The Poetry Marathon

As I headed to the finish line of this long and wondrous night

I get the call that you, Aunt Shirl, reached your own, finished your fight.

Throughout my life you were always there for me.

You accepted me, loved me, cared for me.

I do not know what to think, how to understand you are gone.

Gone from this world, at least, but never gone from my memories.

Tears are streaming down my face, even as I smile sadly.

I know you are at peace. I know you were tired.

I am sending my love to you in Heaven.

I live in a world where everything is a maze

The windows are all crooked

And lined up like offbeat stepping stones.

A lone tree guards the front

Tall and spindly, but proud.

I don’t understand why people do not like pineapple on their pizza.
Why do they hate?
Why do they turn up their noses at it?
Why do they ignore its sheer deliciousness?
But most of all
Why should I worry what others like?
Why would I be expected to turn up my nose at it?
Why shouldn’t I order it over and over.
What I understand most is
Why I love pineapple on pizza.
Why I lift my nose to inhale its tangy fragrance.
Why I will stand up for and include pineapple…I do not discriminate!

Running water in the river

Expanded by the mountain melt

Swiftly flowing, sometimes growing

This year, its shrinking can be felt.

In summer people ride the river

Floats and kayaks do abound

Surfing, swimming, joy that’s brimming

Peace on the water can be found.

Folks enjoy the rivers charms

Cold water, yet they’re sunning

The crisp and clear, the water here

Never still, always running.

Each morning when I wake up, I slowly check the time

Try to remember what day it is, even if I heard my alarm chime.

I crawl out of bed all bleary-eyed and take care of necessities

Honestly, up to that point, I avoided all complexities.

Once I finish up on that part of my routine

I go to take my dog out, he is a small one and thirteen.

We make our way back inside, I make a beeline for the kitchen

I tend to be grumbly up to that point, but I refrain from any bitc…griping.

As my coffee in the Keurig brews, I feed the dog and cat

The cat is usually yowling at me, can you imagine that?

I doctor up my coffee, a little sugar and some cream

Finally, I can sit, this is where I begin to scheme.

I think about what my day holds, work or is it a weekend?

If it is work, I gulp my drink for my energy to spend.

A big long thing you sit on is located to my right

A couch? A sofa? A chesterfield? A bed?

A bed….if only, then I would say goodnight!

To my left is another item, where my dog curls up and sleeps.

Oh wait, it’s a concept called a chair, I think? I’m thinking heaps.

Across from me there is a stand and on top a moving picture frame

A VCR? A CD player? Xbox? Maybe a television is its claim to fame.

We have a few tables that are set around the room.

On top of them are pet rocks and DnD books, imagination in bloom.

This room it is a comfy place where I spend lots of time.

I think this lack of sleeps caught up and made me lose my mind.

We traveled to New Orleans, to seek out the darker side

We headed to an apartment; there were secrets it did hide.

A tragic tale unfolded when a young man jumped to his end

A note found in his pocket, to his apartment police were sent

He had killed his girlfriend, in a fit of drunken rage

Authorities came to the murder house where a young woman ended her days.

It was to this apartment we went and answers we would seek.

The atmosphere was very sad and the floorboards did creak.

I was standing in the bathroom, where I asked if they were there

Two words came up on my app, they were “shape” and “male”.

At that exact moment, a tall, dark shadow flew by me

I was startled from my sadness, and tried not to flee.

I made my way to the other room, to find our great guide

I told her what happened and she began to smile.

She asked if the shadow was tall and when I did agree

She nodded her head, said she knew who it was, later she told me.

The young man who jumped to his death stood at six foot eight

His sadness still lingers, because of his grievous fate.

The situation was very sad; I did not find this scary,

I hope one day he will find peace, move on, let the past be buried.

The summer is full of sunshine and making memories.
I wonder why it has to be so short.
I hear the distant sounds of thunder
I see flashes of lightning, hear their report.
I want to travel in the summer.
The summer is full of sunshine and making memories.
I pretend that I am rested.
I feel tired all the same.
I touch the days of summer.
I worry about when it will end.
I cry about the distance from my family.
The summer is full of sunshine and making memories.
I understand that I will be with them soon.
I say “Don’t forget that I love you!”
I dream of a time when the weather is cooler.
I try to remember this heat doesn’t last.
I hope to enjoy the kaleidoscope of summer.
The summer is full of sunshine and making memories.

Lazily, I look at you with a look that morphs into a snarl.

I swiftly stand and glare at you, my ears are flattened back.

Taking a step closer, I go to my full height

Testily, I stalk you, circling, causing you fright.

Like a bulldog, I rush towards you

Every intention to do damage

Determined to show you how big I am, I race near and

Over to you and with a leap

Grab hold of your ankle, because that is all that I can reach.

I saw you standing there

Alone and wondering

In the concrete courtyard

Waiting to go into the garden

You looked so confused

Waiting there

So I decided to help you out

I drifted towards you

Reaching out

I wanted to let you know

The garden was yours to enter.

My hand touched your back

Guiding and gentle

You reached back with your hand

And felt…..

Nothing.

I watched sadly as you turned to look

Your eyes could not find me

No matter how hard I tried

To get your attention.

Alas, all I could do was walk at your side

Hoping that you would know I was there.

A part of me feels you knew

A part of me felt your wish to know.

An inaudible sigh sends a nebulous breath

Whispering against your skin.

You slowly nod, a small smile on your face

And make your way into the garden.

I drift away into a corner

To try again with someone else

Hoping they will see me.