Canning Jars

packing the pantry
when cupboards were filled
with jars of tomatoes
and beans that were dilled

once a key player
in the family’s survival
patiently waiting
the home food revival

stashed away in the basement
all but forgotten
as now meals are made
with the push of a button

sitting for years
in the cobwebs and dust
the metal wire bails
beginning to rust

pulled from the cellar
or bought at yard sales
gather the lids
and tighten the bails

called into service
once more from the past
as food now again
is preserved under glass

a hot water bath
to ensure a good seal
holding the contents
for a mid-winter meal

On Withered Vine - (Rondel)

grapes can not thrive on withered vine
despite how hard we work and toil
they can’t withstand neglected soil
tied up with string or wire or twine

the yearn for growth we can’t confine
twisted branches need to uncoil
grapes can not thrive on withered vine
despite how hard we work and toil

no longer can we make our wine
from grapes so plump, so red and royal
now only wilt and rot and spoil
are gathered from this crop of mine
grapes can not thrive on withered vine

The Crazy Cat Lady

leaving the house for only short periods at a time
just long enough to buy cat food and kitty litter
stopping at the used clothes donation bin
and if nobody is looking
stealing a bag or two of the donated clothes
(not that stealing is right, but nobody
wants to donate clothes to dress up stray cats)
today is “Corky’s” birthday
she’ll be the one dressed as a princess
and if you plan on buying her something
remember she only likes the low-sodium Deviled Ham
she also needs a new tooth brush, (medium soft bristle)
“Buttons “ (Corky’s ex) will be there
he says he’s not dressing up, but my guess is
he’ll wear that new blue sweater
he’s still not over her

I Used to Speak in Photographs

I used to speak in photographs
everything I needed to say
could be said in black and white
I’d punctuate in tones of grey

then they took the film away
and gave digital cameras to everyone
and cheapened the art form
the way ill conceived tattoos
can cheapen the look of a woman’s body

everything now is photographed
from every angle, in slow motion,
in ultra high speed, in high definition,
and I find it hard to find my voice
through all the static

most times now I speak in poetry
where everything I need to say
can be said in black and white
I still punctuate in tones of grey

Denial

I know that she is into me
although it is hard to tell
she never even looks my way
she hides it very well

she walks right by
she doesn’t smile
she never stops
to talk a while

pretends she doesn’t
know my name
can’t fool me
I know her game

she’s into me
it’s plain to see
I’ll wear her down
eventually

how long, who knows
this ruse will last
we’ll be together
once it’s past

it won’t be long
just wait and see
oh, I can tell
she’s into me

Overreaction

no way in hell can this thing fail
we’ve thought of every last detail
nothing can bring us to our knees
it’s loaded with redundancies
no matter what, make no mistake
with systems built for safety’s sake
you have our word, we state our case
back-up procedures all in place

the ground may move, the earth may shake
built to withstand the largest quake
no cause for worry, no need to doubt
we’ve got the whole thing figured out
so, don’t complain and please don’t bitch
there may have been a little glitch
before you all get out of hand
just let us try our back-up plan

we have noticed your frustration
concerns about the radiation
but let us once again be clear
there’s really no alarm for fear
for anyone who lives down-range
we’ll let you know of any change
please be assured until that time
that everything is going fine

The Wait of Water - (Villanelle)

a shift in the tectonic plate
early morning siren screeches
across the ocean people wait

awakened to this twist of fate
tsunami warning, clear the beaches
a shift in the tectonic plate

minute by minute news update
listen to the experts' speeches
across the ocean people wait

all trying to anticipate
how far this devastation reaches
a shift in the tectonic plate

don’t live in a complacent state
lessons Mother Nature teaches
across the ocean people wait

as the local pastor preaches
although his prayers come too late
a shift in the tectonic plate
across the ocean people wait

Rebuttal To Nothing

I’m sorry for writing nothing
but I really meant nothing by it
and if I offended no one
then no one can deny it

There’s a Pill For That

Can’t produce tears, take a pill.
Can’t get an erection, soon you will.
Having trouble breathing?
Want to stop sneezing?
Need to lose that fat?
There’s a pill for that.
Worried about choking?
Trying to quit smoking?
Having trouble speaking?
Is your bladder leaking?
Maybe acute halitosis?
Possibly osteoporosis?
Need help releasing an egg?
Do you have a restless leg?
Do you have chronic indigestion?
Seasonal allergy congestion?
Are you feeling much too shy?
Is your cholesterol way too high?
Do you suffer from aggression?
Have you been diagnosed with depression?
Have a condition you can’t mention?
Do you struggle with hypertension?
Are you having trouble seeing?
Do you have a problem peeing?
Maybe you’re a diabetic.
Maybe your problem is cosmetic.


