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Archive for April, 2024

One Special Barbie

Posted in humor, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 27, 2024| 1 Comment »

dollhouse

“One of the hardest jobs in this world is to be able to preserve the innocent face of our childhood in our adulthood as well!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Let’s play in my room,” my four-year-old granddaughter says.

I’m accepted as another kid. A genuine compliment. My daughter-in-law smiles. Very few preschoolers have a playmate named Grandma.

I take the observation seat on the floor as our granddaughter begins a run with various dolls through the girls’ dollhouse. She includes a monster at least twice the size of several Barbies. Monster is given the part because her hair is twice her size. Something like a fuzzy hot-air balloon the color of a faded blue dishcloth.

“Ahhhhhhh!” our little girl yells. I suspect the drama is for my benefit.

I watch as each doll slides through the window. Enthusiasm complete.

I grab one of the team from the stack. It is wearing a short, semi-existent top. No pants.

“Uh, I think this Barbie needs some pants.”

“Oh, it’s okay she just wears a butt.” My playmate’s voice sounds matter-of-fact as she finds a fresh antagonist for her play. A rabbit taking on the role of a skunk. Is the show for me or is this a standard activity?

I face fairy tales with a twist.

“What’s wrong with your hands, Grandma?” my playmate asks as she studies the smooth back of her hands.

“Not a thing, sweetheart. It’s a thing called age.”

Oh, well! I guess I didn’t escape reality as thoroughly as I thought.

 

 

 

illustration made from public domain image

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Tulips II

Posted in poetry, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 19, 2024| 1 Comment » 

Tulips II

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” 
― W.B. Yeats

Tulip has little more to give. 
A few red petals hang from its stem.
And a bright yellow center shines
from the inside. A golden heart.

I don’t touch the surface.
Although the flower is in my yard,
its life doesn’t belong to me.
The plant has roots.

They grow underground
and thrive and wait with the seasons.
I believe what I see or understand.
May I step into the holy and hidden.






Tulips II

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Tulips, Nature, and Me

Posted in poetry, tagged , , , , , on April 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Tulips, Nature, and Me

“You can experience the beauty of nature only when you sit with it, observe it, breathe it, and talk to it.”
― Sanchita Pandey, Lessons from My Garden

The tulip bud shows a promise of red along its center

as it grows straight despite tiny drops of hail,

dropped temperatures, and a touch of ice

on its gentle surface. The flower grows

as it was meant to develop.

Bright, glowing with spring, undaunted

by an unexpected April winter.

I pull my jacket tighter and pray to keep

my color fresh inside my spirit.

Flourish, I say to the flower. Let your roots connect you

to what you are. As I connect mine

to what I am. More than the dust collected day after day

on rags, on memories, I tell myself,

You too must grow despite the mundane.

I step outside the next day and notice the sun,

warm and announcing spring.

My tulip is blossoming. Am I?

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One Extra Leaf

Posted in short story, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

One Extra Leaf

All creative people want to do the unexpected. Hedy Lamarr.

Bailey, an elderly leprechaun, found a magical four-leaf clover wedged under a pot of gold that belonged to his family.

“Hmmn,” he said to his wife Ginger. “Where did this come from? What should we do with it?”

“Let’s check out the rainbow on the other side of the house. See what we can find when we follow it. Go someplace new and different. This may be some real fun.”

“Okay. As long as we don’t need to go to a Walmart in Ohio, I’m with you.”

Magic works in strange ways. The trip took minutes.

“We are at a Walmart outside Cincinnati! Ohio, my dear, Bailey. How in tune can you be? Whether you want to be or not.”

They landed invisibly and a man with a HELP sign found the magical clover. He tried to pull off a leaf. Instead, it mysteriously shaved his beard. He tried again and he was instantly bathed. One more pull, and his clothes were changed and clean. By the fourth try his heart was healed and he remembered who he was, how he had lost his job and gradually everything he owned.

“I’m going to wake up any minute,” he said, trembling.

Bailey approached him and magically calmed the man long enough for him to put aside his sign and step to the other side of the building. However, the man was still convinced he was dreaming.

“Jack! Jack Harris, is that you?” Another man called as he approached the store. “I haven’t seen you in a coon’s age. You won’t believe this, but I need an accountant. Yesterday. Got a moment?”

The man held out his hand. Jack took it.

Bailey smiled. Ginger linked her arm to his. “Our job is almost completed,” she said. “Well, we’re going to need to explain magic to our Jack first. Then do another resuscitation. It’s a good thing CPR is included in our training. It doesn’t begin and end on St. Patrick’s Day. Do we need any ordinary fare at Walmart before returning to Ireland?”

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