The Poetry Marathon

11      Acorn Soup

Watermelon pie

Asparagus jelly

Sweet potato juice

Brussel sprout wine

Pineapple gravy

Immortal dogs

Homeless mayors

Extinct illness

Disappearing weapons

Innocent children

Legal love

Intentional mothers

Safe travels

Healed planet

Free opportunity

Infinite acceptance

massaging underwear

10      Understand

Metal door creaks open on rusty mailbox

The fire red flame decals flaking off

Do no step in front of passing cars

Though the library waits steps away

I remain eager to grab that packaged

Book inside to read after dark

Only banned books this summer will

Teach me how to know and feel a world

Remote from my country graveled drive

Understand how it is for others beyond

This clapboard farmhouse in need of paint

I come with sincere and humble intentions

9       The Lady of the House

We wondered watching mother

Why she started smoking

Wood tipped maple cigars

We wondered watching mother

Why she became a wrestling fan

Of Haystack Calhoun

We wondered watching mother

Why she painted the

Master bedroom eggplant purple

We wondered watching mother

Make our Halloween costumes

From old ruffled bed skirts

We wondered watching mother

Create the most delicious

Breaded Thanksgiving stuffing

She was just one smart Dame

7       Divine Intention

God created coffee

On the eighth day

Revealing compassion

Home ground dark beans

With a hint of berry

A bump of sweet cream

Should all else fail

Know that God wants

Us all Woke

Now

8      Old Toes

I saw her toes going east and west

Mine have swallowed large blueberries

Old toes are not forgiving or inviting

Sanding rock hard heels now essential

The darning egg years older than myself

Is back in service often to save socks

Late at night you can hear these feet as

My heels begin to tap tap on old oak floors

Heading to the bathroom at three a.m.

Not pedicure worthy I nurture hard places

Hoping they last for the duration of me

Vanity has little status as I need these feet

6       Iron Angel

Taking white wire

From the heap of

Discarded tokens

I saw the Angel

Having been before

I had no judgment as

Visitors wanted to

Start Spring anew

She had a broken

Rod rendering her

Unstable in the

Cemetery’s soft dirt

I twisted off

The remaining limb

Realizing she is

Forever perfect

Now welcomed here

In to my  home

She blesses me

Against sky blue wall

5      Wallpaper

I want to live in the wallpaper at the funeral home.

Can you see it?  Few colors, white, grays, and greens.

showing distant hills.  A simple artist’s rendering.

A red house sits behind a brief hill suggesting an old

school.  The split rail fence, still true and unworn,

now settled near lanky birch swaying spring leaves.

In the beyond, white houses, perhaps a town.  One needs

good vision to see who lives there and wonder why.  It is

the red house where I live.

No longer a school holding decades of memories with the

rusted iron swing for children years grown and gone.  I will swing

there soon and consider the gentle mountain far away.

4      Blue Trucks

I hate blue trucks, he grumbled

We’d only seen a few

White gray and black

Most colors that we knew

Slowly as we noticed

Each week more appeared

Blazing blue metallics

He moans, It’s what I feared

He watches now from heaven

My truck a velvet gray

Once he looks in all directions

I know just what he’ll say

    Blue trucks have taken over!

Did you listen?  I told you so!

I smile but do not mention

Blue trucks, the way to go!

3       Kindness Rocks

Good vibes only

Sharing with strangers

Colors that notice

Placed safely around

Keep hide or remain

Something we need

Hard with soft wishes

No postage required

Remember be caring

Give one a try

Bestow a sweet blessing

One stone at a time

2      Alone

There’s no one listening

To see if you are well

To see if you need something

There’s no one here to tell

The dog will ask for treats

And maybe hug you close

Sometimes you see a smile

But not the one  you lost

Soon they all stop asking

To know just how you feel

All ramble on about themselves

Afraid that grief stays real

When you know this happens

You simply must forgive

You look for those people

Who keep managing to live

A different empty nester

Just your voice that sings

The other sadly left this nest

On soft angelic wings