Cereal Attack!

Kernels of Grain
Nutritious, rich, crunchy
Disintegrates, cracks, snaps
Choose which kind you like right now
And pour enough in a bowl
There’s not enough zing, you say?
What do your taste buds dictate?
Which texture does your mouth want to try?
Nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, perhaps?
May be warm milk or cool yogurt?
No? Fruit chunks in it just might make it right?
Go for it!
Indulge!
Enjoy your morning palate’s desire!

Thoughts-in-a-Jam!

Blog 310:

Snooze or kick away covers?
No time to dilly-dally …
Awake, sleepy head!
Enough is enough, lazy bones!

Can’t ignore those moaning excitement down steps
Can’t go past the critters waiting eagerly
Give each one the clamored hug
Evenly share that loving embrace
‘It’s a great morning, little ones!”

Head to the kitchen …
Pour out some of that rich, aromatic coffee
Tune in to the day’s squawk box
Slowly sip that happy, waking ‘juice’

Gulp it down nice and easy

Right along that mild mood ...
Play in mind how the day might run
Twelve hours: waste it or make it count?
Day is yours to unwind soon!
Time is in your hands!

Routine chores’ round up perhaps?

   -little one’s need water and food

   -laundry wash or press daily builds up

   -dishes undoubtedly get in a stack

   -counters get cluttered

   -cook stove undergoes ugly spill battery

   -dust thickens every which way

   -cobwebs nesting up the ceilings must come down

   -trash must get to outdoor collection bins

   -leaves and twigs accumulate on the porch

   -baths and commodes assemble scum and grime

   -grass, hedges and weeds crowd flower beds

   -grocery lists grow long and require filling

Now … which gets attention first … last?

 

A pause … a sigh …
Perhaps, just perhaps …
Do nothing more than you really want …

   -Pick up, immerse in a novel from the stacks

   -Snuggle, rock in that soft, comfy chair

   -Get lost between movie characters and plots

A pause … a sigh …
Perhaps, just perhaps …
Do nothing more than your heart’s desire …

   -Take a long walk outdoors

   -Daydream … reflect … bask in thoughts

   -Pick up a project once begun and dropped

 Now … that packed list is right in your grasp!

Weather Wheel

Blog 309:

Midwest …
Darkening skies
Brewing winds
All foretell daring rains
That turn into wild storms

Northeast …
Whispering breezes
Brightening skies
All sing tunes of Eastertide
That launch bouncy springs

North, east, south or west …
Upstream or downstream winds
Turn upside down charming towns
Into drawn-out or swift havoc centers
Which cry and plead, “Have mercy!”

West, south, east or north …
Cheerful Sun dazzles skies
Subtle Wind perks trees
Ocean and Sky hum in accord
Nature rests ‘til it again rises in fury!

Memory Warp

Blog 308:

Baffled by time loss
And its unknowing cause
A strong bodied man sheds a tear …
“I don’t know what happened!”
He exasperatedly states …
“In front of the thing I must pick up,
There I was immobilized and …
Cold … seemingly frozen in an instant!”

Tears leave his eyes
As he worryingly murmurs …
He bends his statuesque stature
Then shortly … he pulls himself up
He heaves a sigh …
He composes himself
But out rightly he questions:
“Was it time or weather warp?
Did obliviousness crawl in?
How could blankness scramble … steal?”

Nothing more, nothing less
Life’s unwelcome surprises
And fear of the unknown
Chill the body inside out
Swiftly, both boldly come
To pierce mind and heart!

Carefree-in-the-Wild

From here and there 
We spring, play and thrive
Off traveling we go to open lands

In arms or backs of strong Winds …

Mother Earth opens its bosom
To receive and cradle our tiny bones
Rain’s gentle droplets nourish our thirsty bodies
Until in time we break loose
And happily spread our arms

To yet again receive manna from Sun’s warmth …

Nothing more is required to uphold our lives
Be it short or long lived
In the valleys or atop mountains
On plains or rocky ground
God’s graces envelop and sustain!

