

When we heard his rings

Ran away from the shore

Ran all the way home

October 25, 2018

Winter/poets united midweek motif

Winter

For me, winter always represents 

A world of white

A world of possibilities

A world of giving

A world of dreams

Sitting by the fire

The chores all done

The music of my heart 

Fills the cold and crisp air

Like snowflakes dancing 

As they fall to the ground

Transforming the world

No longer the bare trees

Who have lost all their leaves

Instead a fairly land

Of glittery branches

Winter is the time of promise

A time of contemplation

Spring will come

New life

And we can feel all is right with the world

The winter I describe

Is not the always winter

But the winter of my dreams

The winter I wish for you

October 24, 2018 

Christmas Comes Slowly/dVerse/early

Christmas Comes Slowly

I avoid what comes too early

Instead will wait for Christmas

A long wait indeed

But send my love for now

The sun never rises too early

Always just on time

I hate to be late myself

Hate to make the little ones wait

October 22, 2018

Florence/poets united poets pantry -- the sunday whirl

Florence

The waves hit the shore
A storm like no other
Formed in the salty sea
Without charm

But she has class
A class four to be exact
She huffs and puffs
Every house falls down

The site of her landing
A disaster…

The needle pierces the fabric
Disappears
Then returns
All that we had

Washed away
Sinks to the bottom of the bay
Returns to the shore
Another day

Coiled with seaweed and shells
Picked by a beach comber
Searching for treasures
Years after the storm

October 21, 2018

Wordle 374 resonate, charge, electricity  

It Is October Again This Year/dVerse

It Is October Again This Year

Scratch notes into my journal

Fingers touch the keys

You pull the bow across the strings

Beyond the music

I hear the crunch of your footsteps

On the gravel 

Golden leaves fall

Branches bare

You fill my memories

It is October again this year 

October 18, 2018

My list of words:

• gravel                  leaf                    october                branch                          notes

Beauty in Ugliness/dVerse

Beauty in Ugliness

What is beautiful

What is ugly

Only you can say

It is personal

The whole idea of beauty

Is a mystery

Since beauty is not to be found

In this world

Rather... 

In the eye of the beholder

What is beauty after all 

Is it first light of day

Is it your smile

The sparkle in your eyes

The light that shines from within

The smoothness of your dress

Buttons on your jacket

Your little pink nose

A glorious sunset

The blue of the lizard’s tail

Perhaps it is memory

The two boys who died to soon

Strong and tall

Or you, in your red bathing suit

Trailed by your little black dog

Beauty is awe of this world

For what else do we know

The sparkle of stars

The glow of the moon

Perhaps beauty is a poem

With words so carefully selected

I can “see” what you “say”

My heart stops for a long second

It takes my breath away

October 18, 2018

Abundance/poets united midweek motif/abundance

Abundance

Have we forgotten

We grew up 

In a time of abundance

For the most part

Is there a difference

Between want and need

I see it everyday

You stand on the street

You are just a boy

A homeless mom

You wave at me

A friendly smile

I roll my window down

Search my purse

For extra bills

Who will help

It is really up to me

…and you

We do not go to bed hungry

…or cold

We sit before the fire

Sing songs

Listen to the radio

The fire flickers

Your face stays with me

Your ragged clothes

Your pregnant wife

Your faithful dog

October 18, 2018

Waiting For The Next Shoe To Drop/imaginary gardens with real toads

Waiting For The Next Shoe To Drop

All bad news

People drown

Towns swept away

By the latest storm

Eleven infant bodies in the attic

Reporter tortured to pieces

Clowns in the white house

Where is the refuge

Rowdy mobs yell

About other rowdy mobs

No sleep in two years

Anxiety and shame

Shame on me

Shame on you

Stop!

Look out the window

Autumn is here

Snow predicted on Sunday

Transformation

Under blue skies

Don’t turn it on

Leave it

I’ve heard enough

I am full up

Take a break

Waiting for the next shoe to drop

October 13, 2018

The Last Time/the sunday wordle -- poets united poets pantry

The Last Time

The night black
No stars in the sky
Mood melancholy
You appear before me

Something I cannot forget
No longer singing
No longer smiling
Dressed in black

Not much between life and death
A life is brief
No matter how long
It is but a blink of the eye

It seemed we were in the café
With plenty of time
Suddenly it is over
Nothing will alter that last time

A cherished moment
I carry to my grave
Like being hit with a two by four
An act of kindness

I had no weapons
No way to defend myself
It was not the ending
I would have written

No revenge to be taken
No charge made
Another night would come
Another day…

October 14, 2018

What's in a Name?/imaginary gardens with real toads

What’s in a Name?

