The Poetry Marathon

To Diane, you should have taken a chance

MY SURFER BOY

It was always the beach calling me
smell, ocean breezes and frothy wave
What happened next upon that sea
I kept close to my heart, save
the best secrets in my soul go free

When the handsome surfer brought me on his boat
I was 17; both had long flowing hair, starting to experiment
With drugs and drinking, driving and the rest,
You know what I mean if you made it through
Too many didn’t and the rest, don’t let it worry you

Surfer boy took me out to sea on a late summer day
At first we laughed and looked at each other, blue eyes
stared at my brown, and a kiss formed, sweet and soft
He grabbed and held me close, and started telling me things
the things he would like to do, and his voice changed

Surfer boy became surfer man and I was willingly trapped on his boat
Suddenly the sun dove into the waves, no moon took its place
The funny toasts we made to each other became our sweet love songs
I didn’t want to go back to the shore, please oh please, I begged, some more
and surfer man wanted me to stay, in fact he wanted me for the whole next day

I’ll never forget my surfer boy, long blonde hair with eyes so blue
Our special love story started upon my surfer boy’s boat
But life got in the way again, a young girl and young man
He had to fish for his father, you see, and I had to go back to land
We promised we would keep in touch, but so much for that plan

I often think of you, surfer boy and wonder where you’ve gone
I’m back on land and missing the sea, the shore and especially you
With long blonde hair and eyes so blue
Wonder if you would have been true
My magical surfer boy, I miss you

© Diane Morinich

Hour 11, Prompt 14: Dear Past Self

Dear Jill from the Past,

I am proud of the accomplishments you made in your 20s. You helped a lot of people with your writing and never asked a thing. But, if you could change anything from your 20s and early 30s, I wish you would have seen sooner how used and abused you were by friends, associates, and some family members. These people did nothing but take advantage of your helping nature and, in their own ways, hurt you. While they created experiences you used to heal yourself through writing, I know deep scars remain. Forgive yourself. You were only responsible for you and all you did was to try and help or protect these other people.

Your light still shines brightly. One day, you’ll see it in your daughter’s smile.

Love,

Me

I’m in a Mexican Mood

To hear la cumbia floating from the windows

To taste the spices on fruta con sal

To stop by the stands of tacos and gorditos and quesadillas

To drive along the tunnels with the smell of old water

To name the stray dogs that come to lick the crumbs at our feet

To hail los taxis verdes with distant shouts and cram aunts uncles and cousins in the back seat

To jump at the sounds of cohetes that ricochet off the valley walls

To wake in the morning to the cry of las gallinas and the man who walks the early streets with baskets full of fresh pan

To see family again, just to stop missing them

# 8 Just Another Day

Curled body in an empty bed.

Another  sleepless night ahead.

Tossing and moaning,

The pain is real and agonizing..

 

Reaching out…gasping the breath.

From a long night of waiting.

Is this longing can see the end?

She’s to tired for wanting.

 

She hopes the end is nearing.

So she no longer paining.

It’s been long overdue.

The thirst is now real and new.

 

The morning come… she opens her eyes.

Hoping to see a ray of light.

But once again, she sighs.

Just another day… not in  paradise.

 

 

Letter to My Younger Self

My dear younger self,
This is your future – no,
Don’t walk off, there’s things
I want you to know.

I remember you well,
So new to the abyss
We’ll return there, but
You can get through this

Happiness is not
Confined to the past
I can promise you
The pain doesn’t last

I can’t promise you
That we win this fight,
But I know this much:
It will be alright

Form: Line Messaging

Hour 11: To my younger self

You will find it funny,

How many of those Death Cab songs you like so much, those modern fairy tales

Seem to have come true

But don’t worry so much.

Not because there’s  nothing to worry about

Time won’t cure you of that

But because you dont know what to worry about

And because it tends to get in the way of the good things that are coming

Dear Jan On The Plane to Madrid

Dear Jan,

You're on the plane to Madrid right now.
It's the best decision you've made so far,
and you've tended towards good decisions. 
But, well, you've been cautious and safe. 

Just know: 
Take more chances.
Stroll those magnificent streets and alleys.
Learn old people's names and all their stories.
Master the cooking. Imitate the regional dances.
Make Madrid your playground. Remember: parks every day.
Sleep under the stars more on your tiny little balcony.
Flirt with the men when you dance, and walk home with 
your best girfriends, one at each house in those streets 
you'll grow to love. 
Spend more time with families who embrace you as one of their own.

You'll do these, I assure you, but do more. 
Dive in and keep taking those chances. 
You'll look back on this with great love. 
So beautiful and strong and independent already, 
be so - just more. 

To Deanna, the Young Mom

To Deanna, the Young Mom,

Chin up my dear, it’s tough I know
If anyone knows that it’s me.
To have a child who is always sick
Another with a disAbility.
Take the journey day by day
Learn all you can know
It is perfectly okay to cry in the night
For the life you won’t ever know.
What might surprise you, my sweet
Is the life that you WILL know
A life that’s full of happy things
In spite of your time in the lows.
The boys will be just fine
With typical woes mostly
A few things that might shock you
But life is like that, you see.
When the children are all grown
You will find the freedom to soar.
You will go back to school in your 40’s
In order to learn some more.
A job will come your way, my friend
That will answer that yearning call
A job of helping others
In the journey you have already walked.

With lots of love,

From Deanna, the Older Mom

Prompt 14 Hour 11

Dear Girl,

You will face so much more than the skinned knee of today,

Stubbing your toe will still hurt, but not as much as other things.

You will always dance, unafraid.

When the rains come

And yes they will.

Do not fear the flood, for you have learned to swim.

You will shed tears that you fear will never end

But they will.

And the nightmares come in different shades of darkness, but you have learned to wake.

Dear Girl,

You are beautiful, you are wise and I am so very proud of what you have become.

 

Love,

Me and also you.

 

 

 

 

Dear Me, From Me

Your dad is doing the best he knows how. Acknowledge that, say thanks, and move on.

Accept your body for what it is and work with it. Your physical health is tied to flexibility and there’s only one way to get more flexible.

The choice is always yours.

Anxiety will be a major player in your life forever. Lean in to it.

When it’s brutal, get out of the way.

P.S. Say nice things to yourself sometimes.