Parting Blues

Farewell love
Goodbye life
We sever ties
As friends depart

Sending off is never easy
Every parting unveils void

In separation uneasy is magnified
Even tension bitingly gnaws and screams
Long or short departure brings sorrow
But what's worse is it forsakes tomorrow!

Moments In Time

Blog 305:

Time …
There’s a lot of it
There’s a little of it
Spells come and go
Spells take and give

Time …
There’s time for everything
So we hear …

The sun knows when to rise or set
Tides go low or high with time
Farmers harvest and sow in time
Investors pick time to invest or divest
Stoplights are programmed to peak at intervals
Output happens on measured or chosen time

Time …
Timing can be all good or all bad
Nature blasts its fury at whim
Dying and living still impose their will at liberty
Events wield consequences from their own drive

Time …
Record it to improve on something!
Stretch it to practice patience!
Save it to bring greater productivity!
Use it wisely to uplift life!

Spring Waits

Spring has sprung! 
Misty Air clings and wraps all it can
Feisty Wind blows and cuts to the bones
Old Man Winter doesn’t want to budge …

Spring has sprung!
Shoots and bulbs hide deep down the ground
Blooms shy away and conceal their faces
Winged creatures veil and hobble in cocoons

Spring has sprung!
Grassy carpet refuses to green
Twigs and branches lazily sprout
Pollen holds on tight where it sits

Spring has sprung!
Dispassionate Skies stay overcast
Timid Sun stays hidden among the clouds
Bashful Eyes peek, yet fight to stay shut!

Spring has sprung! 
Misty Air clings and wraps all it can
Feisty Wind blows and cuts to the bones
Old Man Winter doesn’t want to budge …

Spring has sprung!
Shoots and bulbs hide deep down the ground
Blooms shy away and conceal their faces
Winged creatures veil and hobble in cocoons

Spring has sprung!
Grassy carpet refuses to green
Twigs and branches lazily sprout
Pollen holds on tight where it sits

Spring has sprung!
Dispassionate Skies stay overcast
Timid Sun stays hidden among the clouds
Bashful Eyes peek, yet fight to stay shut!

Free to Be?

Blog 303:

High is the price of freedom
There lie in its midst a life sacrifice
It demands leadership in all fronts
A clear vision and path it expects
What are the costs of your freedom?

High is the price of freedom
In tandem with it are deaths of innocents and culprits
Passion and commitment are its burdens
Resolve to defend it at times conflict with ideology
What bumps characterize your road to freedom?

High is the price of freedom
Fighters for it must covet compassionate justice
Internal and external laws must govern it
Reason, truth, and righteousness should arm its quest
What would you do to insure your freedom?

High is the price of freedom
Pursuit of happiness is tainted by sadness
Pursuit of liberty is yoked by responsibility
Pursuit of personal belief is embroiled by suspicion
What challenges your life in the light of freedom?

Do Something!

             
Work!
Work to earn a living
Work to create a product
Work to get occupied

Exert effort …
Labor and get materially rewarded
Create extraordinary thing and enjoy praise

Toil for a healthy heart and mind

Act …
Take a step to a meaningful start
Perform a labor of love
Bring about change for the better


Put in effect …
Expend effort and get something built
Pour out drive and passion to bring a masterpiece
Employ give and take to strengthen relationships

Achieve …
With action taken, something moves onward
With investments come profits
With each waking and going come resolve
 
Create to accomplish!
Design to enrich!
Lead to triumph!
Strive!

Trail of Tears

Sing, oh sing of lives lived
… in joyful adventures
… in trying undertakings
… in carefree moods
… in restless moments

Sing, oh sing of lives lost

… to forcible nature’s furies
… to split second numbness
… to pushed body-soul limits
… to devious human feats

Logic and science attempt to explain life
Faith and compassion embrace and mourn it
For whatever indiscernible cause
Living life and losing it simply brings tears

In dying and living …
We choose to celebrate or mourn
In living and dying …
We choose to feel and sustain
In living and dying …
We leave behind legacies
In dying and living …
We imprint our hopes and dreams

Sing … breathe … live!

