The Poetry Marathon

Her day took an unexpected turn

Even though she had secretly desired change

And she needed change, something new, different, dangerous even

She never sought it out, change that is.

But there it was, staring her in the face

Tempting her, challenging her

Waiting for her to commit herself to what could be.

She sees it, she wants it,

She needs it…NOW!

Each breath once controlled and predictable

Had now become rapid and noticeable and heavy and fast

Then slower, for a moment while she pondered

What would be, what could be

Stay or go

What will the others say

Would her choice be scrutinized,criticized

Or maybe, possibly, idolized

If not by them, but by the others that judge her

Or maybe by her, the one longing for something more.

She knew, deep down she knew

That opportunity was there for her NOW

She needed it NOW, she wanted it NOW!

The moratorium on her excuses had expired.

Grabbing the first rung towards her new beginning

She took one last look back to see

What she was leaving behind

Doubt and fear would stay

Her routines and unwavering predictability

Would stay

Her self imposed, unrealistic notions of perfection

Would stay too

And she smiled, a new smile, a genuine smile

Her grip on that first rung tightened

As she turned away from her past

She felt lighter, happier determined to follow

What had been in her heart and dreams

Leaving her comfort zone behind

Joy and excitement filled her

And she climbed…………..

It was a day

Like many days past.

Up, showered and dressed

Tasty cereal down the hatch.

It’s Saturday, fun day

No work, only play

But this day, this Saturday

Is Poetry Marathon Day!

Getting started for some

Can start out a bit slow

I too feel a bit nervous

But I’m ready, here I go.

Prompt number one

I might savor a bit.

40 minutes have passed

And this poem is……….shit!

But I know, words will flow

Once I settle in

Slow starts are ok

So I’ll begin to begin.

I feel like a pianist

Warming up playing scales

Time to play or to say

Be it verse, song or tales.

And throughout this day

I’ll share myself, heart and soul

12 different poems

Deep breath, here I go.

It’s going to be an awesome day.  The sun is shining, the OSU Buckeyes open with game 1, and I get to be apart of one of the neatest thongs I have ever participated in.

Have a great marathon everyone and GO BUCKS!

Hi everyone and happy pre-marathon Friday!

My name is Marci Darlington and I am the current mayor for the village of Mt. Sterling, Ohio. I believe this is my 4th marathon.  For the first two years, I signed up for the 24 hour marathon.  I think I went 18 the first year and not sure about year two before I gave myself permission to just do the 12.    I am doing the half again this year and I have a question that if I were to have more stamina this year and want to go further, is that allowed?

I have lived in Mt. Sterling for 7 years and am at the end of my first 4 year term as mayor.  I have decided not to run for a second term and am ok with that decision. I have learned a lot about the politics of a small, mostly rural village, good and ugly and I have achieved some of my initial objectives, but not all.  At the end of February, I had a bad fall due to increased unsteadiness on my feet.  My bad left knee, which needs to be replaced, did not help the weakness. I had some tests run and was diagnosed as having crushed discs and in April I had a 6 hour ACDF surgery where they replaced 3 discs in my upper neck (c-4 through c-7 I believe)  Recovery has been very slow but moving in a positive direction.  Due to the fact that I still have the  bone-on-bone left knee, I am still using a walker, have yet to go back to sleeping upstairs and have yet to get behind the wheel of my van.  But soon!!  While I was off, our president of council was acting mayor and he is running to be the new mayor.  He would be great!!

I feel like I have a lot to write about this year, between losing my dad at age 92 who was living with us a;long with my mom, to helping our close-knit family recover from some wounds from differences in opinions in regards to Covid, the mayor gig and dealing with some depression brought on and piled on by all of those.  I have my books for prompt ideas, photos and previous poems for inspiration, snacks and chair cushions, comfy clothes and the support of my hubby who has been amazing during my bad days and good ones, the dogs who love unconditionally and the support of my family and friends!!

I hope I get to chat with some of you along the way……pleasant dreams and tomorrow, may the words flow easily!!

Christmas Eve with The Darlingtons

(my apologies but this is less of a poem but more of a tale of love and triumph)

Over the years, Christmas Eve with our family has evolved and only gotten better with the addition of new

family members; spouses or significant others and best of all babies!!  We went from hosting the festivities

in a living room barely bigger than a White Castle bathroom to our beautiful five bedroom old Victorian style

home.  Three years into enjoying our new setting, with enough room for kids to run and adults to mingle, Covid hit.

