The Poetry Marathon

Cheerfully the children twirl
Happily capering for days
In chirpy, lilting voices
Little ones sing out their praise.
Dear little ones laugh and flee
Rejoicing in each bit of laughter
Engaged in the world around them
Never mind what might come after.

One night I am awoken and much to my surprise
I see a man beside my bed and I open wide my eyes
For some strange reason I feel no fear
and he slowly comes my way
He sits down in the chair beside
My bed as if to stay.
For long moments silence swirls around
It is comfortable to bear
The stranger slowly reaches down
His hand gently strokes my hair.
In a quiet voice I ask, “Why are you here?”
He just smiles and with an echo he answers
“My child, do not fear.”
I slowly nod as I turn to sit on the edge of my bed.
The stranger encouragingly gazes, and then
I feel a slight feeling of dread.
I take my time to look around and see me sleeping still
But wait….I must be mistaken…..
As the knowledge begins to fill my head
I look back at the man.
With a gentle sigh he acknowledges me
Carefully taking my hand.
With one last look at my still form
I follow the stranger out of sight.
This is how I came to meet Death
One dark and mellow night.

Drenched in the heat of the daytime sun
I find myself feeling drowsy
A stretch and yawn in my chair
With skin that’s red and warm
The heat lingers on
Even as I
Slink inside
to cool
me.

The forest ranger went to the big city
Wearing his gumboots on his feet.
Not a cloud was adrift in the periwinkle sky
He smiled and did not miss a beat.
As he looked high above him
He spread his arms out wide
The distant top of a skyscraper
Gave him secret places he could hide.
He passed right by a storefront
Which served fresh made sourdough bread
He went in and bought a hot slice
And on his way his went.
He stumbled on the sidewalk
Losing a button from his shirt
He shook his head in amusement
At least he wasn’t hurt.
He found another storefront
Where a needle and thread he bought.
He sewed his button back on his shirt
Tied the thread in a knot.

January first is a day that is like no other
Everyone will gather to celebrate the frigid weather.
People come all bundled up, flocking to the waters
Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters.
Other, less rational people, convene at the shore
Stomping feet, blowing in hands, chill bumps galore!
With bated breath the people wait, blankets at the ready
The cold air hitting bare skin, the anticipation’s heady.
A signal sounds, the people sweep along the frozen shore
They rush into the water, disturbing ice (I’d be done for!)
Once submerged the crowds make their way
To the shore and waiting warm jackets
The polar bear plunge is not for the faint of heart,
It just makes an awful racket!

If ever at a loss of just what you need to say
Take a page from the Southerner’s book
It will show you a quite congenial way.
If someone is attempting to try
To cause an awful mess.
Murmuring “Bless your heart”
Any situation it will address.
If you see someone undertaking a task
That will surely cause a bit of harm
Well, Bless your heart is certain
To lace criticism with some charm.
In the event someone is rude to you
And you need a phrase at hand
Bless your heart will rescue you
With a smile and the wave of a hand.
A southerner is quite adept at smiling
Showing bright sunshine on their face
While inside they are seething
Bless your heart, it’s anger with some grace.

Once upon a time the moon
Was broken into seven pieces.
The world watched on in horror
As the danger increases.
A man proclaimed the world would end
In a glittering white rain
For five thousand years the sky would fall
Nothing would ever be the same again.
Many people were sent to space
To gather all together
On the international space station
To escape the fateful weather.
As the world did end, chaos ensued
Mutiny was attempted and lost
But many of the last humans alive
Were killed, a very high cost.
In the end only seven remained
To repopulate the earth.
Seven women with strife between them
Had to all, but one, give birth.
Time went on, millenniums,
And finally the time came.
To go back down to earth
Which wasn’t quite the same.
Technology had soared,
With cities in the sky
An elevator and a tether
That people traveling to earth could ride.
A group of seven people
Who each descended from a line
Of the seven eves
Who’s futures would entwine.
They traveled as a group to earth
Learning in epic waves.
They met another group of folk
Who had lived underground, in caves.
A clash ensued and then betrayed
By one of their seven.
The one who did betray them
Rode a hammer into the heavens.
The people who were left
Made their way to the sea
Where a new surprise awaited
Just what would it be?
As the story did unfold, they found
An underwater clan
They came up from the watery depths
To meet the group on land.
A link in the form of a picture
Was flashed silently up high
The underwater people,
Their eyes opened wide.
In the end they came together
Made peace between the nations.
The three groups made up the whole
Of the human population.

What does it mean to be normal?

A question I have asked myself.

I do not like the word normal

It should be put upon a shelf.

I used to use the word

Like a lot of people do

Until I became the mother

Of a special child, then I knew.

Normal is whatever

Is normal for each soul

Normal is not something

You put into a mold.

Normal is a word that shoves

A circle into a square

It makes everyone the same

A quite dismal affair.

Just because someone

Is not “normal” in your book

Do you think that makes them less?

Or did you just not think to look?

Everyone is quite unique

Even if they live the same.

We each have different thoughts

A different claim to fame.

Instead of thinking normal,

Maybe typical would do

To explain the similarities

Of what we all go through.

A typical progression

Of a skill or track

Walking, talking, singing, writing

We have our own unique way of giving back.

I look through my window

To decide where I wish to roam.

I want to take a wander

Travel beyond my home.

I get up and ambulate

Head out the front door

I pick up my feet and go

I need to move some more.

I try to make a marching step

To eat up on the miles.

As I take my stroll today

The sights make me want to smile.

A butterfly lands on a bright flower

Sipping nectar from the bloom

I promenade on my way

The sunshine scares away the gloom.

I slowly make my way home again

My feet now tired and sore.

I truly enjoyed my journey

As I go back in my front door.

Digging through some old boxes

I discovered a wonderful thing

Something from long ago,

So many memories it would bring.

I found a time capsule for myself

Put together when I was a teen

So many years have passed

I wonder what I could have foreseen.

With great anticipation

I open up the box

My eyes light up with curiosity

As the secrets I unlock.

An 80’s treasure trove

Of things that brought me such delight

They had not been uncovered for years

But now they’ll see the light.

A neon jelly bracelet

A collection of cassette tapes

I found A-ha and Duran Duran

My glorious escapes!

A great big can of hairspray

Which took my hair to great heights

Oh splendid day! I gleefully cry

As I take in more delights.

There is Simon and a Rubik’s cube

With which I spent time each day

Some Lite Brite pegs and stickers

They brought many hours of play.

I even found some sheet music

From my days in marching band

Louis Louis and Don’t Cry

We played in the football stands.

So many memories were included

In this time capsule in a box

I even found some leg warmers

And some folded up neon socks.