The Old Cat

d’Verse Poets Pub – Poetics: Make some room
http://dversepoets.com

The Old Cat

The old cat has no room he calls his own,
he claims a spot til it’s no longer new.
He wanders round this space seeking a throne,

a sunny nook to warm his weary bones –
a padded window seat will surely do
The old cat has no room he calls his own.

Somedays a mournful yeowl he does intone,
when favorite blankets have been left askew.
He wanders round this space seeking a throne,

preferring quietness, to be alone
to ponder catching flies and mice and shrews.
The old cat has no room he calls his own –

he owns it all, each board and stepping stone.
His humble servants also know it’s true.
He wanders round this space seeking a throne,

a cardboard box that he can get into
and fall asleep, curled up and unbeknown.
The old cat has no room he calls his own,
he wanders round the space seeking a throne.

The Reality of Gardens

d’Verse Poets Pub – Haibun Monday: Meet Piet
http://dversepoets.com

The Reality of Gardens

On winter days I spend a great deal of time thinking about my flower beds. Outside the wind is blowing wisps of snow around the corner of the house and only the hardiest birds come to the feeders. I stay hunkered down with my dreams and schemes and plans for next summers perfect garden.

When spring sashays her way across the yard I’m faced with more weeds than buds. So begins the relentless battle with ground ivy and winter cress, which have been patiently waiting for those first warm rays of sunshine. My ideal garden vanishes in a puff of reality and I am happy to scatter some seeds in the empty patches of dirt. I’m pretty sure the bees and butterflies don’t visit for the aesthetics.

Outdoor gallery
Blooms of multi-colored zinnias
Abstract garden art

On the Death of the Family Historian

On the Death of the Family Historian

She was the keeper of the portal
The one who held the only key
And I believed she was immortal
Asked only what pertained to me
Relied on her for memories
And now I sit out side that door
A box of pictures from a drawer
People without names or places
No tiny scrap of family lore
They stare at me with somber faces

Stress fixer

Quadrille #104: Oh, We’re in a Fix.
http://dversepoets.com

Stress Fixer

This poem is virtually
Exhausted from zooming
All over cyberspace, an
Avatar of a masked
Bandit in an old film
It has grown weary of
Recipes, cat videos
Going viral in a viral world
This poem is going to fix a cup of tea

The Wisdom of a Cat

d’Verse Poets Pub – Poetics – Solitude
http://deversepoets.com

The Wisdom of a Cat

We can learn much from a cat –
how to gracefully spend a day
without the company of others,
how to calmly avoid the chaos
of our surroundings by finding
a sunny spot, a comfortable
place to watch the cardinals and
blue jays, and goldfinches at the
feeders and the chubby squirrel
that scampers through the grass.
Then, when you get too warm, you
find a little snack, curl up
on your favorite chair, and
purr in contentment.

Silly Wherefore Art Thou

d’Veres Poets Pub Quadrille Monday – Lighten up a bit!
Lillian has us looking at the ‘silly’ side of things.
http://dverespoets.com

Silly Wherefore Art Thou

What has happened to silly,
that willy-nilly, slightly
frilly state of giggling quite
shrilly until you very nearly
lose your breath?
When words like piccalilli
or vanilli leave us
in a dilly due
to really, really
watery eyes. Oh, how
we need some silly.

Searching for Comfort in Times of Change

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In times of change – when normal
isn’t – our souls reach out for the
kind of comfort bright and shiny
new can’t provide. We reach for the
familiar feelings we found in an
old book, where they all lived
happily ever after, or the music
from the days of our youth, when
we were invincible. Milk and
chocolate chip cookies, a bowl
of homemade soup, jelly bread
and tea find their way onto our plates,
replacing the salads and trendy
recipes with hard-to-find ingredients.
Sometimes we need the memories
only a childhood friend can share.
We seek the familiar in the things around
us, family photos, a vase that belonged
to a grandmother, a favorite mug
bought on a special vacation.
And sometimes that familiar thing
is a gray and white wolf puppet
with well-worn fur and lumpy stuffing
who will guard you through the night.