The Poetry Marathon

I've always enjoyed rainstorms
The downpours, the thunder, the lightning
The drumming of drops on the roof
The flash of lightning ...
Waiting for the thunder to crack overhead

Summer rains in the Arizona desert
Was like standing under the water of a tepid shower
Washing away the dust of the day
Our faces tipped skyward, mouths opened
Laughing as we choked on the drizzle

We splashed through the puddles in barefeet
Watching out for the the worms struggling
For a breath of air as the rain drove them
From the depths of their domain
We squealed to avoid stepping on them

Eventually, the sun drove away the rain
Drying up the puddles
The clothes we wore on our bodies
The worms caught out on the pavement
Soon sizzled away

Our interest in the outdoors
Waned as the heat arose
And we headed indoors for
Lunch and an afternoon nap
To wait for the next cycle of storms

My family have been on the move
Ever since I can remember
During my elementary grades
We moved every two years
I attended five different schools

We lived modestly in housing projects
Duplexes of blue or pink
Floors of concrete, cinder block walls, and evap cooling
One bathroom, one or two bedrooms
For a family of two adults and five kids

We kids learned to be ready in a flash
When my parents decided it was time to leave
Even when we didn't want to, we had to go
What else are children to do
No one wants to be left behind

I have no childhood home or childhood friends
I do remember them in my mind
What some of their names were, what they looked like
But I never found any of them
How many served or died in Vietnam I'll never know

My teen years were no better
Different towns, different high schools
Different housing
I began to think
"I can't wait to leave"

I left after high school
And moved to the heartland
Back to northern Arizona
Then on to southern California
Until I enlisted in the Women's Army Corps

Still moving around but with some purpose
Basic training in Alabama, signal school in Georgia
Then assigned to southern Arizona
Finally reassigned to the Pentagon in Virginia
Where I finished my enlistment in 1973

After Virginia I continued to move
New York, Missouri, Colorado
Back to Arizona (for the final time)
Then on to Florida, and now I have
Found a home in northern California

I am home

The eyes have it
I can make my way
Through the dark
See where I'm going, where I have been

I can retrace my steps
Just for the sheer pleasure
Mostly I move forward
Feasting on the vistas and horizons

Yes, the eyes have it
For the colors of the day
The shadows of the night
Making my way through my world

I'm grateful that my eyes have it
Even though they are enhanced
By framed lenses perched on my nose
I still see with clarity all around

I would miss hearing
The sounds in my life
Even the cacophony of chaos
But I can see it

So it's no contest
When asked: Sight or sound?
I choose sight because
The eyes have it

Growing old with me
Is my little dachshund
She is 17 years old
Four decades older me than

The hair on my head is silver
Her muzzle has lost its mahogany
And we both have more girth
Than we should carry

She still has a spring in her step
Curiosity in her eye
There's nothing wrong with her
Sense of smell or appetite

I no longer run and jump
Walking is more my style
But now I take my time to
Smell the roses, appreciate our life

Depression is like a well

Sometimes you feel you're at the bottom
Looking up hoping to see a touch of blue
A warm ray of light
Something that will encourage you

Other times you are poised on the edge
Looking down into the dark shimmery waters
And you want to jump
To drown the ache is all that matters

You see it in the distance
Either behind or in front of you
Always there with a goodbye or hello
Most days now you bid it adeiu

Depression is like a well

Smell often pairs
With taste to
Enhance a meal

Some smells make
You smile fondly
Of happy moments

Some smells make
You jump back
Cry with revulsion

Smells are powerful
Highways leading us
To past remembrances

I cannot imagine
Eating without tasting
A delicious meal

To encounter flavors
That dance on
The tongue's tastebuds

To sample textures
Feel the temperatures
Appreciate cooking techniques

To appreciate its
Presentation and skill
Made with love

Touch is essential
Human life thrives
We die without

Skin on skin
Spreads warmth throughout
Engendering loving feelings

Babies smile and
Drool with delight
Mothers coo love

Children are comforted
They learn to
Love in return

Sounds I love
I love you
Please and thanks

Sounds I enjoy
Birdsong at daybreak
Purring of cats

Sounds that bewilder
Angry, sharp expressions
Lies and fabrications

Sounds that delight
Sizzle of bacon
Brewing of coffee

I see you
Your facial features
Eyes, mouth, nose

I see you
Your smiling lips
Your twinkling eyes

I see you
Your happy thoughts
Your sad moments

I see you
You and me
We are complete