Perhaps it might be a burden

To christen a child

With a holy name

Say it loud

From a mountain in Spain

I have been told the meaning

Of my own name, Annell

Is “little doll” in Cherokee

Or “gift from God”

On another day

It seems they could not agree

One wanted Nell

The other Ann

They compromised

And so it became, Annell

Ding dong

Pussy’s in the well

Sing a song of six pence

No cloudy day...

Call me by my name

October 11, 2018

Three Little Pigs/imaginary gardens with real toads

Three Little Pigs 

Three little pigs lived up the hill

A home of their own

Was their dream

They quickly got to work

Built a home of sticks

Didn’t like it

One of stone

Not so much

At last they built 

A house by Frank Lloyd Wright

A right smart little home

Just right for pigs

Cantilevered out from the hill

A home of their own

Sure enough

The wolf came by

Knocked on the door

And stroked his chin

They opened the door

Let the wolf in

They all became fast friends

Fell in love over a cup of tea

And even married…

Three pigs and thee

October 11, 2018

Allergy Season/imainary gardens with real toads

Allergy Season

I have been wanting to write 

About this time of year

The most beautiful 

Of all seasons

All of the colors of the rainbow

Are revealed

The leaves from green to dark old red

The fields from green to gold

The sunsets outrageous

Red, orange and yellow

Like fire upon the horizon

And I sit totally spaced

Trapped within a lonely room

Ragweed or sage have come full bloom

Turned my world to undersea

“Blockhead” is what I call it

Allergies have taken control of me
There is nothing but space between my ears

When you are poor

It is said, you do not have two coins to rub together

When you have allergies

You sneeze

Your eyes water

Your nose runs

You do not have 

Two thoughts to call your own

October 10, 2018

The Owl Knows/poets united - midweek motif/owl

The Owl Knows

The owl knows 

The secrets you won’t share

The words you don’t choose 

The reason why

The owl knows

The words you won’t utter

The things hidden

The reason why

The owl knows

The way you feel

Your history 

All the way back

The owl knows

What you don’t want to think about

What never comes up

The reason why

The owl knows 

The secrets of the forest

What is under each rock

The owl is wise beyond his years 

The owl can be trusted

He will never share

What is yours alone

…the owl knows

October 10, 2018

Comforting Smells/dVerse

Comforting Smells

The first thing that floated to mind

Was the smell of fresh laundry from the line

It holds the smell of sunshine

Fresh air and laundry soap

The smell of shells left on the beach

From the last wave to shore

My Mother’s smell

As she takes my hand

It is the smell of love

Hung out to dry

All cozy warm and safe

Now... only the smell of the dryer

October 8, 2018

It Only Seems Like the First Time/ Sunday Whirl #182 -- poets united poets pantry -- the sunday whirl #372

It Only Seems Like the First Time

Crisp brilliant clouds

Float magically in clear blue sky 

Bring balance to an empty soul

Otherwise we speak of empty breath

Empty eyes, empty heart

Crowds of zombies

Wander the earth

Celebrate loss

Among them no delight found

It seems such a waste

When in fact 

We will live to fight another day

We rise and step into the fray

Tumult all around

With no possible thought of winning

We leave our comfortable positions

We bring what we have

We fight as if for the first time

Virgin warriors

October 7, 2018

Note:  Today I feel I am but an empty shell, left lonely on the beach. The loss felt deeply.  Probably what we fear most will come to pass, but the fight continues.  Perhaps it is only a dream, but often things we cherish begin with a dream, Bobby, Martin, and John.  Those that are powerful today, will fall in disgrace.  

Sunday Whirligig  #182

___________________________________________________________

We Drag Nails Across the Blackboard

Yes, we are all feeling a bit bruised
Voices tremble as we speak
A little unhinged
Numb from disappointment

We had a vision
It blossomed
Now we are left to savor razor blades
We listen to your side

We drag nails across the blackboard
We are poised on the edge
We ache deep within
There is no match for this feeling

October 7, 2018

The Sunday Whirl  #372

How To Find Balance in a Woman's Life/poets united midweek motif/balance

How To Find Balance in a Woman’s Life

You speak of balance

I scan the horizon

Think of the playground see-saw

How to balance the larger child

With the smaller child?

The length can’t be equal

The larger child

Has to be nearer the center

To balance the weight

How to find balance in everyday life

The TV shows us an ugly man

Makes fun of an attack victim

The crowd laughs

I awoke writing a letter to my Daughter

To say how to avoid being the victim

Don’t be out alone

Don’t be out after dark

Don’t wear sexy clothes

Be careful what you say

Do not talk to strangers

Avoid men when you are out

Do not make eye contact

Be very careful

Why is any of this a balance in a woman’s life

Perhaps we need to examine our society

White male patriarchy

My Daughter asks how can this be right

I have no answer…

October 3, 2018