Wet Craze

Blog 300:

Silvery cool drops …

Sometimes fuzzy, misty, steady
Often heavy, soggy, squelchy
From overcast skies they trickle and pour
They scare and drench creatures great and small
They hum … they swish
They thud and splash
They jangle … they crash
They clatter and brush
All around, they dance and sprinkle
And make noisy, clamoring tinkle

Tiny, prickly showers …

Muddled Thoughts

Blog 299:

Frustration …
Desperation …

      Rage creeps!

Depression …
Anguish …

      The mind warps reality!

Pain …
Demons …
      Suicide slithers!

Life dares all encounters
It disputes logic
It tests faith

At best we confront ills
Numbness ties us into deadlock
In suffering we yield to evil deeds

There is a “balm in Gilead” YOU say?
Tell me which path leads there!

Pluck the Yuck!

Blog 298:

Lackluster

Dirty-looking

Crooked
Overgrown

Unsightly
Unbecoming

All of those … and more!

When fingernails go awry

Can’t stay pretty even if you try
You want to ignore them
But you couldn’t
You want them hidden,
But they press to be seen

Indeed  it’s no use
You can blow your fuse!
Must deal with them soon
Or get bothered ‘til noon!

Fast … get ‘em soaking

Dash now … start poking

Push strongly, push gently

Rid of cuticles gone pesky!

File and buff ‘til all are smooth

You’ll feel super, that’s the truth!

Senseless Griping

Blog 297:

Pick up toys from around the house
Put them in their place

Dinky&Cinn growl, “Mama, we want to play with them!”

Clear out table and counter
Collect, rinse dishes then stack them

I grumble, “Why don’t they have feet to walk themselves?”

Run now or schedule dishwasher to work
Unload trash; load bags of spoils into bigger bins

“Chores never end,” I grump.

Empty hampers’ soiled pile into the washer
Dust off furniture … dust off floors …
I scream, “Good grief!  Cobweb-covered windows again?”

No use complaining, moaning, whining …
Chores and life day-to-day’s a pair
Like wheels, they keep spinning
'Til you’re wrinkled, sans teeth, sans hair!

Regrets

Blog 296:

Life haunts misgivings of the living
Now and then it screams …
 
It sickens the heart mangled by ills
… a purloined youth
… a jilted love

… a betrayed innocence

It grieves thoughts unsaid
… over pangs of guilt
… blatant neglect

… desolate abuse

It regrets inaction on dire matters
… bleak hunger
… dreary isolation
… utter sorrow

Life cries plagues met by the dead
Then and now it punctures deep wounds …

Gambling-And-Life!

Blog 295:

Are you a homeowner?
You pay insurance for that!
How about transport … a truck … a car?
You pay insurance for them!
Do you incur medical bills?
You must definitely have insurance!
Make sure you withhold tax monies
That’s insurance you’ll have enough!
How much are you worth?
Your life can be insured!
How about your pets and loved ones?
Buy insurance for them as well!
Do you travel in state … out-of-state?
“Get accident insurance!” your agent advises.

Insurance here and insurance there
Insurance everywhere for that or this
Without it, you could run in peril
Despite it all, can’t con cunning evil!

Hunger Fever ...

Blog 294:

Growl … rumble …
Hunger pangs roar!
Is it my stomach or brain who craves?
No … I am not so sure

Some say it is brain that starts all
Others declare the stomach’s the culprit
What about my taste buds or palate?
They must have their say, eh?

Something salty and crunchy calls
Something sweet, perhaps, begs
No … make that something sweet’n’sour
Or give in to something creamy … chocolatey!

Long for something mouth watering
Pine for exotic taste
Whatever, whenever the place …
Hunger be pleased, I implore!

Read-to-Be-Free!

Blog 293:

Printed symbols make sounds
Sounds put together make words
Words make meaning
Nothing fancy about the game!
 
Look at one printed symbol
Then sound it out
Move to its neighboring print
Make the new sound!

Slide then from one sound to the next
What does it say?
Can you make sense of it?

Put together sounds make one thing concrete!

You’ve heard of it before, maybe?
If not, just wait ... you'll see!
Just keep trying an inch at a time
Before you know what’s happening
Reading unfolds a bright new world!