The separation has been devastating. Cousins have missed an afternoon full of games and stories and running

up the front staircase and down the back one again and again laughing till they had to stop to catch their

collective breaths.  Siblings and their spouses shared pictures and stories and laughter even Santa would envy.

Speaking of Santa, the festivities would not be complete without the traditional white elephant or dirty Santa game.

At the Darlington Christmas bash, dirty Santa has that extra component of the returning gift that no one wishes to

get stuck with……..the infamous horse head mask.  There is a story there but that’s for another time, another platform.

This gift and the story behind it is legendary.    All of this plus food, gifts and so much love.

This year we will do whatever it takes to come together again as a family.  The hurt was real, but love always wins.

Only 183 more days!

The Funny Bone Speaketh

Staring at us with confusion, the baby, eyes wide an attentive,

takes in the sight of parents acting the fool, over and over and over

til the baby can no longer contain the pure belly full of joy and out it comes.

The first “tee hee,” in the beginning is restrained, but as the merriment builds, the child

who only just recently felt the same emotion upon it’s first  “passing of the gas,” episode,

can no longer hold back, what is about to be one of the greatest gifts that

parents and grandparents alike could ever ask for….a full blown, burst of air coming

across the vocal chords and out into the world as baby’s first chuckle!

From this point and until the child reaches puberty, parents everywhere will do

anything and everything, and I do mean everything, to get said child to commit

again to that top of the charts expulsion of glee.  Much to the parents dismay, they

are unlikely to see this occurrence until they catch them doing something they aren’t

supposed to and they try to recreate those precious moments to get themselves off the

hook.  Parents will get the last, you know, chuckle, though at their high school graduation

party or when meeting “the one” and they pull out all of those extremely embarrassing

baby photos.

My advice, if you arejonesing to hear that wonderful sound again, take them to a comedy show.

Chances are you won’t get the jokes, but your kids will be in stitches!

Blocked, stuck, out of focus

Words gone somewhere, can’t find them

What’s a girl to do!!

Creative juices

Where are you, when I need you

Maybe I’m “hangry!”

Not even half way

Poetry Marathon 3

3 for me, that is.

Second wind, maybe

Gibberish I guess for now

Come on second wind

Words, words, words, words, words

Picture prompts, text prompts too

Gonna stretch my legs

Food memories are the best!

Becky’s dad, his name was John

Made the best flapjacks, at the break of dawn.

We ate ’em up faster than he could fry

Ole John he was a hell of a guy.

Johnny Marzetti was a dish new to me

I found it was one of, Faith’s best recipes.

They also grew their own corn on the cob

Which I enjoyed with Kim and Red, Faith and Bob.

One summer day, quite some years ago

Judy grabbed from the garden, a big ripe tomato

On toasted bread, with some mayonnaise, too

We went through that whole loaf, before we were through.

At my house my dad, had mastered the grill

His rotisserie chicken really gave me a thrill.

Dinner in a dish, was my mamma’s claim.

If you ate it just once, you were never the same,

These days Johnny D is the cook of our house

His pandemic pies make him number 1 spouse.

His kitchen creations, keep me wanting for more

But he’s waiting for me to  try evening the score.

With all this talk about food

I am starting to drool.

I’ll put down my pen cause

A fork’s my new tool.

I should have rights, shouldn’t I?

As a woman of this earth, this day, this year.

I do have rights, or at least I did two days ago

Along with half of the world’s population….half!

I’ve never lived through such a time of inequality.

Maybe I’ve taken for granted, those rights promised to me

Through the undying fight from the women who have come before.

Their struggles and battles fought, their ridicules and humiliations suffered

Serve as their badge of honor, so that we may be considered equal.

May, be, considered, equal?  How is that even a question?

I should have rights shouldn’t I?

Maybe I’ve taken for granted, those rights promised to me.

Why are the hands of the clock going backward?

What will it take for women to be truly equal?

When I die, I hope to come back as a praying mantis

So I can bite off the head of any male that fucks with me,

Weather Report

(a haiku)

“What’s the temp out bro?”

“It’s melt your skin off degrees!”

“Chill dude, just askin’!”