NaPoWriMo # 20: April is Hard

April Is Hard

Poems have been ruling over me.
Quantity over quality has weighed,
like a bag of bricks on my shoulders.
April is the cruelest month,
so said a great poet.
He must have participated in
NaPoWriMo 1930 something.

Pushing yourself can be good,
can be tiring,
can be surprising.
Worth the effort?
Of coarse it is!
When it’s run the course,
I may be hoarse
in my mind.
April has worn me
down, pushed me hard,
and stretched my writing muscles.
Will I do it again,
next year?
You bet!

April 20, 2010

NaPoWriMo # 18: Cat and Dogs

 Cats and Dogs

Cats are self-centered,
doing what and when they want.
Loyalty does not seem to be there.

Dogs are another story.
You don’t hear of any Old Yeller cat books
Dogs aim to please, sometimes
almost worshiping the ground,
their owners walk on.
The cat could care less.

April 18, 2010

 

NaPoWriMo #16: Running From Myself

Running From Myself

my heart is bursting
off my sleeves
I’m broken
the pieces feel
like they’ll never
come back together.
I tried to pick them up
but kicked them
across the floor
under the refrigerator
I could cry all day
weeping through the night
the fog hangs over me
I tried to climb
out of the depressed clouds
but I keep slipping
keep falling
back to the mess of me
can’t quite catch my breath
I’m drowning in pain.
composure’s hard to keep
aching heart bleeds
trying to fake it
barely can contain it
scared to face me
I keep hiding
keep running
but myself
catches up to me
and must run again,
must flee on the treadmill

April 14, 2010

NaPoWriMo #15: Flying Past Saturn

Flying Past Saturn

The planet Saturn had me in
awe when I was in 6^th grade.
I clipped newspaper articles
from the Providence Journal
when I lived with my grandparents,
and still went by Jamie, instead do James.

I couldn’t get enough,
day after day, in the paper,
in National Geographic Magazine,
that my Nana shared with me.
Wondrous pictures taken by Voyager I
Big dreams, vast dreams I had.

My big Christmas presents that year,
the Micronauts, little translucent spacemen
that went through tubes;
I played with them for hours.

When did I stop dreaming about space?
When did I stop clipping articles?
Maybe the mess of nuclear family explosions,
blew up my love of outer space,
Saturn then Jupiter
Kaboom!
Kaboom
The wonder went
up in a mushroom cloud.
Those dreams floated
out into to space,
on the back of the Voyager.

A bit of wonder,
pieces of dreams
crept back upon me,
when my two boys,
asked for a telescope,
after watching Nova:
Hunting the Edge of Space.
Magnificent pictures captured
all of our imaginations.

 

“Jamie” may catch a spaceship
flying to his dreams again

April 15, 2010

NaPoWriMo #14: Poem Line

Poem Line

This poem line has been removed to protect the writer.
This poem line has been deleted to protect the innocent.
This poem line has been stricken to protect the guilty.
This poem line has been purged to preserve favorite conspiracy theories.
This poem line has been expunged from the record to protect national security.
This poem line has been rubbed out to protect the rubber eraser industry.
This poem line has been recalled to preserve the Class Action Lawsuit industry.
This poem line  has been blocked to exclude exclusive clubs .
This poem line has been blacked out to preserve the white out industry.
This poem line has been blown up to protect the dynamite makers.
This poem line has been bleeped out to protect television companies.
This poem line has been cut up to preserve the scissor makers.
This poem line has been sterilized to be ready for surgery.
This poem line has been forgotten to protect the dreamers.
This poem line has been crossed out to make the easily angered, mad.

April 14, 2010

NaPoWriMo # 13: Paper Mache Monkeys

Paper Mache Monkeys

The stories we tell
ourselves, the ending often
the same. Missing pieces,
lost chances, sometimes regrets.
Tigers in college changed
for one of many
manifestos, like changing shirts.
It still haunts us.
Yellowed papers float down,
like confetti ghost parades
trees batter our windows,
wake up, shake loose.

Vigorously fight off yellow
dogs, make war with
goblins, scratching and scraping,
tearing faded paper Mache
monkeys off our backs
choose a better story,
white out all misgivings,
writing on gilded paper.
Ink spots smeared across,
dress shirts crumpled on
broken mirrored closet floors.

The looking glass never
showed much after shattering.
Pick up shattered shards;
gather up broken dreams
fashion together with sweat,
heart pumping, passions yearning.

April 13, 2010

NaPoWriMo #12: Hack Attack

Hack Attack

Alabama gray warms hallways
Japan, backs away as
Canada’s land grab starts small.
Pray that Alaska stays away
Wax, wan
Rattan Cane lawn lacks banana
Bar chart all Asthma attacks
Abraham’s sarcasm starts at Atlanta

Marshall Law starts alarm
Always alpha llamas swarm
Straws that crack clay
black claws astray
Macaw tall as salt grass,
Manx attacks
harass Bach’s halls
array carts and racks,
sand bass has mask.
Snaps back spasm and chasm ,
After Bahamas warm manta rays.
warns phantasm and mass class clash.

Any day, ask Graham.
Aack, a cat!

NaPoWriMo # 11: Click For Friends

Click For Friends

Tick tock tick tock
The plains of Iowa have more ears of corn,
Than Facebook has users.
Tick tock tick tock
How many real faces are missed
Peering into all the virtual faces?
Click click click click
Tick tock tick tock
Loss of something?
We know more and more people,
Less and less.
Does the connecting me
Mean virtual ties,
Hold us together?
Will the bandwidth exceed
Our friendship bandwidth?
Click click click click


April 11, 2010

NaPoWriMo # 10: Wedding Day

Wedding Day

My wedding day, I remember,
the intimacy of just us and the pastor,
quietly taking communion together,
that part was private,
an imaginary curtain drawn
around us.

My wedding day, I remember,
the reception at Nordahl hall,
All our friends and family were greeting
Us as our wedding party was eating
Mexican food first, passing in front of us
as if we were Royalty,
which we sort of were
for the day.

My wedding day, I remember,
the first dance, a song by Latin singer,
Juan Luis Guerra, Burbujas de Amor.
It ended and went to the next song,
more quickly than I wanted.

My wedding day, I remember,
dancing and dancing and dancing.
Then the cake,
we planned it out,
shove it in each other’s faces;
I think I shoved harder than
she expected,
everyone loved it.
I know I did!

My wedding day, I remember,
the throwing of rice,
running through the crowd,
like we were contestants
on The Price is Right,
as we dove into the limo,
happy for the day, yet
happy to be alone.

My wedding day, I remember,
But the memory fades a little, as that
was one of the many memories we’ve built
and are building over these 17 years.
The humor and joy is what I remember most,
As we celebrate each day and year together and
with our growing family, more adventure…

I remember and smile.

April 10, 2010

NaPoWriMo # 9: Connectedness

Friendships important.
Loneliness brings heart sickness;
seek companionship.

April 9, 2010