Read and get informed
Read to gain knowledge
Read for leisure
Read to be inspired

Read to build dreams, and more

Travel unseen lands if you wish
Unravel stories present and past
Experience unfamiliar territories
Get to know people, places and events
Understand all things great and small

Read ... go ahead with it
Unlock fear and 'get it beat'!

Maternal Wonder

Blog 292:

Mother Nature gives birth
On Motherland’s Earth
She nurtures a seed
And secures it into a womb …

From a begotten seed a child grows or dies
But a kernel it bequeaths lives to beget yet a life today
It holds on to many tomorrows
It matures and opens up new wombs …
 
Seeds become someone’s sister and aunt
Others become adoptive moms, godmothers
Or they step up as foster moms and step moms
Even as birth moms for infertile wombs …

Forget not the numerous moms-in-law
Who let go of their sons as seed givers
And co-creators of unfolding lives … girls
Who’ll keep maternal cycles coming and going!

Wait ...

Blog 291:

Just wait
Wait and see
Wait a little
Wait long

“Wait forever!”

… at the bus stop
… at the cross walk

… for the red light to turn green

Get to a place a quarter before the appointed time
Sit there … and wait awhile
Arrive at a gathering a tad early to be polite

Yet you must wait on everyone else to arrive

Wait ‘til it’s your turn
Wait ‘til you grow up

Deal with unbiased wait

Wait in line
… at the theatre
… at the airport ticketing aisle
… for a theme park ride

Wait for good news … or bad
Wait for test results
Wait for a doctor … a lawyer to see you            
Wait to be told by "one bigger and higher in stature"
Wait and sulk at the prefect of discipline’s office
Wait for a ride home
Wait to be served at a fast food place
 
Wait for that melting first kiss
Wait to be asked to marry
Let him wait, for a change, at the altar
Wait and be patient at deathbed
Wait for God …
Wait and hope to enter Heaven’s Gate!

Cool & Smooth Delight

Blog 290:

Scream for ice-cream
Yeaahh … ice-cream!
Sweet, smooth, cold ice-cream
Covet for the first scoop in a dream!

Want it on the first warm day of spring
When all colors that don the surrounding
Match the flavors of which a palate could pick
Or simply desire from tip of tongue’s first lick!

“What does your appetite dictate?” server asks
Then she runs by a litany of choices:
“There’s plenty from which to tease your taste:
Let it be chocolate, vanilla, cherry or strawberry
Maybe hazelnut, praline, walnut, or pecan?”

I’m confused
I’m overwhelmed
My mouth salivates
I’d like to savor one … maybe two or three
Oh no!  This indecision over zest kills!

Give me all that goes with the parfait
Add to my boat-shaped bowl a banana split
Don’t stop there, oh no … don’t do it, please
Add scoops to it tangy raspberry, pretty Miss!
 
Dig in with a spoon
Savor every bit
Enjoy crunchy toppings
Take pleasure … love it
Delight in cool, yummy ice-cream!

Watch&Hope

 

Blog 289:

Anticipation drives adrenalin
It energizes, galvanizes, boosts
With it every single day, one’s hope is rejuvenated
But especially for creatures of the lesser kind,
It is manna … it is a blessing … it is the pivotal point
For action and an overflowing spirit of exploits

Someone on the road perks up lackadaisical feelings
A runner, a walker, a mobile roadster stirs interest
A postman’s round of mailboxes generates thrill
A school bus’s stop and go rouses dull moments
A garbage truck’s driveway backing agitates quiet
 
Anticipation drives adrenalin
It energizes, galvanizes, boosts
It is that game-changing, animating pill
Cinn and Dink fill their mind and body
Every new and promising day!

Trashify!

Blog 288:

Trashification …
As a concept it’s nothing new really
Before it is what it is …
Trash is someone’s original material find
It is a treasure spun and wheeled
It is something transformed
From once an object of desire
To one deemed superfluous … useless!


“From where does trash come?” you ask.

Oh … from here and there …

From yard sale or flea market hunt
From hand-me-downs
From impulsive store buys
From generous gifts
From a will to collect
From flirtatious want ...

