Ship of Dreams

image source

Ship of dreams set sail

On what strange shores will you land?

Raise Ambien toasts

To our voyage of slumber

Once, we needed only waves

submitted for Steal This Art, Week of 2/27/11

Experimenting With Poetry Forms, Tanka

This photo brought to mind the Heart song "Dreamboat Annie." Anyone old enough to remember that one?

Does This Cape Make My Butt Look Fat?

You've heard of the Hulk and the Fantastic Four
The Norse God of Thunder with hammer is Thor 
Superman's strong, and he flies - what a bore!
We hormonally challenged women need more!

We need a hero to fight for our needs
One who is tough and who never concedes
Ladies, my efforts may just be last ditch
But I bring you our new hero now:  SUPERBITCH!!!

I am no Batman, I don't wear a cape
In sweatpants and robe I will make my escape
There had best be a phone booth to which I can dash
To rip it all off when I get a hot flash!

Iron Man's hands can shoot rays through bad guys
When I'm angry, I shoot rays right out of my eyes!
My glare is more scary than you've ever felt
And I have a scowl to make Iron Man melt!

Spiderman may climb the walls to attack
But SUPERBITCH will climb all over your back
Aquaman swims and can hold his own breath
But I will hormonally rant you to death!

So bad guys, villains, jackwagons, take heed!
Before you engage in that next irksome deed
There's a new superhero, I'll say it again
Her name's SUPERBITCH, and she needs estrogen!

submitted for Poetry Potluck, Week 24

Don't Look Back

image from Haiku Challenge, Day 28

Don't look back, don't doubt

Tears of regret, salt pillar

Past is done, move on

submitted for Haiku Challenge, Day 28

Life's Dance

image source

Winter bows to spring
Snow melts to nourish new growth
Old becomes young

So too you and I
Memories in Life's dance, yet
Love is eternal
 
submitted for Haiku Challenge, Day 27

Come Dusk

image from Haiku Challenge, Day 26

Come dusk and he's free

The sun sets; his spirits rise

He soars with the hawks

submitted for Haiku Challenge, Day 26

Thank you SIS for this award for my haiku!

Haze

image source

Through the summer haze

Swallowtails flicker and glide

Wings of velvet dust

 submitted for Haiku Challenge, Day 25

Word!

Point sharp, damage done
You been told, slammed, take that - word!
Sticks and stones, you wish!

submitted for Haiku Challenge, Day 24

Sparkle

image source

Scintillating skin
Sweat droplets sparkle like jewels
Wrap me in your heat

submitted for Haiku Challenge, Day 23

Grief

image from Magpie Tales 54

Grief is a puzzle with the pieces askew

Another part missing each time you glance

You try to find meaning but don't have a clue

Trip over your own feet in this macabre dance.

Another part missing each time you glance

You try to believe but it doesn't seem true

Trip over your own feet in this macabre dance

Your love is dead and you want to die too.

You try to believe but it doesn't seem true

You walk through your life now as if in a trance

Your love is dead and you want to die too

You can't work this puzzle-there is no chance.

You walk through your life now as if in a trance

There's dust in your heart where once lush gardens grew

You can't work this puzzle-there is no chance

No longer a framework in which to hew.

                                                                   There's dust in your heart where once lush gardens grew

                                                                   You try to find meaning but don't have a clue

                                                                   No longer a framework in which to hew

                                                                   Grief is a puzzle with the pieces askew. 

                                                                   submitted for Mag 54

Bad Habits

image source

 A bad girl whose will was quite strong

Stuck her tongue out despite it being wrong

On a gray, icy day

It got frozen that way

And thus it stayed all winter long!

submitted for Experimenting With Poetry Forms (Limerick)

Roots to Fly

image from Haiku Challenge

 A tree with strong roots

Has branches that reach out wide

And grows tall and strong

A kite on a string

Can ride the wind past tree tops

To sail to the sun

Her feet sought the ground

So that her dreams could fly free

And climb past the clouds

image from Rabbit's Den

poem submitted for Haiku Challenge, Day 22

and for Steal This Art, Week of 2/20/11

DaDaDaDa DaDaDaDa BATMAN!!!

image from Google Images

You have to hand it to ol' Adam West
Always arriving at the Commissioner's behest
Never engaging in actions untoward
And always accompanied by his partner Burt Ward!

This Clerihew was written by my husband, David

There's No Place

Too many nightmares and not enough daydreams

Too many monsters and not enough knights

Home is no sanctum when your house is haunted

Her room was not safe when she turned out the lights.

image source

Too many closets and not enough windows

Too many corners and not enough space

Too many shadows and not daylight

She couldn't wait to get out of this place.