(side effects may include; dry mouth, vomiting, uncontrollable diarrhea, spontaneous bleeding, headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears, runny nose, drowsiness, trouble falling asleep, trouble waking up, changes in appetite, thoughts of suicide, strange or unusual dreams, certain sexual side effects, swelling of the breast, anal leakage, rash, itching, cramps, shortness of breath, temporary blindness, paralysis, changes in skin color, loss of hair, mood swings, constipation, decrease in semen, blurred vision, lapses in memory, trouble standing or sitting, sleepwalking, jaywalking, moonwalking and double talking)

Small Brown Bag

Tucked under her arm
only partially hidden
a small brown bag
like the Drugstore uses.
She didn’t offer
and I didn’t ask,
just an awkward silence.
It was about the size
of a box of tampons
or a pregnancy test
but she’s never hidden
tampons from me before.

Perfect

I thought that she was perfect
until she pointed out her flaws to me
which made her all the more perfect

Haunting Image

young boy dying of starvation
skeleton loosely wrapped in skin
just meters from a relief foundation
without the strength to make it in

check the settings, watch the light
shoot in color or black and white?
crop the photo, get in tight
got to get the exposure right

photo caught his last expression
fleeting end to all his pains
vacant eyes leave an impression
just the photograph remains

digital image hits the wires
awards are given for the shot
photographer, he then retires
but the image still cannot

few weeks later with depression
and a gun blew out his brains,
no longer held in his possession
still the photograph remains

An Idea

From the crevices of my laden mind,
an idea is released
to be pondered by imagination,
debated by logic
and backed up by reason,
where it transcends
from the brain,
through the hand,
to the paper,
where it awaits the journey
from the paper
to the eye
into the crevices of your laden mind.

A Brand New Muse

getting tired
uninspired
poetic license
has expired

then by chance
or circumstance
in cyberspace
I catch a glance

once desired
thoughts retired
brand new issues
have transpired

spread the news
a brand new muse
with capable legs
and climbing shoes

carried me
up to this peak
gave me words,
helped me speak

to this place
a gentle face
lead me here
to state my case

rediscovered
now uncovered
infant feelings
gently mothered

Bumblebee

You’re way too fat you’ll never fly
just look around and you’ll see why
all the other flying things
have skinny bodies with great big wings

I think perhaps your biggest trouble
your abdomen’s shaped like a bubble
and how do you plan to get around
when all that pollen weighs you down?

You get nowhere near the buzz
as your cousin the honey bee does
There’s no one building you a hive
trying to help you to survive

Oh. Bumblebee can you explain
those tiny wings of cellophane
So, Bumblebee please fly for me
and help me solve this mystery

Time Machine

I’m working on a time machine
and it’s the only one
no sooner had I started it
it was already done

It cost a lot to build it
but I put it all on credit
every time the bill comes due
I go back and forget it

How long it took, it’s hard to say
built on time I had to borrow
I started it a week from today
and finished it tomorrow

Because time travels in a line
you have to journey quickly
I can move ahead just fine
but backwards leaves me sickly

“Is there a way to prove it works?”
Why yes, I’m glad you asked
the poem that you are reading now
was written in the past

For Lack of An Egg

for lack of an egg
the cake wasn’t made
for lack of the cake
the party delayed

this lack of an egg
is no laughing matter
this lack of an egg
means lack of cake batter

this lack of an egg
you think is a joke
this lack of the albumen
this lack of the yoke

for lack of an egg
the cake must be ordered
for lack of an egg
the hen must be slaughtered

Springtime

The cycle once again begins
as maple trees send out swelling buds
that become leaves,
fresh new growth,
that hides the leaf scars of years gone by.

Robins are busy searching.
Searching for mates.
Searching for straw to repair their nest
after winter’s harsh treatment.
Searching for food for their young.

Young trout swim safety in the shallow pools
but are compelled to take risks
and venture forth
into dangerous,
fast moving waters.

Meanwhile, the crocus bravely pushes
up through the earth
and makes a stand,
competing for it’s share of the springtime.

Deer feed in open meadows.
New fawns play in the warm, spring sunshine,
unaware of potential danger
from winter, hunters or dogs.

Like the maple, I too,
cover old scars with new growth.
Like the robins, I too,
am searching.
Like the trout , I too,
am compelled to venture forth
and to  take risks.
Like the crocus, I too,
must compete.
Like the fawn, I too,
am ignorant of possible danger.

Yes, the cycle once again begins.

Mistaken Love

An oversight of self-admission,
mistaken love, misguided vision
but fallacies were so exciting
filled with grace and so inviting.
Reality with such intrusion
made me ponder my illusion.
The eternal love I’d waited for
was just a dream and nothing more