The Poetry Marathon

Dispatch from Athena to my Servant at Ithaca

Penelope, faithful wife of Odysseus,
Stand your guard against those who seek to harm you!
Sleep with one eye open.
Build up your defenses during the day.
If furniture must be dragged to your door,
to keep out the men and other women who wish to see you fall,
then find a way to make it happen.
Do not be downhearted!
Odysseus has vowed to return to you.
He is on his way.
Remain confident.
Fill your heart with hope.
In good faith,
Athena

Book: The Lost Track of Time
Author: Paige Britt
First Line: Penelope dragged one eye open and then the other.

Kanga

Of course, I love my own little boy best
A more beautiful child there never was.
But the rest are like my children too
Bouncy Tigger, with a child-like spirit
Pooh, he tries so hard
Piglet, frightened of his own footprints
Eeyore, so miserable and lonely
Each needs a mother’s love
And who put me to give it?
Alas, when adventure draws them all away
I do wish another soul could help me set some limits

Talk, or Not?

And wouldn’t it be quiet then?
if talking were not required
I think I should like to sit
ever silent
lose the constraints of society
my need to keep up my end of the conversation – gone
mouth shut, but not firmly
all ears, ready to hear the other person
my opinions, my thoughts, of little relevance
teeth to the wind
north-ward, into Freedom’s Land
and then
south again
Yes, now I see
if I remain silent
I give up my power
ever to be ruled by those with a voice
lose my self-sufficiency,
my self-governance
Mouth, open now!
Oh, let my words tumble out
if nonsensical, so be it
I will make myself heard
won’t I? I
have to decide
to which path will I travel?
Talk or not?

Distance Learning

Distance Learning is such a treat
Better than some old worksheet
Just log onto our Zoom account
– Don’t move your camera all about-
Now sit and look here at the screen
I’ll show you how to grow a bean
– I know you feel the heat my friend
But put your clothing on again –
Get a bottle or a jar
– Wait! Not now! Stay where you are! –
We put the little bean in so
With soil and water, then watch it grow
– Oh look, you’ve spilled your cottage cheese
No more eating now, friends, please –
Any questions? – What’s that you say?
You needn’t wear your mask, okay? –
I hope you will give this a try
Our hour is up, so long! Goodbye!
Distance Learning is such a treat
Well, maybe that thought’s incomplete.

Spotted red beetle
Taunted for millennium
Your house is safe

The Season of the Starlings

Here they come
with purple heads and yellow eyes
flocking and cawing
to empty the feeder

Loud, raucous, pushy birds
they scatter the seeds
leaving no space
for nuthatches and sparrows

I have no love for these invaders
until I see
Father feeding Youngster
great gobs of suet into waiting beaks
a nurturing parent

The Gathering

Around the table we sit
ample food, wine
with candles flickering, cozy
The lights reflecting back to us
as the evening deepens beyond the glass
The conversation leaps around
from one person to the next
one topic to the next
punctuated by laughter
I lean in
and drop the perfect line
Bullseye!
Laughter
Looks of admiration
Inclusion
The perfect night

Luminaries

I take myself away to a dark place
to reacquaint myself with the stars
Leo the Lion, Hydra, Canis Major,
winged horses, dragons, warriors, kings
Stories of gods who are no longer immortal
and creatures both noble and nonexistent
Eyes skyward, I fall back
back in time, back in history
Mythology and distant fireballs swirling above

The 498,311 (as of June 27, 2020)

Dear Friends,

I did not know you
but I can guess your lives
Filled with sorrows and joys
Loved Ones and strangers
work and rest
and good times, I hope
Until those last weeks
in pain, alone, fighting to breathe

How will we honor you
now that you are gone?
Lower the flags?
Erect a statue?
Put up a plaque?
Perhaps, in distant days

But mostly, we will fight
Seek a cure
Invent a vaccine
Learn new treatments
Slow the spread
Keep others safe
Working towards an end
Of this horrible pandemic

Rest now
We will take care
of those you left behind
Keeping your memory alive

Signed,
The World

This Pandemic Just Ain’t No Fun

at first I thought,
with all the extra time,
I’d work on projects
clean this mess
do all those things I’ve been saving
for when there’s time

this pandemic just ain’t no fun

but school didn’t cease or pause
got shifted into my private space
bringing with it stress – unease – disquiet
as I, in compliance, hunkered down
with my pals The Black Dog and The Yellow Cat
quarantining with my own worst critic
the loneliness a greater enemy than the germ
that sent us all into our private holes

this pandemic just ain’t no fun

tablet games have eaten all my time
as I wander, room to room, and back
quick video calls replace the contact that I lack
brief smiles between periods of gloom
and yet the virus refuses to die back
how long, how long will my isolation last?

this pandemic just ain’t no fun