Trying to shove her past in a suitcase

Deciding what  to leave behind

Every possession she owned felt tainted

She hoped that her future would be more kind.

submitted for Poetry Potluck, Week 2/20/11

Bliss

Dog snores beside me
Chasing squirrels and eating trash
Blissful doggie dreams

written for Haiku Challenge, Day 21

A Short Gorey Story

picture from Google Images

If you like black humor, read  Edward Gorey
He sure can tell a morbidly funny story
When you read one, be sure to take a breath
Or you just may laugh yourself to death!

Surprise in Pink

image from Haiku Challenge, Day 20

Peony pompon
Petite pink perfumed petals
Surprise! Someone's here.


written for Haiku Challenge, Day 20

Debris

image from lifeisacookie

Downtown Baltimore
Homeless man sleeps on concrete
His blanket, the Sun

Snaky hair, don't look!
That yellowed newsprint, age or...?
Smell of sweat and beer

Rusted chain link fence
Claims paper stolen by wind
To join the debris

submitted for Haiku Challenge, Day 19

Alone

image from Haiku Challenge, Day 18

My canoe and I
Sole witnesses to Life's tides
Sweet isolation!

A Star Is Born (a fishy parable)

source image from Mike Shaw Photography
via Rabbit's Den

Once upon a time there lived deep within a lake a family of trout.  In this family were a Mother trout, a Father trout, 2 small Brother trout, and an older Sister trout named Estrella. They were a happy family and especially lucky, as Estrella had a talent few other trout could rival.  She was a magnificent dancer! While most trout could flap their fins and swish their tails with enough functionality to propel them through the lake, Estrella made swimming into art. To watch her swim was to behold beauty. This exceptional talent made Estella's family quite happy, as they loved to spend afternoons watching her perform her little fishy dances.  They would clap and praise their little fry with beaming fish faces.

This was not enough for Estrella, however. She coveted more attention, more praise. Soon, word got around the lake about the talented trout. Fish swam in from miles around the lake to see Estrella's moves. She loved performing for her new fans as they clapped their fins in appreciation. Estrella's happiness did not last long, however. She soon grew bored and restless again. "This lake is not big enough to contain my talent and beauty!" she complained. "I need a larger stage to shine!"

Mother trout and Father trout tried to talk some sense into their egotistical daughter. "Honey, we were born in this lake, and unless we evolve to grow legs, in this lake we must stay."

"Well, it's just not fair!" cried Estrella. "I can't be a star here! I'm being stifled! I want to be a star!"

Well, it just so happened that a mischievous Jellyfish genie overheard Estrella's outburst. When the other fish were asleep, he jiggled up to Estrella and said, "I heard what you said before and I agree! You are too beautiful and too talented to be in this tiny lake with these awful fish! You should be a star!"

"Oh, yes, you understand!" said the prideful Estrella.

"Of course! I am a genie. I will grant you your wish. Just tell me what you want."

Without hesitation, Estrella exclaimed, "I want to be a star and to be the most beautiful thing for miles around!"

"So be it!" said the genie Jellyfish.

And with that, he waved a tentacle and Estrella's world changed forever. She found herself all alone on an isolated beach. There was no one for miles around. She felt strange. When she looked down at herself, she saw that she had five legs! She was a sea star! And she was starting to feel very thirsty...

--------------------------------------------------------------

Several months later...

Two fish were reminiscing about their childhoods.

"Hey, do you remember that trout who used to be such a  good dancer? What was her name?"

"Oh yes, Estrella! I believe she did become a star, but now she's all washed up."

Unravelled

image by pretendforme

Like a tight weave then

Words unravel like cheap knit

Tangles on the page

written for Haiku Challenge, Day 17, Ravel
and Thursday Poets' Rally, Week 38

Consumption

image from Haiku Challenge, Day 16

I give and you take

Soiled, suckling parasite

Your needs consume me

After

image from Haiku Challenge, Day 10

Daylight and you're gone

Incubus in shirt and tie

I cling to my dreams

Lilt

image from Haiku Challenge

Quickly forgotten

Hurts and slights from yesterday

Laughing children play

written for Haiku Challenge, Day 9

Footsteps in Sand

image from Haiku Challenge, Day 8

Feet step in soft sand
Waves wash in,out; leave behind
Life-tiny tide pools. 

Just a Pinch

image from Magpie Tales 53

There's table salt (NaCl) to season your foods
And lithium (Li2CO3) to balance your moods
Use calcium chloride (CaCl2) to keep things dry
And rubidium (RbNO3) for purple on the 4th of July.
Use epsom salts (MgSO47H20) to soak your feet
And if you're sore, bath salts (MgSO4) are sweet!
Rock salt (NaCl) helps with driveways and ice creams
Sodium nitrate (NaNO3) grows roses like dreams.
Saltpeter (KNO3) is needed to keep guns equipped
Preserving salamis and keeping pants zipped!
So whatever the problem, whatever the fault
It's easy to fix it--add a big dash of salt!

