Grand kids
Over the moon
Bursting with pride
As I watch my
Grand kids grow,
Learning new words
tasting new foods
Seeing new things
With wonder in their eyes,
Head on my shoulders
To be comforted
Upon my lap
To read a book,
Absolutely excited
When little arms
Give hugs so tight!
My heart is overflowing!!
Author: Louana Vick
tribute to eyelids
eyelids motherly
- clean fragile eyes from daily dirt
- shield against harsh light
- defend from parasites that need entry to nerves and brains
sockets do nothing
but fatherly hold
eyes back from fleeing
cosy hollows
A Random Walk
A random walk is the best
when you have nowhere particular
you want to go
and you’ve got all the time in the world
for exploring the farthest reaches of your mind
Let your brain meander through you past
while your feet take you to your future
The clean air clears your spirits
while the swaying trees remind you
of your mortality
A brisker pace
only rouses the birds
who fly away to their freedom
leaving you behind to toss away
your worries
down the canyon
never to be seen again
Back Porch Good Morning
Back Porch Good Morning
Sensuous aroma of coffee wakes me.
Black smoothness, warm, delicious.
I can feel it, hot, going down.
Sunlight pierces my eyelids,
familiar stab, hinting at the coming migraine.
Careful.
I clench my eyes shut
and turn my chair away from the rays.
Better now.
Seeing without looking,
I know the trees are happy.
How could they not be happy,
with a thousand trills of birdsong in their hair?
The gardenia is showing off again,
smiling from every blossom,
though I cannot see them from here.
There’s no fragrance quite like gardenia
mixed with morning dew.
Gardenias never travel incognito.
And Shisa’s here, pressing
her warm muzzle into my hand,
saying good morning and that
she still loves me.
Eyes still closed, I bend and kiss
the top of her orange head
while she licks my fingers.
We both enjoy a small brain squishy,
then she wanders off the porch to the grass,
heeding Mother Nature’s call.
I put my bright blue coffee mug down
on the white plastic table and stretch –
a long, delicious, gentle stretch –
arms out, legs out.
I could stretch a mile,
but I’d hate to have to walk back.
I settle for half a mile.
Then I reach for my black-and-white plaid journal
and my pen.
Open it to where the green ribbon is.
And the day has officially begun.
It’s going to be a good one.
I can sense it.
Dream Generators
Salty and spent dream generators editing the clips from today into an old cine Super 8,
Tangled hair whipped around smiling faces,
One hand to link the chain and the other to cling to railings like drunks,
Fighting the intoxication of a windy sea day taken straight out of Blackpool
circa 1984
Daft and dizzy
In October just before the razzle dazzle illuminations
Queuing at the Winter Gardens – embossed tickets in hand – not available at the door
Light pockets – birthday money spent – a little here and there wherever we went
And the pinch of posh new patent leather that’ll need wearing in…
That kind of carefree playful gust that brings the mood with it
And paints a facsimile smile with the memory it whips across your lips-
Tickling against coke floats and screeching on the swing boats –
Rough sand exfoliates the dulled senses
Sloughs off the worries
And you’re brand new
And silky smooth
Against the sheets –
Sliding into technicolour dreams and imaginative treats.
Poem #6 from Prompt #6 ” Sunrise” by Ingrid Exner Half Marathon 2020
I rise in
Darkness.
Humidity and heat
hang heavy in thick air.
Clothes stick and
I rush out and gulp
fresh morning air.
Light summer breezes
carry me to
pier.
Pre-dawn Darkness-
Stillness
Silence
Vacuum
S-p-a-c-e!
Tern calls overhead-
screaming Morning.
White Light marks horizon
separating dark water
from Sky.
Inhale freshness-
Smell of Dew!
Horizon line shakes as
Water- Sky lighten.
Fiery reds and yellows
blaze onto horizon-moving up Sky
as Morning moves in and speaks through the Sun.
Shimmering glory sparkles on water.
Sky radiates Gold!
Ingrid Exner, Poem #6, Poetry Half Marathon 2020
Hour 6 – The Gathering
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
Promising Signs – Hour 6
The faint pitter-patter of light rain enters my ears
The first tell-tale sign of a good day
I do not wake till the sun shines bright through my eyelids
The corridor is empty
I let my skin soak under a warm shower
I don’t leave without wiping at the fogged-up mirror to find my fresh face
The trees pass by as I head to class
But first, a taste of sweet, milky, toasty-warm tea
That’s when I’m ready
My rear-end lands on that familiar seat in the room
Surrounded by the same smiling faces and laughs
My ears focus on the sound of Dr Jatswan imparting his wisdom upon us
Taking us across the globe, back and forward in time
Like getting an adrenaline rush from all the learning
The sun burns hot in the sky
Something I appreciate more now
The whirring-past of the train rings through my ears
I watch as the city flies by me
Occasional exchanges with strange eyes
Teasing stories I will never know
Loud meows greet me before even opening the door
The keys jangle as I reach for them in my bag
The comforting smells of home invite me in
I close my eyes as my bed wraps around me
I wake again to the sound of a warm voice
The voice that greeted me into this world
Higher and gentler than mine
But clearer and stronger
The gaze from her round eyes give me a sense of security
My home is complete now
The kitchen is alive with my movements
The air smells good enough to eat
Dishes prepared by my own hand
Good enough to fill my own heart
That’s when I am satisfied
The night falls
My Lord calls
The silence beckons
The prayer mat spread on the floor
Aimed straight for Mecca
My forehead touches the ground
And that is where I found
My truest self
In conversation with God
When my mind clears
There are no more fears
Only purpose and understanding
Tomorrow is promising
To be the ideal day.
Lost (Hour 2)
If lost, she’d weep.
For everything she knew, then, would be erased.
First steps towards expression, while reading others left an intense impression.
For everything she knew, then, would be erased.
If fire reversed the reign of power, they too, would be lost.