The Poetry Marathon

DogSpeak #12 Naming

DogSpeak #12 Naming

Adam wasn’t around
when I got here and besides,
he probably ran out of names
long ago.

So I came here, rescued
from an unspeakable place
sans name; they called me
cutie and smoochie puppy
but mostly they called me no
and loud and often.

I thought my name was no
but when they started calling me
bad puppy, out-out-out, and not
on the carpet!, I was just glad
to have a happy home.

When they started calling me
Doodle, I ignored them; I already
had several names and wasn’t
looking for another; it was hard
to keep track.

In time, no stopped, out-out-out
disappeared in the backyard
somewhere, and they pulled up
all the carpet.

Now that I am a little older,
I just have one name. Doodle,
not on the new tile!

~ J R Turek

Hour 12 Writing Prompt – Write about gathering with others

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!

 

 

Plague Year Three or is it four?

Will we ever gather again like
we used to? Maybe the younger ones
will. They already do. Us old folks,
not ready to die yet, we’ll gather in
dibs and dabs. A child and their children
here, another child there. A granddaughter,
a grandson, a visit masked. A visit after
testing.

Last Thanksgiving eve was the last big
gathering for us. After that, the covid
meandered through the family, up one side and
down the other, hitting some twice.

The novelty of zooming long
gone. Plague without end.  Thankful
we’re all still on
this side.

 

Quiet

No noisy chaos

sounding loudly in the air;

beauty in silence

In Choir Inquire

Prompts for Hour Twelve Write about gathering with others. The specifics are up to you.

Hour 7: Naked… True Nude

Lips the color

of my hair and complexion

matching my and purse.

Nature Haiku – Hour Eleven

Mushrooms made me see
Clearly now, the small details
Making up our world.

Details of beauty,
Unmatched, yet so overlooked.
Our life moves too fast –

Slow down and relax.
Stand in awe of the lush Earth.
Breathe in time with Her.

Hour Eleven: Poetry Marathon haiku

What’d you do today?
The Poetry Marathon.
Harder than you think.

(I’d do a tanka,
but I just can’t…)

2022 Poetry Marathon, Hour 12

Hour twelve, from the image prompt:

(more…)

Excitement (Hour 11)

The lips stretch out
from ear to ear.
Teeth beam out
in picturesque display.
The body vibrates
from head to toe,
internally-tickled.
The audible sound
is no language of man,
yet it’s understood by all
as one total expression
of joy.