Anger

Photo by Ivan Knez, Photo.net

Words spit like hot oil

Disfigure a young spirit

Burn and scar a soul

written for Haiku Challenge, Day 7

Second Look

image from Haiku Challenge

Would I lie to you?

Dive into my eyes and drown

Love-perfidy's pawn.

Cynosure

image from Google images

She is an orchid

Beautiful and rare, above

A jewel not of earth

written for Haiku Challenge, Day 5

Run

image from Haiku Challenge, Day 4

You kill our husbands

You abduct our sons from us

We run for our selves

Solitude

image from Haiku Challenge

At last! Solitude
A chance to chat with my thoughts
I rouse them from sleep.

Bleary eyed, foggy
Stretching, yawning, blinking wake
Spurning inertia.

I greet them warmly
Like old ladies over tea
And take pen in hand.

written for Haiku Challenge, Day 15

A Mother's Eyes

image from cosmochick 20

A mother has eyes

Not in the back of her head

But inside her heart

written for Haiku Challenge, Day 3

The Blind Owl

image from Few Miles, Haiku Challenge

So, it's Valentine's Day and Day 14 of the Haiku Challenge. The Challenge is to write at least one haiku each day on a theme or picture prompt posted on the website for the 28 days of February. I didn't discover this site until Day 11. To do penance for my tardiness, I have set myself the goal of catching up by writing the previous 10 haikus as quickly as possible. The first, here, need not have a theme.

This haiku is a tribute to a blind owl that resided at a local nature center where I volunteer teach. It was unable to survive in the wild and was cared for at the center. It died of old age last year.

image from Robert E. Barber

The blind owl is dead

Caged no more, it now flies free 
Hunts mice in heaven

Flower Bud

image from Haiku Challenge, Day 2

Tiny baby sleeps

Perfumed by roses and talc

Herself yet a bud

Love

image from Haiku Challenge, Day 14

Two hearts set ablaze

Seductive and dangerous

Ecstasy, ashes

We're Still Here (For David)

photograph by Augusto Gandia at Photograph Prose

It's four a.m. and I'm awake again
My mind keeps replaying how it could have been
But then I count your breaths like I'm counting sheep
And pretty soon I'm smiling and I'm falling asleep

We're still here
We're still here, babe

They say a tree grows stronger in the broken parts
I guess that it's the same way with broken hearts
And though we've hurt each other some along the way
My love for you keeps getting stronger every day

And we're still here
We're still here, babe

And who would've thought that the boy from the band
Would fall for the girl who couldn't carry a tune
But now you've got me dancing under the stars
Singing silly love songs up to the moon

So now I don't care if the world stops spinning
'Cause I would still wake up in the morning grinning
I know that other loves may have come to an end
But I'm sticking with you because you're my best friend

Yes, we're still here
We're still here, babe
We're still here
We're still here, babe
Yeah, we're still here.

submitted for Jingle Poetry, Poetry Potluck 22: Love, Bonds and Relationships
submitted to Photograph Prose
submitted to Thursday Think Tank, #42 Love at Poets United



On 4/25/11 my husband and I celebrated our 18th anniversary! I am so thankful to have him in my life.

Grumble

image from Google images

Grumble, mutter, groan

Extreme exasperation

Change the damn t.p.!!!

submitted for Haiku Challenge, Day 13

Love

image from Haiku Challenge, day 12

A ring, a promise

My love true as a sunrise

Today, forever


















Thanks, Jingle, for these lovely awards!!!

Faith

image from The Haiku Challenge, Day 11

Faith can grow in drought
Survive doubt and poor soil
Bloom among the weeds

There's Something

photo from Magpie Tales

Come for a cup

Stay for the whole pot

Come for some sugar

Stay for the pie

Come with an egg

Stay to hatch some gossip

There's something about this house.

Come to have a word

Stay for a conversation

Come with an agenda

Stay for the laughter

Come with nothing

Stay for dinner and ice cream

There's something about this house.

Come for a minute

Stay for an hour

Come in from the cold

Stay for the warmth

Come as a neighbor

Leave as a friend

There's something about this house.

submitted for Mag 52

Off Balance

There's a goal I can't achieve

It's become a true pet peeve

I find I don't have the talents

For asanas that take balance.

My Tree pose starts out standing tall

Then I start to sway and fall

My Tree must be in a storm

Oh what bad, sad yoga form!

When my Eagle tries to soar

I only end up on the floor

I really do give it my best

This Eagle should stay in the nest!

I know Dancer should be graceful

But I wind up with a face full

Of my dirty yoga mat

When my Dancer's pose goes splat!

Some day this goal I hope to meet

Get through a practice on my feet

Complete a balancing asana
Would be true yogic nirvana!
 
submitted for Poetry Potluck, Week 21