42, Hour Sixteen

*42

At age fifteen I met the boy who would one day become my husband.
We briefly dated, then parted ways after a misunderstanding
we were both too shy to correct.

Don’t panic.
It all ended well.

Decades later we met again after hardships on both sides,
stronger and wiser and finally ready to deeply love.

We each kept our towels with us,
as we wooed one another and finally married.
At what age did we figure out the answer
to life, the universe, and everything,
and incidentally, marry?

 

*“Write a poem with the last line being a question and the answer being the title.”

Blocked – reverse nonet (hour 16)

Blocked

pen shocked

mind fuzzy

in a tizzy

blank page now dizzy

missing words, it’s crazy

adverbs, nouns, adjectives all

no objective, no topic, fail.

What happens when ideas run dry?

 

– Sandra Johnson, June 25, 2022

Digital Sue

Digital Sue

 

Digital Sue,

Digital Sue.

I can use my phone

better than you.

Make reservations,

buy tickets, too.

 

Digital Sue,

Digital Sue.

Silly old woman,

what did you do?

Froze the computer?

It was brand new!

 

Digital Sue,

Digital Sue.

Analogue thinking

makes the kids blue.

Old folks get lost

in the digital stew.

#9

Never had soda at home

only when sick

coke or ginger ale

handed over like gold.

Coke down cellar

in glass bottles.

Ginger ale with the liquor.

We drank Hawaiian punch

can you find it now?

Hour 16 Drugs robbed you from us

An attractive

athletic, artistic

son, brother, and father

classmate and crush.

Now only a proven statistic

anyone who lives south

on Long Island.

When I close my eyes

see your smile

hear your laugh

realize you wore sunglasses

more often than not,

hiding the beautiful brown almond shapes

of your eyes.

This reality

not even prayers could save you

How did you die?

 

DogSpeak #15 Why

DogSpeak #15 Why

Why can’t we leave
the fridge door open?
All the good stuff is
in there but we can’t get it,
for you of course,
with the door closed.

Why isn’t there a bed
bigger than king?
It’s too small for all of us
and you refuse to sleep
on the couch. We want you
to be comfortable.

Why can’t we eat
with you at the table?
We’re polite, won’t burp
or steal food off your plate
and there’ll be no leftovers.

Why can’t we have our own couch?
You could make the living room
bigger; after all, it’s where we live
so it should fit our fur-niture, too.

Why do we chase cars and bikes?
We can’t drive them so it seems
like a dumb idea. Oh yeah,
you did tell us not to.

Why don’t you like
answering our questions?
We’re inquisitive, curious,
our inquiring canine minds
want to know everything.

Why do squirrels
hate us? What did we do
to annoy them… other than chase
them up trees, across fences,
and watch as they skitter across
power lines. Zapp!
Never mind.

~ J R Turek

Because we will not be denied

As always, we move forward
obstacles are always there, always will be
we go over, through, or around them

Tell us no – someone always does –
tell them in no uncertain terms your ‘YES’
what is at stake here is you, yourself

You are not alone – they think they
have the numbers but they never do – the
moral arc bends toward justice

You are not wrong, they do not own
righteousness – except when it comes to their
hyphenated ‘self’ variety

They do not own you. You own you.
They do not dictate what is not theirs to bear
Where do we go? Forward. Now.

– Mark L. Lucker
© 2022
http://lrd.to/sxh9jntSbd

Ever After (Hour Twelve, A Tricube Poem)

 

Ever After

He and she

became we,

happily

 

together.

Man and wife,

sharing life,

 

bound by a

love that lasts

forever.

 

****A tricube is a poem of three stanzas, where each stanza consists of three lines, and each line is composed of three syllables.****

Hour 16 (2022)- Anything But That

There’s many a heart that’s been filled with joy
And many the hearts that have broken
With sweet uttered words and a kind touch
And a tone that is gentle when spoken.

I would go to the ends of the earth for your love
I would meet you wherever you ask
I would hold your hand with a feeling of pride
In the warmth of your love I would bask.

There are so many things in this world I would do
To make the most of this gift from above
But to let you lick my cheek, my ire would peak
What would I do for love?