An Inconvenience

Paul is talking Change over at the Pub

 

An Inconvenience

 

A neighbor cut down
an old Black Walnut tree
it was inconvenient –
dropping walnuts in the fall
as walnut trees are wont to do

And then another cut down
a Red Maple
it was inconvenient –
shedding all those leaves in the fall
as maple trees are inclined to do

Yet one more is contemplating
three tall pines behind his house
they are inconvenient –
scattering pine cones in the fall
as pine trees must surely do

Now the birds and squirrels
search out another perch
it is inconvenient –
finding seeds and nuts elsewhere
I think that I will plant a tree

Pop Up Tree

2017 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 28
It’s two-for-Tuesday once again
Write a love/ anti-love poem

——

Pop Up Tree

i bought it at a church rummage sale
it came in a square white box
that was a little torn
a little worn
a five foot pop-up tree
with short artificial branches
and shiny artificial discs for
decorations – just a spiral of glittering garland
it is a yellowy kind of green
that any self respecting tree
would be ashamed of
but it sparkles in the morning
sun shining through the window
and creates abstract reflections
on the wall and ceiling
it makes me smile and
i love it
but my husband –
well, that would be anti-love

 

Where Poetry Lives

Where Poetry Lives

 

i think i got it all wrong
poetry does not live
in the moon and the stars

it is the gray dove that
sits on the knobby bare branches
of a choke cherry tree
puffed up
warming itself in the
morning sun

the small squirrel
the one with a slight limp
that stuffs its cheeks
full with seeds the sparrows
have dropped in the
grass under the bird feeder

the hissing sound of the
shiny tea kettle filled with hot
water bubbling and bouncing
on the back burner of a
flat top stove ready to
become my morning tea

 

Oh Christmas Tree

2017 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 26
Write a ‘shine’ poem

—-

Oh, Christmas Tree

we trudge through snowy fields
searching for that “perfect” tree
not too tall
not too wide
not too perfect

we untangle
strings of twinkling lights
and find ourselves tied
up in k(nots) –
we’re not doing this again

fancy glass bulbs hang
beside homemade reindeer
jingle bells tinkle
from branches – sticky
with pine sap

we sigh and even curse
just a little
wondering why we
bother, year after year
then she comes
bounding down the stairs
eyes shining brightly

and we know

 

All Jazzed Up

d’Verse Poets Pub -Jazz poetry with Amaya
~
All Jazzed Up

 

this poem is all jazzed up
hair slicked back
one cool cat, man

a take the (A) train
smoke-gets-in-your
eyes torch song
kinda poem

 

the heart of this poem
is laying down
a hope-you-dig-me
crazy beat

noodling a jive tune
to tell you –
before you split –

you send me

 

A Just Plain Poem

2017 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 23
Write a ‘preface’ poem

~

A Just Plain Poem

 

this poem has no prelude
no coming attractions
no preface

there is no poem trailer
to build suspense
no liner notes

this poem is a bold
and daring
in-your-face poem

a laugh-out-loud
cry-me-a-river
mess of a poem

a heart of stone
filled with marshmallow
softy of a poem

a tell-you-a-story
tuck-you-in-bed
sweet dreams kind of poem

this poem is a kiss-
on-the-lips
heart-on-its-sleeve

just plain
in love with you
poem

 

 

 

Heart of Stone

d’Verse Poets Pub – Quadrille #45
Mish is throwing rocks in the Pub today

~~

Heart of Stone

what i know about rocks could fill a
rocket
or not
i know they can be thrown
and skipped
dug up
and buried
painted
sometimes they rock when
stepped on
what I’ve learned about rocks
is that they hold great mysteries
in their hearts

 

abundandtly clear

2017 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 19
Write an ‘abundance’ poem

 

let’s make it abundantly clear ….

this poem is not endowed
with an abundance of
grace

it sometimes trips
over its own unrhymed
feet

it often speak its mind
and ends up bold faced –
underlined
italicized

this poem gets lost
and scared
and sheds tears in
public

but this poem is honest
and true
it is in love with the moon
and stars and
you