Yeaah … that insatiable appetite for accumulating
And amassing anything … everything a heart craves
Or which money crazily obtains
By credit comfort or cold cash ...

Once claimed … acquired

It submits to a cycle of interest turned indignation:

First it’s cuddled and treasured dearly
Next it gets displayed out in the open
Even bragged about
Or focused upon time after time
It is an object of note for a while
‘Til its desirability withers
Its newness wanes
Its luster fades
Its existence ignored

The object’s transformation is inescapable:
Out-and-about … somewhere … off it goes
It is stored in a rightful spot on a shelf
Either tucked neatly … or pushed shabbily in a box
It is moved out of the house and into a shed
Then deliberately forgotten
Until by accident it is again “found”
Because the space it occupies is required
By that something else once cuddled … treasured
And leave … pass on … expire … it must
Trashify!

Your Neighbor or Mine?

Blog 287:

Next door a faint, yet distinct voice cries
It pleads from a shadowy dungeon of oppression:
“Take me out of this wrenching misery!”

 

Days come and go
A decade passes
The feeble, whimpering voice presses, but goes unheard

It simmers more …
It gets distant …
It is muffled and drowned by mindless chattering voices

Nearby, doors and windows open and shut
Familiar faces ignore neighbors’ comings or goings
In vacuum, pleasantries are exchanged in between
But the core of uttered words holds no water

It is through stealthy circumstances as such …
Under neighbors communing in isolation
Darkest of evils holds fanfare, I think
And right there, right at one another’s oblivious watch
In broad daylight, crime unleashes its reins
Right there as neighbors coldly shrugged shoulders

Of late, so we heard 
Three souls in prime of youth
Get blatantly abducted … held hostage
Their innocent lives immobilized … shamed …
And incognito, evil souls succeed
In hiding their crimes against humanity

 

On Sabbath day, I heard a preacher tell
Of a man in want of immortal existence:
“Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit it?”
The teacher thought, then masterfully replied,
“Love your God with all your heart, soul and strength;
And remember to love your neighbor as yourself.”
 
The perplexed man heard
Yet again he posed, “Who is my neighbor?”

Next door a faint, yet distinct voice cries
It pleads from a shadowy dungeon of oppression!

Is the faint, crying voice your neighbor or mine?

Light&Promise

Blog 286:

Early soft light  
From the east
Peeks through trees …

It beckons
It invites
It cajoles
It entices
Young and old alike
Still burrowed deeply
In indulgent covers
And soft, comfortable beds …

The now warming light
Bids again and again
Until bodies begin to quicken
And all remember the promises
Revealed in a fresh, new day!

Lovers ... Beware!

Blog 285:

Affection or attachment …
Endearing, engaging, appealing
In a symbiotic exchange, it is a charming relationship
When it enters territorial connection, it is suffocating
Look out for unappealing turns
Take heed of jealous streaks
Watch out for selfish bonds
Entangled attachment precedes dispassion
Lovers ... beware!

Foreboding

Blog 284:

Anxiety creeps into psyche …
But we aren’t sure about all that triggers it -
Increased breathing …
Tightened muscles …
Unease …
Disquiet …
It starts from heart of brain
And spreads next all over our being …
 
Fretfulness visibly bursts from every fiber seam
Angst almost always muddles it
Even fear, known or not sneaks

Until all break loose …

Implode!
Or get outwardly ballistic
Scream!
Or withdraw from everything known …
Curse!
Or retreat in silence …
Rage!
Or abandon all life …

Apprehension invades our most private spaces …
But we aren’t sure about all that triggers it!

Blueprint

Blog 283:

Plan -
Messy, stressful, long or short
Drafting a blueprint for something takes creativity
It takes little or lots of time
“Plan ahead!” we often hear
“Go with the flow …” others prefer
“Put a back-up plan,” some insist
Get organized, scheme, and plot
Somewhat of prep boosts confidence
Strategy overkill is what it is …
When it could fail, it will find its way there
So … loosen up, relax, let a plan work itself out
A plan is just that …

Plan: it’s either a noun or a verb

If you were ‘plan’
What would you rather be?